Candied Lemon Zest

Candied Lemon Zest

I'm in the process of developing a recipe for Baby Lemon Tarts and I know I'm going to want to garnish the tops of them with Candied Lemon Zest which is so simple to make.

The great thing about Candied Lemon Zest is that you can make it in advance because it keeps for up to a month in a sealed container at room temperature. I've tried keeping it in the refrigerator for longer period of time and the problem is that it weeps and gets very sticky.

Besides being used as an edible garnish, the candied zest can be added to tea for a bit of lemony sweetness and added to salads.

One of my favorite salads is made with baby spinach, cucumber, pickled red onion, candied lemon zest and crumbled halloumi. The salty sweet/tart combination of the halloumi and zest is so gooood! I toss the salad with olive oil mixed with a bit of lemon juice and season it with salt, fresh cracked black pepper and oregano. I'm getting hungry as I write this.

Candied Lemon Zest
(makes 48 to 64 pieces)

1 large organic lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
drop yellow food coloring (optional)
extra sugar

Line a sheetpan with parchement paper and preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
In a small saucepan stir together the water, sugar and coloring and set aside.

Slice the lemon into 1/8-inch slices and cut each slice into 8 wedges.

Slice the lemon into 1/8-inch slices.

Cut each slice into 8 wedges.

Cut the strip of zest off of each wedge and place in the water/sugar mixture. Don't toss the inside portions of the lemon wedges. They should be saved and used to flavor water and/or tea.

Cut the strip of zest off of each wedge.

Once all the zest strips are in the water/sugar mixture, place the saucepan over medium high heat until simmering. Simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove the zest strips from the pan using a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment lined sheetpan.

Place the strips in the preheated 200 degree oven for 30 minutes to help dry them out a bit. After baking, place the zest in a bowl with two tablespoons of sugar and toss to evenly coat.

Store the candied zest in an airtight container for up to one month.

Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake

I had to make a quick cake for a potluck at church on Sunday and devised this Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake.

The rhubarb for the cake came from a trusty rhubarb plant that my dad gave me more than five years ago. I enjoy having it in my yard because it doesn't need any special attention and it just keeps coming back year after year. Plus, I love rhubarb and it is expensive to buy in the grocery store - last time I checked it was $4.99 a pound!

My trusty rhubarb plant.

Bundt Cakes are great for potlucks because they are easy to tote and serve. All you have to do is put the cake on a cardboard round and cover it with plastic wrap.

I added lemon flavor to the cake by adding lemon juice to the batter and to the glaze I put on top.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake

2 cups rhubarb, finely diced
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 3-quart bundt cake pan. Be sure to grease the pan generously and get every nook and cranny or you will have trouble releasing the cake.

Put the first five ingredients into a bowl, mix well and set aside.

The rhubarb with a bit of sugar, vanilla, almond extract and just a pinch of salt.

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, canola oil, lemon juice and vanilla and mix well. In a another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with adding the milk. Mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in the walnuts. 

The cake batter.

Put 1/3 of the batter in the pan. Add 1/2 of the rhubarb mixture evenly on top. Repeat and finally add the last 1/3 of the batter.

The first third of the batter with half of the rhubarb mixture.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes then quickly invert it onto a cooling rack. While the cake is still warm, drizzle it with the glaze.

Let the cake cool for just a bit before inverting it onto a cooling rack and drizzling it with the glaze.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the sugar in a small bowl, add the lemon juice and mix until the sugar has dissolved and the glaze is smooth.

Macaron Experiment

Colorful macarons waiting to be baked.

My kitchen is vibrant tonight as I experiment with making four different colors of macarons from a single batch.

I want to make packages filled with a variety of macarons without having to make a full single batch of each kind. Because measuring carefully when making macrons is so important, this is a risky endeavor. I hope they turn out.

I used my scale to divide the almond meal and powdered sugar into four equal portions (a total of 112.5 grams each). For the egg whites, I whipped them to stiff peaks and then divided them into four portions.

Tonight, I made pink for strawberry, violet for lavender, red for cherry and yellow for lemon. I'll make the fillings tomorrow and let you know how they turn out.