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gluten free lemons

Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecakes With Blood Orange Sauce

Lemon & Blood Orange Cheesecakes

There aren’t many things you’ll see me do because they are cool and there are very few people I (almost always) agree with or trust (almost always) blindly. My dear B. will tell you I spend my life with an imaginary raised eyebrow and my right ear pointed up. I am not skeptical, I am curious. Sometimes cautious. Sometimes not at all.

When Shauna mentioned that she was working on gluten free graham crackers, I had my ears tuned in to her updates. When she posted them, I blindly and happily followed her trail and made a batch. Then two. Then B. said they’d be even better under a cheesecake. So I made a batch of mini Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecakes with Blood Orange Syrup. Then two.

Lemons

I often talk about tea time as being an important ritual of my day (as much as my schedule lets me) and when I moved to the US, I became quite fond of having a few graham crackers with my tea. I was a student, they were cheap and a box lasted a while between roomie and myself.

Then I stopped having a cookie with tea altogether. Partly because it’s not that much fun a ritual when done alone so I’d save those moments for when my parents would visit and partly when I discovered it was not helping my health issues. I stopped. Until last week.

Baking Cheesecakes

I made a batch of Shauna’s gluten free graham crackers as soon as I came home from Atlanta. I sat down with my cup of tea and my just baked cookies and sighed. Content and thankful. Bill started saying that they were pretty close to the real thing but not quite until I stopped him, with my eyebrow raised, and asked "if the real thing is what makes us truly happy then these are it for me" and added "it’s ok if you don’t like them as much…more for me!"

Men don’t generally take a hint and yet mine likes to give me some, especially when it comes to desserts. He starts by fidgeting around the cookie jar. Opens the fridge, closes it. Plays with the cookie jar some more. Until I break down and ask if he has a suggestion. He may not bake or cook, but he’s got good ideas about eating. I had all forms of citrus laid out on the countertop for an article I was working on and he suggested we use some of the lemons and make a cheesecake if possible.

Lemon & Blood Orange Cheesecakes

Since it was spur of the moment, I had about half the quantity of cream cheese I needed but being a big fan of goat cheese in desserts, I used some to make up the difference. The tang of the fresh goat cheese worked perfectly with the tang of the lemons. I felt it needed some color though and made a quick blood orange syrup to go with it.

This first forray into a completely gluten free cheesecake was such a success that I made another batch a couple of days later. Yes. That good.

Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecakes with Blood Orange Syrup:

Makes 8 mini cheesecakes

For the graham crakers: follow the recipe on Shauna’s site blindly…you won’t be disappointed, and grind enough graham crakers to make 1 cup crumbs.

For the cheesecake:

1 cup (250ml) graham cracker crumbs

4 tablespoons (60gr) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup (200gr) sugar, divided

8 oz (240r) fresh mild goat cheese, at room temperature

8 oz (240gr) cream cheese, at room temperature

juice and zest of a whole lemon

3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325F and position a rack in the middle. Line 8 standard sized muffin tins with liners and slighly spray with cooking spray. Place the muffin pan in a large roasting pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, the melted butter and 1/4 cup (50gr) sugar. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared muffin liners and pat with the back of a spoon. Bake for 5 minutes. Let cool. Lower the heat to 300F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining sugar with the cheeses and the lemon zest on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and beat another 30 seconds. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin liners. Add hot water to the roasting pan but do not worry about coming up halfway the side of the muffin pan too much. The oven temperature is already so low that the water is just to be on the safe side. Add at least one inch inside the roasting pan.

Bake the mini cheesecakes for 20 minutes or until slightly giggling (or jiggle – whatever suits your mood) in the middle still. Keep an eye on them as they bake rather fast this way. Let cool completely before unmolding and serving with the blood orange syrup.

Notes: I made 8 small ones (baked in muffin tins) but you could make two 4-inch ones and bake them for about 10 minutes longer at the same heat.

For the blood orange syrup:

1 cup (250ml) fresh blood orange juice

1/2 cup (100gr) sugar

In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, stir together the blood orange juice and the sugar over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer down until the liquid is about reduced by half. Let cool and serve with the cheesecakes.

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Le P’tit Coin Francais:

Pour les fonds de cheesecakes: suivez la recette de Shauna ici ou utilisez des miettes de Petits Lu ou sables bretons.

Pour les cheesecakes:

250ml de miettes de petits gateaux

60 gr de beurre mou, fondu

200 gr de sucre, utilise en 2 fois

240 gr de fromage de chevre (frais et doux)

240 gr de cream cheese ou autre fromage frais

jus et zeste d’un citron

3 oeufs

Prechauffez le four a 160C. Habillez des moules a muffins avec des caissettes en papier de la meme taille et badigeonnez l’interieur d’huile avec un pinceau (ou utilisez un spray a huile comme ici). Placer les moules dans une grande et profonde leche frite par example.

Dans un bol de taille moyenne, melangez les miettes de biscuits, le beurre fondu et la moitie du sucre. Melangez bien avec une spatule et distribuez de facon egale a l’interieur des moules prepares. Tassez avec le dos de la spatule. Faites cuires pendant 5 minutes. Mettere de cote. Baissez la temperature du four a 150C.

Dans le bol d’un mixeur, battez au fouet les deux fromages, le reste de sucre et le zeste de citron jusqu’a ce que la pate soit lisse. Ajoutez les oeufs, un a un et en battant bien apres chaque ajout. Ajoutez le jus de citron et battez 30 secondes de plus jusqu’a obtenir une pate lisse.

Repartissez la pate entre les moules et ajoutez environ 2 centimetres d’eau chaude dans la leche frite. Faites cuire environ 20 minutes. Retirez les cheesecakes du four avant qu’ils soit completement cuits. Laissez refroidir completement avant de demouler. Servir avec le sirop a l’orange sanguine

Sirop a l’orange sanguine:

250 ml jus d’orange sanguine (frais de preference)

100 gr sucre

Placez le jus d’orange et le sucre dans une casserole a fond epais et portez a ebullition. Reduire la temperature sous la casserole et faire reduire le sirop de moitie. Servir avec les cheesecakes.

Pinch Cake Lemon Mousse Strawberry Trifle And A Giveaway!

Lemon Mousse Strawberry Trifle


I’m in Atlanta for the next few days and very excited to be meeting a whole bunch of bloggers and foodies I only know via the screen. I’ve left early to prepare a workshop and also to take time to visit with friends there and put my brain cells to rest a bit. I was off to a good start by catching up with my blogging pal Chris around a delicious bowl of Thai noodles as soon as I landed. Sweet long weekend indeed.

It’s funny but without being a homebody, I am extremely happy in the "here and now" and very comfortable where my derriere was on the couch last night. Meaning, I wish it all could happen closer to me so B. could attend too. Although not surprised, I am very grateful for his mending the fort while I am away for work and he’s stuck here with two crazy dogs and a pile of papers to grade. I’ve left a fridge full of home cooked meals and a tray of these Pinch Cake Lemon Mousse Strawberry Trifles.

Everytime I set out to leave things for him in the kitchen, you can bet that I never forget to leave dessert. This time, I went straight to the source and asked what he most wanted to have. "Something retro like a trifle or strawberry shortcakes."For the occasion, I wanted to try something different and figured it was high time I picked something from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Heavenly Cakes. I used her recipe for Pinch Cake and layered it with lemon curd mousse and fresh strawberries. They’re in season in Florida which is just a skip and a hop from us (and tasty).

Strawberries And Lemons


I was attracted to this particular cake recipe for two reasons, how easy it was to convert as it contained very little flour and also because I loved the story behind the name, Pinch Cake. Paraphrasing Mrs. Beranbaum: in Spain, the cake is originally known as pinch bread and the name is partially derived from the way of eating it: by pinching out pieces between your fingers. Mrs. Beranbaum calls this version Salt because it was created in 1985 by Miquel B. Costabella, pastry chef of Salt Bakery, named after the village of Salt, close to Girona, Spain. History, baking. Happy.

But wait! While I am away rolling in sugar in Atlanta, here is a chance for you to bake it at home too: I am giving away one copy of Heavenly Cakes.

All you have to do is leave a comment (one per person) here between today and Sunday January 17th (midnight Eastern time) when the winner will be chosen at random. The giveaway is open world wide. Why not tell me what your favorite retro dessert is while you’re at it? Would love to know!

Lemon Mousse Strawberry Trifle


Some updates before I leave: the macarons workshops in L.A are both sold out, but I’ve been asked to teach a third class on Food Photography in L.A, Saturday March 6th 2-5pm. Email rachael{AT}lafujimama{DOT}com if you are interested.

I did say I was working on one more surprise: I figured Seattle was so close to L.A not to go visit a couple of dear friends. Well, thanks to the organization skills of Viv from Seattle Bon Vivant, I am now teaching 3 workshops there. Two will be on photography and one on macarons. [Update: all classes SOLD OUT]. Can’t wait to meet Seattle, its wonderful community and thrilled to be staying on Shauna’s couch. After that trip I’ll have two days to get the house ready for 3 weeks with my parents. Phewee…!

Gimme cake…!

Pinch Cake Lemon Mousse Strawberry Trifle

Makes 6 to 8

Catalan Salt Pinch Cake, adapted from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (112gr) unblanched sliced almonds
3/4 cup plus 2.5 tablespoons (180gr) sugar, divided
6 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons white rice flour

Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
Line a quarter sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper and slightly spray with cooking spray. Reserve.

Toast the almonds on a separate baking sheet until pale golden, about 7 minutes.
Cool completely and pulse the almonds with 2.5 tablespoons sugar until finely ground. Stop before the nuts start to form a paste.
Place the eggs into a 2-cup measure with a spout and whisk them just to break them up.
In a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium low speed until foamy. Increase the speed and whisk until soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining cup of sugar. Continue beating until the meringue is thick and glossy. With the beater off, stir in the almond mixture until evenly incorporated.

Reattach the whisk and with the mixer on medium speed, add the beaten eggs to the meringue, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. It should take a total of 20-25 minutes but be sure to beat for a minimum of 20 minutes. Add the lemon zest.
Sprinkle the flour over the batter and fold until completely incorporated. Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

For the lemon mousse:
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup (125 ml) lemon juice
1/4 cup (50gr) sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml)heavy cream

4 cups fresh strawberries

Combine the zest, sugar, juice in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, beat the eggs until light. Beat some of the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly until it thickens up, about 5 minutes. Strain and let it cool to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.
In a stand mixer, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. Incorporate the cooled lemon curd in three additions. Place in a piping bag.

To assemble:
Cut out rounds in the baked caked that will fit inside the glasses that you wish to use. I got enough rounds for 2 layers for six 3-inch wide glasses.
Place one round of cake at the bottom of the glass, position strawberry halves inside facing out on top, pipe some lemon curd in the middle and repeat the layers. Top with some extra whipped cream if desired.

Le P’tit Coin Francais:

Pour le gateau:
112gr amandes emondees
180gr sucre
6 oeufs
2 blancs d’oeuf
1 cuilliere a cafe de zest de citron
80gr farine de riz

Prechauffez le four a 160C.
Mettez une feuille de papier sulfurise sur une petite plaque a biscuit a rebords. Beurrez legerement et mettez de cote.
Faites toaster les amandes sur une autre plaques jusqu’a ce qu’elles deviennent dorees, 7 minutes environ.
Laissez les refroidir completement et reduisez les en poudre dans un mixer avec 2 cuillieres a souple de sucre. Arretez la machine avant que les amandes ne forment une pate.
Mettez les oeufs dans un grand verre mesure et les battre legerement a la fourchette, juste pour les casser.
Montez les blancs en neige en ajoutant le reste de sucre au fur et a mesure afin d’obtenir une meringue ferme. Ajoutez les amandes et melangez.
Ajoutez les oeufs entiers battus, 2 cuilleres a la fois et tout en battant l’appareil pendant 2 minutes apres chaque addition. Le procede devrais prendre environ 20 a 25 minutes (au moins 20). Ajoutez le zest de citron.
Ajoutez la farine en pluie et soulevez a l’aide d’une maryse jusqu’a ce que la pate soit homogene.
Versez la pate sur la plaque preparee et faites cuires 15 a 20 minutes.

Pour la mousse au citron:
le zest d’un citron
125ml de jus de citron
50gr sucre
2 oeufs
250ml de creme entiere liquide

Amenez le zest, sucre et jus de citron a fremissement a feu moyen. Dans un bol de tailled moyenne, fouettez les oeufs pendant 2 minutes. Ajoutez en filet le jus de citron chaud tout en continuant de fouetter. Remettre la mixture dans la casserole et cuire a feu moyen jusqu’a epaississement. Passez a la passoire et laissez refroidir.
Pendant ce temps, montez la creme en chantilly et quand la preparation au citron est refroidie, y melanger la chantilly.

Assemblez:
Dans 6 a 8 verres, faites des couches successives de gateaux, mousse au citron et fraises.

Lemon Chamomile Pots De Creme & A Taste Of Yellow

Lemon Chamomille Pots de Creme


Yesterday morning, I stood in the middle of the kitchen trying to find something, anything yellow that I could bake with. I thought I was finally ahead of the game for a change with recipes, writing, pictures, yet I had this nagging feeling that I was forgetting something. I was mumbling "yellow, yellow, something yellow" pacing the kitchen, opening the fridge, the pantry. Bill looked at me, banana in hand and exclaimed "That’s yellow!". Read this post and you will understand why I immediately protested: "Non pas encore des bananes. Y’en a marre des bananes!" (no, no more bananas. Enough with the bananas!) Lemons would be nice. Lemon Pots de Creme would even be nicer.

An hour later a baker friend stopped by with a small case of lemons. "Fell off the truck!" he said with a wink. I know it meant they had overstocked and they knew I’d find good use for them. "Oh yes! Yellow overstock! Please find a spot on my countertop" I thought while wringing my hands scheming. I did not have much time yesterday but I did not want to miss Barbara’s event LiveStrong With A Taste of Yellow for anything. Barbara gives so much of her friendship and wisdom to all of us. It’s all about giving back.

I could write paragraphs after paragraphs about people I know and love who are touched by cancer right now and people I have loved and lost to cancer but it would not do anybody any good. You know some, you love some. It hurts and it’s ugly and it is not what Barbara or the event is about. For the past three years, Barbara has gathered food bloggers around the world to create a yellow dish in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise cancer awareness.

Lemon Chamomille Pots de Creme


Two years ago I went with an all mango dessert that was devoured by my husband two seconds after I had taken a picture and last year I made tropical verrines with peach macarons that were also devoured right after the pictures. This year I baked Lemon Chamomile Pots de Creme, and guess what happened? Well yes, 3 were gone before lunch! You can’t leave two lemon heads like us around these and expect us to behave, not that we would have tried anyway.

"Pots de creme" are exactly that: little cups of creamy custard. Heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar. The rest is up to your imagination. I remember when my friend M. was undergoing chemo, she would often ask for a cup of tea with a lemon slice and some chamomille buds in there. As a tribute to her kicking cancer away for now, I added a small handful of chamomile buds with the cream and let it steep before mixing the cream with the rest of the ingredients and a serious dose of lemons. The result was soothing, tongue nipping and down right refreshing.

Lemon Chamomille Pots de Creme



Side note: a few people have emailed asking me how I keep my tablecloths so white even after putting crumbs or ice cream right on them. HA AH! Here is my little secret: I use wood. Large blocks of wood or 2x4s that I sand, stain and paint (sometimes dark) so all I have to do is take a sponge when I am done photographing. Unlike Martha Stewart, I don’t find doing laundry and ironing that much of fun time. I have enough with the napkins and placemats I use!

Lemon Chamomile Pots de Creme:

Makes 4 to 6 depending on the size of your ramekins.

1 1/2 cups (375ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons edible chamomille buds (found mine at health food store with bulk herbs and spices)
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
zest and juice of 2-3 lemons (you’ll need 1/4 cup or 60ml of juice)
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325F and position a rack in the center. Place your ramekins in a heavy deep pan and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream and the chamomile to a simmer. Turn the heat off and let the chamomile steep in the cream while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until pale yellow. Add the lemon juice and salt and whisk until smooth.
Strain the heavy cream and discard the chamomile. Slowly pour the heavy cream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking well. Let stand for a couple of minutes to let any foam rise to the top, skim it off and divide the mixture among your ramekins. Pour hot water inside the pan, making sure the water comes at least halfway up the sides of your dishes. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.