Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook
Page 24
Spoon half the meringue neatly into one of the 8-inch circles. Smooth the top with your rubber spatula. It should be about ¾ inch thick. Spoon the remaining meringue into the second circle and smooth the top of that one, also.
Bake at 250 degrees F. for one hour, or until slightly golden on top and the surface is hard when touched.
Cool the sheet of meringue circles completely on the cookie sheet on a wire rack.
When the meringues are cool, gently loosen them by peeling off the paper. Put them back on the paper, loose, and move them to a cool, dry place. (A dark cupboard is fine, but the refrigerator is NOT FINE.)
FILLING:
4 egg yolks (the ones you reserved)
½ cup white (granulated) sugar
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely grated lemon peel – just the
yellow part)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
¼ cup white (granulated) sugar (You’ll use ¾ cup total in
the filling)
Beat the egg yolks with the ½ cup sugar until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest.
Cook this mixture in the top of a double boiler, over gently boiling water, until it’s smooth and as thick as mayonnaise. (That’s a little thicker than gravy and takes about 3 minutes or so.) Move the top part of the double boiler to a cold burner and let the mixture cool while you complete the rest of the recipe.
Pour the vanilla into the whipping cream. Whip the cream just until it holds a peak. Don’t over beat. Beat in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Slowly stir the whipped cream mixture into the warm lemon mixture until you have a light, smooth sauce. (Lick the spoon – it’s yummy!) Cover it and refrigerate the sauce for at least 2 hours, or until you’re ready to serve.
To assemble, get out the meringues and the lemon filling. Decide which meringue looks best and set that aside for the top. Place the other meringue on a cake plate.
Spoon half of the lemon filling over the top of the meringue on the cake plate. Spread it with a rubber spatula so it’s almost out to the edge.
Put the best-looking meringue on top. Spoon the rest of the lemon filling on top of that meringue and spread it out with a rubber spatula.
To serve, cut pie-shaped wedges at the table and transfer them to dessert plates. This is a light, sugary but tart, totally satisfying summer dessert.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 people (unless you invite Carrie – she always has thirds.)
Hannah’s 2nd Note: This dessert is certainly yummy, but it’s not gorgeous. When Sally serves it at the Lake Eden Inn, she slices it in the kitchen because the meringues tend to crumble. Then she puts it on a beautiful dessert plate or in a cut glass dessert bowl, tops it with a generous dollop of sweetened whipped cream, and places a paper-thin lemon slice on top to make it look fancy.
LEMON FLUFF JELL-O
1 large can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple
2 cups water (for boiling)
3 small (3 ounces each) packages of Lemon Jell-O
2 cups COLD water 67
1 small (2-cup) container thawed Cool Whip (or any other
frozen, whipped, nondairy dessert topping – you can
thaw it overnight in the refrigerator the night before you
plan to make the Lemon Fluff Jell-O)
1 can (enough to make an 8-inch pie) lemon pie filling68
Drain the can of crushed pineapple in a strainer over a bowl. Save the liquid to use later.
Boil two cups of water in a small saucepan. Take it off the burner.
Empty the three packages of Lemon Jell-O powder into the recently boiled water. Stir until the Jell-O is dissolved. This step should take about 2 minutes. (There’s nothing worse than Jell-O powder that doesn’t dissolve. It makes a layer of sweet lemon rubber at the bottom of your Jell-O mold and the mixture on top is runny. To tell if Jell-O powder is dissolved, reach in with your impeccably clean fingers and rub a bit of liquid between your thumb and your finger. If it’s not gritty, it’s dissolved.)
When the Jell-O powder is dissolved, combine the pineapple juice with COLD water to make 2 cups of liquid. Add this to your saucepan and stir it in.
Refrigerate your saucepan until the Jell-O is partially set. (This should take approximately 45 minutes.)
Spoon the Jell-O mixture into a bowl and whip it with a whisk or an electric mixer until it’s a little fluffy. (Not too long or you’ll beat warm air into it.)
Fold in the thawed Cool-Whip.
Fold in the lemon pie filling. (This is the time to make the instant pudding and pie filling and fold it into your Jell-O if you couldn’t find canned pie filling.)
Fold in the drained, crushed pineapple and blend just until it’s mixed in.
Spray a 2-quart Jell-O mold, or a standard-sized Bundt pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. You’ll also need a second, much smaller bowl or mold to hold the Jell-O that won’t quite fit in the first mold.
Transfer the Jell-O mixture to your molds and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.
MINNESOTA PEACH COBBLER
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Hannah’s 1st Note: Don’t thaw your peaches before you make this – leave them frozen.
Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
10 cups frozen sliced peaches (approximately 2 and ½
pounds)
cup lemon juice (2 Tablespoons)
1 and ½ cups white (granulated) sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup flour (don’t sift – pack it down in the cup when you
measure it)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup melted butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)
Measure out ten cups of peaches and put them in a large mixing bowl. Let them sit on the counter and thaw for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle them with lemon juice and toss so that they’re all coated.
In another smaller bowl combine the white sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Mix them together with a fork until they’re evenly combined.
Pour the dry mixture over the peaches and toss them a second time. (This works best if you use your impeccably clean hands.) Once most of the dry mixture is clinging to the peaches, dump them into the cake pan you’ve prepared. If there is any dry mixture left in the bowl, sprinkle it on top of the peaches in the pan.
Melt the butter. Drizzle it over the peaches. Then cover the cake pan tightly with foil.
Bake the peach mixture at 350 degrees F., for 40 minutes. Take it out of the oven and set it on a heatproof surface, but DON’T TURN OFF THE OVEN!
TOP CRUST:
1 cup flour (don’t sift – pack it down in the cup when you
measure it)
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ stick softened butter (¼ cup, 2 ounces, pound)
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in the smaller bowl you used earlier. Cut in the softened butter with a couple of forks until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add the beaten eggs and mix them in with a fork. For those of you who remember your school library with fondness, the result will resemble library paste but it’ll smell a whole lot better! (If you have a food processor, you can also make the crust using the steel blade and chilled butter cut into 4 chunks. You’ll take the dry mixture out of the food processor and add the beaten eggs by hand.)
Remove the foil cover from the peaches and drop on spoonfuls of the topping. Because the topping is thick, you’ll have to do this in little dibs and dabs scraped from the spoon with another spoon, a rubber spatula, or with your freshly washed finger. Dab on the topping until the whole pan is polka-dotted. (Don’t worry if some spots aren’t covered ver
y well — the batter will spread out and fill in as it bakes and result in a crunchy crust.)
Bake at 350 degrees F., uncovered, for an additional 50 minutes.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: Minnesota Peach Cobbler can be eaten hot, warm, room temperature, or chilled. It can be served by itself in a bowl, or topped with cream, sweetened whipped cream, or ice cream.
STRAWBERRY CUSTARD SQUARES
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
1 cup flour (don’t sift – pack it down in the cup when you
measure it)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chilled butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)
2 Tablespoons whipping cream ( cup)
½ cup flour (NOT A MISPRINT – you’ll use 1 and ½ cups in
this part of the recipe)
½ cup white (granulated) sugar
3 cups sliced strawberries69
TOPPING:
½ cup white (granulated) sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
2 eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or strawberry extract if you have it)
Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup flour and the salt. Cut in the half cup of butter until the resulting mixture looks like coarse sand. (You can do this in the food processor with the steel blade if you like.) Stir in the cream and pat the dough into the bottom of your cake pan.
Combine the ½ cup flour and the sugar. Sprinkle it over the crust in the pan and put the sliced strawberries (or other fruit) on top.
For the topping, mix the ½ cup white sugar and the Tablespoon of flour. Stir in the eggs, cream, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the top of the fruit in the pan.
Bake at 375 degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool on a rack, and then refrigerate in the pan.
Serve warm or chilled with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. You can also serve this plain or with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Yield: 10 to 12 dessert squares.
RUBY’S DEEP-FRIED CANDY BARS
oil for deep-frying (I used Canola)
6 or more assorted chocolate-covered candy bars70
Buy the candy bars the day before you intend to make these, and chill them in their wrappers in your refrigerator overnight.
Hannah’s 1st Note: If the kids are around, hide the candy bars in your vegetable crisper — they’ll never look there.
An hour and a half before you want to serve, mix up the batter from the following ingredients:
1 and cups all-purpose flour (not sifted – pack it down
in the cup when you measure it)
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 Tablespoons white (granulated) sugar
1 egg
1 cup whole milk
Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Mix it all up together.
In a separate small bowl (I used a 2-cup measuring cup), whisk the egg with the milk until it’s nice and smooth.
Dump the milk and egg mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until there are no lumps. (The resulting batter is about twice as thick as pancake batter.)
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. (Two hours is okay, but no longer than that.)
Hannah’s 2nd Note: You can use a heavy pan on the stove to deep-fry these sinful treats as long as you have a reliable deep-frying thermometer. If you do this, you’ll have to keep a sharp eye on the temperature of the oil. It should remain at a fairly constant 375 degrees F. A deep fryer that regulates its own temperature is really preferable, but you don’t have to run right out and buy one just to try this recipe. If you use a deep fryer, DO NOT use the basket. The battered candy bars will stick to it and you’ll never get them loose.
Prepare for deep-frying by heating your oil to 375 degrees F.
Prepare a cooling and draining surface by setting a metal rack over a pan lined with paper towels.
Hannah’s 3rd Note: You will fry these candy bars one at a time and serve them the same way. That’s to keep them from sticking together in the hot oil. You’ll probably find that eager dessert eaters will line up in the kitchen to receive their treats.
Take out a candy bar, unwrap it, and dip it in the chilled batter. Make sure it’s completely covered by the batter. Slide it gently into the hot oil with your batter-covered fingers (or with two forks) and fry it for approximately two and a half minutes, (2 and ½ minutes), or until nicely browned. Use a slotted metal spoon, or a pair of tongs to remove the candy bar from the hot oil.
Set the candy bar on the rack to drain and leave it there for at least 1 minute to cool. Then transfer it to a dessert dish or plate and serve.
Hannah’s 4th Note: If you want to be fancy, sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top of the candy bar.
When all the candy bars have been fried and eaten, you may have batter left over. If you do, dump it into a plastic bag, cut off bottom corner, and squeeze the batter into the hot oil in a circular pattern. If you haven’t guessed by this time, you’re making funnel cake. Once the funnel cake is nicely browned, remove it from the oil with a slotted metal spoon, set it on the rack to drain, and then sprinkle it with powdered sugar. Yum!
WARNING: NEVER LEAVE HOT OIL OR FAT UNATTENDED!!!
There was the sound of voices upstairs in the community center lobby, and Lisa began to smile. “Here come the men. Herb said they’d be here before the party broke up.”
The first one down the stairs was Mike Kingston, one of the most eligible bachelors in Lake Eden and a man that Hannah dated on a semi-regular basis. He was the chief detective at the Winnetka County Sheriff’s Department. Mike came straight over to Hannah to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Why are you wearing your uniform?” Hannah asked him, admiring the way he looked in his smartly styled uniform of maroon and gold, Minnesota’s state colors.
“Mayor Bascomb and I are picking up the cookies to take out to the Children’s Home. Some of the kids are afraid of law enforcement, and that’s understandable. If they’re in the Home because their parents are in jail, they think something bad is going to happen when they see a uniform, especially the little kids.”
“But when a cop in a uniform arrives with boxes of cookies for them, that changes the equation?” Hannah asked.
“That’s what I’m hoping.” Mike stepped back and gave the ladies a little salute. “Good afternoon, ladies.” And then he turned back to Hannah again. “Is there any coffee left?”
“I figured you’d be here any minute, so I just put on a second pot.”
“Count me in for a cup,” Mayor Bascomb said, arriving at the table with Lisa’s husband, who had stopped to give Lisa a little hug.
“I’ll have a cup too,” Norman Rhodes, the town dentist, chimed in. “Hannah makes the best coffee around.”
“Thank you,” Hannah responded, avoiding his eyes. Seeing Norman was uncomfortable these days. There was too much history between them, and the situation had changed with the man who’d once asked her to marry him.
“Look what Hannah gave us for Christmas,” Carrie pointed to the binder of recipes on the table. “All Hannah’s recipes are inside and she made one for each of us.”
“They’re not all my recipes,” Hannah pointed out. “I’ve got more at home on my bookshelf that I haven’t entered in the computer. And they’re not all mine. Some of these recipes are from family, friends, neighbors, and people who don’t even live in Lake Eden.”
“When will we get the rest?” Edna asked.
“As soon as I get time to type them into the computer so I can print them out. Don’t hold your breath. That could take a while.”
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br /> “I’ll do it,” Andrea offered. “Tracey can read them to me and I can type them up.”
“Thanks, Andrea. That sounds good to me.” Hannah gave her a smile and then she turned to the men. “Sit down and join us.”
That was Lisa’s cue to help Hannah pass out cups of coffee. The men always joined them for the last half-hour or so, and it wouldn’t be a party without them.
“Too bad we were such greedy piggies when it came to dessert,” Delores said, gesturing toward the nearly empty cheesecake platter and the pie plate where only crumbs remained. That comment caused the ladies to smile. Everyone knew that Hannah and Lisa always baked an extra dessert for the men.
“Don’t tell me we’re out of luck today!” Earl, Carrie’s new husband, teased. “Carrie wouldn’t let me taste a single one of her Lemon Softies. She packaged them up this morning and locked them in her suitcase. And, even worse, she hid the key.”
“That’s because they would have been gone in no time at all,” Carrie told him. And then she turned to the other ladies. “Earl’s crazy about lemon. I baked Hannah’s Lovely Lemon Bar Cookies for him on Tuesday morning, and they were gone by Tuesday night.”