Cardamom Lemon Wedges
This is my Passover take on lemon bars. A chewy coconut cardamom macaroon base with silken lemon curd baked on top. Made in a cake pan and sliced into wedges instead of bars for more elegant holiday feels.
Category
Sweet
Servings/Yield
8-12
Author
Zoe Kanan
Ingredients
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
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¼ tsp green cardamom, ground
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¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut, fancy shredded
5 medium lemons (or 4 large)
1 ¼ cups sugar
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A 3-finger pinch of salt
1 tsp cornstarch
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
5 Tbsp butter
¼ cup coconut oil
Macaroon Base
Lemon Curd
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9” springform cake pan with a parchment paper circle and grease with butter.
Place the room temperature eggs, sugar, cardamom, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Beat on high speed for 5 minutes until lightened, doubled in volume, and holding a ribbon. Stir in the coconut.
Gently transfer the batter to the cake pan and smooth into an even layer.
Bake for 30 minutes, until evenly golden and springing back in the center. Set aside to cool.
Lower the oven to 325°F and begin the lemon curd: collect zest from two lemons and set aside.
Slice off the peel and most of the pith of the remaining lemons, including the 2 that are already zested. Cut into ½” wheels and remove all seeds.
Place the seeded lemon wheels along with the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a blender and process until smooth.
Add the 3 eggs and 2 yolks and process until homogenized then strain into a small saucepan.
Stir the curd over a medium flame with a heat-proof spatula, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan regularly to avoid scorching. The mixture should begin to thicken as it warms.
Let it come to a soft boil for 20 seconds then remove from heat. Whisk in the butter, coconut oil, and reserved lemon zest.
Pour the thickened curd into the macaroon base and place in the preheated oven on the middle rack.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until set but quite wobbly in the center. The curd should have formed a skin on top and the edges of the pan should be slightly bubbling.
Let the pan cool to room temperature then transfer to the refrigerator overnight to set completely.
To unmold & serve: Slide a small offset spatula or thin knife around the edge of the pan then carefully unclasp the springform edge. Slip the spatula or thin knife underneath the macaroon base between the parchment circle and begin to separate until it can be shimmied out from the pan.
Decorate the very edge of the lemon curd with shredded coconut and slice into neat wedges. Serve cool.
To store, loosely cover the top of the lemon wedges with plastic and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Note
Here's more information about Zoe Kanan here!
Variations & Ideas by Christian:
• Try other spices in the crust to explore different flavors. Bright ones like hibiscus or sumac lend a refreshing lift. Savory ones with a bit of heat like ground Sarawak pepper or chipotle chili are fun to try and play nicely with the coconut. Finely ground, a bit of Pierre Poivre N7 is lovely.
• Try making lime curd with Noga N17 for a fun change of pace. You'll need about 5-6 limes and the zest of two. You can further amplify the flavor with a makrut lime leaf or two, added whole while you are making the curd and strained out.
• You may still be able to find blood oranges. Look for ones with quite dark skins (the insides generally are as dark as the skins are). Make a curd using 4 and the zest of 1 1/2 and use either our Mishmish N33 blend or Cancale N11 (use Cancale in place of the salt) for a rich and lightly savory spin.
Questions? Contact helen@laboiteny.com
