lemon “brownies”

First – sorry this photo is so funky.  I was rushing and just took a quick one from my iPhone – and boy it is scary.  They look less electric than this and better in general.  Anyway…

Wet and juicy, dense and lemony, these simple treats are worth your time.  (And they don’t take much of it!)   Nothing fancy –  just a small square of lemon delight.  This was a hit with Rob, the kids and their friends.  Oh, and me too.  Make these if you don’t have time to make the lemon pound cake which can be a bit more time consuming.

 

Enjoy-

lemon brownies  (from Just a Pinch Recipes):

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (two sticks) butter, softened
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons lemon zest
4 tablespoons lemon juice

glaze–
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice (I ran out of lemons and added some fresh orange btw)
pinch kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Zest and juice your lemons.  Remember to wash your lemons first.

Butter or spray a 9×13 inch pan and line with foil or parchment.

Mix together the flour and salt.

With the paddle attachment of the mixer – beat the butter and sugar together until lighter.

Add the eggs, one at a time and beat and scrape and beat again.  Add the zest and juice and beat and scrape and beat again.

On the lowest speed (or fold by hand) mix in the flour until just combined.

Spread batter into prepared pan and bake until it is done.  I’m sorry but I forgot to time this.  Start at 25 minutes and see how it looks.  Bake until the edges start to turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out just clean.

Let cool for 10 m.  Then pour and spread half of the glaze on top.  Let sit until completely cool, then add the rest of the glaze.  You may have enough with just the first half – taste a corner and see what you think.  If enough, save it in the fridge it will last a while.

Cool, cut and enjoy-

cinnamon roll pound cake

I made this a long while ago and although I don’t remember much as I age, I do remember this cake!  Sylvie does too!  Rich, moist, and laced so pretty and tasty with cinnamon, this cake is worth the small effort it takes to bake.  The glaze is truly the icing on the cake (in that it is!) but seriously adds such a yumminess that I wish for you to bake and sample.  I know it isn’t too holiday-like, but if you are having friends or family for New Years brunch, this would definitely be a hit.

cinnamon roll pound cake (only very slightly adapted from Creme de la Creme):

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temp
3 cups sugar plus ¼ cup, divided
1 cup vanilla greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons heavy cream
6 eggs (room temp)
3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

icing –

2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups powdered sugar
pinch (or two) kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or butter two 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray and feel free to line bottom with parchment (I did, and usually do) and set aside. Or use different sized pans or muffin tins – and just vary baking time accordingly.

On medium high-speed and with the paddle attachment of your mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and mix in greek yogurt, heavy cream and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or butter two 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray and feel free to line bottom with parchment (I did, and usually do) and set aside.  Or use different sized pans or muffin tins – and just vary baking time accordingly.

On medium high-speed and with the paddle attachment of your mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Lower the speed and mix in greek yogurt, heavy cream and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda and salt.  On the very lowest speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.

In a small bowl mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon.

Pour ⅓ of the batter into the loaf pans.  Sprinkle half of cinnamon sugar mixture on top.  Repeat with remaining batter, then the cinnamon sugar, and end with the batter.

Bake for about 1 hour and 10-20 minutes or until edges begin to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out just clean.  Bake less time if you are using smaller pans.  Please check often and before you think it might be done.  The key to deliciousness is baking it so that it is just right.

Let cool for 25 minutes or so and gently invert.  Let cool completely.

For the icing, mix together the melted butter and cream cheese.  (I used my paddle and mixer, but this can also be done by hand.)  Add cream, vanilla, powdered sugar and salt and mix to combine.

Pour over cooled loaves. Allow to cool and set at least one hour before slicing and serving.

Enjoy-

pumpkin cupcakes

It was an impromptu gathering and I happen to have some chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer but as usual wanted a non-chocolate option.  It was 5:30 and friends were coming at 6:30 – so it had to be fast and easy.  Ina Garten to the rescue.  These were so easy, so yummy, and perfect for a chilly November night.  When asked for a little bite Chrissi said “No Karen you cannot have even one bite!  These are unbelievably good!”  They then argued which was better – the one with maple icing and heath bar crunchies or just plain with chocolate chips.  I happen to like them both – but the iced ones were so pretty and the heath bar added pizazz and fun.  Of course if you are concerned with nut allergies, skip it.  These would also be great with the addition of fresh cranberries.  Yowza – the sour pop of them combined with the sweet icing and crisp crunchies – well, my mouth is watering right now!

pumpkin spice cupcakes (from Ina Garten’s Foolproof Recipes):

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra large eggs (room temp)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)
chocolate chips if desired

frosting –

1/2 cup coarsely chopped heath bars
6 ounces cream cheese, room temp
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
pinch kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or brush top of a muffin pan (this will prevent tops from sticking) and then line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.

In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, and the vegetable oil.

Add the dry to the wet and mix until just combined.

Add chocolate chips if you like at this point.  And then you can skip the icing.

Scoop the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 min – until a toothpick comes out just clean.

Cool completely.  Then spread with the icing (below) and top with the chopped heath bars.  Enjoy!

maple frosting –

With the paddle attachment of your mixer (or hand held beaters) – cream the chream cheese, butter, syrup, vanilla and salt on medium speed until very smooth.  Turn the mixer to low – and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.

apple cake with cinnamon apple chunks

With cinnamon coated apple chunks in the middle and on the bottom this cake is just perfect for this time of year.  Super moist, super tasty and very apple-y.  So easy too.  I’ve been searching for cakes to make with the use of fresh apples (not applesauce) and I finally found a good one after many failed attempts.  The apples are amazing right now and I’m just collecting them and I can’t keep up with my collection (a girl can eat only so many apples a day)!  Kim (my awesome dog helper) said “Best lunch ever!”  Sylvie, Rob, and Andy agreed delicious.  I planned on bringing it to a My Sisters’ Place meeting – but the kids begged me not too.  Next time I’ll make two!

Enjoy-

This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs SmittenKitchen.  Love it.  She calls it Mom’s Apple Cake.  I only changed it a tiny speck.

6 apples – good firm apples (I used a variety from the farmers market)  Mealy or mushy is not a good choice.
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
pinch kosher salt
2 3/4 cups flour (please look at baking tips under “flour” to make sure you are measuring correctly.  Too much flour isn’t a good thing   and most people make the mistake of packing it in.)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
2 additional teaspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease, butter, or spray a tube pan or a bundt pan.  If a bundt be sure to grease well (and feel free to flour).  I used a bundt but Deb recs a tube – I just didn’t read that but It came out great.

Peel, cut, core and chop apples into 1 inch (or so) chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and a pinch of kosher salt and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry.

Pour half of batter into prepped pan.  Spread half of apples over it.  It won’t seem like a lot of cake but don’t worry.  Pour the remaining batter over the apples.  Then finish with the last half of the prepped apples on top.  Sprinkle with 2 teaspoon of sugar.

Bake for about 80-90 minutes, or until a tester comes out just clean.  Please try not to over bake.

If using a bundt pan, let cool for about 30 m – then invert and unmold and continue to cool.

If using a tube pan, you can let cool more – run a knife around the edges and invert.  This cake tasted very good even after a few days.

Enjoy-

lemon poppy angel food cake

Finally!  A blog-worthy treat!  It has been one dry, sweetless period – and not for lack of effort.  Decided to go back to Lauri Chattman and her Cake Keeper Cakes for a shot at success.  I picked this angel food because I knew our friend Mike would like something lemony and that Jodi would appreciate something on the lighter side.  Almost too light in color (I think I underbaked), very white with white glaze – I can’t say that I was super excited to try it.  But…it was good!  Really good.  Light, fluffy, light in lemon flavor – and not too sweet – it was a hit.  It has a fun consistency – and so light Rob said he could easily eat the whole cake.  We devoured our half of the cake (I left half at home thank goodness).  This cake is not rich, or gooey but that can be a good thing!  Next time I’d add more lemon zest (I upped it in the recipe) – for an even sharper lemon flavor.  Oh, the glaze is good – but totally not necessary – esp if you are really trying to keep things light.  A sprinkling of 10x might be enough.

Oh, pull out your whites and let them sit to room temp.  Much better.

lemon poppy angel food cake (from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauri Chattman):

1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar (divided)
12 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (I just squeezed in lemon juice – prob a tablespoon, but if you have the lemon extract, go for it)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

glaze –

6 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
pinch salt

skim milk or milk — add if too thick

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Have an angel food pan with a removable bottom ready.  Do not grease, or flour, or prep in any way.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, 3/4’s cup of the sugar.  Set aside.

Place the egg whites in the mixer and on medium speed – mix with whisk attachment until a bit frothy.  Then add the salt and the cream of tartar.

Continue to beat on medium speed until the egg whites begin to turn white.  With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and mix until the whites are shiny and hold soft floppy peaks (I love her way of describing this!)  This will take a few minutes.

With a spatuala, gently fold in the zest, poppy seeds and lemon and vanilla extracts.

Slowly and gently fold the dry ingredients into the whites.  I sprinkled them in – or you can sift the dry in – in 3 batches or so.

Pour batter into tube pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the cake is golden brown on the and springs back when you touch it.  About 50 minutes or so.

If your pan has feet, remove from oven and invert on a heat proof surface.  Don’t worry, the cake will not fall out!  If your pan doesn’t have feet, invert 4 heatproof drinking glasses on the counter and rest the inverted pan on top of the glasses.

Allow air to circulate around the cake while it cools.  Allow it to cool at least one hour – or up to 6 hours.

To remove cake, run a sharp knife aorund the edges being careful to leave the golden crust intact (you see, mine was white and a little undercooked).  Invert pan and then run a knife under the removable bottom of the pan.  Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let stand 30 min or so to set

For the glaze – combine the ingredients (save for the milk) in a food processor and then thin with milk if needed.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temp for up to 3 days.

Enjoy-

peach cake revisited

I have these delicious peaches – I mean the best peaches.  With that in mind, I searched and searched for a new and delicious recipe for My Sister’s Place.  I found one, I baked and baked and oh gosh – I fumbled.  Big time.  Not sure I screwed up or if it was the recipe but I was suddenly in need of a great peach dessert with very limited time.  (I suppose it didn’t need to be peach, but I had my mind set on it.)  Anyway, I decided to make what I knew to be good, and well, not to pat myself on the back, but it came from one of my old posts!  This time I added cinnamon to the batter and didn’t under cook it (I did last time).  I’m re-posting it because well, it is summer, the peaches are here and it was, and still is, scrumptious.  Truly.  The original post is below.  Peach crumble coming soon btw…

Friends know that I usually limit myself to one little mug of dessert usually mixed with vanilla ice cream.  However on this night, I needed a big over-sized mug!  Warm out of the oven, with freshly whipped cream and a little ice cream well, really  – this one spoke to me.  Loudly.  It is a true true peach lovers delight!  Each bite filled with succulent peaches and a lovely cake topping that is extremely moist and almost pie like.  I couldn’t stop munching on this one taking little slivers throughout the evening – and that was in addition to my over-sized mug!  I quickly asked around to see if I had any local tasters and luckily Suzanne rushed right over.  She and Jamie loved it – and Lauren loved the cake part (she’s not a peach lover) with the whipped cream (remember to please whip your own cream).  Suzanne shared with her neighbor Jen who said “what’s not to like?  Sweet, moist and delicious!”  David my computer wizard wrote that it is good to live by me 🙂  Jonathan too – my fruit fan was a verrry happy neighbor.   Enjoy this.  Really nice for a summer BBQ.

While this bakes, the peaches sink to the bottom making a soft moist peach-like base.

peach cake (from the Hyde Park bar and Grill in Austin from BonAppetit readers favorites):

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk

I added cinnamon – a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on your taste.

4 cups peeled sliced peaches (from about 3 pounds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and cinnamon.

With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until smooth – and a little lighter.  About 3-4 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, and then the vanilla.

Scrape and mix again.

On the lowest speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk, repeat and finish with the flour.  Scrape and mix again – until all comes together.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish.  Spread with a spoon or palette knife.

Arrange peaches over the batter – it is OK if some overlap.

Spray or lightly butter a piece of tin foil. and cover the cake with the foil (butter side down)  – and seal tightly.  Bake for 45 minutes covered.

Remove the foil carefully, then bake another 40 minutes or so until the top is a nice golden brown and the edges are crusty.  A toothpick should come out just barely clean.

Cool for about an hour – then serve warm with whipped cream.  Yum.

Enjoy-

sour cream crumb cake

So easy, so simple, so enjoyable.  This cake isn’t fancy – and doesn’t have any embellishments, but boy it is good!  Sweet and tender, with a melt in your mouth texture – it is addictive.  The crumb top doesn’t hurt (it never does).  Matt and Jamie loved this – they devoured it.  (In fact Jamie just brought it up again even though I made it about a month ago — maybe he is hinting…)  Greg for some reason wasn’t in love – and I don’t really get it.  Rob too – but that makes more sense since his allegiance is mostly to chocolate.  The author states that you can add frozen berries to the batter and cinnamon to the streusel — and certainly other spices are nice too — but she, like me wanted to let the flavors of butter and sour cream shine.  And they do!

Before you start – pull butter, sour cream and eggs to room temp

sour cream crumb cake (from Baking Unplugged by Nicole Rees — love this book!):

cake-
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temp

streusel-

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9×13 baking pan.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

With paddle attachment of mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – 3 min or so.  Add the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla extract.  On the lowest speed, mix in the flour mixture and sour cream alternately until just combined, ending with the flour.

Spread the batter into the prepped pan and cover with streusel…to follow:

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.  Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it begins to clump.  Sprinkle the streusel evenly over batter.

Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35-40 m or until a skewer or toothpick comes out just clean.  Please don’t over bake.

Let cool for 15m and serve warm out of the oven, then of course at room temp.

lemon curd cake

Loved this cake!  Like an angel food that has been compressed and moistened and bathed in luscious lemony goodness.  Rob and I both loved this – and our company did too.  Served it with macerated raspberries and freshly whipped cream, well, delightful.  This takes a little bit more effort since you have to make the lemon curd first – but it is not difficult and worth the time.  You can make the curd a day or 3 before you make the cake – and that will make it all the easier.  This is perfect for Spring which is right around the corner (thank goodness!)

lemon curd cake (from 4 Star Desserts by Emily Luchetti):

4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 & 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoons (half stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest (yellow only)
6 large egg whites
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Gather ingredients from above, bring eggs to room temp, set butter out, make lemon juice, and measure out the rest.  Being organized will help you here.

Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan that is 3 inches high.  (I used a spring-form pan since my cake pans are only 2 inches high.)

Fill a medium saucepan 1/4 full of water.  Bring to a low boil.

In a medium stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, and only 1/2 cup of the sugar.  Stir in 1/2 cup of lemon juice.

Now place the bowl on top of the saucepan of low boiling water.  Make sure that the bottom of the stainless bowl does not touch the water or it will get too hot.

Set up a mesh strainer over a container to place the curd (once cooked).

Cook the mixture over the hot water, stirring with a wooden spoon until thick.  This might take about 10 minutes or so.  You will see it visibly thicken – then immediately remove from heat and strain the curd into the container.  Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and chill until cold (or hold in fridge for a couple of days until you are ready to make the cake.)

Sift together the cake flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the salt and the baking powder and set aside.

With the paddle attachment of your mixer, mix together the lemon curd, butter, lemon zest and remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice.  Mix until well combined.  On lowest speed stir in the dry ingredients.  Place into a medium bowl and clean out your mixer bowl to beat up the egg whites.

Preheat oven to 325.

With the whip attachment of the electric mixer, beat the whites on medium speed until a frothy (white bubbles will appear).  Increase to high speed and gradually add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Whip until soft peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.  Spread the cake batter into the pan.

Bake until a skewer or toothpick comes out just clean (about 50-55m).  Cool and then unmold cake.  Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Enjoy-

bittersweet chocolate flourless cake

This flourless chocolate cake is so good – moist, light, rich (I know that doesn’t make sense, but it is oddly true) and chocolatey.  Intensely chocolatey.  The lightness comes from the egg whites that are folded in at the end, and the chocolate, from the bittersweet chocolate.  Just a few ingredients but the result is wow.  I served this with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and home made hot fudge sauce that really put this over the top.  But you don’t need all those elements.  It is good all alone.  Today I nibble on leftovers are 2 days old and cold but still blog-worthy.

The author states “This cake really show-cases the chocolate you use, so be sure to use a high-quality brand and a type of chocolate that you really love.”

bittersweet chocolate cake (from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox):

3 tablespoons sugar (Demerara if you have it (I didn’t)
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped.  (use 65 to 72%)
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.  (plus more for the pan)
4 large eggs, separated and best at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 10 inch spring form pan and then dust with the Demerara sugar.

Combine the chocolate and butter and melt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with about 2 inches of simmering water.  Stir frequently and remove once melted (do not cook the chocolate, just melt).

With the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on medium speed for about a minute.  Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and whisk on high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and thick – about 7-10 minutes.

Gently fold the yolk mixture into the melted chocolate mixture.

With a clean bowl and whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until a little foamy.  With the machine running, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and salt.  Beat on medium high speed until soft, glossy peaks form – after about 5 minutes.  Then in 3 additions, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate/yolk mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepped pan and place on a baking sheet and place into the oven.  Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out almost clean and note that the cake will likely be cracked with firmer edges.  Do not over bake.  Oh, and rotate the pan about half way through baking.

Let the cake cool for about 30 min.  Then run a knife around the edges and release from the pan.

Let cool and enjoy!!

gingerbread cake

This was good – “addictive” Sylvie said as she and I stood over the pan taking mini chunks with our fingers.  Filled with seasonal spices – this dark and smooth cake is a winner for the holidays.  (I know I’m a little late!)   Very simple and easy to make – this is a good one to bake with the kids.  No mixer – just a 2 bowls and voila – you are done!  You can serve it in the afternoon for a snack, or dress it up in the evening with home made whipped cream and maybe some roasted pears.  Oh, and while it is baking the house will smell divine.  Once Upon a Chef just posted this and it is worth a look and sample.  Enjoy –

gingerbread cake

From Once Upon a Chef – click here for the link and recipe.  The only advice I have is to line the pans with foil, and butter.  Or, parchment paper as it is easier to get the cake out and I get lazy about butter and flour.