The recipe calls for finely ground yellow cornmeal, which I couldn’t find so I used Albers Yellow Corn Meal. The box of Albers doesn’t state what grind it is (fine, medium, etc.) but it seemed to be on the finer side so I went with it. The Albers cornmeal worked great.

The recipe also calls for tossing the blueberries with flour and sugar before sprinkling them over the batter. After the cake baked, however, some of the blueberries still had some flour on them. Partially white blueberries was not the look I was going for so I decided to make a quick lemon glaze to brush over the warm cake. I squeezed the juice from half a lemon into a small bowl and added enough sugar (a few tablespoons) until the lemon-sugar mixture was pleasantly sweet-tart. I then added a teaspoon or so of water and microwaved the mixture for a minute or so until the sugar dissolved. Give the syrup a stir then microwave for approximately 30 more seconds if you still see some sugar granules. Keep doing this until you have a clear syrup. Once the lemon syrup was ready, I brushed the cake and the whitish berries to “hide” any spots of flour left on them. My little trick worked like a charm! The syrup masked any leftover flour coating and added an extra hit of lemon flavor to the cake. Sweet!

Blueberry-Lemon Cornmeal Cake
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

The combination of cornmeal and buttermilk offers both texture and tang. Serves eight to ten.

6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pan
1/4 cup (1-1/2 ounces) finely ground yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature; more for the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk

For the topping:
1 cup (about 5 oz.) fresh blueberries, rinsed and well dried
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350° F. Lightly butter a 9×2-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round cut to fit the pan, lightly flour the sides, and tap out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium high until well blended and fluffy, about 3 min. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until just blended and adding the lemon juice with the second egg (the batter will appear curdled; don’t worry). Using a wide rubber  spatula, fold in half the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15 min.

Meanwhile, make the topping.
Combine the blueberries, sugar, and flour in a small bowl. Using a table fork, mix the ingredients, lightly crushing the blueberries and evenly coating them with the flour and sugar. After the cake has baked for 15 min., slide the oven rack out and quickly scatter the blueberries evenly over the top of the cake (discard any flour and sugar that doesn’t adhere to the berries). Continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, another 23 to 25 min.

Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 min. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Using a dry dishtowel to protect your hands, lay a rack on top of the cake pan and, holding onto both rack and pan, and invert the cake. Lift the pan from the cake. Peel away the parchment. Lay a flat serving plate on the bottom of the cake and flip the cake one more time so that the blueberries are on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Fine Cooking 80, pp. 69
September 1, 2006

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This simple, fruit-studded cake is the perfect ending to a summer meal. I love the combination of peaches, raspberries and a hint of orange…delicious! I like to serve it at room temperature with a dollop of lightly sweetened, freshly whipped cream. The texture of the cake is best the day it’s made but leftovers are great with a morning cup of coffee.

I’ve tried making the cake with frozen raspberries but it works much better with fresh berries. The frozen berries make the batter too cold and then the cake takes FOREVER to bake (which results in the outside being too brown while the middle cooks). If you need to use frozen berries or peaches, let them come to room temperature before sprinkling them over the cake batter. Enjoy!

Raspberry-Peach Cake
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

To draw out flavor from less than perfectly ripe fruit, toss it with a little extra sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Serves eight to ten.

6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pan
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
6 Tbs. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature; more for the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup plain yogurt

For the topping:
1/2 large, ripe peach or nectarine (about 3-3/4 oz.), halved and cut into very thin slices (aim for 1/16 inch)
3/4 cup (3-3/4 oz.) fresh raspberries
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9×2-inch  round cake pan. Line the bottom with a parchment circle cut to fit the pan, lightly flour the sides, and tap out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until well blended and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until just blended, and adding the orange zest and vanilla with the second egg. Using a wide rubber spatula, fold in half the dry ingredients, then the yogurt, and then the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping:
Combine the peach slices, raspberries, sugar, and flour in a small bowl. Using a table fork, mix the ingredients to evenly coat the fruit and lightly crush the raspberries. After the cake has baked for 15 minutes, slide the oven rack out and scatter the fruit evenly over the top of the cake, working quickly. Continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, another 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Using a dry dishtowel to protect your hands, lay a rack on top of the cake pan and, holding onto both rack and pan, invert the cake. Lift the pan from the cake. Peel away the parchment. Set a flat plate on the bottom of the cake and flip the cake one more time so that the fruit is on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Fine Cooking 80, pp. 68
September 1, 2006

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I love shortcake desserts! You pretty much can’t go wrong with a lightly sweetened biscuit (or in this case, cake) topped with fresh fruit and freshly whipped cream. YUMM! This recipe for Strawberry Shortcake is from Emeril’s Potluck Cookbookand is a perfect way to feed shortcake to a crowd. The sturdy sponge cake stands up nicely to the fruit and it’s juices…and it’s really pretty!

This dessert is best when served shortly after it’s made so if you need something made the day before an event (or even earlier in the day), find a different dessert. You can make the cake a day in advance, and prepare the strawberries and whip the cream (seperately) then assemble the dessert shortly before serving. The longer the dessert sits, however, the higher the risk of having mushy cake. If you don’t want to serve the shortcake in a bowl, you can also layer the berries and cream over the whole cake or just cut pieces of cake and pile the berries and cream on each serving. It’s not rocket science so you can make it how you want it.

Recipe changes I made: For the strawberries, I used less sugar and substituted some orange juice for the Grand Marnier (I didn’t want the pregnant ladies to get liquored up). Also, I added a teaspoon or so of vanilla to the cake.

Strawberry Shortcake
-recipe from Emeril’s Potluck Cookbookby Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus 2 teaspoons, softened
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
3 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 pounds strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur, plus a little more for drizzling (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13-inch glass casserole with the 2 teaspoons of butter and set aside.

Combine the eggs and milk in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. Add 1 1/3 cups of the sugar and continue to beat at high speed until the mixture is quite thick and pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Fold this mixture gently into the egg mixture. Gently stir in the melted butter and then transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and bake in the center of the oven until risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before proceeding.

Make the strawberry topping by combining the strawberries, remaining 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup orange liqueur, and orange zest in a large bowl and tossing to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to assemble the dessert.

Make the whipped cream by combining the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl and beating with an electric mixer or whisk until slightly thickened. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture nearly forms stiff peaks.

When ready to assemble the dessert, poke holes all over the cake using a cake tester or toothpick. Drizzle cake with a little orange liqueur. Cut the cake into 1 1/2-inch cubes and place half of the cake cubes on the bottom of a deep-sided dessert bowl. Add half of the strawberry mixture over the top of the cake cubes, juices and all, spreading strawberries evenly with a spatula and allowing the juices to absorb into the cake. Top with the remaining cake cubes and then the remaining strawberries. Top with the whipped cream and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour in advance before serving.

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I made a basic cream cheese frosting and flavored it with a little coconut extract, vanilla and sweetened shredded coconut. I mounded a blob of icing onto each cooled cupcake, swirling it around to make it look pretty then garnished it with a bit more shredded coconut. The result was a perfect Mounds Cupcake. My friend was so excited when she saw them, and even more excited once she took a bite.

These delicious dark chocolate cupcakes go great with a variety of frostings, such as cream cheese, vanilla, or berry (strawberry, raspberry). Enjoy!!!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
-recipe from Cook’s Illustrated (March 1, 2005)

This recipe does not double very well. Cupcakes made from a doubled batch and baked side by side in the oven yield a slightly compromised rise. It’s best to make two separate batches and bake each separately. Store leftover cupcakes (frosted or unfrosted) in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

Makes 12 cupcakes. 

 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (1 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
3/4 teaspoon baking powder 
2 large eggs 
3/4 cup sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/2 teaspoon table salt 
1/2 cup sour cream (4 ounces)

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)

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Recently, I bought one of those mongo 6 pound packages of fresh strawberries to use for strawberry shortcake. After making the shortcake, however, I still had 2 pounds of the precious berries. Not wanting the leftover berries to go to waste, I decided to make some strawberry syrup. Not only is it easy to make, but it’s way better than store bought berry syrup and can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, a topping for pancakes or waffles, mixed with plain yogurt, stirred into hot oatmeal, added to club soda or lemonade for a refreshing drink, etc. 

Watch the heat on the boiling berries. I was multitasking while I made the syrup and ended up with a strawberry mess all over my stove. Good times!

Let me know how you use your strawberry syrup. There’s so many possibilities…

Strawberry Syrup
-Recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

1 pound sliced hulled strawberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring strawberries, water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to prevent mixture from boiling over. Add lemon juice. Strain, pressing on solids. Cover and chill syrup. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.

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Pudding is comfort food, and in this case it’s delicious, chocolatey and super easy to make. A small amount of this pudding goes a long way because it’s so rich. Normally, I’d serve the chocolate pudding with some lightly sweetened whipped cream but since I was making it for my munchkins, I didn’t bother. My 6-year-old exclaimed after eating a few bites, “Mommy, how did you make pudding so good?” Priceless! I told him I was magic.

I altered the recipe just a tad based on a few reviews I read about it on the epicurious.com website. I reduced the cornstarch to 1.5 tablespoons and used 1 cup of half & half and 1 cup of 2% milk. The pudding was thick enough without being too thick and had a nice, silky texture. If you substitute semi-sweet chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate, reduce the sugar a bit (bittersweet has less sugar). Serve as is or garnished with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and fresh berries. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Pudding
-recipe from epicurious.com

It’s the extra chocolate that enriches and elevates this dessert from the simple to the sublime. And it takes about 2 minutes longer to prepare than pudding from a boxed mix. What a difference 2 minutes makes. Makes 6 servings.

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch (I used 1.5 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups light cream
3 ounces chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the cream until smooth, then whisk in the remaining 1 cup cream. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to whisk and boil for 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Let stand for 5 minutes until the chocolate is melted, then stir gently until the pudding is smooth. (Do not stir too much or the pudding might thin out.)

Divide the pudding among 6 small dessert dishes. Let cool for about 20 minutes to serve warm and soft, or chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Mothers’ Little Helpers
June 1999
by Melanie Barnard

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There’s nothing like a good, homemade pound cake served with fresh berries.  This recipe for Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake is easy to make, moist and velvety, and has a light lemony flavor. It’s a great dessert for Spring and Summer celebrations and gatherings.

The first time I made the cake, it seemed a bit “eggy” to me so this time I used 5 eggs instead of 6. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter. After I took the cake out of the oven, I went for a run, which meant the cake cooled in the pan on a rack for about an hour. When I tried to turn out the cake, it stuck in a few places. I’m not sure if I didn’t grease the pan good enough or if it sat too long in the pan. Anyway, I didn’t sweat it…I just made a quick glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar to drizzle on the cake. Not only did the glaze add more lemony flavor but it did a nice job of covering the holes. Serve with fresh berries.

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Yield: Serves 12

3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.

Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

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Try these buttery sugar cookies if you’re looking for a fun treat to serve on St. Patrick’s Day. The cookies are easy to make and have a light peanutty taste.

The recipe calls for rolling each dough ball in chopped peanuts. I used 50% Less Salt Roasted & Salted Peanuts that I found at Trader Joe’s. Do not buy dry roasted peanuts because they’ve got spices on them like paprika and garlic salt that would probably taste funky in a cookie. Just stick with regular ol’ peanuts for this recipe.

After finding this recipe for Blarney Stone Cookies, I then had to research what in the heck a Blarney Stone was. Here’s what I learned: the Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle in the Irish village of Blarney. Legend has it that kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of blarney (or persuasive, flattering talk). It sounds a whole lot easier just to eat a few of these cookies!

BLARNEY STONE COOKIES 
-recipe from landolake.com

This rich butter cookie, rolled in chopped peanuts before baking, resembles the Blarney Stone in Ireland.

Yield: 4 1/2 dozen cookies 

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg yolks
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine powdered sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat until well mixed. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls.

Beat egg yolks and water with fork until well mixed in small bowl. Dip balls of dough into beaten egg yolks, then into peanuts. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center.

I followed the recipe except I used coconut instead of pecans. I also threw in extra chocolate chips. The combination of chocolate chips, raisins and coconut was great! A few of these cookies and a cold glass of milk might just make your day…it’s worth a try!

John’s Kitchen Sink Cookies
-recipe from marthastewart.com

Makes 24
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture just until combined.

With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chunks, raisins, pecans, and oats.

Drop 2-inch balls of dough, spaced 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten dough balls slightly. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through.

Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

From Everyday Food, March 2008

The recipe calls for a metal pan but the glass Pyrex 8×8 pan I used worked fine. I added a teaspoon of vanilla to the cake batter and omitted the walnuts from the streusel. Speaking of the streusel, next time I’d only use about a teaspoon of cinnamon instead of the tablespoon that the recipe calls for. And you could cut down on the chocolate chips if you want it less chocolatey.

Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Use bananas with some black spots on the skin, a sign that they are really ripe. Makes 12 servings.

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 8 ounces)
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in small bowl until well blended; set streusel aside. Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, room temperature butter, and egg in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients and blend well.

Spread half of batter (about 2 cups) in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel. Bake coffee cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool coffee cake in pan on rack.