Grapefruit Pound Cake

 I wanted something simple, pretty, and fruity for Easter dessert.  And I LOVE grapefruit.  And I couldn't remember the last time I used my tube pan.  So there you go.  After blackberry-mustard glazed ham, romaine salad with pears, walnuts, and blue cheese, curry-glazed carrots, and rosemary focaccia, we sliced this up and served it with pineapple-raspberry-orange rainbow sherbet.  Delightful.

 Grapefruit Pound Cake (print recipe)
Serves 16

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
5/8 tsp salt
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
6 T butter, softened
6 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
2 T grated grapefruit rind
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 325. 

2.  Coat a 10-inch tube pan with baking spray.  Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt, stirring well.  Place granulated sugar, butter and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time.  Beat in oil, rind, and vanilla.

3.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately to batter, beginning and ending with flour.  Spoon batter into pan; bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.  Invert cake.  Cool on a rack.

4.  Place juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.  Cook until reduced to 3 T (about 4 minutes).  Cool slightly.  Stir in powdered sugar and remaining 1/8 tsp salt.  Drizzle over cake.

Recipe from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2012

Steamy Sip #7: Warm Grapefruit Cider

First of all, Happy Christmas.  That said, I know no one is probably checking blogs today.  That's as it should be.

But I hope that doesn't mean this amazing Steamy Sip will be ignored.

I realize this week I'm using terms like "tea", "cappuccino", and now "cider" very loosely.  I didn't look them up to ensure proper usage.  There just aren't that many terms for warm beverages so I'm just calling them what I want.  In this case, "warm juice" neither sounds right nor does this unique spicy nectar justice.

When she saw I was doing Steamy Sips week, my friend Marna sent me this recipe.  Here is what she said:

I love this time of year for many reasons.  All the yummy citrus is one of the great things.  I love grapefruit, but not all of my family does, and I am not one who can eat grapefruit for breakfast day after day.  I bought a big bag of Texas grapefruits, because the price was good.  I have been wondering how to use them all before they spoil.  This warm "tea" was just the answer I was looking for.

 Warm Grapefruit Cider (print recipe)
2 cups fresh ruby red grapefruit juice (about 4 medium)
2 to 4 T honey (raw, if you have it)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp allspice berries

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients with 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil over high heat; strain and discard solids.  Serve with a grapefruit segment or a strip of zest. 

Recipe from the Martha Stewart Show, Jan 2008 via my friend Marna

Grapefruit Meringue Pie

 This was the final pie I made for Dessert Club.  I just love grapefruit!  (If you haven't tried my pink grapefruit sandwich cookies you are LAME!)  I also love lemon meringue pie - my all-time favorite from all pie occasions growing up, and into college, when the roommates were out on dates and my Saturday nights consisted of a trip to Frontier Pies and a date with the remote.

So I thought, why not grapefruit meringue?  Especially since I recently discovered a more mature way to make meringue, so it is more marshmallowy and less foamy (this recipe is done that way.)  So I Googled it, and naturally someone out there beat me to it - thanks to BakingBites for her awesome recipe contribution.

I loved this pie.  My brother Dave was slightly appalled that it wasn't more pink-grapefruit-colored.  But those in the know understand that lemon pie filling is not yellow from lemons; it's yellow from egg yolks.  And since this filling is made the same way, with the substitution of grapefruit juice for lemon juice, it, too, is yellow from egg yolks.  With an ever-so-slightly peachy tinge.  But if you add a drop or two of red food coloring, I bet you'd get it just the right pink...if you're into that kind of artificiality.

One last comment - as I got out the torch to toast this baby down, I told Dave I'd do half and he could do the other.  He shrugged and said he didn't need to.  Then he watched as I fired it up and gently browned it over.  I asked if he'd changed his mind. He said (of the torch), "It's like a gun!  And fire!  And pie!  All together!"  Turns out he did want a turn, imagine that.

 Grapefruit Meringue Pie (print recipe)

1 9-inch pie crust, prebaked (recipe here)

Filling:
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp ap flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 tbsp grapefruit zest
3 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
2 tbsp butter, room temperature

Meringue:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1.  In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt and water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring with a whisk, for 3 minutes, until quite thick. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks with grapefruit juice and zest.

2.  Gradually temper eggs with about 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, drizzling in the hot mixture very slowly. Return saucepan to the heat and, whisking continuously, stream in grapefruit mixture. Add in butter and cook over medium-high heat for another 3 minutes.  Pour into prepared crust.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

3.  Once filling is cooled, preheat oven to 350F. (Note: browning the meringue can be done with a kitchen torch, instead of putting the pie in the oven.) 

4.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and turn heat to low.  In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar and beat at high speed until egg whites reach soft peaks. Carefully and very slowly, with the mixer turned to medium, stream in sugar syrup and beat egg whites to stiff peaks.  Spoon meringue onto pie filling and make sure to completely seal the edges or the meringue with the crust, leaving no filling exposed.

5.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until meringue is lightly browned.  (Or brown with a kitchen torch.) Makes 1 pie

 

Recipe adapted from BakingBites.com

Grapefruit-Buttermilk Sherbet

 This is one of those very rare occasions when we actually ate it before I could photograph it.  (It was that good.)  So instead you are getting a bunch of pirated pics off the internet that aptly represent it.  Let's be honest, did you really think my camera and skills had improved that much?  Sadly, no. 

 Lucky for us there are so many good pics of grapefruit sherbet out there!  It was tangy-sweet with that energizing bite only grapefruit can give.  Like yogurt but way better.  If we have to say goodbye to summer, at least we can enjoy fall's bounty, and with recipes like this, look forward to the sunshiney citrus of winter!

 

 Grapefruit-Buttermilk Sherbet (print recipe)

1 cup water
2 T finely chopped red grapefruit rind
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh red grapefruit juice
2 cups whole buttermilk

1.  Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add rind to pan; reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes.  Drain, reserving rind.  Combine rind, sugar and juice in pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove from heat; pour into a bowl.  Chill for 1 hour. 

2.  Strain juice mixture (it will be like honey consistency), and discard solids.  Combine the juice mixture and buttermilk in the freezer bowl of an ice-cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.  Then freeze in freezer for about 8 hours. Makes about 1 1/2 pints

For an optional garnish, boil julienne strips of grapefruit rind in simple syrup for 30 minutes; drain and toss in sugar.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2011

Fresh Citrus Granita with Yogurt

Is your weather warming up yet? We have had a few warm days, and while I dread the looming misery that is summer in Virginia, I am thoroughly enjoying the perfection of spring. Warm enough to play outside, no bugs yet, you can go for a walk without steaming in your own clothes.

The other night we ate dinner al fresco, with this sweet, light treat for dessert. It came from Jamie's 30-Minute Meals, which, as you know, I got in the Best Package Ever. I wasn't sure if the girls would go for it - it's not pudding, not ice cream, not popsicles. Kinda rustic-sophisticated. But they really loved it and, if I remember right, licked their bowls clean.

I thought about saving this for summer, but why hold back? If we're having it, you should have it, too. Though it will be great to whip up on July nights when I just can't bear to turn on the oven.

Fresh Citrus Granita with Yogurt (print recipe)
1 bag or tray of ice cubes
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh mint
1 lemon
1 lime
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste
1 pink grapefruit
2 to 3 cups plain, vanilla or lemon yogurt
Raspberries and/or extra mint sprigs, to garnish

1. Half-fill the food processor with ice cubes. Add the leaves from 3 or 4 mint sprigs. Finely grate in the zest of the lemon and the lime and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then leave to blitz to a sort of snow. While processing, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated or caster sugar and squeeze in the juice of the lemon and lime. Once the mixture is like snow, spread it over a serving platter or 8x8 pan and put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to an hour.

2. Take the platter or pan out of the freezer. Use a fork to fluff up the ice and squeeze over the juice of the pink grapefruit. Serve with yogurt and raspberries. Delicious!Recipe from Jamie's 30-Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver

Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

I absolutely LOVE the invigorating taste and smell of grapefruit - it's my favorite hand soap or shower gel scent, and it's great to eat, especially paired with something sweet. So I really felt lucky when I happened upon this recipe on Martha Stewart's website. You hear of plenty of cookies made with lemon, orange and even lime. But I'd never had a grapefruit cookie, and that made it a must-try.

There's grapefruit zest and juice in the cookies, and more juice in the super pretty peachy-pink filling. Oh, and plenty of butter and sugar to balance it all out. After zesting it, just juice the whole fruit, and after making the filling drink whatever is leftover with your first cookie - WOWZER! I love the step that has you toss the fresh zest with sugar before adding to the dough - I think it helps distribute the zest and grapefruit flavor more thoroughly throughout the dough.

But while I've said before that Martha doesn't make mistakes, and I hold that that is almost always true, I've had to fix a few details in her recipe, like cutting the cooking time in half, and totally revamping the proportions in the filling. So here's my tried and true version for a truly unique winter citrus goody plate treat.

Cookies:

Grated zest of 1 Ruby Red grapefruit, plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large egg yolks

Filling:

2 T unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 T freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice

1. Zest and juice the grapefruit. In a small bowl, combine zest with 1 T sugar; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In an electric mixer bowl, beat butter and remaining sugar on med-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, and beat until combined. Beat in reserved zest-sugar mixture. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the juice, and beat to combine.

3. Turn out half the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate disks until firm, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 2-inch rounds and place on prepared sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through if cooking unevenly. Allow to cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

5. Place butter and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and mix slightly. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice and continue to beat until frosting is formed. Add slightly more butter, sugar or juice to taste and to desired consistency, beating well. Don't let it get too soft or runny. Spread 1 tablespoon filling onto flat side of cookie; top with another cookie, flat side down. Once filled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes 2 dozen sandwiches