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

Coffee Cake

A few months ago, my kindergartener came home exclaiming, "Mom!  My teacher made the most awesome snack for us today.  It was sooo good, you wouldn't believe it!"  OK, I'll bite.  "What was it?"

"It was called coffee cake.  But it didn't even have coffee in it.  People just eat it with coffee sometimes."

"Your teacher made you coffee cake?"  I had to admit, I was impressed.  And jealous.  I'd never made a good coffee cake, despite best efforts.  Something always went wrong.  And here, someone whose baking skills I was unable to critically evaluate (although I really like her), had introduced my daughter to this classic breakfast confection before I had.  It just didn't sit well.

"We can make coffee cake at home, you know."  It was my poker face.  I didn't actually know if we could, since I never had.  I started to realize how hard this might be.  "We can?!  Let's do it, let's do it!"

So we went home, and that weekend I made one sorry excuse for a coffee cake.  We all ate an obligatory piece, and tossed the rest.  It was dry on the edges, and kinda brown throughout, rather than high golden cake with a dark cinnamon ripple and crumbly sugar topping.  So I gave up for awhile.

Until I saw a picture in a cookbook of the perfect coffee cake, exactly how I would want mine to look.  I read the author's notes, and she said it was her rendition of her favorite cake from King Arthur Flour.  KAF!  Why hadn't I thought of that?!  Of course they will have a good one; their test kitchen actually tests recipes!  So I skipped this dubious variation and went straight to the source.

And this is what I got.

Tender, moist, vanilla yellow cake (I used my precious vanilla bean paste because I wanted it to be just really perfect.)  Cinnamon ripple, with a touch of cocoa (you barely taste it.)  Crunchy, crumbly cinnamon sugar topping (which has nothing wrong, but I may experiment with in future - nuts, oats, other spices, etc.  Now that the foundation is sure, embellishment comes next.)

Coffee cake perfection.  And yes, my little Ginger likes it, too.

Coffee Cake (print recipe)
Makes one 9x13 or two 9" round pans

Topping:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T ground cinnamon
6 T unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 T ground cinnamon
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used plain Greek)
1 1/4 cups milk (any; I used 2%)
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, or two 9" round cake pans.

2.  Make the topping by whisking together the sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter, stirring till well combined. Set the topping aside.

3.  Make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Note that the cocoa powder is used strictly for color, not flavor; leave it out if you like. Set it aside.

4.  To make the cake: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until well combined and smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream or yogurt and milk till well combined. You don't need to whisk out all the lumps.  Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with the milk/sour cream mixture, beating gently to combine.

5.  Pour/spread half the batter (a scant 3 cups or 28 ounces) into the prepared pan(s), spreading all the way to the edges. If you're using two 9" round pans, spread 1 1/3 cups (14 ounces) batter in each pan.  Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter.  Spread the remaining batter atop the filling (this is most easily done with a rubber spatula dipped in water.) Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter. Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.

6.  Bake the cake until it's a dark golden brown around the edges; medium-golden with no light patches showing on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes for the 9" x 13" pan, 50 to 55 minutes for the 9" round pans. When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back.  Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve cake right from the pan.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Crisp Plum Ravioli with Lemon-Thyme Honey and Yogurt Cheese

 So this was my contribution to "Herbs & Spices" night, and I was quite proud.  1 - Because I stepped out of my typical range, and 2 - It was just a delicious mouthful.

The ravioli, as named, is crisp - baked in the oven, not boiled or fried.  The filling is spicy plum jam, essentially, and a really gorgeous fall rust-plum color.  The lemon-thyme honey brings an outdoorsy earthiness to things.  And the yogurt cheese, unexpected, and a welcome creamy finale to the bite.  So there is sweet, spicy, crispy, creamy, herbal, fruit, and tangy.  Delightful.

And on top of all that, just a bonus, very healthy-ish!  One serving, which includes three ravioli, two teaspoons honey, and a tablespoon of yogurt cheese - very generous! - is only 328 calories and 4.7 g fat.  I'm sure this must be a Dessert Club record.  Not that we are keeping track.

Crisp Plum Ravioli with Lemon-Thyme Honey and Yogurt Cheese (print recipe)
Makes about 24 to 30

1 (16-ounce) carton vanilla yogurt
4 cups chopped plums (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
60 wonton wrappers
Cooking spray
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1.  Place colander in a medium bowl. Line colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth, allowing cheesecloth to extend over outside edges. Spoon yogurt into colander. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate 12 hours. Spoon yogurt cheese into a bowl; discard liquid. Cover and refrigerate.

2.  Combine the plums, 3 tablespoons honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes; stir in butter. Cool completely.

3.  Preheat oven to 400°.

4.  Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1 tablespoon plum mixture into center of wrapper.

 Moisten edges of dough with water, and top with another wrapper. Press 4 edges together to seal. Place ravioli on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray (cover ravioli with a damp towel to prevent drying). Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers and plum mixture. Bake at 400° 14 minutes or until golden.

5.  Combine 1/2 cup honey, rind, and thyme in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook 20 minutes (do not boil). Place 3 raviolis on each of 3 plates. Drizzle 2 teaspoons honey mixture over each serving; top with about 1 tablespoon yogurt cheese.
Recipe from Cooking Light, June 2003

1 year ago:  Pistachio-Chai Muffins
2 years ago:  Apple Cake with Buttery Caramel Sauce
3 years ago:  Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Chai Banana Bread

 As you know by now, my stance is that you can never, ever have too many banana bread recipes.  What if the next one is the best one ever?  That's been my experience, so I just keep making them.  Indeed, I think this one may even be the best one ever.  I love it when quickbreads have that shapely rise in the center, stand tall, and cook evenly throughout.  And, specific to this one, I am inclined to thin down the extra chai-spiced glaze with a little milk and drink it with a straw.  Then lick the bowl. 

  
Chai Banana Bread (print recipe)
Makes one 9 x 5-inch loaf

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3)
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 T butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
10 ounces all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, divided
Cooking spray
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp 1% low-fat milk

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Combine bananas, yogurt, melted butter, and eggs in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended.  Add sugars; beat at medium just until blended.

3.  Weigh or spoon flour into dry measuring cups.  Combine flour, soda, and salt.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.

4.  Combine cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.  Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons spice mixture and 1 tsp vanilla extract into batter.  Pour into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack.  Remove from pan; cool. 

5.  Combine remaining spice mixture, remaining vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk.  Drizzle over or "paint" on bread.

Recipe from Cooking Light, May 2012

1 year ago:  Lattice-Top Cherry Pie
2 years ago:  Vanilla-Pear-Walnut Muffins
3 years ago:  Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake

Here's a variation on that beloved confection, the Gâteau au Yaourt, only barely more complicated just because you actually use measuring cups, not just the yogurt containers.  And it's a loaf.  But I guess you could make the other one in a loaf pan, I just never have.  This one is lovely, tender, and, for you less-seasoned bakers, reliable.  And one of my favorite features of this, and all quick breads really, is that it can be breakfast just as easily as dessert, or anything in between.  We really like it for afterschool snack - just a little sugar boost to get through homework to dinner.


Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake (print recipe)
Makes one 8 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch loaf

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon juice powder, optional
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 T finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Coat a standard (8 1/2" x 4 1/4") loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Dust with flour.

2.  Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon juice powder, if using, in a medium bowl.

3.  Using your fingers, rube the sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist.  Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla; whisk to blend.  Fold in dry ingredients just to blend. 

4.  Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top.  Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes.  Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Invert onto rack; let cool completely.

5.  Optional - I also made a simple lemon glaze to drizzle over - whisk about 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and about 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice until a good drizzle consistency - pour over cake and let set.

Recipe from Bon Appétit, May 2012

1 year ago:  My Big Fat Bumpy Life Cake
2 years ago:  Apple Pie Bars
3 years ago:  Chunky Cheese Bread

Gâteau au Yaourt (French Yogurt Cake)

Having a little fun here with a cross-blog two-part post.  See here for Part 1 (how my 7- and 2-year-olds made this cake by themselves.)

And now, I give you....Le Gâteau au Yaourt:

This cake is so awesome!  Totally easy, famously hard to mess up, moist, deliciously vanilla-y, and I LOVE the high rise!

It was late afternoon by the time it came out of the oven, and we were all hungry.  My husband and middle daughter were out of town, so with half the family gone, it seemed pointless to even pretend to cook dinner.  Instead, we sliced this cake into thick wedges and ate it for dinner with tall glasses of milk.  I.  Love.  Summer.

 We froze the remainder and I am even now chomping on a hunk of it as I write.  It's so good I crave it, and how often does that happen with an unfrosted cake?  Amazing.  And just because a child can make it, does not mean it is a juvenile dessert - I would proudly serve this to company, after dinner with tea or along with fruit at a brunch, any day.  My new favorite.

Not only is yogurt an ingredient, but most of the ingredients are also measured in the 6-ounce yogurt containers, how cool is that?  Hazel was as tickled as I at the fun of measuring in non-measuring cups.  I had a hard time finding whole milk yogurt - it's all lowfat these days!  So I compromised by using part lowfat, part fancy European whole milk yogurts.  I highly recommend the combo.

Gâteau au Yaourt
(French Yogurt Cake) print recipe
2 six-ounce containers plain (or vanilla) whole-milk yogurt (use the empty containers to measure the other ingredients)
2 eggs
2 containers sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Just under 1 container vegetable oil
4 containers flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Crème fraîche, for serving (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or a loaf pan.

2.  Gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet; mix gently until ingredients are just combined (don't overmix.)  You can add 2 containers frozen berries, a container of chocolate chips, or any flavoring you like.  Bake for 35 minutes, then five minutes more if the cake doesn't pass the knife test.  It should be almost crispy on the outside, but springy on the inside.  Let it cool.  Serve with tea or hot chocolate and a dollop of crème fraîche.

Recipe from Bringing up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman

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 

Lucky Rainbow Ribbon Jell-o

 We had some friends over to dinner a few months ago and this was the "salad" they brought (I had asked them to; I'd heard about their rainbow Jell-o.)  It's a family recipe, and in my friend Sheri's family, she made it clear, this dish is a "salad."  In fact, she only shared the recipe with me on condition I would file it under "salads."  Gotta love Utah.


But even more, gotta love this Jell-o!  Hello, this is like so pretty, and as long as you plan ahead a day or so, it is like so easy, too!  And really pretty fun to make.  I made it for Dinner Swap on Ginger's birthday, and certainly counted it as a "salad."

Another friend also made me realize what a perfect St. Patrick's Day treat this is - end of the rainbow and all that.  In fact, I had the thought to hide a gold-wrapped chocolate coin on the bottom - what do you think, would that work?  I'm not sure I'm going to make that happen this year, but maybe, just maybe, next. 

Also, at the risk of stating the obvious, you could do this with any colors for any occasion - 4th of July, Easter, baby shower, Christmas, Halloween (purple, green, orange), etc.

Rainbow Ribbon Jell-o (print recipe)

6 (3 oz.) boxes of Jell-o in rainbow colors - purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red (or any colors you want as your stripes)
6 cups boiling water
2 cups plain yogurt (we prefer Greek)
1 1/8 cup cold water

1.  Starting with the last color first (purple), dissolve each package of Jell-o in 1 cup boiling water.  Pour 1/2 cup of that into a separate bowl and combine with 1/3 cup plain yogurt.  Pour purple yogurt Jell-o into a clear glass serving bowl.  Chill to set in refrigerator, 20 to 25 minutes. 

2.  Add 3 T cold water to remaining purple Jell-o and pour onto first layer.  Chill to set at least 20 minutes.  Repeat with each flavor.

Recipe from Sheri Wadman

Bacon and Gruyère Muffins

Maybe it's time for something a little different. Savory. Unexpected. Something with bacon.
These have the craggy look of a biscuit, but the tender crumb of a muffin. Gorgeous pockets of melted nutty Gruyère cheese and yummy big bits of smoky, salty bacon make an elegant but very satisfying breakfast package. Serve 'em with eggs, fruit and cocoa. Or grab one for a breakfast-on-the-go. Whatever you choose, these are just the thing. Everything's better with bacon.
Bacon and Gruyère Muffins (print recipe)
8 thin slices smoked bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
4 T unsalted butter, melted*
1 cup milk
2 T sour cream or plain yogurt
3/4 cup finely diced Gruyère or Swiss cheese (about 3 to 4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease 11 standard muffin cups with butter, spray or paper liners. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon slices until crisp, 6-8 minutes, turning as needed. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain. Let bacon cool, then crumble. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and sour cream until blended. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the bacon and cheese just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes. Do not overmix.

4. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup. Bake until golden, dry and springy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 11 muffins

*For added bacon flavor, hello, replace 2 T of the melted butter with 2 T of the bacon fat.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Muffins

Peach-Vanilla Cream Pops

I love it when the picture says so much more than I could. Look at that color. That is the color of fresh peaches pureed with cream (and a little Greek yogurt.) And those are the exotic black specks of a real vanilla bean, hand scraped and meticulously added to a simple syrup. These are what I call grown-up popsicles. Not because kids don't like 'em - mine gobbled them up and fought tooth-and-nail over the last one - but because they are fresh and a little unexpected. A perfect cool treat for summer.

Peach-Vanilla Cream Pops (print recipe)
Makes about 8 to 10 popsicles

1/2 cup plus 2 T sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
4 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 4 medium), or 16 oz. frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt

1. Place sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add them to the pan; add bean. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer syrup to a small bowl; chill. Discard vanilla bean.

2. Puree syrup and peaches in a food processor until smooth. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium pitcher or pouring liquid measuring cup; strain, pressing on solids to extract about 2 1/4 cups puree. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Divide among molds. Cover; insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze until firm. Dip bottoms of molds into hot water for 20 to 30 seconds to loosen pops. Remove pops from molds and serve.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, June 2011

One year ago: Ranch Hamburger Buns
Two years ago: Coconut Milk Pudding Rolls

Braided Lemon Bread

This bread is amaaaaazing. Do I say that too much? Need some new adjectives? I can't help it, it is delightful and delectable. Goes for breakfast, snack or dessert, don't you love things like that? AND it makes two loaves so you don't feel like it was a waste of time. Big loaves, did I mention? Look:
And it's really only faux-braiding so don't think you can't do it. You just lay the cream cheese and lemon curd fillings down the middle (I KNOW! Sounds great already!), then cut the dough on both sides into strips and lay them alternately across the filling so they overlap and look like a braid! Easy and beautiful, perfect combination. And did I mention you could make the dough in the bread machine? It's an option, see step 3.

It says to sprinkle sparkling sugar on the bread - you can totally use turbinado or any coarse sugar - I got this jar at Michael's by the sprinkles.
That filling! Well as you know anything with lemon curd is destined to be fabulous unless you seriously screw something up. But you won't. Because this recipe comes from King Arthur Flour and they have a trustworthy test kitchen. Plus I also tested it for you so you're all set. Yeasty, lemony, super comforting but also elegant. I can't think of a single occasion this wouldn't be good for, so whip it up and go impress someone.Braided Lemon Bread (print recipe)
Sponge:
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 T instant SAF yeast or rapid-rise yeast
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Dough:
all of the sponge
3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract OR King Arthur Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
egg wash for brushing braid
pearl sugar or sparkling white sugar for sprinkling on braid

Filling:
2/3 cup (5 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup prepared lemon curd, whisked smooth (store-bought or homemade, recipe follows)

1. In a small bowl combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well to combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. (*If using a bread machine, skip to step 3a.) If mixing by hand, in the bowl of a stand mixer combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt and flavoring. Add 4 1/2 cups flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, adding 1/2 to 1 cup more flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.

3. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until quite puffy and nearly doubled.

3a. If using a bread machine, place ingredients in the pan and set the machine on the dough cycle. Be sure to check the dough as it kneads and adjust the flour or water as needed to achieve a soft, supple consistency. Let the cycle complete itself.

4. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients except the lemon curd in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids.

5. Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set aside as you roll out the first piece into a 10" x 15" rectangle. (Rolling on parchment paper makes moving the bread to the baking sheet much easier. I roll mine out, fold it in fourths, move to a parchment-covered baking sheet, unfold to full size, and continue with the braid on the baking sheet.) Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise to divide it into 3 equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section, and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling.

6. To form the mock braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have about the same number on each side. It will kind of look like a centipede. Beginning on the left, life the dop dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips cross cross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. Tuck ends into braid so filling won't spill out.

7. Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for about 60 minutes or until quite puffy.

8. Preheat oven to 375. Brush the loaves with egg wash (one lightly beaten egg, 2 tsp water and a pinch of salt), and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before serving. Makes 2 loavesRecipe from KingArthurFlour.com

Lemon Curd
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 stick (6 T) unsalted butter, cut into bits

1. Whisk together juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes.

2. Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour. Makes about 1 1/3 cups

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

Basic Banana Bread

OK, so I was not quite done posting bread recipes. A few months ago Cooking Light did a feature on banana bread, from whence came that yummy Peanut Butter Banana Bread - man, it's good. So I figured the basic recipe would be just as perfect, and it is.

You're not put off by the word "basic", are you? Because you know on here it does not mean bland, boring or sub-par in any way. I wouldn't post it if it was, and there have been a lot of banana breads I haven't posted because of that. No, this is that perfect, simple, moist but properly cooked and crumbed, not burnt on the edges, sweet, fragrant and flavorful loaf you imagine and want banana bread to be. Here it is, your perfect basic recipe!
Really Good Basic Banana Bread (print recipe)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Cooking spray
1/3 cup powdered sugar, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons 1% low-fat milk, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until combined.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through ground allspice). Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely. Optional - Combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth; drizzle over bread.
Recipe from Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2010

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

There is a special place in my heart just for peanut butter. I have loved it my entire life and just keep finding wonderful ways to eat it. I have just recently introduced my daughters to the wonders of peanut-butter-and-apples as an after school snack. Classic.

So when I saw Peanut Butter Banana Bread on the cover of Cooking Light this month, there was no question I was going to make it. Immediately. And it's just what you think it would be. Really good banana bread. Made even better with peanut butter and chopped peanuts. I mean, really. I'm embarrassed I didn't think of it long ago. But no matter. It's here now and sure to become a new classic.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 4)
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.Recipe from Cooking Light, October 2010

Firecracker Pops

A dessert with blueberries, strawberries and something white and creamy is a natural choice for the 4th of July. There are parfaits and trifles, shortcakes and sundaes, and of course the ubiquitous flag cake (although, wow, check out this flag cake - I've never seen anything like it.)

This summer I have invested in new popsicle molds. Three different sets, in fact, and I plan to use them. Which means you will be getting popsicles. They are -

1 - quick

2 - easy

3 - not hot

- all requirements for me to get anything made these days. Plus kid-friendly. And, while hardly a requirement on the VGP, it's always nice to find something low in fat (0.6g) and calories (59). My girls love how these look like firecrackers exploding (minus the loud noise.)

Firecracker Pops
1/2 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 lb blueberries (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 cups low-fat plain yogurt (I used vanilla)

1. In a food processor, puree strawberries with 1 T sugar. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out processor.

2. In processor, puree blueberries with 1 T sugar. In another small bowl, whisk together yogurt and 2 T sugar.

3. Pour the three mixtures, alternating into, into ten 3-ounce ice-pop molds, making 3 to 5 layers each. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, swirl mixtures together in an up-and-down motion. Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until solid, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (up to 1 week.)

Recipe from Everyday Food, July/Aug 2010

Ranch Hamburger Buns

So a few months ago I found a website chock full of new and unusual bread machine recipes. I bookmarked it and have gone back to make a few. There are still oh-so-many to try. I think sometimes of doing a separate bread machine blog, a brownie blog, a cookie blog, etc. But there is only one of me and that kind of thinking is too big. Back to the topic at hand.

"Ranch Hamburger Buns" caught my eye on the alphabetical list. Sounds like there's no way around that being good. Plus we hadn't had hamburgers for dinner in ages; homemade buns was a great excuse to change that. The ranch flavor comes from a packet of ranch dip mix, and since you don't use it all in the buns, just throw the rest in with the meat as you make your burgers (along with breadcrumbs, egg, seasoning, Worcestershire, whatever else you love in there.)

These guys are straightforward. Make the dough in the machine, shape them into rolls, rise again and cook. Turned out my rolls weren't exactly uniform; some were smaller, some larger. But it actually worked out even better that way. I created my hamburgers in different sizes to match - some smaller, some larger - and so the small ones were just the right size for my 3 and 5 year olds. They actually loved having mini burgers. And me? I loved having another winning bread machine recipe!

Ranch Hamburger Buns (print recipe)

1/2 cup water, 70-80 degrees F

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 egg

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder

4 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tablespoon dry ranch salad dressing mix

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 cups bread flour

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. In bread machine pan, place the ingredients in order suggested by machine manufacturer. Select dough setting. Check dough after five minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed. When the cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly greased surface.

2. Cut into 12 pieces, then shape each into a round ball. Place in greased jumbo muffin cups or in 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 35 minutes), then brush buns with an egg wash mixture of 1 slightly beaten egg and 2 tablespoons water.Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired. Bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees F or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Makes 12.

Recipe from recipegoldmine.com

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

Here's another one from Enlightened Chocolate. I sure am a happy girl when I have 2 to 3 bananas go brown because that means it will be banana bread for breakfast the next day or two. (And when Safeway has bags of brown bananas for sale, I load up.) I have a favorite standby sour cream banana bread recipe, and we usually add mini chocolate chips to it. But a marbled chocolate banana bread is a little more elegant, even decadent. As you can see from the picture, this one is moist and dense - it really tastes and feels like a real indulgence. And don't we all need that?

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

3 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3)

1/2 cup egg substitute

1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl whisk the flours, baking soda, salt and nutmeg until blended.

2. Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.

3. Place the sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute.) Add banana and egg substitute, and yogurt, beating until blended. Add the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, stirring just until blended.

4. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, sturring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife.

5. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices.

And because this is an "enlightened" version of banana bread, here's the nutritional info:

Per 1 slice - Calories 185; Fat 5.4g; Protein 3.4g; Cholesterol 8.2mg; Carbohydrate 32g

Recipe from Enlightened Chocolate by Camilla Saulsbury

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

There's nothing like a new twist on an old classic like banana bread. I grew up loving fudge marble cake, and one of the funnest parts was swirling the batter; still is. The other great part was trying to get chocolate and vanilla in each bite, like with the black-and-white cookie. But in making this marbled loaf, I discovered another fun aspect - finding pictures in the swirls. It's fun for the whole family! Just tell me you don't see a swan:My sister-in-law Shanda has posed a standing challenge for me to come up with new ways to combine chocolate, banana and peanut butter. You'd think it would be easier. Please send me recipes if you have them. I tried a banana-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip muffin and it just wasn't that good. I made a smoothie and couldn't even finish drinking it, bleh. But, if you toast a piece of this bread and spread it with peanut butter, I think you'll have a happy breakfast. I've had several lately. (Strawberry cream cheese also makes a delightful topping on this.)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 to 4 bananas)

1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

2. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (1 minute.) Add banana, egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

3. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined.

4. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices

Per slice: Cal 183, Fat 4.7g, Chol 8mg, Protein 3.1g, Fiber 1.3g

Recipe from Cooking Light, September 2003