♥ Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Love this cake!  It's an old fashioned cake that comes from my Mom's collection of recipes and one that I remember well as a little girl. I love the smell of blueberries baking in the oven and it is just perfect with warm cup of coffee in the mornings. Yum!

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon extract (or 1 tbs grated lemon zest)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen if you don't have fresh)

Lemon glaze:

1/3 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon extract. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture a little at a time alternating with the milk, a little at a time. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the 1/3 cup of sugar and the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot bread all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle with Lemon Sugar topping (recipe below)

Lemon Sugar Topping

1/3 cup sugar
zest from one lemon

Stir the sanding sugar and the lemon zest together in a small bowl and sprinkle on to warm bread.

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♥ Healthier Lemon Blueberry Bread

Healthier Lemon Blueberry Bread

1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat together canola oil, sugar, lemon juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into egg mixture alternately with milk. Fold in lemon zest and blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.

http://www.deliciousasitlooks.com/2012/01/hold-butter-please-healthier-lemon.html

 

Traditional Easter Bread

I can remember my Mom making her traditional Easter bread each year when I was growing up.  She would serve it on a long platter surrounded by the brightly colored Easter eggs we dyed the night before.  It was so pretty and such a favorite at our house.  Sweet bread filled with plump raisins warm right out of the oven.  The next morning she was toast it and butter it and sprinkle cinnamon on top! YUM!

Traditional Easter Bread

3/4 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
4 teaspoon sugar
1 large lightly beaten egg
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
9 cups all purpose flour                                 
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract                            
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup golden raisins

Mix together the yeast, 4 teaspoons of sugar, 1 egg, and the warm milk. Set aside in a warm place for about 25 minutes until it starts to bubble .

In a small sauce pan, heat up 1 cup of milk and a 1 cup of sugar, until the milk is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside. In another small bowl, combine the melted butter and oil. Using a fork, lightly beat the five eggs and add vanilla and set aside. 

Next, in a large bowl, add the warm milk mixture, the butter and oil mixture, eggs, raisins, salt, and grated lemon zest and juice of a lemon and mix until well combined. Then start adding the flour a little at a time until the dough is smooth and sticky. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and rub the oil all over the dough so that it doesn't dry out. Place it in a warm place to rise.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat, and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Place in a draft-free area and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a clean surface and divide in half. Then divide those two in half and once again so that you have 4 pieces Next roll the 4 pieces of dough into 12-18 inch long ropes and place on pan lined with parchment paper. Now you can braid these braids however you want. 

Brush the top of the braid with melted butter, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Finally brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with colorful Easter candies and bake until golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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♥ Surf and Turf Dinner

This was my Surf and Turf dinner I made last night for my best friend, Randy. I started him off with a fresh tossed salad with my homemade poppy seed dressi...ng. Then it was on to my pan seared Ribeye steaks, my very own Maryland Crab Cake, and my homemade velvety mac and cheese. A special meal for my special friend. Click on photo for drool mode.

 My Maryland Crab Cakes

1 lb Jumbo Lump Crabmeat (I get mine at Costco)
1 large egg
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs made from white bread
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, mayo, mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently stir in crabmeat and breadcrumbs and mix with hands lightly without breaking up the lumps. Mixture will be somewhat wet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Once chilled, shape the mixture into rounded mounds whatever size you'd like. I usually make mine the size of baseballs and get about 4 crab cakes from one pound. Do not flatten or make into patties. Place on lightly sprayed baking sheet with sides. Drizzle tops with just a little olive to speed up browning.

Just before putting crab cakes in the oven, drop two or three ice cubes onto the baking pan between crab cakes. This will keep the high temperature from burning the bottoms of the cakes. Bake in hot 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes depending on the size you made your crab cakes. If they are not brown enough at this point turn your oven to broil and watch them closely until they brown to the point you prefer.

Pan Seared Ribeye Steaks

Take your steaks out of the Fridge and leave them out for about an hour before you are ready to cook them. Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper.

Preheat my cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is VERY hot you are ready. One way to test it is to sprinkle a tiny bit of water dances and if it sizzles across the skillet, you'll know it is ready for the steaks.

Next, drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the skillet and make sure it has been well-coated. Place each steak in the pan making sure you don't crowd them. Cook for two minutes on one side and do not touch them while cooking. Then flip them on the other side. After two minutes, reduce the heat on the skillet to low.

At this point, you want to test the steaks for doneness. I use this method...I call it the FACE method. See today's post for instructions.

Baked Mac and Cheese with Bread Crumb Topping

1 box (16oz) elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons butter
1 cup muenster cheese, shredded
1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 and 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a deep 9 x 13 baking dish.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rapid boil. Add macaroni and the 1 tablespoon salt to your boiling water. Cook for 7 minutes, or until somewhat tender. Drain well, and return to the pot. Add 8 tablespoons of melted butter to the macaroni and stir.

In a large bowl combine all the shredded cheeses. Then add the half and half, the beaten eggs, the sour cream and about 2 cups of the combined shredded cheeses and mix thoroughly. Pour all the macaroni mixture into the buttered casserole dish, and top with remaining 1 and 1/2 cups of shredded cheese.

Bread Topping

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup or more as needed)
8 slices of bread, cubed or torn into pieces

In a large skillet, melt one stick of butter. Toss in bread cubes and stir to coat bread thoroughly in butter. Top entire casserole with buttered bread cubes covering the cheese completely. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and bubbly and the bread cubes are lightly toasted. Serve hot.

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Apple Raisin Bread

 

It's apple season and I can't think of a better way to use apples then homemade bread.  This is one of the first recipes I make when fall arrives. I like to make up a few loaves and freeze them as I start to prepare for hibernation during the winter months. I have big plans for this bread this winter. I plan to bring it out of the freezer and make apple toast! I plan to slice it and make some delicious French toast with butter and syrup. Nothing goes better with cheese than apples and this bread makes excellent grilled cheese sandwiches!  See why I love this bread?  It's so easy to make, so good and so versatile!

Apple Raisin Bread 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast 1-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°), divided 1 teaspoon sugar 3 eggs, beaten 1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup canola oil 2 teaspoons salt 8 cups all -purpose flour (or more) 1 1/2 cup apples, peeled and diced 1 1/2 cups golden raisins 2 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons corn meal

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 cup water and sugar; set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, honey, oil, salt and remaining water; mix well. Stir in yeast mixture. Gradually add enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and turn over in bowl. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the apples, raisins and lemon juice. Divide dough into three parts; knead a third of the apple mixture into each part.  Shape each into a round flat ball. Place each in a greased 8-in. round baking pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Sugar topping 1 egg, beaten ¼ cup sugar Brush each loaf with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Makes 3 small round loaves. Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Shrimp Scampi Over Pasta

How could you not love a recipe that takes only 15 minutes to make…start to finish?  What’s not to like about an incredibly delicious dish with tender succulent shrimp that's been cooked in a rich butter garlic sauce and then tossed with beautiful buttery pasta?  What’s not to love about that?  I love the taste of garlic in my scampi.  So many times you taste a lot of lemon but not the rich garlic flavor that Shrimp scampi is known for.  So, I only use Star Fine Foods Roasted Garlic Oil when I make my shrimp scampi....and what a difference it makes! 

  

    Shrimp Scampi Over Pasta

8 ounces of pasta (angle hair, thin spaghetti, linguine)

1 lb medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Star Fine Foods Roasted Garlic Oil 

3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest 
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
pinch of hot red pepper flakes, optional

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add about a tablespoon salt. Add your pasta and cook according to directions on the package. Remove from heat and drain very well.  Return to pot (off the heat) and set aside. 

In a large skillet, melt butter and Roasted Garlic Olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic cloves and saute for about a minute.

Add shrimp and salt and pepper and saute until shrimp turn pink on both sides.  Be careful to not over cook your shrimp or they will become rubbery.  Make sure you watch them carefully turning them until they just start to turn pink. 

Turn off the heat and add your pasta to the skillet with the shrimp. Toss so that pasta is well coated.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley and toss again. Taste for seasoning and add more if you like.  If you are using red pepper flakes you can add it at this time. Serve warm with a salad and warm crusty bread. YUM! 

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STAR Roasted Garlic Olive Oil is available at Savemart, select Walmart stores and online at:

http://shop.starfinefoods.com/Roasted-Garlic-Oil-Made-with-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil/p/STAR-06156&c=Star@OliveOils 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

Olive Tapenade

I love Italian Food. I mean good Italian food served in an authentic Italian restaurant. I love the smell when you walk in and the ambiance with warm glowing candles lit on top of white linen table cloths one each table. I love the soft music playing in the background.  I especially love the look and smell of fresh made bread sticks. One of the first things served in a real Italian restaurant is an Olive Tapenade with fresh rounds of Italian bread or those warm bread sticks.  It's usually just chopped olives, a little garlic and a good quality olive oil.  

When I am having guests over for one of my homemade pasta dinners, I like to give them that same feeling. My Lasagna is in the oven. The candles are lit and I bring out my own Olive Tapenade for all the enjoy! I start with Star Fine Food Spanish Olives and add sweet roasted peppers, zesty capers, garlic and spices and it's so good! 

Olive Tapenade

1 cup Star Fine Food Spanish Manzanilla Olives
1 cup pitted black olives, such as kalamata

1 roasted sweet bell pepper, chopped fine  (any brand in a jar)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup Star Fine Foods Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup basil, loosely chopped
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and dried

1 medium French or Italian baguette, sliced (about 25 slices)

First, infuse the olive oil:

Put the olive oil, garlic, basil, and lemon juice and zest in a small saucepan or frying pan, and warm the mixture over moderately low heat for about five minutes (the garlic should appear softened, but not golden.  If it starts to bubble, turn down the heat and remove the pan from the stove top for a few seconds).  Set the mixture aside until cooled.

Next, make your Tapenade

Pulse the green olives in a food processor until finely chopped and place in a medium bowl. Then pulse the black olives in the food processor and add to the bowl. Add the capers, almonds, sweet roasted red pepper and olive oil mixture to the medium bowl, and stir well to combine. 

Spread on baguettes and/or crackers. Enjoy! 

 
Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

Photographs are the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Apple Fritter Pull-A-Part Bread

Pretty soon it will be that time of year when I love to go to the apple orchards and gather up my favorite ingredient for baking. If you follow my recipes,  you'll find hundreds of apple recipes....like this incredible pull-apart apple fritter bread.  OMG….how can anything so easy to make be this incredible!  Now this is a treat that will make you forget your end of summer blues for sure!  I give you the choice of two different glazes because I like both so much I could choose which one I like better! 

Apple Fritter Pull-A-Part Bread

1 Pillsbury Grands Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits (8 in a can)

2 medium granny smith apples, finely diced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small skillet over medium heat, combine diced apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Open your biscuits and lay them out on a cutting board.  You now want to either cut each biscuit in half or carefully pull each one apart in the middle to make a total of 16 rounds. I use a paring knife and cut each biscuit in half horizontally. You can use either method.  Flatten each biscuit half with your hands to shape and thin them out a little.

Add about a tablespoon of apple filling on each round of dough. Once you have topped each round, stack the dough rounds on top of each other in groups of four. Continue to do this until you have 4 stacks of four using all 16 dough halves.

Now carefully gather each stack of four and lay them in the loaf pan, arranging it so that it fills the pan. Don’t worry about making them even or that they are not the same size. They will all rise together later.

Cover the loaf pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for about 5-10 minutes. Then flip it upside down on your rack to let it continue to cool. While the bread cools make the glaze.

White Glaze

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup half and half or more if needed

1 teaspoon vanilla

Simply whisk together the powdered sugar and half and half a little at a time to get the consistency you want. I like my glaze thick so I don’t use a lot of liquid. Once you get the right consistency, add the vanilla and whisk again. Drizzle generously over fritter loaf.

Or for a real treat make the cream cheese glaze.....

Cream Cheese Glaze

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 15 second intervals until it is softened enough to stir it together. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until fully combined. Drizzle over bread and enjoy!

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