When I cook with citrus, three simple tools elevate recipes from ordinary to professional: a reamer, a microplane, and a fine strainer.
Most citrus recipes—sweet or savory—call for zest. A vegetable peeler can work, but peelers often cut too far into the white pith. When pith is removed with the rind, the zest becomes bitter and less useful.
A microplane is designed specifically for zesting. It shaves off the colorful outer rind, preserving the fragrant oils and leaving the bitter pith behind. Besides citrus, a microplane is perfect for grating whole nutmeg, which is far more aromatic than pre-ground nutmeg.
After zesting, you’ll want the juice. There are many tips people use to get more juice—microwaving the fruit briefly or rolling it on the counter are common—but the most reliable method is simple: make sure the fruit is at room temperature, cut it in half, and use a wooden reamer to extract the juice.
One more step makes juicing easier and cleaner: juice over a fine strainer to catch seeds and pulp. Straining while you juice saves the hassle of picking seeds out later and keeps the juice smooth. Some people squeeze fruit into their hands to catch seeds, but that prevents using a reamer effectively—and you can lose up to a tablespoon of juice by skipping the reamer.
Using these steps, a typical plump lemon yields about 1 teaspoon of zest and roughly 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of juice.
With these techniques in your toolkit, try a bright lemon twist on classic cinnamon rolls using store-bought puff pastry. Pre-made sheets provide a buttery, flaky base without the work of making dough from scratch.
Simply roll out the pastry, spread with lemon curd (homemade or store-bought), roll into a log, slice, and bake. Finish with a lemon glaze and a sprinkle of fresh zest for an extra citrus punch. A few chopped almonds add a pleasant crunch.
Enjoy!
Puff Pastry Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 box Pepperidge Farms puff pastry, thawed
- 1 cup lemon curd*
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped (optional)
Lemon Curd
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
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Unwrap one puff pastry sheet and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to smooth seams.
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Spread 1/2 cup lemon curd evenly over the pastry.
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Starting from a long side, roll the sheet into a tight log.
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Use a serrated knife to slice the log into 12 one-inch rolls.
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Place slices on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet and remaining curd. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden.
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Juice and zest the lemon. In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice into a smooth glaze. Drizzle over hot rolls.
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Sprinkle each roll with lemon zest and chopped almonds, if using.
Lemon Curd
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Juice and zest the lemon; set aside.
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With a hand or stand mixer, cream sugar, lemon zest, and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
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Cook in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, 10–15 minutes until thickened.
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Remove from heat and cool. Use immediately or refrigerate up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Additional Info