Hi guys! It’s Gab from Artful Desperado with a new recipe that’s perfect for picnic season (or “I’m gonna stay in and watch Netflix” season, too). A few weeks ago I was in Paris tasting all sorts of pastries A: because it’s Paris and B: because I’m always interested in the old-meets-new treats that are popping everywhere it seems (especially around the cool neighbourhoods, or as Parisians call them the “bobo” area).
One of my favourites was the fondants au citron (also saw it called gateau au citron fondant?) which are this merge between a cake, a madeleine, and a custard. Yep, they’re soft, even a bit gooey, and they have this delicious intense lemon flavour (like a lemon square, but better and less sweet).
Oh Paris, you and your baked goods.
I decided to make a few here at home and boy, am I hooked. I am currently testing the dairy-free version (which is being a bit stubborn and keeps splitting) but I’ve done the classic butter-full version a few times and it’s great! For this recipe I added a little twist with some torched meringue for that “lemon meringue pie” feeling – two summer classics combined into one. Perf!
I highly recommend using good quality butter and lemons with a thick skin; since we are using little ingredients you want the stars to shine and show their full flavour. Oh and please, PLUH-EASE, do not use lemon scent or lemon essence; that shiz tastes super nasty and will make your baked goods smell like a candle. Ok? Ok!
Grab some ramekins, a few lemons, and let’s get bakin’ !
One thing that I like about this recipe is the super tart lemon curd I used in addition to the fondant batter. You can buy any curd you like, but I find store bought lemon curd is usually way too sweet. If you want a simple and easy recipe to make a basic curd, check out this post on Food52. I used 1/4 cup of sugar instead though, that way you’ll get a super citrusy product.
[amd-yrecipe-recipe:22]
And that’s it. I don’t lie when I say these tangy treats are going to be a summer hit. I even took them to the office the other day and a guy that hates lemon baked goods said “whoa, this is awesome” so there, they can even convert non-lemon believers 🙂
Until next time!
Leave a Reply