Lemons

The lemon tree has faithfully yielded crops year after year. Since the gales and unseasonal long hot spell in the past few months, the fruit have shrunk to half size and look blemished. Most of them are dry and juiceless. It takes 8 lemons to produce the juice of 2.

Lemon Curd

Adapted from Australian Women's Weekly

This delicious tangy curd is made with egg yolks and is a fantastic way to use egg yolks left over from dishes like pavlova, angel cake, macaroons and chiffon sponge. For whole egg curd, check out this recipe.

8 egg yolks

150 g (2/3 c) sugar

2 t lemon rind

135 mL (1/2 c) lemon juice (2 lemons)

80 g (4 T) butter

strip of zest

1. Combine yolks, sugar, rind and juice. Whisk. Add butter and strip of zest

2. Stir over simmering water until thickened. Allow 15-25 minutes.

3. Remove the zest. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Let cool.

4. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Lemon Meringue Tart

To make 2 dozen tartlets or one 24 cm tart, you need 2 cups of lemon curd. This recipe works well with a good mixer like Ed Charles's (@tomatom) KitchenAid giveaway.

Lemon Curd Filling

2 c lemon curd

Meringue Topping

2 egg white

1 c sugar

1 t lemon juice

1 t cornflour

1. Beat egg white until soft peaks.

2. Gradually add sugar while beating. Beat until glossy and stiff.

3. Beat in lemon juice and cornflour.

Sweet Tart Shell

125 g butter

125 g sugar

1 egg

250 g plain flour

1/2 t baking powder

1. Beat butter, sugar and egg.

2. Add flour and baking powder. Mix to a dough. Do not overwork.

3. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Roll to 2 mm thick.

5. Line greased tart shell with pastry.

6. Prick with a fork.

7. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes until crisp and lightly golden.

Biscuit Tart Shell

This tart shell is an alternative to homemade pastry

185 g Granita, Marie, Nice or equivalent sweet biscuits

90 g butter, melted

1. Mix ingredients.

2. Press into a tart shell and refrigerate.

To Assemble

1. Fill tart shells with lemon curd.

2. Top with meringue.

3. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes until meringue sets and starts to brown.

4. Cool. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Lemon Curd and Yoghurt Ice Cream

A tangy ice cream with a soft, smooth texture. Ingredients yield a small batch. A Panasonic battery operated ice cream machine works well with this quantity.

1 x 200 g thick yoghurt, plain or flavoured (eg. SKI Apple and cinnamon with grains)

150 g lemon curd

2 T sugar, or to taste

pinch of salt

1. Mix everything.

2. Churn in an ice cream machine or pour into shallow tray and stir every half hour while freezing.