Spoil your mum with these lovingly-made lemony delights

CLASSIC LEMON CHOUX CRAQUELIN

Ingredients (serves 6): ■ For the craquelin ■ 55g brown sugar ■ 70g butter ■ 70g plain flour ■ For the choux pastry ■ 250ml milk ■ 100g butter, diced ■ 5g caster sugar ■ 150g strong flour ■ 4 eggs For the filling and decoration ■ 200g icing sugar ■ 1-2 tbsp water ■ 2 drops yellow food colouring ■ 400g lemon curd ■ 200g mascarpone cheese ■ 2 tbsp confit lemon zest, optional

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C. 2. Prepare the craquelin in a thin biscuit layer that can be added over choux pastry before baking. Place the softened butter into a bowl, add the brown sugar and flour, and combine to create a dough. 3. Roll out the dough thinly (2-3mm thick) between two sheets of parchment paper. Keep in the freezer until required. 4. For the choux, combine the milk, caster sugar, and diced butter in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil, then immediately stir in the flour all at once. Stir quickly with a spatula or wooden spoon until all the flour is combined. 5. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the contents into a bowl, then beat the eggs one by one with the dough, mixing until smooth. 6. Spoon the choux pastry into a piping bag. Pipe a walnut-sized amount of choux on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cut out discs of craquelin to the size of the choux and place onto each portion. 7. Bake the choux for 20-30 minutes until coloured and cooked in the middle. Remove from the oven, pierce a small hole in the base of each pastry to allow excess steam escape and the outer shell of the choux to stay dry. Set aside to cool. 8. Once cooled, prepare the icing mixture. In a bowl, combine the icing sugar with enough food colouring and water to create a thick paste. Once combined, dip the top of the choux in the icing and set aside to dry and create a light crust. 9. Combine the lemon curd and mascarpone in a bowl and fill the choux either using a piping bag fitted with a nozzle or by slicing the choux in half. 10. Decorate the choux with the confit lemon zest, if desired, and enjoy.

ROASTED RED PESTO CHICKEN

Ingredients (serves 4): ■ 1 chicken, spatchcocked ■ 3 tbsp red pesto ■ 3 tsp Italian dried herbs ■ 3 tbsp olive oil ■ 4 red onions, quartered ■ 5 garlic cloves, crushed ■ 700ml chicken stock ■ 2 x 400g tin tomatoes ■ 150g couscous, or other grain ■ 1 lemon, juice and zest ■ 4 tbsp fresh basil, to serve ■ Salt and pepper

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 160C. 2. In a bowl, combine the red pesto, herbs and olive oil with salt and pepper. Rub the chicken all over with the mixture. Cover and chill for 20 minutes. 3. Place the red onions and garlic cloves in an oven-proof dish, add the coated chicken and pour over the chicken stock and tinned tomatoes. 4. Loosely cover the oven dish with baking paper and foil, or a lid, and place in the oven for 45 -70 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, or until the legs are almost falling off the bone. 5. At least 10 minutes before serving, remove the chicken from the oven. Add the couscous around the chicken and stir into the tomato mixture. 6. Cover and return to the oven for five minutes — or keep on the stovetop for 10 minutes to let the couscous absorb the flavoured cooking juices. 7. Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest and serve immediately with fresh basil.

TOP TIP: CURD THIS BE THE ANSWER TO YOUR LEMON PRAYERS?

READY-MADE lemon curd can be hit or miss depending on the use of thickeners and palm oil. Today, I am using a lemon curd from a local producer called Folláin made with butter, which is the traditional way for preparing lemon curd. The company was created a few decades ago in West Cork and grew from making jams and chutneys. If you’re not a fan of baking, this lemon curd, available in supermarkets and from follain.ie, is perfect.