Best Lemon Custards With Lemon Verbena Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

LEMON CUSTARD PIES

Steps:

• For Filling:
• Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy large saucepan and whisk to blend. Add butter. Whisk over medium heat until filling thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 13 minutes (do not boil). Mix in half and half and vanilla. Whisk until filling is very thick and smooth and just begins to bubble, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Cool 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover; chill until very cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)
• For Crusts:
• Mix flour, powdered sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening and process using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 5 tablespoons water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; divide into 2 equal pieces. Flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-to 13-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch; reserve dough scraps. Fold edge of dough under and crimp decoratively. Repeat rolling with second dough disk; put into another 9-inch glass pie plate. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Line crusts with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake crusts until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake until crusts are pale golden, piercing with toothpick if crusts bubble, about 12 minutes. Cool crusts completely on racks. Maintain oven temperature.
• Roll out dough scraps on floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature. Crumble pastry into small pieces; wrap and reserve at room temperature.
• Spoon half of filling into each crust. Bake until filling is set in center, about 18 minutes. Cool pies. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.) Sprinkle crumbled pastry over pies. Garnish pies with whipped cream, lemon slices and mint, if desired.

MARGARET ATWOOD'S BAKED LEMON CUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Beat in egg yolks. Stir in flour in three additions alternately with buttermilk in two additions. Stir in lemon juice. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Divide batter among prepared cups. Place ramekins in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups.
• Bake until cakes are set in center and beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Remove ramekins from water bath. Serve hot or cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate.)

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring verbena, milk, cream, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
• Whisk together eggs and sugar until combined, then whisk in verbena mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).
• Immediately strain thourough a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Cool custard, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 1 hour.

LEMON CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Make graham cracker crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter pie plate.
• Stir together all crust ingredients, then press onto bottom and up side of pie plate. Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes, then cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Make lemon custard filling:
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Pulse sugar and zest in a food processor until zest is finely chopped, then transfer to a small heavy saucepan with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then boil, without stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in cream and salt, then cook until hot (do not let boil).
• Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then whisk in lemon juice.
• Strain custard through a fine sieve into another bowl, then pour into crust.
• Bake until filling is set 2 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely (filling will continue to set as it cools).