Lemon Meringue Tarts

Who doesn't love lemon? Growing up I have always had access to fresh lemons due to our Meyer lemon tree in our backyard, and then the Meyer lemon tree in our orchard at our new house. Needless to say, I developed a love of these yellow citrus. For Easter, my mother and I made some bite sized (or two bite sized) tartlettes featuring my beloved tangy fruit.

It features a crisp and crumbly pecan crust with Eureka lemon curd, topped with a Swiss meringue which was piped to look like roses. We finished it off with a torch to give it some lovely golden color.


A few of you might be asking what are the differences between lemons I mentioned.

Meyer lemons are not true lemons. They are a cross between a Eureka and an orange or a mandarin or a tangerine (depending upon which source you read). The result is that they are sweeter, and not as acidic as true lemons. They also take on a golden color, almost an orange, which visually separates them from their fellow yellow citrus.

Eureka lemons are the type of lemon typically found in the supermarket. They are one of the true lemons, and they are very acidic. The rind is a very bright yellow.

Both varieties are good for baking and cooking, but you'll have to use your taste buds to do some adjusting for sugar and salt.

Meringue Mushrooms!

I know! I know! It isn't winter anymore, but somehow with all the rain we've been having recently in this wet spring, it feels appropriate to be making these Coffee Meringue Mushrooms. They're so cute! I'm coming up with ideas for my Mad Hatter's Tea Party which I'm holding soon.

It is funny how real these mushrooms turn out! They are coffee flavored, and include a little bit of chocolate for gluing the stem and cap together. These melt in your mouth morsels will delight the senses.

Wednesday Experiments

Hi all!

Sorry I've not posted in a bit. I've been working on some new recipes, and doing a lot of research for cute ideas!

Coconut is a popular flavor at this time of year. Especially for Easter gatherings. In honor of this ingredient I am trying out a new biscotti; it has coconut and sliced almonds. So far the recipe I've found is yielding biscotti which are not quite as high as my usual biscotti tend to be. But they smell AMAZING! The second tray is in the oven for its second baking right now. I would like to drizzle dark chocolate over them, but I'm wondering if people would prefer milk chocolate more?

Yesterday was another experimental day. If you've ever heard of the flower called "Snowball," you'll know that it is like a small compact hydrangea which is pure white. My mother has a hearty obsession, you might say, about these particular flowers. On Monday is was informed that it is now Snowball season. The conversation stemming from this resulted in a brainstorm of what a baked good would be like if it were to be named a Snowball.

Yesterday, we put one of our ideas together. It is an angel food cake with luscious lemon curd center, topped with cream cheese and toasted coconut. I think it looks good, but it still needs some ratifications before epitomizing the ethereal Snowball.

Wish me luck!!! and I will be posting pictures soon!

(P.S. Further reading on my list of "To Try" would read: 4 recipes of Vegan brownies (some gluten free, some not), Vegan croissants, using a different flour for my croissants and seeing if that would result in a lighter "Costco" version as my mother would like, lemon meringue cakepops, strawberry and goat cheese scones, Rose Thyme and Raspberry Scones, Fruit Turnovers and .... Who knows what else?)