Lemon curd biscuits

For ➋x➓ cookies 

125 g butter, cold 

225 g flour 

125 g sugar 

1 egg zest of 1 lemon 

100 g lemon curd 

salt 

powdered sugar 

Cut the butter into cubes. Mix with flour, sugar, egg, a pinch of salt and the zest of a lemon in the bowl of the food processor. Knead it into a firm dough. If the dough is still too dry, add 1 tbs of ice-cold water if necessary. Wrap the dough in cling film. Let it rest for at least 30 m in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 170 ° C. Remove the dough from the fridge and form balls the size of a 2 euro coin. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press a hole in the dough with your thumb or with a spoon. Divide 1 ts lemon curd over the hole. 

Bake the lemon curd cookies in the oven in about 15-20 m. 

Let them cool on a cooling grid. 

Sprinkle them with icing sugar when they have cooled down. 

Store the lemon curd cookies in an airtight container.

Tarte au citron (Brussels lemon tart)

For ➍
juice of 3 lemons or 10 cl
zest of lime or lemon
2 whole eggs
135 g sugar
165 g butter, cut in pieces
for the icing:
250 g cream (40%)
50 g sugar
2 vanilla pods
for the meringue:*
4 egg whites
150 g sugar
10 Breton shortbread cookies, crumbled

Beat the egg whites and sugar for the meringue. Place in a piping bag and make small balls (3 cm) on baking paper.
Bake the meringue for 75 minutes in an oven at 90 ° C.*
Wash the lemons and grate the rind. Squeeze the lemon juice then to obtain your 10 cl.
Heat it, stirring it together with the lemon zest, the 2 whole eggs and sugar until boiling. Take of the fire when it starts to boil and pour into a cold bowl (on ice).
Allow 15 m to cool, then mix in the butter pieces and put in cool place.
Whisk the cream, sugar and sago sticks to vanilla cream (not stiff) and secure in cool place.
Put a spoonful of whipped cream on top of 1 tbs crumbled shortbread cookies. Then spray the lemon cream on, end with a meringue. Decorate with with some zest of lime and lemon.

*Try microwave meringues.

Lime cheesecake @ microwave

For ➌-➍
3 tbs butter, melted
40 g (about 9) graham cracker crumbs
1 tbs sugar
250 g cream cheese, softened*
40 g sugar
zest of 1 lime**
2 tbs fresh lime juice**
1 egg

Combine the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and 1 tbs sugar. Divide between 2-4 25 cl jars or ramekins and press into the bottom.
Mix the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Divide evenly into jars or ramekins with crumbed bottoms.
Place in microwave for 2 m (@700 w). The top of the cheesecake should appear dry when cooked. If it doesn’t look quite done, microwave at 30s intervals until the tops appear dry.
Chill in refrigerator for 1 h. Garnish with whipped cream or fresh berries and serve.

*Use mascarpone instead
**Replace lime and lime juce with lemon or vanilla for a different taste.

Zuppa Inglese (Italian trifle)

For ➍-➏
200 g Savoiardi or ladyfingers biscuits
75 cl milk
50 g flour
100 g sugar
30 g bitter cocoa powder
4 egg yolks
10 cl of rum
10 cl Alkermes or other aromatic liqueur, for example Strega or Amaretto (or use a self-made quick coffee liquor)
whipped cream & maraschino cherries for decoration

Have ready a deep, smooth-sided mold, lined with aluminum foil or oiled paper.

Put all but 10 cl of the milk in a pot. Heat over a very gentle flame.

Beat the yolks in a deep bowl with 75 g sugar, then sift in the flour, beating steadily.

Put the remaining sugar in another pot,d mix the cocoa into it, stir 2 tbs of cold milk into the mixture. Heat it over a low flame, avoiding lumps.

Gently stir the remaining cold milk into the egg mixture. Stirring constantly, add the hot milk to the cream. When the cream is well mixed, gently pour it back into the pot. Return it to the slow burner. Heat, stirring, until it barely reaches a boil, and cook for 2 m, stirring gently. Remove the pot from the fire, pour half the cream into a bowl, and gently stir the chocolate into the remaining half to obtain both pastry cream and chocolate cream.

Mix the rum and liquor with 5 cl of water in a bowl, brush the Savoiardi lightly with the mixture, and use them to line the pudding mold.

Pour the pastry cream over the Savoiardi. Cover it with a layer of brushed Savoiardi, and finish with the chocolate cream, followed by a final layer of brushed Savoiardi. Cover the pudding with aluminum foil and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 12 h.

Remove the foil, cover the mold with a serving dish and upend it, so the pudding comes to rest upon the serving dish. Remove the aluminum or oiled paper of the mold.

Serve it either chilled, or partially frozen. Decorate with dollops of whipped cream, and maraschino cherries cut in half.

'Zuppa Inglese' (meaning: English soup) is a close variant of an English trifle, especially common in Tuscany, because the English tourists who lived in the region a century ago often asked for it. Recipes first appeared in the towns of the Emilia-Romagna region, in the late 19th century. Some date it back to the 16th century kitchens of the Ferrara Dukes of Este, who asked their cooks to recreate English trifle.

Speculoos mousse

For ➍
4 eggs
1 sheet of gelatin
50 g candy syrup
75 g brown sugar
100 g speculoos, crumbled
25 cl cream
25 cl milk
cinnamon stick

Dissolve the gelatin in cold water. Cook the milk with the cinnamon. Beat the egg yolks with syrup and sugar until foamy. Add to the milk. Lower heat and stir until consistent. Remove from heat and add gelatin. Let mixture cool a bit.

Beat cream and mix through milk mixture. Add half of the speculoos. Beat egg whites until stiff and gently spoon through mixture. Make a layer of speculoos crumbs* on the bottom of the small serving dishes**. Gently pour in the mixture. Put in the refrigerator for several hours.

Serve with a cup of excellent coffee or a small glass of coffee liquor.

*Or put a thin slice of peperkoek (gingerbread) on the bottom.
**Alternatively, use chocolate cups.

Speculoos or speculaas is a cookie, made with, among other spices, cinnamon and cloves,and candy syrup. It is produced in Belgium, as well as in the North of France and Holland. They come in several regional varieties, differing in thickness, hardness and spices. Peperkoek, or pain d'épices, is a Belgian kind of gingerbread, made with similar ingredients.

American avocado pie

For ➑
22 cm digestive biscuits crust
2 avocados, peeled, pitted & pureed
10 cl lemon juice
10 cl sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 175°C.

In a bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs and melted margarine. Place mixture in a 22 cm pie tin and press firmly into bottom and sides of pan.

Bake for 8 m.

Let it cool.

In a medium bowl, combine avocado, lemon juice, and condensed milk.

Blend well and pour into graham cracker crust.

Chill before serving.

Garnish with whipped unsweetened cream.

*Americans make it with (sweet) graham crackers. You could use petit beurre biscuits instead.

American biscuits pie crust

For ➑
16 digestive biscuits, crushed
55 g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 175°C.

In a bowl, mix together digestive biscuits crumbs and melted margarine. Place mixture in a 22 cm pie tin and press firmly into bottom and sides of pan.

Bake for 8 m.

Let it cool.

*This crust can be used for several pies. The filling is simply poured in the crust, and put in the refrigerator for several hours. Try American avocado pie.