Lemon Filling and Sugar for Beignets

Lemon filling ingredients:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup + 2 TB granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
• pinch of salt

Instructions:

• You’ll be heating the filling in a double boiler. Fill a medium pan with a few inches of water, and heat to simmering.
• In your double boiler pan, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs til well combined.
• Add in the butter and set over the simmering water, whisking constantly. Cook until thick, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and run through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover with plastic wrap (directly on the curd) and cool, then chill in the refrigerator for two hours and up to overnight.

Lemon Thyme Powdered Sugar

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 TB cornstarch
• 2 TB lemon thyme leaves
• 2 tsp lemon extract

Instructions:

• Mix sugar and cornstarch together.
• In a clean spice grinder, coffee grinder, or other powerful blender, add the mixture in batches and blend 4 – 5 minutes until you reach the texture you’re looking for.
• In a bowl, mix the chopped thyme leaves and lemon extract well into your ground sugar with a whisk. Spread out on a cookie sheet to dry. You may need to mix more than once.
• Store in an airtight container.