[cye]

I want to make a lemon pastry cream for napoleons. Should i replace the vanilla extract with lemon juice or lemon extract? Should it be the same amount? Also on napoleons, is the topping just frosting or a different cream? this is my first time making them. thank you =)

[momoreg]

If you replace the vanilla extract with lemon extract, you'll end up with a very mild, perfumy lemon flavor. You can't replace extract with juice; it's just not strong enough, and if you increase the juice for more flavor, you'll end up with soup. Instead, make a lemon curd, and mix 1/2 with pastry cream, or use on its own.

[mudbug]

mmmmmm... lemon curd....

[BobbyR]

LEMON CURD

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits

Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.

Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

[foodpump]

The funny thing with all citrus fruits is that the flavour is in the skin, not in the juice. Use this fact to your advantage.

You can still make a regular "vanilla" pastry cream omiting the vanilla, but using lots of lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice.

Stay away from the "lemon" extracts, they are vile, foul, and will make anything taste like a toss up between lemon Pledge and toilet bowl cleanser....

[Dominique]

I don't like lemon extract either.. but check these out. We've been using lemon oil for one of our recipes and love it!
http://www.boyajianinc.com/citrus.html