Jeannette's Sunset Meyer Lemon Bars!

It's that time of year.  Lilacs are in bloom and lemon trees are producing their luscious fruits.  Lucky for me my friend and horse trainer, Jeannette, has a Meyer lemon tree.  This week she not only gave me quite a workout during my horse riding lesson (that left me very sore), but she also brought me a bag of fabulous Meyer lemons from her tree. They smelled so good! 

 I don't know which smelled better, the lilacs or the lemons. 

I searched through several cookbooks for a lemon cookie or bar recipe and finally found one in Betty Crocker Baking Basics. It was quick and easy and turned out to be delicious.  I am not a big fan of fruit- flavored desserts, being such a chocoholic, but this was really good.  I will definitely make them again, only I'll double the recipe since this one only made about 16 squares--and they went 

Lemon Bar Recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temp.

1/4 cup powdered sugar (organic preferred)

1 cup granulated sugar (organic)

2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

a few drops of yellow food color if desired

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar (to sprinkle when done)

1.  Heat oven to 350 F.   Mix first three ingredients--flour, butter and powdered sugar--in small bowl.  I use the tips of my fingers and squeeze until it forms a fine sand-like texture; then press the mixture firmly and evenly on the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch square pan. Bake 20 minutes.

2.  In a medium bowl, beat the granulated sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice, baking powder, salt, eggs, and food coloring until light and fluffy--about 3 minutes.  (I used my hand-held electric mixture rather than my stand mixer because of the small quantity.  Also because of the high altitude up here, I added 2 Tablespoons of flour to this mixture as suggested.)

3.Pour this mixture over the hot crust spreading evenly.  Bake 25-30 minutes.  Cool on a rack for at least one hour.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cut into bars or squares. 

*Another option...add 1/2 cup of flaked coconut to sugar-lemon-egg mixture to make Lemon Coconut Bars.

Thanks Jeannette!  Bring me more lemons and I'll keep baking.

Happy 29th Birthday to My Sweet Horse, Fire Mountain!

March 3rd was Fire's 29th birthday. He's still adjusting to his new home at El Camino Ranch, but he seems to be settling in and making friends.  So we decided to have a little party.  And since I've been baking cakes for all of my family members, I couldn't forget this very special man in my life. 

This one took a little less time than the others, but just as much love was put into it--that's for sure!

         Fire's Special Birthday Cake

His cake was a mix of all of his favorite things: 4 cups Purina Senior Equine feed, 1/2 cup molasses , a handful of carrots, an apple, and a few peppermint horse treats.  Doesn't it look delicious?  (Actually it smelled pretty darn good.) 

 Fire sure loved it. 

                                      

Guests at the party, besides his mama and papa were Pansy and her yet unnamed adorable foal,
                                     

next door paddock mate Five Alarm Chili who demanded and got a "piece" of the cake, 

and the cutest foal born on the morning that Fire arrived at El Camino Ranch. 

Of course, we humans weren't neglected either.  In honor of Fire's bday, I made gingerbread horse cookies for everyone at the ranch to enjoy.

                                     
Gingersnap Cookies aka Gingerbread Horses

2/3 cup butter, margarine, or butter substitute
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix first four.  Combine dry ingredients.  Add dry to wet and mix until well-combined.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.  When chilled, roll out on floured surface and then using cookie cutters cut desired shapes.  Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon-sugar.  Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes.

Happy Birthday, my sweet Fire.  I hope to enjoy many more with you!

Quick, Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Apple Turnovers

If you've ever made puff pastry, you know it is made up of quite a bit of butter, and it takes time.  This involves rolling, folding, and refrigerating butter blocks a number of times. I had read about frozen puff pastry in Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America , one of my baking bibles, so I thought I would give it a try. 

I happened to be shopping at Whole Foods where I found, in the frozen section of course, Aussie's Puff Pastry, a frozen product made by a Seattle-area based bakery called Aussie's Bakery.  What a great find!  It turned out to be not only delicious but healthy as well!  Imagine that, a healthy puff pastry:

        While Angus Wood initially set out to replicate a taste of home, he ended up creating a relatively  health-conscious product as well. The company's puff pastry, for example, is made of wheat flour and contains no trans fat, no cholesterol and no artificial additives. Many of its products, except for the meat pies, are vegan friendly.  -- from an article in the Herald 

Check them out: http://www.aussiebakery.com/pg/about-herald.html

So recently, when I got a hankering for apple turnovers, I pulled my frozen puff pastry out of the freezer and got to work, or show I say play!  In a very short time, the kitchen smelled wonderful and my pastries were ready to be devoured. 

First things first:  Make the apple filling and set aside so it can cool before using. 

Apple Filling

2 ounces of butter
4 tart apples peeled and diced
1 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch (depending on apple season, if full storage apples use 2T)
1 Tablespoon water (depending on apple season, if full storage apples use 2T)

1. In a large saute pan, melt butter, add apples, and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add sugar and salt. Simmer 2 minutes.
3. Combine cornstarch and water (this is called a cornstarch slurry) and add to apple mix and cook until sauce thickens. Cool before using.             

                                          

 (If too watery after cooled, strain apples, place juice in a small pan, add another cornstarch slurry, and stir until thickened, add to apples.  Let cool again.)

Puff Pastry

Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge for 8 hours, or if you're in a hurry, at room temperature (though once at room temp, it's a good idea to return to the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up). 

1. There are three sheets in the package,  Roll each one out on a floured surface. (Flour the rolling pin as well.)  Don't roll over the edges, just keep an even pressure  right up to the edge.
2. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut them into squares that will be folded diagonally to form a triangle once they are filled.  So make them whatever size you'd like.  Mine were probably about 6" squares.
3. Place apple filling in center, fold diagonally and press the edges together with your thumb or a fork. (Don't over fill.)
4. Brush with cream (or an egg wash) and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350 - 400 F about 20-25 minutes until golden.  (I used 400 due to my high altitude location.)

        
I had some leftover chocolate ganache in the fridge, so I also made a few chocolate-filled puff pastries, and they were yummy too!

Have fun baking...and eating!

My Cakes to Date--Updated

1. First cake done at Cake Crumbs class

2. Fake cake done at Cake Crumbs class

3. First cake done on my own at home

4. Calla Lily cake.  My favorite so far.

5. Fondant cut outs

6. 4th of July

7.  Sunflower cupcakes

8. Yolande's birthday cake--August

9. Chuck's Who's Hunting Whom? birthday cake- September

10. Dean's Mighty Ducks Hockey birthday cake-October

 

                                       

11. Bruce's Lake Arrowhead cake:

Winter Wonderland / Summer Fishing on the Lake

November 

     

12. Claire's Sunflower birthday cake

February

February 3rd: Happy Birthday Claire!

 

When I think of my daughter Claire, I think of sunflowers.  When she was about thirteen, she gave me a sunflower and a little stuffed bear that said Best Friends Forever.  It was during a difficult time in my life and her sweet gift meant the world to me.  I've never forgotten it.  Plus Claire is a sunflower herself, so bold, and bright, and beautiful.  So as her birthday approached, I knew just what flower should grace her cake.

                                        

It was a three day project. 

Day one I played around with fondant and cutouts until I found what worked best for me.  I used daisy cutouts, made two layers per flower overlapping them, and then placed a circle of brown in the center. With a decorater tip, I pressed little holes all over the brown centers.

Day two was high altitude baking day!  I'd heard that cakes often rise quickly and then collapse, so I researched what changes were needed at 5,000 plus feet.  I decreased the sugar and baking powder, increased the butter and milk, and set the oven at just a tad higher: 360 F.  To my relief, all went well.

Day three I iced the cake with chocolate ganache and let it set in the fridge for about an hour.

Then I covered it in chocolate fondant and decorated with the fondant sunflowers and leaves. 

To my relief, it survived the drive down the mountain.

Happy Birthday Claire!

My Review of Color Story Butcher Block Kitchen Island in Black

Originally submitted at All Kitchen Carts

Butcher Block Kitchen Island Features:

• Black finish
• Sturdy solid wood construction
• End-grain butcher block working surface

1 Basket pull-out drawers

Slatted lower storage shelf

4 Utensil hooks

Color Story Butcher Block Kitchen Island in Black

Just What I Needed

By debtom from Lake Arrowhead, CA on 1/16/2011

 

5out of 5

I recently moved to a new home and though my kitchen is lovely, my countertop is tile--not a good surface for dough or fondant. This butcher block island is a perfect addition, just the right size to roll out pie crusts and fondant or knead bread dough, yet it's not too big. I keep it to the side in front of a window where it displays a three tier fake cake I made in a cake decorating class. It is a nice piece of furniture in itself. It is sturdy and solid. I recently wrote about it on my baking blog Baking Daze in LA with a link to All Kitchen Carts.com and photos of it being used.

I pull it over to the kitchen when needed.

Tags: Picture of Product, Using Product

Off to the side when not in use.

Tags: Picture of Product

(legalese)

New Year, New Home, New Name!

All settled into my new home in the mountains.  It is quiet and peaceful, has a lovely view of the lake, and does get a good sampling of winter weather as you can see--though much of the snow melted the next two days.

                                   

I had such fun baking for the holidays in my new kitchen.  My yearly Christmas cookies included:

Cream Cheese Holly Wreaths,

Snowballs,

and Sugar Cut-out Cookies. 

In addition, and especially for my son, I made a Coconut Custard Pie. 

As gifts to family and friends, I gave a great wine from the Central Coast called Cupcake; each was appropriately attired in a crocheted hat and scarf.  (They were easy and such fun to make while watching TV at night.)

                                       

Since my kitchen doesn't have a smooth surface for dough and fondant work, I purchased a Powell Butcher Block Kitchen Island from AllKitchenCarts.com: http://www.allkitchencarts.com/Powell-Furniture-502-416-PW3625.html?cv  When I need it, I pull it over near the counters.  

When it is not in use, I keep it to the side under a window, where my fabulous three-tier fake cake from my Cake Crumbs class is displayed. 

As for my baking experience up here at about 5500 feet, there is clearly a difference.  Not only does it take longer for water to boil at high altitudes, but it takes custard signifcantly longer to set!  My pie ordinarily bakes in 40-45 minutes.  This one took well over an hour--close to an hour and fifteen minutes.  I had to cover the crust with foil as it was browning well before the custard was done.  My cookies also took a few minutes longer and had to be watched very closely.

Since the holidays are well past us...Thank God?...I will leave recipes for holiday cookies until next year.  But a must-have recipe is my delicious and easy Coconut Custard Pie.

                                 

I leave the pie crust to you.  If you think it will be eaten quickly, go with all butter, but if you think it may take a couple of days to be eaten entirely, then use half butter, half shortening.  Shortening keeps the crust flaky longer.  You might pick up an organic brand of shortening from Whole Foods if you want to feel better about using shortening!  Or you can use a frozen Marie Calendars pie crust.

Coconut Custard Filling

I am going to give you two different sets of measurements.  One for a normal pie pan and one for a larger pie dish like the one my daughter got me from Williams Sonoma (shown above).  It holds more filling.

Mix together in a bowl:

      

• 4 or 6 beaten eggs
• 1/2 or 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2  or 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 or 3/4 t vanilla 

Heat 2 1/2 or 3 3/4 cups of milk in a saucepan until hot but not boiling.

Stir hot milk slowly, a small amount at a time, into the egg mixture, stirring constantly until well blended.

Pour into crust.  Do not over-fill--leave room for coconut.

Sprinkle into the custard 1/2 to 1 cup of Baker's Angel Flake Coconut. Top with a subtle dusting of ground Nutmeg

 Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes until knife in center comes out clean. Or if you live at higher altitudes, cover crust edges with foil and bake longer--60 plus minutes.  Check frequently by inserting knife in center until clean.  (If custard is watery and jiggling around when pie is moved, it is not done. Be patient; it will set.) 

To all, I wish you a happy and healthy new year, and if your plan for the year involves exercise and better eating habits, just be sure to allow yourself a few yummy baked goods!  You deserve it.