I am cursed with Easter dessert

[robie]

Well, my ideas started with a rhubarb/strawberry crisp but, apparently it is too early to get rhubarb.  I am just going with apple crisp.

 

However, I wanted to make something more springlike in addition.  I found a Martha Stewart recipe for a Meyer lemon tart.  Basically you prebake sugared puff pastry and top with candied Meyer lemon slices.

 

Yesterday, I candied the lemon.  It was 2c water + 1 c sugar, throw in the lemon slices, and cook for 90 minutes.  The lemons are pretty bitter.  There was no blanching step.

 

I'm thinking about remedying this by using less lemon (you're supposed to completely cover/overlap the top) and using some canned mandarin orange segments.

 

Does anyone think this will work?  Any other solutions?  BTW, the lemon is very soft now, I do not think they will tolerate a blanch or more cooking.

[cyalexa]

I can't help with the tart questions but how about an angel food cake if you have to start over.

 

[Smithy]

I can't help with the tart questions either, but I may not understand your description correctly.  Are the candied Meyer slices just a topping, or is the entire filling supposed to be those candied slices?  I also can't imagine why they'd have gone bitter, unless some enzyme did that during the slow cook.  (That can happen with navel orange juice, but I hadn't read about it with Meyers.)

 

At any rate - if you have enough Meyers and time left to start over, here's a Meyer lemon tart recipe I can recommend:  Meyer Lemon Tart, originally published in the Cooking Club of America's magazine, Cooking Pleasures.  Meyer lemon custard goes into a tart shell, and IMO it's the essence of Meyer goodness. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Smithy
Punctuation (log)

[Smithy]

@robie, do please let us know what you did and how it came out.  in addition, I've been curious about that recipe.  Do you have a link?  

[robie]

So, in the end, I improvised and it was a partial fail.

 

I retasted the lemon slices and it was a no go.

 

So, I cooked off the puff pastry sheet per the MS recipe (egg wash and sugar).  I made a pastry cream to allow strawberries to adhere.  I "frosted" the puff pastry sheet with pastry cream and halved strawberries and glazed with red currant jelly.  It looked very good.  However, as expected, the puff pastry sogged out.  The epicurious pastry cream recipe is a good one through  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pastry-cream-351010  Be aware that it makes a very stiff cream.  I was hoping that would help with the sog factor but it did not.

 

Also, here is the MS recipe to be avoided.  http://www.marthastewart.com/344324/meyer-lemon-pastry

 

Edited March 28, 2016 by robie (log)