Sunday, July 26, 2009 Week #20

Strawberry Shortcake

If bisquick shortcake leaves you uninspired try this!! Moist and just great!

Preheat oven to 425

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 stick butter, chilled
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream

In a food processor (you can use a pastry cutter or fingertips)

combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and pulse to mix.

Cut butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse until the

mixture resembles coarse meal, but with few pea-size chunks of

butter left in the mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and

make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream or milk, just

until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough

doesn't have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough stand

for a minute. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold

the dough over on itself (knead) 2 or 3 times, until it is holding

together and is less sticky. You can carefully roll it out and cookie

cut into rounds or place the whole mass into a baking dish. Brush on

a little milk or cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar, if desired.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown.

Serve with cut up strawberries or blueberries or whatever else you

want! Soooo good!!

About.com:Southern Food, Old-Fashioned Strawberry Short-cake

Sunday, July 19, 2009 Week 19

Pineapple Unside Down Cake

Cast iron skillet about 12 inches in diameter

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

Sliced Fresh Pineapple

Melt butter in skillet and take off the heat.

sprinkle brown sugar over butter.

arrange sliced pineapple over the brown sugar. Add marachino cherries if you like.

White boxed cake mix

1 small can crushed pineapple.

Follow the directions on the box to make the cake. Add the pineapple and adjust the amount of liquid called for on the box. The can is 1 cup by volume so omit aout 1 cup of water.

Pour the prepared cake mix over the brown sugar/pineapple mix and put in a 350 oven until brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yes, it all fits in the skillet and it took the convetion oven about 45 minutes. I used less butter and less sugar in the skillet. Let cake cool in the pan for ten minutes then turn it out onto a cake plate. If you leave it cool in the pan it will stick. This was Yummy and was gone within 24 hours! This recipe came from a compilation of recipes on the internet.

Sunday, July 12, 2009 Week #18

This recipe is in the Epicurious top 30 cakes. Very light, very summery, very lemony.

FOR THE LEMON CAKE

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 8 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR THE LEMON SYRUP

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

FOR THE LEMON GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, or more if needed
• 4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

preparation

MAKE THE LEMON CAKES
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the sides and bottom of two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.

Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until combined. With the motor running, drizzle the butter in through the feed tube. Add the sour cream and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Sprinkle the flour mixture, one third at a time, folding gently after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F., and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE LEMON SYRUP
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and invert the loaves onto the pan. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves.

Brush the tops and sides of the loaves with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cakes cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

(The soaked but unglazed loaves will keep, wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap and frozen, for up to 6 weeks.)

IF YOU LIKE, MAKE THE LEMON GLAZE
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. If the mixture is too stiff, add up to another 2 tablespoons lemon juice and whisk again, adding small amounts of lemon juice and/or confectioners' sugar until you get the right consistency. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

The glazed loaves will keep for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

BAKED NOTEFor zesting purposes, we always recommend using an organic fruit, free of chemicals or pesticides that might reside deep in the rind.

Sunday, July 5, 2009 Week #17

Biscotta Torte

This refrigerator cake came from Kellie McPhail who got it from her friend in Australia! It is very rich and yummy. It can serve 6 or 12 if you cut the cake down the middle length-wise first. Prepare 2-3 days ahead of time.

24 Plain Bisquits ( Petit Beurre Butter Bisquits)

4 oz ( 1 stick) butter

1/2 cup superfine sugar

2 egg yolks

4 oz slivered alminds without skins (2 small packets) ground

1 cap almond extract

2 egg whites

Cream butter and sugar together add egg yolks one at a time. Add ground almonds and almond extract. In a separate bowl whip egg whites til stiff peaks. Carefully fold egg whites into filling mix. Set aside.

1 1/2 Tbsp dark rum

1/2 cup milk

In a sided casserole place a large piece of foil. When you are done building the cake you will be wrapping the cake in teh foil and refrigerating it.

Combine milk and rum in a small bowl.

Dip each cracker into the milk/rum mixture.

Line up three crackers end to end. Make a second line of three dipped crackers end to end right beside the first. Spread 1/3 of the filling mixture on the first layer of cookies. Dip three more cookies and arrange them on top of the first layer then three more. Add the second third of the filling. Dip three cookies in the milk/rum mixture and layer them on top with a second row of dipped cookies beside. Cover with the final third of the filling and then dip and add the last layer of cookies. Wrap well in the foil and refrigerate for 1-3 days.

Toasted almond slivers

1 cup whipping cream

Toast almonds and whip the cream adding a little bit of sugar if you like. Arrange the cake on a serving platter and ice with the whipped cream and sprinkle with almonds.