Ten Years Later: Lemon Ricotta Cake

 "You never knew which split second might be the zig zag bolt dividing

all that went before from the everything that comes next." ~ Barbara Kingsolver

  

Summer Fresh: Linguine with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Basil

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated financially by Barilla to write it. All thoughts, 
feelings and opinions about their pasta are my own. 


Happy Summer everyone! Oh, it feels glorious to be kicking off my favourite season. We've had gorgeous weather in Saskatoon, and already there have been several days of It's Too Damn Hot There's No Way In Hell I'm Going To Turn My Oven On. I think it's been a week now, and I'm beginning to miss my baked goods! My house is so old and just loves to retain the heat of the day. It's a beast, I tell you. Alas, one shall not complain of the heat, as those -30C temps are only 6 months away. Instead, I shall embrace the back sweat, and just change more often into my pretty summer clothes. When it's too hot to sleep, I'll step outside and admire the solar lights my mom has plunked all over the garden. If the house feels like it's on fire, I'll turn on the hose and douse myself with the cold, cold water. It's basically the 45 year old woman's version of running through the sprinkler. Afterwards, there will be ice cream in the shade, and the trees will sway in the summer breeze and I'll be glad that I live where I do, back sweat and all.

Ushering in Spring: Swedish Pancakes with Lemon

"The best things in life are nearest:  Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you." Robert Louis Stevenson

So here we are in the midst of April, and I hope wherever you are the snow has melted and spring is in the air. We are getting another dump of the white, fluffy stuff today, but in a day or two it will all be forgotten as the temperatures rise and melt away the last dregs of winter. It has been a long, suffering one, has it not? I can't wait to trade in my lace up winter boots for footwear that requires less effort to put on. I know. So lazy of me! I've been wearing the same boots for 6 friggin months. Time to switch it up, right?

Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins, Gratitude and a Giveaway!

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, 

and that gratitude is happiness doubled in wonder."  ~ G.K. Chesterton

It's April 25th, which if you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that it is the official publication date of All the Sweet Things.  This means my book baby is out in the world, for all to read and enjoy.  It's an overwhelming feeling, frankly, to see all of your hard work and dedication for the past two years, being held by other people in their hands.  To think that two years ago I was just thinking about what my cookbook proposal should be.  And now, the book is real and being purchased by friends, family and strangers.  I love the strangers!

Meyer Lemon Honey Tart with Salted Shortbread Crust

When life hands a girl lemons, you know she is going to make lemon tart.  This girl, anyway.  And boy, have I had lemons handed to me.  But that's okay.  I like a good lemon tart.  It brightens the eyes and puckers the lips and revitalizes a weary soul.  I don't know about you but I could use a little revitalization.  Good thing it's citrus season to the rescue.  Meyer lemons are a tasty reminder to enjoy the precious present, as their season is all too short and one to be savoured.  I need that every once in a while; a gentle reminder to be in the moment.  Not lingering in the past or jumping ahead of myself to the future.  But here, now, in this beautiful mess of a life.

Remember: Rosemary & Olive Oil Bundt Cake

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.  Pray you, love, remember. ~ William Shakespeare

So here's the thing that remains after the loved one has left.  Memories.  All of those memories you carry around, lodged in your heart and mind.  And it doesn't take much to rouse one up - a song on the radio.  The smell of something on the stove.  Driving by the place where you met for the first time.  Standing in your kitchen where he would always kiss the back of your neck.  That dress you wore on his birthday.  Looking out at the snow-covered garden where you attempted to grow kale because he really, really loved it.  I'm surrounded and can't help but remember.  As the days go on, maybe the memories will fade a little, retreating into that little corner of my heart saved for loves lost.

Oh Baby! Roasted Asparagus, Bacon & Cheese Tart

My food blogging pal Shelley, of the lovely Franish Nonspeaker, is expecting the arrival of dear sweet baby Ruby very soon, and a few of her friends decided to throw her a virtual baby shower.  Neat, huh?  Shelley was one of the first food bloggers I connected with almost right off the bat, in early 2011, when I was just a blogging newbie.  I don't think she's missed commenting on a single one of my posts, and that's a lot of posts!  So with our back and forth banter we've sort of gotten to know each other and I have no doubt that if I was in sweltering Austin today, this tart would come with me to her house, where we'd drink lemonade and talk about boys and babies and True Blood.  I'm hoping one day I'll have the honour of meeting Miss Ruby in real life.

The Skinny: Creamy Kale & Avocado Dip

There's been a little extra fat, or "snuggage" as I lovingly like to call it, hanging around my skinny jeans lately.  I know.  It's my own damn fault - eating crème brûlée everyday for like four days, and then the most gorgeous birthday cake ever held residence inside my fridge for another four days after the crème brûlée had vanished.  While I've been digging the indulgences, it's time to stop eating so much fat reign things in a little.  I like to be an everything in moderation girl, but let's face it, lately it's been over the top.  Just ask my skinny jeans.

Change it Up: Buttermilk Scones with Lemon Curd

If you are a frequent visitor round here, you'll already have noticed a few changes.  Are you checking out that banner?   I snapped the photo of my lovely green beans last Summer, and now their nuance is a kindly reminder every time I create something on these pages.  While the first banner, in all it's cakey glory, was fine,  I wanted a bit of a change up, and we all agree that change is good, right?  Right. (Am I the only one who thinks of David Bowie every time I hear that word?)  A sweet simplicity was created and I'm super duper happy with the end result. Who knew bean leaves could be so darn gorgeous?  The gardener geek in me is released - much apologies.

Play: Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing

 

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.  

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Nothing like a little Little House to get you in the Christmas mood, hey?  My love of reading stems from pouring over those books when I was a kid.  I especially loved the Christmas chapters; when the Ingalls are housebound by raging blizzards and old Mr. Edwards saves they day by bringing Laura, Mary and Carrie candy and oranges.  Love. It. So. Much.  Laura was right though.  Everyone becomes a kid again at Christmas.

I'm in full blown catering crazies, but happy to report no meltdowns and anxiety has been averted.  Touch wood!  Thanks, in part, to another set of hands peeling a million pounds of potatoes and dicing equal amounts of onion.  Poor guy will never want to touch either when he leaves our kitchen.  But just having those basic tasks done for me has meant the world.  And saved my sanity.  Give it up for Victor!  I've also decided I'm not going to let the stresses of the season bum me out.  My cortisol levels are staying relatively normal and I'm even having fun.  I keep getting invited to parties and I keep saying yes.  Good Lord, I'm tired, but this is the season to play, after all.

People think it's weird that after I cook all day at my real job, I would want to do anything in my own kitchen.  But honestly, it's not really mental to anyone who loves food like I do.  Rolling out gingerbread dough and cutting it into perfect tree shapes is playing.  And a reminder of a little girl with a blond head and a sweet tooth, by her Mom's side, eating the gingery dough behind her back and peeking through the glass door of the oven, watching the cookies rise into stars and trees and pigs.  I lived for those days before Christmas when the house smelled of butter and ginger and we got to decorate our cookies as we liked.  Icing! Sprinkles! Sugar!  The best part: biting off the limbs of the gingerbread man and saving head for last.  

Yes, me and cookie dough go waaaaay back - to days before everything was digital and my biggest worry was if my blue Club Monaco sweatshirt was washed so I could wear it to school the next day;  to days when my favourite song was "Eye of the Tiger" and I wanted to be Olivia Newton John when I grew up. Yeah, me and cookie making go way back.  If only my biggest "issue" these days could be whether or not I have clean laundry. Baking has always been a little therapy for this girl, and on more than one occasion it's saved me from holiday hell.  Sometimes the process of distraction is a magical thing.

This gingerbread is exactly what you want your house to smell like as you put that last star on the tree and as you finish addressing envelopes with the names of loved ones. The batter can be made the night before, so the next morning you just roll it out and cut into your favourite shapes.  They only need to bake for about 8 minutes if you like a softer cookie, or around 10 if you want your gingerbread to snap. The drizzle of lemon is a lovely compliment to the smooth bite of ginger.  Ginger + Lemon = Yummers.  Can't think of a better cookie to eat while I curl up on the couch to watch this, yet again.  It never gets old.

Gingerbread Tree with Lemon Icing

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled) plus a bit more for rolling
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cup icing sugar
coarse sugar, optional

In a medium bowl, whisk flour with rest of dry ingredients.  In a large bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium high until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Add egg and molasses and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as you need to. With  mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 350*F, with racks in upper and lower thirds.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness, and with cookie cutters, cut into your favourite shapes.  My Mom still uses the cutters from when we were kids and I love the pig!  Or you can use a sharp knife and cut into triangles.  Arrange cookies on parchment lined baking sheets, and bake until firm and golden, around 8 min for chewy, 10 min for snappy.  Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.  Store in airtight containers for up to one week, or freeze.
To make the lemon icing, combine lemon juice, icing sugar with a small whisk.  It takes a little while for it to come together.  Add more lemon if too thick.  I just put the icing in a small Ziploc bag and cut one corner to make a tip.  Drizzle onto cooled cookies and sprinkle with sugar.  The cookies freeze well for up to one month.  Makes about 50-60 cookies.  

Oh So Lovely Lavender Lemonade

 

Summer officially began this week, as did my super busy season at work...hence a post about lemonade.  Let me tell you there was nothing glam cooking in my little kitchen this week...just some soup from the freezer one night, eggs on toast another, and a simple, yet tasty salad tonight.  These are busy, busy times, plus there is the jungle of weeds to contend with and the ants to attack with great cunning and chemical.  At the end of the day I'm exhausted, and that's why I'm writing about lemonade.

 

This is no ordinary lemonade, mind.  The lavender infusion adds a lovely herbal note without overpowering the familiar tartness one expects from their lemonade.  And look at that colour!  Stunning!  In the name of "recipe research" I also added a splash of vodka, and it makes a dandy cocktail for days when you want your lemonade to have a bit more of a grown up twist. Days like today!!!

 

My lavender plant hasn't blossomed yet, so I used dried lavender, which you can find in health food stores or specialty groceries.  Remind me to one day tell you about this amazing lavender shortbread I make.  It's incredible.  I also sprinkle some dried lavender on my chicken as it's going into the oven to roast away.  It's good stuff this lavender, so if you buy some, don't think you can only make lemonade with it!

Simple and delicious, with only a little more effort required than opening a can of the frozen stuff...I'll be making this lemonade all summer long.  That whole thing about when life gives you lemons, blah blah blah, may actually have some truth to it.  

Lavender Lemonade

1 cup water
2 tbsp dried or 1/2 cup fresh lavender
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (freshly squeezed from about 3 lemons)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 3/4 cups - 3 cups cold water
fresh lemon wedges and lavender blossoms for garnish


To make lavender infusion, bring 1 cup of water to boil, and remove from heat.  Add lavender and let steep in a covered pot for about 15 minutes.  Strain liquid through a fine sieve into a pitcher, then add lemon juice and sugar.  Stir then add cold water.  I started off with a scant 3 cups, because you can always add more water if you think it's too strong, and don't forget about the ice cubes, which will weaken it.  Chill 2 hours, and garnish with lemon wedges and lavender.  ( I used some thyme, and it still looked pretty!) Makes 1 pitcher.  Adapted from House and Home.

My Aunt gave me this tray a long time ago...isn't it gorgeous?  Lemonade tastes even that much better served on something so pretty.

A Little Bite Of Sunshine: Lemon Pie With Toasted Pecan Graham Crust

If you listen closely enough, you can hear the earth give off a collective sigh of relief.  "YES!  We made it though another winter!"  And that's how I feel too.....Snow is almost completely melted...There are signs of glimmering green life in my flower beds...Temperatures are rising and so are moods.  I've had a little bounce to my step this week, and I know I'm not the only one.  Then of course there are the ubiquitous boys in shorts and ball caps, even though it's not past ten degrees Celsius.  Um, yeah.  Lookin' good.

Saskatoon is incredibly sunny.  There is some sort of statistic out there on how much sunlight we get per year...and of course I don't know it off the top of my head...but it's a lot.  Lots and lots of sun.  It can be cold and a trifle windy....but it's BRIGHT!  There is so much sun in my office/dining room/ spare room right now I can barely see the computer screen.  It streams in and lights up my entire little house.  I love days like this.

Feeling all happy and light, I wanted something that tastes how I feel, if that makes sense...and of course it had to be lemon.  I know there are some of you out there that will choose Lemon over Chocolate when it comes to desserts.  I've witnessed many a heated battle about this.  I'm a permanent member of Team Chocolate,  but every once in awhile, I shake things up and go see how things are on the other side of the debate.  Not so bad!!!

I do love lemon desserts...lemon tart, lemon curd, lemon squares, lemon cream cheese muffins (that I wrote about previously!) But I'm NOTa fan of lemon meringue pie.  And the meringue is to blame.  All that soggy egg white, that just weeps and makes a sad pie.  When I make lemon pie, I only put cream on top, none of that awful meringue.  This crust is nice too, because you don't have to make pastry (Yay!), and it's a super quick, press in , bake 10 minutes, bring out, pour the filling in, bake 15 more minutes, and you are done kind of pie.  The filling just has 3 ingredients, is the perfect balance of tart and sweet...so really...if you love lemon, (and even if you are on Team Chocolate), go ahead and give this pie a whirl.  If you pay attention, you can taste the sunshine.

Lemon Pie in Pecan Graham Crust

Crust:
3/4 cup toasted pecans
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp melted butter

Filling:
2 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk
grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Whipping cream for garnish

For the crust:  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Combine all of the crust ingredients in a bowl and stir well.  Press into a 9 inch glass pie plate.  Bake for about 10 minutes. 
For the filling:  Mix together filling ingredients.  Pour into baked pie shell.  Bake for 15 minutes until set.  Let cool completely.  Chill one hour.  Spread whipped cream on top.  Serves 6.

A Pot of Tea, a Good Book and Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins

There's something almost luxurious about having a weekday off.  Especially if it's a freezing cold Monday in early February.  While everyone else is out there miserably scraping their windshields, I was all tucked in, snug as bug in my warm little house.  Rising later than 6:00 and staying in my pajamas until I feel like it is a total treat, and not one I get to indulge in too often.  On this particularly frigid day, I was glad I had nowhere to be until my yoga class later in the afternoon.  A whole day with a blank canvas stretched before me.  What oh what was I going to do?  Why, bake of course!!!! All I really wanted to do was whip up these divine lemon cream cheese muffins, brew my polka dot tea pot full of good tea, and curl up with a favourite read. I'm currently loving "Cool Water" by Regina author (and winner of this year's Governor General's Literary Award for fiction!) Dianne Warren.  Throw a cat or two along for the ride.  If I curl up, they curl up.

Now let's talk about these light and lovely lemon cream cheese muffins.  After I graduated from Culinary School, I worked in the Yukon that summer.  There was a really talented pastry chef on staff and she gave me this recipe.  I learned quite a lot that summer, while having the time of my life, cooking and adventuring in the wild!  Good times.  But back to the muffins.  The batter is light, with little chunks of cream cheese thrown in for some decadence. I like to leave some bigger chunks, because then you bite into this cakey cream cheese lemony loveliness. Brushing the tops of the hot muffins with sugar and lemon juice is a nice finish.  They are pretty dreamy as is, or you can further up the dreaminess by topping with a little lemon buttercream.  These are perfect for a baby or bridal shower, or a birthday, or just an everyday treat, when you want a little nurturing yourself.  Kind of like the day I had planned.  A little self-nurturing goes a long way in my world.

I hope my handwriting is legible enough...Combine the dry ingredients, cut in the cubes of cream cheese.  In a separate bowl combine the wet ( I like to add more lemon zest and a bit more juice for extra flavour.)Add the wet to the dry, mixing just a little until all is combined.  This recipe makes about 10 muffins.  Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375*F, and brush the 2 Tbsp. each lemon juice/sugar mixture on top of hot muffins.  Glorious!!!!

And don't forget to have a nice cup of tea with your little lemon lovelies.  Somehow tea always tastes better in my vintage cups.  Just a matter of choosing which one I'll use that day!

Blue it is!