Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae penned the memorial war poem “In Flanders Fields” recounting the tale of honourable fallen soldiers laid to rest amidst the poppy fields. As a tribute to those who remember and can remind us of the past, here is a recipe to unite us all around a cup of tea. Let’s have a toast to the valiant soldiers who kept us safe and remember their sacrifices.
Remembrance cake with lemon curd
Lemon Loaf
1½ sticks of butter, room temperature
½ stick of butter for greasing
zest 4 lemons
1 cup of sugar
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp of salt
½ cup milk
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
1 Tbsp Fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
Lemon curd
3 eggs yolks
juice of 4 lemons
½ pound (2 sticks) cold butter, cubed
½ cup sugar
PROCEDURE
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
Grease up a loaf pan with lots of butter. Lay a long strip of parchment paper the width of the pan so there are flaps hanging over sides. Grease up the parchment too.
In a stand up mixer using the whisk attachment or using a hand-held electric mixer combine softened butter, sugar, whole egg and egg whites into a fluffy batter.
In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, poppyseeds, lemon zest, rosemary and salt.
Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and stop mixing as soon as they are smoothly incorporated, about 30 seconds of fast mixing. Then add the milk to the mix and beat until smooth.
Scoop into the buttered loaf pan and bake until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Let the loaf cool in the pan, then use the parchment flap to liberate it.
Cut into slices and smear on lots of lemon curd. Serve with a cuppa.
For the curd
Put the yolks, lemon juice, sugar, and butter into a cold medium-sized pot. Get out your whisk and put the pot over medium heat. Stir—you don’t have to stir quickly, you just have to stir constantly. Don’t think you can walk away for a second. Keep going until the butter melts. You’ll notice the sauce starting to get smooth and creamy, but not as thick as curd should be. Just be patient and keep stirring. It will start to thicken up.
When it is the nice, rich, and velvety consistency of hollandaise, remove it (and keep it away) from the heat source. Pour the curd into a bowl or jar. Allow it to cool at room temperature before covering and refrigerating.
Beautiful.