Sunday, April 19, 2009

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins


I can give you four good reasons for wanting to polish off a basket full of these: their tender texture, their resemblance to your favorite sour cream cake, the haunting flavor of poppy seeds, and the jolt from lots of lemon juice in both the batter and the icing. The key is to use fresh lemons, not bottled lemon juice. Enjoy!!

For the Muffins:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- grated zest and juice of one lemon
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons poppy seed

For the Icing:
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter or spray 12 muffins molds, or line with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. (don't over mix the batter). Stir in the poppy seeds. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Cool the muffuns completely on the rack before icing them.
To Make the Icing - Put the confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and add about 1 1/2 of tbsp of the lemon juice. Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar , then add enough additional lemon juice. Drizzle over muffins.

Adapted from the book Baking - from Dorie Greenspan.









Saturday, February 14, 2009

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

This cake is so sinfully delicious. I normally would not even try a cake without frosting. No Frosting?? It doesn't need it. This cake is better the next day, but who wants to wait to the next day, not I.

Here is the cast of characters.....
It's very simple...you throw all the ingredients together in the bowl except the chips and mix thoroughly. Now comes the good part.....

Add those chips, don't feel bad about it either.

Now that's some chocolate! Put in in a prepared bundt pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.


How could you not love those pockets of goey chocolate...

Happy Valentines Day and Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
  • 1 butter recipe cake mix
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 lg box instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chip
Mix all ingredients except chips with blender or mixer until well blended. Add chips and mix by hand. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool and Serve.