Valerie Bertinelli Lemon Curd Recipes

CLASSIC LEMON TART WITH COCONUT-ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• For the coconut-almond crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the coconut for garnishing the tart.
• Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons cooled toasted coconut, the all-purpose flour, almond flour and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the almond extract and egg and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until all of the dry ingredients are just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Form the dough into a disc and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch nonstick tart pan with removable bottom; if necessary, use a piece of plastic wrap to help keep the dough from sticking. Refrigerate the tart shell until firm, about 1 hour, or freeze for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven again to 350 degrees F.
• Line the tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and bake until the edges of the crust are barely golden, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and continue to bake until the crust is golden brown all over, about 20 minutes. Cool completely, then gently remove the tart shell from the pan and onto a plate.
• For the lemon curd filling: Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, using the butter paper to make sure the butter does not splatter, usually about a minute on 40 percent power. Then, add the sugar and salt and whisk together. Add the whole eggs and egg yolk and whisk again. Add the lemon zest and juice and whisk well. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove carefully and whisk. Continue to microwave in 1-minute intervals, whisking after each minute, until the mixture is thick. It usually takes between 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the microwave. Note that the mixture will get thin before it gets thick.
• Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and push the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
• For the whipped cream: Place the whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until soft peaks form.
• To assemble the tart: Pour the lemon curd into the tart shell and spread evenly. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe a border around the edge of the crust. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted coconut. Allow the tart to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing.

TART LEMON TIRAMISU

Steps:

• Put the mascarpone, lemon curd, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Mix a third of the cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream.
• Stir together the limoncello, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, quickly dip half of the ladyfingers in the liquid, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in an even layer in an 8-inch glass baking dish. Spread half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth evenly. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and the rest of the cream. Sprinkle some lemon zest over the top, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

BEER BATTERED CHEESE CURDS WITH HOMEMADE RANCH

Steps:

• Fill a Dutch oven with about 1 inch oil and heat to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat. Have a paper towel-lined plate or brown paper bag ready for draining the curds. Meanwhile, toss the cheese curds with 1/4 cup flour in a bowl. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup flour together with the beer, milk, egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another bowl.
• When the oil is hot, take a handful of the curds, shake off the excess flour, and add them to the batter. Let the excess batter drip off, then add the curds to the oil. Fry until puffed and golden, about 1 minute, then transfer to the paper bag with a strainer or slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining cheese curds.
• Serve immediately with the Ranch dressing.
• Whisk the mayo and buttermilk together with the scallions, parsley, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper in a bowl. Transfer to a small serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

LEMON ICE BOX CAKE

Steps:

• Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft. Add the cream, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Spread the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1/2 cup of the whipped cream. Arrange half of the cookies on top of the cream, fitting in as many as possible without overlapping. Spoon half of the remaining cream mixture on top and smooth evenly with an offset spatula. In spoonfuls spaced every 2 inches, dollop half of the lemon curd onto the cream and then use a butter knife to swirl the curd into the cream. Top with another layer of cookies, followed by the remaining cream. Dollop with the remaining lemon curd and swirl into the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cookies have softened, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Garnish each serving with lemon zest when ready to eat.

LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH LEMON-ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the center position, without any racks above it.
• Place the cookies in a food processor; pulse to the texture of sand. Add the crushed cookies to a 10-inch springform pan and pour in the melted butter. Using your hands, mix together the cookie crumbs and butter until they are completely combined and hold together when pinched. Firmly press the cookie crust into the bottom of the pan. Press down on the crust with the bottom of a cup to ensure it is tightly packed.
• Bake the crust for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool. When the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap it in foil three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan--this will prevent any water from getting into the cheesecake while it is baked in a water bath.
• For the cheesecake: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Slowly turn the mixer up to medium-high speed; continue to mix for 2 minutes, until the ingredients are completely combined and smooth.
• Set aside 1/4 cup of the lemon curd and reserve it for the topping. With a rubber spatula, fold the remaining lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread it evenly, making sure to flatten the top. Gently tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to even out the mixture.
• Use the reserved lemon curd to make a fun design in the top of the cheesecake. For instance, you can dollop 15 small dots, about a heaping 1/2 teaspoon each, around the border of the cake and then 6 small dots towards the center of the cake and 1 dot directly in the center. Drag a skewer around the center of the first ring of dots to pull the lemon curd into a teardrop shape. Repeat with the interior circle of lemon curd drops.
• Place the foil-lined springform pan in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a pudding-like jiggle. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing the pan from the water bath. Let the cheesecake sit another 30 minutes. While the cheesecake is still warm, run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan and then release the sides of the pan. (If you do this after the cheesecake has cooled completely, the cake may tear slightly.) Let the cheesecake cool completely before slicing and serving. Refrigerate any cheesecake not being served immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the foil and sides of the pan with butter.
• In a food processor, pulse the sugar with the lemon zest and rosemary until well combined. Remove 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and reserve.
• Add the butter, vanilla and salt to the food processor with the sugar and pulse until combined. Add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, pulsing to combine after each addition. After the last addition, you may have to stir and scrape down the sides of the food processor to help incorporate all of the flour. Continue to pulse until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out into the prepared baking pan and press it in evenly. Poke the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle it with the reserved sugar.
• Use a knife to cut the dough into approximately 3-by-1-inch rectangles (or whichever shape you prefer). Bake until golden brown at the edges and golden in the center, about 25 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a bench scraper or knife to re-cut the lines of the cookies. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies with the foil and cool completely on a rack.

SECRET INGREDIENT LEMON BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long ends; this will help you remove the lemon bars from the pan later. Lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add the flour, cheese and confectioners' sugar to a food processor. Pulse to incorporate all the ingredients. Slowly stream in the butter while pulsing, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl down and to loosen any caked flour on the base of the bowl. Continue to pulse until the mixture has the texture of wet sand and holds together when pressed together in your hand. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press and mold to dough to cover the base of the pan and up the sides about 3/4 inch. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the crust is set and the edges are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, make the lemon curd filling: Add the granulated sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and eggs to a large bowl and whisk to evenly combine. Transfer the filling to the warm crust and bake until the curd is just set, 20 to 23 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then transfer the pan to the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Dust with confectioners' sugar before slicing.