No prizes for guessing this tangy and zesty fruit, that's often mistaken for a vegetable. Used both in sweet and savory cooking and baking, and when held in the hand leaves a refreshing fragrance in your hands. Yes, I'm talking about the humble lemon ! So refreshing and so versatile, lemons are so popular not just in Indian cuisine but at large in world cuisine, and not to forget in desserts too. The tang from the lemon pairs beautiful with sugar and other flavor profiles to make some interesting bakes and desserts.
While most people are chocoholics, there are enough number of those too who love fresh fruit desserts too.
Lemon is one such ingredient that is so popular with pastry chefs. The entire fruit can be used from the zest to the juice and pulp in various ways to make some delectable desserts.
The most familiar one could be the lemon tart, made using its juice and zest. A lemon custard, known as lemon curd is the filling of the tart. This lemon curd is such a multipurpose filling that it can be made to use lemon tarts, as a topping on cheesecakes and ice-creams and sundaes.
This lemon curd when filled in a pie shell, paired and topped with a fluffy egg white and sugar frosting called meringue is yet another crowd pleaser, the lemon meringue pie. Lemons pair really well with herbs like thyme and rosemary. These flavours can be brought alive in cookies and tea cakes too.
Nuts and dried fruits like pistachios and cranberries to are great to be fixed with lemon for muffins or even cookies. Lemon by itself is such a winner flavour, that frozen desserts like sorbets and frozen yogurt of lemon flavour makes one refreshing dessert.
Lemon tea cakes made with lemon zest and lemon juice is a tea time favourite. Variations of this could include adding nuts, berries, an even a sugar glaze on top.
The list will go on, but this lemon flavour will never go out of fashion, its a refreshing flavour loved by most people. These lemon bakes and desserts are great not just to serve at birthday parties or tea parties, one could simply make them as every day sweet treats for your family members at home. You could also make them as homemade festive giveaways to family and friends too. So wait no more and dive into this lemony recipes already.
