Blueberry Cornmeal Cookies

For some reason, I really like cornmeal and blueberries together. I had some blueberries from the CSA farmshare leftover, so at first i thought i would make Blueberry Cornmeal pancakes or muffins, but then I found this recipe on the Five Star Foodie blog. I made a couple of changes and doubled the recipe. They came out pretty tasty!

Ingredients
1 cup blueberries
1/12 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond or hazlenut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• combine cornmeal, baking powder, flour and salt
• cream butter and sugar
• add eggs, extract and zest
• slowly combine dry into wet
• by hand stir in blueberries
• bake 1 tbsp drops in 350 oven for 12-14 min or until edges start to brown

Pasta, Veggies and Lemon Yogurt Sauce

This recipe has been making the rounds on cooking blogs. I read about it on The Gingered Whisk.



With the CSA, we tend to get a lot of Zucchini, and I am always looking for new things to do with it. This is a fairly healthy cream sauce that goes well with the sauteed vegetables.

Ingreients

8oz pasta
1 zucchini sliced (others have cut it up into ribbons. I cut it into half moons. Either way you want the slices to be kinda thin)
1 cup small tomatoes cut in half or quarters (I had pearl tomatoes which are about the size of cherry ones)
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup thick, plain yogurt (greek is best)
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Cook pasta in salted water and then drain
sautee the zucchini in a pan with the olive oil until just softened
add garlic for a few minutes
add tomatoes and cook until soft
add thyme right at the end

in a bowl combine yogurt, cheese, salt, pepper and lemon zest
toss pasta, veggies and sauce and serve

Lemon, Ginger and Honey Buttermilk Ice Cream

Lemon, Ginger and Honey Buttermilk Ice Cream
Originally uploaded by kel h

My dad and sister come and visit me in Boston a couple times a year, and I am always looking for something fun to do with them. One year we went to Northampton, and I had a Honey Ginger Lemonade in a little coffee shop that was just fantastic. I wanted to try to recreate that flavor, and came across a recipe for creamy lemon popsicles from Whipped, and decided to modify it.

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

whisk everything together except the buttermilk. Once the sugar dissolves, add the buttermilk and whisk. Refrigerate for an hour before putting in the ice cream maker. Follow your ice cream maker's instructions.

The texture is kind of like ice milk. I think next time I might try to use yogurt or cream along with the buttermilk to make it smoother. The flavor is good, but you might like it a bit sweeter. It's pretty lemony.

These also make good popsicles

Lemon Rosemary Scones

Lemon Rosemary Scones
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got a bunch of rosemary with my trader joes pick up this week, and I decided to make Lemon Rosemary Scones. I really like lemon and rosemary together, and this sounded like a good way to combine them

based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

Makes 8

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup plus 3 tbsps buttermilk
Juice of one lemon
3 large eggs (2 for scones, 1 for egg wash)
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (abt 1 lemon)
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary (about 1 sprig)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix at low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp lemon zest, rosemary, and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form into a flat disc, about 8 inches across and 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 3 tablespoons buttermilk to make an egg wash. Brush scones with egg wash. Combine 3 tbsp sugar with 1 tbsp lemon zest and sprinkle scones with lemon sugar.

Bake until the tops are golden brown and firm, 40 to 50 minutes.

The colder the butter, and the less you mix the scones, the better they turn out

Lemon Rosemary Sugar Cookies

Lemon Rosemary Sugar Cookies
Originally uploaded by kel h

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 3/4 tsp. grated lemon rind

preheat oven to 350

Combine flour and butter in a bowl, cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sugar mixing well. Add egg yolk, vanilla, rosemary and lemon rind. Blend well.
Roll dough into a log about 2 inches, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the freezer to chill. Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 min. makes about 3 doz

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by kel h

Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes

Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
4 large egg whites

Lemon Curd
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
Zest of 3 lemons
10 large egg yolks

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar

These sweet and tangy treats are sure to interest young and old alike at your next special gathering. Lemon chiffon cupcakes hide a surprise lemon curd filling and are topped with fluffy toasted meringue.

Directions
Prepare the Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare pans with cupcake liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, and half the sugar together into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and reserve. In another large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, water, vanilla, and zest. Mix with a handheld mixer or whip attachment until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolk mixture gradually to the dry ingredients, mixing with a handheld mixer or whip attachment on medium speed until a paste forms. When a paste has formed, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and continue adding the remainder of the yolk mixture until it is all incorporated. Beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium speed. In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, whip the egg whites with a clean whip attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar while beating the egg whites and continue to beat until medium peaks form. Gently blend one-third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake at 375°F until the top of the cupcakes spring back to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling before decorating.
Prepare Lemon Curd.
Combine half of the butter, half of the sugar, the lemon juice, and zest and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar. Temper the mixture by gradually adding about one-third of the lemon juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whip. Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the whisk leaves a trail in the curd. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining butter. Strain the curd into a shallow container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the curd. Cool over an ice bath. Store the curd, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Put the egg whites and sugar in the clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and stir together until the sugar is blended into the egg whites. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 140°F. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and beat on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy and has a stiff peak.
Finish the cupcakes.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip two-thirds full with lemon curd. Insert the tip as far as it will go inside the center of the cupcake and apply gentle pressure. Try not to squeeze too hard or lemon curd will squirt out the top of the cupcake. Stop filling once you see any lemon curd around the base of the tip. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Clean the piping bag and tip and fill it two-thirds full with Swiss meringue. Pipe a large pearl of meringue on top of each cupcake. Use the back of a spoon to lift up areas of the meringue, creating spikes. Lightly toast the meringue with a kitchen torch or under the broiler until the tips of the meringue are golden brown.

20th Century Cocktail

A cocktail created in 1939 connection with the introduction of the new streamlined Dreyfus Hudson Engine which began pulling the Twentieth Century Limited train between New York City and Chicago in 1938. The recipe was first published in 1939 in the Cafe Royal Bar Book. -from wikipedia

1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Quick post, quick meal, Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp over pasta

This is something I make frequently when hungry and in a hurry
I'd show you a picture (since I made it for dinner, but I ated it)

Boil salted water and add...like half a box of spaghetti
Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil and melt 2 tbsp butter
add 2 cloves chopped garlic
zest one lemon
cook as many shrimp as you feel like adding 3-5 per serving usually
Add greens (today I probably added about a cup or two of frozen kale. when I have it I add a bunch of arugala)
wilt the greens, add the juice of the lemon
drain the pasta and add to the pan with the shrimp and stuff
cook for a bit to combine everything, add a few table spoons of a cheese like romano or something.
serve it up

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

* 2 cups unbleached flour
* 1/2 cup sugar, plus
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 eggs
* 1 lemon, zest of, finely grated
* 1 c oatmeal
* 3/4 c buttermilk
* 1 container blueberries

Directions

1.Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins. Soak the oatmeal in the buttermilk
2. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt; blend well.
3.Melt butter. Turn off heat, stir in lemon juice, eggs and most of lemon zest, reserving some zest for garnish on top of muffins.
4. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients and blend until well moistened.
5. fold in blueberries and oatmeal mix
6. Spoon into greased muffin tins, sprinkle top of batter with 2 T sugar and remaining zest.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned, but do not over bake!

Lemon Ginger cupcakes with lemon ginger frosting...Cupcakes We can Believe In

Lemon Ginger cupcakes with lemon ginger frosting
Originally uploaded by kel h

Lemon Ginger cupcakes with lemon ginger frosting
Preheat oven to 350 and fill tin with liners
cream 1 1/2 sticks butter with 1 c granulated sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar
separate 2 eggs. Save the whites in a bowl for later. Add 2 yolks, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp lemon zest
add 2 1/2 flour, 1 tbsp ginger, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 c milk and blend til smooth
beat the 2 egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter
Fill liners and bake for 25 min or so

Frosting
1 stick butter, 1/4 c lemon juice 2 tsp ground ginger, 3 to 4 c powdered sugar
blend butter, lemon and ginger, then add sugar for desired consistency
optional: sprinkle with chopped candied ginger and toasted shredded coconut


I bet you can guess who I'm voting for





also


You heard what the cupcakes said...Vote no on 1 in MA