Lemon Cream

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Lemon Cream
This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking book. Even though the ingredients are almost identical to lemon curd, the method of adding the butter is unique; instead of melting the butter it is emulsified with the other ingredients in a blender resulting in a light and velvety sauce that is fantastically both sweet and tart.

The first time I tried this recipe I followed Dories’ directions of cooking the ingredients double-boiler style to reach a temperature of 180 degrees F, which should take up to 10 minutes. For some reason this did not work for me; at about 45 minutes of cooking I couldn’t get the temperature over 165 degrees. I started over with a new batch of ingredients and decided to cook the mixture in a heavy-bottomed saucepan instead and this worked beautifully. This recipe uses an instant read thermometer, a fine mesh sieve, and a blender.

Use this Lemon Cream just as lemon curd is used; a filling for cakes, pies and tarts and thumbprint cookies, spooned over fresh berries, folded into whipped cream, served with scones and toast. The ingredients can be adapted to create an orange or lime cream by replacing the lemon zest and lemon juice with orange or lime zest and juice.
Recipe type: Dessert Sauce
Serves: about 3½ Cups
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Equipment: Medium Heavy-Bottomed Pan, Blender Method: Stovetop and Blender Yield: about 3½ Cups Storage: Cover and Refrigerate

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Lemon Cream:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Freshly grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 to 5 lemons)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoon size pieces
Instructions
Lemon Cream:
  1. In a medium-size heavy bottom saucepan add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist and very fragrant. Tip: rubbing the sugar and zest releases the oil and flavor from the zest. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk with a wire whisk until thoroughly combined.
  2. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir with a rubber spatula in a figure eights pattern around the edge of the pan and into the center, making sure to scrape the rubber spatula across the bottom of the pan. Cook until mixture is thickened, about 7 to 10 minutes, or registers 180 degrees using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Do not allow mixture to boil or the eggs may curdle. Remove pan from heat. Tip: A heat-resistant rubber spatula is best for stirring because it can scrape the entire bottom of the pot to help prevent the egg from clumping together and coagulating.
  3. Immediately pour the hot lemon mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the container of a blender to strain out the lemon zest pieces and any bits of egg that may have curdled. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140 degrees F., about 10 minutes.
  4. Turn the blender on to high speed and add the butter, a few pieces at a time. Once all the butter has been added continue to blend on high speed for another 3 minutes.
  5. Pour the cream into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the lemon cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature then refrigerate. The cream will continue to thicken as it cools.

Adapted From: Greenspan, Dorie, Baking, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 2006

 

Candied Lemon Peel

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Candied Lemon Peel
Candied lemon peel, or any citrus peel such as orange and grapefruit, makes a beautiful garnish for cakes and pies, or can be chopped and used for flavoring in fruitcakes, breads, and cookies. Candied peels can also be eaten and enjoyed plain, dipped in chocolate, served with beverages, or packaged for gift-giving.
Recipe type: Dessert | Candy | Citrus
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Equipment: Medium Saucepan Method: Stovetop Pan: One Large Baking Sheet Pan Prep: Parchment Lined Oven Temp: 200° Yield: 2 Cups Storage: Airtight Container, Cool Place
Ingredients
Candied Peel:
  • 4 large or 8 small fresh lemons
  • 3 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 cups water plus water for first 3 boilings
Instructions
Candied Peel:
  1. Slice off the stem end of the fruit. Using a sharp kitchen knife, and without cutting into the fruit, score the peel into quarters. Pull the peel away with your fingers. Reserve the fruit for another use.
  2. Using a sharp knife, scrape off as much of the inner white pith from the peel as possible, since this part is bitter. Slice the peels into long, thin strips approximately ¼ inch thick.
  3. Place the peels in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and then drain off the water. Again cover the peels with cold water, bring to a boil, and drain. Repeat the process a third time, then remove the peels from the pan and set aside.
  4. Using the same saucepan, over medium heat, combine 2½ cups sugar and 3 cups water. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add peels to the sugar water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the peels are tender and translucent, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and let peels cool.
  5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Place ½ cup sugar in a small mixing bowl (use additional sugar if needed.) Dredge the peels in the sugar until coated, then place in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  7. Place the sugar-coated peels in the warm oven 1 hour to allow them to dry out. Check them every 20 minutes to ensure that they are not burning or cooking in any way. Turn oven off, leave in oven overnight to finish drying.
  8. Once peels are completely dry, scrape off any excess sugar clumps. Store in an airtight container.

Lemon Curd

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Lemon Curd
Fresh lemon curd is smooth and creamy, tart and tangy, and has just the right balance of sweetness. Lemon curd has many uses in a pastry kitchen; use as a filling for pies and tarts, a filling between cake layers, filling thumbprint cookies or Tassies, spooned over fresh berries, folded into whipped cream, served with scones and toast, or just simply eaten with a spoon.
Recipe type: Dessert Sauce
Serves: about 1½ cups
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Equipment: Medium Saucepan Method: Stovetop Yield:1½ Cups Storage: Tightly Cover and Refrigerate

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Lemon Curd:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 6 large egg yolks
Instructions
Lemon Curd:
  1. In a medium-sized heavy saucepan over low to medium-low heat, combine butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and egg yolks. Cook and stir with a rubber spatula in a figure eights pattern around the edge of the pan and into the center, making sure to scrape the rubber spatula across the bottom of the pan. Cook until butter is melted and mixture is thickened, about 7 to 10 minutes, or registers from 170 degrees up to 180 degrees (just below simmer,) using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Important: Do not allow mixture to boil or the egg yolks will curdle. Remove pan from heat. Tip: the lemon curd will start to thicken at about 170 degrees and is fully thickened at about 180 degrees. Tip: A heat-resistant rubber spatula is best for stirring because it can scrape the entire bottom of the pot to help prevent the egg from clumping together and curdling.
  2. Immediately pour the hot mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to strain out the lemon zest pieces and any bits of egg that may have curdled. Let cool, stirring occasionally as it cools, then pour the curd into an airtight container and refrigerate. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools.

Lemon Tart with Almond Crust

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Lemon Tart with Almond Crust
A buttery almond pastry crust balances the flavor of the sweet, yet tart lemon filling. A beautiful dessert for Valentines Day, Easter, or any special occasion. Serve this delicious tart plain or with whipped cream, and garnished with lemon peel spirals.
Recipe type: Dessert | Custard Tart
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9" Tart with Removeable Bottom Pastry: Almond Pastry Prep: Baked Starting Oven Temp: 400° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Almond Pastry:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup blanched almonds, toasted, and finely ground
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
  • ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare one 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom; lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter.
Almond Pastry:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, process in a food processor. Add almond extract and 2 tablespoons ice water. Stir until mixture holds together when pinched with your fingers. If pastry is too dry, add additional 1 tablespoon ice water.
  2. Press pastry evenly into tart pan, patting pastry evenly over bottom and up the sides, flush with the rim of the pan.
  3. Bake: Place the pastry lined tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Filling:
  1. In a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, combine sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and butter. Cook and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until butter is melted and mixture is thickened, about 7 to 8 minutes or registers 170 degrees using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Remove from heat.
  2. Immediately pour hot mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out the lemon zest and any pieces of cooked egg; pour into baked tart crust.
  3. Bake: Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Tip: filling will still be loose and jiggly after baking but will firm as it cools.
  4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Lemon Meringue Pie

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Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie has always been impossible for me to resist. There’s something about combining a flaky crust, a sweet and tart lemon filling, and a cloud topping of toasted meringue that tastes like a slice of heaven. Sprinkling cookie crumbs in the bottom of the pastry before adding the lemon filling will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Recipe type: Dessert | Custard Pie | Fruit Pie
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9 inch Pie Pan Pastry: Classic Pie Pastry Prep: Baked Starting Oven Temp: 425° Storage: Loosely Covered With Aluminum Foil Tent and Refrigerate

Help: Classic Pie Pastry, Making Meringue

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Pastry:
  • Classic Pie Pastry for one 9 inch single crust pie
  • ¼ cup finely crushed ginger snaps or graham crackers
Lemon Filling:
  • 1¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups water
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Italian Meringue:
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 4 large egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
Pastry:
  1. Prepare Classic Pie Pastry for a 9 inch single-crust pie. Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pastry. Trim the pastry to one inch beyond the edge of the pie pan, turn the edges under. Flute the edges. Lightly prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate pie shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F., with the oven rack positioned in the middle of the oven.
  3. Line the pie pastry with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a large coffee filter. Fill the pastry with pie weights or dried beans or rice to keep the pastry from puffing up and shrinking.
  4. Bake: Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven; carefully remove the paper and pie weights or beans.
  5. Return to the oven and continue to bake another 5 to 6 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool on a wire cooling rack.
  6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Lemon Filling:
  1. In a medium heavy, nonreactive saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a boil, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute longer.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks.
  3. Temper the eggs: very slowly, in small amounts, add about 1 cup of the hot sugar mixture into the beaten eggs while quickly whisking together. Tip: The technique used to blend uncooked eggs with a hot liquid is called tempering. Tempering slowly warms the eggs so they are closer to the temperature of the liquid they will be added to, preventing the eggs from scrambling. If you simply poured the eggs into the hot mixture they would immediately start cooking and you would have chunks of cooked egg in the mixture.
  4. Return the egg mixture back to the rest of the hot sugar mixture, pouring back slowly while whisking the two mixtures together. Return to medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping over the bottom of the pan, cook until mixture becomes a thick custard, thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 10 to 12 minutes, or registers about 150 degrees using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Remove from heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter, stir until blended. Cover to keep warm and set aside while preparing meringue.
Italian Meringue:
  1. In a small heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar and water. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Turn down the heat to the lowest setting on a gas stove or remove from the heat on an electric stove to stop the cooking while egg whites are prepared.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  3. Raise the heat to medium-high on the sugar mixture, and continue to cook the sugar mixture, without stirring, until it reaches a temperature of 236 degrees, a soft ball stage, using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Remove from the heat. Immediately start pouring the hot sugar mixture, in a thin steady stream, into the beaten egg whites, while beating with an electric mixer at high speed. Be careful, the sugar is extremely hot and will burn your skin if you touch it. Continue beating until egg whites are cool, about 2 minutes.
Assembly:
  1. Sprinkle the crushed ginger snaps or graham crackers over the bottom of the baked pastry. Pour the warm lemon filling into the pastry. Drop mounds of meringue around the edge of the pie on top of the filling. Then mound the remaining meringue in the center. Gently press down on the meringue to make sure meringue is sitting on the lemon filling, filling in any air pockets. Make sure the filling is completely covered with meringue and the meringue is touching the edges of the pastry. Swirl the meringue with the back of the spoon to form attractive swirls and peaks.
  2. Bake: Place pie in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Change the oven temperature to broil and brown the meringue under the broiler for 20 to 60 seconds or until the peaks in the meringue are golden brown, watching carefully to prevent the meringue from burning. Remove from oven and place pie on a wire cooling rack to cool. Or, after baking for 5 minutes, remove from oven and lightly toast the meringue with a kitchen torch. Hold a small 3 to 4 inches from the meringue and wave it back and forth until the meringue is lightly browned all over.
  3. Cool away from drafts for 2 to 3 hours before serving. When cool, serve at once, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lemon Blueberry Cheese Tart

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Lemon Blueberry Cheese Tart
Fresh summer blueberries sit atop a luscious lemon cream cheese filling, making this a colorful and wonderful dessert. The pastry is made with ground almonds and brown sugar, and then partially baked before adding the cream cheese filling. The tart is chilled, and then covered with fresh blueberries that have been glazed with red currant jelly.
Recipe type: Dessert | Cream Tart | Fruit Tart
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9" Tart with Removeable Bottom Pastry: Brown Sugar Almond Pastry Prep: Baked Starting Oven Temp: 375° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Almond Pastry:
  • ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted, and finely ground
  • ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
Lemon Cheese Filling:
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Topping:
  • 1½ to 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • ½ cup red currant jelly
Instructions
Brown Sugar Almond Pastry:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground almonds, brown sugar, flour, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, process in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons cold water. Stir until dough comes together.
  2. Press pastry evenly into one 9 or 9½ inch tart pan with a removable bottom, patting pastry evenly over bottom and up the sides, allowing pastry to extend ⅛ to ¼ inch above the top of the pan to allow for shrinkage. Lightly prick the bottom and sides with a fork at three-fourth or one inch intervals. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate tart shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  3. While tart shell is refrigerating, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, allowing 15 to 20 minutes for the oven to preheat before baking.
  4. Bake: Place the pastry lined tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Lemon Cheese Filling:
  1. While pastry is baking, prepare filling.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon until smooth. Add sugar, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into the still hot pastry.
  3. Bake: Return pan to oven and bake 20 minutes or until the center is almost set but still slightly wobbly. Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Topping:
  1. Rinse and dry blueberries, place in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
  2. Place the jelly in a microwave-safe bowl, heat using 50% power and stir frequently just until the jelly is warmed and melted. Pour warm jelly over blueberries; stir until well mixed.
  3. Spoon the blueberry topping evenly over the chilled tart. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
  4. To serve, remove the sides of the tart pan, place the tart on a serving plate.

Country Rice Flan

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Country Rice Flan
Filled with the flavors of citrus and a hint of cinnamon, this baked custard-rice flan is delicious served warm or cold. Serve this flan for a brunch or light Easter dessert; any leftovers make a scrumptious family breakfast treat.
Recipe type: Dessert | Custard Pie | Rice Pie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 8" Round Springform Pastry: Sweet Egg Pastry Prep: Chilled, Unbaked Oven Temp: 400° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate Recipe Type: Flan, Rice, Lemon, Orange, Cream Cheese, Easter

Help: Candied Lemon Peel

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Sweet Egg Pastry:
  • 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon cold water (if needed)
Filling:
  • 3¾ cups milk (preferably whole milk)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup short-grain rice, washed and drained
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup Candied Lemon Peel, chopped into small pieces
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
  • Tip: Use a citrus zester for fresh zest.
Topping:
  • 2 or 3 teaspoons confectioners (powdered) sugar
  • Sprinkling of cinnamon
Instructions
Sweet Egg Pastry:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1⅔ cup flour, sugar, and egg. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, but holds together when pinched with your fingers. Or, process in a food processor. If pastry is too dry, add 1 tablespoon cold water.
  2. Form pastry into a 6 inch disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
Filling:
  1. In a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, sugar, and butter; bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon so mixture does not burn. Stir in rice; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let partially cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, combine eggs and cream cheese; beat until blended and smooth. Stir in candied lemon peel, cinnamon, lemon zest, and orange zest. Gradually stir in partially cooled rice mixture. Set aside to cool while handling pastry.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  4. On a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the chilled pastry from the center out into a circle 8 inches in diameter. Place pastry in the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan. Tip: Don’t stretch the pastry when placing in the pan, otherwise when baking the heat will cause the pastry to shrink down in the pan. Instead, gently push and pat the pastry in the pan.
  5. Pour rice mixture over the bottom pastry.
  6. Bake: Slide filled springform pan onto a baking sheet, place in oven. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a kitchen knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven; leave flan in pan until cooled and filling is set.
  7. When flan is cooled, slide a small knife around the edge of the flan to loosen it and remove the sides of the springform pan, and transfer flan onto a serving plate. Serve while still warm or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Topping:
  1. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
  2. Before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the top of the flan with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
  3. Refrigerate leftovers.

3-Layer Strawberry Lemon Cheese Pie

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3-Layer Strawberry Lemon Cheese Pie
Recipe type: Dessert | Refrigerator Pie | Fruit Pie
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9" Deep Dish Pie Pastry: Graham Cracker Pastry Prep: Baked Oven Temp: 350° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate

TheBakingPan Recommends: The BEST instant read thermometer I’ve used for cooking and baking; the ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is incredibly fast, ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapenaccurate, and well worth the investment. I use my Thermapen Thermometer for checking room temperature ingredients, tempering chocolate, baking bread, making pastry creams, sugar syrup, caramel, and candy, cooking meats and fish, and deep frying. Thermapen Thermometer available here.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
  • 1½ cups Graham Cracker crumbs (about 11 full graham cracker sheets)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 3¼ or 4 ounce package Lemon Pudding and Pie Mix
  • 1 3 ounce package Strawberry Jell-O
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, washed hulled and sliced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Graham Cracker Crust:
  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Graham Cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until thoroughly mixed and mixture is crumbly.
  2. Pour the graham cracker crumb mixture into a 9 inch deep-dish pie pan. Using the back of a large spoon or the flat bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass, press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly across the bottom and against the sides of the pie pan.
  3. Bake: Bake 10 minutes. The edges may be just slightly browned, but you do not want the edges or crust to over-brown. Remove from oven. Cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Filling:
  1. Carefully spread cream cheese over bottom of baked and cooled graham cracker crust.
  2. Prepare and cook Lemon Pudding according to directions on the package. Cool for a few minutes, and then pour over cream cheese in the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until pudding is chilled and firm.
  3. Prepare Strawberry Jell-O according to directions on the package. Refrigerate until mixture is as thick as unbeaten egg whites. Fold strawberries into Jell-O, and then pour Jell-O mixture over the chilled lemon pudding. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until Jell-O is chilled and firm.