As we head into the summer month’s we thought focusing on zesty, bright desserts would be a refreshing change from the warm, heavier desserts of winter. Might we suggest adding a little zest to your desserts this summer with a variety of citrus fruits. Most citrus desserts rely on the zest to add that extra "punch" to the dish. But what exactly is zest? Zest is the outermost portion of the peel of lemons, oranges, limes and other citrus fruits. Keep in mind it is only the outer colored portion not the white part just underneath (referred to as the pith). The white pith is bitter and will not add to your dessert — rather detract from the desired outcome! The zest contains aromatic oils that boost flavor and give your desserts (and other dishes) that special zing. Add zest and fresh squeezed juices to your dessert and you are on your way to achieving that all elusive "Wow" factor!

There are many, many desserts in our recipe archives featuring zesty limes, lemons & oranges but we’d like to highlight some of our favorites. We hope you enjoy!

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

Lemon Cakes with Berries & Whipped Cream

• 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons gf flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 2 cups strawberries, thickly sliced
• 4 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a muffin tin with 6 (5-6oz.) muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the gf flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, oil and vanilla until just incorporated. Add the milk and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined after each addition. Divide batter among 6 muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until edges of cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert the muffin pan and let the cakes cool completely.

Meanwhile place 1/2 cup of each type of berries in the bowl of a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and process until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

With an electric mixer beat the cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Stir in the remaining teaspoon of lemon zest. Chill, covered until ready to serve.

To serve, pool the fruit puree in the center of 6 dessert plates. Arrange the cakes upside down on top the fruit puree. Top each with 2 rounded tablespoons of whipped cream. Scatter the remaining berries over the top.

Lemon Bars

Makes 8 bars.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup gf brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup gf flour
• 1 cup gf cottage cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons gf flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1-1/2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add flour and continue to beat, until mixture is thoroughly combined.

Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking dish. Press crust into bottom of dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add sugar, gf flour, lemon and orange zest, lemon juice, baking powder, egg and egg white. Process until thoroughly blended.

Pour filling over baked crust and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Lemon Layer Cake

Makes 8-10 servings.

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons gf flour
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, without pulp
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 Tablespoons butter

For the Cake:

• 2-1/4 cups gf flour*
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup gf plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, without pulp

For the Frosting:

• 12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 4-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 5 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Dash of salt

Garnish:

• 2 lemons, sliced thinly, slices cut halfway through on one side, laid on paper towels to drain
• 7-8 sprigs fresh mint

Make the Filling:

In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine 2/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons gf flour; whisk to mix. Add 1 cup lemon juice and 2 egg yolks and whisk thoroughly to combine. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture boils; cook for 1 minute at a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two 9-inch cake pans and line bottom of each pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine 2-1/4 cups gf flour, baking powder and salt. Lightly flour bottom and sides of each pan with gf flour.

With a mixer, beat together 1/3 cup butter, shortening, yogurt and lemon zest. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups sugar, scraping down sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions and scraping down sides.

Add dry ingredients alternately with 1 cup lemon juice to butter mixture, beating well on low speed between each addition. Pour equal amounts of batter into prepared cake pans. Lightly tap pans on counter before putting them in oven to remove any air bubbles and to level out batter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then loosen layers by running a knife along outside of each cake. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on a rack.

Make the frosting:

Cream 12 tablespoons butter with powdered sugar, and salt. Add lemon zest and mix to combine. Add remaining 5 tablespoons of lemon juice and mix on high speed until thoroughly combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Refrigerate frosting until ready to use.

Assemble the cake:

Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand. Spread with lemon filling to a thickness of 1/4 inch. (You will have a little filling left over which can be serve alongside the cake if you like.) Place second layer on top of first and refrigerate until filling has chilled again and firmed up, about 45 minutes.

Loosen frosting by beating with a spatula.

Using a knife or an icing spatula, spread just a very thin layer of frosting over entire cake and refrigerate to let frosting firm up, about 10 minutes. Carefully apply final coat of frosting.

To garnish, twist lemon slices into an ’S’ shape and place around edge of cake. Tuck mint leaves into each lemon twist.

*We used The Gluten Free Pantry’s Country French Bread Flour Mix for the gf flour in this recipe (www.glutenfree.com).

Lemon Raspberry Pudding Parfait

Makes

Ingredients:

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in pieces
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 pint heavy cream
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Directions:

In top of a double boiler, whisk yolks and egg, lemon juice, sugar, butter and lemon zest. Cook over boiling water stirring constantly, scraping bottom of pan to prevent eggs from over-cooking, until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.

Immediately strain pudding into medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours.

To assemble: Whip heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Stir 1/2 whipped cream into lemon pudding and fill bottom of 4 parfait glasses. Alternate lemon pudding, raspberries and whipped cream, ending with pudding. Top with a few fresh raspberries. Refrigerate until serving.

Lime Cheesecake

Makes 8-10 servings.

Ingredients:

For crust:

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup gf flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

For cheesecake:

• 1-1/2 pounds cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• Juice of 4 small limes (approx. 3/4 cup lime juice)

Directions:

For crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Bring a small amount of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Melt the butter and 2 ounces of chocolate, stirring constantly, in a double boiler over simmering water; water should not touch the top pan. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg into the chocolate mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk the gf flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. Stir in the chopped walnuts.

Spread the batter in the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until risen and dry to the touch. Let cool.

Set the springform pan on a large sheet of foil and fold the sides up around the sides of the pan.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks. Add the lime juice. Pour the cream cheese filling onto the chocolate brownie base.

Set the springform pan in a medium roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake at 325°F for 1-1/2 hours, or until it is firm around the edges, but slightly jiggly in the center. Turn the oven off, prop the oven door open and let the cheesecake stand in the water bath in the warm oven for 1 hour, or until completely set.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and let cool completely. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the foil and springform pan ring from the cheesecake. Carefully transfer the cheesecake to a platter, cut into wedges and serve.

*We used The Gluten Free Pantry’s Country French Bread Flour Mix for the gf flour in this recipe (www.glutenfree.com).

Lime Yogurt Sherbet

Makes 1-1/2 quarts.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 large egg yolk
• Zest of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups plain yogurt

Ingredients:

In a 2 quart saucepan whisk together cornstarch and sugar. Whisk in milk and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl whisk egg yolk. Add hot milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly.

Transfer to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until slightly thicker, and a thermometer registers 170°F (do not let boil).

Pour custard into a clean bowl. Whisk in lime zest, lime juice and yogurt. Cover and place in freezer. Stir every hour or 2 until consistency of sherbet.

Enjoy!

-Glutenfreeda