Lemon Cream Pots

Wow!  The soft lemony flavors coming from this dessert is a gastronomic delight!  To be honest, I had never heard of a Meyer lemon until I saw them in Pete's Frootique.  The Meyer lemon is smaller than the common yellow lemon and is much sweeter in taste and less acidic.  This citrus fruit is native to China but was introduced to the US in 1908 by agricultural explorer Frank Meyer.  The Meyer lemon became popular with chefs in California and later on by Martha Stewart who featured them in her recipes.  The Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and mandarin orange thus giving the look of a small orange rather than a lemon.  They are also known as ?valley lemon? in Texas where they grow prolifically in the Rio Grande Valley.  As I was grating the Meyer lemon, amazing aromas of mandarin orange and floral scents permeated the air.  The Meyer lemon works well with desserts such as sorbets, lemon tarts, granitas, syrups and lemonade.  If you like this recipe, then you might also like Lemon Granita.

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Donna Hay
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500ml (2 cups) double thick cream (whipping cream)
110g (1/2 cup) superfine sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated Meyer lemon rind
60ml (1/4 cup) Meyer lemon juice
double cream, to serve


Lemon Wafers:
35g (1/4 cup) plain all-purpose flour, sifted
40g (1/4 cup) icing sugar, sifted
40g melted butter
2 eggwhites
2 teaspoons finely grated Meyer lemon rind

Place cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, add lemon juice and rind and stir to combine.  Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.  Pour into 4 (3/4 cup capacity) dishes and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set.

Preheat oven to 180c (355f).  To make the wafers, place flour, icing sugar, eggwhite, butter and rind in a bowl and mix well to combine.  Pour a teaspoonful of mixture on a lightly greased baking tray and spread to create a 12cm (5") strip.  Repeat with remaining batter, leaving space for wafers to spread.  Bake 6-8 minutes or until light golden.  Cool on tray.  Top pots with cream and serve with wafers.

The Culinary Chase's Note:  An easy dessert to make and so very easy to eat!

By The Glass Tasting Note: Dessert wines aren't meant for all desserts. Many are in fact so thick and syrupy that they become dessert themselves. In the case of light and tangy desserts, such as this, an off-dry sparkling wine makes for refreshing alternative. Ontario's Peller Estates makes a delightful method traditional sparkling wine, called Ice Cuvee, that is finished with an Icewine dosage. It is the perfect partner to citrus based desserts. For an old world option, look for Moscato D'Asti. If your heart is set on a more traditional dessert wine option try a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc such as Conch Y Toro's version which when available is a steal at less than $15 (it can often be found for less than $10).