cookblog vs. cookbook -- which do you like best?
View Results
..and here is tonight’s dessert. I searched far and wide for a pound cake that uses oil instead of butter, and I think this one is a keeper. So mmmmoist…
2-1/2 cups flour 1-1/2 cups sugar 2-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup lemon juice 3/4 cup canola or safflower oil 2 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, orange juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Beat well until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 40-50 minutes until dark golden brown. While cake is in oven, combine powdered sugar and 1/2 cup lemon juice and whisk to blend. Remove cake from oven, beat powdered sugar mixture again, and carefully spoon 1/2 of the lemon and powdered sugar mixture over cake. Loosen edges of cake and turn out onto serving plate. Slowly drizzle remaining lemon mixture over cake. Let cool. Serves 10-12
So here goes nothing. Our first (of many) post with a picture of our dinner, for your viewing enjoyment.
Clockwise, starting at about 2 o’clock: Homemade multigrain bread in the bread machine, Karenin’s strawberry salad, and then over there at 9 o’clock is the famous fennel bulgur salad. The meal was a hit, so I’ll post recipes:
Fennel plum salad sprinkled with goat cheese
1 c uncooked bulgur 1/4 c chopped walnuts 1 bunch watercress, chopped 1.5 c shredded purple cabbage 1 c shredded carrot 1 c thinly sliced fennel (or celery) 2 plums, thinly sliced (or pears) 1 c green grapes, halved 6 dried figs, chopped 3 oz crumbled goat cheese 1/3 c maple syrup 3.5 T apple cider vinegar 2 T dijon salt & pepper to taste olive oil (optional)
1. Cook the bulgur like couscous: Put bulgur in a bowl, pour 1 c boiling water over it, cover with a plate, let sit for 30 min.. 2. Cook walnuts in a skillet over med-low for 3 minutes to lightly brown them 3. Chop watercress and add to bulgur 4. Make the dressing: whisk syrup, vinegar, mustard. We added a little olive oil. 5. Add the rest, pour on dressing, enjoy
3 cups of this superfood has 425 calories, 12 g fat, 71 g carbs, 12 g protein, 11 g fiber.
Lemon-glazed cornmeal cake with crushed blueberries
This cake was in the April 2009 issue of Bon Appetit magazine, but as usual, I’ve modified it slightly:
Glaze:
Cake:
For glaze: Combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl. Stir with spoon until smooth and paste-like, adding more lemon juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. Set aside.
For cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture and oil into flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, gently fold liquids into flour mixture until just blended (do not stir). Scrape batter into pan; spread evenly.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes.
Immediately run knife around sides of cake. Place rack atop cake in pan. Using oven mitts, hold pan and rack firmly together and invert cake onto rack. Remove pan from cake. Place another rack on bottom of cake; invert 1 more time so that cake is top side up. Stir glaze until blended. While cake is still very hot, drop glaze by tablespoonfuls onto cake; spread to within 1/2 inch of edge (some glaze may drip down sides of cake). Cool completely. Serve with Crushed-Blueberry Sauce.
This is delicious served with chocolate gelato
1 ½ C chopped walnuts 1 C all-purpose flour 1 T baking powder 4 eggs 1 ½ sugar grated zest and juice of 1 orange (about ½ C juice) ½ olive oil powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch spring form pan with oil
Place the walnuts in a food processor and process until finely ground, almost to the consistency of bread crumbs. In a bowl, combine the ground walnuts, flour, and baking powder.
Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light, thick, and lemon colored. Slowly add the walnut-flour mixture, beating continuously. Then, with the mixer on low speed, add the orange zest and juice and the loive oil and mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 min. Se the pan on a rack to cool.
Remove the pan sides and transfer the cake to a transportable serving platter. Dust the top with powdered sugar, creating a decorative pattern if desired. Serve at room temp, cut into wedges.
1 large package of cream cheese, light or low fat 1 cup sugar (or less…) 3 T lemon juice 1 t vanilla 1 package lemon jello 1 can evaporated milk
Dissolve jello in water and add the sugar and lemon juice. Then mix the cream cheese and vanilla. Combine with the jello. Whip the milk and fold in mixture. Pour over graham cracker crust.
1/2 cup oil (the original calls for butter) 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup molasses 1 1/2 cup flour 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp soda 1/2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup boiling water
Combine oil and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Beat thoroughly. Sift or whisk dry ingredients to- gether. Stir into wet mixture alternatively with water. Bake in 8 x 8 pan at 350 for 30-40 minutes (touch center to see if it is done – springs back) DAFFODIL LEMON SAUCE: Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tsp cornstarch, a dash of salt, and a dash of nutmeg. Gradually stir in 1 cup of water. Cook and stir over low heat until think and bubbly. Stir a little of the hot mixture into 2 beaten egg yolks. Add the egg mixture to the hot mixture. Cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add 2 Tbs butter, 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind, and 2 Tbs lemon juice. Stir to blend.
3 T poppy seeds 1 T grated lemon zest 1/2 c skim milk 1/3 c canola oil 1 $ c sugar, divided 1 egg 2 t vanilla extract 1 $ t lemon extract (optional) 1/3 c low-fat plain yogurt 2/3 c applesauce 2 1/2 c flour 1 1/8 t baking powder $ tsp baking soda ” tsp salt 4 egg whites 1/8 tsp cream of tarter (optional) LEMON GLAZE: 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice 1 Tbs grated lemon zest
Combine poppy seeds, lemon zest, and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to stand for at least 1 hour. If possible, cover and refrigerates over night (you can cheat on this step if you’re in a hurry). Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use 2 loaf pans). Combine the oil, 1 cup of sugar, the egg, vanilla, lemon extracts, yogurt, applesauce, and poppy seed and milk mixture in a large bowl. Mix well. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and blend until smooth. Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean, nonplastic bowl and beat with electric mixer at high speed until egg whites are foamy. Gradually add the remaining $ cup of sugar and continue to beat on high until the mixture is stiff but not dry. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, being careful not to overmix. Spoon the batter into a the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes (less for loaf pans) or until it springs back when touched gently in the center. Remove from the oven and place on wire rack to cool. Combine all ingredients for the lemon glaze in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Remove the cake from the bundt pan by first gently loosening it from the sides of the pan and then turning it upside down on to a plate. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the top (if you use loaf pans, just leave the cake in the pan, poke some holes in the top with a fork, and pour the glaze over).
Dark chocolate cake mix 1 can cherry pie filling 1 t almond extract 2 eggs
Combine all ingredients, bake in a 9×12 pan at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Melt some chocolate chips with a little milk or butter and spread it on top for the frosting.
1/2 c softened butter (we used oil- sorry Cristy) 2 1/4 c brown sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 t vanilla 3 oz melted unsweetened chocolate (baking choc) 1 c sour cream 2 c flour 2 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1 c boiling water
Cream 1st 3 ingredients in mixer till light & fluffy. Add the next three and mix. Mix in the last 4 until stiff. Grease and flour 2 round cake pans, pour batter, bake @ 350 for 35 minutes.
5/7/2010 Addendum:
OOPS, here’s the frosting: 1/3 c. soft butter 2 oz melted chocolate 3 c. powdered sugar 2 t. vanilla 1/2 c. sour cream You know what to do. Make it look pretty.
