MEYER LEMON ECLAIRS —AND THE FORT WAYNE ZOO
I owe this recipe, Meyer lemon eclairs, to Jose Andres’ book “Vegetables Unleashed”. Yes, you heard right! This delicious dessert is categorized by the chef as a vegetable, so I’ll go with it! As they say, always eat your vegetables —during or, in this case, after your main meal!
My eclairs are smaller than chef Jose’s, because these days I try to have just small bites of sweets (I know many of you can relate). So my recipe is slightly modified accordingly.
Like Jose says in his book, I, too, had never heard of Meyer lemons before, and they were quite a discovery. I have since included them in some of my citrusy desserts and I think they are fantastic.
One of the beauties of this dessert is that the pastry comes straight from a box, so you only have to make the cream filling and the lemon purée and put everything together. The acidity of the Meyer lemon balances out with the sweetness of the cream which, with the flaky pastry, make for the perfect combination in each bite.
Summer has finally arrived, and as a trip to Spain inches closer as well, I thought I’d accompany this recipe with one of the attractions of my adopted city, Fort Wayne, in the state of Indiana: The Fort Wayne Zoo.
The Fort Wayne Zoo
More than an attraction, I consider the Fort Wayne Zoo a gem. Founded in 1965 and located in 40 acres of Fort Wayne Franke Park, the Fort Wayne Zoo continuously ranks among the top 10 zoos in the US. When you visit, you can see why.
The zoo encompasses several self-contained biomes themed as different regions of the world. Strolling through each of the biomes you feel as if you’re in that part of the world, not just by the animals you see, but also by their landscape and atmosphere.
The African Journey includes the African lion exhibit, a giraffe feeding area, an African village and interactive cultural center. The Sky Safari, a ski lift-like ride, gives riders an aerial view of the Serengeti-based landscape and its inhabitants —plains zebras and wildebeest, banded mongooses, griffon vultures, spotted hyenas, honey badgers, bat-eared foxes, great white pelicans, servals and Amur leopards, amongst others.
The Australian Adventure features the Kangaroo Walkabout, where kangaroos roam at their leisure, a dingo exhibit, an aviary and a 20,000-gallon aquarium containing the Sharks, Rays and Jellyfish Exhibit, as well as a model coral reef with tropical fish. It also features a Dugout Canoe Ride where you can view the Australian Adventure from a canal.
The Central Zoo includes assorted animals from the Americas and a few from other regions, including Canada lynxes, ring-tailed lemurs, African penguins, North American river otters, giant Aldabra tortoises, American alligators and macaws. It also features Monkey Island and a duck pond. Indian peafowl roam freely throughout.
Coastal Cove is home to California sea lions and harbor seals. Sea Lion presentations occur periodically throughout the day.
The Asian Trek features Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, Komodo dragons, reticulated pythons, clouded leopards, red pandas, assorted birds, mammals, and primates, as well as a domed area (Dome Aviary) containing birds, fish and reptiles. The Dome Aviary allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds and feel of a rain forest. This area also includes an old fashioned carousel featuring endangered species.
The Indiana Family Farm features a model barn and farmhouse. Horses, sheep, rabbits, calves, pigs and other farm animals are contained in open stalls and may be petted by visitors. Goats reside in an open paddock which visitors can enter and feed.
The Fort Wayne Zoo brings warm memories of the many hours enjoyed there with my own children throughout their childhood, but a recent adult visit brought the same joy and entertainment.
The zoo closes during the late autumn and winter months, but a particularly special time to visit is during Halloween, when it transforms into a pumpkin extravaganza.
If you’re planning to visit the Fort Wayne Zoo with children, make sure you allow most of the day for the visit. I guarantee you won’t regret it! You can get more information about the Fort Wayne Zoo here.
And welcome, summer!
MEYER LEMON ECLAIRS
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce package frozen puff pastry thawed but still cold
- 1 egg beaten
For the lemon purée:
- 2 Meyer lemons
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup sugar
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1 Tbs sugar
Instructions
Make the lemon purée:
- Wash the lemons and cut them into pieces. Discard the seeds. Transfer the lemons and the sugar to food processor and purée until smooth.
- Scrape the purée into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry (you can trim the edges so they're straight).
- Cut the pastry into 2x3-inch rectangles (I ended up with 15 rectangles). Arrange the rectangles on the parchment paper line cookie sheet and brush with the egg wash.
- Bake the pastry until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. When cool enough to handle, spread a tablespoon of the lemon purée over each of the rectangles and return to the oven for 7 to 8 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool down completely.
Make the whipped cream:
- Beat the cream with the sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form (I use a standup mixer). Scrape the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
- Slice the baked pastry shells open transversely. Pipe some of the whipped cream on the bottom shell and top with the top shell.
Notes
