Lemon Bliss Cake

This cake may not look like much from my photo but the name says it all...lemon bliss!

It packs a powerful punch of flavor from the lemons in the cake, using the zest, which has all the flavor, and a lemon glaze brushed on top of the warm cake.

It's moist and tangy, with a tight crumb.

As all cakes of this kind, it only gets better the next day or two, so go grab some lemons and make this cake!
Serve it with whipped cream and maybe some fresh blueberries sprinkled on top. Yum!

It begins, like most cakes, with creaming the butter and sugar til fluffy and light.
Then add in the eggs, then the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk.

Throw in lots of lemon zest, which gives it it's great lemony flavor.

Spoon the batter into your favorite bundt pan and smooth the top.

Then brush on that lovely lemon glaze.

Lemon Bliss Cake (from  King Arthur Flour)

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ozs.) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups AP flour (I used 13.5 ozs.) ( I always use King Arthur Flour)
1 cup milk
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons OR 3/4 tsp. lemon oil

Glaze:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
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Preheat oven to 350. Butter and lightly flour a 10" tube pan or a 9" to 10", 9 to 10 cup capacity bundt pan.

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and salt, then cream til light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix til smooth.
4. Stir in the grated lemon zest ( or the lemon oil, if using).
5. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
6. Bake the cake 55 to 60 minutes, or til a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. While the cake is finishing it's baking, make the glaze by combining the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
8. Once the cake comes out of the oven, set it aside on a wire cake to cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and turn the cake out onto the rack. Place another rach on top and turn the cake over so it's right side up.
9. Poke the hot cake all over the top with a cake tester or toothpick. Stir the glaze again, then brush the top with the glaze, letting it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing til all the glaze is used.
10. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

Lemon Curd French Tart

This is for anyone and everyone out there who has a fear of making pie crust. And even for those who have advanced skills in pie crust making...this crust is amazing!

I read about it here a while back and kind of forgot about it. But then the other day, I got to thinking about my delicious lemon curd and decided to put it into a tart.

 Making a dough from hot butter, rather than ice cold, disputes all the ideas about only using cold ingredients. I don't actually know why it works...but it works...and that's all I need to know!

You can fill the tart with anything you'd like from a curd, like I did, to a pastry cream or custard with fresh fruit. I used my lemon curd recipe to fill the tart and then just piped some whipped cream on top.

It's really the flakiest crust I've ever had and it's also the easiest crust I've ever made. So for all you bakers who are still buying a store bought crust because you're too nervous to try making one from scratch...give this one a try. You'll love it!

Begin by placing the butter pieces, oil, water, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. ( I used my pyrex bowl.)
Place the bowl into the oven for about 15 minutes, or til the butter begins to brown slightly and bubble.

It should look like this, nice and melted.

Then dump in the flour...

And stir til it becomes a ball.
And that's pretty much it! Now, was that so hard?

Dump the ball onto your tart pan (you might want to let it cool a little bit first),  spread out the dough using the heel of your hand. Push it towards the edge and press the edge with your fingers.
Save a little bit of dough, about the size of a marble, to patch any cracks that may occur after baking.
Prick the dough with a fork in about 10 to 12 places.

Bake 15 minutes and use the reserved dough to patch any sizable crack, if you have any.

Fill with your fave filling, then decorate...and dive in!

Lemon Curd French Tart (adapted from here)
Makes one 9" tart or 3 to 4 tartlets( with removable bottom) or 9" pie plate.

Note: My tart pan actually measured 9 1/2" and I think that's why my tart came out on the shallow side. This really wasn't a problem but if you use a pie plate or tart pan with a removable bottom, just know if it's not exactly 9" your tart may come out shallow also. I haven't made this recipe using tartlet pans so I'm not sure if it would make 3 or 4 but I bet they'd be darned cute...and delicious!
Also David says because small cracks in the dough are normal you'd be better to not use a thin custard filling.

3 ozs. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp. canola oil
3 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
5 ozs. AP flour
Lemon curd recipe
Whipped cream for decorating top

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Preheat oven to 410.
1. In a heatproof bowl ( I used my glass pyrex), place the butter pieces, oil, water, sugar and salt and place into the oven for 15 minutes, or til the butter begins to bubble and brown around the edges. Remove carefully.
2. Dump the flour into the melted butter mixture and stir into a ball with a spatula.
3. Place the ball into your tart or pie pan and, when cooled enough to handle, press the dough with the heel of your hand to spread out to the edges. Use your fingers to press the sides of the dough .
Reserve a small piece of dough, about the size of a marble, to patch any cracks later.
4. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then place back in the oven for 15 minutes, or til the dough gets a nice godlen color.
5. Patch any large cracks with the reserved dough piece.
Let the crust cool completely before filling with your favorite custart and fresh fruit, pastry cream or, like me, most delicious lemon curd!

Citrus Shortbread Cookies

Buttery...crumbly...light...amazing! These shortbread cookies are sooo good.

With Easter fast approaching I thought a light citrus cookie would be perfect.  These are exceptionally light from the cornstarch and confectioners' sugar in the dough. They melt in your mouth!

The recipe came from a book titled, " Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America". It's a wonderful book with lots of great photos and tips for baking.

I chose to make them into cut out cookies but you could also make the shortbread in a prepared mold. Hope you'll give these a try. You will love them.

You'll need zest from an orange and a lemon.

Because I cut out the cookies, I rolled out the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and refridgerated it for about 30 minutes to let it get nice and cold and easier to cut out the shapes.

Then cut out what ever shapes you want...

And place them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

Citrus Shortbread Cookies ( from Baking at Home, With The Culinary Institute of America").
Makes about 4 dozen 2" cookies

2 cups AP flour (9 oz.)
1 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups(3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. grated orange zest
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
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The book says to lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment but I found just a light sprinkle of sugar on the sheet was enough to keep them from sticking.

1. Sift the flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed til light in texture and smooth, 2 minutes.
3. Add confectioners' sugar and the orange and lemon zests: cream til light and smooth, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 2 minutes.
4. On low speed, mix in the sifted dry ingredients til just blended. Scrape down the bowl as needed during creaming and mixing to blend evenly.
5. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a disc, then cover with another piece of wrap and roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness.
6. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or til firm enough to cut out shapes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 and take the dough out of the fridge and cut out the shapes, placing on the prepared cookie sheet. Reroll any scraps.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes or til the edges are light brown. ( I always check the bottom of one to be sure they're a light golden brown. I like them a little crunchy). They harden as they cool.
Store in a tin.

Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is another cookie from Ruby et Violette Bakery. The original recipe I found was for their chocolate chunk cookies which had been posted in The New York Times in 2002. Wendy Gaynor ( the original owner of the bakery) gave a variation of this chocolate chunk cookie by swapping out the dark chocolate for white chocolate, adding some lemon oil or extract (which is what I used), and changing the flour amount.

She calls them "utterly devine"...and they are! I love the white chocolate chunks in them and the lemony flavor is wonderful. I didn't have any chips but I did have a bar of white chocolate that I chopped up and that worked great because I really got nice chunks of chocolate.

Cream the butter for about 2 minutes.

Then start adding in the sugars.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, then the lemon oil or extract and combine well.

Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed til all combined.

Then, chop up the white chocolate, if using chunks, and add it in to the dough, stirring just til combined.

You get a nice chunky dough.

Scoop heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart.

Bake about 12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. They should be lightly browned on the edges.

Lemon White Chocolate Chunk Cookies(from Ruby et Violette)


Makes about 3 - 4 dozen, depending on the size.

2 sticks(1 cup) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups AP flour

1 (scant) tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. lemon oil (I used 1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract and it was enough)

4 cups white chocolate chunks or chips ( I thought this amount was excessive and used about 3 cups)

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Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Cream butter for about 2 minutes, or til light and fluffy.

2. Add in the sugars, beating well to combine and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the lemon oil or extract, scraping the bowl again.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and add to the creamed mixture on low speed. Don't overmix.

5. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

6. Scoop heaping teaspoonful amounts onto the baking sheet, placing 2" apart.

7. Bake for approx. 12 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. The cookies should be lightly golden brown on the edges.

Madeleines with Lemon Glaze

One of the things I love about having a blog is that it gives me a reason to try recipes that I have never tasted or perhaps normally wouldn't try making. Madeleines fit into the former category.
I bought this madeleine pan quite a while ago and, if truth be told, did attempt to make these petit elegant French cakes once, with disasterous results, and the pan was quickly stashed away with the other unused pans and molds.
So when I decided to dust off the pan and try again, I looked for recipes from those I knew would be familiar with French baking and decided to go with David Lebovitz's recipe.
Madeleines are actually pretty simple to make. The tricky part, if there is one, is in the folding of the batter ingredients. Folding always requires a gentle hand but other than that, it's a piece of cake!
This recipe results in light, lemony little cakes and if you choose to dip them with the lemon glaze they are just that much more lemony! ( I tried a few dipped in chocolate but I didn't care for the taste. I think it was the lemon flavor with the chocolate that didn't work).

So begin by preparing your pan. Brush the pan generously with melted butter.

Then dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Then pop the pan into the fridge or freezer and make the batter.

In a mixer bowl, whip the room temperature eggs, sugar and salt for 5 minutes til frothy and thickened.

Mix the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl and spoon it into a sifter ( over the egg mixture).

Using a rubber spatula, sift the flour slowly over the egg mixture and fold it in gently. Be sure to incorporate all the flour. Just be careful not to overmix it because you will continue to fold with the melted butter in the next step.

Add the lemon zest to the melted butter and give that a stir.

Then spoon the butter, several teaspoonfuls at a time, folding into the batter, again, gently and til it's all just incorporated.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least one hour or up to 12 hours.

There..the tricky part is over!

Once you're ready to bake them, just spoon about a tablespoonful into the little shell molds. Don't bother to spread them around, they spread on their own as they bake.

While they're baking, you can make the lemon glaze.

Once they come out of the oven, you can just pop them out of their molds.

As soon as they're cool enough to handle, either dip them into the glaze,coating both sides or spoon a little glaze over both sides of them.
Then let them set up and enjoy!

Madeleines with Lemon Glaze ( from David Lebovitz's recipe)

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen large


3 large eggs, room temp.

2/3 cup granulated sugar

rounded 1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup AP flour

1 tsp. baking powder

zest of one lemon

9 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp.

Glaze:

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp. water

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1. Brush molds with melted butter, then dust with flour, tap out the excess and place in fridge or freezer.

2. In a medium mixer bowl, whip the eggs, sugar and salt for 5 minutes, til thickened and frothy.

3. Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter and using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter.( Rest the bowl on a damp towel to help steady it).

4. Add lemon zest to cooled butter, then drizzle butter into batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate butter. ( My butter slightly solidified as it cooled so I had to spoon it in). Fold just til all the butter is incorporated.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or up to 12 hours.

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When ready to bake:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Spoon about a tablespoonful of batter into each mold. Don't spread the batter.

3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes, or til cakes feel set.

4. Make glaze while they're baking by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl til smooth.

5. Remove cakes from pan and while still slightly warm, dip or spoon glaze on both sides of madeleines. Allow glaze to set.

These are best eaten the day they're made. I would place them into an airtight container into the fridge if not eating them all the day they're made and bring to room temp. before eating.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Glazed

I was in the mood for a quick muffin to make this morning, not that most muffins aren't quick and easy to make anyway. Just put the wet in one bowl and the dry in another bowl and combine. Can't get easier than that!
I've made lemon poppy seed muffins before but that recipe used yogurt and this one calls for sour cream. The recipe is from one of my favorite bakers, Dorie Greenspan, so you just know the recipe will be great..and it is!
The lemon flavor really comes through with zest, juice and more juice in the glaze. They are moist, lemony and addictive!


In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips til the sugar is moist...

And the fragrance of the lemon is strong ( and wonderful!).

Then whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another small bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter til well blended.

Then pour the wet into the dry ingredients and with a rubber spatula, gently stir to blend. Remember, don't overstir. Some lumps remaining are okay.

Stir in the poppy seeds.

Then scoop the batter into your prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or til the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the muffins completely before glazing them.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Glazed ( from Dorie Greenspan's book, "Baking From My Home to Yours)

Muffins: Makes 12 regular size

2/3 cup sugar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tbsp. poppy seeds


Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Position rack in the center of oven. Preheat oven to 400 and butter muffin cups or line with paper liners.

1. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips til the sugar is moist and the fragrance of the lemon is strong.

2. Whisk in the flour, baking powder. baking soda and salt.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter til well blended.

4. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula. Don't overstir, some remaining lumps visible are okay.

5. Stir in the poppy seeds.

6. Scoop the batter among the muffin cups evenly.

7. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or til the tops are golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool 5 minutes. Then remove each muffin from its mold.

9. Make the glaze by placing the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl and adding enough lemon juice to make a smooth thin glaze.

10. Once the muffins are completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the muffins.

Ginger Lemon Sandwich Cookies

The recipe for this cookie from Martha Stewart combines the wonderful flavors of ginger and lemon. The cookie came out soft and, had I read the reviewers comments, I would have noticed that the baking time was incorrect! It should have been baked for 14 minutes total. After the first 7 minutes, the cookies are supposed to come out of the oven, get a sprinkling of sugar and go back into the oven for another 7 minutes.
So, as I said, I didn't read that part so I had a bunch of soft, but still delicious, lemony, gingery cookies on my hands. What to do with them? Make them into sandwich cookies!
They actually came out great like this so if you want crunchy cookies, bake them 14 minutes. If you want soft cookies to make sandwich cookies out of them ( I'll give you the filling recipe below) bake them 7 minutes!

Chop the crystallized ginger and zest 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar 5 minutes.

Add the egg and beat to combine.

Add the lemon zest and mix.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients along with the chopped ginger.

Then add it to the butter mixture.

Drop 2 teaspoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet.

Bake 7 minutes, take out of the oven and sprinkle tops with sugar and bake for another 7 minutes.

Ginger Lemon Sandwich Cookies ( from Martha Stewart)

Makes 3 dozen

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1 1/3 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely diced

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. In mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix butter and 3/4 cup sugar til light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl well.

2. Add egg, mixing on high to combine.

3. Mix in lemon zest.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and crystallized ginger.

5. Add the dry to the butter mixture and mix on low speed to combine.

6. Drop 2 teaspoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet spacing 2" apart.

7. Bake for 7 minutes, then take out of the oven and sprinkle tops of cookies with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

8. Place cookies back in the oven for another 7 minutes.

9. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Filling for Sandwich Cookies

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

zest of half of a lemon

enough lemon juice to make spreadable (but still slightly thick.)

1. Work the softened butter and the powdered sugar to combine a little.

2. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and stir to make spreadable but still slightly thick.