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(Yeah, I practically stole this off the blog)
I haven't gone on a hiatus intentionally but school has just kept me too busy to bake :( Or rather, I don't really condone baking if I cant even get my readings completed, so there. This baking incident was purely coincidental since it was my dad's birthday and it's a quick cake.
Lemon Frosted Lemon Cake
226g unsalted butter
200g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
60 ml fresh lemon juice
Lemon Frosting:
115g confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Lemon Cake:
1) Preheat oven to 180 deg C and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a nonstick spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
this is about the only picture i took
3)Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and then add to the batter along with the lemon juice. Mix only until incorporated.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake about 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the pan.
Lemon Frosting:
5) In a bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar with the 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
6) Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Let the icing set before covering.
Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cake.




245g all purpose flour
65g granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
113g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
60g old-fashioned rolled oats
40g dried cranberries/ cherries (raisins or currants)
Zest of one lemon/ orange
160 ml buttermilk
Egg Wash:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk/ cream
Note: For the buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.
3) Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough four or five times and then pat, or roll, the dough into a circle that is 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut this circle into 8 triangular sections. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet.
5) Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and then turn your broiler on high. Sift confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar heavily over the tops of the scones and place them under the broiler. Broil for just a few seconds, turning the pan as necessary, until the sugar has melted and turns golden brown. Make sure to watch the scones carefully as the sugar will burn very quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. (Alternatively, skip the icing part if you're not a fan of sugar)

1) Remove blemishes and scrub potatoes. Slice the potatoes into quarters and place in a large sauce pan. Add water to pan until potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil.
2) Reduce heat, cover and continue cooking 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, drain and peel off skins.
3) Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add butter and cheese and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually add the milk, continuing to beat potatoes until they reach desired consistency. Add more milk, if needed and salt and pepper to taste.
4) Preheat oven to 200deg c. Spread cauliflower pieces on baking sheet. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper.
5) Bake in oven 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender.
6) Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
7) Add mushroom and sauté until soft, stirring.
8) Stir mushrooms into potatoes.
9) Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.
End results (I know, my skills are not very good)
I suggest going light on the cheese because mine was commented to be too cheesy and hard to down.
credits to recipe tips with mushrooms, bacon bits, and cauliflower

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses
Note: To prevent the molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray
Confectioners Frosting:
2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light cream
Assorted food colors (if desired)
Gingerbread Men: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
sift the flour and baking soda together
In the bowl of electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.
your black molasses
Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside while you roll out the dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies. With an offset spatula lift the cut out cookies onto the baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer. (I actually didnt have the gingerbread cutter so i just used normal cookie cutters)
Bake for about 8 - 12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. Small ones will take about 8 minutes, larger cookies will take about 12 minutes. They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minutes. When they are firm enough to move, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If desired, you can press raisins, currants, or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still warm. Otherwise, confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the cookies. You can also use the icing as a glue to attach candies, raisins, and sprinkles.
Confectioners Frosting: In an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk if too dry. Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the gingerbread men as desired.
Tint portions of frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is available at cake decorating stores and party stores).
Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used.
Store in an airtight container.
for more, visit joy of baking
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the sweet pastry to the desired size. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness). Roll to a round about 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick size that fits a 8 or 9-inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan. To make sure it is the right size, take your tart pan, flip it over, and place it on the rolled out pastry. The pastry should be about an inch larger than pan.
When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll. Unroll onto top of tart pan. Never pull the pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is caused by too much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the pan). Gently lay in pan and with a small floured piece of pastry, lightly press pastry into bottom and up sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess pastry. With a thumb up movement, again press dough into pan. Roll rolling pin over top again to get rid of any extra pastry. Prick bottom of dough (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill tart pan with pie weights or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface. Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling. When cool, spread a thin layer of warm apricot glaze over the bottom and sides of the tart to seal the crust and prevent it from getting soggy. Let the glaze dry between 20 - 30 minutes.

For Apple Tart: For bottom layer of apples: Peel, core, and slice three of the apples. In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) unsalted butter and stir in between 2 - 4 tablespoons (25 - 50 grams) of the sugar, the lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the apples and saute over moderate heat, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Gently mash the apples with the back of a spatula or spoon and stir the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.
For top layer of apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick. Melt 1 tablespoon (13 grams) butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the other 2 - 4 tablespoons (25 - 50 grams) sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the apples and saute until they begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Set the cooked apples aside.
Spoon the applesauce mixture into the cooled and glazed pre-baked tart shell. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles over the applesauce, and brush with 1 - 2 tablespoons (13-26 grams) melted butter. Bake the tart on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 25-30 minutes or until the apples are nicely browned and soft. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tart with confectioners' sugar, cover the edges of tart with foil, and broil it under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat until the edges of the apples are golden brown and crisp. Once the tart has cooled lightly glaze the apple slices with warm apricot glaze.
Use apricot glaze to seal the baked tart shell and to brush the top of the finished tart.
Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 1 - 8 or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) tart.
for more, visit joy of baking