Home-made Lemonade

Ingredients

6 large lemons
150 g granulated sugar
1.50 ltr boiling water

method

  1. Scrub the lemons in warm water. Into a large bowl, thinly pare the coloured outer zest from three of the lemons. It is best to use a lemon zester for this. A potato peeler can be used but be sure to include as little of the white pith as possible - to prevent the lemonade tasting bitter.
  2. Add the squeezed juice of all six lemons and the sugar. No need to strain the mixture at this stage.
  3. Add 1.5 litres of boiling water and stir well. Cover and leave overnight to cool.
  4. The next day, stir and taste - to check for sweetness. Add a little more sugar if needed but not so much as to overcome the lemony tang.
  5. Strain through a coarse sieve (such as a tea strainer). Pour into clean bottles and chill.
  • Serve on its own chilled, or with soda water, and plenty of ice.

Crunchy Topped Lemon Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

100 g soft butter (or cooking spread)
175 g sugar
175 g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 medium eggs (or 2 extra large eggs)
4 tbsp milk
finely grated rind of 1 lemon

For the topping:

juice of 1 lemon
100 g sugar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan). Grease and line a 18cm, deep, round cake tin or 1 kg loaf tin with baking parchment.
  2. Place all the cake ingredients into a bowl or mixer and beat well until smooth. Turn the mixture into the cake tin.
  3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until ready.
  4. While the cake is baking, mix together the lemon juice and sugar until blended. When the cake comes out of the oven spoon the mix over the top. Do this while the cake is still hot so it melts in.
  5. Leave the cake in the tin until cold and the turn out and remove the paper.

Lemon Posset

Ingredients

600 ml double cream
200 g golden caster sugar
zest of three lemons
75 ml lemon juice (strained from the lemons above plus extra, if needed)

Method

  1. Put the cream and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat gently, while stirring, until the sugar has melted.
  2. Bring to a simmer and bubble gently for a minute.
  3. Turn of the heat and add the lemon zest and juice.
  4. Divide between the pots or bowls that it will be served in. Cover with clingfilm and chill for between 3 and 24 hours.

Lemon Mousse

Ingredients

3 eggs, separated
3 lemons, juiced
250 g fromage frais
1 low cal. lemon (or lemon and lime) jelly
5 dsp Canderal Sweetner or sugar

Method

  1. Place egg yolks, lemon juice and Canderel in a bowl. Whisk well over a saucepan of hot water until it is all mixed.
  2. Dissolve the jelly in a small amount of water and whisk into the mix. Place in a fridge to cool.
  3. When cool, whisk in the fromage frais.
  4. Whisk egg whites until stiff, then fold into the mixture.
  5. Stir well and leave in the fridge to set.

Lemon Cheese Cake

You will Need

350 g full fat cream cheese
75 g sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
30 ml cold water
10 to 15 g gelatine (available in packets approx. that size)
150 ml double cream

Method

  1. Beat the cheese, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a bowl until smooth.
  2. Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the gelatine, stir and leave for 2-3 mins.
  3. Place the bowl in a pan of hot water and stir until dissolved. Beat into the cream cheese mix.
  4. Whip the double cream and fold in. Pour the mixture over the base and chill.
  5. Top with flake or chocolate curls.

Notes

  1. I use my standard cheesecake/banoffee base of 200g crushed digestives, mixed into a melted mix of 100g butter & 50g soft brown sugar but the recipe suggests you could also use chocolate digestives.
  2. It's from a freezer cookbook, so can be frozen.