I powered down my laptop on Friday and haven’t checked emails all weekend. It has been glorious! The weekend was absolutely beautiful and we took full advantage. We hiked on Friday afternoon and Saturday…and spent most of the days outdoors, just hanging out. Followed by baths and movies and then “sleeping in” and lounging around with coffee. The best.
I did even more hanging out (not moving) after a pull and pop in my calf playing tennis on Saturday. Brutal. The PAIN! Still, the pain. Hoping it goes away as quickly as my sunburn is sure to pass. Oh YES, a definite sun burn this weekend. Those first sunny days sneak up on you, don’t they? Those long Michigan winters leave my skin sensitive and responsive to the damage of the sun.
It’s May, and the sunscreen is officially in use.
With my bum leg, I wasn’t feeling up for cooking tonight. We did carry-out and I’m not complaining. We have been doing carry-out on Friday or Saturday when we’d normally go out for dinner, but we ate at home all weekend. I had so much left over from my cooking demo on Tuesday, we were eating on it until today! Speaking of cooking demos, “like” Spectrum Health Lakeland on Facebook and join on 5-5-20 @ 6pm EST for a live cooking demo. Cinco de Mayo on Taco Tuesday, it’s going to be fun!
What I did do in the kitchen today was make some “healthier” oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipe read to flatten the cookies a bit as they spread “just a bit” when baking. Yeah, my cookies turned into a pancake of oatmeal raisin cookies, spreading all over. I mean, they taste great but…woof. They look horrible. Definitely NOT blog-worthy!
Blog-worthy, however? THIS recipe. I can’t pass up Meyer lemons when I see them available and admittedly, there’s no other or better way to use Meyer lemons other than a dessert. This NYT recipe was bomb. A bit a labor of love, but oh so worth the time and effort. If this recipe doesn’t scream spring, what does? Enjoy!
- 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing pan
- ¼ cup sugar
- ~1/2 egg yolk*
- ½ Tbsp 2% milk
- 6 oz (~1 cup + 2 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ lbs (5 or 6) Meyer lemons
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 ½ oz (1 stick + 3 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 7 large egg yolks
- 5 large eggs
- First, prepare the crust by creaming together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, scraping down the sides, as needed. Add egg yolk* and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan, working it up the sides to be flush with the lip of the pan. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add 1 cup sugar, butter, and salt. Place pan over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Do not over-heat.
- In bowl, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir for several minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe from The New York Times
WEEKLY MENU: APRIL 26TH – MAY 1ST
- Sunday: Chili’s carry-out
- Monday: Teriyaki Salmon Sushi Bowls with potstickers (kids are very into potstickers!)
- Tuesday: Easy Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with guacamole
- Wednesday: lasagna from the freezer with salad
- Thursday: Honey Garlic Tofu + broccoli
- Friday: pizza carry-out or delivery
Be well,
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