For the Love of Lemons is an accumulation of stories and recipes of my family’s favorite snacks and desserts throughout my childhood in the 60’s. A tribute to my late Mother who was one of the best cooks I have ever known, and I am not being biased in that assessment. She was not a chef but certainly knew her way around the kitchen. No processed foods or mixes for her family. It had to be all natural and by scratch to make it to her table. A talent slowly disappearing from our society unless professionally trained or raised with old school wisdom.
My parents were WWII generation and we grew up in a middle class town about 45 minutes as the crow flys outside a major city in the northeast of the US. Close enough for my Father to commute to work but far enough out to have a small town feel. My 2 brothers and I walked or rode bicycles to school each day and spent most of our time outside during our free time.
We drank milk or orange juice with snacks or meals or water out of the closest spigot or hose when we were thirsty from playing and running around. High energy and constantly moving, doing something fun but of no consequence, we always had some kind of game or sport to play and other kids to do it with.
As you can imagine, with 3 boys running through the house separated by only 4.5 years in age, things could get a bit hectic. My Mother was not fazed at all. Snacks were always available as soon as we got home from school. The hungry horde had arrived and was ready to consume everything in sight like locusts ravaging the landscape. Usually fresh fruit with a glass of milk or water was the offering of the day. Sometimes fresh baked cookies or store bought Oreos or Nutter Butters would be devoured. Cookies never lasted long, especially the store-bought ones. They were rare. And always the statement of “Not too many, or you will ruin your dinner!”
Boy Your Mom Sure Can Bake
On times when friends would come over for the day or maybe the occasional sleepover in the tent in the backyard during summer months, my Mother would bake treats and snacks. Cookies of some kind were pretty much a staple. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and Sugar cookies were her best along with several others. However it was the lemon treats that always wowed us. Tart yet sweet lemony goodness that made your mouth just want to pucker. Cookie bars, cakes and pies all from scratch. When she baked there was always enough for all and then some because her boys could never get enough.
One thing I failed to mention, when Mom was baking there were bowls of leftover batter and/or icing to be sampled by all. There was only one cardinal rule. Whoever fills the spoons is the last to pick theirs. This ensures that every spoonful is within a micron of all the rest. Absolutely no one will get more than anyone else. It was the rule of the house. No arguments, no wrestling, and no crying.
A Little About My Favorite Dessert Fruit the Lemon
So where did this wondrous fruit come from? It is believed lemons are the hybrid product of crossing bitter oranges with citrons way back nearly 2500 years ago. They were first noted in regions of northeastern India, Myanmar and China. Through explorers, Traders and several empire expansions the fruit made its way across Asia into Europe. By the 10th century they were taking root in Persia, Iraq, Egypt, Spain and Italy.
Starting in the 15th and 16th centuries, as European exploration went sailing around the world, the value of the lemon found another use. The high vitamin C content was critical for fighting off Scurvy and keeping sailors healthy. This use of lemons and limes for English sailors coined their nickname of “limeys.”
Lemons crossed the Atlantic in 1493 with Christopher Columbus during his second trip to the Americas. He brought lemon seeds and soon trees were propagated across the Caribbean and Florida. In the 1700’s Spanish missionaries brought the lemon to California. California and Arizona now makeup 95 percent of the Lemon production in the United States.
Today, the lemon is more than just a fruit. Not just for drinking, lemon juice finds its way into snacks, pies, cakes, sauces, marinades, and garnishes. But cooking and baking are not its only uses. It is an effective cleaner and is used in other household products such as air fresheners and polishes. The lemon is a versatile and tasty gift from heaven no matter how it is used.
A Nod To Betty Crocker
Remember, I said I grew up in the 60’s. The Betty Crocker Cookbook came out in 1950. We are not talking about the cake mixes, pie mixes or cookie mixes you find on today’s grocery shelves. Those started in 1947 with their Gingerbread Cake Mix and expanded from there. They are by the same company Betty Crocker which was actually owned by the General Mills corporation. Betty Crocker was a fictional character dreamed up by one of the advertising firms of the corporation. An actress was hired to play the part of Betty Crocker for advertising purposes. At one point the character was the second most admired woman in America, behind Eleanor Roosevelt.
My Mother, like many mothers from that time period, swore by the Betty Crocker Cookbook for everything she did and then added, as she put it, “a little imagination.” Still cooking from scratch but she said the recipes were easy to follow and very good. She did not start to use the cake mixes until later in life. It was easier for smaller batches.
So the secret is out. Several of our favorites were taken directly from the Betty Crocker Cookbook and this article will link to the recipe when appropriate. However, one is similar but different and will be listed as originally passed down from my mother’s mother to her. It was the favorite of favorites and only for special occasions and celebrations. My mouth just watered and puckered a little just thinking about it. So good!
Another lemony flavored treat for the mouth in addition to feeding your brain fortifying nutrition. Cognitive Fortification!
Lemon Bars or Squares
Moist and chewy, sweet and tart, mouthwatering goodness with every bite. The snack of choice, especially when friends are over for the day or an evening of camping out in the backyard. Lemon bars never lasted long. Maybe a day in the refrigerator until we got back from school the next day or leftovers loaded in lunch bags. Best with a class of milk. The most I could eat was 2 even though I usually wanted more. My brothers would eat 2 or 3.
Lunch bags only got one, unfortunately. You would think these would be high value trade items at the lunch table, and they would be. But with only one in my bag, I was not going to trade. Both of my brothers and I would try our best to convince Mom for 2 in the lunch bag to, wink wink, share with a friend but she saw through that. She did not want us trading for “God knows what” during lunch. She was pretty confident we would not trade away our one and only lemon bar. She was right.
Old Fashioned Lemonade
An old staple that can be whipped up in minutes but best if allowed to sit in the refrigerator for a period of time. I still think natural fruit juices are the best on hot summer days. Lemonade is the best of the best for hitting the spot when you are hot and sweaty from working in the yard or just running around playing. A cold pitcher full of lemonade with glasses full of ice goes down awfully fast and tastes so good. We liked ours on the tart side. In fact, most of these recipes are doctored to the tart side.
For some extra fun for the kids you can purpose the lemonade for colder treats. Back in the 60’s we had plastic popsicle forms which could be put in the freezer filled with lemonade or your favorite fruit juice to form natural flavored popsicles. If forms can not be found, then an ice cube tray can be filled. Wrap the top with plastic wrap and poke small straws through into the middle of each ice cube. When frozen you have a flavored ice cube on a stick.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Of all the Betty Crocker recipes my mother would make for us, this one was by far the favorite. It was always a toss up between Lemon Meringue Pie or Lemon Pudding Cake for birthdays. Mom had this pie down to a science. A perfect light and flaky crust, lemon curd filling tart and sweet, and the perfect meringue to top it off. The meringue would have little droplets of liquid sugar dotted around its surface every time. Something I would learn later other family bakers were envious of. The layers of curd and meringue were of equal height, a little over an inch thick each. A work of art.
With three lemon loving eating machines in the house Mom could not just make one pie. No, three were made to make sure one would survive to the evening of the celebration. The first pie was gone or nearly gone as soon as we got home from school. The second pie would not make it through dinner that night. The third pie would be snacks and/or for dinner the next day. You just could not keep a Lemon Meringue Pie in our house for long. The meringue would never have a chance to get sticky or chewy from being exposed to air. Is your mouth watering yet?
For the Love of Lemons, Lemon Pudding Cake is King
The favorite of favorites, the best dessert ever created. My childhood memories are chuck full of times eating Lemon Pudding Cake. My Mom would always say how easy it was to make but to three boys it was ambrosia. The perfect concoction of lemony goodness that just filled your mouth with joy. The spongy cake then topped with liquidy lemon custard, all baked together in one package. For the love of lemons this always hit the spot.
Again my Mother would triple or quadruple the recipe to make enough. She would reduce the sugar and add more lemon to get the right tartness. We liked our Lemon Pudding Cake a little on the tart side. A simple recipe where all the ingredients are combined together then baked. The cake rises to the top with the liquidy custard lining the last bit of space at the bottom. When served cut into the cake portion with a serving spoon and place in a bowl. Then spoon out an appropriate amount of custard and pour it over the cake portion.
The Recipe
- 2 Eggs separated (yolks separated from the whites: keep both)
- 3 tablespoons of Lemon Juice
- 3 tablespoons of Flour (just under a 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Lemon Rind
- 1 Tablespoon of Melted Butter
- 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup granulated Sugar
- 1 cup of Whole Milk
Whip egg yolks slightly in a large bowl. Stir in rind, juice, butter, salt and milk. Combine sugar and flour, then add the egg mixture. Beat until smooth. Whip egg whites stiff but not dry and fold into the egg yolk mixture. Pour into greased custard cups or into a casserole dish (the way Mom always made it). Place in a pan of hot water and into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Best with more lemon juice and less sugar.
I hope you and your family find this information and get to enjoy your own fond memories as these recipes have done for me and my family. These are being passed down to the next generation. Sons and daughters alike receive a Betty Crocker Cookbook upon graduation from school to keep the traditions alive. As new members of the family come to us through marriage, new recipes are added to the list expanding our culinary legacy. From all of us to all of you, Bon Appétit!
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