Strawberry Shortcake Baked Alaska

I was looking for new and exciting Easter recipes ...scrolling through my favorite food blogs and web-sites...and seeing so many beautiful things that my head was spinning...

...everything eas so ornate...delicate...spring-y...artistic...

...and WAY too complicated for the insanely busy Easter weekend I had laid before me. I decided on some simple, but slightly altered, versions of things I would've cooked anyway...and had resigned myself to making a bundt cake or something for dessert when I stumbled upon THIS...

Strawberry Shortcake Baked Alaska

A decadent, delicious, and SIMPLE dessert that would turn heads and seem special without being especially hard to make.

I made just about all of this the day before...getting the ice cream in it's mold, making the cake bottom...so on Easter all I had to do was slice strawberries and whip up meringue.

Talk about easy.

Strawberry Shortcake Baked Alaska

• 4 cups strawberry ice cream, softened (I used a whole carton of Blue Bell's Strawberry)
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 4 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1. Spoon ice cream into a foil-lined 1-1/2 qt. bowl ; pack firmly with back of spoon. Freeze for several hours or over night (I went with the overnight option).

2. Heat oven to 425F. Mix flour, 3 TBS sugar and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in cream cheese with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until mixture forms a dough. Pat dough into bottom of 8-inch round cake pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, toss sliced strawberries with 1 TBS sugar.

Note: Now...if you do this the way I did...you'd skip slicing the strawberries and just skip to the next step. When the cake is cool, you wrap it up tightly and save it for assembly...whenever that may be. 

3. Cool cake 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

4. Heat oven to 500F. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with mixer on high speed 1 minute or until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

5. Place cake on an ovenproof plate; top with strawberries and juice. Un-mold ice cream; place, flat side down, over cake. Frost ice cream with meringue; swirl with back of large spoon. Bake on lowest oven rack 3 minutes or until meringue in golden brown. Serve immediately.

Bliss...

I'm told you can alter this recipe to host a myriad of different ice cream and cake flavors.

Don't think I won't try it... 

courtesy Kraft foods

Iron Chef Pembroke Pines: April 2011 - Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake

Don't let this cake fool you...it looks simple...unassuming...even plain.

But then you TASTE it.

Afterall...with all the absolutely DIVINE things at a Lemon-themed Iron Chef...this cake won.

And it deserved to.

So don't judge a book by it's cover...or in this case, a sheet cake by it's rectangular shape. Just make it...and you'll see...

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake
 
Cake Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup buttermilk, room temp
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 12 Tbsp butter, softened
• 3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, room temp

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 13x9 inch pan.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in medium bowl.
3. Combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla in large measuring cup.
4. In large bowl beat lemon zest with sugar until moist and fragrant (1 min.). Set aside ¼ cup of sugar mixture for later. Add butter to remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy (2 min.).
5. Beat in eggs and yolk until combined. Then mix in 1/3 of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk mixture. Repeat with half of remaining flour and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Add remaining flour and mix until smooth.
6. Pour batter into pan, and bake until golden brown, 25-35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Then transfer to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.


GlazeIngredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp buttermilk

Whisk all ingredients until smooth. Gently spread glaze over warm cake and sprinkle evenly with the reserved sugar mixture from above. Let cake cool 2 hours. Serve.

courtesy Heather Wangeman

Iron Chef Pembroke Pines: April 2011 - Lemon Pineapple Extravaganza Cake

What Jason wanted to do was take MY Lemonade Extravaganza Cake, and make it even better...which I thought was a fairly daunting task, since, in my opinion, there is NOTHING better than my Lemonade Extravaganza Cake.

But leave it to Jason to absolutely and solidly prove me wrong.

This cake has a lot of steps...or rather...parts. Luckily, all the parts can be done way in advance. He took two days to completely assemble this cake, making the actual cake, candied lemon slices,  lemon curd, and caramelized pineapples on Day One. Then he chilled everything overnight, and the next day made from-scratch whip cream to fold into the lemon curd, and then assembling the cake right before we left for Iron Chef.

So...you need time...but other than that...nothing is HARD.

Lemon Pineapple Extravaganza Cake

Part One: 

Candied Lemon Slices 

Ingredients:

* 1 large lemon
* 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut lemon into 12 paper-thin slices; discard seeds and ends of rind.
2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, and add lemon slices; stir until softened, about 1 minute. Drain, and immediately plunge slices into ice-water bath. Drain.
3. Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium skillet, swirling to dissolve sugar. When liquid is clear and bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low. Add lemon slices, arranging them in one layer with tongs. Simmer (do not let boil) until rinds are translucent, about 1 hour.
4. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Let stand until ready to serve.

I was out of parchment paper...so we used foil sprayed with Pam...

Part Two:


Lemon Curd 

Ingredients:

*3 large eggs
*1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
*1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest
*3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
*4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
*Heavy Whipping Cream
*Confectioners Sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla

Notes: Room temperature lemons provide more juice. After squeezing, strain the juice to remove any pulp. Zest is the yellow, sweet-flavored outer rind of the lemon. A zester or fine grater can be used to remove the rind. Cold lemons are much easier to grate. Grate lemons just before using as the zest will lose moisture if it sits too long.

Directions:

1. In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted.
3. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
4. Cover immediately with plastic wrap, and make sure the wrap sits directly on top of the curd (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week. Makes 1 1/2 cups (360 ml).

Note: If you want a lighter lemon curd whip 1/2 cup (120 ml) whipped cream (made from the heavy whipping cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla...mixed together at high speed in a mixer until stiff peaks form) and fold into the lemon curd (which is what he did the next day). 


Part Three:

Roasted Pineapple Slices

Ingredients:

*1 can sliced pineapple
*6 TBS butter, melted
*1 cup dark brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250
2. Place Pineapple Slices in a well-greased baking dish.
3. Mix brown sugar in melted butter. Pour over pineapple slices.
4. Bake until carmelized, about 30-45 minutes.
5. Cool and chill until ready to use.

Your pineapple Slices should look like this...

Part Four: 
 
Lemonade Extravaganza Cake


Ingredients for Cake:


* 1 pkg. lemon cake mix
* 1 small (4 serving) Jell-O Lemon Flavor
* 1-1/4 cup water
* 3/4 cup oil
* 4 eggs

Ingredients for Topping:

* 2 cups powdered sugar
* 1/3 cup lemon juice
 

Directions:

1. Mix all cake ingredients and pour into two 8x8 round cake pans greased with cooking spray.
2. Bake at 350°F for about 30-45 minutes or until done.
3. Remove from oven and pierce holes all over with a fork.
4. Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the top. Spread evenly.
5. Chill until cold (a couple hours).
6. Chill remaining cake until eaten.

Notes: This cake can be served at any temperature, but chilled, it gives it an extra cool and refreshing "lemonade" feeling. Its our favorite way to eat it on those hot summer nights.

Part Five:

Assembly
 
1. Remove one cake from pan and place on plate.
2. Top with lemon curd/whipped cream mixture
3. Top with carmelized pineapples
4. Top with 2nd cake layer
5. Top with another layer of curd/whipped cream
6. Top with candied lemon slices and additional pineapple, if desired.
7. Chill until ready to eat.

courtesy Jason Johnson

Banana Sour Cream Cake

I am very stressed out right now.

And I decided the best thing to do to relieve my stress was to bake.

-

If you have some over-ripe bananas sitting on your counter (like I did), and are tired of banana bread (like I am), try this recipe.

Right now.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup oil

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 pkg. powdered sugar (about 4 cups)

1 cup walnut pieces, finely chopped (i did not use nuts..as I feel that nuts ruin almost every baked goodie I've made. I am not a fan of nuts in baked things...ESPECIALLY brownies!! YUCK!!)

1. Heat oven to 350. Beat cake mix, eggs, bananas, sour cream, and oil with mixer on low until moistened, scraping bottom often. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 13x9 inch pan. (My 13x9 inch pan was busy holding last nights leftover Seafood Lasagna, and it's back-up was lost at the last ward function, so I used standard 9-inch rounds instead).

2. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely on wire rack.

3. Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium until blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.

4. Remove cake from pan. Carefully cut cake crosswise in half using a serrated knife. Place 1 cake half, top-side down, on plate; spread with frosting. Top with remaining cake half, top-side up. Frost top and sides. Press nuts on sides,. Refrigerate leftovers. (I didn't slice cakes since I made two rounds...and again, I totally skipped the nuts...which made the cake better. )

Wanna know a trick for neatly frosting a cake? Freeze layers for about 20 minutes BEFORE frosting. This helps set crumbs on the cut edges of the cake layers so they DON'T end up in the frosting.

courtesy Kraft foods

Easter Dinner Feast

Here are all the recipes for our Easter Dinner Feast.

It's not as grand a feast as my mother used to put on...it's missing several salads, and a roast leg of lamb, and other goodies...but it is good for OUR little family. My mom used to feed us AND lots of extended family, and I only have to feed US...

And my husband has to work on Easter...and whenever he has to work...I don't feel as festive. There have been SOME Easter's (I'm ashamed to admit) that there hasn't been a feast at all. But I know that it is unfair to my children...after all, it's not THEIR fault that daddy runs a multi-million dollar restaurant that doesn't acknowledge holidays...and THEY deserve to have the same type of Easter that I grew up knowing.

So this is our simple Easter feast. It has an appetizer, a simple green salad, asparagus side, baked ham, rolls, and a dessert. I hope you enjoy it as much as WE did!!!

Jerusalem Artichoke and Spinach Dip

-

2 (10 oz.) boxes frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 (8-ounce) jars artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Baguette bread slices, crackers, or tortilla chips

1. Cook spinach according to package directions; drain well and squeeze out liquid. Saute onions in butter until soft.

2. Combine cooked spinach, onion mixture, cream cheese, artichoke hearts, Monterrey Jack cheese, and garlic salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Place in a greased baking dish. bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

4. Serve with baguette bread slices, crackers, or tortilla chips.

courtesy Essential Mormon Celebrations: Secret Combinations for Holidays, Homecomings, Potluck Dinners, and More

Ham and Orange Soda Sauce

1 fully cooked spiral-sliced ham
3 cups orange soda
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice

1. The ham is fully cooked and ready to serve. It is best served cold or at room temperature to maintain it's natural juices and tenderness. Remove packaging and and transfer ham to serving platter, let stand no more than 30 minutes to bring to room temperature.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saute pan on medium-high. Cook 8-10 minutes or until mixture has reduced by about 3/4's and the sauce begins to thicken. Warm sauce can be poured over the ham, separating slices to evenly coat, or served over ham slices. Carve ham and serve. Promptly refrigerate unused portions.

courtesy Publix Apron's Simple Meals

Bacon and Caramelized-Onion Asparagus

3 slices bacon
1-1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
1/2 TBS water
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup ranch dressing

1. Cook bacon in nonstick skillet 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp, turning frequently. Drain bacon on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet, but do not wash.

2. Place asparagus in pan and and steam with water. Steam until asparagus is crisp-tender. Meanwhile, add onions to skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes or until golden. Stir in dressing.

3. Drain asparagus; top with sauce and crumbled bacon.

courtesy Food & Family magazine

Little Nests

-

1/4 cup butter
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup Fiber-One cereal
1 small package Whoppers Robin's Eggs

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add miniature marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted.

2. Remove from heat. Add cereal and stir until coated. When cool enough to handle, form into 8 little nests. Place on waxed paper or Pam-coated aluminum foil. After about 1 hour, press in center of each nest to form an indentation. Place three robin eggs in center of each nest. Place on plates, or on 3- or 4-inch doilies and use as place cards, favors, or plate accents.

courtesy Essential Mormon Celebrations: Secret Combinations for Holidays, Homecomings, Potluck Dinners, and More

Seven-Up Cake

(I was so excited to find this recipe...I haven't had this cake since I was a little girl. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!)

1 package of lemon cake mix
1 package lemon instant pudding
3 eggs
1 can 7-up
1 cup vegetable oil

1. Mix well and bake 45-50 minutes at 350 in a greased/floured or bundt pan. Cool and frost (below).


1-1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
3 TBS flour
1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

1. Cook until thickened and clear. Let cool slightly and frost cake.

courtesy Something's Burning...

Lemonade Extravaganza Cake w/ Strawberries

When we first moved to Las Vegas, a woman in our ward sent this cake over with some Cool Whip and strawberries as a way to welcome us to Nevada. It was SO GOOD, that I tracked her down on Sunday and had her scribble the recipe on the back of a program.

It is my FAVORITE cake to make, serve, and eat in the Spring and Summer...because it is especially good COLD...just like a frosty glass of lemonade. But if you can't wait until it's chilled, that's okay too...it is also yummy warm.

And it's so easy...you'll say: "Oh, I can do that."

Lemonade Extravaganza Cake with Strawberries

1 package lemon cake mix (I like Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix)

1 small box lemon Jell-O
1-1/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
Cool Whip
2 pints strawberries, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Slice strawberries and place in bowl. Add 1/4 cup-1/2 cup granulated sugar and mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in fridge for later, allowing strawberries to maturate.


2. Mix cake mix, Jell-O, water, oil, and eggs. Grease a 10" x 12" pan, and pour cake mix in. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until done.

3. Remove from oven, and while still warm, poke cake all over with a fork. Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar until well-blended and pour over top of cake. Spread until it drips down sides and smoothly covers entire top.


4. Let cake cool. If desired, chill several hours. To serve, cut into cubes and top with Cool Whip and strawberry slices, and garnish sides with additional strawberries.

Courtesy Sister Avina of Las Vegas, Nevada

California Stir-Fry and Chocolate Molten Cake

Oh-me, Oh-my...what a Valentines Day.

For those of you clicking over from my main blog (http://www.thejohnsonsjungle.blogspot.com/), you've already heard the story of the Valentines Day Stomach Flu. It's not pretty or pleasant, and if you missed it, I don't encourage you to go check it out. The rest of my blog...yes. But if you wish to skip the sordid stomach flu tale, I completely understand.

The REAL downer of missing the Day of Love, though, wasn't that we were sick...it's that the aforementioned sickness meant that I couldn't cook a nice Valentines Day dinner for my family. So, on Valentines Day - we had Saltine crackers and Gatorade. And I don't need to put a recipe up for that.

Today is a glorious Tuesday...and we are flu-free. So I am making our yummy V-Day dinner TONIGHT.

I am sorry you missed this on the 14th...not that the dinner itself is terribly note-worthy...but the DESSERT is...yummy, sinfully delicious Chocolate Molten Cake. I have two recipes...one straight from my husbands award-winning restaurant, The Grand Lux Cafe, and another that I personally prefer because I am a BIG fan of DARK CHOCOLATE. However, as I was about to put The Grand Lux recipe on my blog...my husband informed me that to post recipes from his restaurant would expose carefully guarded TRADE SECRETS...and he could lose his job.

Whoops.

Not really the right economic climate to take that kind of risk.

So, if I promised you the Grand Lux recipe...sorry. You'll have to come over, and we'll turn off all the lights and cover all the windows and doors, and invent a super-secret encrypted code to communicate with (complete with hand-signs and facial expressions), and I'll share the recipe after swearing you to secrecy by some ancient and binding sacrificial rite. Okay?

Until then, you'll have to make MY version of Chocolate Molten Cake...but I promise you won't mind.

Not.

One.

Bit.

(just a moment...I need to find a napkin to wipe my chin...my mouth is watering. After a weekend of the BRAT diet, I can hardly wait to eat REAL FOOD.)

But first...we need dinner...

This is great served with rice (duh) and chow mien noodles.

California Stir-Fry

2 TBS Catalina dressing

2 TBS soy sauce, divided

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup Catalina dressing

1 tsp minced fresh ginger root

1 clove minced garlic

1 cup broccoli florets

1 small carrot, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup each: medium red and yellow pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup snow peas

1 cup bean sprouts

(OR...you can do what I do, and just use an awesome frozen oriental veggie mix...like the one from CostCo)

1. Heat 2 TBS dressing and 1 of the TBS soy sauce in large nonstick skillet or wok on medium heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from skillet.

2. Add all remaining ingredients except the bean sprouts to skillet; mix well. Stir-fry 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. (If using a frozen veggie mix - you can proceed in two ways...thaw veggies and cook only a couple minutes to heat through, or stir-fry from a frozen state. There is really no set time...just watch carefully...or you will end up with veggies that are soggy.)

3. Stir in chicken and bean sprouts; stir-fry until heated through.

4. Serve over rice.

Ahhh...and now, dessert...

Dark Molten Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. (6 squares) Bakers Bittersweet Chocolate

10 TBS butter

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup flour

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

1. Preheat oven to 425. Grease 6 6-oz. custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet. (My mini souffle cups are still packed in my garage...so I use a giant muffin pan that makes six giant muffins. It works great!!)

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler until butter and chocolate is completely melted (or microwave in a microwaveable bowl on 50% power 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Then stir with a wire whisk until chocolate is melted, too). Add sugar and flour, mix well. Add whole eggs and egg yolks; beat until well blended. Divide batter evenly into custard cups (or muffin tins!!).

3. Bake 14 to 15 minutes or until cakes are firm around the edges, but still soft in the centers. Let stand 1 minute. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Sprinkle lightly with additional powdered sugar and garnish with raspberries, strawberries, candied lemon or orange peel, or mint leaves (or a combination of all the above!!) Tonight, I'm using a triple berry dessert sauce from Smuckers to drizzle around the edges.

Cut in half and serve warm...

recipes courtesy Kraft foods and myself, respectively