Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tea Cake

I know that it's not quite strawberry season in Oregon yet, but strawberries have been popping up in the market and sometimes when one wants to eat them, one just has to buy them :)  Macerate those babies with a bit of sugar and they're good for this cake topping.  The cake is actually a giant scone which is good to serve for a large gathering.  Originally in the recipe the cake is topped with whipped cream but I was feeling ambitious and made lemon curd instead.  Oh, it's a good decision indeed!  Tangy, smooth and luscious curd is always a good pick-me-up; it's one of my favorite things to make with lemons.  I made enough so that I have some leftover in the fridge because it's so yummy with morning toast :)

Strawberry-Lemon Curd Tea Cake

Yields 6 to 8 servings

For the scone:

175 g unsalted butter, frozen

250 g self-raising flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

50 g superfine sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

150 ml cold whole milk

Tiny squeeze lemon juice

1 beaten egg for glazing

For the topping:

350 g strawberries, hulled and sliced

50 g superfine sugar

1 tablespoon strawberry jam

Lemon Curd--see this recipe, just use regular lemons instead of Meyer lemons

Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling, optional

Heat oven to 425F.  On the coarse side of a box grater, grate the butter into a bowl, then place back in the freezer for 5 mins.  With a spatula, quickly mix the butter with flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; add the milk and lemon juice, then bring together until you have a butter-speckled dough.  Knead the dough a few times on a floured surface.  Roll out to a circle, press into a lightly greased 8-inch baking pan.  Then brush the top with egg and scatter with a little sugar.  Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden, then transfer to a cooling rack.

While the scone is cooling, toss the strawberries in a bowl with a sprinkling of the sugar and the jam, then set aside.  

To assemble the cake, place the scone base on a serving plate, spread lemon curd over, leaving a slight edge of the cake showing, then pile the saucy strawberries on top, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if you like.  Serve cut into wedges.

Source:  adapted from Good Food magazine, June 2009

Lemon and Ginger Shortbread

I've one more day to enjoy my spring break; after that I'll go back to work.  It's quite sad because this break has been very enjoyable.  My in-laws are visiting from California and even though I'm quite busy tending their needs, I enjoy their company.  We all do, especially my son.  My in-laws haven't seen him for almost 2 years and it's a quite a change really.  Earlier this week we went to Leavenworth for a quick visit; that was pretty nice short road trip.  The weather has also been warm and sunny around here, so yeah, no complain from me.

I've been meaning to post this recipe that I tried before the break.  A lot of what I make nowadays has been some simple recipes.  I feel that I need to go back to basic and learn to make some things right.  So here's a shortbread recipe.  I quite enjoy shortbread because of the crumbly and buttery taste it imparts.  The lemon and ginger combo is very nice indeed, add a cup of tea or coffee and I'm set to enjoy my morning.

Lemon and Ginger Shortbread

Serves 12

100 g unsalted butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing
1/4 teaspoon salt
50 superfine sugar, plus extra for dusting
Zest of 1 large lemon
8 pieces of crystallized ginger, finely copped
175 g unbleached all-purpose flour


Heat oven to 300F and grease an 8-inch loose bottomed fluted tart pan.  Put the butter and salt in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until soft.  Beat in the sugar, then stir in the lemon zest and ginger.

Stir in the flour and work with your hands to form a soft dough.  Tip into the pan and press into an even, flat layer with your fingers.  Prick all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until pale gold.  Cut into wedges and leave to cool completely in the pan.  Remove from pan and dust with sugar to serve.


Source:  adapted from Good Food magazine, October 2014

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

When life gives you blueberries, you'll make blueberry muffins, won't you?  I've abundant blueberries right now and since last week I've made blueberry pancakes to use them up.  The two blueberry plants in the backyard won't stop producing even some fruits fell to the ground.  One produces slightly sour and smaller fruits whereas the second one yields sweeter and bigger fruits.  I've never had to pick or buy blueberries for many years to come!

One of my favorite things to make with blueberries is muffins.  I like soft, fluffy and slightly sweet muffins to be the backdrop of juicy, sweet, some tart blueberry fruits.  These are good for breakfast, but don't let it stop you from eating it for snack as well.  

I like this recipe from America's Test Kitchen baking book, it's a great base muffin recipe that can be used for a variety of fruits or nuts fillings and it always makes good size muffins with soft texture.  I had last bit of Nancy's honey yogurt in my fridge (Nancy's a local yogurt company, based in Eugene, OR) and that's what I used to make these babies.  Often time I don't have yogurt but sour cream, and I think that works out well too.  Because of the soft texture of the muffins, I leave them longer in the pan after they're done baking.  That way, it'll hold its shape well when it's taken out.  

I also sprinkled some cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the muffins to give them extra flavor.  Any little touch will make these muffins extra special :)

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups whole plain yogurt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ½ cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cinnamon-sugar mixture, optional

Place a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.  Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, eggs, lemon zest, and melted butter until smooth.  Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in the blueberries.

Using a greased ice cream scooper, portion the batter into each muffin cup.  Scatter some cinnamon-sugar mixture if desired.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source:  The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

I hope another posting of a variation on lemon curd recipe won't bore anyone.  But I can't resist not to whip up extra batch of Meyer lemon curd to make this lovely tart.  It's late spring, almost summer; local strawberries are just coming in, and Oregon-grown strawberries are red all-around, sweet and juicy.  When the tart is cut, the luscious and creamy curd seeps through the buttery and flaky crust; who can resist such temptation?

My parents have a small patch of strawberry plants and they're picking the fruits everyday---it's now or the slugs will get to them.  The fruits don't always look perfect but they're quite sweet.  Elsewhere, u-pick strawberry farms are starting to advertise their picking hours recently and I'm planning to go pick some more strawberries this season, to supplement what I can also get from my parents' patch.  Most of the fruits from last season were almost gone and my homemade strawberries jam is down to one last jar.  I used my vanilla-strawberry jam to glaze this tart and it helps the tart looking more gorgeous.

I didn't use up all the strawberries to cover up the tart--the rest was for snacking--but I think it still looks pretty that way.  The lovely combo of lemon curd and strawberries is a must-try for tart lovers.  I, for one, can't get enough eating the tart shell alone; in my opinion, a good crust equals a giant buttery cookie--simply irresistible!

Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

Serves 10

For Meyer lemon curd:  please see this recipe.  Note:  the curd can be made 2 days ahead.  Keep chilled until used.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons (or more) chilled heavy whipping cream

1 large egg yolk

For topping:

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, stem ends cut flat

1/2 cup strawberry jam



To make the crust:  Blend flour, sugar and salt in food processor.  Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add 2 tablespoons cream and egg yolk.  Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.  Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.  Wrap and chill 1 hour.  The dough can also be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled until used.  Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round.  Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.  Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan.  Trim dough overhang to 1/2-inch; fold in and press firmly, forming double-thick sides.  Pierce crust all over with fork; refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Cool crust completely on rack.

Spread curd in crust.  Stand berries in curd, cut side down.  Stir jam in small saucepan over medium heat until melted; strain into small bowl.  Brush jam over berries.  Chill tart until glaze sets, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Remove pan sides from tart.  Transfer to plate and serve.



Source:  adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts

Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake with Meyer Lemon Curd

What is more perfect than a lemon chiffon cake for a May birthday?  Sandwiched between the layers is smooth and fantastic Meyer lemon curd and it is also used to flavor the frosting.  Springy and light in texture, the cake is wonderful medium for luscious, tangy and rich curd.  I haven't baked cakes for a while and I approached this task with trepidation.  I just wanted it to be perfect because it is for one of the most important persons in my life; that is my husband.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I cut a slice, it turned out like I wanted it to be.

The recipe is from my favorite cake book, Sky High by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne.  I've baked several cakes from the book and am always satisfied with the results.  Each component of the cake can be made several days ahead so on the day of the birthday all I had to do was to assemble the cake.  Triple-layer cake is a lot of cake so there's a few of people who got lucky tasting it :)

I really love the curd that accompanied the cake.  Meyer lemons are in season right now and they are not to be missed.  The exquisite flavor is almost floral, not unlike honey with a hint of thyme.  I bought quite a bunch of Meyer lemons which I've already made into curd and am thinking of making tartlets with strawberry next.

Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake with Meyer Lemon Curd

Makes a 9-inch triple-layer cake; serves 16 to 20



8 eggs, separated

1/4 cup walnut oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated Meyer lemon zest

1/3 cup water

1 /2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Meyer Lemon Curd

Meyer Lemon Cream Frosting



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with rounds of parchment or waxed paper but do not grease the pans.

In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, walnut oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water.

In a large mixer bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy.  Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar and continue to beat until soft peak forms.

Sift the flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt into a very large bowl.  Whisk gently to combine.  Make a well in the center, pour in the egg yolk mixture, and stir to make a smooth paste.  Add one-fourth of the beaten egg whites and fold in to lighten the batter.  Fold in the remaining whites.  Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake for about 16 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire racks and let the cakes cool completely in their pans.  To unmold, run a blunt knife around the edges to release.  Invert to unmold; carefully peel off the paper liners.

To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand or serving plate.  Top with a heaping 1/4 cup of the Meyer Lemon Curd, and spread it out evenly.  Repeat with the next layer and finally add the third layer.  Frost the top and sides with the Meyer Lemon Cream Frosting.

Meyer Lemon Curd

Makes about 1 cup

Note that while of this curd is used to fill the cake, 3 tablespoons should be reserved to flavor the frosting.



3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)

Grated zest of 3 Meyer lemons

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature



Whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.  Transfer to a small heavy nonreactive saucepan.  Gently heat the mixture, whisking until it thickens enough to coat a spoon; do not boil.  Pour this mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a heatproof dish (this catches all of the rubbery parts of the egg whites and removes the zest).  Stir in the butter and cover the curd with plastic wrap, pressing it to the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate it until needed.

Meyer Lemon Cream Frosting

Makes about 3 1/4 cups



1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons Meyer Lemon Curd



Whip the cream with the sugar in a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters until somewhat stiff peak forms.  Be careful not to fully whip at this point because the curd will need to be folded in.  Fold in the lemon curd, forming a stiff frosting.



Source:  adapted from Sky High by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne

Iced-Lemon Ginger Cookies

Christmas is only two days away.  With it comes a joy in my life; I've accomplished my biggest undertaking of the year, helping my parents move to Oregon.  The plan to move was dreamed up years ago but the time has never been right for my parents.  Until at last they decided that this year was the year to move.  Perhaps because of my mom's years of  unwell leg stemmed from having bad back, or it was my dad's sudden twice hospitalization within a year that motivate them to move closer to their only daughter.  I'm doing my finial duty, a very traditional way of honoring my parents, by agreeing to take care of them, and in return, they'll take care of my family too.

I'm so glad to be back home again after a 3-day driving trip from California to Oregon.  The trip was right on schedule, the weather was nice enough for me to drive though California was deluged with rain storm when we left the old house.  These few weeks will be hectic for all of us here, my parents especially since they have to go through many boxes before they could truly settle down.

I think I might not be able to post anything new for a while but before I go I want to share a recipe that I tried for a cookie exchange.  This recipe was from FOODday early in December and it's adapted from Alice Medrich's new book, Chewy Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies.  The minute I read the recipe I knew this is a cookie with big and bold flavor given Ms Medrich's reputation, and I wanted to eat this spicy and flavorful cookie.  So I tried, I ate, and I rejoiced because it's what I expected.  I added the lemon icing which was a perfect combination with the ginger.  Perhaps you should try it too, you won't be disappointed!

Merry Christmas to all of you, I hope you have a blessed one with your loved ones.

Iced-Lemon Ginger Cookies

Makes about 50 cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and still warm (1 stick)

1/4 cup dark molasses (mild or robust)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons peeled and finely minced or grated fresh ginger

1 egg

2/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) crystallized ginger

About 3/4 cup Demerara or turbinado sugar or 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

In a large bowl, combine the warm butter, molasses, granulated sugar, brown sugar, fresh ginger, and egg and mix thoroughly.  Add the flour mixture and crystallized ginger and stir until incorporated.  The dough will be soft.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls.  (Refrigerate unrolled dough between batches.)  Roll the balls in the Demerara or turbinado sugar and place them 2 inches apart on lined or ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies puff up and crack on the surface and then began to deflate in the oven.  Rotate the sheets from top to bottom and from back to front halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.  For chewier cookies, remove them from the oven when at least half or more of the cookies have begun to deflate; for crunchier edges with chewy centers, bake for a minute or so longer.

For lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool; for unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to racks.  Cool the cookies completely before storing.  May be kept in an airtight container for several days.

Lemon icing

Enough to ice about 50 cookies

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

About 4 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.  Drizzle the icing on cool cookies.

Lemon-Coconut Bread

Quick bread is nothing sort of spectacular for a dessert but even if it posits to be humble, the effect is most often sweet and delectable.  Give way to lemon-coconut bread, made a few days ago because I wanted to escape the ho-hum of everyday chores.  I was in a good mood and had lots of energy because I accomplished not just one bread but two types of breads; one was my favorite bread of the week, three-seed whole wheat.

That bread was almost gone, only a slice or two left in the bread box, but I still  have the lemon-coconut bread.  It has stayed moist for two days and was meant to be savored piece by piece with a warm drink.  Perfect for a storm that's brewing in the horizon.

Lemon-Coconut Bread

Makes one 9x5-inch loaf



2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3/4 cup sweetened coconut

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

For lemon icing:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice



Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Grease one 9x5-inch loaf.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl.  Stir in coconut.

Beat oil, eggs, and milk with an electric mixer in a separate bowl until frothy.  Stir in lemon juice.  Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 70-80 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make the icing:  Stir confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl with a wooden spatula.  Add more lemon juice if it's too stiff.

When the cake is done, let it cool in pan over rack for 10 minutes.  Remove pan and let it cool completely on rack before icing it.



Source:  adapted from 125 Best Quick Bread Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt