Lemon Cream Daisies
2ea Eggs
1/2c Sugar
1/3c Freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)
Freshly grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2T Unsalted butter, slightly softened at room temperature
1/2c Chilled heavy cream
1pkg Puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
2T Chopped pistachios
Bring about 2 inches of water to simmer in a large saucepan. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar together until very light yellow and fluffy. Mix in the lemon juice and zest. Rest the mixture in the saucepan, with the bowl’s base resting above – NOT IN – the simmering water. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture the thickened and custardy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, half-fill a large bowl with ice and cover with cold water. Remove the bowl with the lemon curd in it from the hot water, and whisk in the butter until melted. Rest the bottom of the bowl in the ice bath, and let the lemon curd cook, folding the mixture occasionally to cool and thicken it.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff. Fold it into the cooled lemon curd. Cover and refrigerate the lemon cream until ready to serve. (The recipe can be made up to this point and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Flour a work surface and lay out the puff pastry. Roll the sheets lightly with a rolling pin until smooth and flattened. Use a large cookie cutter to cut rounds from the puff pastry. Then use a small cutter to push halfway down the center of each round. Arrange the rounds on the cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate the pan to ensure even cooking. When the rounds are baked, immediately remove them to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature.
Cut around the centers with a pairing knife to loosen, but don’t cut all the way through to the bottom. You want to leave a thin layer of pastry to hold the filling. Hollow out the centers to make a depression in the center of each pastry round. Or just push the pastry down in the center with your thumb.
Not more than 4 hours before serving, spoon or pipe a generous dollop of lemon cream into each pastry round. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Serve within 4 hours.