Lemon Champ Recipes

LEMON CHAMP

Steps:

• To make homemade lemon ice cream: Mix the lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a pot.
• Add the whole milk and vanilla.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Remove from heat and mix well. Strain to soften and remove zest.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
• Add whipping cream. If you have an ice cream maker follow the instructions. If you're making it manually, here are the instructions:
• Fill a container half way with ice, mix with the salt.
• Prepare your work area. You will need a towel to hold the small bowl in place so the contents won't spill over.
• Pour the liquid into a smaller container and place in the ice until sides are half way covered in the ice.
• Whip for ten minutes; the mixture will thicken and freeze. Cover with a towel and place it in the freezer as is for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, scratch the surface with a spoon to test the consistency. If it's still too soft, take it out of the freezer, mix again for 5 minutes and freeze for 15 more minutes.
• Remove the small container and cover with plastic wrap and leave in the freezer for 3 hours before serving.
• To make lemon champ: Place 1 scoop of ice cream in each cup and finish off with chilled champagne.
• Garnish with lemon zest or a cherry.

THE BEST LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• For the crust: Add the flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10 times until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, about 30 times. (The dough will not come together in one mass.) Sprinkle the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and lightly pat it down. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk continuously over medium heat, occasionally scraping down the sides and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, until simmering and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and butter until combined.
• Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the crust and bake until just set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Use the foil overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Remove the foil and slice into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.