Jul 19

Cookbook 112: Sweet food: delicious sweet treats that will cure any craving

It was a cold day and Jacinta had kindly bought me a cook book that she found in an Op shop, and so Sweet Food: Delicious sweet treats that will cure any craving, sounded like a fine idea to bake from.  I also had many lemons lying around as there had been someone with a cold in the house who bought lots of lemons to add to hot water or coffee, so as it would have been a waste to let all those lemons go to waste, I made a lemon slice and lemon meringue pie.

This book is full of great baking ideas, and it would take FOREVER to make them all.  Well maybe not forever, but certainly a very long time – what with 387 pages (or thereabouts ) of recipes and pictures of said recipes.  The instructions are good, the lemon meringue pie is one of the best I’ve ever made, and the lemon slice was absolutely delicious.  Overall I give this 4 out of 5 stars.  I’d give it 5 out of 5, but I’d need to cook more from it first.

Lemon Square

Ingredients:

  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 155g (1.25 cups) plain flour
  • icing sugar to dust

Topping

  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 250g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 30g (1/4 cup) plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.  Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tin and line with baking paper, leaving the paper hanging over two opposite sides.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar with electric beaters until pale and fluffy.  Fold in the flour with a metal spoon. Press into the tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and firm.  Leave to cool.
  3. Beat the eggs and sugar with electric beaters for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.  Sift together the flour and baking powder and gradually whisk into the egg mixture. Pour onto the base.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until just firm.  Cool in the tin and dust with icing sugar.

Notes on this recipe:

  • If the dough in step 2 can’t be formed into a ball, add a teaspoon of cold water at a time until it resembles a dough (versus crumbs).
  • I skipped the icing sugar (because I always tend to end up wearing it).  It was so deliciously tart.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 125g chilled butter
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

  • 30g (1/4 cup) plain flour
  • 30g (1/4 cup) corn flour
  • 250g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 185ml (3/4 cup) lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 50g unsalted butter, chopped
  • 6 egg yolks

Meringue

  • 6 egg whites
  • pinch of cream of tartar
  • 340g (1.5 cups) caster sugar

Method:

Pastry

  1. Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor.  Pulse until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Add the sugar and pulse through to blend.
  2. Add cold water to the mix with the food processor on a medium-low speed.  Add a tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms a ball of pastry.
  3. Remove the pastry from the food processor and form it into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pie

  1. Grease a 25cm top, 18cm base, 3cm deep pie dish.  Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking paper into a 30cm circle.  Invert the pastry into the dish.  Trim the edges.  Prick over the base with a fork.  Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes (optional).  Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Line the pie crust with baking paper, and fill with rice or beans (or baking beads).  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.  Remove the rice/beans/beads and baking paper, and bake for a further 15 – 20 minutes.  Cool.
  3. Increase the oven temperature to 200C.  Put the flours, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a pan.  Gradually add 315ml (1.25 cups) water and whisk over medium heat until smooth.  Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until thick.  Remove from the heat and vigorously whisk in the butter and egg yolks. Return to low heat and stir constantly, for 2 minutes, or until very thick.
  4. Spread the lemon filling into the pastry base, then cover with meringue (see below), piling high in the centre and making peaks with a knife.  Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Meringue

  1. Beat egg whites and a pinch of cream of tarter in a clean, dry bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form.  Gradually pour in caster sugar, beating until the meringue is thick and glossy.

Notes on this recipe:

  • I think this is the best lemon meringue pie I have ever made
  • I have amended the recipe format slightly to ensure that the pastry is easy to make, and that blind baking is explained.