Cream Cake with lemon glaze

I found this recipe on my small bundt pan package and it is amazzzzing. Simple to make but really an outstanding little cake.  The recipe will make two small bundts.


Cream Cake with Lemon Glaze

1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add eggs, two at a time, mixing throughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add in flour and cream alternately beginning and ending with flour. Pour into greased and floured small bundt pans and bake at 325 for one hour or until cake tests as done. Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing to finish cooling.

Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tbls lemon juice for glaze. Add more or less juice for the consistency you desire.

Giant Lemon Raspberry Sandwich Cookie

I had an urge to make a giant cookie sandwich.  It just had to be done.  The filling was a bit of a fail though as it was waaaaaaay too firm.  It did, however, make an amazing truffle center...so I'm stoked about that little discovery.  To fix the filling....omit the melted white chocolate....the powdered sugar might need to go up a cup or so, but otherwise it would be workable in that form.

The lemon flavor in the filling really dominated the entire dessert.  I would have done better to do a lemon flavored cookie instead of raspberry to tie it all together....hindsight.  Anywho....much fun putting this together.  Plus I got to play around with Kool-Aid which still makes me giggle.  ;)


Giant Lemon Raspberry Sandwich Cookie

Cookie:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
12oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Add in eggs, vanilla, and preserves.  Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Fold in semi sweet chocolate chips.

Divide dough in half.  Spread each half on a parchment covered cookie sheet forming a rough circle. Sprinkle the top of cookies with the turbinado sugar.  Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes, until nicely browned.  Cool on racks.

Filling:
14oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 envelope Ice Blue Raspberry Lemon Kool-Aid
12oz white chocolate chips

Mix together sweetened condensed milk, Kool-Aid, and powdered sugar.  Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth.  Mix melted chocolate into milk mixture.  Spread filling between the cookies.

Melt milk chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth.  Spoon into ziplock back with one corner cut off.  Drizzle chocolate across the top of the cookie. Chill until chocolate sets.  Slice into wedges to serve.

A little lookie at the inside...

The light blue color just screams Spring and Easter to me.  ;)  I should have gone with a nice traditional chocolate filling....but sometimes you just want to make something blue...ehehehehe.  Hmmm....maybe some mini chocolate chips in the filling would have helped mesh the flavors together too.

Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Truffles

These truffles are amazingly smooth and creamy.  Addictive...very addictive.  I'm totally tickled with them...plus I used Kool-Aid to make them.  How can you not have fun when there's Kool-Aid involved?  These truffle centers whip together so easy and they dip beautifully.  I will definitely be making these again.


Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Truffles

14oz non fat sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 envelope Kool-Aid Blue Raspberry Lemonade
12oz white chocolate chips
1 box Nerds - Sour Apple and Lemon flavor
12oz Dark Chocolate chips
2tbls shortening

Mix together sweetened condensed milk and Kool-Aid.  Beat in powdered sugar.  Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth.  Add the melted white chocolate to the milk mixture, blending until creamy.  Form into balls and place on waxed paper.  Chill for an hour or so.

Melt dark chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave until smooth, stirring often to prevent overheating.  Dip centers in chocolate with a fork and place back on waxed paper.  Top each truffle with a sprinkle of Nerds as you dip them.  When you have finished dipping in chocolate, use your fork to flick lines of drizzle across the tops of the truffles.  Chill until set.

A few more pics of the yummies....

Just another view of the finished truffles.  I was a little worried about using the apple flavored Nerds, but they blended in nicely.  Honestly....the candy garnish was just meant to be...I was standing in the checkout line and there it was....the sour pack of Nerds.  I had to buy it...it demanded to be used in my truffle creation.  My beloved hubby manfully ignored the squeegasm I unleashed when I spotted them.  ;)

The Nerds add a nice bite of crunchy texture....a neat contrast with the creamy centers.

Normally I take a little extra time to shake off the excess chocolate more thoroughly as I dip the centers, but I was a little hurried so I ended up with that tiny base of chocolate at the bottom of the truffles.  The perfectionist part of me screams a little over that...ehehehe.

If you want to make perfectly round centers, chill your mixture for about 15 to 30 minutes before you roll into balls.  I'm not super patient and knowing the garnish would cover any imperfections I didn't worry about it.  ;)  Meanwhile....behold my tray of blue balls!  (Yes....I am still snickering.)

I added these to the Sweets for Saturday #10 over at Sweet as Sugar Cookies.  So many wonderful treats to check out.

Dark Chocolate & Lemon Bundt Cake

I ran across this amazing lemon bundt cake at lululuathome.  I loved the lemon syrup brushed across the surface of the cake...it just sounded so tasty.  The only thing better than a lemon cake, is a lemon cake covered in luscious dark chocolate.  It's like a win win.  This made the perfect Valentine's Day cake.  I had quite a bit of fun putting it together.

The original recipe called for sour cream, but I was out so I substituted some plain yogurt.  Mental note...make sure you have all your ingredients before you start assembling the cake...ehehehe.  Though after I baked the cake I realized I had some lemon yogurt I could have used instead of the plain...which might have added a little extra citrus zing.  Something to play with next time maybe.

I might cut the flour down a bit the next time I make this.....as I was mixing it just seemed to be a little heavy on that ingredient.


Dark Chocolate & Lemon Bundt Cake

Cake:
2 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tbls lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
2 cups sugar
4 eggs

Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs.  Add one cup of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the batter.  Mix in yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Mix in remaining flour.  Pour into greased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done.  Cool for 5 to 10 minutes in pan before removing.

Lemon Syrup
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens.  Brush over warm cake.  Cool and chill cake.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Topping:
14oz can nonfat sweetened condensed milk
12oz dark chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 to 3 tbls milk

Mix together sweetened condesned milk, dark chocolate chips, and vanilla in a bowl and microwave, stirring often, until mixture is smooth and melted....it will be quite thick.  Thin the chocolate mixture with the milk.  Spoon topping over sides of cake, spreading with the back of the spoon.  Chill to set the chocolate.  Spoon some of the topping mixture into a ziplock bag with the tip cut off.  Pipe some hearts around the top of the bundt, filling in the hearts with more piped topping.  Pipe some lines in between the hearts as extra garnish.  Spoon the remaining fudge topping into the center of the bundt.

Garnish:
4oz dark chocolate candy bar

Using a vegetable peeler, shave some chocolate off the sides of the candy bar.  Sprinkle the shaved chocolate on top of the well of fudge topping in the middle of the bundt.

Melt one to two ounces of the dark chocolate and use another ziplock bag with the tip cut off to pipe some open heart shapes onto waxed paper.  Drizzle some stripes of chocolate across the hearts with a fork.  Chill to set.  Remove the hearts from the waxed paper and tuck them in the chocolate shavings.  Chill until ready to serve.

This cake made the perfect entry for Dessert Wars....February's theme is dark chocolate and hearts. 

The February prize package includes:

Whisk  and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs

The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer

Beanilla  Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans

Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake

1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes

Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract

Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits

Organic Valley $50 Gift Certificate

Organic Prairie $50 Gift Certificate

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BEKA Cookware Crepe Pan 

Lemon Cream Cake Truffles

I was tickled to find Sweetart tangy candy canes at the store....of course I didn't realize I would have to actually work that tangy flavor into a recipe.  I went with a lemon cake truffle...lemon cake mixed with lemon cream cheese frosting.  I did use more of a lemon quick bread rather than a lemon cake...not that it matters too much.  ;)  I only covered half the truffles in the crushed candy canes and made the other half plain....I was worried about how easy they would be to eat and the ultimate flavor mix.  After I tasted one I really wished I covered them all in candy canes....the tangy crushed candy really gave them something special.  Next time I buy candy canes I might just stick with the usual round of mint.....but probably not...goodness knows I like to be different...ehehehehe.


Lemon Cream Cake Truffles

Lemon Bread:
1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup oil
1 tbls lemon zest

Beat eggs, milk, oil, and lemon zest together.  Add in flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir until just blended together.  Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 40 to 45 mins or until it tests as done.  Cool.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
8oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend
1 tsp lemon extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix together cream cheese and butter.  Add in lemon extract.  Mix in the powdered sugar gradually.  Crumble the lemon bread into the frosting and stir the mixture together thoroughly.  Roll spoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on a tray covered in waxed paper.  Chill centers for at least an hour.  These centers are fairly soft so you might even consider popping them into the freezer before dipping.

Toppings:
24oz Milk Chocolate Chips
3 to 4 tbls shortening
Sweetart Candy canes, crushed

Melt milk chocolate chips and shortening in a bowl in the microwave.  Stir often and do not over heat.  Dip truffle centers in chocolate and place back on waxed paper.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes over top of the wet chocolate.  Repeat with remaining centers. After all the centers have been dipped, drizzle some chocolate over the top of the truffles to finish them off.  Chill to set.


A coupe more pics of the cuters....

 I could have crushed a few pieces of the candy canes a little smaller.  I had planned to give the crushing duty to my beloved hubby, but he wasn't home at the time.  ;)

Just another view of the yummies.  After I finished dipping the last chocolate I just started back at the beginning using a fork for drizzle duty.  I wanted my lines to sink in a bit so the chocolate hadn't really set at this point.  If you want your drizzle to stand out further chill your truffles in the fridge to set the chocolate before you do it.  I use both methods...it really depends on my mood.  ;)

Pistachio Citrus Squares

I found this recipe and had to give it a whirl....with some modification of course...ehehehehe. I was a little worried about the amount of filling vs the amount of crust since it came out about 50/50, but the flavor was very nice. I toyed with doing a little lemon/orange glaze drizzle over the top, but I ended up deciding against it. One thing I am definitely going to try down the road is cutting the squares into small cubes and dipping in chocolate...I think they would make a great candy center.


Pistachio Citrus Squares

1/3 cup tub margarine, melted
1 cup pistachios, salted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used one sleeve of crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbls lemon zest
2 egg yolks
1 14oz can non fat sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tsp orange zest

In food processor, grind together pistachios and graham crackers. Pour crumbs into bowl and mix in sugar, lemon zest, and melted margarine. Press into greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 10 mins.

While crust is baking combine egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Stir in lime juice and orange zest. Pour over baked crust and spread evenly. Return to oven and bake another 15 mins or until filling is set. Cool and then chill before slicing into squares.

Lemon Streusel Bars

I adore the combination of the lemon and chocolate in this recipe....it really is divine. Summer always brings on the urge to make baked goods flavored with lemon and orange. I found the original recipe here on the Hershey website. I modified it of course not being a fan of white chocolate chips. If only white chocolate tasted as good as it sounds.

Lemon Streusel Bars

• 1 can (14 oz.) non fat sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon peel
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Milk Chocolate Chips
  
• 2/3 cup tub margarine
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon peel in medium bowl; set aside. Measure out 1/3 cup chocolate chips; set aside. Add remaining chocolate chips to lemon mixture.

2. Beat margarine and brown sugar until blended in large mixer bowl. Add flour, oats, baking powder and salt, blending well. Remove 1-2/3 cups oats mixture; set aside. Add egg to remaining mixture, blending until crumbly. Press egg/crumb mixture on bottom of prepared pan. Gently spoon lemon mixture on top, spreading evenly. Add reserved 1/3 cup chocolate chips to reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle over lemon layer.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool then chill.

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars version 1.0

This was a yummy little recipe that I found on the Taste of Home website. (The original recipe is found here.) I tinkered with it of course. ;) I found the thought of raspberry and lemon flavors really appealing and had to give it a whirl. The recipe just needs a bit more modifying before I'm fully happy.

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars (version 1.0)

Crust:
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbls flour
1/4 cup tub margarine, melted
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam/preserves

Mix oats, brown sugar, flour, and melted margarine together and let sit for a couple minutes for the oats to soften. Spread in the bottom of a 9x9 sprayed pan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until browned. Spread jam across crust.

Filling:
2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 cups sugar
2 tbls flour
2 eggs
3 tbls lemon juice
1 tbls lemon peel

While crust is cooking, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until smooth. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Spoon over jam covered crust. Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Slice into portions and store in refrigerator.


Some pictures of the process...

The oat crust came out crisp and yummy. It was thin, but it held together very nicely. I don't care for an oat crust on a cheesecake though. I don't think it added to the recipe as a whole. I honestly almost went straight to a graham cracker crust instead of an alternate oat crust but I though no I should really try it out and see if I like it. This will make a neat crust for something else though so I will keep it in mind.


They need a finish....a garnish. I am thinking a little raspberry drizzle of some kind. Just seems like they are lacking a little pop....purely a visual thing though. ;)

Chocolate Filled Lemon Sandwich Cookies

These cookies are so very tasty.....definitely added to my list of favorites. They have a wonderful light flavor. The filling is a bit of a surprise as I expected to taste chocolate first, but the lemon stood out the most.

Chocolate Filled Lemon Sandwich Cookies

Cookies:
2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup tub margarine
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tbls lemon peel
2 eggs

Cream the sugar and the butter together. Add eggs, lemon, extract, and lemon peel. Add flour, salt, and soda. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets and bake 15 to 18 minutes at 375. Cool.

Filling:
14 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbls lemon peel
4 cups powdered sugar
12 oz chocolate chips

Mix sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel together. Beat in powdered sugar. Melt chocolate chips (I used 1/2 dark chocolate, 1/4 milk chocolate, and 1/4 semi sweet chocolate) in microwave stirring frequently until smooth. Add to milk mixture and stir into chocolate is mixed in well. Let filling sit while cookies finish cooling. It will thicken over time.

Spread filling generously between two cookies to form sandwiches. Melt additional 6 oz of milk chocolate in microwave until smooth, stirring frequently. Drizzle over top of cookies. Recipe makes about a dozen sandwiches.


A little photo action of the process....

I didn't plan to do a drizzle when I started making the cookies....but honestly they looked so plain and homely. They screamed out for chocolate stripes.

Oh yeah! Much prettier. Does bedazzled apply to cookies....ehehehe. I ended up cutting these in half as the cookies were fairly large. I actually didn't use a fork to do the drizzle this time. I spooned my melted chocolate into a ziplock bag with end cut off....mock pastry bag for the win.

I thought I was being fairly generous with the filling, but I still had a hunk left over. Next time a thicker coat is in order. It's possible the filling could stretch to cover a double batch of cookies, but I don't think it would be quite enough. Go for the thicker layer of chocolate...you know you want to. Meanwhile I tossed my leftovers into the freezer to be applied to something else down the road. You just can't let yummy chocolate go to waste. ;)