This is from a short, public domain film called, "How to be Popular". Have things changed that much, or has life never been this way?
Lemon Bundt Cake - Day #19 of I Like Big Bundts
Lemon Bundt Cake with double glaze
Okay. I have about 5 minutes to tell you about this Bundt. I'm doing the dessert bar for my friend's wedding on Saturday and am surrounded by flour, sugar and vats of butter. I baked this Bundt this morning and it made the kitchen smell very lemony! :)
It's Day #19 of I Like Big Bundts! The Food Librarian's crazy, insane quest to bring you 30 Bundts in 30 Days. We end on National Bundt Day, November 15th. Is it marked in your calendar? I hope you make a Bundt! I did this last year so here are 30 suggestions. And I'm never doing this again so bookmark your favorites now!
Since I knew I would be crazed, I have a guest blogger coming in tomorrow. She's a librarian (since this is called The Food Librarian, I've only had guest bloggers who are librarians! ha ha); Susan is kind enough to help me present 30 Bundts in 30 Days. I thought I could make them all myself, but I understand my limitations and want to devote myself to this wedding. My friends Jun and David only get married once, so they need to have a good dessert bar! :) See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian
Lemon Bundt Cake
Adapted from Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day (September 16, 2008)I needed about 5 lemons to make this Bundt.
1 cup plain lowfat yogurt (I used 75% yogurt and 25% sour cream because I didn't have enough yogurt)
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs, room temp
2 3⁄4 cups cake flour (not self-rising) (I used Swan's)
Lemon Syrup
1⁄2 cup each lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup water
Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 tsp milk
1. Preheat oven 350ºF. Prep a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. I spray mine with Pam with Flour or Bakers Joy. Since I used a 10-cup Bundt pan, I didn't use all the batter and made some cupcakes with the extra.
2. Whisk together yogurt, lemon zest, juice and vanilla in small bowl.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.
4. With a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Reduce to low speed. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt mixture, followed by the remaining dry mixture. Mix just until blended. Don't overmix, and finish off with a spatula.
6. Scoop into prepared Bundt pan.
7. Bake 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10-20 minutes before inverting on rack.
8. Syrup: While cake is cooling, bring syrup ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, 12 minutes or until syrupy. Brush over warm cake; let cake cool completely.
9. Glaze: Mix confectioners’ sugar and just enough milk until smooth; spoon over completely cooled cake.
Cantaloupe and Pineapple Jello Bundt - Day #18 of I Like Big Bundts
Cantaloupe and Pineapple Jello Bundt
My friend JustJenn visited Hawaii recently and brought me back some treats. No, not chocolate covered mac nuts like everyone else, but boxes of Island Pineapple Jello direct from Hawaii. Awesome. :)
Recipe:
2 small boxes of Island Pineapple Jello (or other flavor). 6 oz total.
2 envelopes of Knox gelatin
1 cantaloupe, balled (about 35 cantaloupe balls
1. Sprinkle Knox gelatin envelopes over 1/2 cup cold water (in large bowl).
2. After 5 minutes (to allow gelatin to bloom), add the Island Pineapple Jello to the bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Stir until dissolved.
3. Add 2 cups cold water and mix.
4. Chill the Jello until slightly thickened. Add to Jello mold along with fresh cantaloupe. Chill until completely set.
Joan Crawford was Creepy
Random Thoughts on Joan Crawford
I've watched two Joan Crawford films over the Halloween weekend, Berserk and Strait-Jacket.It seems later in Joan's career she was only allowed to act in crazy horror films. I believe there is good reason for this. She was one scary looking lady. Something about that harsh face just screamed evil. Whether she was or not is a matter of some debate.
Of course there is the whole Mommy Dearest thing. I have read quite a lot on both sides of t he fence. Was she the bad, crazy parent that was portrayed in the film and book or was Christina Crawford a spoiled brat, who couldn't handle things when they didn't do her own way? No one can say. I would think a little of both. I mean, just as the book was a cruel bit of vengeance on Christina part, so was Joan leaving her and Christopher nothing in her will "reasons which are well known to them."
It is always hard to say, looking back, what is real and was in fiction. The human brain in really a horrible information unit. Just ask five people to right down events of a week earlier and you will probably get five different stories. People are not necessarily lying, they believe what they are saying, but the mind record keeping is not an accurate one.
Anyway, back to Joan and her creepiness. I watched Johnny Guitar a few weeks back, and that wasn't even a horror film, and yet there was something creepy about her.
The fun part about these later film is that, her career was such on a down-curve that she is trying very hard, so hard that the over acting is really hysterically funny. Watch Strait-Jacket for a great example of this.
This reminds me that Blue Oyster Cult had a song on one of their later albums called "Joan Crawford has Risen from the Grave."
Dulce De Leche Bundt - Day #17 of I Like Big Bundts
Dulce de Leche Bundt
It's Election Day! I hope you get out there and exercise your right to VOTE! And finally, we get back to Jamie Lee Curtis TV ads about her poop and yogurt instead of the endless political ads.
It's Day #17 of I Like Big Bundts - my quest to bring you 30 Bundts in 30 Days! National Bundt Day is only a few days away. I hope you celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th with a curvy, sexy, Big Bundt!
Come back tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian
P.S. Brian, congrats to your SF Giants on their World Series championship!
Recipe:
Dulce De Leche Bundt Cake
Adapted from RecipeGoldMine, Marcy Goldman (she made hers with chocolate chips, I omitted that)
14 oz dulce de leche (I used Nestle's canned Dulce de Leche)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prep a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt pan. I use Pam with Flour spray.
3. Open can of Dulce de Leche and save 1/4 of the can (this will be used for the "Tunnel of Dulce de Leche")
4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
5. Using the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar. Then add the remaining Dulce de Leche. Blend well and scrape down sides.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, blending mixture well after each egg.
7. Add vanilla and blend.
8. On low speed, alternate flour mixture and buttermilk (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Begin and end with flour mixture. Don't overmix and finish with spatula.
9. Scoop 3/4 of the batter into Bundt pan.
10. Create a channel in the center. Stir reserved Dulce de Leche to loosen, and put into the channel.
11. Top with remaining batter. Smooth out top with a spatula.
12. Bake for 50-55 minutes (depending on your oven), until toothpick comes out clean. As with all Bundts, do not place on a cookie sheet...hot air needs to flow through the hole in the center.
13. Cool for 20 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack.
14. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cooled.
Halloween - The Day After!
All is quiet now. There are no gangs of children roaming the streets, looking for free handouts. Not anymore. They had to stop before the Sun set. Those are the rules here is Gurnee.The sun has just risen and I am sitting with Ally by my side, watching Peter Lorre. He has just attached new hands to Colin Clive, a pianist who's hands were amputated after a nasty trains accident. Of course, being a Halloween film shown on Turner Classic Movies, those hands belong to a killer, and not Clive has all types of problems.
Ally is my dog.
I DVR'd a bunch or classic horror films this weekend, and now are watching the ones I didn't get to over the weekend. Peter Lorre in a wonderful mad doctor.
The candy! What about the candy! Not too many children this year, so we have plenty left over. Is this a good thing?
The reception of yesterday's Coffee with Jeff was a bit of a disappointment. I worked harder on that episode than any other. I thought it turned out fantastic and expected a few more comments that I recieved. The Manchester Gallery was exceptional and Willy did a great season end piece. We will see how the week goes.
Anyway, now we have two months to try to put together some idea's for season 3.
Zucchini Olive Oil Bundt with Crunchy Lemon Glaze - Day #16 of I Like Big Bundts
Zucchini Olive Oil Bundt with Crunchy Lemon Glaze
Welcome to Day #16 of I Like Big Bundts...the Food Librarian's quest to present 30 Bundts in 30 Days! All leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. Can you believe it is already November? The countdown to National Bundt Day has begun! Do you have your recipe picked out?! :) I hope you make a Bundt! (I'll do a round up like last year so please plan to send me your link!)
I finely grated the zucchini and squeezed out some of the water. And since there are four zucchinis, olive oil, and good for you nuts, this bundt is perfect for you. Have another slice. Ha ha.
See you back here tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian
Recipe:
David Lebovitz's version (no chocolate) of Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze
Savoring Time in the Kitchen's version (with chocolate) of Zucchini Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Glaze
My notes:
- Used walnut pieces from Trader Joe's and Trader Joe's pecans
- Baked in the Heritage Pan
- Used Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from Trader Joe's
- Added zest of one lemon to the batter (David Lebovitz said he would do this next time)
- I used 4 regular sized zucchini (what they sell in the grocery store, not the huge ones you find behind the shed in the garden at the end of summer and then leave on your neighbor's doorstep as a "gift from the garden").