Recipe Meyer Lemon Vacherin with Mexican Vanilla by Erin Kobler
In this Meyer Lemon Vacherin, Erin Kobler, chef ambassador for Nielsen-Massey and executive pastry chef at Sepia Chicago, demonstrates how vanilla can be used to unify flavors and round out a dessert, not just to add aroma.
The chef chose Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla Paste for its warm spice and floral complexity, which acts as a throughline throughout the dessert. “Rather than being a standalone vanilla flavor, it softens the acidity of Meyer lemon, amplifies the floral notes of chrysanthemum and honey, and lends warmth to the citrus olive oil, creating a cohesive finish.”
Meyer Lemon Vacherin
Meyer lemon meringues
Yield : 30 ea
- 600 g egg whites, fresh
- 600 g Meyer lemon sugar
- 600 g powdered sugar
- 45 g Nielsen-Massey mexican vanilla paste
Mix microplaned meyer lemon zest from six Meyer lemons with granulated sugar until sugar takes on a pale yellow hue. Leave Meyer lemon sugar uncovered to dry out overnight.
Next day, process sugar in a cutter until it is a fine powder.
On medium low speed whip egg whites, adding 1 tablespoon of Meyer lemon sugar until meringue. It is at full volume, super stiff peak and glossy. Sift powdered sugar over meringue, gently fold into meringue until all powdered sugar is hydrated.
Pipe into four concentric circles using a large Sultan piping tip on a parchment lined sheet tray.
Bake at 180F with the oven door cracked for ~30 minutes or until you can gently peel the meringue from parchment.
Use a hot spoon to gently hollow out the meringue. Return meringues to the oven until fully crisp.
Olive oil cremeux
Yield: 1 QT
- 450 g cream
- 15 g Nielsen-Massey Mexican vanilla paste
- 8 g salt
- 115 g sugar
- 100 g yolks
- 7 g gelatin
- 75 g olive oil
- 1 ea Meyer lemon zest
Bring cream, vanilla paste, salt and Meyer lemon zest to a boil.
Whisk sugar with yolks.
Bloom gelatin in ice water * NOTE: THIS IS IN GRAMS NOT BY THE SHEET
Temper yolk mix into cream. Cook to 82C.
Add bloomed gelatin off heat.
Stream in EVOO and blend with a hand blender to emulsify.
Allow cremeux to set fully.
Candied Meyer lemon relish
Yield: 1 PINT
- 150 g candied Meyer lemon
- 125 g fresh Meyer lemon supremes
- 75 g olive oil
- 75 g fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 5 g Nielsen-Massey Mexican vanilla paste
- 20 g salt
Brunoise candied Meyer lemons.
Brunoise fresh Meyer lemon segments.
Mix candied and fresh Meyer lemons with olive oil, lemon juice, mexican vanilla bean paste and salt.
Chrysanthemum oil and jam
Yeald: 1 PINT
- 500 g grapeseed oil
- 100 g Chrysanthemum tea
- 200 g Chrysanthemum oil
- 18 g beeswax
Vacuum seal grapeseed oil and chrysanthemum tea together.
Swim in a circulated water bath at 165ºC for 24 hours.
Next day, strain warm and infuse oil through a coffee filter twice.
Mix 200g chrysanthemum oil with 18 g beeswax, melt together.
Allow to set up at room temperature before transferring to a tipless piping bag.
Frosted poppy seeds
Yield: 3 QT
- 454 g poppy seeds
- 454 g sugar
- 200 g water
- 10 g salt
Bring water, sugar and salt to a boil.
Add poppy seeds, cook stirring continuously.
Once water has evaporated and seeds begin to crystallize, transfer to a metal mixing bowl andstir until fully cooled and there are no clumped clusters of seeds.
Cool on a sheet tray.
Chrysanthemum Meyer lemon froyo
Yield: 1 QT
- 270 g sugar
- 55 g glucose powder
- 3 g ice cream stabilizer
- 270 g cream
- 140 g milk
- 10 g Nielsen-Massey Mexican vanilla paste
- 2 ea Meyer lemon zest
- 5 g Chrysanthemum tea
- 50 g Greek yogurt
Heat cream, milk, Meyer lemon zest and chrysanthemum tea, bring to a scald and let steep for 30 minutes.
Rain in sugar, glucose powder, ice cream stabilizer that have been whisked together.
Bring mixture to a full boil.
Chill base, leaving tea to infuse overnight.
Next day, strain base.
Hand blend in yogurt and lemon juice.
Spin according to the machine’s instructions.
Assembly
Flip crisp vacherin meringue shell upside down. Fill halfway to the surface with olive oil cremeux, then carefully spoon about one tablespoon of Meyer lemon relish onto the olive oil cremeux. Scrape chrysanthemum froyo into a flat sheet, carefully place froyo over top the Meyer lemon relish and sprinkle one teaspoon of frosted poppy seeds over the froyo. Quickly and carefully flip filled vacherin over and place directly into the center of the plate. Fill the divot in the meringue with one teaspoon of frozen and smashed Meyer lemon supremes. Using a large Sultan piping tip, pipe a dollop of burnt honey whipped yogurt onto the top of the smashed frozen supremes. Place a small quenelle of chrysanthemum frozen yogurt over top, and pipe a zig-zag of chrysanthemum “jam” over the surface of the quenelle. Sprinkle with additional frosted poppy seeds to garnish.
