"meyer lemons" news and stories

As we near the end of Florida's Meyer lemon season (which usually runs from December to April), it may be time for a lemon-dessert marathon. The Meyer, a hybrid of lemon and mandarin orange that originated in China, is more round and sweet than your average lemon, and its juice adds amazing zest to pies and cakes.

Spanish-language blog conicadelsol offers the recipe for the lemon cake above, which is made with mascarpone cheese for creaminess (in case you don't read Spanish, there are step-by-step illustrations, and the ingredients are simply a stick of butter, 4 ounces of mascarpone, a cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of flour, 2 eggs and the zest of one lemon). For a super-creamy lemon cheesecake, see our recipe, as well as a recipe for a fluffy lemon cake sans cheese. And for the rest of the lemon-season marathon, see Kitchen Daily for lemon recipes from appetizers to midnight snacks.

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It's Meyer lemon season and I am delighting in their tangy flavor (the appearance of these lemons makes the onset of winter a little more palatable). My grandmother had a Meyer lemon tree in the backyard of her house in Woodland Hills, CA and the first whiff of their signature scent (a little more floral and sweet than a conventional lemon) always takes me back to her kitchen.

Friday night, I was home alone and in need of some dinner. I considered heading down the street for some takeout Thai but having eaten out a whole lot last week, I determined to do something at home with ingredients already in the fridge. Surveying my options, I came upon a bag of Meyer lemons, a third of a package of linguine, some ancient creme fraiche, some already-grated Parmesan cheese (I realize it's a foodie sin to buy it pre-grated, but sometimes it's just so much easier) and a bag of must-be-used arugula.

Those ingredients started a bell in the back of my mind jingling and I dredged up a memory of a recipe that used those components in Amanda Hesser's Cooking for Mr. Latte. Finding the book in a stack in the bedroom, I cooked up what became a delicious and easy solo dinner. The recipe is after the jump.

I almost feel like I don't want to write anything for fear the I may spoil the visual splendor of Meyer Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes from My Husband Cooks, particularly because the post on their blog has photo-illustrated steps for how to make them. Instead, I will give you this: "They are sweet, citrus-y and delicious. The pancake itself is thick and hearty - not a wimpy, thin flapjack. When you fork through its fragrant, light exterior you might even catch a waft of lemony goodness. And the ricotta in the recipe adds a depth of flavor and richness that will make a pancake lover swoon."

Took the words right out of my mouth.

I love making pudding cakes. I find them to be both easy and satisfying, especially on a cold evening where the dessert can really warm you up. A basic recipe for one will have egg whites folded into a flavored batter, much like a souffle. Unlike a souffle, however, pudding cakes are baked in a water bath that keeps the bottom portion from puffing up as it cooks, leaving a thick pudding at the base of your baking dish. The top portion of the cake, uninhibited by the insulation of the water bath, bakes into a light, moist sponge cake that provides a perfect contrast for the pudding below.

I baked this batch in individual ramekins, which makes them look a little more elegant than a pudding cake baked in one large dish and scooped out for serving. As an extra touch, I also used Meyer lemons in place of regular lemons. They add a lot of lemon flavor without any of the sharpness that is usually associated with lemons and lemon juice.

Meyer lemons are a slightly sweeter version of regular lemons and are becoming more and more popular with bakers as they become easier to find in stores. The distinguishing feature of the lemons, aside from their small size and thin skin, is that they have none of the bitterness that is found in regular lemons. This means that anything they are used in, from lemonade to lemon tarts, will have a very intense lemon flavor that is not cut by an overly tart aftertaste of any kind. Jen, the Barmy Baker, took advantage of their fantastic flavor and baked up these Meyer Lemon Loaves using a recipe from Pierre Hermes' Desserts and some lemons from her small Meyer lemon tree. The loaves are only a tiny bit lighter than a pound cake and are rich with butter and sour cream. They are also spiked with a little bit of rum, which makes them seem a little bit more festive for the holidays.

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