19

Apr

LOC Bites

Like I said yesterday, my sweet grandmother was Southern to the bone. One of her signature desserts was Chess Bars. It involved all of the staples for a Mississippi dish–butter, eggs, powdered sugar, and cream cheese. Not exactly for the faint of sweets. Sometimes she added lemon, but rarely. Usually the cake mix crust warrants the prominent flavor–BUTTER–but I thought it might be nice to jazz it up a little for my Waco friends.

I’m spending two weeks in Waco for Capstone class–let’s hope these are the last classes of my life. I’m good with life long learning, but I need a break! After these two weeks, I’ll present my research project for social work, wait a week, and then (hopefully) snatch up two diplomas. Glory, glory. But back to the sugar. Chess bars…with lime and orange…in mini muffin pans. Can these count as tarts? No, bites is much more technical and approachable.

The flop the first time around. Oops.

LOC Bites (Lemon Orange Chess)

gather 
yellow cake mix (the box)
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 box of cream cheese, softened (8 oz)
1 lb of powdered sugar
1 orange
1 lemon or lime

base Preheat oven to 350. Grease 24 mini muffin cups. In a bowl, combine a yellow cake mix, one egg, and one stick of margarine. Using a teaspoon, pat one teaspoonful of batter into each cup. Pat down with your fingers–this is the crust.

topper In a second bowl, combine cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar together until smooth. A mixer smooths it out so well.

topper2 Split cream cheese mixture into two bowls. In one bowl, grate an orange and add the juice of less than 1/2 of the orange (2 TB). In the second bowl, add grate a lemon and the juice of 1/2 a lemon (2 TB). Whisk each of the bowls’ ingredients separately.

assembly Using a teaspoon, spoon 1-ish teaspoon of the cake mix base in the bottom of each muffin cup. Press down with fingers, like it is a crust. Then, top with either 1 TB of the lemon or the orange filling. Bake for 13 minutes, or until the mini muffins are set and not Jello jiggly. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hours.

Serve chilled. Share generously. Eat many.

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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17

Apr

Fancy Schmancy Butter

Lemon dill butter (top)

Remember having honey butter on warm biscuits or cornbread at your great aunt’s house? Oo, I do.
 I think she bought it in a jar, but I have made it since and was surprised at how EASY it is.

My first introduction to a COMPOUND BUTTER was that silky, drippy honey butter that got all over my fingers, the tablecloth, and my shirts as a child. I don’t eat a lot of butter and have reduced it significantly in baking/cooking, so I don’t think of making butter recipes as a healthy practice in my attempt to eat whole foods. HOWEVER, in small amounts, a bit of a compound butter can significantly kick up the flavor in mashed potatoes, a fish dish, or other meal. They add moisture and a bit of creaminess to leftover chicken, rice and pastas, as well. My photo examples aren’t the prettiest, which means practice makes perfect, but they taste pretty darn good. 🙂

Strawberry butter

Varieties of compound butters and their parings:

Honey Nut Butter (2 sticks butter, 3 TB chopped nuts, 4 TB honey): on toast, waffles, pancakes, or English muffins

Berry Butter (1 stick butter, 2-3 TB berry jam): on toast, in oatmeal (a dab!), on crackers, rolls, waffles or pastries

Pesto Butter (1 stick butter + 2 TB pesto spread): on chicken, fish, pork, in rice, pasta, on a baguette, roll, or breadstick, onto corn on the cob, broccoli, asparagus, add in olive oil- or broth-based sauces

Citrus Butter (2 sticks butter + zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime): on fish, scones, biscuits, in rice, risotto, on cornbread or pastries, on veggies

Lemon-Dill Butter (2 sticks butter + 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill + zest of 1 lemon + 2 TB lemon juice + dash of salt and pepper): on fish, chicken (adds moisture to leftovers!), pork, pasta, breads, and veggies, add in olive oil- or broth-based sauces, on baked potatoes and in mashed potatoes

Honey-Sage Butter (1 stick butter + 2 TB honey + 1 1/2 TB dried sage): on fish, pork, breads, carrots…experiment with this one, which is a little different!

Directions for all varieties:

Step One and Only: Soften butter, don’t melt it. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and use the back of a large spoon to work the toppings into the butter until all blended.

Storage: Keep in a sealed container OR wrap in wax paper and store in a small box container (butter will mold into the shape of the container) OR wrap in wax paper and roll into round logs.

Fridge or Freeze? Either one works well. With the recipes with fruits or fresh herbs, I’d freeze them and just slice of a TB or so when you need it. If you (or your kids) are a lover of plain jane noodles, add a pat of the pesto or lemon-dill butter for a little kick of flavor.

Compound butter (in little jars or in wax paper “sticks”) make great gifts for dinner party guests.

Special thanks to these folks for the ideas and lessons on compound butter:
A beautiful mess
Alton Brown
Serious eats
Simple bites

I’m in Waco this week, in the next-to-last week of my formal education career. Hope you’re having fun wherever you are!

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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30

Mar

Lemon Cornmeal Breakfast Cake

This is a beautifully simple, delicious breakfast cake. Cake for breakfast??? Oh, yes, oh, yes.

Easter is in exactly one week + 3 days…can you believe it? Time is flying, Lent is flying and my internship is in its final three weeks.

Since Spring has officially sprung, it was time for a citrusy happy breakfast treat. Something easy, no-fuss and semi-healthy. Well, not necessarily healthy, but something not fried-and-artery-clogging.

Joy the Baker had this little breakfast cake. I have made some lemon cakes before, mostly with ganache, but nothing with cornmeal. And cornmeal is quickly becoming my new “flour of choice.” I’ve altered her recipe to make it even more “healthy,” as healthy as breakfast cake can be. You can bake it in your grandma’s heavy cornbread skillet or a simple 9″ round baking pan. My gma’s is in storage, so a pan had to do.

Lemon Cornmeal Breakfast Cake
This lovely, easy cake is hearty and filling on grab-it-and-go mornings. It is not too sweet, a little tangy and very moist without falling apart in your hand. Yes, I eat cake with my hands when I’m running out the door. Please don’t judge until you taste this cake!
makes one 9-inch cake
recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2009 and Joy the Baker


1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons lemon zest
4 TB butter, melted until browned then cooled slightly

Lemon Glaze:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
If using a cast iron skillet:  In a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat until browned and fragrant.  Use a potholder to grab onto the cast iron and carefully tilt back and forth so the melted butter greases the sides of the pan.  Remove browned butter from the cast iron to cool, and set the buttery cast iron aside.
If using a 9-inch round cake pan: Melt butter and spoon 1 TB of the butter into the baking pan. Swirl around so it coats the bottom and sides of the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, cornmeal, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a small bowl, carefully whisk together eggs, buttermilk/milk, lemon zest and remaining 3 TB of butter.  Add the wet ingredients, all at once, to the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula.  Fold until very few lumps remain.  Pour batter into the prepared buttered pan and place in the oven.

While the cake bakes, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice for the glaze. (I use a little sauce whisk that is mini and fabulous.)  Set aside.

Bake cake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.  Use a skewer or a fork to poke holes in the cake. (This is fun.) Pour over the glaze, spread evenly and let rest for about 30 minutes before serving.  This cake will last for up to 7 days, covered in the fridge.

Dare you to abstain from tasting before breakfast tomorrow morning…dare ya!

Happy eating and happier spring!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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