Recipe for Lemon Pudding with Raspberries and Meringue Cigars from Epicurious.com

Meringue cigars:

4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted pistachios (preferably not roasted), finely chopped

Lemon pudding:
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 pound raspberries, trimmed and halved, or quartered if large

Special equipment: 2 large baking sheets; parchment paper; a stand mixer or a powerful handheld electric mixer; a pastry bag fitted with a plain, round 1/2-inch tip (we used Wilton 1A)

For meringue cigars: Heat oven to 200°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a pencil to mark parchment with parallel lines 5 inches apart; these lines will be your guides when piping. Turn paper over.
Beat whites with salt in stand mixer at high speed (or in a large bowl with handheld mixer) until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating, and continue to beat at high speed until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Secure paper to baking sheets with dabs of meringue.
Spoon some meringue into pastry bag and pipe 5-inch-long cigars (3/4 to 1 inch wide) onto 1 baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Add more meringue to pastry bag and pipe more cigars in same manner on other baking sheet.
Sprinkle cigars generously with pistachios.
Bake cigars in oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp but still white, about 2 hours.
Turn off oven and cool meringue cigars in oven 1 hour, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Make lemon pudding while meringue cigars are baking: Set a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl.
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until butter melts, curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk, and first bubble appears on surface, 6 to 9 minutes.
Immediately force lemon curd through sieve into bowl and chill curd, its surface covered with a round of wax paper, until cold, at least 1 hour.
Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in another bowl with cleaned beaters until mixture just holds soft peaks. Fold one third of whipped cream into lemon curd to lighten, then fold in remaining cream. Divide among individual bowls and chill, covered, if not using right away.
Top with raspberries and serve with meringue cigars.



Cooks' notes:
•Meringue cigars can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in layers, separated by wax paper, in an airtight container.
•Curd can be chilled up to 1 week.



Photo by Gourmet Live
April 2012
by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

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Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie

Yes, have your pie and eat it too. The recipe was featured on Blaine's Low Carb Kitchen. Try it tell me what you think. 

One suggestion, try Splenda for baking.

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cup macadamia nuts - chopped
2 tbsp. low carb sweetener
2 tbsp. soy flour
1 egg white

Lime Simple Syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup low carb sweetener
Rind of one lime (approximately 2 tbsp.)

Filling:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/2 c. low carb sweetener
2 eggs - separated
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Crust Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In food processor grind macadamia nuts, add low carb sweetener, soy flour and egg white and continue to mix. Grease pie plate and press nut mixture with hands into pie plate forming a crust from bottom of plate up to the sides. Blind bake in oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Syrup Preparation:
Heat water and low carb sweetener in sauté pan over medium heat. Add zest and continue to cook about 2 minutes. Strain and reserve zest and syrup in separate bowls.

Filling Preparation:
Heat in sauté pan lime simple syrup and remove from heat. Add gelatin to syrup and let soften about 1 minute. Stir in lime juice, 1/4 cup low carb sweetener and 2 egg yolks. Stir over low heat until mixture thickens about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In mixer beat egg whites and 2 tbsp. of low carb sweetener until stiff. Transfer whites to a large bowl. Clean out mixing bowl and in mixer whip cream, vanilla and remaining 2 tbsp. of low carb sweetener until whipped. Fold whipped cream mixture into egg whites. Add lime filling and fold with other mixture. Spoon mixture into the prepared crust and chill for 2 hours. Remove pie from refrigerator and garnish top with lime zest. Top with whipped cream (optional).

Yields 8 servings - approximately 6 net carbs per serving

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Crème Brûlée

2 cups heavy cream
8 large eggs yollks or 4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 teaspoons granulated light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Heat almost to a simmer: 2 cups heavy cream Stir with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl just until blended:   8 large egg yolks or 4 large eggs 1⁄2 cup sugar Gradually stir in the cream. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or a large measure with a pouring lip. Stir in: 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla

Pour into four 6-ounce or six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins (small ceramic cups also work well as long as they're oven-proof) and place in a roasting pan. Have a large measuring cup of scalding hot tap water ready. Set the pan in the oven and pour enough hot water into the pan to come one-half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the custard dishes. Bake until the custards are set but still slightly quivery in the center when the cups are gently shaken, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the custards slightly in the water bath, then remove them and let cool to room temperature.

Cover each one tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 2 days. Shortly before serving, gently blot any liquid that has formed on the surface of the custards with the paper towels. Sprinkle evenly over the top of each custard: 2 to 3 teaspoons granulated light brown sugar
     
Arrange the custards on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Broil until the sugar melts and bubbles, turning the pan and/or moving the custards around if some cook more quickly than others. Some sugar will remain unmelted and some spots will char; this is part of the charm.

Bonjour Chef's Creme Brulee Torch

If you are using a propane torch, sprinkle the sugar over each custard as above. Ignite your propane torch according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hold the torch so that the flame is not directly touching the surface of the custards, but it should be close enough to melt the sugar fairly quickly. Move the torch slowly over the custards to melt all the sugar, and continue bruleeing until the sugar is a deep, caramel brown color. Serve at once.

Polenta Primavera

This cheese-enriched polenta makes a great side to chicken and pork dishes or as part of a vegetarian meal.

This sounds so good just like this. An addition i would make is to add stips of roasted bell peppers.

Ingredients


2 cups Water
2/3 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground black pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) primavera pasta-ready chunky tomatoes, undrained


Preparation

GREASE 9-inch pie plate.

BRING water to a boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add corn meal, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

STIR in fontina cheese, cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 2 minutes or until very thick.

SPREAD into prepared pie plate; cool for 1 hour or until firm. Cut into wedges. Heat tomatoes and juice; serve over wedges.


http://www.mealsmatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/16301
Contributed By: stacyw


meals.com