Lemon-Yogurt Cheesecake Bundt

Hello, I love anything made with lemon and olive oil.  So it was a good start with this recipe. 

My sister was swinging through town for just a few hours, around dessert time, so I needed a crowd-pleaser that we could linger over.  Not too rich or too sweet, but it couldn't be boring!  I flipped through one of my favorite cookbooks and I couldn't believe this cake had never caught my eye!

The pictures really speak for themselves.  Gorgeous, high-rise lemon bundt with a tender crumb, brushed with lime syrup for extra ZOW-ZING, and drizzled with a thick and creamy lemon-lime cream cheese glaze.  I would say it did the trick.  My sister walked in, whipped out her iPad, and Instagrammed a photo of my cake before saying anything to anyone.  Then we could sit down and chat over lemony slabs with tall glasses of milk.

Lemon-Yogurt Cheesecake Bundt (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 14 servings

Cake:
1 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups white sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, finely minced
4 large eggs
2 cups plain yogurt
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Lime Syrup:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp lime oil

Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 to 3 T lemon and lime juice, mixed

Finishing Touches:
Lemon and lime zest
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Generously spray a 9- or 10-inch fluted tube pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place pan on it.

2.  In a mixer bowl, beat oil, butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until well blended, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add eggs, yogurt, juice, and vanilla; blend well, about 2 minutes.  Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend well, making sure no uncombined ingredients cling to bottom of mixing bowl.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.

3.  Bake until cake is set and tests done with a cake skewer that comes out clean, about 60 to 80 minutes.  Cake will have fine cracks on the surface.  If cake is brown on top but doesn't seem done inside, reduce oven temperature to 325 and let bake at lower temperature until done.  Cool in pan 15 minutes before unmolding onto a serving platter.

4.  Meanwhile, for Lime Syrup, in a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil.  Let simmer 5 minutes.  Cool.  Poke holes all over cake with a cake skewer.  Drizzle some of syrup over cake.  Let set.  Repeat several times over a 30-minute period.

5.  For Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Glaze, blend all ingredients in a medium bowl with a whisk or in a food processor to make a drippy glaze.  Put glaze in a measuring cup with a pouring spout and drizzle over cake.  Garnish with citrus zest and edible fresh flowers or dust with confectioners' sugar.

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Lemon Ginger Muffins

Lately I've been craving my Tuscan Lemon Muffins, but I forgot to get ricotta cheese at the store, so the craving has been put on hold...like you can do that.  I've also been missing baking.  Which is ironic because it feels like I'm always in the kitchen, and I'm monumentally behind on this blog - like months behind on posting the things I've made.  But it's been a long time, probably almost two months, since I just baked to bake.  No Dessert Club, no birthday, no event, no dinner swap.  Just for the pleasure of the process and product. 

This morning, rummaging through the cupboards, I came across a bag of (admittedly, I don't know how old) candied ginger, and still on the vein of lemon muffins, I foodgawkered Lemon Ginger Muffins.  Breakfast is done.

Foodgawker is a two-headed beast.  The pictures, and associated recipes, are inspiring and saliva-inducing.  Then I click through to the blogs, and get depressed.  They have advertising.  How do they take such amazing pictures?  How do they have time to make that food?  The blog is so...sophisticated.  Et cetera.  Blog inferiority complex.  Can't really be helped, unless I don't look at them.  But once in awhile, I just can't help it.  What has foodgawker got for me today?

Today, it was just the thing.

Lemon Ginger Muffins (print recipe)
Makes 18 muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1 T lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 T lemon juice for glaze
1 cup powdered sugar for glaze

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Line muffin cups with paper liners.

2.  In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and salt; set aside.

3.  In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the crystallized ginger, lemon zest and lemon juice, then mix that in.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each is just incorporated.  Alternate the addition of the milk and dry ingredients  by thirds, making sure not to overmix each addition.

4.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and fill each nearly to the brim of the liner.  Bake them for 15 to 18 minutes until the tops are a nice golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Transfer them to a cooling rack.

5.  While the muffins cool, mix together the reserved lemon juice and powdered sugar until there are no lumps.  Drizzle glaze over muffins.

Recipe from HotPolkaDot.com

Bill Bryson's Dream-Fulfilling Lemon Pie

"Dessert was of course the highlight. Everyone on the trail dreams of something, usually sweet and gooey, and my sustaining vision had been an outsized slab of pie. It had occupied my thoughts for days, and when the waitress came to take our order I asked her, with beseeching eyes and a hand on her forearm, to bring me the largest piece she could slice without losing her job. She brought me a vast, viscous, canary-yellow wedge of lemon pie. It was a monument to food technology, yellow enough to give you a headache, sweet enough to make your eyeballs roll up into your head -- everything, in short, you could want in a pie so long as taste and quality didn’t enter into your requirements." 

- Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods (chapter 5)

 

(From DC member Sheri)  

I combined/adapted three recipes from Cook's Country for my pie. The instructions for the creamy layer were written for a food processor and I just left them that way even though I don't have a food processor and used my blender and mixer. When I baked the crust I did it at a lower temp for longer time, but am going to try again at the higher temp for shorter time (that I listed here) and hopefully it won't be as chewy next time.

Remember folks, this was one of the winners at Dessert Club Lit Night.  Lemony heaven; perfect sweet-tart-creamy-crunchy love child.  Definitely got my vote.

Bill Bryson's Dream-Fulfilling Lemon Pie (print recipe)

Crust:
10 lemon sandwich cookies

8 whole graham crackers, broken into rough pieces
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Add the cookies and crackers to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until they are finely ground. Add the butter, sugar and lemon zest to the bowl, and continue pulsing until well combined - the mixture should start to clump just a little. Turn the mixture out into a 10-inch springform pan. Press into an even layer and half-way up the sides to form the crust. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the crust to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

For The "Canary Yellow" Layer:
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup of lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
½ cup water
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
8 large egg yolks 
2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces

Whisk sugar, lemon juice, water, cornstarch and salt together in a large non-reactive saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture is translucent and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in yolks until combined. Stir in zest and butter. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.

Strain through fine mesh strainer into the baked and cooled pie shell and scrape off filling from the bottom of strainer. Reserve about 3 tbsp in a small dish for the decoration. Refrigerate while making creamy layer.

Creamy Filling Layer:
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons) and 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest 

1 ¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin

¼ cup sugar
1 (8‑ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14‑ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir ¼ cup of the lemon juice and gelatin together in a small bowl and let sit to soften.

Process the sugar and lemon zest together in a food processor until the sugar turns bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and continue to process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the condensed milk and pudding mix and continue to process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl.

Microwave the lemon juice mixed with gelatin until warm (just before bubbling), about 15-30 seconds. Stir to dissolve the gelatin.

With the food processor running, pour the warm gelatin mixture, remaining lemon juice, and vanilla through the feed tube and continue to process until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the creamy filling into the pie shell on top of yellow layer and smooth the top with a spatula. 

Transfer the reserved Canary Yellow filling to a small resealable plastic bag and snip one of the corners. Pipe thin, parallel lines of the Yellow filling onto the creamy layer, then drag a knife or spatula through the lines (perpendicular to them) to create a decorative pattern. 

Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, until chilled and set, about 6 hours. Serve chilled with whipped cream.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Fresh Raspberries

Heaven!  Simply heaven!  Shanna's family unanimously voted these as their very favorites, of all the pancakes she tried.  What could be better than light, fluffy, and oh-so-lemony pancakes?  Unless you also drizzle with lemon curd, that's the only way they could be better

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (print recipe)

Makes 4 to 6 pancakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Butter, for griddle
1 (11-ounce) jar prepared lemon curd
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

1.  Preheat a nonstick griddle.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.

3.  Empty the contents of the lemon curd into a small saucepan and warm over low heat. Alternatively, remove the lid and place in a microwave oven on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir the curd. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the curd over the pancakes, top with fresh raspberries, and sprinkle with confectioners' s sugar.

Recipe from Bobby Flay and tested by Shanna Stratton

Cranberry Curd

 I think my jaw literally dropped when I turned to page 108 of December's Cooking Light, and saw a Mason jar full of delectably smooth, Christmas-red cranberry curd, with the subtitle, "share this tangy treat."  Or don't, and eat the entire contents with my fingers!

The recipe looked simple, and make-ahead, which made her perfect for one of my Christmas Eve appetizers!  We served her with cream cheese and baguette slices, and she was definitely the belle of the ball.  I don't think I've ever genderized a recipe before, but this one, definitely a lady.  Not only gorgeous and delicious, but thoughtful!  The curd is thick and smooth like a cream, but also tart and low in fat (see nutritional info below) - so perfect for starting off a new year! 

We used up the whole batch on bread, but CL suggests this is also excellent swirled into Greek yogurt or oatmeal.  Guess I'll just have to make some more.

 Cranberry Curd (print recipe)
Makes 2 1/2 cups

1/2 cup water
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 T unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 T cranberry juice or Grand Marnier

1.  Combine water, lemon juice, and cranberries in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until cranberries pop.  Place cranberry mixture in a food processor; process until smooth.  Strain cranberry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids.  (Mine was too thick to strain, so I just used it all.  Solids were pretty well processed.)

2.  Combine sugars and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined (yum.)  Add egg yolks and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cranberry mixture, cornstarch, and salt.

 Place mixture in the top of a double boiler.  Cook over simmering water until a thermometer registers 160 degrees and mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently.  Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in juice/liqueur.  Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week.

Hazel was quite the kitchen helper over winter break!

Per 2 tablespoons: Cal 67; Fat 1.9g; Prot 0.7g; Carb 12.1g; Fib 0.8g; Chol 35g; Iron 0.2mg; Sod 20mg; Calc 8mg

Recipe from Cooking Light, December 2012

1 year ago:  Chocolate Clementine Cake with Hot Chocolate Sauce
2 years ago:  Seriously Real Instant Hot Chocolate
3 years ago:  Irish Oatmeal

Glazed Citrus Doodles

 My taste buds thrill at anything citrusy.  And if there is a glaze involved, that has zest in it, that much greater the thrill.  Slip a zingy butter cookie underneath, and well, that's a lot of thrillin'.  I took these, and a tray of Chipotle Brownies (wait for it), to the annual family BBQ at my uncle's house this summer.  I liked these cookies a lot myself, but I was still surprised at how much everyone else liked them.  My cousin Aaron couldn't stop the praises (and I didn't try to make him) - he should have written this post.  He said they were so light but still sweet, perfect for a summer sweet tooth.  I almost didn't take pictures - we were in a rush going out the door.  But good thing I did.  Because not even one came back home with us.

Glazed Citrus Doodles (print recipe)
Makes 3 dozen

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 T grated orange zest, plus 3 T juice (from 2 oranges)
4 tsp lemon zest, plus 3 T juice (from 2 lemons)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, 1 T orange zest. and 2 tsp lemon zest on medium-high until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add flour mixture; beat to combine.

2.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake until edges are lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely.

3.  Whisk together 1 T orange zest, 2 tsp lemon zest, citrus juices, and confectioners' sugar until smooth.  With a small spoon, spread glaze over each cookie.  Let set 1 hour.  (Store in airtight containers, up to 3 days.)

Recipe from Everyday Food

1 year ago: Coconut-Filled Lemon Cake
2 years ago:  Cardamom-Lime Sweet Rolls
3 years ago: Death by Chocolate Cookies

Mom's Lemon Pie

 Three reasons I'm calling this "Mom's", and none of them are that it comes from my mother.

1. I made this for Mother's Day this year, along with Pistachio Pound Cake.
2. I got this from a Southern Living article that compared two lemon cream pie recipes - "Mama's Way" (this one) and "Your Way" (which uses shortcuts like store bought crust, instant pudding, and lemonade concentrate.)
3. As hard as it is for me to remember, I'M the Mom around here, and someday my girls will refer to certain foods as "Mom's".  So I'm starting now.  And this pie is worthy of that label.

And if you don't believe me, my brother, Oh Great Connaisseur of All Things Pie, loved it so much he had a hard time staying out of the pictures. 

 Mom's Lemon Pie (print recipe)
Serves 8

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 T powdered sugar
3 T butter, melted
6 egg yolks
2 (14-oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
2 T powdered sugar
Garnishes: lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, and/or crushed lemon drop candies

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Stir together first two ingredients; add butter, stirring until blended.  Press mixture on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.  Bake 10 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

2.  Whisk together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice.  Pour into prepared crust.

3.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour.)  Cover and chill for 4 hours.

4.  Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form; dollop over chilled pie.  Garnish, if desired.

Recipe from Southern Living, August 2010

1 year ago: Peach Hand Pies
2 years ago:  Baked Buttermilk Donuts
3 years ago:  Deep Dark Double Chocolate Bread

High-Rise Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

 Ugh, FINALLY!  I FINALLY have a great lemon-poppy seed muffin recipe!  Everyone shout it with me,

HOOOO-RAY!

To this point, I've been making - and gobbling - my Tuscan Lemon Muffins when I needed a good lemon fix.  And those are still nothing to scoff at, I love them.  But it's embarrassing; shouldn't every self-respecting baker have a rockin' lemon-poppy seed recipe?  If so, why are they so hard to find?

This recipe comes from Cook's Country, which always gives happy results.  (Although I had to change the yield, syrup proportions, and baking time for some reason.)  But in addition to results, for every single recipe they publish, they explain 1) what they were going for, 2) problems they faced, and 3) how they overcame the problems to achieve perfection, or nearly.  In this article, they were going for "a light crumb; a neat, rounded top; a balance of sugar and tang (it's breakfast, not dessert, after all); ease (anything made before 8 a.m. must meet that criterion); poppy seeds (obviously); and a bright and significant lemon presence."  Check.  Check, check, check, check, check.  I love that high, rounded top, and the flavor balance, perfect.  Enjoy!

 
High-Rise Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins (print recipe)

Makes 20 muffins

3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar, plus 1/2 cup for the syrup
3 T poppy seeds
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 T grated lemon zest plus 1/4 cup juice (from 2 lemons)
8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease standard muffin tin(s) to make 20 muffins.

2.  Whisk flour, 1 cup sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  In second bowl, whisk yogurt, eggs, and lemon zest together until smooth.  Fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture with rubber spatula until just combined.  Fold in melted butter.  (Batter can be refrigerated in covered container up to 24 hours.)

3.  Using a muffin scoop or greased 1/3-cup measure, fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full.  Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

4.  Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan.   Cook over medium heat until slightly syrupy, about 3 minutes.  Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto wire rack.  Brush with warm syrup and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Country, April/May 2012  

1 year ago: Watermelon-Jalapeno Popsicles 
2 years ago: Mint Lemonade
3 years ago: Sour Cream Hazelnut Bundt Cake 

Pistachio Pound Cake

 For Mother's Day we had the whole clan over - my family, my parents, my brother & his family; thirteen in all.  Obviously, one dessert was not going to be enough. So I took my big stack of gotta-makes, and narrowed it down to two that I really, really wanted to try and that would complement each other if served side-by-side. 

First, this gorgeous pistachio loaf flavored with bright but subtle citrus and chock full of chopped pistachios; I never tire of how they make baked goods look and taste.  (And don't hold that overdone edge against the recipe; it's my pan for sure, I have cheap ones.  But since then have replaced some with my Mother's Day Williams Sonoma gift card...here's to a future of even baking!)

Bon Appétit designates a couple pages at the beginning of each issue to recipes that readers have asked the magazine to request from restaurants they love.  I love it; they'd never give a house recipe to a customer who asks for it, but if Bon Appétit comes calling, they often do.  I've gotten some of my favorite recipes from this feature, this one included.  BA says, "Chef Raymond Vadergaag [of The Tasting Room in Houston] dresses up this citrusy cake with whipped cream and truffled honey, an unnecessary but welcome gilding of the lily."  And that's why I'm a blogger instead of a real writer.  At least I have good taste.

  
Pistachio Pound Cake (print recipe)
An original recipe from The Tasting Room at CityCentre in Houston
Serves 8 to 10

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T fresh orange juice
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped, divided

1.  Arrange rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325.  Coat a 9x5x3" loaf pan with nonstick spray.  Dust pan with flour; tap out excess.

2.  Whisk 2 cups flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add sugar; beat until well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions.  Add juices and zests; beat until well combined (mixture will look curdled), 2 to 3 minutes.  Add dry ingredients; reduce speed to low and beat just until blended.  Fold in 3/4 cup pistachios.  Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pistachios over.

3.  Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in pan.  Run a sharp knife around sides to loosen; unmold cake. 

(Can be made 1 day ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.)

Recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit, April 2012

Frozen Strawberry Souffles

Here she is, the adorable PINK winner of Dessert Club: Colors!  It was funny because the woman that made these was a little disappointed in them - "they taste like strawberry jam" (and what's wrong with that?) - and was very surprised when I announced she had won.  Which is all part of the fabulous fun that is Dessert Club.  But the rest of us, obviously, were impressed.  They were super fresh, summery, and creamy, three of my favorite traits in a dessert.  I'm sorry you couldn't be at D.C., but with these, you can make them and pretend.

Frozen Strawberry Souffles (print recipe)

Makes 6

4 pints fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 cups heavy cream

1. Puree strawberries, lemon juice, and 3 cups sugar in a food processor. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding pulp. You should have 6 cups puree.
   
   
2. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, dissolve gelatin in 3 tablespoons cold water. Add 1 1/2 cups of the strawberry puree; return mixture to bowl with remaining strawberry puree.
   
   
3. Set bowl in ice bath until mixture is chilled and slightly thick, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. In a separate bowl, whip 2 cups cream to stiff peaks, and fold into strawberry mixture.
   
   
4. Cut parchment paper into 16 strips, each 2 3/4 by 10 inches. Tape each strip around a 3-ounce ramekin so it extends above the rim by about 2 inches. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet; fill each with about 1/2 cup strawberry mixture. Freeze until set, about 3 hours.
   
   
5. Remove from freezer 20 minutes before serving; remove parchment collars. Whip remaining cup cream with 2 tablespoons sugar. Serve souffles with whipped cream and strawberry slices.

Recipe from Martha Stewart

A Study in Blue

Is anyone else head over heels for the new Sherlock series?  I'm mad for it, dangling from the Season 2 cliffhanger by my fingernails.  The first episode of Season 1 is called "A Study in Pink", so I'm paying all geniuses involved  a little homage here as I wade through last month's efforts to come up with something blue for Dessert Club.

After realizing I'd just drawn the worst possible color, I set to brainstorming every possible way I could interpret "blue" into a dessert.  Bleu cheese.  Blue cornmeal/corn chip.  Blueberries.  Dried blueberries.  Blueberry preserves.  Blue raspberry.  Blue Jell-o (whatever flavor that is.)  Blue cotton candy.  "Blue ribbon ______." 

I first thought of some kind of blue corn muffin with a sweet blue cheese spread.  I ordered some blue cornmeal and collected recipes, intent on avoiding the "easy" route of just making something with blueberries, in favor of a more creative, and, if I was lucky, pleasantly surprising creation.  So I made some blue corn muffins.  A few kinds in fact.      

But they weren't very blue.  And they weren't very good.  Not when I would be competing with colors like white, pink, and brown.  Next I tried a blue corn biscotti with dried blueberries and pine nuts.  Sounded promising.  But even a dip in blueberry syrup or blue-white chocolate coating couldn't redeem them.  Where was Sherlock when I needed him?!

I looked at recipes I could make with blue Jell-o - poke cupcakes and the like, but I just couldn't bring myself to avoid natural foods that were at least close to the color blue, or blue in name.  So I reluctantly but resignedly turned to the blueberry.

I wasn't down about it for too long, though, because there are some amazing blueberry recipes out there.  I looked at blueberry crisp marshmallows, blueberry pie pops, and even considered trying to make a blueberry bagel (still might.)  In the end, I settled on a blueberry doughnut, because I simply love my doughnut pans and don't use them enough.  When my test batch came out of the oven, I started to look around the kitchen to see what on earth I could use to crank up the blue factor.  

I mashed blueberries to make the glaze, but it was really a bright pink more than a blue or purple, so I did add a few drops of blue food coloring.  Then I found a genius discovery in the back of my baking cupboard - a jar of lavender sugar my sister-in-law sent me from England, which I cherished but hadn't really known what to do with.

I glazed, sprinkled, took notes for next time, and I had my recipe.

The night of Dessert Club, I added dried lavender to the batter as well as the topping, just a little for some essence.  I took out the cinnamon and added a hint of nutmeg and ginger. 

And I stacked them all up on a bed of blue rock candy from World Market.

I didn't win Dessert Club this time around.  But I had quite a journey getting there.  It was good for me, having to think and improvise, push past my comfort zone, and risk making a mistake that would be all mine.  Kinda like a certain detective I know. 


Lavender-Blueberry Doughnuts (print recipe)
Makes about 24 doughnuts

Doughnuts:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp dried lavender buds
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over, and dried

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Scant 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, mashed
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 to 3 drops blue food coloring, optional
Lavender sugar, for sprinkling

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 an position an oven rack in the center.  Lightly coat the doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray.

2.  To make the doughnuts, in a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger and lavender with a whisk. 

3.  In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla with a whisk until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes.  Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a large wooden spoon until completely combined.  Gently fold in the blueberries until just combined.  Do not overmix.

4.  Using a pastry bag with a hole cut in the tip just larger than a blueberry, divide the batter equally among the doughnut wells.  Bake the doughnuts for 8 to 10 minutes, until they spring back when lightly touched.  Remove them from the oven, invert the doughnuts on a wire rack, and allow them to cool completely.

5.  To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, mashed blueberries, lemon zest, and as much lemon juice as needed to make the right consistency.  Dip the top of each doughnut in the glaze and lift, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl.  Alternatively, use a pastry brush to "paint" the glaze over each warm doughnut.  Sprinkle with lavender sugar and serve.

Recipe adapted from So Sweet: Cookies, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies and More from Sur La Table

1 year ago: Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (my Frosting for the Cause post)
2 years ago: Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet (so good)
3 years ago: Double Chocolate Mall Muffins

Sticky Toffee Pudding

 OK, just a reminder to all us Yanks that Sticky Toffee Pudding is a very popular British dessert, and as such, is not actually pudding.  In the UK "pudding" means dessert (as in, "Would you like to see the puddings menu?")  And this pudding is actually cake. 

Heavenly-brown-sugar-died-and-gone-to-heaven cake.  Buttery and moist with dates (you can't tell they're there, I swear!) and steamed and glazed with nectar-of-the-gods toffee sauce.  Which, since we had a little left, we also poured over ice cream, pancakes, scones, and our fingers before licking them obscenely. 

I was making this for our family Christmas Eve gathering, so I made it in an 8x8 (see below), but I'm sure they'd be even prettier and more amazing in ramekins.  Secondary bonus: my brother and I wouldn't have to fight over whose piece was bigger!

Sticky Toffee Pudding (print recipe)
Cake(s):
8 oz. pitted dates, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (1 1/3 cups)
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
2 large eggs
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce:
4 T unsalted butter
1 cup packed (7 ounces) brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 T rum or apple cider
1/2 tsp lemon juice

1.  FOR THE CAKES:  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour eight 4-ounce ramekins (*see below for large pan instructions.)  Set prepared ramekins in large roasting pan lined with clean kitchen towel.  Bring kettle of water to boil. 

2.  Combine half of dates, warm water, and baking soda in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (dates should be submerged) and soak dates for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. 

3.  Process remaining dates and brown sugar in food processor until no large date chunks remain and mixture has texture of damp, coarse sand, about 45 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.  Drain soaked dates and add soaking liquid to processor.  Add eggs, melted butter and vanilla and process until smooth, about 15 seconds.  Transfer mixture to bowl with dry ingredients and sprinkle drained soaked dates on top.

4.  With rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold wet mixture into dry mixture until just combined and date pieces are evenly dispersed.  Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins (should be two-thirds full).  Quickly pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come 1/4 inch up sides of molds.  Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, crimping edges to seal.  Bake cakes until puffed and surfaces are spongy, firm, and moist to touch, about 40 minutes.  Immediately transfer ramekins from water bath to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

5.  FOR THE SAUCE:  While cakes cool, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and slightly darkened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/3 cup cream and stir until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Slowly pour in remaining 2/3 cup cream and rum, whisking constantly until smooth.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until frothy, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

6.  Using toothpick, poke 25 holes in top of each cake and spoon 1 Tablespoon toffee sauce over each cake.  Let cakes sit until sauce is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Invert each ramekin onto plate or shallow bowl and remove ramekin.  Divide remaining toffee sauce evenly among cakes and serve immediately.    Makes 8 cakes.

TO MAKE AHEAD:  Prepare batter and divide among individual ramekins as directed, then cover and refrigerate, unbaked, for up to 1 day.  Bake as directed in step 4.  Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance; microwave on 50% power, stirring often, until hot, about 2 to 3 minutes.

*For a large Sticky Toffee Pudding - Substitute 8-inch baking dish, buttered and floured, for ramekins.  Bake cake until outer 2 inches develop small holes and center is puffed and firm to touch, about 40 minutes.  Cool as directed.  Using toothpick, poke about 100 holes in cake and glaze with 1/2 cup sauce.  Let cake sit until sauce is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Cut cake into squares and pour remaining toffee sauce over each square before serving. 

Recipe from The New Best Recipe

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce

 For many years in my youth, our traditional Christmas Eve dessert, served on our Christmas dessert plates with a cat curled up by a fireplace, was my Grandma Younce's bread pudding with lemon sauce.  But the bread pudding was made from very torn up soft bread, and tasted more like a ginger spoon bread, and with warm lemon sauce and fresh whipped cream, was like heaven in my mouth.  It was a lovely tradition.

Then my sister Tona, who usually made it, went off to college and got married and that was that.

I've never tried to make my Grandma's recipe; I should dig it up and give it a whirl.  But in the meantime, this delicious cake reminded me so much of it, I felt 13 again. 

 I shared it with a friend, and she was confused because in her mind gingerbread is hard, like The Gingerbread Man and gingerbread houses.  I was appalled because you can't really eat that stuff; it's never good.  How could someone not know about soft, edible, cakey gingerbread?  Oh, she was happy to be educated. 

Gingerbread with Lemon-Butter Sauce (print recipe)
Gingerbread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup finely snipped crystallized ginger

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and lightly flour a 2-quart square baking dish (8 x 8 inches.)  Set aside

2.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice.  Add shortening, molasses, the water and egg.  Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined.  Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in crystallized ginger.  Pour batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4.  Serve warm with Lemon-Butter Sauce.  If desired, garnish with Candied Lemon Slices.  Makes 9 servings.

Lemon-Butter Sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T cornstarch
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 T butter
1/4 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 T lemon juice
2 T finely snipped crystallized ginger

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Stir in half-and-half and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and ginger.  Serve warm.

Candied Lemon Slices
Cut 2 small lemons into thin slices; discard seeds.  In a large skillet, bring 1 cup light-color corn syrup to boiling over medium heat.  Stir in lemon slices.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, just until lemons are tender, turning occasionally.  Cool.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Baking magazine, December 2010

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread

I found this recipe awhile back on one of the very few cooking blogs I frequent, 17andbaking.com. It was like one of those truly inspiring recipes, and I pondered it for a long time before making it. I wasn't curious; I KNEW it would be great. It was just...I was waiting for the right time. The right day. I would know it when it came. In the meantime I would make sure I had lemons and cream cheese around, just in case.

I decided to make this the day Hurricane Irene came through. My nephew had been evacuated from his college in southern VA, so he was staying with us. There was nothing to do, nowhere to go, and the power could go out at any moment. But we doubted it because it didn't hit us too hard. Hard enough, though, to not go out, and to feel a bit "hunkered down." So I baked.

It was fragrant and gorgeous and fun as I had expected. Easier, actually. The long instructions threw me; once you do it, you realize it's easy. My only regret is cooking it a bit too long so the outer crust was too dark. This being my first time, I just wanted to make sure it cooked through the middle. But no one minded and we all gobbled it up, one pull-apart at a time.

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Bread (print recipe)
Sweet Yeast Dough:
12 1/4 ounces (about 2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup whole milk
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional (from King Arthur Flour)
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Lemon Sugar Filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 T finely grated lemon zest (from 3 lemons)
1 T finely grated orange zest
4 T unsalted butter, melted

Tangy Cream Cheese Icing:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 T whole milk
1 T fresh lemon juice

Make the Sweet Yeast Dough
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups (9 ounces) flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine the milk and butter and heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add the water, and let resta minute until just warm (120 to 130 degrees F). Stir in the vanilla and Sweet Dough Flavor, if using.

Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more Tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.

Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about one minute. Add an additional 1 to 2 Tablespoons of flour only if the dough is too sticky to work with. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size. An indentation made with your finger should keep its shape.

Make the Lemon Sugar Filling
Mix the sugar, lemon zest, and orange zest until the sugar is sandy and fragrant.

Assemble the Bread
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350. Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.

Gently deflate the dough with your hand. Flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 20" by 12" rectangle. You should measure it and make it as accurate as possible. Use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter evenly and liberally over the dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough crosswise in five strips, each 12" by 4". Sprinkle 1 1/2 T of the lemon sugar over the first buttered rectangle. Top it with a second rectangle, sprinkling that one with 1 1/2 T of lemon sugar. Continue to top with rectangles and sprinkle, so you have a stack of five 12" by 4" rectangles, all buttered and topped with lemon sugar.

Slice this new stack crosswise, through all five layers, into 6 equal rectangles, about 4" by 2" each. Carefully transfer these strips of dough into the loaf pan, cut edges up, side by side. This is easier if you prop the loaf pan up on its end. There will be some extra room, but the bread will expand during the second rise and baking. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes. When you gently press the dough with your finger, the indentation should stay.
Bake the loaf until top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Check it at 30 with a cake tester to make sure the middle is done. I overcooked mine slightly trying to get it right. Cover the top with foil if it is browning too quickly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the Cream Cheese Icing
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth, then add the milk and lemon juice. Stir until creamy and smooth.

Finishing
Carefully run a thin sharp knife around the edges of the bread, and tap the pan on the table to release the loaf. Flip it over onto a cooling rack, then flip again so it is right side up. Spread the top of the warm bread with the cream cheese icing, using a pastry brush to fill in any cracks. Eat warm or at room temperature, pulling off pieces with your fingers. It's best the first day but if it lasts into a second, microwave the pieces to soften them up. Recipe from Baking for All Occasions by Flo Baker via 17andbaking.com

Coconut-Filled Lemon Cake

Mmm. This one was borderline for Lemonade Week since it is oh-so-lemony and the glaze could just as easily be lemonade syrup. But in the end I had family coming into town and I just didn't get a seventh recipe up, so here it is a little later. No complaining.

So I know it doesn't look perfect but you can see this is a tunnel-of-coconut cake, right? A very lemony tunnel-of-coconut cake. Which makes it perfect and amazing. I made it for 4th of July - Bundts are always a great choice for picnics or potlucks because they travel so well and everyone likes them. And they're not melty, at least this one isn't. But it is fun! Different! Flavorful beyond description! Moist! Summery!

And it uses one of my new favorite ingredients - I can't remember if I've mentioned it before. Lemon juice powder. Laaa! It gives you that super strong true lemon flavor you want without compromising your chemistry with liquid or artificial stuff. Love it! And if you're wondering what to use it in, you can start with this cake and go from there.
Coconut-Filled Lemon Cake (print recipe)
Filling:
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon coconut flavor OR 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups shredded or flaked sweetened coconut
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
finely grated rind of 2 lemons OR 3/4 teaspoon lemon oil
1 T lemon juice powder, optional

Glaze:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar

1) Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl till the mixture is soft and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, and beat at high speed till the mixture forms fairly stiff peaks. When you scoop some up in a spoon, it should hold its shape easily. Stir in the coconut flavor or vanilla. Toss the coconut with the flour, and add to the egg white mixture, stirring till thoroughly combined. Set it aside while you make the cake.

2) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a a 9" to 10", 9- to 10-cup capacity Bundt-style pan, or a 10" tube pan.

3) Beat together the butter, sugar, and salt, first till combined, then till fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after you've added the first 2 eggs. Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in the grated lemon rind or lemon oil and the lemon juice powder, if using.

4) Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. You want to add enough to cover the bottom, and start to come up the sides; but not so much that you don't have enough left over to cover the filling. Distribute the stiff filling atop the batter, centering it within the ring of batter so it doesn't touch the sides of the pan. Pat it down gently. Dollop the remaining batter on top, again smoothing it with a spatula.

5) Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

6) While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar. Set it aside.

7) Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack. After 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, and turn the cake out onto a rack. Place another rack on top, and flip it over, so it's right-side-up. Poke the hot cake all over with a cake tester or toothpick. Stir the glaze to combine, and immediately brush it on the hot cake. Let it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up. Allow the cake to cool before slicing. Makes about 16 servings.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Strawberry Lemonade

Alrighty. How are you liking LEMONADE WEEK? It's time to talk a little lemonade, shall we?

How do you like it? Mouth-puckering tart? Sugary-sweet? Fizzy? Frozen? Speaking of, go back and remember my Mint Lemonade from last summer. Man that stuff is good; worth a revisit.

Have you noticed lemonades popping up more on menus? I mean things you drive by. McDonald's, for example, has a new "Frozen Strawberry Lemonade." Have you tried it? I had to, you know, for research. Grody. Artificial-tasting, very strong, very sour. A friend of mine thought the same thing. She thought it might have been flukey - how can something that sounds so good taste so bad? - so she tried it again when visiting another state. Same badness. That's three data points so you know it's reliable.

On the other hand, Wendy's has a new Wild Berry Lemonade that is super good. Very refreshing. Thumbs up.

I know Cafe Rio is not nationwide yet, but it's big in Utah and we recently got a couple out this way. I have to say, I don't love the food. But next to their self-serve soda spigots are three or four kinds of fresh lemonade that are to die for. Worth the trip just for them. I can't remember the others because I was hook-line-sinker addicted to a combo of southwest lemonade (which contains something floral/herbal - hibiscus?) and mint lemonade after one sip. Seriously, I would drive the hour just for the drink!!!

But when I don't have an hour, I'm still OK because there is a Starbucks on every single corner in Arlington. (Don't believe me? Watch this.) Maybe every other corner. And my very favorite summer beverage (that I don't make myself) is Starbucks' Passion Tea Lemonade. Oh, thrill of my taste buds, there are no words for the refreshment thou hast brought me, summer after summer!

Sooo...how do you lemonade?

Oh, yes. There is a recipe in this post. Straight-up fresh strawberry lemonade. Not pretend strawberry lemonade like some places make. Very delicious, and you can make it thick or thin, depending on how thoroughly you choose to strain the berry puree. Just be warned! The seeds sink to the bottom so careful about sipping them all up through a straw. I wish I'd had a video camera...
Strawberry Lemonade (print recipe)
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from 6 lemons) plus 1 lemon, sliced, for serving
1 pound strawberries (3 cups), hulled and halved
16 ounces seltzer, chilled
Mint sprigs, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water and sugar to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, 2 minutes. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cool, about 45 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir to combine.

2. In a blender, puree strawberries until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into pitcher with lemon syrup, pressing on solids. Stir well to combine.

3. To serve, stir in seltzer and divide among ice-filled glasses. Top with lemon slices and mint. Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Everyday Food, June 2011