Meyer Lemon Curd Recipe

Lemon curd (crème au citron in French) is thickened custard made from lemon juice and zest, sugar, butter and egg yolks. I used the fruits from our Meyer lemon tree in the garden and added ginger to conceal the egg yolk flavor. 

It's one of my favorite spreads for tea time and breakfast. I also use lemon curd as a filling in crêpes and croissant but you could use it in Meyer lemon bars, cheesecake or a lemon meringue pie. Lemon curd is easy to make, incredibly versatile and delicious. It's also a great way to introduce kids to cooking. I've made it several times with the girls, and they always have a lot of fun. If you're looking to get your kids involved in the kitchen, this lemon curd recipe is a great place to start.

Matcha Green Tea Latte

I prepared my matcha green tea latte with the same procedure one would use for making white hot chocolate. The drink is made with a blend of lightly sweetened matcha green tea, white chocolate, steamed milk and heavy cream. You wouldn't want to drink this every day, but that's what holiday treats are all about!

This recipe can be modified to feature many different seasonal flavors. Peppermint, cinnamon and other spices come to mind. You don't have to go to the local coffee shop to enjoy holiday specials anymore; be your own barista and save the change for stocking stuffers.

Matcha Green Tea Creme Brulee

This dessert combines two of my favorite things, crème brulée and green tea. I love the natural jade color of matcha green tea powder, along with its distinctive flavor. It's an ingredient I use a lot in desserts. Whether it's in cookies, madeleines, pound cakes, crème pâtissière or chocolate truffles, the result is always a success.

My personal favorite application for green tea powder though is crème brulée. One could probably add spinach to crème brulée and it would still taste great, but there's something special about the flavor of green tea that cuts the decadence of the dessert while enhancing its elegance.

Fresh Coconut Pudding

Recently, the local Asian market began carrying loads of fresh coconuts. They are really popular in my house. We usually just eat them plain, but today I felt like making a sweet dish with the coconuts.

I mixed a thickened crème anglaise made of heavy cream with the coconut water. I used heavy cream instead of milk because I wanted the final product to remain creamy even though I substituted in coconut water for some of the dairy. The result was a creamy and decadent pudding. I garnished the dessert with some toasted, sweetened, shredded coconut, and it was ready to serve. If you can find some young coconuts in your local market, give it a try!

Homemade Creme Fraiche Recipe