Food Friday - Spring Colors!

from Tracey G

I love lemons, and I love pound cake - but literally pound cake adds on the pounds that I just don't need. So, when I saw this recipe for a lower fat version in my new issue of Taste Of Home (can be found here:Makeover Lemon Pound Cake), I KNEW I had to try it! But I will be honest here, this didn't work out too well for me this go around - and I'm not sure why. Not sure if it was something I did or didn't do, or that I used a glass loaf pan and so forth. I'm just not sure, seems like it could have been the perfect storm of things combined that affected the cooking/outcome of it, because mine did NOT look like the beautiful cake in the magazine! LOL But that's just how it goes sometimes isn't it? Kris and I are always saying that we think the making of the recipe and what we deal with is the better story of them! And we have some pretty funny ones to too!

But I must say, it was very yummy and got thumbs up from my guys, so that's good enough for me. I will definitely be making it again, and trying out a different baking pan. I do believe it was in the way it cooked somehow, the upper 2/3 of the cake was fine, but the bottom third seemed like it didn't rise - and I know my baking powder was good too. It could also be my oven's cooking/temperature affecting things as well. So, try try again, right? And you can bet I will be trying again because it was REALLY tasty. They garnished theirs with candied lemon slices,(which I'll include the recipe method for as well as the recipe) but I made up an impromptu lemon buttercream to garnish it with and added the strawberries I happened to have in the fridge - they were a great combination!!  

Lighter Lemon Pound Cake

Recipe courtesy of Taste Of Home, can be found here:Makeover Lemon Pound Cake

1/4 c butter, softened

3/4 c sugar

3 large eggs

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp poppy seed, optional

11/2 c all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 c fat-free vanilla yogurt

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x5-in. loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, vanilla and if desired, poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, beating until just combined.

3) Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Garnish with candied lemon slices if desired.

Candied Lemon Slices:

Bring 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water to boil; stir until dissolved. Add one thinly sliced lemon and simmer 5 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slices on a wire rack. 


from Kris B.

Last week it was what to do with all of those hard boiled eggs after their coloring and hunting; this week, it's a suggestion for what to do if by the time the Easter Bunny gets to your house he is full and leaves behind the snack of carrots you left out.  Now that my girls are adults, I can't decide whether I miss the Easter traditions of dying eggs,  the early morning egg hunt and leaving those few carrots out for The Bunny, or whether I'm relieved.  As a church musician, Holy Week and Easter are extremely busy, so on one hand, I am glad to have one or two less things to do, but I do miss those smiling faces as the little ones scurry around trying to find every last egg.  Oh well...

Served warm, this carrot soufflé can be a sweet side; or, if you chill it, because of its spices, it is reminiscent of sweet potato or pumpkin pie.  At my house, it is a hit served either way.  

And a bonus…it is easy to make!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb peeled and steamed carrots.

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBS flour

1  tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Steam or boil the carrots.  Then mash them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs.  Add all of the ingredients and whisk together until well combined.  You may still have small pieces of carrots. 

Pour the mixture into a greased 8x8 glass baking dish or comparable vessel.  (You can also use ramekins.)

 Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cooking times will very depending on your oven.

Serve hot or cold.  Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or a peeled carrot curl.

Happy Spring!