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Categories:Viewed: 80 - Published at: 8 years ago
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)
- 1/2 lemon, zest freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1 package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- Additional equipment: Flower-shaped or round cookie cutter, preferably fluted, 2 to 2 1/2 inches across, round cookie cutter, 1 inch across, cookie sheet
Method
- Bring about 2-inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan.
- In the bowl of a mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the eggs and sugar together until very light yellow and fluffy.
- Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Rest the mixing bowl in the saucepan, with the bowl's base resting above, not in, the simmering water (pour out some water if necessary).
- Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and custard-like, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, half-fill a large bowl with ice and cover with cold water.
- Remove the bowl with the custard in it from the hot water and whisk in the butter until melted.
- Rest the bottom of the bowl in the ice bath and let cool, folding the mixture occasionally to cool and thicken it.
- In a mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the cream until stiff.
- Fold into the cooled lemon custard.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- (The recipe can be made up to this point and kept refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.)
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Flour a work surface and lay out the puff pastry.
- Roll the sheets lightly with a rolling pin until smooth and flattened.
- Use your large cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the puff pastry.
- Hollow out the centers by pushing halfway down with your small cookie cutter.
- Do not pull out the centers yet; you'll do that after they are baked.
- Arrange on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, rotate the pan to ensure even cooking.
- When baked, immediately remove to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
- Cut around the centers with a paring knife to loosen, but don't cut all the way through to the bottom.
- You want to leave a thin layer of pastry to hold the filling.
- Pull out the centers to make a hollow in the center of each pastry round.
- Not more than 4 hours before serving, spoon or pipe a generous dollop of custard into each pastry round.
- Sprinkle the custard with chopped pistachios.
- Serve within 4 hours.
