Best 2 Americas Test Kitchen Lemon Squeezer Recipes

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When life gives you lemons, squeeze them into a refreshing lemonade using the best lemon squeezer. Our top picks, featured in this article, will extract every drop of citrusy goodness, leaving you with the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness.

From the classic hand-held manual squeezers to electric and countertop models, we've got you covered. Each lemon squeezer is meticulously evaluated based on its ease of use, efficiency, and ability to produce maximum juice yield. We've also included a diverse range of recipes that showcase the versatility of lemon juice, from zesty marinades and tangy dressings to delightful cocktails and desserts. Get ready to elevate your culinary skills and savor the bright, citrusy flavors that lemons have to offer, starting with the perfect lemon squeezer.

Let's cook with our recipes!

SPRITZ COOKIES WITH VARIATIONS (AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN)



Spritz Cookies With Variations (America's Test Kitchen) image

A perfect spritz cookie recipe (with lemon and almond variations) from the folks at Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. This recipe includes detailed instructions for piping which you can ignore if you're experienced. If using a pastry bag, use a star tip to create the various shapes. For stars, a 1/2- to 5⁄8-inch tip works best, but for rosettes and S shapes, use a 3/8-inch tip (measure the diameter of the tip at the smallest point). To create stars, hold the bag at a 90-degree angle to the baking sheet and pipe the dough straight down; stars should be about 1 inch in diameter. To create rosettes, pipe the dough while moving the bag in a circular motion, ending at the center of the rosette; rosettes should be about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. To create S shapes, pipe the dough into compact S's; they should be about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. If you make an error while piping, the dough can be scraped off the baking sheet and repiped. We had the best results baking these cookies one sheet at a time. When reusing a baking sheet, make sure that it has completely cooled before forming more cookies on it. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days; to use, let it stand at room temperature until softened, about 45 minutes. Baked cookies will keep for more than a week if stored in an airtight container or zipper-lock bag. Recipe makes 6 dozen 1 1/2-inch cookies.

Provided by blucoat

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h

Yield 72 1 1/2-inch cookies

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool (2 sticks)
2/3 cup sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)

Steps:

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat the oven to 375°F In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla with a fork until combined; set aside.
  • In a standing mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running at medium speed, add the yolk-cream mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running at low speed, gradually beat in the flour until combined. Scrape down the bowl and give a final stir with the rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain.
  • If using a cookie press to form the cookies, follow the manufacturer's instructions to fill the press; if using a pastry bag (see TECHNIQUE below). Press or pipe cookies onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes; using a metal spatula, transfer them to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
  • FOR LEMON SPRITZ COOKIES: Follow the recipe for Spritz Cookies, adding 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the yolk-cream mixture in step 1 and adding 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the butter along with the sugar and salt in step 2.
  • FOR ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIES: Grind ½ cup sliced almonds and 2 tablespoons of the flour called for in Spritz Cookies in a food processor until powdery and evenly fine, about 1 minute; combine the almond mixture with the remaining flour. Follow the recipe for Spritz Cookies, substituting 3/4 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla.
  • TECHNIQUE: Filling a Pastry Bag: (1) Make a C shape with one hand and hold the piping bag. Fold the bag over that hand about halfway down, insert the tip, and scrape the dough into the bag. (2) When the bag is about half full, pull up the sides, push down the dough, and twist tightly while again pushing down on the dough to squeeze out any air. (3) Grab the bag at the base of the twist. Using the other hand as a guide, hold the top at a 90-degree angle about 1/2-inch above the baking sheet and squeeze to form the shape.

BLUEBERRY SCONES AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN



BLUEBERRY SCONES AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN image

Yield 8 Scones

Number Of Ingredients 10

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 oz), picked over (see note) or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Steps:

  • 1. Heat oven to 425. Score and remove 1/2 of wrapper from frozen butter. Grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (total of 8 T). Put grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 T of remaining butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 T butter for another use. Put blueberries in freezer til needed. 2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in med bowl; chill til needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 c sugar, BP, BS, salt, & zest in med bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers til coated. 3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula till just combined. Transfer to liberally floured work surface. Dust dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. 4. Roll dough into approximate 12" square. Fold dough into 1/3 like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends and fold into 1/3's again to form approximate 4" square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 min. 5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12" square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are embedded in dough. Using bench scraper, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12" by 4" rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to baking sheet. 6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 min. On wire rack cool 10 min. Make Ahead: Put scones on baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. To bake, for refrigerated, heat oven to 425 & follow step 6. For frozen, heat oven 375 & bake 25 - 30 min.

Tips:

  • Choose the right lemon squeezer: Look for a sturdy squeezer with a comfortable handle and a spout that is wide enough to accommodate the lemon. Avoid squeezers with plastic parts, as they can break easily.
  • Prepare the lemon: Before squeezing, roll the lemon on a hard surface to loosen the juice. This will make it easier to extract the juice.
  • Cut the lemon in half: This will make it easier to squeeze the juice out. You can also cut the lemon into wedges if you want to add it to a drink or dish.
  • Squeeze the lemon firmly: Use both hands to apply pressure to the lemon while squeezing. This will help to extract the maximum amount of juice.
  • Use a strainer: If you want to remove any seeds or pulp from the juice, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer.

Conclusion:

With the right tools and techniques, squeezing lemons can be a quick and easy task. By following these tips, you can get the most juice out of your lemons and enjoy the fresh, tart flavor in your favorite recipes and drinks.

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