A few favorite lemony recipes just in time for your Easter celebration!

Lemon Shrimp

1-½ lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 stick butter

1 lemon, sliced thin

1 packet of dry Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with foil. Melt butter in oven on lined cookie sheet. Lay lemon slices on melted butter. Lay shrimp on top of butter and lemons. Sprinkle the dry Italian dressing mix on top of shrimp. Bake for 15 minutes, until light golden brown. This is great alone or served on pasta or rice using melted butter/lemon juice drizzled on top. (It is hard to say how many shrimp to use since shrimp come in different weights and sizes. About 36 medium shrimp can fit on a cookie sheet.)

Lemon Meringue Pie

One 9-inch baked pie shell

Filling:

½ c. lemon juice         1-1/2 c. water

3 T. butter                   3 egg yolks, slightly beaten           

1 c. sugar                               

1/8 tsp. salt                            

¼ c. cornstarch

½ c. water

Meringue:

3 egg whites

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

6 T. sugar

Mix lemon juice, 1-1/2 c. water, sugar, salt, butter, and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler. Cook over boiling water until hot. Add cornstarch mixed with ½ c. water. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Pour into baked pie shell. For the meringue, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 T. at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Put meringue over hot pie filling, spreading to carefully seal meringue to edge of crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Lemony French Toast

A favorite from Lucy Senstad, owner of Aunt Annie's Quilts & Silks in Avon, Minnesota.

12- 1-inch slices French Bread           2 T. lemon peel

½ c. flour                                             1 tsp. lemon extract

2 T. sugar                                            1 lemon, cut into wedges

½ tsp. salt                                           melted butter

6 eggs                                                 sifted confectioner's sugar

2 c. milk

Slice the bread and set aside. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, lemon peel and extract. Heat skillet and add a little butter. Dip the bread in the batter on both sides and cook in the buttered skillet until golden. Serve with a lemon wedge, the confectioner's sugar and butter. You might not even need syrup! It tastes like a warm lemon Bismarck.