Life Currents

Meyer Lemons

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Sherbet and Lemon Bars

Recently, I got some Meyer Lemons from a woman named Kim through an organization called Neighborhood Fruit. The lemons are really good, and I’ve used them several different ways- mostly I can’t get past just having lots of lemon water! Yummy!

I asked Dan what he wanted from the lemons, and he requested lemon bars (always a favorite!). Lemon bars have a crumbly crust topped with a sweet-tangy lemony topping. I like to share my lemon bars, and I will be giving some back to Kim as a way to thank her for the lemons. I also gave a plate to my neighbor who gives me lemons.

I wanted to try something new as well, so I was on the lookout for some new thing- unsure what.

Have I ever mentioned that one of the food groups should be ice cream? Well, it should! I especially love homemade ice cream. I have this vague notion of having an ice cream cart that I take to farmer’s markets. I would have two flavors- one traditional flavor, like vanilla, chocolate, or chocolate chip. And, the other would be an adventurous flavor, like buttermilk, basil, or well, who-knows! So, when I came upon a recipe for lemon-mascarpone sherbet it sounded like the perfect thing to do with some of my lemons and to try an adventurous ice cream flavor. This is a great sweet and tangy frozen treat for the warmer months to come. And, unlike traditional ice cream, you don’t need to stand over the stove stirring for a long time. It’s also lighter in calories and fat than traditional ice cream, yet still tastes rich and creamy. I switched up the recipe a little, and here is my version.

Please enjoy! And, if you haven’t checked out Neighborhood Fruit- either to log your fruit you would like to give away, or to see if anyone in your area is giving away their fruit, please do. And, heck, if you checked awhile ago, check again- it’s always changing!

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Sherbet

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Sherbet
Makes 8 servings
About 300 calories per serving

1  2/3 cups sugar
1  2/3 cups water
1 vanilla bean*
1 cup mascarpone**
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2/3 cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Place the sugar and the water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Boil 2 minutes; Remove from heat. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Place seeds and vanilla bean pod into syrup. Cool to room temperature. Remove pod.

Place mascarpone in a medium bowl, and slowly whisk in vanilla syrup, trying to work out any lumps before adding too much syrup. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Refrigerate mixture for 2 hours, or overnight. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer sherbet to a 2-quart container and into the freezer. Sherbet will be soft.

Cook’s notes:
*If you don’t have a vanilla bean, or don’t want to spend the money on a vanilla bean, substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. They have some wonderful extracts with vanilla bean seeds in them, so it gives you the speckled look. If you use extract, pour it in after the syrup has cooled a bit.
**Mascarpone—a rich Italian-style cream cheese available at well-stocked grocery stores—can be replaced with an equal amount of heavy cream, cream cheese, or sour cream. The flavor will change, but it might be fun to try lemon sour cream sherbet.

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars
Makes 24 bars

Crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Pinch salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with foil; coat with cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350° F. To make crust: blend butter, sugar and salt in bowl until smooth. Stir in flour. Scrape into pan, pressing level. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make filling: beat sugar, flour, eggs and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Pour over crust. Place back in 350° F oven for 25 minutes, until no imprint remains when lightly touched in center. Cool on rack.

Remove from pan, and cut into squares. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve the sherbet in martini glasses for a fun presentation