Italian Lemon Pound Cake

This is so good that my co-worker featured it in her newspaper cooking column. Not linking to protect my privacy, lol.

https://delishcooks.com/italian-lemon-pound-cake-this-cake-is-like-a-dream/


3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup of sour cream
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons ( about 2 T.)
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest.

Mix half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix in the buttermilk and then add in the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn the cake over on a cake platter. Spread half of the lemon glaze over the warm cake so that the glaze can soak into the cake. Let the cake cool completely and drizzle the remaining glaze over the cake.

Lemon Glaze

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice, at room temperature

Cream the butter and slowly add powdered sugar and lemon juice. Beat well until the glaze is a creamy smooth consistency.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Yes, you can have cake for breakfast! This also makes great muffins. The recipe is originally from Alexandra's Kitchen, and I got it from an online friend.

It looks a little scruffy in this brunch picture because I had been nibbling the corners before I remembered to take a picture.

½ cup  unsalted butter, room temperature
zest from 1 large lemon
1 cup  sugar (set aside 1 tablespoon for sprinkling)
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups  all-purpose flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
½ cup buttermilk, (or 1 t. lemon juice plus milk to make 1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, cream the butter with the lemon zest and the 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and stir with spatula to incorporate. Add all of the buttermilk. Stir. Add remaining flour, and stir until flour is absorbed. Fold in the blueberries. (Leave excess flour from the blueberry bowl behind.)

Spray 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray. If you have parchment paper on hand, line the pan with parchment. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes — 35 min for 9-inch pan , 40-45 for 8". Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes.  Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

This also makes great muffins. They would take a shorter baking time.

Wine-Braised Beef Shortribs

Funny carrot.

But I digress.

Original recipe from Food.com which now seems to be Genius Kitchen.

I did make a few changes. More ribs: I usually allow 2 per person. More carrot because Dad always asks for more carrot. Whole can of tomato paste, because what on earth do you do with the leftovers. Added one package of mushrooms.  Didn't reduce liquid. Cooked around 3 hours.

So here's my version:

Boneless short ribs, 2 per person
1/4 c flour
2 T oil
1 onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 celery rib, cut into 1" pieces
2 large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c wine
1 15-oz can chicken or beef broth
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 8-oz package sliced mushrooms
1 bay leaf
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried rosemary
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper the ribs then dredge in flour. Heat oil in frying pan and brown the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs and put them into your pot roast pot or dutch oven or whatever. Add the vegetables (excluding mushrooms) to the pan and saute for a few minutes until the onion starts to brown. Add the wine, stock and tomato paste and stir together. Add the mushrooms and herbs. Dump all this on top of the ribs. Cover the pan and bake 2-3 hours. At 3 hours the meat will be falling off the bone.

New Tacos?

I know what you're thinking. "Mom, don't mess with the tacos. You learned your lesson with the meatloaf."  But I swear these are really good. Cheater's Chorizo and Chickpea Tacos from the Rachael Ray Magazine.