Award-Winning Lemon Torte Recipe

DEAR SOS: Will you print the first-prize winner of the lemon dessert contest that was recently held at the Four Oaks in West Los Angeles? It was called a lemon schaum torte and was wonderful.

--TOM

DEAR TOM: The dessert, which has a meringue shell and a lemon custard filling, comes from William Webb, an artist who decided to enter an adaptation of his Midwest grandmother’s torte recipe in the contest. He reduced the amount of sugar to get a less-sweet taste. “I tried it six times before I was satisfied,” said Webb, who won two tickets to Paris on Air France for his trouble. Four Oaks executive chef Peter Roelant, a seasoned classical French chef, who helped judge the contest was also impressed. “I gave the dessert a 10,” he said. Note, however, that the method for making meringue--placing it in a hot oven then immediately turning the heat off until the meringue sets--takes at least 8 to 10 hours.

WILLIAM WEBB’S

LEMON SCHAUM

TORTE

9 egg whites

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vinegar

Lemon Filling

Powdered sugar

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Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Beat egg whites in mixing bowl until stiff but not dry. Add granulated sugar. Beat until smooth and not grainy when tested between fingers. Add vanilla extract, baking powder and vinegar. Beat until mixed. Pour mixture into 2 (9-inch) buttered pans.

Place cake pans in heated 500-degree oven, shut oven door and turn off heat. Do not open door for 8 to 10 hours.

When ready to assemble, place 1 meringue layer on serving platter. Cover completely with Lemon Filling. Gently place second meringue layer over filling and dust with powered sugar. Slice thinly to serve. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Each of 12 servings contains about:

323 calories; 85 mg sodium; 164 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.00 grams fiber.

Lemon Filling

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Juice 2 to 3 lemons

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Combine egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in mixing bowl. Place in saucepan and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook and stir until thickened. Let cool.

Whip heavy cream in bowl and fold gently into cool lemon filling.

DEAR SOS: Call it nostalgia, but I want to make a meat loaf of the 1960s’ variety--that is the vegetarian healthy type. Do you have a favorite in your file? I am sure other baby boomers out there have a secret craving, too.

--L.L.

DEAR L.L.: Back in 1965 we printed a recipe called Sy Kramer’s vegetable-nut loaf that fits the description down to the last sunflower seed.

SY KRAMER’S

VEGETABLE-NUT

LOAF

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 large onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

3 cups grated carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

5 eggs, beaten

3 cups soft whole-wheat bread crumbs

Dried basil

Dried oregano

Salt, pepper

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Melt butter in skillet. Add mushrooms, onions and green pepper. Cook until tender, but not browned. Combine mushroom mixture in bowl with carrots, celery, sunflower seeds, walnuts, eggs and bread crumbs. Season to taste with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Line bottom of 9x5-inch loaf pan with wax paper, then grease paper and sides of pan generously. Turn mixture into pan and bake at 325 degrees 1 hour. Turn out onto serving plate being sure to discard wax paper. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

323 calories; 285 mg sodium; 154 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 1.79 grams fiber.

Note: Nut loaf mixture can be used to form little meatballs or shaped into hamburger-type patties to be fried, baked or grilled.

DEAR SOS: I am looking for a recipe for soft molasses cookies like the ones my grandmother used to bake for us. I’ve searched everywhere.

--CAROL

DEAR CAROL: Our recipe for soft molasses cookies has been around for a long time. Perhaps it’s the one you want.

SOFT MOLASSES

COOKIES

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup water

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Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in molasses and egg. Beat well.

In separate bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.

Dissolve baking soda in water. Add flour and baking soda mixtures alternately to butter mixture. Blend well after each addition.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto lightly greased and floured (or foil-lined) baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until done, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

Each of 3 dozen cookies contains about:

81 calories; 31 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 grams protein; 0.03 grams fiber.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. Send recipe request to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.

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You can also reach Rose Dosti on the Wining & Dining bulletin board on TimesLink, or by TimesLink e-mail at link99b. For information on TimesLink, call (800) 792-LINK, ext. 274.