Cake with Fresh Lemon Curd Filling

Posted on May 30, 2012 by kitchenbelle

My dad is a really wonderful guy. He is gregarious, helpful, and fun-loving.  He enjoys cold beer, shrimp cocktail, and hot dogs. He is easy to please and maybe that’s why I love making his birthday cake each year!  (Check out the Root Beer Iced Vanilla Cake I made in 2008 and the Boston Cream Pie I made in 2009.)

In addition to Boston Cream Pie, his other favorite dessert is Lemon Meringue Pie. For his birthday this year I wanted to make cake (not pie) so I translated his love for lemon into a cake filled with fresh lemon curd!

A trick I learned at Flour Bakery (while I was a recipe-testing intern) is called the “dam.” Whenever  you fill a cake with something other than frosting (in this case lemon curd) you should pipe a circle of frosting (a “dam”) around the edge of the cake so that the filling does not ooze out. Check it out:

You pipe the “dam” first, and then spoon the lemon curd within its border. You then place the second cake layer on top and you are ready to frost!

Cake with Fresh Lemon Curd Filling:

(I prepared the lemon curd the evening before I assembled the cake.)

Lemon Curd:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 water
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 4 large egg yolks

Over medium heat, in a non-reactive saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon rind, cream of tartar, and egg yolks. Stir briefly using a wooden spoon then whisk continuously for several (approximately 8) minutes until thickened. Strain through a fine sieve. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap touching the curd. Refrigerate until firm.

Cake:

I used this brown sugar cake recipe.

Frosting:

I used (of course) cream cheese frosting to complement the lemon curd filling.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

 

Filed under: cake, cream cheese, Dessert, eggs, Flour Bakery, frosting, icing, lemon | 3 Comments »

Easy Broccoli Quiche

Posted on December 3, 2011 by kitchenbelle

Quiche is one of my favorite things to eat for lunch. A slice of quiche alongside a pile of mixed greens feels like a wonderfully complete meal. I love it because it is rich enough that you feel as though you have indulged, yet because you typically only have a slice or two you don’t feel overly stuffed. And it’s the richness that makes the meal feel special–it’s not every day you have quiche for lunch, after all! I especially enjoy serving quiche when I have a friend over for a lunch date.  It is something that is easily prepared ahead of time and then served at room temperature.  There isn’t anything unusual about this particular recipe. It is a straightforward way to make a tasty vegetarian quiche. (Of course you can make your own crust or use prepackaged.)

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Entirely unrelated, I feel as though I must acknowledge that I am probably the only recipe blogger in the blogosphere who did not post anything Thanksgiving related. “Why?” you may ask. The answer is because my brother-in-law prepares our entire Thanksgiving meal without an ounce of help from anyone else!  (Well, without any help except for the Minnesota-style mashed potatoes made by my other brother-in-law. 😉 ) He is a fabulous cook and he makes the most delicious and unconventional Thanksgiving dinner leaving guests in awe year after year.

The only item the menu required was something light that guests could snack on while sipping a drink prior to dinner. I made these ol’ standbys: SPINACH SQUARES.  My sister-in-law refers to them as spinach brownies. How cute, right?! Give them a try if you are looking for an easy holiday season go-to app that transports well.

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Easy Broccoli Quiche:

  •  2 tablespoons olive oil
  •  1 onion, minced
  •  1 teaspoon minced garlic
  •  2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
  •  1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
  •   1  cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  •  1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  •   4 eggs, well beaten
  •    1 1/2 cups milk
  •    1 teaspoon salt
  •    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  •    1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Over medium-low heat warm the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over the crust and press into the dough. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

Recipe adapted from this one on AllRecipes.com

Filed under: broccoli, eggs, Main Dish, mozzarella, VEGETARIAN | 5 Comments »

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Posted on October 6, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Did you know Reese’s now makes dark chocolate peanut butter cups?  I know! So exciting!!! When I first spotted the bags of orange and black foiled cups in my grocery store, I assumed it was just a Halloween gimmick (which actually would have been okay with me–I love holiday-colored candies).  However, when I looked closer I discovered it wasn’t a gimmick.  The orange are milk chocolate and the black are dark chocolate–how thrilling!  I decided to buy a bag and immediately make the cookies I had noticed in October’s issue of Real Simple magazine.   

The result? DELICIOUS.  Deadly delicious. 

Isn’t there just something so satisfying about a big thick chewy cookie chock full of melty peanut butter, milk and dark chocolate chunks?  Add a tall cold glass of milk for dunking and you have yourself a little piece of heaven.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies:

  •  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temp
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 12-ounce package small peanut butter cups, roughly chopped (Obviously I used a mix of milk and dark chocolate peanut  butter cups!)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  (About 5 minutes.)

Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until just incorporated.  (Do not over beat.)

Use a rubber spatula to fold in the peanut butter cups.

Pinch a tablespoon and a half of batter and quickly roll into a ball using your palms to make each cookie.  Place on parchment paper or silpat-lined baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.

Bake until light brown, about 12-16 minutes.  Use a metal spatula to transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

This recipe made about 16-18  large cookies.  (I can’t remember exactly!)

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Look at the beautiful peanut butter cups!  Yum, yum, yum…

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Recipe adapted from October issue of Real Simple magazine.

Filed under: candy, chocolate, cookies, Dessert, eggs, Fall, Peanut Butter | 9 Comments »

Maple Pumpkin Muffins

Posted on October 4, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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Saturday was a baking day.  There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  It was rainy and dark and I knew I needed to fill our kitchen with scents of the season.  This summer my in-laws visited Canada and brought back some delicious Canadian maple syrup.  I decided to bake something maple flavored so when I stumbled upon this recipe for Maple Pumpkin Muffins I was very pleased! 

A couple of notes:

  • The original recipe suggested baking at 400 F, and though it struck me as odd, rather than follow my gut I followed the recipe.  Unfortunately the oven was way too hot and a few of my muffin bottoms burned.  These should be baked at either 350 F or 375 F.
  • Rather than top these muffins with pecans, I added a crumbly streusel-like topping.
  • As you know I am a lover of chunks, so I almost added some chocolate chips but I feared it would overpower the maple flavor so I refrained.  These were more “breakfast” without chocolate chips.  Adding chocolate would make them more “dessert.”  🙂

Maple Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin or squash
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
  • 1 package cream cheese, softened

    • Topping:

  • 3/4 cup oatmeal
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4  teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter

    • Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin tins with papers.

    Prepare topping by combining first five topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Cut butter into this mixture and use your finger tips or a fork to crumble the ingredients together.  The texture should be like that of coarse sand/pebbles.  Set aside.

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

    In another bowl whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup.  Slowly add dry ingredients to this mixture and stir just until moistened.  

    In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and two tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons syrup until smooth. Gently stir into batter until mixture appears swirled.

    Fill paper-lined muffin tins about three-fourths full.

    Sprinkle about a tablespoon of topping over each muffin cup.

    Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. 

    Adapted from Made by Melissa.

    Filed under: Breakfast, cream cheese, Dessert, eggs, Fall, muffin, oatmeal, pumpkin, squash | 2 Comments »

    Sunflower Zucchini Pie

    Posted on September 22, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    In honor of my new collaboration with Eggland’s Best, I thought it would be fun to make an egg recipe for dinner!   I found this recipe on Eggland’s Best website.  It was created for Eggland’s Best by The Meal Makeover Moms.  I wanted to use up some zucchini and this recipe did the trick.  It was very easy to pull together and it filled the kitchen with a delicious cheesy aroma as it baked.  I like the addition of sunflower seeds; as promised, they added a pleasant crunch and are loaded with vitamin E.  (Don’t forget to toast them!  This can be done quickly in a skillet on the stovetop.)

    For the first time ever I used something called “Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice.”  Though I usually try to steer away from convenience foods, in a weak moment I purchased this product, and I must say, for its purpose in this recipe it worked really well.

    Serve slices of this pie with a fresh green salad and you have yourself a delicious and nutritious weeknight meal!  (Leftovers are also great!) 

    Sunflower Zucchini Pie:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or a few squirts of cooking spray
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded
  • 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • a few dashes of dried oregano
  • a few dashes of  dried parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 large Eggland’s Best eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice 
  • 2/3 cup reduced-fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds, toasted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

    • Preheat the oven to 375 F.

    Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

    Heat the oil (or a few squirts of cooking spray) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shredded zucchini, seasonings, and garlic and cook until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. 

    In the same skillet saute sliced zucchini about 5 minutes until softened. 

    In a large bowl place the eggs, cooked rice, cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, sunflower seeds, salt, and the shredded zucchini mixture and stir to combine.

    Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate, top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and zucchini slices and a few sprinkles of cheddar cheese (optional).  Bake until golden brown– about 30 to 35 minutes. 

    Note: The above photo was taken post-baking and the below photo was taken prior to baking .

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     Adapted from recipe by Meal Makeover Moms for Eggland’s Best.

    Filed under: cheese, eggs, Main Dish, pie, rice, VEGETARIAN, zucchini | 5 Comments »