Enjoy tangy festivities in Menton, Riviera & Merveilles!

To make a successful meringue, start by beating your egg whites until stiff before gradually adding the sugar. The rest depends on the type of meringue you want:

• French meringue: rain in the sugar as you go.
• Swiss meringue: heat the egg whites and sugar in a bain-marie before whisking.
• Italian meringue: pour a hot sugar syrup over the whipped egg whites to obtain a firm, glossy texture.

The secret to a meringue that holds together properly, ideal for a lemon meringue tart or a lemon meringue Yule log, lies in sufficient and regular whipping.

First prepare a sponge cake on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Once out of the oven, turn it out onto a damp tea towel and remove the paper. Gently roll up with the cloth and leave to cool. Unroll the sponge, spread with your lemon cream or lemon cream insert, then roll up the filled sponge, pressing lightly to avoid air bubbles.
For clean edges, place a sheet of rhodoïd before garnishing. Finish by removing the rhodoïd and decorating as desired: Italian meringue, icing sugar, lemon zest or lemon mirror icing.

Prepare a syrup or topping based on sugar, water and glucose, add lemon juice and zest, then add gelatine previously hydrated in water. Heat gently until the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool to 30-35°C before pouring over your frozen dessert, whether it’s a lemon Yule log or a creamy lemon dessert.

Balance the acidity with the sugar and fat. Adjust the sugar according to the acidity of the lemon. You can also blend several citrus fruits, such as oranges or clementines. Note that a lemon cream naturally becomes sweeter after a few hours in the fridge.

• Granulated sugar: ideal for lemon curd, lemon curd or pie crust, it dissolves easily.
• Icing sugar: perfect for fillings, meringues or icing, for a light, grain-free texture.
• Cane/blond sugar: adds a slightly caramelised note, which is interesting for certain Christmas log recipes.

Lemon desserts should be kept covered for 3 to 4 days to avoid drying out or absorbing odours from the fridge. Lemon cream, lemon curd or liquid cream preparations should be kept in the fridge. If the dessert includes meringue, add it just before serving to keep it light and crisp.

Yes. Assemble the lemon Yule log from start to finish, film it or place it in an airtight log mould, then freeze it fresh and undecorated. Add the meringue, mirror icing or decorations before serving. Defrost for 24 hours in the fridge to regain its texture.

Whisk together your whole eggs and the sugar until the mixture triples in volume to incorporate the air. Sift in the flour (and any cornflour) and fold in gently with a spatula. Add a few lemon zests for flavour without weighing it down. Bake quickly in a preheated oven to prevent the sponge cake from drying out.

Prepare a creamy lemon insert with juice, sugar, zest and thickener (powdered gelatine or agar-agar). Pour into a rhodoid-lined insert mould or log mould. Leave to set in the fridge or freezer until firm, then place in the centre of your dessert before adding the surrounding lemon mousse or cream.

Yes, adding butter or white chocolate to your lemon cream makes the texture more liquid and creamy. To do this, after heating your lemon juice, sugar and eggs in a saucepan, remove from the heat and gradually pour in the melted butter or white chocolate while whisking. This step, carried out minute by minute, ensures a perfect emulsion and a smooth cream. This is the ideal preparation for topping a lemon Yule log or a creamy lemon insert.

For a light, aromatic biscuit, you can add a vanilla pod or sesame seeds to the dough before baking. At this stage, mix the liquid (eggs and sugar) well with the flour and flavourings so that the fragrance spreads evenly. This technique, often used by chefs, makes fragrant biscuits that go perfectly with lemon cream or melted white chocolate in a lemon Yule log.