Food

The flavor enhancing quality of the lemon is amazing. Just a little squeeze can bring out the flavor in almost any food.

I recall times when my friend, Mauna, and I were working on new recipes and the flavor of a dish didn't meet my approval. It needed something. Mauna would say, "Add a little lemon juice." That did it!

There is no limit to the ways that lemon can be used in food from appetizers to dessert. One of my favorite soups, Lemon Basil Soup with Rice, is based on a Greek recipe that combines lemon with eggs. Another great recipe that uses lemon is an Austrian version of fried chicken. I think even a Southerner would agree that the Austrian chicken is mouthwatering good!

For almost 40 years, lemon desserts were at the top of my husband's request list. It is easy to understand why I had to continually search for ideas using this tangy member of the citrus family.

Many years ago my mother-in-law always had special lemon cookies for the grandchildren to enjoy. These were not homemade cookies but they were so good, nobody seemed to care if they came from the grocery store. Jackson's Old Fashioned Jumble Lemon Cookies became a favorite with the family.

I bought a pack of these cookies a few days ago and decided to adapt a recipe that was shared with me several years ago by a friend, Lamar Spivey. He told me about his mother's coconut cookie pudding. Mrs. Spivey would stir the cookies into the hot cooked pudding and simply serve it that way. When I tried it, a new favorite was added to my desserts.

If you would like a taste more like cheesecake, you could try adding more cream cheese to the pudding.

Lemon Cheese Pudding

2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
3 oz. cream cheese
15 to 16 lemon cookies, broken in half

Meringue:

3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon pure lemon extract

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Mix well. Add egg yolks but do not mix yet. Gradually add the milk, mixing in the yolks at the same time. Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to thicken slightly. Add cream cheese in small chunks. Whisk until cream cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in cookie pieces. Pour into a 7x11 inch dish (or dish of approximate size). Top with Meringue and bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned.

To make the meringue: Beat the egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Add lemon extract and beat until mixed. Spoon on top of pudding.