Meyer Lemon Squares

My Christmas baking has been very scattered. And by scattered, what I mean is, I haven't done any. At all! Time got away from me, and all those weekends I meant to reserve for baking homemade gifts...well, I baked for book club. Or I cooked a multi-course dinner for friends who, because they are wonderful, loaded our belongings into a truck and moved them to our new apartment while Jason and I were at work. Or I finished reading book 7 of the Harry Potter series (and cried on the Metro while doing so, but that's another story...). In other words, I've done no holiday baking.

When I got around to looking at the calendar, I realized I would have no time to get my gifts made and packaged prior to leaving for vacation -- Oh. Did I mention we're going away for the holidays? Just to some little place called Paris! -- so my gifts, and the corresponding posts, will come in January, accompanied by Happy-New-Year-Sorry-This-Is-Late cards. But really, who expects Christmas gifts in January? It will be a very unexpected, pleasant surprise. Like the year my mom forgot she hid some of my presents in her bedroom closet, and didn't find them until well after Christmas.

Meyer Lemon Squares

from Luscious Lemon Desserts, by Lori Longbotham

I used meyer lemons for this recipe only because my friends showed up at my doorstep with a bag of them, but you can use any lemons you wish, and these will still turn out heavenly.

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar + additional for dusting

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

pinch of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

2) Whisk together 1 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar, the zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors-fashion, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Knead the dough in the bowl until it begins to come together.

3) Transfer the dough to the baking pan and press it evenly into the bottom. Bake for 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling.

4) Whisk together the remaining 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, and the baking powder in a small bowl.

5) Beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high speed in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes, or until tripled in volume. Reduce the speed to low, add the sugar mixture, and beat just until blended, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and beat just until blended.

6) Pour the lemon mixture over the warm crust and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the filling is just set in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

7) Just before serving, lightly sift confectioners' sugar over the cookies and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container. Makes approximately 16 squares.

Cranberry Ginger Upside Down Cake

I have a few holiday traditions that I look forward to. Such as writing holiday cards. Not just signing my name to them, but writing messages to the recipient and personalizing the card. Then there's the tree decorating. I've been collecting ornaments since I was a child and every year I enjoy unwrapping each ornament and remembering the special memory connected with it. There's also all the baking. So much baking. But it's fun, knowing I'll be able to give out homemade treats to friends and family, and maybe even eat a few myself.

And then there are the cranberries. I buy them in bulk and hoard them in my freezer to use throughout the year. Did you know they freeze well, and can be kept frozen for about a year? And that when you use them, you don't even need to thaw them, you just measure out what you need and use them frozen. When you love cranberries as much as I do (this is the girl who made her mom ship canned cranberry sauce to her in Mexico, if that gives you any kind of idea...) stocking up on cranberries now means hello homemade cranberry sauce in July! And now, it also means cranberry ginger upside down cake whenever I want it, which will be often.

I made this the other night to take to book club, because we just finished reading a murder mystery - and I won't tell you which murder mystery it was because I'm going to spoil it and tell you that the person was killed with a meat bullet! A hunk of meat, shaped like a bullet, shot out of a gun. Amazing. I can think of no better accompaniment to mayhem - or holiday gatherings - OR Mexican siestas! - than cranberries.

Hurry and go buy them - before I do!

Cranberry Ginger Upside Down Cake

from Cooking Light

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 tablespoons grated, peeled fresh ginger

3 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Heat a 9-inch round cake pan over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter to pan, stirring until melted. Stir in ginger; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; arrange cranberries on top of brown sugar mixture.

3) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter and granulated sugar; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

4) Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter over cranberries in prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5) Cool in pan for 15 minutes; run a knife around the outside edge, place plate or serving platter upside down on top of cake pan; invert cake onto plate.

6) Eat while guarding your stash of frozen cranberries.

Molletes

We all have our favorite comfort foods, whether it be a big bowl of cheesy macaroni, crusty and gooey grilled cheese paired with tomato soup, your grandma's baked apples, homemade lasagna, double chocolate cake, or all of the above (because, hey, I could never choose just one...). We love comfort foods because they're delicious, maybe a little decadent, calories definitely don't count when you eat them, and, oh yeah, they bring us comfort. If comfort foods count among what we like to eat most, it makes sense that we might eat them relatively often; we definitely wouldn't neglect them and leave seven years between servings, would we?

- insert a shame-faced Lisa right here -

I ate molletes (pronounced moy-etays) all the time when Jason and I lived in Mexico: for lunch, for dinner, and for one water-logged weekend in Puerto Morelos, I ate them for breakfast every morning in a little posada by the sea. Then we moved back to the States and I promptly forgot about them. For years. Despite frequent travel to Mexico! Yikes.

Then, within the past month or so, two things happened: One - I traveled to Seattle for a wedding and, while there, was also able to visit two friends of mine that I know from living in Mexico. As I was driving towards their apartment I received a text that said, "Making molletes for lunch. Hungry?". I literally screamed in delight, probably frightening Jason a little bit. I talked about molletes so much over lunch with my friends that we found ourselves in a discussion about which type of beans are superior (La Costena) and that you can buy surprisingly good baguettes at Safeway. Second thing - I received a call at work from my friend Scott asking if I had any easy suggestions for Mexican food; molletes instantly popped into my head. Later that night, I received a text that he was now officially enamored with molletes.

So, to make a long story short, I had to make me some molletes, and pronto. I will not wait seven years for second helpings, either.

Molletes

Crusty bread, beans, cheese, salsa...what's not to love?

1 large french roll

re-fried beans

cheese of your choice

salsa

Turn on the broiler, cut your bread in half and smear it with refried beans. Top each half with cheese and broil it until cheese is melted. Removed from the oven, top with salsa, and enjoy.

Pairs well with a cold beer and a hammock.

Five-Spice Sweet Potato Pie

It's only been a few short days since my favorite holiday of the year and I just now ate the last slice of the pie you see above. It wouldn't have made it to Friday night if we wouldn't have packed up the car and headed out to Sequoia National Park after waking up from our Thanksgiving induced food coma, but I decided to leave it at home to give us a nice treat for when we came home today, all grumpy and grumbly, knowing the hours to be few before we have to get back to real life and less fun, less calorie dense meals.

Had we not decided to take advantage of the long weekend to go away, and if we wouldn't have had to choose between so many delicious homemade pies on Thanksgiving, the lifespan of this sweet potato pie would have been measured in hours, not days. I am a fan of the sweet potato in any form, and because I don't make as many pies as I should, I rarely get to indulge in a good sweet potato pie. Which made deciding what dessert to contribute to the big meal all that easier.

Five-Spice Sweet Potato Pie

From Cooking Light

Five-spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. It is usually sold in most supermarkets, but if you have trouble finding it, or don't want to invest in a spice you don't think you will use often, you can substitute pumpkin pie spice.

2 lbs sweet potatoes (about 5 medium)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder (or pumpkin pie spice)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Homemade or store-bought pie dough*

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2) Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Cool slightly. Peel and discard skins. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl and mash. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and the next 8 ingredients (through eggs). Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

3) Fit pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Pour sweet potato mixture into pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F for 55 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool pie completely on a wire rack.

*I had the greatest of intentions of including a homemade pie dough recipe, but I had some issues with the recipe I used to make my pie and need to figure out what went wrong. Rest assured dough recipe experimentation and the results will be forthcoming.

Winter Squash Stew

After some deep thought, I've arrived at this conclusion: Mother Nature must read my blog, but the Universe has it in for me. You see, after my last post, in which I grumbled about the heat and the need for more "Fall-like" weather, the temperatures started to actually cool off! "This was more like it", I thought! "You're welcome Los Angeles!", I silently said to people on the street, as if I had some sort of clout with the big Lady controlling the seasons. And then...everything that could keep me from cooking did its darndest stand in the way of me and my cocina.

There was the moving, of course; all that packing and unpacking (I've had my fill of boxes, thank you very much). Then there was discovering that we had a brand new oven in our apartment (hooray!) but no one seemed in a hurry to hook it up for us (we tried, but crucial doodads - technical term - were missing). A sketchy Internet connection has not pleased me, either, but we're dealing with that.

There was also all of the out-of-state travel that we had to do in October, but I can't really complain about that, because we got to spend time with wonderful friends. And we ate well. Really well. And, just between us, if you're ever invited to a wedding that's held at a YMCA camp, GO! And eat as much as you can, because the food is amazing. So amazing that I had to meet the cooks and tell them so. Their response? "This is camp. That's how we roll". And then they set out a platter of handmade mini breakfast quiches. Swoon.

The good news, though, is that we are finally here, moved into our spacious castle, and the cocina has been unpacked and reorganized and looks, if I do say so myself, simply lovely.

I've been breaking in the new oven, filling the new apartment with wonderful smells and filling the refrigerator with the most delicious stew I've tasted in a long while.

Winter Squash Stew

The prep time on this recipe can be a little long, but don't let all the chopping stop you from making this. You'll see from the directions below that once everything is prepped, this stew comes together fast.

This recipe is also open for interpretation. I increased the amount of tomatoes because I wanted a stronger tomato base. *I also added the apples because they pair so well with squash. Using both dried and fresh is not mandatory, I was going for different textures. *The next time I make this, I will likely use 2 cans of beans. Taste as you go and you'll discover what you like. I suggest serving the stew over rice and pairing with a nice crusty bread and a glass of wine.

2 tbsp olive oil

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5) oz cans diced tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup dried apple slices -or- two apples cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used Granny Smith + some chopped dried apple slices)*

1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 cups vegetable stock (+ more if needed)

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste

1 (15 oz) can black beans*, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup dry cooking sherry

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the broth has thickened.

Roasted Pumpkin Slices

I was in college the first time I was introduced to the astonishing fact that pumpkin could be eaten in forms other than pie or bread. I was visiting an out-of-town friend and we went to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner. As we were looking over the menus her sister leaned over and said to me, "I recommend the pumpkin."

The fact that these words perplexed me and that it had to be explained that pumpkin was excellent cooked other ways goes to show how little fresh squash I ate growing up. I ended up ordering a savory stew with pumpkin, sopping up every last drop with flat bread. I didn't lick the bowl, but rest assured that I wanted to.

So now Fall is here and pumpkins are everywhere. This is my favorite time of year, and I know I'm not alone in this. It's usually hard to resist crisp fresh air scented with apples, the beautiful sight of trees blazing in deep fall colors. There's just one problem: I'm in Southern California right now, where it's sunny and 90 degrees. I a mid-western girl born and raised, and this does not make me happy. Especially after being teased earlier this week by rain and clouds, gray skies and cold air. That's Fall!

Sure, I'm blessed to have great weather, and to be surrounded by farmer's markets that are open year 'round stocked full of delicious local produce. And, OK, rain is great when you're home cocooned in a fleece blanket with a good book and a mug of tea, not when you're running through a parking lot full of puddles in heels. But Fall can be so fleeting, so humor me, please.

If Fall won't come to me, I'll create it as best I can. Which means if you come over to visit, be prepared to be offered a hot mug of mulled cider. And don't mind the sweltering heat, I'm just roasting pumpkin in the oven. Perhaps we should take our cider by the pool? 

Roasted Pumpkin

All pumpkin varieties are edible, but your best bet for baking and texture are the small "sugar" or "sugar pie" varieties you see at the store. Like any other winter squash, you don't need to season the slices as I have described below, you can simply roast and enjoy.

It was hot the day I roasted my pumpkin, so when it cooled I simply cut it into pieces and tossed it with some fresh lettuce I had on hand. I drizzled it lightly with white balsamic vinegar. Accompanied with a glass of white wine, and some homemade bread, it made a really nice lunch

1 small pumpkin (2 to 3 pounds)

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut the pumpkin from top to bottom, into wedges. Discard seeds and strings and spread slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or one covered with aluminum foil).

2) Whisk together the oil and other ingredients and brush onto the pumpkin slices. Bake for about 25 minutes, then brush again. Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until done.

3) Cool and then peel from skin. 

Strawberry Butter Cake

There's a reason I've been baking so many cakes lately. A reason, I mean, other than the fact that I simply love cake (and I do. I really really do love cake). My friends, Ryan and Jennica, got married recently and they had this crazy, wacky notion that they could trust me to make a wedding cake for them. Not the wedding cake, mind you, because thoughts of cakes stacked upon cakes stacked upon more cakes, supported and held together by little more than large toothpicks, frosting, and good fortune had me sweating bullets. The wedding cake was a 7-layer multi-tiered Doberge cake; it was beautiful and insanely delicious. 

My cakes were to be for the reception being held in Los Angeles. So, a little less stress than making the actual day-of-the-wedding cake, but still, I have high standards. I wanted these cakes to be great. Better than great. It's the least I can do for good friends.

So I baked. And I baked. And I baked. Because we weren't sure what kind of cake to make, so we had to taste test. Then it was decided there would be more than one cake; there would be three.

We decided on the Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting & Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze, Grandma Merrow's Chocolate cake with Grandma Merrow's Chocolate Icing, and this one: Strawberry Butter cake with Strawberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting.

Because I suppose you can't live on chocolate cake alone. 

Strawberry Butter Cake

From Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne

(Strawberry filling from Wilton)

For the cake:

4-1/2 cups cake flour

3 cups sugar

5-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/4 cups strawberry puree (I buy frozen strawberries, thaw, then puree)

8 egg whites

2/3 cup milk

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with a round of waxed paper and butter the paper too.

2) Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30-seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients (*note, the batter is very thick). Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. The batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point.

3) In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk to blend. Add the whites to the batter in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter between the 3 prepared pans.

4) Bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off waxed paper and cool completely.

*Note, I highly recommend wrapping the layers in plastic wrap and freezing for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to assembling and decorating; it makes life a lot easier if you do this. 

For the Strawberry Filling:

1 package (16 ounces) frozen sliced strawberries packed in sugar, thawed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1) Drain strawberries, reserving liquid. Add enough water to liquid to equal 1-1/4 cups.

2) In a large saucepan, combine strawberry liquid, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice; mix well. Heat and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely.

3) Stir strawberries into the cooled mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Makes 2 cups of filling)

For the cream cheese frosting:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1) In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. 

Frost & Assemble the cake:

1) Line edges of a platter or cake stand with strips of waxed paper. Place one cake layer on top. Spread with 1 cup of strawberry filling. Repeat with the second layer and remaining strawberry filling. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of cake with the frosting. Remove the strips of waxed paper.