Brighten up your winter and the end of your meal with these sweet treats.
Mini Lemon Charlottes
Makes 6 (3-inch) charlottes
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 (7-ounce) package Savoiardi ladyfingers (or any crisp ladyfingers)
- 1⅓ cups cold heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup Lemon Curd (recipe follows)
- Garnish: lemon slices, blueberry preserves, fresh mint sprigs
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely.
- Line 6 (3-inch) ramekins (½ inch tall) with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang. Make sure plastic wrap is tight in the corners of the ramekin, otherwise the charlotte will be difficult to assemble. Trim ladyfingers to be 2 inches tall; arrange upright, flat side in, around inside edges of prepared ramekins. Place trimmed ends of ladyfingers on bottom of ramekins.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush ladyfingers with cooled lemon syrup mixture.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until medium peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1 cup whipped cream. Add Lemon Curd into remaining whipped cream, and beat at low speed until just combined, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Refrigerate reserved whipped cream until ready to use. (See note.)
- Spoon ½ cup of lemon cream mixture into each ramekin. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Using the plastic wrap overhang, carefully remove charlottes from ramekins, and place each on a serving plate. Top evenly with reserved whipped cream as desired. Garnish with lemon slices, blueberry preserves, and mint sprigs, if desired. Best served same day.
Notes
Note: If chilling the charlottes overnight, reserve ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream to be whipped the next day. Whip remaining cream, and add Lemon Curd as directed. Whipped cream loses volume overnight and is best used same day.
Lemon Curd
Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cubed
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks and egg, and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in lemon juice, ¼ cup water, lemon zest, and salt until completely combined and no clumps remain.
- Reduce heat to medium-low heat, and bring lemon mixture to a gentle boil, whisking frequently. Boil, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and becomes slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Add butter, and mix until butter is completely incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap so the plastic is touching the surface of the curd. Refrigerate until chilled. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
