There will be three classes in the series, each one on a different topic. Every class is hands-on, and students will take home jars of food they make and preserve themselves. The cost is $15 per class, and goes entirely to cover produce and canning supplies. Space is very limited. There are only twelve students in each class, so register early if you’re interested. You can take one, two, or all three of the classes. There is no requirement to take the entire series.

Below is a list of class descriptions, including date, time, and a link to registration. All classes will be held at the Ivy Tech Culinary Center, 2820 N. Meridian, Indianapolis.

Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions. My direct contact information is at the end of this post. Thank you to Slow Food Indy and Ivy Tech Community College for making this possible!

Slow Food Indy Canning Class #1: Jams & Jellies

June 2, 2013, from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

In this class you’ll learn the principles of making fruit jams and jellies, and can them utilizing the boiling-water bath method. This is the simplest and most common form of canning. Once you learn how to do it safely in your own home, you’ll be able to tackle an endless list of fun and delicious food preservation projects.

(Click HERE to register for Class #1.)

Slow Food Indy Canning Class #2: Pickling & Fermenting

August 4, 2013, from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

In this class you’ll learn the principles of pickling, including quick pickling and fermentation methods, and discuss different ways to play with favor profiles for your pickles. We’ll preserve the quick pickles utilizing the boiling-water bath canning method.

(Click HERE to register for Class #2.)

Slow Food Indy Canning Class #3: Pressure Canning

October 6, 2013, from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Are you a canner that’s ready to move beyond jams and jellies, but fearful of the pressure canner? This class is for you.

We’ll learn the basics of pressure canning, including:

• How to choose and care for a pressure canner
• What foods are appropriate for pressure canning (low-acid foods including meat, dairy, stocks, seafood, poultry, vegetables, and some fruits)

Please note: Although there’s no requirement to attend the first two canning classes to register for pressure canning, some experience with the boiling-water bath method would be beneficial for this class.

(Click HERE to register for Class #3.)

I hope to see you at one (or all three!) of the classes. If you have any questions, give me a shout and I’ll be happy to help.

Happy Canning!

The interesting thing is that, in my (purely anecdotal) experience, people who don’t like to bake usually feel that way for one of two reasons: they’ve tried in the past and had disappointing results. Or they haven’t tried at all, because they’re too intimidated by the process.

Sound familiar?

Well, it’s a new day, friends. YOU CAN DO THIS.

It turns out there’s a list of things you can do to make baking easier. And it’s not even a long list. I didn’t even know it existed until a few years ago. But once I started following some simple guidelines, baking was doable. It was more than doable. It was fun. Not to mention delicious.

So, without further ado, I give you the top-secret, tell-anyone-and-I’ll-have-to-kill-you list. And, by that I mean, tell everyone you know. Because ain’t no muffin like a homemade muffin.

(Pssst… want to see us discuss this whole topic on Indy Style? Click right here for the video clips of the eight tips, plus a recipe for Good Any Time Blueberry Muffins.)

Now… the list!

1. Know Your Flour

This is big. It’s the difference between your baked good being everything you imagined, or a major bummer. The key thing to know is there are many different kinds of flour in the baking aisle at the store: all-purpose, cake, bread, etc. And each one has a different protein content. More protein leads to more gluten formation in your baked good, which results in a sturdier, chewier end product. If you’re going for a light and airy cupcake, you don’t want to make the mistake of using a high-protein bread flour. Alternatively, if you’re going for a thick and chewy homemade loaf of bread, you’ll be sorely disappointed if you use low-protein cake flour.

Most recipes will specify which flour will produce the best results. If the recipe doesn’t specify, then your safest choice is all-purpose flour. (Although, to be honest, if the recipe doesn’t go to the trouble of specifying what kind of flour flour to use, I would be wary of spending the time and money on that recipe.)

Here are some common flours, and the protein content, courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen:

• Bread flour (approximately 12 %)
• All-Purpose (10.5 – 11.7 %, depending on brand)
• Cake flour (6 – 8%, depending on brand)

2. Weigh Your Ingredients

Tattoo this one on your forehead, if you must. It will change the way you look at baking.

You’ll get much more reliable and consistent results if you use a scale instead of a measuring cup for your dry ingredients. Even the slightest variations in the quantity of ingredients can have a major impact on your finished product. Your ‘2 cups of flour’ could weigh several grams more than my ‘2 cups of flour,’ depending on the scooping method used for measuring the flour.

This is why the best and most trusted books and websites include the weight of each ingredient alongside the volume. For example:  4 1/2 cups (600 g) flour. And I can almost guarantee you that the source only includes the volume in case you don’t have a scale at home. But they know it’s in your best interest to measure by weight instead of volume.

My recommendation is to get a digital scale, which can be purchased fairly inexpensively online or at local retailers. And once you buy it, you’ll start using it for many other kitchen projects. Frankly, I don’t know how I lived without mine.

If you decide against using a digital scale for budgetary or other reasons, then I suggest spooning your dry ingredients into a measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. That way you’re not compacting extra flour into your measuring cup by using it to dig directly into your flour bag.

Side note: I typically don’t go to the trouble of weighing those ingredients that are very small in quantity. (i.e. ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, etc.). But I always weigh the flour and sugar. ALWAYS.

3. Prepare Mise en Place 

Mise en place is French for ‘put in place.’ It essentially means gathering all of your ingredients and tools in one place before you begin your project. This step alone will make baking easier. You won’t feel like you’re constantly opening cabinets and searching for what you need, and the whole process will feel streamlined. One side benefit is that it also forces you to read through your recipe once before you begin. That can save you a lot of trouble later. (“Shoot! I forgot I need cream of tartar. But it’s too late to go get it now!”)

Once I started doing mise en place for baking, I was hooked. Now I do it for just about every kitchen project, baking or not. It just makes meal preparation (ergo, life) easier. Really.

4. Use Ingredients at the Proper Temperature 

If your recipe calls for softened butter, make sure it’s softened. If the water is supposed to be ice cold, keep a glass of ice water nearby and use that for the recipe.

Though it doesn’t always make sense, those tips are there for a reason. (Each one a bit different, and recipe dependent.) So, if your recipe calls for firm, cold butter and you use softened, room-temperature butter instead, expect a biscuit that’s not as flaky as you hoped. If you use eggs that are too cold in your muffin or cake recipe, the batter may not emulsify properly. And the list goes on…

A good rule of thumb: eggs will come to room temperature on the counter in about 20 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water and they’ll be ready in about 5 minutes. A stick of butter may take as long as 60 minutes to reach room temperature, but will soften in less time (20 minutes) if you cut the stick into smaller pieces. Consider your butter softened if it gives when you touch it with your finger. (If you’re like me and get a cheap thrill out of verifying this, butter is perfectly in the room temperature zone if it reads between 65 and 70 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

5. Use Parchment Paper or Silpat on Your Baking Sheets

Follow this simple advice and you win on two fronts: cleanup is easier, and you minimize the chances that your cookies will burn on the bottom. What’s not to love?

There are pros and cons to each. Silpat sheets aren’t cheap, but they’re reusable and will last for a long time. Parchment is inexpensive, but has to be thrown away. (Though I usually manage to get multiple batches of cookies out of one sheet of parchment, and then throw it in the recycle bin with my newspapers when I’m finished.)

6. Pay Careful Attention to Mixing Directions 

Many disappointing baking projects can be traced directly to improper mixing. The dough or batter was either under-mixed or over-mixed, and heartbreak ensues (in the form of a tough muffin or sunken cake). Each recipe is different, so read your instructions carefully. If your cake batter calls for the eggs to be mixed in one at a time, don’t add the second egg until the first one is almost completely incorporated into the batter (i.e. if you still see a lot of yolk in the bowl, it’s too soon!) If your muffin recipe instructs you to mix only until all ingredients are combined, don’t keep stirring once everything’s incorporated. In fact, it’s better to see traces of flour in your muffin batter than to over-mix it. The remaining flour will incorporate in the oven. But an over-mixed muffin batter will give you blueberry softballs, and that’s just sad.

7. Confirm Your Oven Temperature with an Oven Thermometer 

If you follow time and temperature instructions in your recipes and consistently get baked goods that are overdone or burned on the bottom, chances are your oven temperature is off. It could be a little, or may be a lot. This is very common. Luckily, there’s an easy solution that doesn’t include buying a new oven. Get yourself an inexpensive oven thermometer, and do a test. Put the thermometer inside your oven, preheat it to your desired temperature, and once the oven indicates the temperature has been reached, cross-reference it with the thermometer inside. If you preheated your oven to 375 degrees and the thermometer inside reads 400 degrees, you know your oven runs 25 degrees hot. Make that adjustment on your next batch of cookies. (i.e. if the recipe calls for cookies to be baked at 375 degrees, set your oven for 350 degrees instead.) Once you know this about your oven and make the necessary adjustments when you cook or bake, all of your recipes will be better.

8. Check Your Oven Early 

Don’t blindly follow the bake time instructions in your recipe. Keep an eye on things. Different ovens and environmental factors in your own kitchen can impact the timing. For example, if I make a recipe that calls for a bake time of 18 minutes, I’ll probably set my timer for 12 minutes, just to be on the safe side. That doesn’t mean you should keep opening your oven door. Use your oven light and look through the window, especially early in the process. (mo door opening, mo problems.) Look for the visual clues outlined in your recipe (cookies darkening around the edges; muffins rising in the center and bouncing back at the touch, etc.) It’s always better to check on things too early, instead of too late.

8 (1/2) Follow Cooling Instructions 

Forgive me. There’s one more, so I’m sneaking it in here at the end. If your recipe calls for the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet, allow them to do so. Often, cookies will “finish” baking on the cookie sheet with the residual heat, and that’s the point. However, if your muffin recipe instructs you to cool briefly in the pan before removing and placing on a cooling rack, do so. Leaving them in the pan too long in this instance could overbake your muffins.

———————–

So, if all of this inspires you to begin or resume a love affair with baking, there are many great online destinations for advice and recipes. One of my favorite resources is David Lebovitz, an American pastry chef, cookbook author, and blogger who lives in Paris. He provides helpful and entertaining information on Facebook and Twitter, and his blog is updated frequently.  I’m also a big fan of America’s Test Kitchen.  In addition to all of the tips they share on Facebook and Twitter, there is a free weekly radio podcast (which often addresses baking questions), and the thorough (and thoroughly engaging) book, Baking Illustrated.

And if you want to try a simple and delicious recipe right this very instant, try these Good Any Time Blueberry Muffins. I could eat these morning, noon, and night. Give them a whirl. You’ll be glad you did.

These are great as part of a Sunday brunch buffet, packed with other portable treats inside your favorite picnic basket, or tucked inside your child’s lunchbox. They’re good… ahem…. ANY TIME.

This recipe includes a streusel topping that is an extra step, but quick, and well worth it. It adds a lot texturally, and also makes a big impact visually. If you don’t have the time or aren’t inclined to make it, the muffins will still be great. Just know that the streusel recipe is waiting for you right here whenever you’re ready. It will keep in the freezer for months, and is a great addition to any muffin you like to make at home. (My son Ben, that handsome fella in the picture, loves the streusel on sour cream muffins. I’ll try and post those soon.)

This makes a large batch, but I like to make them and freeze some for later. If you don’t have the need or freezer space for so many, just halve the recipe.

If you want to see a video clip with this recipe and more tips on baking at home, click here to watch me make them on Indy Style.

Happy Baking!

————————————

Good Any Time Blueberry Muffins

With Optional Streusel Topping

Yield: 26-28 muffins

Ingredients

For Muffins:

• 4 1/2 cups (600 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups (540 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. (15 g) salt
• 4 tsp. (16 g) baking powder
• 3 eggs (150 g)
•  1 1/4 cup (10 fl. oz.) buttermilk
• 1 cup (8 oz.) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 lb. frozen blueberries (keep in freezer until just before ready to add to batter)
• 4 Tbsp. grated lemon zest

For Streusel Topping:

Instructions

Streusel Topping:

1. Dice butter into 1/4 – 1/2-inch cubes. Refrigerate, or place briefly in freezer.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients (using a fork or your fingers) until mixture is the texture of course meal. (You can also combine the dry ingredients with the butter in a food processor and pulse until you reach the desired texture.)

4. Set aside until muffin batter is ready.

5. Streusel topping can be refrigerated for several weeks, or frozen for several months to use in later batches.

Muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a muffin pan, or line with paper muffin cups.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, & baking powder. (If you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk to combine and aerate the dry ingredients.)

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add the rest of the wet ingredients (buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla), and whisk to combine.

4.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of the flour mixture to the frozen blueberries, and stir gently with a wooden spoon. (This will minimize some of the ‘bleeding’ of the berries when you add them to the batter.)

5. Stir the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX. The batter will be slightly lumpy. It’s better to see traces of flour in the batter, than to overmix. The small amount of flour you see will incorporate into the muffins during the baking process in the oven.

6.  Portion batter into muffin tin with 1/4 cup ice cream scoop or measuring cup.

7.  Sprinkle the top of each muffin with approximately 1/2 tablespoon of streusel topping (if using).

8.  Bake at 400 degrees F until the center of the muffin springs back when lightly pressed, approximately 18 – 22 minutes.

9. Cool in muffin pan briefly (approx. 5 minutes). Remove and place on rack until cooled completely. Store in airtight container.

You see, she was misled. She was told that she would be as good if she were made in a pressure cooker, as if she were baked in the oven. She even read that she could be better!

LIES, DAMNED LIES!!

Don’t get me wrong. You can produce something with a nice flavor in this manner. It might even remind you of cheesecake. BUT IT IS NOT CHEESECAKE. At least not the kind that has the keys to my heart: a rich and creamy concoction, resting gently atop a mildly crispy crust that is an equal partner in this flavor duet. I’ve come to believe this is simply not possible in the pressure cooker. And I tried. Oh, how I tried.

This isn’t easy to admit, because I love the pressure cooker. I mean, I love it so much that I did two television segments about it on Indy Style last week. I think the pressure cooker is poised for a comeback of epic proportions, and could really transform mealtime for busy families. In fact, if you only buy one thing for your kitchen this year, make it a pressure cooker.

The beef stew? I die.

The risotto? Heaven on a plate.

The pot roast? Melt in your mouth.

The cheesecake? Not so much.

If you aren’t familiar with pressure cookers, here’s the scoop in a nutshell:

My pressure cooker: a stovetop Fagor Duo (8-quart).

There are two kinds: electric versions, which look similar to a rice cooker or crock pot, and can function as all three (rice cooker, slow cooker, pressure cooker). The others are stovetop pressure cookers,  which look very similar to a regular pot or pan. The lid has a rubber gasket on the inside, enabling you to cook your food in a semi-sealed vessel. When the food comes to a boil, the steam is trapped inside, creating pressure of up to 15 pounds per square inch (PSI). The pressure raises the temperature higher than is possible in a regular pot (250 degrees in a pressure cooker, versus 212 degrees in a standard pot with lid), and that has a domino effect:

• Food cooks up to 70% faster
• Flavors meld faster and are more intense, since the sealed vessel keeps everything inside the pot, instead of allowing it to escape in the steam
• Water-soluble vitamins, which can also be lost in evaporation, are kept inside the pressure cooker (and, consequently, in your food)
• Shorter cooking times mean less energy consumed
• Less energy consumed means more dollars saved on your utility bill

If you do any research about pressure cookers, you’ll inevitably run across the statement ‘And you can even make cheesecake!’ I was so excited about the possibility that I shouted from the (virtual) rooftop, before I even had a chance to taste the results. When I finally did taste it and was disappointed, I figured I must have done something wrong. So I tried it again. And again. And tweaked it. And then did more research. And tried another recipe. And another. And another. I’ve made and tasted so many cheesecakes in the last ten days that I will surely need to spend the next month in my big-girl-pants, while I increase the cardio and binge on celery sticks, just to undo some of the damage.

Most of the cheesecakes were OK. Perfectly fine, even. But none were great. And it all came down to the crust. No crispiness… all sogginess. Which, in hindsight, seems the only logical outcome in a hot, steamy environment. The version I liked the most was this lemon one from Lorna Sass, but even then, I would recommend putting the crust only on the bottom of the pan, and not up the sides. If it’s contained on the bottom, you aren’t hit with the visual cue that it’s not a traditional cheesecake crust. That mental trick does help a little.

I tried to think of any way to get a crispier crust. I wondered if finishing the cheesecake in a convection oven, even very briefly on high heat, might help. But I’m not food-science smart enough to know if that would work (paging Alton Brown!). And even if it did, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of simplifying things in a pressure cooker?

Early on in my experimentation process it dawned on me that I was trying to achieve a very difficult (if not impossible) task. I knew that America’s Test Kitchen was coming out with a new book on pressure cooking soon. Although I have not seen an advance copy, I did see a list of recipes that will be included, and cheesecake isn’t on it. That was my first clue. Christopher Kimball, the famously discerning man at the helm of the America’s Test Kitchen empire, knows how to pick ‘em. And if there was a way to achieve a satisfying pressure cooker version of a traditional cheesecake (crispy crust and all), his team of food wizards would have figured it out and included it in the book. I’m certain of it.

I know there are people who disagree. (Let ‘er rip!) And I would love to hear if those people have any words of wisdom on achieving a crispier crust in the pressure cooker. Because I concede that you can achieve a creamy cheesecake filling this way. But for me, it’s about the whole package. And for this particular task, the oven beats the pressure cooker. Handily.

In the meantime, I’ll focus on the positive. Since I didn’t end up with a worthy piece of cheesecake, I don’t have to fret over getting a perfect picture of it to post on this blog. (That will be a rant for another day… You know, how everyone with a website that has anything to do with food is also expected to have Annie-Liebovitz-skillz behind a camera. Sheesh! Can someone explain to me how this happened?)

This is what broken pressure cooker cheesecake dreams look like.

Anyway– no need to dress these babies up. Do you think the photo to the left will end up on foodgawker? Unlikely.

In my own defense, I did make cheesecakes (full size and in jars) that were prettier than this. But the taste wasn’t up to snuff, so I didn’t take any pictures. I figured I’d pull out the camera when I landed on the right recipe. That never happened, so I finally documented my last hurrah, which ended up being the absolute worst of the bunch. (But take a minute to poke around the site for recipes that didn’t go horribly wrong.)

So, thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy Dear John letter to pressure cooker cheesecake. Now that it’s behind me (literally and figuratively), it’s time to move on. To a spin class or something.

Then I can make some pressure cooker risotto.

Except when it’s not.

Because it can be unpredictable. And if you like your kitchen adventures tidy, with bluebirds singing softly in the background, then you’re likely to be disappointed.

But do you know what I think? I think most kitchen disappointments are born out of unrealistic expectations. Perfection is impossible in the kitchen. (Unless you’re Martha Stewart, with a staff of hundreds and resources like this.)

But cooking in real life isn’t always so camera-ready. Throw in a couple of kids, and anything can happen. So don’t fight the crazy. Go with it.

Having said that, there are things you can do to maximize the chances that everyone has fun in the kitchen.

• Make a thoughtful choice about the recipe. Pick one on the simple side, without a multitude of complicated steps. If you look down to the ‘instructions’ part of the recipe, and the number crawls into the 10-15 range, consider an alternative. You don’t want the troops to run out of steam before the end of the project.
• Go for a recipe that doesn’t have a lengthy list of ingredients. Less to gather, less to clean up, less to worry about.
• Pick a recipe with safety in mind. If you’re working with young kids, now is not the time to try Grandma’s famous candy recipe, especially if it includes candy thermometers, boiling sugar, and other potentially hazardous steps. As the kids get older and have more experience, you’ll have a better feel for what their skills are, and where they’re most comfortable in the kitchen. For now, reduce the risk by staying away from lots of heat on the stovetop.
• Do yourself a favor and choose a recipe that doesn’t have to look a certain way to be considered a success. Example: you know those Star Wars cookie cutters on the market? They’re great. UNLESS YOU DON’T HAVE PICASSO LIVING IN YOUR BASEMENT. Because you need to have one steady, artistic hand to ice a cookie that looks exactly like the Millenium Falcon on the box. If your child will be happy just holding the shape of a Star Wars ship in his  hand, high-five to you and go for it. But if anything less than a perfectly iced replica risks ending in a tantrum or tears, skip it. It’s not worth it.
• Get everything in one place before you start your project. Putting it all on one large baking sheet is a good way to keep it contained, and within reach. If your kids are old enough, they can help you collect ingredients. If they aren’t, they can still observe as you gather everything. Knowing their way around the kitchen will be good for everyone, especially as the kids get older and start to be more independent about preparing breakfast or lunches, or helping out with dinner.
• Remember- have fun! And when you’re not having fun, remind yourself again to HAVE FUN. The idea is to give your kids courage and confidence in the kitchen. It doesn’t take a fancy pants recipe to do this. If they have a good time, they’ll want to do it again. And it will build on itself. And someday, when you’re old and gray and tired, they can make dinner for YOU for a change. (That’s my plan, anyway!)

So, here’s a recipe that meets all of the above requirements. It has minimal ingredients, bakes in a low-temperature oven, and has lots of room for creativity (or not). Baker’s Choice meringue cookies are a perfect way to spend a cold winter afternoon. I call them Baker’s Choice because you can fill or top these cookies with almost anything. When I made them with my kids, we had some candy conversation hearts and chocolate kisses on hand. (Valentine’s Day is right around the corner as I write this.) I also wanted to make a slightly more sophisticated version, so I filled some with jam, and others with chocolate. You will need a pastry bag and metal tip to do the filled versions, so those are  best done by an adult, or an older child with good motor skills. (You only need a tablespoon or round scoop for the easier, kid-friendly version. See photos below.)

We also decided these would be great Valentine treats. Color a plain white or brown bag, or put them in clear plastic bags with a cute ribbon, and you’ve got a nice little gift at the ready. (Oh, and jars! You know I love jars! I tossed a few in some of those, too.)

My best advice for cooking with kids is this: don’t overthink it. Just get in there and do it. And take the kids along for the ride. Somebody has to teach the next generation how to take care of the rest of us!

If you want to see a video demonstration of how to make these cookies, click right here, where it was the topic of my latest visit to Indy Style on WISH-TV. There are two clips in the link, so watch them both to see detailed instructions on making the meringues, including topping them with candy, or filling them with jam or chocolate.

Now, here’s to fun (and stress-free) adventures in the kitchen with kids!

Baker’s  Choice Meringue Cookies

Yield: 20-24 small cookies (Recipe can easily be doubled for a higher yield.)

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar (113 g)
• Assorted candies or jams for toppings or fillings (we used conversation hearts, fruit gummies, chocolate kisses, jam, and chocolate chunks.)
• Sprinkles (chocolate, or various colors) OPTIONAL

Instructions

(See photos below for additional instruction.)

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and salt in bowl of a mixer. (NOTE: you can also use a hand mixer. It will just take a bit longer.) Egg whites will perform better if beaten in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Make sure bowl is clean, dry, and free of any debris, fat, or butter from another recipe. Any of these can affect the structure of your egg whites.

3.  Turn mixer on low initially. Once eggs are broken up a bit, turn mixer to medium/high. Beat until mixture starts to thicken, and peaks are forming.

4.  Gradually– and very slowly– add sugar. Continue beating until mixture is glossy and thick, with stiff peaks. (Do not overbeat, or eggs will start to collapse in on themselves.)

5.  Place meringue onto cookie sheets, using one of two methods. Option #1: Use a tablespoon or scoop to drop meringue onto cookie sheet. Place the topping of your choice in the center of the meringue. (chocolate kiss; candy conversation heart; fruit gummy; etc.)

6.  Option #2: Put meringue into a pastry bag, and pipe a base of meringue on the cookie sheet. Place the filling of your choice on the base (chocolate chunk; jam; dried fruit; etc.) Pipe additional meringue to cover the filling. Repeat for the rest of the cookies. (NOTE: If I do the filling option, I like to put sprinkles on top to give a visual cue of what’s inside. For example, if I do a jam filling, I add a touch of red sprinkles. If I do a chocolate filling, I do chocolate shavings on top.)

7.  Bake in the oven for 90 minutes. Turn oven off, and leave cookies in the there to cool completely, at least 3 hours. (You can also leave them in overnight, if you begin your project in the evening.)

8.  Store in airtight container.

(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

It all looks a little something like this…

All ingredients (minus sugar) in bowl of mixer.

Start mixer on low, then turn to medium high. Eggs will start to foam.

Once the eggs start to stiffen and peaks begin forming, slowly add sugar. Continue mixing until mixture is glossy and thick.

Mixture is ready when stiff peaks form.

If using option #1, put meringue on cookie sheet with tablespoon or round scoop.

Put topping in center of merengue.

If using option #2, pipe a base of meringue, add a dollop of jam (or other filling), and cover with more meringue.

Completed cookies, option #1.

Completed cookies, option #2.

Meringues packaged up as Valentine gifts on the set of Indy Style.

What’s a Meyer lemon, you might ask? Well, it’s a cross between a true lemon and an orange. Meyers are smaller, smoother, and sweeter than conventional lemons. They were introduced in the United States in 1908 when Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture, brought a sample back from a trip to China. The lemons have been collecting devoted fans ever since.

Meyer lemons are only available a few months a year, generally from November through March. So now’s the time to get your hands on some if you haven’t already. But what to do with them?

Plenty!

Below is a list of delicious ideas for you, including one of my very favorite things on earth: Meyer lemon curd.

Want to enjoy your Meyer lemons in the summer, long after the season is over? Check out the recipe for salt preserving your lemons. It’s really easy. No canning required, and the only ingredients you need are lemons and kosher salt. (Really!)

And then there are several recipes for putting your lemon curd and preserved lemons to work in your kitchen. All yummy. All doable.

So, don’t wait. Go get some Meyer lemons before they’re gone!

Want to see the video clips of the recipes? Click right here to take a look. And scroll down on this page for additional recipes to try at home.

Enjoy!

Suzanne Krowiak

 Meyer Lemon Curd

(Recipe Here)

Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

(Recipe Here)

Salt-Preserved Meyer Lemons

(Recipe Here)

Bruschetta with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Preserved Lemons

(Recipe Here)

Hummus with Preserved Lemon

(Recipe Here)

You get my drift. You can do a lot with preserved lemons.

AND THEY’RE SO EASY TO DO.

I mean, can’t-mess-up-under-any-circumstances easy. And you only need three things: lemons, salt, and jars. That’s it!

No canning is required, so the process is very quick, and the lemons will keep in your refrigerator for months.

A second google search will also produce untold methods for preserving lemons. I’ve tried several variations, and always land firmly back where I started… kosher salt & lemons. The end.

Preserving lemons in salt and their own juices makes the peel very tender and tasty. Some people eat them straight out of the jar. The lemons add a real brightness to almost any recipe you can imagine, from salad dressings to roasted chicken.

This recipe calls for Meyer lemons, which are a cross between a conventional lemon and an orange, and are only available a limited time during the year (November though March). Meyers are smaller and juicer than conventional lemons. If Meyers aren’t available, you can also salt-preserve conventional lemons. But since they are larger, you’ll either need more jars, or fewer lemons. (On the other hand, the conventional lemon will give you a much lower juice yield, so you’ll probably require the extras for juicing alone.) The Meyer lemons will also cure faster (2-3 weeks for Meyers; 4 weeks for conventionals.)

So, what are you waiting for? You need to make these lemons. And when you’re finished, how about you make some of this bruschetta? Or this hummus?

You’ll be glad you did.

Instructions

*See ingredient list at top of page.

Adapted from Well-Preserved.

1. Sterilize two (1-pint), wide-mouth jars by boiling for ten minutes.

2.  With a paring knife, trim the stem end of six lemons, and cut into quarters from pole to pole.

3.  Juice the remaining six lemons. Pour juice through strainer or cheesecloth to remove seeds and any large pieces of pulp. Set aside.

4.  Divide the lemon wedges evenly between the two jars, being forceful as you put them in the jars, but not so forceful that you crush the fruit. As you go, put three tablespoons of salt into each jar, making sure the salt is evenly distributed throughout. Top each jar with one additional tablespoon of salt.

5.  Distribute the reserved juice from the other lemons between the two jars, making sure the lemon wedges are completely submerged.

6.  Slide a wooden chopstick or plastic knife down the inside of the jars to release any air bubbles. After this, you may need to add a little more juice to one or both jars. (To ensure the lemon wedges are covered.)

7.  Place lids on the jars, and let them sit on your countertop for two weeks. (Three to four weeks for regular lemons.) Turn the jars upside down every other day to be sure the salt stays evenly distributed. Over the two weeks, the lemons will become soft enough to tear, and the liquid will become syrupy. At this point, put them in the refrigerator. They will keep for at least six months.

8.  When ready to use, remove lemons from jar, remove any seeds, and rinse.

It’s a great vanilla cupcake with Meyer lemon curd filling. Wowza.

This lemon curd is so good, I had to figure out more things to do with it. And what could be better than a lemon curd surprise when you bite into a cupcake? Nothing, I say!

I started with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, which I stumbled upon over six years ago while flipping channels. I landed on a station that had Martha Stewart talking cupcakes with Billy Reece of Billy’s Bakery in New York City.

I went about modifying the recipe to include the lemon curd in the cupcake itself, with a hint of it in the icing, too. The result is lemony goodness in a cupcake disguise.

Sneaky.

And delicious.

Instructions

*See ingredient list at right.

Adapted from Billy Reece of Billy’s Bakery

VANILLA CUPCAKES WITH LEMON CURD FILLING

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1 and 3/4 cup (7 oz) cake flour, 1 and 1/4 cup (6 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 cups (14 oz) sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Add 2 sticks unsalted butter (cut into 1-inch cubes), mixing just until coated with flour.

2.  In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition. Beat until ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

3.  Divide batter evenly among liners, filing about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

4.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

5.  Once cupcakes have cooled completely, carve small hole in the top of each cupcake (see photo below).

6.  Fill each hole with some lemon curd. (A squirt bottle makes this very easy, and avoids mess. See photo.)

7.  Frost tops of cupcakes and add sprinkles or other decorations, if desired.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING WITH LEMON CURD

8.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream 2 sticks of unsalted, room-temperature butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup lemon curd. Mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups of sugar to reach desired consistency.

Adding the lemon curd filling to the cupcakes:

Cut into the top of the cupcake with a paring knife; don't go any further than half-way down.

Hole is ready for lemon curd.

A squirt bottle makes this part really easy and mess-free. You can also use a small spoon.

Ta da! A lemon curd surprise awaits on the other side of this frosting.

Bruschetta?

In winter?

But stick with me.

It may not be the season of tomatoes and fresh basil,the traditional bruschetta building blocks, but it IS the season of Meyer lemons. And I was trying to think of as many ways to use preserved Meyer lemons as possible. I also happened to have tomatoes on the brain, primarily because I had just eaten a salad at a restaurant, and it came with a spattering of tomatoes. But not ripe, red, juicy summer tomatoes. These were pink, tough, tasteless winter tomatoes.

I HATE WINTER TOMATOES. I seriously don’t even know why people bother with fresh tomatoes in the winter. They’re not worth the space they take up on the plate, or the money they cost on your grocery bill. (Or the gas that was used to ship them to your grocer from who-knows-where.) I told my husband I wish restaurants would just pull fresh tomatoes from their menus during winter. Given that this is unlikely, I told him to remind me to order the salad without tomatoes next time. (Until late summer, that is. And at that point, I’ll tell them to hold everything BUT the tomatoes. “JUST A BIG PLATE OF JUICY RED TOMATOES, IF YOU PLEASE.”)

At this time of year, I really prefer canned tomatoes. And not just the home-canned variety. (Although, that obviously is the blue ribbon winner in this contest!) But I’m a preserver and even I don’t have any home-canned tomatoes in my pantry right now. I’m like almost every other preserver out there who ended the season without canning as many tomatoes as I originally intended.

And, honestly, one of the reasons I don’t stress about it too much is because there are some really good commercial options out there. So, that’s how I get through the winter if a recipe calls for tomatoes. I skip the produce section and head to the canned goods aisle.

One of my favorite canned tomatoes to use is this Muir Glen Fire Roasted variety. (This is not a sponsored post, by the way. They’re just yummy and I thought it might be helpful for you to know that.) They add real depth to a dish, so if a chili or soup I’m making calls for canned tomatoes, I usually substitute at least one can of this roasted variety.

And when I was brainstorming ideas for using the preserved lemons, it occurred to me that they could be really great with a roasted tomato bruschetta. And they are!

This is a smokey, lemony take on bruschetta. I love, love, love it. And if you have the extra ten minutes it takes to whip up the toasts in the oven right before, you just might think you’ve died and gone to heaven when you eat it. You can also serve it with your favorite cracker. Or fish. Or chicken. Or anything else your tomato-loving, Meyer-lemon-craving heart desires.

Just a quick note about two steps in this recipe…

I wanted to use onions and garlic in the bruschetta, but felt like softening the flavor edges a bit so the tomatoes and lemons could do most of the talking. After I diced the onions, I poured boiling water over them (through a strainer), followed by cold running water. For the garlic, I roasted it briefly in an iron skillet on the stovetop. (About 5 minutes…. no need to peel or chop it before roasting.) You can skip both of these steps and just add them raw, but I think the final dish is better when these flavors are a little more subtle. You can still taste the onion and garlic, but they don’t come out swinging at you.

Scroll past the recipe for a super quick way to make fresh toast to serve with it.

Now… enjoy this winter bruschetta!

Instructions

*See ingredient list at top of page.

1. Dice onions and place in strainer. Pour boiling water over onions, followed immediately by cold running water. Set aside.

2.  Place iron skillet (or other small pan) on medium-high heat. Add unpeeled garlic clove to pan. Roast for approximately 5 minutes, or until garlic is brown in spots. Set aside. Once cool, peel clove and dice garlic.

3.  Drain canned tomatoes well in strainer. Finely dice the tomatoes, and drain one more time. (Even though the tomatoes come diced in the can, they usually are rather large pieces. I like a finely diced tomato for this bruschetta.)

4.  Combine the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a bowl. Add the jalapeño pepper, lemon peel, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper to bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so flavors can meld before serving.

Easy, quick toast to serve with bruschetta:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut french baguette into 1/4-inch slices and place on baking sheet.
3. Brush slices with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Roast in oven for 5-8 minutes, or until toasted to your liking.
5. Spoon bruschetta on toast and garnish with parsley.

I started with a classic hummus recipe I found and fell in love with several years ago in Cook’s Illustrated, and adapted it to include the lemons. It’s a creamy, dreamy dish, and the tahini and preserved Meyer lemon peel are perfect partners. Serve it as an appetizer with some pita or crackers, or spread it on your favorite sandwich (my favorite!).

It’s really good. Go make it.

Instructions

*See ingredient list at right.

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, stopping after 10-20 seconds to scrape down the sides and continue.

2.  Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so flavors can meld.

3.  Before serving, drizzle bowl of hummus with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, a pinch of sweet paprika, and chopped parsley.