Il Cucinologo
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Sweet Lemons

17/11/2023

The “sweet lemons” are a delicious dessert that plays with the appearance of real lemons but with a sweet and surprising taste. Traditionally they could be semifreddi with a colored white chocolate shell or spoon desserts served inside real emptied lemons. Here I provide you with a version that assumes a white chocolate shell to simulate the lemon.

Ingredients

  • 200 g of white chocolate colored yellow (or white chocolate and yellow food coloring)
  • 150 g of mascarpone
  • 100 g of whipping cream
  • 50 g of powdered sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon (organic)
  • A few drops of lemon juice (optional)
  • Limoncello (a tablespoon, optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by tempering the white chocolate. If you have opted for already yellow-colored chocolate, melt it in a bain-marie or in the microwave being careful not to burn it. If you use the coloring, add it to the melted chocolate and mix well to obtain a uniform color.
  2. Take half-lemon shaped molds - or alternatively you can use real emptied and cleaned lemons. Brush the mold with the melted white chocolate being careful to create a uniform layer.
  3. Put the molds in the fridge for at least 15 minutes so that the chocolate solidifies.
  4. In the meantime, prepare the cream by mixing the mascarpone with the powdered sugar until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Add the grated lemon zest (and the limoncello if you want a more intense flavor).
  5. Whip the cream and gently incorporate it into the mascarpone mixture to maintain the aeration.
  6. Fill the molds with the chocolate shell with the mascarpone cream, leveling the surface.
  7. Put back in the fridge for at least an hour or until the cream has cooled and solidified.
  8. When serving, gently unmold the desserts and arrange them on dessert plates.

If you want to add a more realistic effect, you can use a mint leaf or dark chocolate to create the lemon stems.

Trivia

These desserts are perfect for surprising guests with a dessert that looks like a simple lemon but hides a sweet and refined heart, they are excellent especially in summer for their freshness and lightness.