It’s kind of like the cowboy who swaps out his black hat worn in fall and winter for a lighter color or straw hat for warmer seasons. So it is with desserts. As we approach summer we tend to move away from heavier, chocolaty desserts to lighter, brighter treats, and lemon is right there on top of the list. Recipes for Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Chiffon Cake, Lemon Squares, Lemon Tarts, Lemon Mousse and Lemon Cookies seem to come out of hibernation this time of year and appear regularly at Easter buffets, picnics and pool parties. Then there’s the luscious Lemon Angel Dessert with alternating layers of homemade lemon custard, angel food cake pieces and whipped cream. Light yet rich, it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert that can sit in the refrigerator for several days and it just gets better as it sits. There are tons of old-timey recipes for Lemon Angel Dessert where the egg yolks are cooked and the raw egg whites are folded in, which is a concern to many people. So, I was delighted to find this recipe for Lemon Angel Dessert that replaces the eggs whites with whipping cream. (The egg yolks are cooked with sugar and lemon juice.) By itself, the flavor and texture of angel food cake is unmistakable, but when layered and soaked with lemon custard and whipping cream, Lemon Angel Dessert is just pure heaven!
heavy whipping cream
Strawberry Pie
What a delicious way to combine Mother’s Day with a delicious Spring Pie! This Heart Shaped Strawberry Pie has a sweet history that’s worth remembering! In 1949 if you had wanted to know about rural life in Iowa, you would have looked to Evelyn Birkby, the newspaper columnist, author, and radio personality who for almost 60 years shared stories of farm life, recipes and tales from her own country kitchen. Evelyn was also one of the famed “Radio Homemakers” who, for 40 years broadcast across a five-state area on radio station KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa. (In the 1950s, domesticity dominated the lives of most rural Iowa women. Somewhat isolated on the farm, many relied on the radio to hear a friendly voice. The KMA Radio Homemakers were the ones they turned to for advice and information about cooking, gardening, household hints and beauty tips.) Evelyn Birkby was by far the most popular of the “neighbors on the air,” helping women with everything from menu planning to child rearing. For more than a quarter century Evelyn was a regular monthly columnist for Kitchen-Klatter Magazine, and broadcast on the syndicated Kitchen-Klatter radio program. Birkby is the author of ten books radio homemakers. Her book Up a Country Lane stitches together stories, photographs and recipes from Iowa farm life in the 1940s and 1950s. The Strawberry Pie in Up a Country Lane is reflective of all of the recipes in the cookbook. They are fun, simple, and were often sent in to Evelyn from her adoring radio fans and newspaper readers. While so many recipes for Strawberry Pie use a strawberry gelatin as a thickener, the
natural pureed strawberries in this version really gives this pie a through and through fresh strawberry flavor. I think you Mom will enjoy a little neighborly Iowa hospitality with Evelyn Birkby’s summertime favorite!
Momma’s Risotto
My quest for Rescued Recipes this week led me back to my own Italian roots. From my mother, born and raised in Venice, Italy, I learned how to prepare the quintessential one pot Italian wonder, Risotto. If you’re lucky enough to have left-over’s, you might try Arancini, delicious deep fried risotto rice balls with a melted cheese filling, a very popular street food of Sicily where my father’s side of the family is from. So from the canals of Venice to the southernmost “tip of the boot”, Sicily, I hope you enjoy two of my favorite family heirloom recipes that are without question, delicioso!
Watch my How to Video for Risotto here!
Double Chocolate Raspberry Dream Pie
It happens once a year, and it’s a real slice of life. National Pie Day puts the spotlight on home bakers across America and their award winning originals. National Pie Day has come and gone, but the American Pie Council sent me the recipe for the First Place Winner in the Classic Chocolate Category. To say that it got thumbs up in my test kitchen this week is an understatement. The Double Chocolate Raspberry Dream Pie was a runaway favorite. The original recipe gives the ingredients for a homemade pie crust, but I used store bought deep dish pie shells to save time. (*Note: I had plenty of filling ingredients for two 8-inch pies.) Fresh raspberries are coming on the market right now and if you’re a chocolate lover, this fruit and chocolate combination is rich, luscious, smooth and creamy. You’ll dive into this dreamy pie!
Lemon Pudding Cake
It’s one of those miracle desserts that goes into the oven as a cake batter and comes out baked with two distinct layers. The bottom layer becomes a luscious, lemony pudding and the top becomes a light and delicate cake! How does that happen? I’m assuming it has something to do with the amount of liquid this recipe has. Since liquids like milk and whipping cream are heavy, they settle down into the bottom of the dish, which creates the pudding. But I’m no scientist, just a lemon dessert addict and think a lot of you are too! One of the most popular lemon desserts are Lemon Bars (or Lemon Squares.) Well, this Lemon Pudding Cake will give them a run for their money! I employed a technique that allows the zest of three large lemons to steep in a simmering milk and heavy cream mixture. After it sits for about 15 minutes, you strain the lemon zest and what you have left is delicious milk with lemon essence! Then, the juice from the lemons is what gives it the punch! A little topping of whipped cream and you have a fabulous dessert served in individual ramekins that have baked in a water bath. I love this recipe and I hope you will too!
Watch my How To Video for Lemon Pudding Cake here!
