Microplanes are great (but as Olychick warned, watch your knuckles)

Here's my favorite zest recipe:

Orange Sugar Walnuts

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 Tbs orange zest (I always put in more)

1 tsp corn syrup

2-3 cups walnut halves (2 is IMHO too few; I always used 3)

Cook to soft ball, remove from heat, add walnuts and stir, stir, stir, until the coating goes opaque and starts to set up. Dump onto parchment paper and separate immediately.

I also make Margarita truffles using lime zest and tequila.

Here's one of my lemon recipes:

Lemon Curd Tart with Fresh Berries

For the crust:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
Pinch salt (1/16 tsp)
1 tbsp cold water

For the curd:

3 Meyer lemons, zested
2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (zest lemons before squeezing)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1-1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
Pinch salt (1/16 tsp)
1-1/3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pats

For the topping:

Fresh blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries (whatever is in
season), 1-1/2 pints total

Instructions:

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare crust by combining butter and egg yolk in a mixing bowl – can use the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. Add sugar and beat until combined. Sift flour and salt together and add to sugar mixture, stirring just to combine into a grainy texture. Sprinkle the water over the mixture and combine with hands to make dough pull together. Dump mixture onto floured board and form the dough into a ball, kneading, if necessary. Press the ball into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough into an 11” diameter circle. Transfer dough to a 10” diameter tart pan, and push dough into sides of the pan, making the inside corner as square as possible. You can use the bottom of a tumbler for this. Roll over the top edge of the tart pan to cut off excess dough and make a flat edge. Butter one side of a 12” diameter piece of aluminum foil and place it buttered side down on the pastry, keeping inside corners somewhat sharp. Fill the shell with pie weights or beans, and fold edges of foil over the edge of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil, prick the bottom of the tart shell, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. When you remove the tart shell, prick it again if it has puffed up or does not settle fairly flat. Allow this to cool to room temperature

For the curd:

Zest the lemons and reserve the zest.

In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, eggs, and salt and beat with an electric mixer or whisk to an even consistency. Stir in the lemon zest with a spoon (not the whisk or beaters) and place this mixture in a saucepan over medium high heat. Cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking and stirring for 8 to 10 minutes more, until mixture has thickened and reached a temperature of 175 degrees. Once the mixture gets above 165 degrees, the temperature will start to rise more quickly, and you will have to watch it closely at this point. It is okay to take it to 180 degrees, as it will continue to heat after it is removed from the burner.

Add the butter, one or two pats at a time, and stir until it is fully incorporated and has a silky consistency.

Pour the lemon curd into the prepared shell and allow to it cool to room temperature. Place tart in a pie saver with cover and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Arrange fresh berries in concentric rings on top, alternating rings between sweet and tart berries. If the berries are too tart, you can dust them with powdered sugar when serving.

If you are worried about your knuckles when using a microplane, you can wear a Kevlar glove, but generally this is not necessary when zesting lemons. Grating cheese is a different story, and I do recommend the glove for that.

Now you'll be looking for things to zest! I love a little lemon zest on salad, in salad dressing, on roasted asparagus, and many other things. My favorite lemon dessert....well, I have many, but several years ago I found in Country Living Magazine a lemon-lavender bar recipe that is quite tasty and goes over well with people who like lavender. I agree that Ina's lemon curd is also delicious!

I couldn't live without my Microplanes. I use the zester the most for lemons and ginger.

Jojoco, I make those lemon cream sandwiches all summer long for dh. He loves them! I buy Trader Joe's version of Destrooper waffle cookies.

The only reason I ever zested, and I had to buy a zester, was that I was subscribing to a menu planning service. DH teased me but I made every recipe as written for the most part, and so I zested when commanded to do so. That service actually got me doing a lot of new things, like cook, so it was good for me. My mother loved to make delicious meals, for the family and for entertaining, but I ignored her efforts to get us interested.

But I still can't bake. DH makes a great pie crust, likes to make cakes and brownies and cookies, but he's not into the pastries and the artistry.

Catticus, crême fraiche? Yum. Now I need a good soup to mix it into.

It's an ingredient in the frozen lemon cream sandwiches.

I add a little cream to my roasted red pepper soup, but I bet creme fraiche would be equally delicious.

Oh. My. Goodness.

So much absolute YUM in one thread!!!

Before zesting the lemon don't forget to wash it.

I have a rasp - posted way up thread and I have a lemon/orange juicer but arthritis in my hands drove me to it. I use lemons and lemon zest a lot when both cooking (lemon chicken) and baking at least once a week..

recipe for lemon cookies which I got from someone here but unfortunately don't remember who. I do add a little extra lemon zest

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/crisp-lemon-cookies/

I'm not big on desserts, we just don't eat them. But I make lemon curd every Christmas. I make mini cheesecakes topped with lemon curd and a raspberry.

Mostly I used my microplane for ginger. Keep the ginger in the freezer and plane it frozen.

I zested last night!

There's so much "lemon" in the peel that it's a shame to waste any. I have a Meyer lemon tree and freeze whole fruit for use throughout the year. I zest while frozen and thaw for juicing, which really helps in getting the maximum amount since the cell walls have been compromised. I also zest straight into the bowl/pan I'm using and eyeball the measurement.

Ina Garten has great lemon recipes. I use her curd one, as above. These are also winners

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/lemon-bars

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/lemon-yogurt-cake

I made this for dinner last night. Zest is added to the leeks and juice from a wedge to finish. I also made a lemon dressing for the baby arugula underneath. I can highly recommend and mild Mina brand harissa is great for those who don't care for a lot of heat, like my kids.

https://food52.com/recipes/68405-harissa-chicken-with-leeks-potatoes-and-yogurt

Alex, Ina's lemon yogurt cake is so moist and delicious! I lost my Meyer lemon tree the winter of 2017. Still have a stash of frozen lemon juice cubes.

You've never zested? I can't even...

Besides all the recipes above, you can add citrus zest to so many things... I zest orange into homemade syrup and it's divine. Lime zest into marinades. Lemon zest into dressings, desserts, etc.

In addition, you can use your zester (whatever tool you decide upon) to grate ginger. I keep chunks of ginger in the freezer, and then zest as needed. When frozen, ginger will grate much more easily, and there is nothing like fresh ginger!

I'm very attuned to scents when cooking, and citrus and ginger zests awaken everything in their path...

You've never zested? I can't even...

I know, right?!? My zester and a little hand-held squeeze juicer that I ordered from Amazon will arrive today, and I plan to make Toby's Lemon Cream Pie for the weekend events. Actually, I now have two desserts to make (and one needs to be a pie), so I'm just going to go ahead and do two pies. I'm a little confused about the quantity of lemon juice though. Toby's recipe calls for 3T of juice plus zest, which doesn't seem like much at all. Perhaps the sour cream helps carry the tartness though, and not much is needed? I suppose I can always taste it and add a bit more juice if I want to "lemon it up" a tad.

I am most definitely tucking ALL of the recipes shared here away for future use. I plan to be zesting and making lemony goodness for quite some time to come now.

In my baking experience, most lemon recipes contain more lemon juice but also much more sugar than that which is called for in Toby's recipe above. I would have more lemon juice and zest on hand just in case your taste test deems more lemon flavor, but be prepared to add more sugar, as well. The dairy fats in that recipe (heavy cream, if you use full-fat sour cream, and cream cheese) will for sure enhance the lemon flavor.

Thanks, Feathers. I'm all onboard with adding more sugar if need be. ;-)

* insert little piggy emoticon here *

"Before zesting the lemon don't forget to wash it."

And dry it well or the zest will clump up.

Great hints about freezing ginger before grating it. I'm a grown woman and didn't know that!!

catticusmockingbird, sad news! We thought ours was a goner after Harvey. It hasn't produced well due to rust/aphids/weird weather but we have lots of new fruit this year and it looks healthier.

Your cake looks scrumptious!

Oh My Goodness. Grating a lemon peel is just cooking 101 lol. I don’t own a zester, I just use the smaller grating section of my box grater. Maybe a zester would work better but c’est la vie. I used to have a mini grater from Ikea but that disappeared a long time ago. I had a muffin recipe where whole unpeeled orange was thrown into a food processor, it was very good.

Oh and mincing garlic, I just use a garlic press, easy peasy. That peeled garlic in a jar seems really odd to me. If I want bigger chunks I just chop it myself.

A poster from the Cooking forum makes a Mediterranean-inspired chicken that I've adapted a bit, adding lemon zest to the marinade and let it hang out in the fridge overnight/all day. Broil small chunks or grill large ones, for a quick meal. Drizzle with lemon juice right before cooking. I serve with pita, faux tzatziki made with sour cream (I always have this), and a tomato/cucumber salad.

greek-chicken-souvlaki-with-greek-salad.html

If anyone has an ice cream maker (and FP), this recipe is fantastic! It uses the entire lemon.

https://food52.com/recipes/12934-the-river-cafe-s-strawberry-sorbet

I have this Microplane box grater, and it has a large side that can be used for zesting. Also, this side is removable, to make it easier to clean the box or to get to bits that might other be stuck inside.

I wouldn't mess with the pie recipe. It's a light, refreshing pie, like a chiffon pie.

If you want more lemon flavor, add more zest. You could also add a little lemon extract. You're essentially making lemon curd so if you add more juice, it might make it too runny and the pie won't set up. That's why I also recommend a good heavy cream. Heavy cream has a higher fat content than whipping cream and makes a stiffer whipped cream.

I always add a tablespoon of sugar to my pie crust recipe.

I love lemon and these recipes all sound fantastic. Guess I need to zest too ;)

Well, now I can say that I have zested! And my knuckles are still intact, so it went just fine. I am eager to try the Lemon Cream Pie tomorrow. Of course I licked the bowl, and the filling is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Lovely creaminess too!

Jen, didn't you love the scent?! I love, love, love, zesting because the scent is so heavenly!

Toby, your pie was a big hit! I remain surprised at how light it is. Excellent and easy dessert!

I'm glad you liked it! I have another fave lemon pie recipe which is a layer of lemon curd topped with 3 cups of sliced strawberries and a whipped cream and cream cheese topping. I didn't post it because you need local berries to do it justice. California berries are too hard and often tasteless. But let me know if you want that recipe.

Toby, Please post it!

Lemon is one of my most favorite flavors. This thread is a gold mine. Thank you everyone for all the great recipes.

BTW, jojoco, I tried your lemon pasta last month- heaven!

Jojoco, glad you liked them-- yep lol, they are like cupcakes for grownups! I do like that they are light and fluffy as muffins can sometimes be too heavy. The glaze is where the brightness comes from but also the sweetness. I would consider a light dusting of confectioners sugar too!

I'm going to go back to look at all the recipes, buy for Ida Claire -- I started with one of those narrow zesters (may still have one) and have bought them for my sons, but when we redid the kitchen, I upgraded. I got a full set of these Microplanes and tossed the box grater like my mom had. They all fit in one compartment in my gadget drawer -- and I use them so often I have to hand wash or go looking in the dishwasher, especially for the coarse grater and the zester.

OK, my jaws are tingling, my mouth is watering and I want LEMON!!! LOL

Yes, Toby, please post the lemon curd pie recipe!

I've had this recipe for twenty five years but I haven't made it in five years. I seem to remember doubling the lemon filling because it makes a half inch of lemon filling as written. But it's a basic lemon meringue filling, so if you have a favorite recipe you can use your recipe for the base layer. I would also trust Simply Recipes' lemon meringue pie recipe for the lemon layer. It looks like hers would make about double of what my recipe makes.

I'll make my version when our local berries are ready in a few weeks and let you know if there's anything I'd change.
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lemon_meringue_pie/

Strawberry Lemon Pie

9" baked pie crust

1 c. sugar

8 tsp. cornstarch

1 c. water

2 egg yolks

4 tbsp. butter

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 tbsp. lemon zest

3 c. sliced strawberries

Combine sugar, cornstarch, water, and egg yolks in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook another 2 minutes. Stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest. Pour into pie crust. Cool. Top with strawberries.

3 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1/3 c. confectioners sugar, sifted

3/4 c. heavy cream, whipped

1/3 c. coconut, lightly toasted

Beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over berries. Refrigerate 4 hours. Sprinkle with coconut before serving.

Don't omit the coconut. It adds a nice light crunch to the whipped cream topping.

Rita, funny aside about that lemon pasta. About a month ago we went back to the restaurant where I first had that pasta. I was so excited to order it again and did so without any hesitation. It was terrible. It had just the very teensiest hint of lemon. Overall, the restaurant was still good, but I would have never requested the recipe if it had tasted like the one I had the second time.

Well, now I'm going to have to make THAT pie too! Yum -- sounds delicious. My parents came over yesterday and between the four of us, we ate an entire Lemon Cream Pie. *oink*

What I've failed to report is that I also attempted the lemon cake that I linked in my first post in this thread. I made it Saturday morning, and was so pleased to see how it was rising in the oven, turning a beautiful golden shade and puffing up just as desired in the pan. It was perfect, and the toothpick inserted in the middle at the appropriate time confirmed that. Following directions in the linked blog post, I let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then proceeded to carefully invert it onto a wire rack where I was to brush it with a lemony glaze. All was continuing to go well until NOOOOOOOOO! -- the cake broke free from the pan and to my horror, only the top 1/3rd or so landed on the rack. The rest of the cake stayed glued to the bottom of the pan in something of a mountain-range formation. (Yes, I had greased the pan very well.) I yelled out something profane, threw my dish towel across the room, and tried very hard not to cry. After a few minutes, I regained what little composure I had left, dug the rest of the cake out of the pan and plopped the whole dismal-looking thing on a plate, drenched it with the lemon glaze, and then DH and I stood at the counter and proceeded to devour it with our hands, like monkeys.

I love the image you shared with us Ida but I'm sorry for your frustration. Baking is usually a test of patience. I rarely bake a cake without using parchment paper as part of the pan prep (grease / paper / grease / flour). Glad that you earned stars with the pie!

It was just a trifling event IC! ;)

That's the only cake I bake and like Lisa I use parchment. I'm pretty sure Ina mentions that in the instructions.

ETA: I thought you were talking about Ina's recipe. Now I see the one you made.

Mmmm - you all are making me miss my Meyer lemon tree more than ever!

And I never use a fancy zester, just various sized graters or a vegetable peeler.

I use wide strips of lemon zest, made with a vegetable peeler, to season Brussels sprouts, halved and sauteed in brown butter, and sprinkled with coriander, salt & pepper. Meyers are great for that. Orange peel is really good as well.

Jojoco and Catticus,

I got the Destrooper recipe from here and that is such an easy/impressive/delish recipe. Only one drawback--I think the portion it makes is really too large. I have only seen smaller cookies with caramel in them.

I have made a few variations, swapping out the lemon curd/pistachio. So far I have done raspberry puree/mini choc chips, apricot puree and candied pecans, and pumpkin puree/crushed heathbars.

I am making Lemon Madelienes for an event this week. Love lemon.https://www.davidlebovitz.com/humpy-madeleine/

Plus I always love an excuse to use my Madeliene pans. : )

Of course I also have this beautiful cake pan for mini lemon loaves

https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/lemon-pound-cake-with-blueberry-sauce-chamomile-whipped-cream

Hmm, I was just thinking about my madelienes and deciding cakes make a better presentation for a dinner.

Then I thought id like to serve it with a little coulis or something, and came across this ... I'm tempted!

Mtn, that looks wonderful! I have a question about technique though. In these directions from that recipe:

Pour the cream into a clean large bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form.

I understand that the cream has been soaking up the tea flavor, but what's the likelihood that it will actually whip up properly if you're adding the sugar and vanilla before beating? Seems like when I have just dumped everything into the bowl at once and attempted to "beat until soft peaks form", it just turns to mush, and my understanding is that the sugar needs to be added after the peaks have formed. So what's the best way to do this?

Also, do you find that it makes any difference whether you use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to whip cream?

In re the order of the ingredients, I think it depends on the relative amounts.

I much prefer a stand mixer so I can walk away, but hand mixer works fine. Know what else works? A Nutribullet, kid you not! You have to be careful you don't make butter, and it only whips up a small amount (but that's a good thing!)

I don't think it matters, Ida. I usually start whipping the cream and then add regular sugar. As long as you add the sugar while it's still at liquid stage the sugar will dissolve. Then I add the extract as it's almost at the stiffness I want. I would probably not bother with the tea in that recipe and use a little lemon extract or remove the zest from the lemon with a paring knife and heat it with the cream.

Well, this past weekend I "forgot" what I thought I knew about whipping cream, and dumped in the pint along with a couple of tablespoons of confectioner's sugar. I set it to going (in the stand mixer), walked away to do something else, and next thing I knew part of it had turned to something akin to butter and was stuck to the whisk, while the remaining liquid was going THWAP-THWAP-THWAP and spewing everywhere. I had to toss that batch, and tried again with a colder pint, without adding anything to it, and it whipped up into beautiful, fluffy peaks. Perhaps the first pint just wasn't quite cold enough ... I dunno. So much of what I do in the kitchen seems to turn out as trial and error, which is why I often feel a bit paralyzed when it comes to trying new (to me) things.

I think the tea is the whole point --- otherwise it's just whipped cream. The key will be to make it subtle but not too. I will be serving foodies so I know they will prefer trying something a bit unique.

“. I set it to going (in the stand mixer), walked away to do something else, and next thing I knew part of it had turned to something akin to butter and was stuck to the whisk, while the remaining liquid was going THWAP-THWAP-THWAP ”

You did make butter. Sweetened butter. It probably would have happened if you hadn’t added the sugar. Some types of cream whips faster then others. Once you get to the whipped state, butter can happen quickly.

I always start whipping cream with a little sweetener in it and add the extract when it’s almost finished.