Raspberry-Lemon Cake with Sour Cream Frosting

Lately, the thought of raspberry, lemon and sour cream just seems so delicious.  I've been wanting to combine those three flavors into some kind of  dessert.  We had a church potluck last week, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to experiment.  I think it turned out pretty good!  Here's what I came up with:

Raspberry-Lemon Cake

1 box white cake mix

1  c. water

1/4 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 c. oil

2 eggs

1 large box vanilla or lemon instant pudding mixed 

1 c. sour cream

Mix all ingredients together till smooth. Batter will be thick. 

1 jar of lemon curd

1 jar good raspberry preserves

Oil and flour and 9 x 13 pan.  Spread half the batter into the pan.  Drop teaspoons of lemon curd evenly on top of batter.  Pour the rest of the batter into the pan.  Drop spoonfuls of raspberry preserves on top and cut in using a knife, in swirling motions-- just enough to encorporate the preserves evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool completely.

Sour Cream Frosting

1 pkg soften cream cheese

3/4 cup of sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 + cups of powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla until smooth.  Add the sugar, a little at a time, mixing well until desired consistency.  

Frost the cake.  Top with lemon zest and fresh raspberries.

Black Bean Dip Recipe

All my best recipes are made by accident! I started out making a pot of black beans for our taco bar at Isaac's graduation open house. Then Lizzie came to help on Saturday night and she asked if I was going to make black bean dip! So I decided to use that pot of beans in the dip. That is how I came to make this version of black bean dip and it was extra good!

3/4 cup chopped sweet onion

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 cans black beans

3/4 cup Pace salsa

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

juice of one lime

salt to taste, about 1 tsp.

Saute the garlic and onion. Combine all ingredients in food processor just enough to mix, 15-20 seconds. Serve with chips. In the past I have made this recipe as Becca taught it to me which is the same except without the sauteed onion and garlic.

Mango Jicama Slaw

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Hands down, this is the easiest and tastiest thing I've made all summer.  It is really hot here (have I mentioned it's hot?) and I've been packing this salad in our cooler and munching on it poolside whilst my little ones cool off in the tepid mid-June waters.  I think this salad has internal chilling properties which makes it the perfect thing to eat to combat sweating glistening (this is the South-- women glisten) in the sun.  I love how much flavor and texture you get with just four, seasonal ingredients. Four ingredients!  It just doesn't get easier than that!  

Yum, yum!  

Mango Jicama Slaw
1/2 jicama (peeled and julienned)
1 ripe mango (diced)
4-5 teaspoons cilantro (minced)
juice of 1 to 2 limes

Mix the jicama, mango, and cilantro together in a bowl. Add lime juice (to taste).  Toss and serve.

photo source   photo source   photo source   photo source

Croissant Bread Pudding

I made this recipe for a friend's baby shower/brunch last weekend and I really loved it.  It's from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook-- you know if it's from Ina, it's gonna be good.

The recipe calls for raisins, but I'm not such a big fan of raisins in baked goods... unless they're in oatmeal cookies... so I omitted them.  Also, she suggests serving this pudding with rum whipped cream, but I didn't have any rum on hand, so I just made regular whipped cream and topped it with blackberries.  Where Sam's Club found juicy ripe blackberries in February, I don't know, but they were really good.

Croissant Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 3 extra-large whole eggs
• 8 extra-large egg yolks
• 5 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 croissants, preferably stale
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coconut Craze: Coconut Cream Cake

sorry that's such a blurry photo.  i was in a hurry to eat it. 

I thought it fitting to end Coconut Craze Week with the recipe that got me thinking about coconut in the first place.  How could I not be drawn in when the recipe called for coconut cream, coconut extract AND flaked coconut?  A coconut-lover's dream! The fact that I had to search five different stores before finding coconut cream only built my anticipation for this gooey, creamy cake all the more.  Incidentally, I have come to the conclusion that the main difference between coconut milk and coconut cream is that coconut milk is more widely available.  Technically, coconut cream has less water than coconut milk, but the coconut milk I used for my Coconut Sticky Rice, seemed plenty thick.  In the future (when I run out of the five cans of coconut cream I snatched up upon finding it), I think coconut milk will work just fine for this recipe.

 After living and breathing coconut for the past week, it's safe to say, I'm good.  No more obsessive thoughts about coconut, at least not for a while.

Coconut Cream Cake

1 package white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

14 oz can coconut cream

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, water and coconut flavoring. Beat for 2 minutes and pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
3. In a medium bowl, combine coconut cream with sweetened condensed milk and stir until smooth. When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes into it in even rows using a large fork or chopsticks. Pour most of the milk mixture over over the cake.  Gauge the amount of mixture you pour on the cake by how quickly it is absorbed.  Stop once it starts pooling on the top (see picture).  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  
4. In a large bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until stiff. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle top with flaked coconut.

*If you hear of any writing contests that require the word "coconut" to be used as much as possible, let me know.  This post may stand a chance of winning!*

Coconut Craze: Coconut Sticky Rice with Mangoes

This recipe is sooo good as a wintry snack or on a cold morning as breakfast.  In fact, I've had it as both this week!  You can find coconut milk in most grocery stores (even Walmart carries it) in the Asian food section.

Coconut Sticky Rice with Mangoes

1 cup sticky rice or Jasmin Rice

1 cup + a bit more hot water

3 tablespoons sugar (or more)

2 pinches salt

1 1/2 cup coconut milk

2 ripe mangoes

In a glass, microwavable container combine rice and hot water.  There should be enough water to completely cover the rice and then some (about one cup + 10% more).  Soak the rice for 10 minutes.  Cover the glass container with a plate and microwave the rice for 3 minutes on high.  Stir the rice and microwave for another 3 minutes.  Repeat until the rice is translucent and the water is all absorbed.  OR you can use a rice cooker, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan, combine coconut milk and sugar.  Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Be careful not to bring the coconut milk to a heavy boil or it may scorch.  Remove from heat.  Add salt and more sugar to taste.

Pour coconut milk over hot rice, reserving about 1/3 of the milk.  The rice will absorb the milk and become kind of porridgey.  Slice mangoes.  Spoon rice into a bowl, top with mangoes and more coconut milk.  Enjoy!

Coconut Craze: Coconut Cherry Bars

Lately, I've had coconuts on the brain.  Maybe it's a secret mid-winter longing for a bit of the tropics, but for some reason my mouth is watering for coconutty goodness.  (And no, I'm not pregnant.  Unpregnant people can get cravings, too!)  So, I'm going on a serious coconut journey, and I'm inviting you to come along!  For the next several days, I'll be posting some of my favorite coconut recipes, just in case anyone else is in need of a little culinary sunshine.

First up, is Coconut Cherry Bars.  They are flaky and toasted and buttery.  This recipe is quick and easy.  You can't go wrong with that combination.  Thanks, Mom, for the recipe!

Coconut Cherry Bars

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup cold butter, sliced

Filling:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, quartered

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour and sugar.  Cut in butter until well combined and pieces are pea sized.  Press into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

• Crust

2. For filling, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to                  the egg mixture. Stir in cherries and coconut. Pour over crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until   firm. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Filling

Finished-Yum

Christmas Caramel

     

I really, really love homemade caramel.  Really.  It's a good and bad thing that it's so easy to make.  Good because I like it so much.  Bad because I will eat the entire batch.  When it comes to caramel, I find there are two groups: the chewy fans and the soft fans.  I am a chewy fan.  

 This year, I tried a new recipe that turned out really good.  Usually, I'm drawn toward recipes that use heavy cream, but this time I tried one that called for sweetened condensed milk.  Caramel is surprisingly easy to make.  The key is to have reliable, easy to read candy thermometer.  I have a simple mercury thermometer that has candy making stages marked on it (like "soft ball" and "hard ball").  It makes it easy to know when the caramel is ready.  

Christmas Caramel

• 1 cup butter 
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients, except the vanilla, in a heavy pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until it reaches the "soft ball" stage (between 235 and 245 degrees).  Cook for one minute longer, then remove from heat.  The longer you cook the caramel, the chewier it will be.  But, be careful not to over cook it or it will turn in to rock!  Once removed from the heat, stir in vanilla.  Pour mixture in to a heavily buttered 9x13 inch pan.  Let it cool to room temperature before cutting it into bite sized pieces with a sharp knife.  Wrap with parchment or wax paper.   Enjoy!

Amish Ginger Cookies

image from www.christmas-cookies.com

Looking for a new stand-by cookie recipe, perfect for the holidays?  Mom, the ginger lover that she is, said this recipe she found online is going to replace her ginger crinkle recipe she's used for as long as I can remember.  So, they must be good!  I think I'm going to make these for teacher gifts this year. 

Click here for the recipe.

Preschool Party Time

Some moms from my church and I do a little preschool co-op.  Each week, we rotate homes, hosting this sweet set of toddlers for a little learning and lots of play.  This last week was my turn and we had a Halloween party.  There was more treat eating and crafting fun than you could stand in a morning!

We made some marshmallow ghosts:

Turned rocks into jack-o-lanterns:

Decorate pumpkin shaped cookies (and ate them, of course!):

There were candy corns to count and Halloween stories to read.  At the end, everyone got to take one of these yummy, spooky, guys home:

Gingerbread Skeleton Men

Gingerbread Cookies:

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter (at room temp.)

1 egg (beaten)

Cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy.  Add egg and molasses.  Beat well.  Gradually add the dry ingredients until dough is thoroughly combined and comes together in a ball.  Divide the dough in half.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours or over night.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a floured rolling pin, roll out one ball of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface to 1/4" thick.  Cut out gingerbread men shapes with a cookie cutter.  Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet, spaced 1" apart.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Rest for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack.  Once cookies are cooled, decorate with Royal Icing.

Royal Icing:

1 large egg white

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat egg white and lemon juice until well combined.  Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until smooth and combined.  Use a piping bag or pour into a ziplock baggy.  Seal baggy and cut a very small hole in one corner.  Pipe bones onto cookie.   *Tip* Use Royal Icing immediately because it hardens quickly.  Let Royal Icing set for an hour before storing.  Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies with Henry

With Lucy away at school for most of the day, Henry and I have had some long over due alone time. We made cookies as an after school surprise for L. Even though Henry ate half the dough, we still had plenty of cookies to go around. This is a great sugar cookie recipe, a little different from Mom's. Hope you like it!

Henry's Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temp*
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, at room temp
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour, + more for rolling out the dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Slowly mix in baking soda, salt and flour on a low speed until combined. Turn out dough on floured surface. Roll out evenly with floured rolling pin until it is about 1/4"-1/8" thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool cookies on a wired rack and frost to your liking. Makes approx. 4 dozen. *Note, if your butter is not a room temperature, place both sticks in the microwave for 45-60 seconds on the defrost setting.

cooling

tasting

sprinkling

voila!

Blueberry-Vanilla Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Ever since eating blueberry cake with mascarpone frosting in Memphis, I've been wanting to recreate it at home. After an incognito phone call to Fino's and an other inquisitive visit to their restaurant, I think I've gleaned as much information out of them that I'm going to get. And I think I've found a recipe that comes close to theirs!

I settled on a variation of Alton Brown's Carrot Cake recipe. Both the cupcake and the frosting are not very sweet. If I made them again, I would add a little more sugar to each.

Blueberry-Vanilla Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups flour
1 pint ripe blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
seeds from one vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt with 2% fat)
6 ounces vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add blueberries, eggs, and plain yogurt. Mix until well blended. The blueberries should be crushed and the mixture purplish-blue. With your mixer running, drizzle oil into the bowl. Stir until just combined.

Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop out level portions of batter and pour into a pre-lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 325 and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. As every oven cooks differently, I recommend checking on the cupcakes before the 20 minutes is up.

Cool and frost. Yield: 24 cupcakes.

Jean's White Chili with Tomato Garnish

A couple of years ago, my super organized sister-in-law, Jean, sent me her recipe file full of her favorite recipes. I always trust Jean's pallet and have yet to try one of her recipes that wasn't delicious. So, when we had plans to get together with a few friends over the weekend for soup. I decided to make Jean's White Chili recipe. This is me trying to be more open minded about certain foods-- namely beans and chiles-- two foods I have never really liked. But, I have to say, even though this soup was a little time consuming, it was worth it! It was really good. I especially like the garnish that goes on top. It gives the soup a fresh, light layer of flavor you don't normally associate with chili. I served it with hot rolls.

Soup:
3 cans white navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 white onion, diced
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
7 oz can diced green chiles
4 tsp cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup sour cream
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In a large pot, slightly saute onion until tender. Add beans and broth. Cook until onions and beans are tender. Add chicken, chiles, and seasonings; continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened. (Approx. 30 min. - 1 hour). Take the pot off the heat and add the sour cream and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Serve with tomato garnish.

Garnish:
tomatoes, chopped
cilantro, chopped
sweet and sour dressing


Sweet and Sour Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp dried onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp celery seed (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. In a dressing container, combine lemon juice and seasonings. Add vinegar mixture and then add oil. shake to combine. Dressing will keep up to a week n the refrigerator. Add only enough to coat the tomatoes and cilantro.

Pavlova

When Becca was 10 years old our family lived in Brisbane, Australia for a year. That is where we became fans of their national dessert, Pavlova. Named for a famous ballerina, Pavlova consists of a meringue shell which can be stored in a cool dry place for a couple of days. Just before serving it is topped with whipped cream and fruit such as berries, kiwi, and mangoes.

Beat 4 egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of corn starch and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar over the stiff egg whites. Gently fold.

Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the meringue mixture on a dinner plate size circle of parchment paper.

Spread the mixture to make an eight inch round with a slight well in the center. This will be filled with the whipped cream and fruit later.

Now it is ready to bake!

Place the unbaked pavlova in the 250 degree oven on a low rack. Bake for one hour. Turn off heat but leave in oven undisturbed for two more hours. Pavlova should turn a light bisque color and have a crisp outer shell. It will be like marshmallow inside.

When ready to serve, top with sweetened whipped cream. On top of that, arrange any combination of soft fruits or berries. Mine is going in a tupperware container to save for a dinner party on Friday night!

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

The very best chocolate frosting you'll ever swirl on a cake! (not to mention, eat!)

I found this recipe in my old Better Homes and Garden cookbook when I ran out of baking cocoa while frosting The Man-Pleaser Chocolate Cake for my lit group. I made a chocolate butter cream frosting, using heavy whipping cream instead of milk. After frosting the middle and putting the two layers together, I realized I did not have enough to frost the outside and top of the cake. Panic! No time to run to the store! I searched for something that would use the baker's chocolate squares I did have. This little nugget of a recipe was there in my old cookbook, all these years!

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 2 unsweetened chocolate squares

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2- 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter over hot, not boiling, water in a double boiler.

Remove from hot water and blend in sour cream, vanilla and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Gradually add enough powdered sugar for spreading consistency.

Beat well.

Frosts top and sides of two layer cake or tube cake.

Man Pleaser Chocolate Cake

1 chocolate cake mix

3.9 oz. instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. oil

12 oz. chocolate chips

Blend ingredients together, fold in chocolate chips. Bake in 2 greased/floured round pans at 350 for 45 minutes. Let cake rest in pan for 20 minutes, then upside down for 20 minutes.