Blueberries and Cream Muffins with Lemon Glaze

When it comes to grocery shopping, I'd like to think I'm a pretty organized person. I write out a list and mostly stick to it. The only exception is Costco. I can never leave that store without a few additional items in my cart that are new to the store or that I find while browsing the aisles.

A lot of times that also means I find inspiration for new recipes by discovering ingredients while out shopping. It is often that these finds will make my wheels start turning and I come up with ideas on the spot. Usually my poor husband is on the receiving end with recipes spewing out of my mouth as we continue our grocery haul. I do have to give him credit though, he always listens patiently and gives good constructive criticism, but I'm sure many times he would rather roll his eyes at his crazy wife.

Finding a big bag of dried blueberries at Costco was my inspiration for today's recipe. I kept thinking along the lines of cookies, but after inspecting my pantry and seeing a big jar of coconut oil and a bag of white chocolate chips the idea for a muffin recipe was born. While most blueberry muffins are made with fresh berries, the dried version works extremely well in this recipe and adds a lot of flavor without adding the extra liquid or discoloring the finished product. The addition of coconut oil over a more traditional canola oil added the slightest hint of coconut without overpowering the finished baked good, along with giving the muffins a light and airy texture.

A simple lemon powdered sugar glaze provides a nice contrast of flavors while adding a bit of tartness to the muffins, but you could certainly serve them as is. This recipe got two giant thumbs up in our family and has since been added to our favorites list.

Blueberries and Cream Muffins with Lemon Glaze
~makes about 15 muffins~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup milk (almond milk is ok)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
For the muffins: Pre-heat oven to 375° F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners OR grease well. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.

In another bowl combine eggs, sour cream, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

Fold in blueberries and white chocolate chips.

Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups filling each about 3/4 full and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

For the glaze: Whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

Notes: I used Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin coconut oil in these muffins. I found my giant container at Costco, but you can also find it online.

When using lemon zest in a recipe, I like to use an organic lemon. Most grocery stores carry them and they don't cost much more than conventional ones. 

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Rustic Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

Valentine's Day is only a few days away and everywhere you look you are being inundated with chocolate desserts. Don't get me wrong, I like chocolate as much as the next person, but over the years my taste buds are definitely changing. These days I find myself gravitating towards fruit based desserts more often than not. There is just something about the combination of sweet and slightly sour or tart that seems to go oh so well together.

As far as desserts go, today's recipe comes together quickly and ranks high in the fruit satisfaction department. Store bought puff pastry sheets, a creamy no-bake cheesecake filling laced with a luscious lemon curd and topped with glorious sweet, red raspberries. Perfection! I made my own lemon curd following my recipe for Meyer Lemon Curd, but store bought is a perfectly fine substitution and will help to streamline the process.

The combination of flaky crust, creamy filling, and fresh fruit makes this dessert irresistible in my book. This is the perfect alternative for all of you non-chocolate lovers (like my husband) and I don't think that the chocolate connoisseurs would even mind a slice of this beautiful tart. 

Rustic Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart
~makes 1 tart~
(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but still cold
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/3 cup lemon curd, homemade or store-bought
1 pint raspberries
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, warmed
Powdered sugar

Directions:
For the tart: Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Unfold the thawed out puff pastry on a lightly flour dusted area and gently roll into a 10x11 inch rectangle. Carefully transfer to your baking sheet.

Brush edges with a little bit of water and fold over all 4 sides to create a lip. Using a fork, poke holes all over the center of your tart. Gently brush the entire tart with an egg wash and sprinkle about 2 tsp. of sugar over the center. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully with the back of a spoon press the center back down if it has puffed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the filling: In a bowl combine softened cream cheese and sugar. Mix with a hand-mixer or by hand until smooth and the sugar is well incorporated. Add the heavy cream and mix for about 1 minute. Fold in the lemon curd. 

To assemble the tart: Carefully spread your lemon cheesecake mixture over the center of your cooled tart crust. Arrange berries decoratively over the curd and drizzle with the warmed jam. Dust the tart with powdered sugar.

Notes: This tart is best made and eaten on the same day. You can prepare the tart along with the cheesecake filling ahead of time. Refrigerate the filling and assemble the tart right before eating.

Other berries would be lovely as well. I bet blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or a combination would also be great!

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

 

Lemon Risotto with Peas, Proms and a Bake Sale

We've had a few extremely busy weeks and I feel like a broken record repeating it, but it really has been a wild ride here. Between senior proms, my surgery, soccer tryouts and various other functions, it seems almost impossible to find any time in the kitchen, nonetheless take pictures or write something. I might as well apologize already in advance, because until the middle of June I don't see it getting any better. 

To get back to the Proms though, both of them were a rousing success. She looked beautiful to her father and I (and we might be a tiny bit biased on this) and made us both choke up when we realized that our little girl is not so little anymore. The second prom which she attended with her best friend really hit us hard, they all looked so grown up and the little twinge I've been getting in my stomach about her leaving us soon hasn't let up and reality is starting to set in more with each day. Either way, I promised you all a picture, so here it is. Our daughter is the one in the pink dress which fit her personality perfectly and the girl in the yellow is her best friend.

The second thing on my agenda today is to let you all know that I'm participating in an online bake-sale that Becky from "Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves" is hosting on May 2nd. The bake-sale is going to be in the format of a silent auction and you can bid on some great goodies. Becky is hoping to raise money for a very worthy cause: Relay for Life, that will benefit the American Cancer Society and which she is also participating in. My contribution for this auction will be my Nutella Chocolate Cookies. The highest bidder will be able to pick their choice of bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate or white chocolate chips to customize the cookies to their taste. I hope you'll hop on over and check out all of the goodies up for auction and support a great cause that is very near and dear to my heart as well. My own daughter is actually participating in one of the Relay's for Life in our home state and will be walking in honor of her Opa, my dad, who passed away from cancer a few years ago.

Trying to bring this hodge podge of a blog post back to food isn't going to be very easy or eloquently, but here it goes, just pretend I'm doing a fine job. This Lemon Risotto with Peas has been in my recipe files for several years and it truly is perfect for, well Spring. I found this recipe in a Light and Tasty Magazine and besides the fact that it is actually somewhat healthy, it also tastes great. If you've ever cooked a risotto, you know that they are not hard, but they do take a little bit time and quite some stirring. This risotto has a wonderful bright taste from additions of white wine, lemon juice and lemon zest, but also a creaminess that only a well cooked risotto produces, along with the sweetness of peas and the nuttiness of freshly grated Parmesan. I usually serve this risotto alongside grilled salmon, but chicken or even lamb are just as tasty. If you enjoy a good risotto with a nice lemony flavor this is definitely a great recipe to try.

Lemon Risotto with Peas

~makes 8 servings~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

5 to 5 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup white wine

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat broth and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skilled, saute shallots in butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the rice, thyme and pepper; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine and lemon juice. Cook and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in heated broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow liquid to absorb between additions. Cook just until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.

Add the peas, Parmesan cheese and lemon peel; cook and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

Adapted from: Light and Tasty Magazine

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts

 

A few weeks ago I came down with a strep-throat like infection. I was miserable for several days and was pretty much surviving on  pudding and chicken broth until the antibiotics finally kicked in and brought relief. To keep me entertained, while trying to feel better and occupying the couch, I decided that watching some food-network was in order. Needless to say, it was also quite torturous watching the chefs prepare delicious looking dish after dish and not being able to eat. On the plus side though, I took tons of notes and ended up with several recipes on my "must-make list". One of the shows I watched was with Ina Garten aka the Barefoot Contessa, which had me and my husband (who kept me company) literally drooling watching her prepare a recipe for lemon chicken breasts. We decided right then and there that this recipe would make an appearance on our dinner table as soon as I was able to eat solid food again.

This recipe is a must for any garlic and lemon lover. There are no subtle flavors in this dish, it is a smack you in the face kind of recipe and will truly satisfy a craving for a "done right" chicken dish. Nine garlic cloves are heated in a bit of olive oil on the stove before lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, oregano and thyme round out this flavor experience. The scented oil is then poured into a baking dish, de-boned, but skin on chicken breasts are placed on top of the lemon-garlic mixture and are brushed with more olive oil before receiving a final sprinkle of salt and pepper. For good measure and to ensure even more flavor a cut up lemon is tucked in between all of the meat into to the pan before baking. After a baking time of around 40 minutes, you are left with incredibly moist pieces of chicken and a sauce that is to die for.

I served this dish with rice, freshly grilled asparagus, and some crusty bread which helps to sop up all of the delectable sauce that is literally good enough to drink. This recipe is easily made on a weekday, but certainly would make for an impressive entree if entertaining as well. If you've been in a chicken "rut" and are always on the hunt to add a little excitement to dinner time, I highly recommend this dish. This is one of the few recipes that I've made recently that was good to go as written without me changing anything and that doesn't happen all too often. So far, none of the Barefoot Contessa's recipes have failed me yet and this one will be added to the list!

Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts

~serves 4~

(Print this recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup good olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)

1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a Chardonnay)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme eaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)

1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to brown. Remove pan from stove, and off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breast dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pan juices.

Adapted from: Ina Garten

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Tomorrow I'm having a surgical procedure. Nothing huge, but I will receive general anesthesia and will most likely be quite uncomfortable for a few days. Stuff like this tends to give me a little bit of anxiety in the days leading up to it. To keep my mind of off things, I headed into the kitchen over the weekend to work on some recipes and posts so you guys would be well entertained during my "down time". Working in the kitchen, concentrating on a recipe, always has a calming effect on me and helps me to clear my head and this time was no different.

First thing I made was this Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake that I found once again on "Tasty Kitchen". It struck a chord with me right away for its flavor combination, but also for the simplicity of the recipe. Another bonus: getting rid of some of my very last frozen berries, which is perfect since fresh berry season is just around the corner. The cake is made quickly with just a few everyday items. Once baked, it almost appears like the cake has layers because of the blueberries sinking to the bottom and the taste is very reminiscent of an old fashioned cake you would find in Grandma's kitchen. The cake crumb is just lightly sweetened with hints of lemon throughout, without the citrus flavor being too overpowering. The buttermilk ensures a light and fluffy texture and the juiciness of the berries works perfectly. To top it all off, the cake has a crunchy sweet crust from sprinkled on sugar which is added right before baking. The sugar crust also helps balance the sweetness level.

This cake is simply wonderful for breakfast or even dessert, especially when enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Since I made this on the weekend it was an amazing early morning treat that everyone in the family gave the thumbs up to. This recipe worked great with the frozen berries and there was minimal "bleeding"; however, I'm really looking forward to making it again when fresh berries are in season. Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake; it's a good thing!

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken

5 ounces fresh (or frozen, un-thawed) blueberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches, mixing until just combined. Carefully fold in berries.

Pour batter into cake pan, spreading and smoothing the top. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35* minutes. Remove from oven  and cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Invert onto a plate and cut into 8 slices.

*When using fresh berries start checking the cake after 20 minutes 

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Remember how incredibly proud I was of my little lemon tree, which produced more fruit than ever this year? Well, I got quite the reality check when my neighbor knocked on my door a couple of weeks ago with a HUGE bucket full of lemons, inquiring if I would like some of those lemons and that she had plenty more where those came from. Her bucket surely put my little tree to shame. However, I didn't waste any time to answer yes and was "convinced" to take some lemons off her hands. I kept thinking of all the sweet dishes, savory dishes and lemonades I could possibly make with this abundance of citrus. Faced with the extremely hard task of what to use my bounty on first, I began searching the internet for lemon desserts. No sooner had I started looking than when I found this great looking and sounding recipe for a lemon poppy seed loaf. I have loved the combination of those two for a long time and have made Dorie Greenspan's Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins countless times since I first featured them on my blog.

This recipe comes courtesy of Joyofbaking.com.  This bread uses a slightly different method than what I have been used to. Instead of creaming the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy before adding the eggs, this recipe goes about it in a reversed way. All the dry ingredients are mixed together before adding all of the softened butter and half of the egg/milk mixture. The premise behind this method is that it will reduce some of the gluten formation and with that produce a wonderful quick bread that is almost velvety in texture. What also sets this bread apart is a simple glaze of fresh lemon juice and sugar which is cooked until syrupy, and then brushed over the freshly baked loaf that has been poked with a wooden skewer. By doing so the lemon flavor will penetrate throughout this already wonderful bread and you will get full on, mouth-puckering lemon flavor without adding any artificial lemon extract and as an added benefit it will make this bread even more moist and tender. Each and every bite is loaded with a citrus explosion.

This recipe makes one loaf. Mine turned out a bit short since my loaf pan is slightly bigger then what the recipe calls for, but that certainly did not affect the taste one bit. The first time I made this bread, it was gone in the blink of an eye (I'm talking less then 12 hours). I've baked several of these loaves since, giving some to neighbors (especially my lemon bearing friend), friends, colleagues, high school kids and teachers. As soon as I bake one of them, it pretty much disappears and it is safe to assume that this recipe has been an absolute hit with everyone who has been on the receiving end. I'm even going as far as saying that this recipe has replaced my previous favorite, which happened to be Dorie's lemon poppy seed muffins. I'm pretty sad since my lemon abundance has come to an end and I will have to wait almost a whole year before being able to reap the benefits of  the lemon trees in my neighbors backyard again. So Tahnya, if you are reading this, I'll be more than happy to take some more off your hands next year. Deal?

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

~makes 1 loaf~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the bread:

3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon)
3 tablespoons (30 grams) poppy seeds
13 tablespoons (184 grams) unsalted butter, softened

For the lemon syrup: 

1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice 

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds until combined. Add the softened butter and half the egg mixture and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about one minute. (This aerated and develops the cake's structure).  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. (This will strengthen the structure of the batter).

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may have to cover the bread with buttered foil after about 30 minutes if you find the bread over-browning.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with about half the hot lemon syrup. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert onto a greased wire rack. Brush the remaining syrup onto the bottom and the sides of the loaf. Re-invert the bread so it is right side up and then cool the bread completely before wrapping. Store for a few hours before serving to allow the lemon syrup to distribute throughout the loaf.

Adapted from: Joyofbaking.com

Meyer Lemon Curd

 

So I know January came and went and there was no new posts from Susi's Kochen und Backen. Honestly this time I don't have much of an excuse. After another sickness ridden month of December (this time the whole family) I realized once January came that all my momentum, all of my mojo, was simply gone. I don't know how to explain it properly, but just the thought of cooking, photographing the meal and then writing a post was too much to comprehend. I guess I needed another month to start getting myself back on track. After months of pretty much being useless, courtesy of the lovely disease "Valley Fever", my house needed some well deserved TLC as did my family. I haven't cooked anything fancy and quite frankly, it felt good to not have some of my self-imposed pressure looming over my head. However, after this long hiatus I'm ready to jump back into the blog world. This time around I will try to take things a little slower though and take a little bit more care of myself in the process. A big thank you, to all of you who decided to stick around. Your support truly means the world to me :o)

Anyhow, what do you make when life hands you Meyer Lemons? Of course, desserts! Not that any of us needed more sweets after the indulgence of the holidays, but my little lemon tree in the backyard was like the little engine that could and provided us with a fantastic amount of Meyer Lemons this year. With a freeze warning looming for Arizona the last week of December, I knew we had to pick all of our lemons as soon as possible so we wouldn't lose any of the precious fruit to the frost.

The first thing on my "to-do" list was a lemon curd. I love anything citrus and knew that this would go over well with the family also. Meyer Lemon's are less tart than store bought, think of them as a cross between a lemon and a mandarin. This recipe comes courtesy of Recipe Girl who adapted the recipe from Gourmet. The curd itself is certainly not a low-calorie dish, but is worth every indulgent spoon full. It is creamy, luscious goodness and with that, worth every calorie.

The recipe is not hard to make, all you need is about 15 minutes and a good stirring arm. Lemon juice, zest and sugar are whisked together in a bowl along with eggs. This mixture is set over simmering water in a double boiler and this is where the fun starts. You keep whisking away until the mixture is nice and thick and reaches a temperature of 160 F. While whisking, a stick of butter gets incorporated in 4 additions. After the curd is nice, thick and glossy, all that's left to do is cover the surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming) and set in the fridge until cool.

If you are wondering what to do with lemon curd, let me tell you there is a plethora of options of what you can do with it, here are a few suggestions:

- Fill a white layer cake with the curd

- Use it as a filling in a pre-baked tart shell

- Spread it on a muffin, scone or biscuit

- Fill crepes with it

- Fold in some heavy whipped cream to make a wonderful light mousse

- Use it in a trifle

- Use it as a dip for fresh fruit

- Use it as a dip for homemade gingersnaps

Meyer Lemon Curd

~makes about 1 2/3 cups~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

3 to 4 medium Meyer Lemons (about 1 lb.)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Preparation:

Finely grate enough zest from lemons to measure 2 teaspoons and squeeze enough juice to measure 1/2 cup. Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a metal bowl and add butter. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmer water and cook, whisking. Once mixture gets warm, add the butter in 4 additions, whisking well after each until incorporated. Continue whisking until thickened and smooth and an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees F. This can take anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes (depending on how well your bowl is conducting heat). Force curd through a fine sieve set into another bowl. Serve warm or cover surface of curd with plastic wrap and cool completely.

*Of course you can make this recipe with regular lemons as well. In that case increase the sugar to 3/4 cup. This curd will keep well covered in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Adapted from: Recipe Girl and Gourmet

Raspberry Cheesecake-Truffle Brownies

I know what you are thinking, raspberry and chocolate again? Yes, I could try and rationalize this decision with all of you, but truly it's more like a disease and I'll fully admit to it. Once I started with this flavor combination in my ice cream I just couldn't stop. I kept coming across all sorts of yummy recipes featuring both of these ingredients. So, I figured I could torture you all one more time and I promise (maybe) that I will stop after this recipe.

This recipe comes courtesy of Cuisine at Home which appears to be my new go-to magazine. In case you have not heard of them you are missing out. Their magazines are full of great recipes and best of all, the pages are not cluttered with advertisements. Anyway, back to the bars, how could I resist a fudge brownie layer, a smooth cream cheese layer and to top it off, raspberries. Nope, not possible, even if I tried. This bar is what dreams are made out of and I'm almost ashamed to admit that I ate more than my share of these little delights.

The bars are made pretty quickly and don't require any special skills. The brownie layer by itself is utterly amazing and is almost more reminiscent of real fudge than a brownie. It starts by melting unsweetened chocolate, butter, cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in the microwave (or a double boiler). Sugar, vanilla and salt are mixed in and then eggs are incorporated one by one. Finally flour is folded under without overmixing the batter. It gets spread in a 8-inch square pan and set aside while you get started on the cheesecake layer. Cream cheese is mixed with just a bit of sugar, lemon zest and juice, and one egg until creamy and smooth, then carefully spread over the already prepared unbaked brownie layer. The final touch is a cup of fresh or frozen raspberries that are added on top of the cheesecake before baking. The brownie bakes for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the cream cheese layer is lightly golden and set. After that comes the hardest part of the recipe - the wait time. The brownie has to cool to room temperature and after that time is over it must then be refrigerated for at least another 8 hours or overnight, which means pure torture! Before serving you can sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar but it's certainly not a necessity, they are good as is.

The reward is seriously an amazing flavor combination of sweet, dark chocolate with a light tasting cheesecake layer and heavenly raspberries. True decadence at its best. Besides me eating more than my fair share of these brownies, my kids also went absolutely nuts over them. I think the brownies make a beautiful presentation and would be lovely served for all kinds of occasions when entertaining. I will definitely be baking these again, but first I have to kick up my workout schedule to work off the extra calories I inhaled from these!

Raspberry Cheesecake-Truffle Brownies
(adapted from Cuisine at Home)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the brownies:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the topping:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Minced zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Sifted powdered sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.

Melt chocolate, butter, cocoa, and espresso powder for the brownies in a large bowl in the microwave oven on high power, stirring every 30 seconds, or in a double boiler. Remove mixture from heat when chocolate is nearly melted; stir unti it's smooth.

Stir in  the 1 1/2 cups sugar, vanilla, and the 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Fold in flour, mixing just until blended. Spread batter into the prepared pan; set aside.

Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat ream cheese, the 1/4 cup sugar, zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt for the topping in a bowl until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Blend in the 1 egg, then spread cheesecake batter over unbaked brownie batter.

Top cheesecake layer with raspberries. Bake brownies until cheesecake is set and golden around edges, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool brownies in pan on a rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cover brownies with plastic wrap; chill 8 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

Dust brownies with powdered sugar before serving, Cut brownies into small squares with a lightly oiled knife.

Marbled Lemon-Blueberry Butter Cake

I'm not even sure how I found the cook book for this recipe, but I believe there was at one point a now defunct baking group (correct me if I'm wrong) making the cakes and blogging about the experience. I was in awe and ordered the book thinking I would be able to bake some of them as well. The book got delivered, and while I was looking through it I got more and more intimidated. Yes, I bake a lot, and you can give me anything from bundt cakes, to quick breads, pies, cookies, or anything else that has a homemade touch to it, I love it. But as soon as you throw in a triple layer cake, I get a little quite nervous.

The cakes in this book are gorgeous! True master pieces that would be the center piece of any special occasion. Layering and frosting cakes, especially if over two layers don't necessarily go hand in hand for me. See, I have this thing called being left handed. Now, don't laugh, but for some reason I hold knifes and tools differently than right handed people, and by doing so, certain tasks aren't quite as easy or precise (and according to my husband, look really funny). It has absolutely nothing to do with my lack of formal training, NOTHING! ;o)

When I first received "Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes", today's recipe was actually one I bookmarked right away, only to store my book in the bookshelf never to be looked at again until a couple of weeks ago. Looking at my bookshelf for inspiration, the spine of this book caught my eye and I figured now was as good of a time as ever, plus considering I had everything I needed at home for this cake, I set out on a Friday to start. Yes, this cake took me 3 days to make. I'm sure it could have been done in a matter of hours, but I didn't want to overwhelm myself and get frustrated. 

This cake has three components. A cake part, a blueberry preserves filling, and a lemon buttercream. I started by making the blueberry jam (as the recipe advises) since it is also used to swirl into the cake batter for a marble effect. The jam is cooked quickly, and has the most wonderful flavor by adding fresh ginger and lemon juice. The second day I went ahead and baked my three 8-inch layers. The batter was mixed together quickly, and since I already had the jam made, it was ready for the oven in no time. Cooking time was pretty much spot on, and after the cakes had cooled properly, I went ahead and wrapped them tightly to start assembling the cake first thing in the morning.  On day three the first thing I had to make was the lemon butter cream. It is a Swiss meringue buttercream, meaning, you cook the sugar along with water to soft boil stage before adding it to egg whites (or in this cake whole eggs). The hot sugar syrup/egg mixture gets whipped in your stand mixer until it is cool enough to handle the butter. This can easily take 10-15 minutes. Butter is then incorporated little by little until the buttercream comes together, which is usually only during the last few additions of butter. Fresh lemon juice adds the final touch to this wonderful cream, which I might or might not have eaten by the spoon full.

Finally, the cake is assembled by layering the blueberry jam in between each cake layer. Once the cake is stacked and straight, you begin the frosting part. Here is where my dilemma came in. I know I'm not trained at all, and frosting a cake smoothly along with any kind of piping is a challenge at this point. I was not happy with my finished cake at all. I wasn't even sure if I should put it on my blog since the piping really is sloppy and there are so many wonderful bakers out there who could have done this with ease. But I figured, this is my blog, and even though it isn't the best looking cake, it certainly was incredibly tasty! The flavors worked wonderful together and I was proud after all that I overcame my fear and finished. I figured I can only get better from here, right?

Marbled Lemon-Blueberry Butter Cake

~makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

7 egg whites

3 cups cake flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk

Lemon-Blueberry Preserves (recipe to follow), make this first

Lemon Buttercream Frosting (recipe to follow)

Fresh blueberries, for decoration

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg whites 2 or 3 at a time, beating well between additions and stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk gently to blend. In 2 or 3 alternating additions, beat the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixtures, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute to smooth out any lumps and aerate the batter.

Scoop 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl. Divide the remainder equally among the 3 prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula. This gives you a "clean canvas" to work with. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the Lemon-Blueberry Preserves to the reserved batter and blend well. Drizzle heaping teaspoons of this blueberry mixture over the batter in the pans. Using a skewer or paring knife, swirl the blueberry mixture in short strokes to drag it down through the lemon batter without mixing it in.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the layers cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.

To assemble the cake, place a layer, flay side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread half of the Lemon-Blueberry Preserves over the top. Place a second layer on top of the first and spread the remaining preserves over it. Finally, place the third layer on top of the second and frost the sides and top oft the cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting.

Decorate with fresh blueberries.

Adapted from: Sky-High: Irresistible-Triple-Layer Cakes

Lemon-Blueberry Preserves

~makes about 1 cup~

Ingredients:

3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:

Puree the blueberries with any juices they have exuded in a blender or food processor. Pass the puree through a coarse strainer or the medium disk of a food mill to remove the skins.

In a heavy medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the blueberry puree with the sugar, lemon juices, lemon zest, and ginger. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Continue cooking, stirring often for 20 minutes, until the preserves have thickened and are reduced to 1 cup. To check for proper thickness, place 1 to 2 teaspoons on a small china or glass plate and put it in the freezer until cold. Drag your finger through the thickened puree: a clear path should remain. If it's not ready, cook 5 minutes longer and repeat the test. Let the preserves cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

~makes about 3 1/2 cups~

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil without stirring, occasionally washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from the heat.

In a large mixer bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs briefly. Slowly add the hot syrup in a thin stream, pouring it down the sides of the bowl; be careful to avoid hitting the beaters, or the syrup may splatter. When all the syrup has been added, raise the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is very fluffy and cooled to body temperature. This can take 15 to 20 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the softened butter 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, beating well between additions. As you're adding the last few tablespoons of butter, the frosting will appear to break, then suddenly come together like whipped butter. Beat in the lemon juice, and the frosting is ready for use.

Pasta With Fresh Zucchini Sauce

Zucchini dishes for me, are reserved typically for the summer time. I remember growing up, my mom's garden produced some giant zucchinis. We would eat several meals off one of them. My mom would make all kinds of different things with the abundance of Zucchini, but one thing I always remember is her stuffed zucchini. It looked literally like a zucchini boat filled full of a hamburger/rice mixture topped with some kind of Swiss cheese, it was delicious but really doesn't have the same effect with the tiny ones found at the local stores. 

These days, my zucchini finds are restricted to supermarkets and farmers markets but I don't think I've seen such colossal zucchinis since being a child in my mother's garden. They are usually much smaller then what I had been used to. Nonetheless, they are tasty and by being the "baby versions" their skin is usually very tender.

I've had the recipe for this sauce in my files for a long time. I believe my sister was the one that gave it to me many years ago. It is a wonderful, light tasting sauce that is perfect for the summer months. The original recipe called for all mascarpone, but I decided to lighten it just a tiny bit by replacing some of it with light cream cheese. The taste was still just as good, and I actually really liked the little hint of tartness the cream cheese lends to the dish. The recipe also calls for diced prosciutto* which is a wonderful addition in this dish but if you would like to keep this a vegetarian meal you can leave it out and still be left with a fantastic tasting pasta sauce. The key to this sauce is to reserve a little bit of your pasta water and add it when tossing the pasta with the sauce since it can tighten up too much otherwise.

I served this recipe over Angel hair pasta since I had it on hand, but any other pasta would just be as delicious. I have also served it over whole wheat pasta before and it was also very good. A little simple side salad with a vinegar based vinaigrette completed this wonderful summer meal for us. If Zucchini is your "thing" as well, I hope you'll give this sauce a try!


*I love the taste of prosciutto in this dish but have made it before using pancetta or bacon which I cooked prior to adding them.

Pasta With Fresh Zucchini Sauce
(serves 4-6)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound zucchini, diced
1/4 cup water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
5 ounces Mascarpone cheese
3 ounces light cream cheese
3 ounces Prosciutto, finely diced
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 ounces Pasta, cooked and drained
2-3 tablespoons reserved pasta water (optional)

Preparation:

In a large pan cook onions in olive oil until tender for about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for an additional minute making sure not to burn it. Add Zucchini, water and vegetable bouillon cube. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Add mascarpone and cream cheese and cook on low heat until melted. Add the prosciutto, taste for seasonings. Add pasta to the sauce and toss lightly. Add reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if desired. Serve immediately.