Amalfi lemon & vanilla dessert

We’re going to make the perfect Amalfi lemon dessert! It’s a vanilla chiboust with a lemon interieur made from a lemon gel and confit lemon peels. We’re serving that with a lemon cocktail, vanilla ice cream, meringues and a lemon peel tuille. Amalfi lemons are really incredible! They’re massive and the flavor is so good!There's such a difference between a store-bought lemon and a Amalfi one. If you are not able to get them, I would suggest using biological lemons.

The lemon cocktail

5	lemons
0.5 liter	vodka
2	empty vanilla pods
	Ginger syrup
	Xanthan gum

Peel the lemons and transfer the peels in a preserving jar. Now cover this completely with the vodka and also add the empty vanilla pods. Make sure everything is submerged. Then cover the jar and let it marinade for at least 1 week at room temperature. After that we can finish the cocktail. First take two peeled lemons and cut them in half. Now juice them. Then add some of the lemon vodka and season it with ginger syrup. This one I just mix on taste, because the last time I give a cocktail recipe you all said I was an alcoholic… Now add a touch on Xanthan gum and mix it to bind the liquid a touch. Serve it cold.

The sweet lemon gel

2	lemons
60 grams	water
20 grams	ginger syrup
100 grams	sugar
4 grams	agar powder
3 grams	gelen powder

Zest the lemons into a saucepan and then cut the zested lemons in half. Now juice them for 150 grams of lemon juice. Also add the water, the ginger syrup, the sugar, the agar powder and the gellan powder. Then mix this while and bring it to a boil for 1 minute. Once it has boiled pour it into a bowl and let it cool down in your fridge. Then transfer it into a blender and blend it into a smooth gel. Transfer half of the gel into a piping bottle and keep the rest for later.

The confit lemon peel interior

2	lemons
100 grams	sugar
200 grams	water
	The remaining sweet lemon gel

First peel the lemons with a citrus peeler. Just start at the top and peel it all around. Now cut those peels in small cubes. After that we need to blanch the peels three times. Every time you need to get new water and let them blanch for around 30 seconds. This will remove the bitter flavor of the peels. Leaving you with the beautiful aromatic and rich flavor. Once that’s done add the sugar and the water. Bring this to a simmer and the let it simmer on a low heat till a syrup starts to form. After that pour it into a bowl and let it cool down completely. Meanwhile take the two zested lemons and cut away the peels. Now cut just beside the membrane and then flip the knife to remove the flesh. Then use a tweezer to remove any lemon seeds. After cut it in smaller pieces and then add it to the confit peels. Also add the remaining lemon gel and then mix it. Once that’s done fill your desired interior mold. Click here for the molds I use. Then let it set in your freezer. After that remove them from the mold and keep them in your freezer for later.

The vanilla chiboust

3 leaves or 5 grams	gelatin
250 grams	cream
60 grams	egg yolk
25 grams	corn starch
1	vanilla pod

First soak the gelatin in cold water. Then pour the cream into a saucepan and also add the egg yolk and the corn starch. Now cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add then together with the empty vanilla pod to the cream and while stirring heat this up till it has thickened. Then remove the vanilla pod. Now dissolve the gelatin and mix it well. After that pour it into a bowl and set it aside for later.

30 grams	water
60 grams	sugar
50 grams	egg white
10 grams	sugar

Pour the water into a saucepan together with the 60 grams of sugar. Heat this up till the sugar is 118 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile pour the egg white into a mixing bowl and start beating it. When a white foam starts to form add the 10 grams of sugar. Then when the syrup is 118 degrees Celsius slowly add it to the meringue. Make sure to pour it on the side. Now beat it for 2 minutes. After that add the meringue to the vanilla cream and fold this together till it’s a smooth and airy chiboust. Now fill your lemon mold almost all the way to the top and tap it a couple of times to remove any air bubbles. Then press the lemon interior in the chiboust and make it level using a pallet knife. Now let it set in your freezer.

The lemon peel tuilles

	a couple of lemons
60 grams	egg white
40 grams	sunflower oil
10 grams	butter
50 grams	flour
50 grams	sugar

First peel a couple of lemons. Only peel the skin and not the pith. This is very bitter. Now spread it on the tray and let it dry at 60 degrees Celsius or in a microwave at 600 Watt for around 7 minutes. Once the peels are dry transfer them into a blender and blend them into a fine powder. Keep it dry and covered for later. Then mix the egg white with the sunflower oil, the butter, the flour and the sugar. Blend this till you have a smooth batter. Then spread it on a tuille mold and level the top with a pallet knife. Now dust a thin layer of the lemon peel powder on top and bake them at 150 degrees Celsius for around 15 minutes till baked, but not colored. Keep them dry and covered for later.

The two colored meringue

50 grams	water
80 grams	sugar
80 grams	egg white
60 grams	sugar
	Yellow coloring powder

First mix the water with the 80 grams of sugar and heat this up till it’s 118 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile pour the egg white into a mixing bowl and start beating it. Once a white foam starts to form slowly add the 60 grams of sugar to stabilize the egg white. Then when the syrup is 118 degrees Celsius add it to the meringue and beat it for a couple of minutes to cool it down till it’s at room temperature. Now transfer half of the meringue into a bowl and add a touch of yellow coloring powder to color the meringue. Then pipe the remaining meringue in thick lines on a piece of foil and pipe the yellow meringue in between. Now gently roll this up and then transfer it into a piping bag that’s fitted with a round nozzle. Then pipe small dots on a tray that’s lined with a silicon sheet or some parchment paper. Now let them dry at 60 degrees Celsius for a couple of hours till completely crispy and hard.

The vanilla ice cream

1100 grams	milk
300 grams	cream
340 grams	sugar
65 grams	skimmed milk powder
1	vanilla pod
60 grams	egg yolk
4 grams	ice cream stabilizer (I use stab 2000)

Pour the milk into a saucepan together with the cream, the sugar and the skimmed milk powder. Now cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and pod to the pan, mix it and then heat this up till it starts to simmer. Meanwhile transfer the egg yolk into a bowl and mix it with the ice cream stabilizer. Now while stirring slowly add half of the hot liquid to the yolks. Once smooth while stirring pour it back into the pan and then heat it up till it’s 85 degrees Celsius. Then let it rest in your fridge for at least 12 hours. I always leave it overnight. Once that’s done pour it into an ice cream machine and turn it into a beautiful ice cream. After that let it set for 30 minutes in your freezer and then it’s ready to be served.

The chocolate brush

200 grams	cacao butter
200 grams	white chocolate
2 grams	yellow fat-soluble coloring powder

First melt the cacao butter on a low heat. Meanwhile mix the white chocolate with the yellow fat-soluble coloring powder. Then pour the hot melted cacao butter on the white chocolate and emuslify it with a hand blender till smooth. Once smooth pour it into a brush machine. Then gently remove the chiboust from the mold and lay them on a frozen tray. Lay them with the bottom up and brush an even layer of the chocolate brush all around. Once they’re brushed lay them on a plate and let them defrost for around 20 minutes or slowly in your fridge.

How to finish the dessert

First fill the chiboust with the lemon cocktail. Then pipe two dots of the gel on top and lay the lemon tuille on the other side. Now decorate the gel with the meringue and marigold flowers. Then place a nice quenelle of the ice cream on the tuille and place another tuille on top. Decorate that one as well with the lemon gel, a meringue and some marigold flower pedals.