04/23/2007

When life gives you lemons ... cook!

Versatile fruit is more precious than ever

BY SUSAN LA TEMPA
and DONNA DEANE
Los Angeles Times

Piled high in a big bowl on the kitchen counter, flamboyantly yellow lemons are usually eye-catching, accidental still-life artworks this time of year. Their pure, primary colors and shapes warm the room.

But this season, after the citrus-freezing weather, lemons have become little luxuries. Maybe we should be displaying them one at a time in velvet-lined cases.

It's a new way of thinking about an everyday ingredient. And the lemon stands up to the scrutiny, of course. Every bit of the fruit is precious to the cook — the peel (rich in aromatic oil), the tart flesh — nothing need be discarded. Instead, showcase the lemons you've lovingly selected in desserts that make the most of the fruit's panoply of flavors and textures.

A lemon upside-down cake with a deliriously marmalade-like topping was inspired by an orange and cardamom upside-down cake recipe from David Lebovitz, a longtime pastry chef at Chez Panisse (the recipe is on his Web site, www.davidlebovitz.com).

Meyer lemon muffins use chopped lemons in the batter and each are topped with a lemon slice that becomes almost candied as the muffins bake.

Each recipe calls for a slightly different approach to using whole lemons.

Sliced lemons and grated peel account for the zesty flavor of the lemon upside-down cake, which pairs a classic vanilla cake with a not-too-sweet topping for a satisfyingly adult dessert. Select small lemons for this cake; they're the ideal size. Arrange about 30 slices, overlapping, in a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar in a 10-inch skillet. Top the fruit mixture with cake batter and bake.

When the cake is done baking, it's inverted onto a serving plate and the top magically displays a lovely arrangement of caramelized lemon slices.

Our recipe for Meyer lemon muffins calls for Ceylon cinnamon and is worth looking for (although regular cinnamon can be substituted). Ceylon cinnamon, or "true” cinnamon, is made from a different tree than the commonly used cassia cinnamon and has a delicate flavor with citrus overtones that will underline the floral flavor of the Meyer lemons.

Use a blender or food processor to chop the Meyer lemons to be incorporated into the batter, but pulse briefly and do not allow the fruit to turn into puree. You want to see bits of peel in the muffins when you bite into them.

Each muffin is topped with a lemon slice and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar — a jaunty advertisement of the citrusy pleasures within.

Lemon Upside-Down Cake

• 4 small lemons (about 4 oz. each)
• 1/2 c. plus 2 T. (1&1/4 sticks) butter
• 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1&1/2 c. flour
• 1&1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk

Cut three of the lemons into 1/8-inch thick slices. Remove seeds and set aside. You will have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 t. lemon peel from the remaining lemon. Set aside the grated peel; save the lemon for another use.

Heat 4 T. of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof 10-inch saute pan until melted. Brush the sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is moistened with the butter and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350°. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the remaining 6 T. butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the sugar and grated lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

Spread the batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife. Serves eight. May be served with a lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Each serving: 498 calories; 5 g protein; 62 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 28 g fat; 17 g saturated fat; 122 mg cholesterol; 274 mg sodium.

— From Los Angeles Times test kitchen director Donna Deane

Meyer Lemon Muffins

• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. plus 2 T. sugar, divided
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. salt
• 3 Meyer lemons, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 c. butter, melted.
• 1/2 t. Ceylon cinnamon

Heat the oven to 400°. Combine the flour, 1 c. sugar, the baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Cut two lemons into 1-inch pieces. Put them in a blender and pulse until the lemon is finely chopped. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, butter and chopped lemon. Stir.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the lemon mixture. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened.

Spoon the batter into well-buttered cups of muffin pans, filling each half full.

Combine the remaining 2 T. sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle about 1/4 t. over each muffin. Cut the remaining lemon into 9 paper-thin slices; cut each slice in half. Top each muffin with half a slice of lemon.

Bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Run a small spatula or knife around each of the muffins to loosen, remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Makes 18 muffins

Each muffin: 160 calories; 3 g protein; 24 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 6 g fat; 4 g saturated fat; 38 mg cholesterol; 214 mg sodium.

— From Los Angeles Times test kitchen director Donna Deane