Lemons are not just for making lemonade or adding a dash of sourness to your salads. They are also a great ingredient for baking, adding a zesty kick to your sweet treats.
1. Lemon Bars
Lemon bars are a classic dessert that everyone loves. They are easy to make and have a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. To make lemon bars, you’ll need a shortbread crust, a lemon filling made with lemon juice, sugar, and eggs, and powdered sugar for dusting. Bake them in the oven for around 20-25 minutes and let them cool before slicing and serving.
2. Lemon Pound Cake
Lemon pound cake is a moist and dense cake that is perfect for breakfast or dessert. It’s made with lemon zest and juice, flour, sugar, and butter. You can add a lemon glaze on top to enhance the lemon flavor even more.
3. Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon meringue pie is a classic dessert that is sure to impress your guests. It has a buttery crust, a tangy lemon filling, and a fluffy meringue topping. To make it, you’ll need to blind bake the crust, make the lemon filling with lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch, and top it with a meringue made with egg whites and sugar. Then bake it in the oven until the meringue is lightly browned.
4. Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Lemon poppy seed muffins are a delicious breakfast treat. They are light and fluffy with a subtle lemon flavor and crunchy poppy seeds. To make them, you’ll need flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, lemon zest and juice, milk, and poppy seeds. Bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes, and enjoy them warm or cold.
5. Lemon Curd Tart
Lemon curd tart is a creamy and tangy dessert that is perfect for a summer day. It has a buttery shortbread crust and a lemon curd filling made with lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. Bake it in the oven until it’s set and golden brown, and let it cool before serving.
6. Lemon Scones
Lemon scones are a perfect addition to your breakfast or brunch table. They are light and flaky with a zesty lemon flavor. To make them, you’ll need flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, milk, lemon zest and juice, and an egg. Bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes and serve them warm with jam or butter.
7. Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Lemon shortbread cookies are a simple and elegant dessert that you can make in no time. They are buttery and crumbly with a bright lemon flavor. To make them, you’ll need flour, sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla extract.
8. Lemon Bundt Cake
Lemon bundt cake is a beautiful and delicious cake that is perfect for any occasion. It’s made with lemon juice and zest, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Once baked, you can dust it with powdered sugar or top it with a lemon glaze.
9. Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Lemon cheesecake bars are a creamy and tangy dessert that everyone loves. They are made with a graham cracker crust, a lemon cheesecake filling, and a lemon curd topping. Bake them in the oven for around 30-35 minutes, let them cool, and slice them into bars.
10. Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Lemon crinkle cookies are a soft and chewy treat that will melt in your mouth. They are made with flour, sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice, baking powder, and eggs. Roll them in powdered sugar before baking, and watch them crinkle as they bake.
11. Lemon Chiffon Cake
Lemon chiffon cake is a light and fluffy cake that is perfect for a summer day. It’s made with lemon juice and zest, eggs, sugar, flour, and oil. Bake it in an angel food cake pan and let it cool upside down before serving.
12. Lemon Bread
Lemon bread is a sweet and tangy bread that is perfect for breakfast or dessert. It’s made with flour, sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice, baking powder, and eggs. Bake it in the oven for around 50-60 minutes, and let it cool before slicing and serving.
13. Lemon Madeleines
Lemon madeleines are a delicate and buttery French pastry that are perfect for tea time. They are made with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and lemon zest. Bake them in a madeleine mold for around 10-12 minutes, and let them cool before serving.
14. Lemon Cream Cheese Danish
Lemon cream cheese danish is a flaky and creamy pastry that is perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. It’s made with puff pastry, a lemon cream cheese filling, and a lemon glaze on top. Bake it in the oven until it’s golden brown and puffy.
15. Lemon Angel Food Cake
Lemon angel food cake is a light and fluffy cake that is perfect for any occasion. It’s made with egg whites, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest, and cream of tartar. Bake it in an angel food cake pan, and let it cool upside down before serving.
FAQs
While bottled lemon juice can be used for baking, fresh lemon juice is always the better choice for flavor and acidity.
Roll the lemon on a hard surface before cutting it in half and squeezing it. This will help release more juice.
Yes, you can freeze baked goods with lemon in them. However, the lemon flavor may not be as strong after being frozen.
While they both provide a lemon flavor, lemon zest and lemon extract have different strengths and flavors. Use them interchangeably depending on the recipe, but be aware of the differences in flavor and adjust accordingly.
While lemon juice can be used as a substitute for vinegar in some recipes, it’s not always recommended. Vinegar has a milder flavor than lemon juice and can be a better option for some baked goods.
Conclusion
In conclusion, lemons are a versatile and delicious ingredient that can elevate any baked good. From lemon bars to lemon angel food cake, there are so many options to choose from. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new recipes. You might just discover your new favorite dessert.
