LEMON CUSTARD with Mascarpone Fills 6 5 fluid ounce (148ml) ramekins. By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a recipe found in a restaurant trade journal. This is a delicious custard with just the right amount of lemon flavor for a fresh appeal. Garnish with fresh berries in season for a summer dessert. In winter, top with nuts such as roasted pecans. The custards are very easy to make. Ingredients: For the Custard: 1 ¼-ounce packet gelatin (such as Knox Gelatine) ¼ cup (30ml) cold water 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely minced 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream ½ cup (100g) sugar 1¾ cups (414ml) (13 oz./ 370g) sour cream 3/8 cup (88ml) (3oz./85g) mascarpone 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the Lemon Syrup: 1¼ cups (250g) sugar 1¼ cups (~300ml) water ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice 2 tablespoons lemon zest, finely minced ¼ cup (60ml) orange-flavored liqueur (such as Cointreau) Directions: For the Custards: 1. Sprinkle the gelatin onto the water in a small bowl and set aside to soften. Heat briefly (less than a minute) in the microwave to melt into a liquid. 2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining ingredients, adding the dissolved gelatin. Place the saucepan over a larger saucepan in which about a cup of water is brought to a simmer. Heat the custard until warm and liquid, but not hot (about 100 F/38 C). 3. Ladle the custard into custard cups or ramekins, leaving space at the top. Cover each cup with plastic wrap, being careful to keep the plastic from touching the top of the custard. 4. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 12 hours. For the Lemon Syrup: Place all the ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook to a temperature of 230 F (110 C), or until the mixture become a syrup. Stir occasionally. Cool and store in the refrigerator. For Serving: Garnish each custard with syrup before serving. Fresh fruit and/or chopped nuts can be added. 1 The Step By Step guide begins on the following page. 20150204
1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 Start by sprinkling the contents of 1 gelatin envelope on the surface of the water and set aside to soften. It will be heater later to liquefy. 2 Using a microplane or other grater, remove the zest (yellow portion) of the lemons.
3 3 Mince the zest well. 4 Also squeeze the juice from one of the lemons. You only need a tablespoon.
5 4 Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. You might need to briefly heat the gelatin in the microwave oven to turn it into a liquid. If the cream is cold when added, it will make the gelatin thicken again, but that is okay. It will be melted when heated in the next step. 6 Place about a cup of water in a larger saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Nest the smaller pan in the larger one and, stirring constantly, heat the custard until warm and a liquid again, about 100F (38 C). It doesn t need to be cooked there are no raw eggs. It only needs to be warm enough to be a liquid that can be easily spooned into custard cups. Overheating might turn the mascarpone into an oil; so heat gently.
7 5 Distribute the custard among the cups. I was able to fill six 5-ounce (5 fl. oz./148ml) ramekins. Cover individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 8 To make the syrup, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium and boil to reduce the water and thicken the liquid, turning it into a syrup. If you have a digital thermometer or candy thermometer, the ideal temperature to make a syrup would be about 230 F (110 C). Allow to cool, transfer to a small container, and refrigerate overnight.
9 6 There are many ways to garnish these custards. Some options can be toasted pecans, fresh fruit like berries, whipped cream. After garnishing, top with a good helping of the syrup. Serve cold. Conclusion These are easy custards to make because they do not require baking in a water bath. The gelatin sets up these custards with an excellent texture. The lemon and sour cream gives these desserts a mild tart flavor that works well with the lemon syrup that is added to finish the custards for serving.