Lemon Cake with Lemon-Vanilla Glaze

Copyright, Stonewall Kitchen Favorites (2006)

For the Cake:

Butter for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for greasing the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest from 1 large lemon (about 1 tablespoon), or 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower oil

For the Glaze:

Grated zest from 2 large lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
Juice from 2 large lemons (about 6 tablespoons), or 4 Meyer lemons
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan and set aside.

To make the cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl, and set aside.

In a large owl, mix the sugar and buttermilk using an electric mixer or whisk. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and mix well. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until smooth. Add the oil and mix briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the glaze: Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan, and bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring gently. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer about 4 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and, using a kitchen knife, loosen the sides all around the pan. Top the pan with a large plate and flip the whole thing over to remove the cake from the pan. Invert onto another plate so that the cake is right side up. Brush the top of the hot cake lightly with the glaze. Let cool for 5 minutes. Brush with the glaze again. Let cool for 5 more minutes and then pour the remaining glaze on top of the cake. Cut into thin slices and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Anna's Almond Roca

Adapted from CL

2 cups sugar
1 pound butter
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups almond, sliced, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces chocolate chip--milk or semisweet

Reserve and coarsely chop 1 cup of the almonds, toast lightly in a skillet, and set aside.

Mix sugar, butter, water, and salt in large, heavy saucepan and heat to boiling over medium to medium high heat until it foams and reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

When temperature reaches 240, stir in 2 cups of almonds. Stir mixture constantly and watch temperature carefully until mixture reaches 295 degrees.

Remove from heat, stir in soda and QUICKLY pour onto a cookie sheet covered with butter, greased waxed paper, or Reynolds Release foil. Mixture should start to harden immediately.

Immediately scatter chocolate chips over the surface. Once they begin to melt, use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate. Immediately dust with finely chopped nuts.

Let sit until toffee hardens and chocolate sets. Once cool, it may need to go in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate.

Cheesecake Parfait

Copyright Marlene Koch: Unbelievable Desserts with Splenda

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (or almond meal

2 tablespoons Splenda granular (not packets)

1 1/2 tablespoons light butter, melted

4 ounces whipped light cream cheese

4 ounces nonfat cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup Splenda granular

1 cup light whipped topping, thawed

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Select 6 tall-stemmed glasses-- an 8-ounce wine glass or champagne glass is idea. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons Splenda, and butter. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sour cream and 1/4 cup Splenda and stir until smooth. Fold in light whipped topping with a spoon or spatula. (Note: I just put it in the mixing bowl and mixed for a couple of seconds.)

In the bottom of each glass, place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mix. Press down with spoon. Place about 3 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture on top of each. (You will use only half of the cheese mixture for the 6 glasses.) Divide the berries among the glasses, placing them on top of the cream cheese layer. Add one more layer of cream cheese. Finish the parfait by topping each with 1 tablespoon of crumbs.

These can be enjoyed immediately or placed in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled and made in a single layer in a dish. If you do that, leave out the berries and serve them scattered over the top. Or do what I do--make a sauce of mixed berries cooked lightly with Splenda and vanilla and spoon it over the top.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Copyright 2005, Ina Garten

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam (I used stawberry preserves)

2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.