freshly squeezed. [mini lemon curd phyllo cups topped w. homemade whipped cream & fresh raspberries]

Much to my dismay, I had to fly home from South Carolina on Monday. The trip was an absolute blast and extremely relaxing. We explored the city, tried new restaurants and lounged on the back porch facing the peaceful forest during the day; almost every night we indulged in delicious, gourmet dinners.

I ate some of the best, and most interesting, food during the trip—from rich and silky butternut squash soup infused with cinnamon, all spice and bourbon at the Hyatt chef’s table dinner (here) to tender and garlicy fresh mussels from Nantucket. Although I never dreamed I’d be daring enough to try something such as a mussel, as I am not a huge seafood fan, it was not all bad.

Our last night in South Carolina, I was in a baking mood (naturally). I’d been craving lemon curd and wanted to make something simple, yet delicious. We were not able to find wonton wrappers in South Carolina, so instead I bought frozen mini phyllo cups, which worked just as well—if not better. The tartness of the lemon curd paired with the sweetness of the homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberry was delectable. These mini desserts would be great for any dinner party or get together.

Lemon curd recipe:

3 large egg yolks

Zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

6 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

Directions:

Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth.

Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour.

Homemade whipped cream recipe:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1-2 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar

Recipe:

In a large bowl, using electric mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in the vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat.

Frozen phyllo cups, package of 15. Remove cups from freezer and let sit out for about 5 minutes. Fill cups with spoonful of lemon curd, then top with dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberry.