Meyer lemon pound cake

This is so light and creamy.  If Meyer lemons are not available, use half regular lemons, half mandarin oranges.  Meyer lemons are in season November-March.  They are a little pricey, but the taste is so worth it!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup plain yogurt OR sour cream

1 1/2 TBL lemon juice AND zest

1 cup sugar plus 2 additional TBL

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

5 eggs, room temp

Lemon Syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 TBL lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray and flour a 9X5 loaf pan.  In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a smaller bowl,  whisk the yogurt (or sour cream) and lemon juice.  In a stand mixer bowl, combine zest and sugar.  Stir with a fork or rub between your fingers until the sugar is moist.  With the paddle attachment on, add the butter to the bowl and mix on MEDIUM speed until light and fluffy.  Whip for approx 4 minutes.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Turn the speed to LOW and add the yogurt (or sour cream) mixture.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix for about 1 minute.  Pour into prepared pan.  Smooth the top of the batter.  Bake for 55-60 minutes.  While the cake is baking, make the syrup by heating the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over med-med low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cake is done, allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack that is sitting on a plate, or a cookie sheet to catch the drip.  Brush the lemon syrup over all sides of the cake, especially the top.  When the cake has completely cooled, brush the glaze on.  

Home made tortillas

I finally found a tortilla recipe I love!  All the credit goes to Hilla Kariv.  The recipe was easy, tasty and best of all, cheaper than store bought with no added ingredients.
Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 TBL vegetable oil
2 TBL butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups warm water

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, mix flours, salt, and baking powder.  Add oil and butter and mix with a pastry blender or just use your hands.  Mix till butter is well blended into the flour.  Add the water, slowly, and mix with a fork.  **NOTE**  I only needed 1 1/8 ish cups water.  Depending on where you live and the humidity level, you may not need all 1 1/4 cups water.  Once the dough has come together, knead for a couple of minutes.  Form a ball with the dough, cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.  The dough should be pliable, but not sticky.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and form each one into a ball.  Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rest again for 20 minutes.

Heat a heavy pan (a cast iron skillet would be perfect!) over med-high heat.  While pan is heating, roll out one ball of dough at a time with a rolling pin to the desired thickness you  like.  I made some small and some big tortillas, but made them very thin.  Cook for about a minute on each side till bubbly and browned.  Flip and cook another minute or so.  Here's what I did different.  While cooking in the pan, I set a smaller pan on top of the tortilla so it would brown more evenly and not bubble up.

That's it!  I froze mine and put sheets of wax paper in between.  I got 16 out of this batch.  If you will be eating right away, keep covered with a towel to keep them warm!

Jael Nicole Burris

Gramma Rock's Easter Bread

There is nothing better than this Easter bread!  This recipe was adapted from my grandmother..."Gramma Rock".  Back then, she used cakes of yeast.  They are hard to find these days, so I just used packets.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 packets yeast
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups flour, plus a little for kneading, dusting
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
8 TBL butter, melted
1 TBL olive oil

Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 TBL water

Directions:
Heat milk to 110.  Add yeast and 1 TBL sugar.  Mix well and let sit till foamy, about 5 minutes. ( I just used a small saucepan)  Whisk eggs and vanilla and set aside.
In a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, (King Arthur unbleached white OR 365 brand unbleached white) lemon juice, the rest of the sugar and salt.  With the dough hook attached, start mixing on low and slowly add milk mixture.  Add the egg mixture.  Keep mixing on low and add the melted butter.  At this point, bump the speed up to med, but hold on to the stand mixer so it doesn't move around on you.  Add a few sprinkles of flour if needed.  Mix till stiff, but not sticky.

Pour onto a floured surface, and knead into a ball.  Rub the ball with the olive oil and place in a bowl covered with a towel to rise for about 1 1/2-2 hours.

After the dough has doubled in size, you can punch it down, turn onto a floured surface, and begin to make your "shapes", braids, or even make individual loaves.  I chose to do all three.  I made individual loaves for my mom and froze them so she could pull them out one at a time and eat a loaf within a couple of days.

You could also add hard boiled (colored if you like) eggs to your braid since it is for Easter!  Preheat oven to 350.  

After you braid your dough, cover it with a towel again and let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Whisk an egg with a TBL of water in a bowl and brush the top of your bread loaves with the egg wash.

Bake at 350 for approx 20-25 minutes.  I remember my Gramma's bread was very yellow in color.  I think she actually added a dozen eggs to her recipe, but that would change the flour ratio as well.  Either way, it's so sweet and good, not to mention fun to eat when you are a kid!!  Enjoy!!

Gramma Rock making pizza (she was always in the kitchen!)

Lemon blueberry bars

Talk about easy and G-O-O-D!!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar. total

2 1/4 cups flour, total

4 eggs

zest of 3 lemons

juice of 2 lemons 

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

nonstick spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.  Using a food processor, (or a pastry cutter) blend together:

1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup sugar

2 cup flour

Press evenly into the bottom of a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake 20-25 minutes, till just golden brown.

Lemon topping:

Whisk together:

11/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 eggs

zest of 3 lemons

juice of 2 lemons

Allow topping to sit for about 10 minutes before whisking together.  Whisk together then pour over baked shortbread.  Sprinkle with 1 cup blueberries.

Bake at 350 for another 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned and the custard appears to be set.  Jiggle the pan a little to tell.  Cool completely.  Cut into squares.  These will not last long!

  

Zucchini & tomato bake

When summer's abundance of zucchini is at it's peak, this will help answer the question of "What do I do with all this zucchini?!"

Ingredients:
3 small zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, sliced
approx 15 grape tomatoes
1/2 pkg cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup feta
3 eggs
1 tsp tarragon (dried)
1 tsp thyme (dried)
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
1TBL olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add sliced zucchini and onion.  Saute until zucchini just starts to turn translucent, about 5-8 minutes.  In a food processor, mix cream cheese and eggs.  Pour into a bowl and add Parmesan and feta.  Mix well and add spices, lemon juice, zest and agave nectar.  Spray a 9X12 baking dish with non stick spray and layer zucchini & onions, and tomatoes.  Pour egg mixture over all and top with mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool before cutting.

Sweet potato muffins with streusel topping

I think muffins are good any time of the year!  Especially with a good cup of tea or coffee!

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/3 cup softened unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar ( I used sugar in the raw)
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup half-n-half, plus 1-2 TBL more
2 medium sweet potatoes, steamed, and jackets removed
zest from 1 orange

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup whole wheat white flour
4 TBL unsalted butter softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon

***OPTIONAL***
Orange glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Juice from 1 orange
1 tsp orange zest

Whisk together till sugar dissolves.


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Cream egg, butter, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add vanilla and flour and mix.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix with the wire whip until thoroughly blended.  The half-n-half amount may need to be adjusted according to how you like the batter.  Spray muffin tins with non stick spray.  Fill tins halfway and top with streusel topping.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.
**NOTE**  I did 6 large muffins, 12 mini muffins, and a mini loaf (7X4).  The loaf took over half an hour to bake.  Just keep checking if you decide to make a loaf.  Stick with a toothpick to make sure it's done.