BRUSH
Keeping It Clean

Sometimes miracles really do happen, and they become even more remarkable when they occur during a holiday. This year I found (and then adapted - you know the Cookie Lady never quite sticks to a recipe!) a recipe for a Passover dessert that does not depend on sponge cake, and I immediately thought of my dear son-in-law because he really despises sponge cake. I very proudly brought this delightfully delicious, lemony confection to Newton for the family Seder and miracle of miracles...he liked it. And so did everyone else, it was the hit of the holiday dessert table!

In fact, everyone agreed this was a really good spring and summertime dessert so we decided that it should be shared with all of you.

This works really even better when it is not Passover so enjoy!

Please read the whole recipe before you start.

Preheat the oven to 225°.

Spray a 10-inch pie plate with vegetable spray or coat with butter.

Beat:

• whites from 3 large eggs or two extra large eggs (reserve yolks for later in the recipe)

Beat egg whites at slow speed to soft peaks and then add at slow speed:

• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. sugar, 2 Tbsp. at a time
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Increase mixer speed and beat to stiff peaks. Spread egg whites in prepared pan to form a shell. Bake in the lower third of a 225° oven for 30 to 45 minutes. The meringue may caramelize, but it must be dry to the touch.

Turn off the oven and cool in the oven 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the lemon filling

Whisk together in a 2 qt. saucepan:

• 1 c. sugar
• ¼ c. potato starch for Passover or 2½ Tbsp. cornstarch during the rest of the year

Whisk in:

• 1½ c. cold water

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in:

• 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice and the zest of the lemon

Add some of the hot mixture to:

• 3 large egg yolks reserved from earlier in the recipe (note that 2 extra large egg yolks can be substituted here)

When the eggs are warmed from the hot mixture, stir into the mixture in the saucepan. Cook another 2 minutes. It will be very thick. At this point add:

• 2 Tbsp. Kosher-for-Passover margarine or 2 Tbsp. butter

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick spray or rub with butter or margarine. Cover the lemon mixture with plastic wrap directly on the custard. When the mixture is completely cooled, fold in:

• 1 12 oz. carton whipped topping or nondairy Kosher-for-Passover whipped topping, thawed.

Pour into the cooled meringue shell. Freeze solid, 3 to 4 hours, wrap very well with plastic wrap.

To serve remove from the freezer and soften in the refrigerator 30 to 40 minutes.

We served this terrific dessert with sliced strawberries.

Serves: 10-15 people.

Notes:

1. If at Passover you cannot get "frozen prepared whipped topping," you can whip what they label as "whipped topping," but it is liquid and must be whipped into "whipped topping." I used half a 16 oz. carton that I chilled very well and whipped with 2 Tbsp. KP confectioner's sugar in a well-chilled bowl with well-chilled whisk.
2. If you want to use up the whipped remaining topping, it would be very nice with chopped strawberries folded into the sweetened whipped "cream."
3. I use a mini-plane to remove the zest from the lemon. It grates only the yellow part of the skin and not the bitter, white pith.
4. The only Kosher for Passover margarine I will use is Mother's unsalted (KP) margarine. If Kosher for Passover cooking is not an issue, I will use unsalted butter in this recipe.

A Cookie Lady Recipe