Recipe: The Mozza Meyer Lemon Gelato Pie, Homemade Graham Crackers and Candied Lemon Zest

MOZZA MEYER LEMON GELATO PIE

"We change our gelato pies throughout the seasons - we make strawberry in the summer, pumpkin in the fall. We've experimented with others, such as caramel, banana, and coconut. But as good as they all are, the Meyer Lemon is the standout. The graham cracker crust, candied citrus peel, and champagne vinegar sauce turn a simple, familiar dessert into one with many layers of flavor and texture. It's one of my favorite desserts."



"The recipe for the graham crackers makes double what you will need for one pie, and the vinegar sauce makes even more than double what you will need, so plan to make this recipe twice within a short period."

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKERS:*
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover or wildflower
5 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and then frozen

FOR THE PIE CRUST AND FILLING:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Meyer Lemon Gelato, homemade or store-bought

FOR THE CANDIED LEMON ZEST:
2 lemons
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

FOR THE CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR SAUCE:
2 cups sugar
1 whole vanilla bean
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

FOR SERVING
Whipped cream, homemade or store-bought

*Making your own graham crackers is optional in this recipe. Use 1 cup of commercial graham cracker crumbs, if you prefer.

IF YOU ARE MAKING THE GRAHAM CRACKERS:
Whisk the honey, milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Add the frozen butter and mix until it is the texture of coarse wet meal. (You can also make this in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.) Add the honey-milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together.

Lightly flour a flat work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Pat the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or as long as three days or freeze for up to two months.

TO BAKE THE GRAHAM CRACKERS:
Have two baking sheets handy and cut four pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Divide the dough in half; rewrap one half and return it to the refrigerator. Roll the remaining dough between two sheets of the parchment paper to 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough, including the parchment, on one of the baking sheets and place it in the refrigerator to chill until firm, about 2 hours. Repeat, rolling and chilling the second ball of dough.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the dough sheets from the refrigerator and remove and discard the top layers of parchment paper. Bake until the dough is lightly browned and slightly firm to the touch, about 25 minutes, switching the baking sheets from the upper and lower racks and rotating them from front to back halfway through so the crackers brown evenly. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Break up the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process the crackers to fine crumbs and then turn them out into a large bowl. Measure 1 cup of the crumbs. (Transfer the remaining crumbs to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to several days or in the freezer for up to several months.)

Add the butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch glass or foil pie plate to form an even crust.

Place the crust on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F oven until it is firm, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set it aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the crust in the freezer until you are ready to fill it, or for up to a week.

Spoon the gelato into the prepared pie shell and use an offset spatula or rubber spatula to create a wavy surface. Place the pie in the freezer for several hours or overnight, to freeze completely.

TO MAKE THE CANDIED LEMON ZEST:
Use a vegetable peeler to peel long, irregular strips from the lemons, reserving the lemons for another use. Put the strips in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain the strips in a fine-mesh strainer. Return them to the saucepan, cover again with water, and repeat, bringing to a boil and straining the strips twice more, for a total of three times.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 2 cups water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides of the pot to remove the sugar crystals. Add the zest strips, reduce the heat, and simmer, brushing the sides occasionally, until the zest is tender, translucent and candied, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the saucepan aside to cool to room temperature.

Transfer the strips to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to several weeks.

TO MAKE THE CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR SAUCE:
Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil without stirring. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides of the pan to remove the sugar crystals. Use a small, sharp knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the pulp and seeds and add the scrapings and the bean to the saucepan with the sugar. Continue to cook the sugar without stirring, brushing down the sides of the pan occasionally and swirling the pan so the sugar cooks evenly, until the sugar begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Gently stir the sugar and cook it, stirring, until the caramel is translucent and amber colored. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. The mixture will spatter and it may seize and harden. Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and boil the sugar and vinegar until the sauce melts if it has seized, and then thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add the butter a few pieces at a time, whisking gently, until all of the butter is incorporated.

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set a smaller bowl inside. Set a fine-mesh strainer in the smaller bowl. Pour the sauce through the strainer into the bowl set in the ice. Remove and discard the vanilla bean and whisk the sauce occasionally to prevent the butter from separating, until the sauce cools and is syrupy. Use the sauce, or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to several weeks.

Reheat the sauce over low heat and cool it until it is syrupy before serving.

TO SERVE THE PIE:
Use a large knife dipped in hot water to cut it into 6 or 8 equal wedges. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the champagne vinegar sauce on the bottom of each plate and use the back of the spoon to spread it into a circle about 5 inches diameter. Place a pie wedge in the center of each plate and spoon another tablespoon of the sauce on top of each slice. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of whipped cream on top of the sauce and top each slice with three pieces of candied lemon peel.

Suggested Wine Pairing: Limoncello (Costa d'Amalfi, Campania)

Makes one 9-inch pie; serves 6 to 8
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Photo: Sara Remington
Source: The Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles's Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria by Nancy Silverton with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno