Thursday, March 26, 2009

Lemon Cloud - A Creamy Tofu Dessert


This pudding-like dessert is made with reduced-fat tofu. It's light as a feather and truly silken on the tongue. If you share my love for citrus flavored desserts, you might want to consider adding this recipe to your repertoire. The dessert starts with a really tart lemon curd. The curd is cooled to room temperature and then blended with a reduced-fat tofu to produce a creamy custard that's as easy on the eyes as it is smooth on the tongue. This is really easy to do and it has the makings of a great company dessert - especially when garnished with candied lemon peel.

Lemon Cloud

Ingredients:
Lemon Cloud:
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups water
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 (12.3-oz.) packages reduced-fat silken tofu (i.e. Mori Nu)
Candied Lemon Zest:
2 lemons
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions:
1) To make lemon cloud, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium (2-quart) saucepan. Gradually add water and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens. Cook for 1 minute longer; remove from heat and set aside. Beat yolks in a small (1-cup) bowl; beat in 1/2 cup of cornstarch mixture. Stir back into saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and lemon zest and juice.. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Place curd and tofu in jar of a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Spoon an equal potion of mixture into six (8-oz.) or eight (6-oz.) glass mugs or parfait glasses. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2) To make candied lemon zest, scrub lemons and remove zest in thin strips with a citrus zester. Place zest in a small (1-quart) saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain. Combine sugar and water in the same saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, to dissolve sugar. Add lemon zest, reduce heat to low and simmer until zest is just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3) To serve, top each lemon cloud with a small amount of candied zest. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

25 comments :

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

I have some tofu in my pantry and will probably try some this week.

The Inexperienced Foodie said...

cooking with tofu what a great idea i have to try that

NKP said...

I have never used silken tofu before. Your cloud looks like a dream, I just want to lay down in it!
This would be good for my daughter who has some trouble with dairy. I will definitely look for silken tofu next time I am shopping.
Thanks!
(oh, and I agree, citrus is the best! I love it so much more than chocolate!)

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Alright, I will admit that tofu has never been on the top of my tasting list. It just seems so strange. But, having said that, this is definitely something I will try and sneak past the husband!!

Donna-FFW said...

MMM. This looks like a refreshing slice of heaven! I bet it was just wonderful, and the fact that it is a bit healthy, yay!

Martha said...

I'm not a big tofu fan but I do love lemon desserts -- hmmmm?

Julia said...

I must admit, I'm not one to cook with tofu, but this recipe looks great! Especially as I'm trying to find dairy-free dessert recipes for passover. I think this will work great (with a slight modification, of course for the butter and corn starch)!

Allie said...

I'm always looking for other ways to use tofu I bet no one would guess it's in there. Thanks for passing this recipe along!

Hootin Anni said...

I've only had tofu in Oriental soups, I didn't realize that you could use it in puddings. And I LOVE anything lemon. So, this will be something I try to be sure.

Netts Nook said...

Mary I can't wait to share this recipe with my Vegan daughter she is always making anything with tofu. Looks yummy.

Maria said...

That looks so creamy and divine! And healthy, I LOVE IT!

Lori said...

Wow! We must be on the same wave length. I made tofu ice cream yesterday that I will post today.

I need to try your recipe. I made a lemon cloud recipe from Bon Apetite years ago and just loved it. Since this is a little mroe healthy I think it needs to go on my dockett!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

These look wonderful. I don't use tofu very often but I might have to make these.
Drop by my kitchen when you get a chance. I have an award for you.
Sam

Cathy said...

I've never used tofu in anything but stir fry but your recipes always deliver, Mary, and its fun to try something new.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I wouldn't be able to tell my family it's tofu but it looks delicious.

Mary Bergfeld said...

The funny part of this is that unless your families have exquisitely sensitive palates or they see the tofu wrappers they won't know it has tofu in it.

Kiezie said...

This looks fantastic, creamy, lemony goodness. Yum!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Tessa/Ruth...thanks for stopping by. I'll hope you'll continue to visit on a regular basis.

Lisa said...

Wow! Nice use of silken tofu. I really enjoy firm tofu in savory dishes and have even found that I enjoy some tofu as is, but silken tofu has always been a challenge to me. This citrus blend sounds like a fantastic complement to the flavor and texture of the tofu. I just might try it!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Tofu Tofu!!
Light as a feather!! Beautiful could Mary!
Very much like the use of the tofu here. Excellent idea.

Creative Classroom Core said...

I love the idea of using tofu in this way. Sounds delicious!

Mary Bergfeld said...

A big thank you to Fin's Mom for stopping by to visit with us.

test it comm said...

That looks nice and creamy and good!

Cat said...

I just made this, and it's quite tasty, but definitely has a subtle soy flavor (like a lemon soymilk). I made half a recipe, with a full recipe's-worth of lemon juice, and still could have added more juice. I'd definitely make this again, but with a few more lemons on hand.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Hi Cat. I'm glad you gave the recipe a try. I'd be interested to hear how many lemons you use the next time you make it.

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