Here are some recipes that can be made with Lemon Verbena:

Lemon Custard

1 cup water
14 2- to 2 1/2-inch-long fresh or dried lemon verbena leaves (optional)
10 2 x 1/2-inch strips lemon peel (yellow part only)
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in medium saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Add sugar; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream. Whisk yolks to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Whisk in lemon juice.

Strain custard through sieve into 4-cup measuring cup. Divide among six 2-cup ramekins or soufflé dishes. Cover ramekins with foil. Place ramekins in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake custards until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let custards cool in water in pan. Transfer ramekins to refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

Back to main Lemon Verbena page.

Lemon Pound Cake

Cake:
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemon verbena or 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Glaze:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and butter and flour a 1-quart kugelhopf pan, knocking out excess flour.

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, verbena (or zest), and zest. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Beat in half of flour mixture. Beat in milk and lemon juice and beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.
Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes and invert into rack to cool completely.

Make glaze while cake is cooling: In small bowl whisk confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, into lemon juice until smooth and thick.
When cake is completely cooled, drizzle glaze over cake and let it drip down sides. Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Serve cake at room temperature with strawberries.

Back to main Lemon Verbena page.

Reference Sources/Links:

"Lemon Custards with Lemon Verbena." Epicurious. May 1999. 4 June 2007 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101609 ."Lemon Verbena Pound Cake with Strawberries." Food Network. Gourmet Magazine. 4 June 2007 http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_7223,00.html .

Back to main Lemon Verbena page.