Swedish Visiting Cake

This morning, I received an email from a blog I subscribe to with a recipe for a "Swedish Visiting Cake".  The recipe comes from an amazing baker by the name of Dorie Greenspan.  I couldn't wait to make it. I'm such a sucker for almonds. All I can say, is yum. It is a simple, yet elegant cake and you will love it.

Here's a little lemon zest shortcut....

When I have a bunch of lemons, I zest them all at once.  I take the zest and put it in ice cube trays, add a little juice to it and freeze.  Once frozen, I put it in a ziplock bag.  When I need some zest for a recipe, I remove it from the freezer, place it on a paper towel and let it thaw.

Voila.  Lemon zest.

Ok, so here's the list of ingredients for the cake.

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon, or 1 cube
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl. Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Whisk in the salt and the extracts.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour. Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar. If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it. You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

The best granola bars EVER!!

I bought this at Costco a month ago. It has several different kinds of dried fruit slices in it. I just cut the slices into bite size pieces.





I have to say, when you make these, you will love me forever. They are SO easy and SO yummy. I originally found this recipe in a magazine. I tore it out and couldn't tell you what magazine. Over the years I've made quite a few changes to it.

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup dried fruit (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey, I use Miller Brand Honey, creamy style, but any will work
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. I usually line it with parchment, but most recently found a 9x13 inch silpat that I've been using.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Peanut Butter Chewies

These are amazing. That's all can say.... amazing. They come from a cookbook entitled Favorite Brand Name Bake Sale Cookbook. This was a gift from my sister the first Christmas I was married. It has been used and used and used. The recipe sounds bizarre, but just go with it. You'll agree. Amazing.

1 stick (cup) butter flavored shortening
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c chopped Pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine shortening, peanut butter and sugar in mixing bowl. beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. Wipe down sides of bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Dump into batter and beat on low just until blended. Stir in nuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls (I used a small ice cream scoop) of dough 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I used my silpat for all cookies.

Bake at 350 for 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to cooling rack.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Breakfast Muffins

At the request of my sweet hubby, I tested a breakfast muffin. He usually doesn't eat breakfast, but these disappeared very quickly. The original recipe called for 1 cup oil, but that seemed like a lot, so I only used 3/4 cup and they turned out just fine. Also, I skipped adding the raisins. He's not a big fan of them.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Hot Cross Buns

This photo is of the dough brushed with egg wash, ready for baking.




I had never made these before. I'd only heard how amazing they were. Evidently, they're more readily available in the midwest/east coast area. I had never seen them before out here. I figured I'd give them a try and I LOVED THEM!! And with them being made in the bread machine, they're super easy.

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, 2 separated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

Frosting:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons milk

Put warm water, melted butter, skim milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, egg white in the machine first, then add flour, and yeast in bread maker and start on dough program.
When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon (my machine beeps when 5 minutes is remaining, so it makes it easy to remember). Leave in machine till double.
Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes. Depending on the temperature, it can take longer.
Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun. I do the mixing in a ziplock bag. I sqeeze and mush it around until it's all combined. I snip the corner off and squeeze on the crosses.

Lemon Cupcakes

I saw this recipe baked on the Recipe Showdown on Food Network the other night and knew I had to give it a try. I changed a few things to my liking, but they are wonderful. This recipe calls for lemon curd, which is hard to find and when you do find it, it's terribly expensive. I've had a lemon curd recipe that I've used for years and is SO easy to make. I also used the Trefoil Girl Scout cookies. They're my favorite for shortbread like cookie crumbs.

Lemon Curd:

1 cup white sugar
3 extra large eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice

3 lemons, zested
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for 30 second intervals, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Store for up to a month in the refrigerator.

For crust and topping:
1 1/2 cups Trefoil cookie crumbs (1 1/2 sleeves of cookies)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and butter until moistened. Set aside.

For the batter:
8 ounces cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup sour cream
2 extra large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding
1 (18.25 ounce) box lemon
1/2 cup lemon curd

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix just until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add vegetable oil, water, and the box of lemon pudding. Mix until combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The batter will be very thick.

Place a heaping tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup and press in firmly. Reserve remaining crumb mixture for topping. Using an ice cream scoop, fill 3/4 of the way full. Set aside.

Dip a wooden spoon in water and make a thumb size well indentation in the center of each cupcake. Pipe 1 teaspoon lemon curd into each indentation. Sprinkle tops of cupcakes evenly with remaining cookie crumbs.

Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden on top, rotating pans halfway through baking.

Double Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 1/3 c all purpose flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 stick butter, soft

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, separated

1/2 c whole milk

1/4 c sour cream

1 T white vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean

Frosting:

1 stick butter, soft

2 c powdered sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 tsp white vanilla extract

1 T milk

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350. Place the milk in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seed and add to the milk. Also add the scraped vanilla bean. Heat milk on stove, but don't scald. Let bean and seeds steep and cool.

Beat the butter for 1 minute. Add sugar and beat for another 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat another minute. Scrape down bowl.

Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Remove vanilla bean from saucepan. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk mixture and end with the remaining flour mixture. Don't over mix. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white to stiff peaks. Fold into the batter just until combined.

Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until they are just starting to turn golden. Let cool on a baking rack. I usually get between 16 and 18 cupcakes.

For the frosting, whip together the butter, powdered sugar, scraped vanilla bean seeds and vanilla. Add milk if needed. Whip for 5 minutes. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.