LEMON PUDDING CAKE

LEMON PUDDING CAKE

1/4       cup all-purpose flour
2          teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/4    cups sugar
5          tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2          tablespoons grated zest
1/2       cup juice from 4 lemons
5          large eggs, separated
1-1/4    cups whole milk, room temperature
2          quarts boiling water

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Grease an 8 - inch square baking dish.

Mix batter:

Whisk flour and cornstarch in bowl.

With electric mixture on medium-high speed, beat 1/2 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in yolks, one at a time, until incorporated.

Reduce speed to medium-low. Add flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Slowly add milk and lemon juice, mixing until just combined.

Beat egg whites:

Using a clean bowl and whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

With mixer running, slowly add remaining sugar until whites are firm and glossy, about 1 minute.

Whisk one-third of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in remaining whites, one scoop at a time, until well combined.

Bake:

Place kitchen towel in bottom of roasting pan and arrange prepared baking dish on towel.

Spoon batter into prepared dish.

Carefully place pan on oven rack and pour boiling water into pan until water comes halfway up the sides of baking dish.

Bake until surface is golden brown and edges are set (center should jiggle slightly when gently shaken), about 60 minutes.

Transfer to wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour.  Serve.

This recipe comes from Cooks Country Magazine (April 2009).  

Linda got the recipe from our friend Sue and admits it was a rather involved recipe, but admitted it was worth it. I would have to agree after reading the recipe and enjoying a helping of it. I could have easily eaten a second helping. It is amazing how the lemon and cake layers separate. (Sorry I didn't take a picture of it in the dish so you could see the two layers - very impressive.)

LEMON-BLUEBERRY YOGURT LOAF

Most of the recipes I make, especially dessert recipes, I alter the recipe to reduce the sugar and fat as much as I can. I also will substitute whole grain flours when I feel the taste won't be affected by doing so.  If you are checking out a recipe on my blog, please know that it isn't necessary to use these ingredients as I will usually include amounts for what I call "regular" ingredients.

This recipe for Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf is another one I had printed off back in August of 2012 from sweetpeaskitchen.com, but hadn't ever gotten around to trying it.  (The problem is I have way too many recipes that look interesting to me.)  I decided to finally try it when I was looking for something to take on Tuesday to Hillcrest Thrift Shop.  I usually take something that I have reduced the calories as much as I can as I know that is important to several of them.  I think they look forward to Tuesday knowing that I will be bringing something to share with them.  I always get so many compliments. 

There is a print friendly button in the bar at the bottom of the post. You can chose to print the post without the pictures.

LEMON-BLUEBERRY YOGURT LOAF

For the loaf:

1-1/2       cups (+ 1 tablespoon for the blueberries) all-purpose flour
2              teaspoons baking powder
1/2           teaspoon salt
1              cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2           cup truvia baking blend (or 1 cup sugar)
3              large eggs
2              teaspoons California Lemon Peel
1/2           teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2           cup canola oil
1-1/2       cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3          cup lemon juice
1/3          cup stevia (or sugar)

For the Lemon Glaze:

1             cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2             tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 3 mini loaf pans or one 9 x 5 - inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

If using frozen blueberries, rinse and then spread on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels to thaw.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon peel, vanilla, and oil.

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the tablespoon of flour coating the berries. 

Fold them carefully into the batter.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan(s) and bake for 40 minutes (mini loaves) or 50 -55 minutes for single large loaf.

While the loaves are baking, make the lemon syrup by combining the lemon juice and stevia in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir mixture until stevia has dissolved.

Cook for 3 minutes and then remove from heat.

Let loaves cool on wire rack for 5 - 10 minutes.  

Using a fork, poke holes in the top of the loaves.  

Using a small spoon or brush, carefully cover the top of the loaves with about half of the lemon syrup.

Wait about 5 - 10 minutes and then cover the tops again using the rest of the syrup.

Let the loaves cool completely before removing from pans.

Make the lemon glaze in a small bowl. Sift the confectioners' sugar and 

add the lemon juice.  Stir til smooth.

Carefully pour the lemon glaze over the top of the cooled loaves. 

Allow to harden before slicing the loaves.

POPPERS - PUMPKIN & BANANA NUT

I don't know about you but I can eat pumpkin any time of the year. It is a shame that we have delegated certain foods as seasonal. I guess that probably started when you ate fresh foods and they were only available at certain times of the year. Now with canning, we can usually buy foods year-round in the stores. There are some food though that you do just find seasonally in the the store.

Anyway, this recipe was submitted by Clever Housewife in the Weekly Pinterest Challenge. I had printed it off and when I needed something to make for my husband to take to Fort Leavenworth yesterday, I found it with a few other recipes I had printed and decided it would be perfect for him to take to share.  

They were so easy to make and didn't disappoint us when my husband and I decided to try them out while they were still warm. 

My husband told me everyone really liked them in the tax office. He said there were only 4 remaining when he left. Tonight I am going to try them using bananas and see how they turn out. Will update and let you know. UPDATE!!  See below. 

PUMPKIN POPPERS

1-3/4     cups all-purpose flour
2            teaspoons baking powder
1/2         teaspoon salt
1/2         teaspoon cinnamon
1/2         teaspoon nutmeg
1/2         teaspoon allspice
1/8         teaspoon cloves
1/3         cup canola oil
1/2         cup brown sugar
1             egg
1             teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4        cup pumpkin (fresh or canned, but not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2         cup skim milk

For coating:

1             stick of margarine (I had leftovers so 1/3 cup would probably work)
2/3        cup sugar (once again I had leftovers)
2            tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Recipe will make 24 mini muffins (poppers)

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a bowl and whisk til combined.

In a large bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk with a whisk.

Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

Using a cookie scoop, fill the mini muffin tins until almost full. (I filled each cup with 1 scoop of batter and then went back and filled each with 1/2 scoop. This worked out perfectly.)



Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.


While poppers are baking, prepare the ingredients for the coating. Melt the margarine.  

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.

Let the poppers cool for a minute or two before 

rolling them in the margarine

and then in the cinnamon sugar

Cool on a wire rack.








Coating the poppers won't be messy.....use one hand for dropping the popper in the margarine and rolling it around to coat it...

then drop it in the bowl of cinnamon sugar and roll it around with the other hand.

BANANA NUT POPPERS:

I made the poppers again tonight but used banana instead of pumpkin. To make them follow the recipe above except increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon, omit the allspice and cloves, use 3/4 cup of mashed bananas and add 1/3 cup pecans, chopped finely. Cook for 12 minutes. Everything else for the recipe is the same. Hope this isn't confusing. Let me know if it is, I will rewrite the whole recipe.

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Kay treated us to another family recipe recently when we played cards. Janice and Dorothy called it a "dump cake", but all my "dump cake" recipes call for pie fillings and then a cake mix just sprinkled or (dumped) over it. Kay's mother's  recipe makes a dense cake but so very delicious. Everyone really enjoyed it.

I love Kay's story for the icing... 

"The recipe has been around for years (and years and years).  I got mine from a cookbook given to me by my Aunt Kay in 1957 - Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls." Then she quoted me the recipe from page 25.  (I broke it down into ingredients and then directions.) She also added that she doesn't measure anything - just dumps it in.... (Funny, Kay.)

Please note that the recipe calls for sifted flour. This means that you sift the flour before measuring it. You end up getting more flour when you measure it first. Then you sift it again with the other dry ingredients.  

When in doubt with recipes, (nuts is the main one that comes to mind) look for the placement of the words.  For example, 1/2 cup chopped nuts means "chop the nuts and then measure them". 1/2 cup nuts, chopped means "measure the nuts and then chop them.  If the "word" comes before the ingredient, the action comes first.  If the "word" comes after the ingredient, then the action comes after.

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE with ICING

CAKE:

1-1/2     cups sifted flour
1            cup of sugar
3            tablespoons cocoa
1            teaspoon baking soda
1/2         teaspoon salt
1            teaspoon vanilla
2            teaspoon vinegar
5            tablespoons oil
1            egg
3/4         cup hot water

ICING:

1/3        cup soft butter
1           cup sifted confectioners' sugar 
1-1/2     teaspoons vanilla
3           tablespoons top milk
2           cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions for cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Sift flour, salt, soda, sugar, and cocoa into pan.

Then make 3 depression...in one put the vanilla and vinegar, in another the oil, and in the third the egg.

Add water-avoid pouring it on the egg.

Stir the mixture until it is well blended.

Makes two 8 inch round layers or one 8 x 11 pan.

Bake for 30 minutes but check at 20 minutes for the rectangular pan and 18 minutes for the 2 layers.

Directions for icing:

Blend together: the butter, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Then stir in the rest of the confectioners' sugar.

Beat hard to make the icing fluffy.

Add a little more milk or sugar if you need it to make the icing just right to spread.

ORANGE DATE NUT BREAD

Monday our neighbor Jerry was busy again clearing our driveway after the weekend snow.  Although he says he actually has fun, hopefully this will be the last time he will have to do that this winter. I usually bake something and give him as our thank you. 


I had this recipe I found in my mother's recipe box that I have been wanting to make and decided this was the perfect time to do so. Mother had all of the ingredients listed on the card but was a little short with the directions.  So I had to improvise.  I love the combination of orange juice and dates in breads.  The loaf was still a little warm when I took it over to Jerry. 

ORANGE DATE NUT BREAD

2      cups flour
2      teaspoons baking powder
1/4   teaspoon salt
1/2   teaspoon baking soda
1/2   cup sugar
2      teaspoons grated orange peel
1/3   cup shortening
1       egg
1/2   cup nuts
1/2   cup buttermilk or milk
1/2   cup orange juice
1       cup dates, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray loaf pan(s) with cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar.

Add the orange peel.

Beat the egg. and add the shortening.

Whip with a whisk beat the shortening and egg til the shortening is small pea-size.

Add the nuts, (butter)milk, orange juice and dates.

Add the flour mixture and stir til combined.

Batter will be thick.

Divide evenly in two mini pans or one loaf pan.

Bake 40 minutes for mini loaves and up to an hour for the larger loaf.  Check doneness with a toothpick.

Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack.

Remove from pans and continue cooling.