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"What a fragrance! It's so distinct", Johnny Iuzzini says about Meyer lemon. He is the Executive Pastry Chef for the New York City eateries Restaurant Perry Street and Jean George, the 2006 James Beard "Outstanding Pastry Chef of The Year" award winner, and he is also the author of "Dessert FourPlay: Sweet Quartets From a Four-Star Pastry Chef". He is a Meyer lemon fanatic. Meyer lemons have different fragrance, not as acid and sharp as regular lemons, Meyer Lemons are sweeter and more robust as Johnny Iuzzini said.
History of Meyer Lemon
The Meyer Lemon is a cross between a lemon and a type of orange, so it's not actually a real lemon. It retains most of the lemon's characteristics: acidity, bitterness and so on. But it's more sweetness, thinner skin and less acidity and less bitterness. It bears a heavy crop and relatively hard to plant, so it has gained the favor of people.
Where is Meyer Lemon come from? About 100 years ago, an American called Frank Meyer brought Mayer Lemon to United States from China while working for the USDA, so the tree was named by him. The tree soon became very popular in the United States, especially in California. Then 40 years later, a virus attacked Meyer Lemon Trees so the government banned the trees. Untile 1970s, a new version of virus-free Meyer Lemon Tree was developed and it soon spread across America, it become a favorite for the home grower.
Gastronomy of Meyer Lemon
Meyer Lemon Icebox Cake
Meyer Lemon Icebox Cake is one of my favorite desserts, the picture below shows my take on this classic. I use lemon wafer cookies at Meyer lemon curd, lemon cream and Whole Foods, to let the wafers absorb liquid out of the cream, I put it in the fridge over a whole night. As you can see below, an icebox cake is actually layered creamed cookies.
Meyer Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes
I love Limoncello, they make the best one in Capri, it tastes weird and delicious, as you can see the picture, the composition, lighting and colors are very beautiful.
Lemony Meyer Lemon Curd
Reuse jam jars, take a ribbon on it, and you have yourself the perfect hostess gift. The whole process takes less than 20 minutes of casting zesting. It is heavenly by the spoon, but if you have more control of course, spread between layers of puff pastry cook or to make a lemon tart, or spread on your toast in the morning. With whipped cream folded in, any kind of decline can be achieved. I like a strong taste of lemon in my lemon desserts, which reflects the recipe.
Meyer Lemon Mousse Cups
Pushing the egg yolks through a sieve into a large saucepan. I love the yellow first strain, so I do not have to do at the end. Then, add the lemon juice and sugar and whisk together over medium heat until combined. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon. Remove from heat and pieces of butter and whisk until melted and smooth. Add lemon zest or your oil of lemon. Transfer dough to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until completely chilled and firm, about an hour. (Note: Since I had a lot more juice, I decided to make 4x the amount of lemon curd in this recipe called for so that I can freeze the extra for future use. It is very easy to increase the dough recipe, just remember that it takes longer to cook.)
