Lemon Supreme Cake

The finished product!

Yesterday I spent the morning organizing my baking cabinet.  Time to ditch things that were expired, use things that would expire in the near future, and assess the rather large number of ingredients and tools I have acquired over the last few years.  When we moved to a condo, storage was my nemesis.  There simply wasn't enough to go around.  When we renovated our kitchen, we decided to add two new arrays of cabinets to accommodate pantry items and baking items and other things that hadn't found a home.

I was happy to recall that I had purchased the items to make a tasty  recipe my friend had given to me, but I had not made.  I clearly remember it was really delicious and exceptionally moist and very lemony...which is right up my alley.  I decided I would make it, using a new Bundt pan my oldest son gave me for Christmas instead of the typical 9x13 pan called for in Ara's recipe.  (I got lots of shaped pans for Christmas) I'm sure it will be fine to substitute.

I will take the finished cake over to Dolphin Whisperer, Scarlet Colley, to enjoy (and/or share) while she sweetly toils away at the garage sale to benefit  Gabriel Tree of Life Foundation's Trail of Trees at the South Padre Island Convention Center.  If you are in the area, stop by the garage sale this week-end (behind Veranda's Nursery off Garcia in Port Isabel ).  If you are not in the area, and desire to support this meaningful cause, there is a donation link and a "buy a tree" link on the website.  I have spent time in this beautiful area, photographing birds and butterflies and flowers.  It is the most peaceful spot on the island besides the beach, in my humble opinion.  It is an uplifting and soul wrenchingly beautiful environment, honoring so many lives lost to those who love them.  So, your support will be GREATLY appreciated for this local treasure.

Now, on to the recipe.  It's easy, it's a kicked up mix.  And, it's really, really tasty!

LEMON SUPREME CAKE
recipe contributed by Ara Wisnoski

Ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
1 package instant lemon pudding (I used the small box)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 cup water
4 eggs (I used large eggs)

Glaze:

2 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (that was 5 lemons for me)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare 9x13 pan or Bundt pan with baking spray (I used the kind that has the flour already in it - and this step was not in the recipe...but I felt like it needed to be said - use a prepared pan)

Add cake mix, pudding mix, oil, and water to bowl of stand mixer.  Turn on low speed to begin mixing.  Add eggs one at a time.  Raise speed to medium until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes (my Bundt cake took 47 minutes)

When cake is done (I touch the top lightly to "feel" for doneness and then double-checked with a skewer),  remove and rest on cooling rack while you make the glaze.

It took a while for the lighter colored portion to bake...
but it left a lovely brown crust!

Simply whisk together 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar with the lemon juice until smooth.

Turn the Bundt cake out onto a plate with a rim, and if you used a 9x13 pan, just leave it in the pan.
For the Bundt cake, take a skewer and poke holes all over the cake.  Amazingly, they aren't very visible. For the 9x13 pan, use a fork and punch holes all over the cake.  Really, that's what you do.  Pour glaze over the cake. 

(Note:  that made a LOT of glaze for a Bundt cake...I think it could be halved for a Bundt.  With the 9x13 pan, there is more surface to soak up the glaze...and that is what it does, it goes down into the cake...but the Bundt shape allowed it to roll down the sides.  I had put waxed paper around the base of the cake, fearing this might be the case - 4 pieces, barely tucked under the cake...I went around the cake with the glaze 3 times, and allowed it to soak for about 30 minutes, then I poured the excess glaze sitting on top of the wax paper into a bowl, added more powdered sugar to it, and made a thicker drizzle for the cake after the cake was completely cooled.  I think it made a prettier cake!  I fear the cake would be soggy if left sitting in that much excess glaze.  It IS supposed to be incredibly moist - and almost wet - but we don't want to get to the point where it falls apart!!!)

Glazed cake after excess glaze drained off the plate...much better!

I made some little molded white chocolate dolphins in honor of Scarlet, and a couple of flip flops ... because, well, it just seemed apropos!  I'm not a chocolatier - as you can tell if you look close - but I will say it was fun!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

In the Fall of 2009 I found one of the best cookies to ever pass my lips.  I saw them being made by Giada on Food Network and I thought they sounded really good...and I printed off the recipe.  I made them when my family came down for a visit...they loved them...I made them for coffee with my friends, more raves!  They don't last long in my household!  Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a fresh lemony glaze are a cakey cookie - just refreshingly delicious.  One of those "you can't eat just one" kind of cookies.  I LOVE lemons - I love lemon drops - and these taste like a cookie version of a lemon drop.  Intensely tartly lemon and yet sweet... all in one bite.  Yum.

So, here we are in January and I'm encountering some gorgeous lemons and limes...and I've started pulling out recipes using them.  I decided to start with one I knew...and then I'll be trying a new one this week-end...using some of the big juicy limes I bought this week.

I had one Valley Lemon (a Meyer) and 2 "regular" lemons in the fridge.  The Valley Lemon is much more thin skinned, so I used the "regular" lemons for the zest...but the Valley Lemon is juicy to the extreme...and easily gave twice as much juice as one of the smaller lemons on hand.

Here's the recipe...make sure you have access to a zester (not the long strips - but a grating kind of zester...I use a micro plane) and a good reamer or juicer to get the juice out.  I used a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop for portioning the cookies (the recipe makes a little over 2 dozen).  Other than that, some bowls, measuring utensils, and a mixer were all that was needed.

LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES
WITH LEMON GLAZE
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis via www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested (note - zest the lemons first - and then cut and squeeze for the juice - be careful not to zest the white pith - just the bright yellow intensely lemony zest)

the zest of one lemon and the naked lemon ready to cut and squeeze

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. (I whisked them together to remove any lumps and ensure well-blended) Set aside.

In large mixing bowl (I used the stand mixer bowl), combine the butter and the sugar.  Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.  Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Beat to combine.  Stir in the dry ingredients (I just added to mixer bowl and continued mixing).

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (I used Silicone Baking Mats).  Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie - I used a cookie scoop) onto the baking sheets.  Bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden at the edges.  Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes. (My batch of dough made 28 cookies - and I used 3 baking sheets - as I remember they spread significantly - see photos).



scooped dough - ready for the oven



baked cookies - just barely brown around the bottom edge

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth (I pre-whisked the powdered sugar to ensure no lumps and then used the whisk to incorporate the juice and zest - makes for a smooth glaze).  Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread.  Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.  (Note - I wish I had put the cookies on a rack before glazing so the glaze didn't pool around the cookie.  I looked on foodnetwork's link above and the picture shows them being glazed on a rack...duh...my recipe was printed out last year - and it didn't have that picture then.  Someone must have re-tested and realized :-)

Pack the cookies in a decorative container. (yeah, that's not gonna happen...they'll be lucky to be here past dinner time in my house!!!)

So, I've finished glazing them - and sampled one for QC (Quality Control)...and I must say - that is one damn fine cookie!  I need another one - see ya later!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!