Pre-4th Party Desserts
#9
  Re: (...)
Some of you know how I feel about pastry/baking - - so these recipes (especially this first one) is right up my alley. The Book, the Cake Mix Doctor, by Anne Byrn is a book I keep handy for when I have to make desserts for large crowds (and I'm not being paid for it ), but I want it to look and taste darn good. She has some great ideas. Anyway, here you go, anyone who likes to cheat with baking like I do.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Lemon-Lime Cake with Pineapple Curd

Pineapple Curd:
1 can crushed pineapple packed in juice -- (15.25 oz.) undrained
1 stick butter -- cut into sall pieces
3 large eggs
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
Cake:
Solid vege shortening for greasing pans
Flour for dusting pans
18 1/4 oz. plain lemon cake mix
1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix -- (3.4 oz.)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can 7-Up or Lemon-Lime soda -- (12 oz.)

1. Combine the pineapple with its juice, the butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium stainless-steel or enamel-coated saucepan. Cook the mixture without boiling it, over medium heat, stirring constantly and carefully scraping the bottom and corners of the pan to prevent curdling, until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Pour the curd into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper so that it touches the surface. (Doing so prevents the curd surface from hardening.) Refrigerate the curd so that it will cool completely and thicken, about 1 hour. Stir the curd before using it. Store the curd in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

3. Prepare the cake. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease three 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside.

4. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and 7 -UP in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well combined and thickened. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven; if your oven is not large enough, place two pans on the center rack and place the third pan in the center of the highest rack.

5. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pans, 20 to 25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake the layer on the highest oven rack. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

6. Place one cake layer, right side up on a serving platter. Spread the top of the cake layer with one-third of the pineapple curd. Place the second cake layer, right side up, on top of the first layer covered with the curd and spread the second layer with one-third of the pineapple curd. Top with the remaining cake layer, right side up, and spread it with the remaining pineapple curd.

Store this cake in a plastic cake saver or covered with waxed paper, in the refiigerator; for up to 1 week,
Description: "The Cake Mix Doctor - serves 16"
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[Image: Lemon-LimeCake.jpg]

and then this one - very tasty.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Cinnamon Blueberry Crumble Bars

1 pkg. plain yellow cake mix -- (18.25 oz.)
2 sticks butter -- melted
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries -- rinsed and drained (I used frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Set aside an ungreased 13-by9-inch baking pan.

2. Place the cake mix, melted butter, 0atmeal, brown sugar, eggs, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 to 11/2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be thick. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for the topping. Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the pan. Using your fingertips, press the mixture evenly over the bottom ofthe pan so that it reaches all sides.

3. For the filling, place the blueberries and granulated sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour the blueberries onto the crust, and spread with a spoon so that the berries are evenly distributed. Pinch off pieces of the reserved crust mixture and scatter them over the filling. Place the pan in the oven.

4. Bake the cake until it is light brown and bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. 30 minutes.

5. Cut the cake into 24 bars. Remove the bars from the pan with a metal spatula, and serve.

Store these bars, covered in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the bars overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Note: For a lemony flavor, spread prepared lemon curd thinly onto the crust before adding the sugared blueberries. For a dressy look, sprinkle granulated sugar over the topping before the pan goes in the oven.

Description: "The Cake Mix Doctor - 24 bars"
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Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#10
  Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by cjs (Some of you know how...)
I'm sending the lemon one off to Mom...she LOVES lemon! Thanks Jean! I'm making the pineapple crisp this week, or I'd try it...YUM! I also copied the blueberry one for YS...he's a blueberry fiend!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#11
  Re: Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by Gourmet_Mom (I'm sending the lemo...)
Jean, I always use cake mixes for those times I make cakes (the one recent exception being our anniversary cake). I find that the store-bought ones taste better, alas. White cakes mixes are really good when you use coconut rum in place of half of the water specified...

Hey, on that lemon cake, did you use basil as a garnish? Or a type of mint with which I am unfamiliar? If it is basil, those larger leaves must be 4" long-- great growing weather you have out there in the Pacific Northwest!
Vicci

my cooking adventures
www.victoriasdays.blogspot.com
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#12
  Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by cjs (Some of you know how...)
Even though baking is my favorite pastime, I'm always interested in quick recipes like these. Thanks, they look delicious.
Shannon
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#13
  Re: Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by Gourmet_Mom (I'm sending the lemo...)
Quote:

I'm sending the lemon one off to Mom...she LOVES lemon!
...
I also copied the blueberry one for YS...he's a blueberry fiend!




Here you go, Daphne: one of my old favourites that's the best of both worlds:

Blueberry Cottage Pudding with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 C Butter
  • 1 C Sugar
  • 1 Egg + 1 Egg white
  • 2 C Flour
  • 2 1/2 t Baking powder
  • 1/2 t Salt
  • 2/3 C Milk
  • 1 t Vanilla
  • 3 1/2 C Blueberries (2 pkgs frozen)
  • Lemon sauce (see below)
Instructions:
  1. Cream the butter well with sugar.
  2. Add egg and egg white and beat well.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in separate bowl.
  4. Add flour mixture alternately to the creamed mixture with the milk and vanilla.
  5. Fold in the berries very gently and turn into a greased, 2-qt baking dish.
  6. Bake at 350 for 50 – 60 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean), depending upon the depth of the dish.
  7. Serve warm or cold, topped with lemon sauce.
Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 1 C Sugar
  • 3 T Cornstarch
  • 1/8 t salt
  • 2 C Water, boiling
  • 1 Egg yolk, beaten
  • 1/4 C Butter
  • 1/4 C lemon juice
  • Grated rind of 2 lemons
  • Dash of Nutmeg
Instructions:
  1. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan.
  2. Slowly add water and simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Stir the hot mixture into the egg yolk a little at a time.
  5. Return to heat for 1 minute until thickened.
  6. Add butter, lemon juice, rind, and nutmeg.
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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#14
  Re: Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by labradors ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
Yes, Vicci - that's some of my basil. I found the perfect spot in the front garden that basil just loves, so the pot goes there every year.

That pudding looks really good, labs - may have to make that this weekend. Have lots of blueberries.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#15
  Re: Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by cjs (Yes, Vicci - that's ...)
Labs, that one does sound good! My "church lady" said last Sunday that her blueberries were almost ready!
Daphne
Keep your mind wide open.
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#16
  Re: Re: Pre-4th Party Desserts by Gourmet_Mom (Labs, that one does ...)
Thanks. The pudding is fabulous! Sometimes, I like to double the recipe of the lemon sauce. Great stuff!
If blueberry muffins have blueberries in them, what do vegan muffins have?
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