After hard year, lemons deserve special treatment

Piled high in a big bowl on the kitchen counter, flamboyantly yellow lemons are usually eye-catching, accidental still-life artworks this time of year. Their pure, primary colors and shapes warm the room.

But this season, after the citrusfreezing weather, lemons have become little luxuries. Maybe we should display them in velvet-lined cases.

It’s a new way of thinking about an everyday ingredient. And the lemon stands up to the scrutiny. Every bit of the fruit is precious to the cook — the peel (rich in aromatic oil), the tart flesh — nothing need be discarded. So showcase your lemons in these three desserts that make the most of the fruit’s panoply of flavors and textures.

Lemon Upside-Down Cake, with a deliriously marmaladelike topping, was inspired by an orange-and-cardamom upside-down cake recipe from David Lebovitz, a longtime pastry chef at Chez Panisse. (Lemon recipes are on Food 6).

A Shaker Lemon Pie, adapted from a recipe by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson (authors of “Tartine”), is an unusual two-crust creation with the elegant combination of simplicity and beauty (or in this case, deliciousness) that informs the Shaker ethos. Both use lemon slices, rind and all, and can be made with regular or Meyer lemons (those mellow, thin-skinned beauties, available at Whole Foods and Wild Oats).

Meyer Lemon Muffins use chopped lemons in the batter; each muffin is topped with a lemon slice that becomes almost candied while the muffins bake.

Each recipe calls for a slightly different approach to using whole lemons.

For the Shaker pie, cut the lemons into paper-thin slices at least three hours before you plan to bake (or the night before), toss with sugar and let set. This tenderizes the peel. This step is not necessary if you’re using Meyers. The result will be a tangy filling with beautifully textured bits of fruits suspended in lemon curd.

Sliced lemons and grated peel account for the zesty flavor of the Lemon Upside-Down Cake, which pairs a classic vanilla cake with a not-too-sweet topping for a satisfyingly adult dessert. Select small lemons for this cake; they’re the ideal size. Arrange about 30 slices, overlapping, in a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar in a 10-inch skillet. Top the fruit mixture with cake batter and bake.

When the cake is done baking, it’s inverted onto a serving plate and the top magically displays a lovely arrangement of caramelized lemon slices.

Our recipe for Meyer Lemon Muffins calls for Ceylon cinnamon, which is worth looking for (regular cinnamon can be substituted).

Ceylon cinnamon, or “true” cinnamon, is made from a different tree than the commonly used cassia cinnamon and has a delicate flavor with citrus overtones that will underline the floral flavor of the Meyer lemons.

Use a blender or food processor to chop the Meyer lemons to be incorporated into the batter, but pulse briefly and do not allow the fruit to turn into puree. You want to see bits of peel in the muffins when you bite into them.

Each muffin is topped with a lemon slice and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar — a jaunty advertisement of the citrusy pleasures within.

LEMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Yield: 8 servings

4 small lemons (about 4 ounces each), divided

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, divided

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 vanilla bean, split

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Cook’s note:

May be served with a lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Procedure:

1. Cut 3 lemons into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Remove seeds and set aside. You should have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel from remaining lemon. Set aside grated peel; save lemon for another use.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in 10-inch cast-iron skillet or ovenproof 10-inch saute pan. Brush sides of skillet with a little melted butter. Add brown sugar, stir until moistened with butter and spread into an even layer. Arrange lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover bottom of skillet. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in bowl; set aside.

4. Cut remaining 6 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean onto butter using the point of a knife. Using electric mixer, beat butter, scraping down sides of bowl, until creamy. Add sugar and lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

5. Add 1/2 the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

6. Spread batter over lemons in skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until cake is golden and center tests done. Let cake stand 5 minutes, then invert skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.

Nutrition data per serving:

Calories 498; fat 28 g (sat 17 g); protein 5 g; carbohydrates 62 g; fiber 3 g; cholesterol 122 mg; sodium 274 mg.

Source: Los Angeles Times test kitchen director Donna Deane

MEYER LEMON MUFFINS

Yield: 18 muffins

2 cups flour

1 cup plus

2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 Meyer lemons, divided

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon

Cook’s note:

Ceylon cinnamon (also called “true” cinnamon) has citrus overtones and a delicate, complex flavor. It’s available in specialty stores including Penzey’s Spices, www.penzeys.com. Substitute 1/8 teaspoon ground cassia cinnamon.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter muffin pans well.

2. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Set aside. Cut 2 lemons into 1-inch pieces. Pulse in blender until finely chopped. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, butter and chopped lemon. Stir.

3. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients and pour in lemon mixture. Stir until just moistened.

4. Spoon batter into well-buttered cups of muffin pans, filling each half-full. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon over each muffin.

5. Cut remaining lemon into 9 paper-thin slices; halve each slice. Top each muffin with a half-slice of lemon.

6. Bake about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Run small spatula or knife around each muffin to loosen, remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutrition data per muffin:

Calories 160; fat 6 g (sat 4 g); carbohydrates 24 g; protein 3 g; fiber 1 g; cholesterol 38 mg; sodium 214 mg.

Source: Los Angeles Times test kitchen director Donna Deane

SHAKER LEMON PIE

Yield: 8-10 servings

PIE SHELL:

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 cup plus 5 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt dissolved in 2/3 cup very cold water, kept cold

FILLING:

2 medium or Meyer lemons

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Sanding sugar

Cook’s note: Serve with lightly whipped unsweetened cream, if desired. Sanding sugar is coarse sugar for decorating baked goods. A few hours or the night before, prepare and set aside lemons to tenderize (unless using Meyer lemons, whose skins do not need tenderizing), then prepare dough and refrigerate to chill.

Procedure:

1. Food processor method:

Put flour in work bowl. Scatter butter pieces over flour. Pulse briefly until mixture forms large crumbs and some butter is the size of peas. Add water-salt mixture and pulse several seconds, until dough begins to come together in a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still see some butter chunks.

By-hand method: Scatter butter pieces over flour in mixing bowl. With pastry blender, cut butter into flour until mixture forms large crumbs and some butter is the size of peas. Drizzle in water-salt mixture and toss with fork until dough begins to resemble a shaggy mass. Gently mix until dough forms a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still see butter chunks.

2. On lightly floured surface, divide dough equally and shape into two 1-inch-thick disks. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or overnight. Prepare lemons.

3. Cut regular lemons into paper-thin slices, discarding stem end and seeds. Toss slices with sugar in nonreactive (stainless steel or glass) bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature 3 hours or overnight. (If using Meyer lemons, proceed to the next step immediately.)

4. On lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to 1/8-inch thick, rolling from center toward edge in all directions. Lift and rotate dough a quarter-turn every few strokes to discourage sticking, and work quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm. Lightly dust work surface with extra flour as needed.

5. Roll dough 1/2-inch larger than pan. Carefully transfer dough to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom (folding it in half or into quarters to simplify the transfer if necessary), easing it into bottom and sides, then pressing gently into place; leave 1-inch overhang. Roll out remaining disk for top crust. Cover and refrigerate.

6. In small bowl, whisk eggs with salt. Add to lemon mixture; mix thoroughly. Pour into the pastry-lined pan. Mixture will be liquid; distribute lemon pieces by hand.

7. In small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Brush rim of pastry and lay second pastry round over filling. Trim pastry by pressing down on pan edge and cutting around edge; discard scraps.

8. Brush top crust with egg wash and sprinkle sanding sugar evenly over top. Chill about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a few slits in crust and place tart on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

9. Bake until pie is golden brown on top and filling is bubbling (visible through the vents), about 60 minutes. 10. Let pie cool completely to allow filling to set properly before removing it from tart pan and slicing. Serve at room temperature or slightly warmed.

Nutrition data, per serving: Calories 512; fat 27 g (sat 16 g); carbohydrates 61 g; protein 7 g; fiber 1 g; cholesterol 170 mg; sodium 325 mg.

Source: Adapted from “Tartine” by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson