If you asked me for the one ingredient that I always have on deck, my answer is almost always lemons. Like many, I use them for every day cooking—in vinaigrettes, to squeeze over salmon, and to massage kale before adding to salads. But more importantly, I like to keep them around for when I’m baking. I'll often add a squeeze of lemon juice to milk rather than buying buttermilk, rub zest into sugar for extra flavor, or make a quick lemon curd if I can find some way to fit it into the recipe.
With that being said, when I decide I want to bake something heavy on lemon flavor, the first thing my mind jumps to is, you guessed it, lemon squares. After all, how often were they sold at bake sales or brought as post-game snacks growing up? Coming up with other ideas usually takes me some thought, so if you’re in the same boat, here are the recipes at the top of my list this citrus season:
1.Lemon Olive Oil Loaf Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
I’m definitely biased, but this recipe, which I developed, is one I recommend making if you want an easy yet elevated dessert. It’s a citrusy loaf cake made with extra-virgin olive oil and mascarpone, then rolled in granulated white sugar as a fun coating (that isn’t a glaze), and dolloped with a mascarpone whipped cream. And if you just want a simple loaf, you can always stop after coating it in sugar.
2.Lemon Posset
It’s not a surprise that these Lemon Possets have 189 reviews. It’s a very low-risk-high-reward recipe, and by that I mean it’s extremely easy. It only has three ingredients, requires almost no active cooking time, all while being entirely irresistible. Essentially, it’s a fuss-free lemon custard that doesn’t require any egg-tempering or precise temperature controls. Ten out of ten, would recommend.
3.Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
This one also has raving reviews. It’s a simple recipe made with sour cream for extra tenderness, and the baked muffins get finished off with a simple lemon glaze. What’s not to love?
4.Crepes with Lemon Curd & Blueberry Compote
When someone makes you crepes in the morning, you know it’s going to be a good day. As long as you have a good skillet, enough butter, and in this case, lemon curd and blueberry compote, you can’t go wrong. With the spring holidays not being all too far out, it would be the perfect recipe for a festive brunch.
What are your favorite lemon recipes? Let me know in the comments!
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