Lepoli Lemon Bars
Shortbread Crust
1 cup (230g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour
Lemon Filling
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (48g) all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 cup (240ml) lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
Make the crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be thick. Press firmly into prepared pan, making sure the layer of crust is nice and even. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
Make the filling: Sift the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until completely combined.
Pour filling over warm crust. Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. (Give the pan a light tap with an oven mitt to test.) Remove bars from the oven and cool completely at room temperature. I usually cool them for about 2 hours at room temperature, then stick in the refrigerator for 1-2 more hours until pretty chilled. I recommend serving chilled.
Once cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and cut into squares before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut. Cover and store leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Clementine Cream Puffs
Clementine Marmalade
12 clementines
2 cup sugar (500 ml)
Zests and juice of 1 lemon
Puff Pastry
1 cup milk (250 ml)
½ cup butter (125 ml)
1 Tbsp sugar (15 ml)
1 tsp salt (5 ml)
1 cup flour, sifted (250 ml)
4 large eggs + 1 egg beaten mixed with a little water (for egg wash)
¼ cup grilled pistachios, crushed (60 ml)
¼ cup coarse brown sugar (60 ml)
Custard Cream Base
2 cup 35% cream (500 ml)
1 cup sugar (250 ml)
8 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 cup of clementine marmalade
1 cup whole pistachios (250 ml)
Warm Chocolate Sauce
2 cup good quality dark chocolate, chopped (500 ml)
1 cup 35 % cream (250 ml)
Clementine Marmalade
1. In a stockpot, immerse clementines (with the skin on) in water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until the clementines are tender. Strain and let cool.
2. Thinly slice the clementines. Place them back into the saucepan with sugar, lemon juice and zests. Simmer on low heat until the peels are translucent and candied, about 1 hour. Set aside.
Puff Pastry
1. Place the milk, butter, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, quickly add the flour. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough does not stick to the sides of the saucepan and forms a thick, smooth ball, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth and thick.
3. Cook’s note: The right texture is attained when you place a small amount of dough between two fingers and two peaks form when you pull your fingers apart.
4. Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F).
5. Transfer the dough into a piping bag and pipe the dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, spacing them a couple of inches apart. Beat together 1 egg and water, and with a pastry brush gently brush the egg wash on the top of the dough. Flatten down the dough peaks to ensure you have nice rounded puffs. Sprinkle with the pistachios and sugar.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 220 C (425 F) and then reduce the oven temperature to 180 C (350 F). Bake for another 15 minutes or until the shells are golden and dry inside. Turn the oven off and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells dry out for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Custard Cream Base
1. In a saucepan, whisk cream and ½ cup of sugar together. Add the scraped vanilla and bean. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
2. Next, whip the egg yolks and remaining (1/2 cup) sugar to the ribbon stage, and then whip in with the hot cream mixture. Return saucepan with cream mixture to the heat and stir constantly until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain over a bowl and cover the cream with plastic wrap touching the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Keep in the refrigerator for an hour or until cold.
3. Add 250 ml (1 cup) of the Clementine marmalade and the pistachios to the cold custard base. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 4 hours until firm.
Warm Chocolate Sauce
1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate, melt it and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Keep it warm.
Serve
1. Split the pastry shells in half, fill the bottom half of the shells with a scoop of the frozen custard, and replace the top. Drizzle warm chocolate sauce over the profiterole and garnish with crushed pistachios. Serve immediately.
Blood Orange Upside-down Cake
Caramel
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
Cake
3 blood oranges, peel removed and cut into slices
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup plain 2% yogurt
Caramel
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180ºC). Start by making your caramel. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Bubble until it turns a light caramel colour.
Cake
1. Working quickly, pour the caramel into a round 9-inch cake tin. Carefully place the blood orange slices on the bottom of the pan. The caramel is still hot, so be careful!
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until fully combined. Mix in the vanilla.
3. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the dry ingredients and the yogurt. Mix until fully combined.
4. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the cake is cooked through and springs back when touched. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it out onto a wire rack. If you leave it, the caramel will set and it will be really difficult to turn the cake out!
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