When I cook with citrus, three kitchen tools consistently lift recipes from ordinary to professional: a reamer, a microplane and a strainer.
Most citrus-based recipes, sweet or savory, call for zest. A vegetable peeler can sometimes work, but it often cuts too deeply into the rind and removes the bitter white pith along with the colorful outer layer. If the pith comes off with the peel, the zest will taste unpleasantly bitter.
A microplane is designed specifically for zesting. It shaves just the thin, fragrant outer rind—rich in essential oils and flavor—while leaving the bitter pith behind. A microplane is also ideal for grating whole nutmeg, which delivers much more flavor than pre-ground nutmeg.
After zesting, you’ll want the juice. There are plenty of tips for maximizing citrus yield—microwaving the fruit briefly or rolling it on the counter are common tricks—but the most reliable approach is simple: make sure the fruit is at room temperature, cut it in half, and use a wooden reamer to extract the juice. This produces more juice than hand-squeezing alone.
Always juice over a fine strainer to catch seeds and any pulp you prefer to remove. It’s quicker and cleaner than picking seeds out of the finished juice. Some people squeeze into their hands to trap seeds, but that method prevents you from using a reamer effectively and risks losing up to a tablespoon of juice per fruit.
When you zest and juice properly, a typical plump lemon will yield about 1 teaspoon of zest and roughly 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of lemon juice.
With those basics covered, try a bright lemon twist on cinnamon rolls using store-bought puff pastry for a quick, flaky treat. Pre-made puff pastry sheets give you buttery, layered dough without the work of making pastry from scratch.
Roll the puff pastry flat, spread it with lemon curd (homemade or store-bought), roll tightly into a log, slice into rounds and bake. For extra citrus brightness, drizzle the warm rolls with a simple lemon glaze made from powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice, then sprinkle with fresh lemon zest. A scattering of chopped almonds adds pleasing texture and a nutty contrast.
Enjoy!
Puff Pastry Lemon Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 box Pepperidge Farms puff pastry, thawed
- 1 cup lemon curd*
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped (optional)
Lemon Curd
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
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Unwrap one puff pastry sheet and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to smooth the seams.
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Spread 1/2 cup of lemon curd evenly over the pastry.
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Starting from a long side, roll the sheet into a tight log.
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Use a serrated knife to slice the log into 12 one-inch-thick rolls.
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Place the slices on a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet and remaining curd. Bake 20–25 minutes, until golden.
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Juice and zest the lemon. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with lemon juice to make a glaze, then drizzle over hot rolls.
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Sprinkle each roll with lemon zest and chopped almonds, if using.
Lemon Curd
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Juice and zest the lemon and set aside.
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With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the sugar, lemon zest and butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
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Cook the mixture in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, 10–15 minutes until thickened.
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Remove from heat. Use immediately or chill for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.
Additional Info