Tag Archives: Baking

Citrus Glazed Pound Cake

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Last Friday was awesome for many reasons. Right now I am loving my weekends. Leaving work at 5:30 on Friday and literally having nothing to do is an amazing feeling. This Friday was even better because I immediately drove from work on my friend Molly’s house for an after work happy hour party.

Here is the thing about Molly’s parties: there is always a ton of delicious food (blackberry baked brie OMG) and delicious drinks and a fun mixture of people. I’m always looking for an excuse to combine butter and sugar so I gladly planned to bring a dessert. Molly didn’t ask me till Monday to bring dessert but obviously, I had it planned days in advance what I wanted to bring. For the occasion I decided to try a new recipe Citrus Glazed Pound Cake from Everyday Foods. I had never tried this recipe before but I knew it would be delicious because it called for the butter and sugar to be beaten together for 10 mins.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of unsalted butter warmed to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon of course salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Juice from 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of orange zest
  • Juice from 1/2 an orange (I used a Cara Cara orange from the FM because they are my fave)

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar for 10 mins until it is light and fluffy. Scrape down the edges of the bowl to make sure the butter and sugar are thoroughly combined.

Add the vanilla and then gradually add the eggs. Beat well and continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that they are thoroughly combined.

Add lemon zest, orange zest, orange juice and lemon juice. Combine with a spatula.

With the mixer on low add the salt and then gradually add the flour beating until combined.

Pour the cake into the loaf pan and bake for 65 mins. Check that the cake is done (by inserting a toothpick into cake and seeing if any batter sticks). Let cool on wire rack for 1 hour.

Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice and orange juice in a small bowl. Pour over the cooled cake and let set.

Clearly, I have issues with my glaze. After consulting my expert (and co-worker) I think my issue is that I add too much liquid. Either way, this cake was a big hit at the party! It was moist, citrus-ey, and I didn’t have any leftovers to take home with me. Pound cake is really easy to make. This one wasn’t too sweet and definitely had a summer twist to it. I will be making this again. This recipe is a keeper.

Oh, and it also pairs well with three blackberry mint juleps.

But, then again, what doesn’t pair well with a blackberry mint julep?

That’s what I thought.

Speaking of cocktails, check out my guest post on Two Boos Who Eat about fun summer cocktails!

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Thank You, Lola

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Oh Bloggies, this week has been a week. Between recovering from last weekend’s half marathon, LCC Dad being in town until Tuesday, having a million errands to run, getting sick on Wednesday, and adjusting to my busy regular work schedule. Blogging got left behind last week. I’m still trying to get into the groove of working and blogging. I feel like I fell off the edge of the earth a bit this week. Thank goodness for weekend recovery and thank goodness for chunky Lola.

Chunky Lola cookies are another majestic creation from the Flour Cookbook. I actually make them pretty frequently but somehow they have managed to escape the grasps of the blog. It’s always a good idea to keep cookie dough in the fridge, right?

Right.

And there is nothing better than butter, sugar, and brown sugar mixes together for 10 mins.

Seriously. The Flour cookbook has opened my eyes to the fact that butter and sugar should always be mixed together for a minimum of 10 mins.

Cookie recipes really don’t deviate too much. Lola’s, however, are amazing because they have coconut, chocolate chips, and toasted pecans.

The other reason I love all Flour Cookbook cookie recipes is that they all call for the dough to be refrigerated. I’m not totally sure why but I’ve found that cookies are always better when the dough has been chilled. Weird, I know but it always makes it better.

And the final product?

Exactly what I needed to make it though a busy week.

For real, if it weren’t for these babies I don’t think I would have made it past Tuesday. On a happier note, I’m starting to feel less sick. I only have a cold but I’m such a baby when I have a cold. Half marathons? No problem! Light head cold? I crawl into the fetal position. Don’t worry I have plenty of awesome posts coming in the next week. You want a preview? Let’s just say that there will be bacon ice cream, marathon training plans, half marathon training wrap up, and a new pizza recipe!

What helps you get through crazy weeks? Obviously I rely on cookies, wine, friends, and bad reality TV.

Chocolate Chip Macaroons

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This week the Flour Cookbook made its triumphant return.

I’m slowly working my way though the book. Thus far I have made:

I’ve never made macaroons before but I love them so I thought I should give it a shot. Obviously I added chocolate chips because chocolate makes everything tasty. These were way easier that I thought they would be.

And before I knew it my apartment smelled like toasted coconut and I had this…

Ignore the fact that there is a bite out of the side of that one on the right. 😉 I made a half batch and refrigerated the rest of the dough. In total I have about 40 macaroons on my hands. You always have friends when you have chocolate chip macaroons.

Cheddar and Scallion Scones

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Another day, another amazing creation from the Flour Cookbook. These scones are delicious and super easy to make!

It’s as simple as combining the dry ingredients…

combining all the wet ingredients…

I am having a love affair with Creme Fraiche. So much more amazing than sour cream!

Combining the two together and placing them on a baking dish is a circle…

Brushing with yoke…

Wipe the drool with your apron…

and bake. Wait and wait and wait while your apartment starts to smell like cheese. These babies smell ah-maz-ing! And then, they are ready. Everybody out of the oven.

Again, wipe the drool off with your apron. Cut them up and enjoy the best breakfast ever.

This scone is really very light and had cheese melted in the middle. Does it get any better than that? Nope. I am surprised by how easy the recipes in the Flour Cookbook really are.


The treats are special and decadent but totally do able. It just goes to show how little ingredients, like creme fraiche, can make a dish unique and even more delicious.

Melted cheese, soft interior, and crispy crust.

I realize that this is like foodie torture, making such a good savory breakfast item and not sharing the recipe. There is a cure! Order the book and make them for yourself!

I am off to a pumpkin patch so that I can pretend like its really fall! Hope ya’ll are having a happy Sunday!

It rains, I cook up a storm

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So today was an oddly rainy day in LA. I made a good faith attempt to make it to the library. I made it about 10 mins to the coffee bean and tea leaf. At that point I realized that my water proof backpack was leaking. So I got a non fat, decaf vanilla latte which I proceeded to spill all over myself on the walk home. It was a full retreat. However, with my JCrew trench and JCrew hot pink rain boots I was the most chic preppy girl in all of Westwood.

Once I got home I did some work but mostly cooked. I made muffins, lunch for tomorrow and home made pizza for dinner.

Muffins:

1 cup flour
2 tbl. sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tbl. melted butter
1 pear, peeled, cored, chopped
1/4 cup of crystallized ginger, pecans

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take all the dry ingredients except the ginger, pecans, and pear and combine in a large bowl, set aside.

Then take the egg, milk, and melted butter and combine together. Take the wet ingredients and combine with the dry.

Once the dry and wet are adequately combined into a dough add the ginger, pecans and pear. Make sure that you have done a chop on all three. Rough chop is good for the ginger and the pecans. After they are combined place into a muffin tin.

Before...

Put into the oven for 30 mins. Once finished let cool and refrigerate! Recipe courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

Pizza:

Then for dinner I made a pizza. I bought prosciutto this week at Trader Joes and really was just looking for the best vehicle with which to eat it, so I made pizza. I took a plain dough from Trader Joes and used a tomato sauce, salt, pepper, prosciutto, spinach, pine nuts, garlic, and goat cheese.

I cooked it at 450 degrees for 10 mins. It puffed up and smelled so good!

So good!