Lemon Sugar Cookies

There's a cookie sale being held at work for a fund raiser in the next couple of weeks. I was asked to make some cookies for the event.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Lemon sugar mixture:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
Pulse in a small food processor until mixed together

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until blended well. In another bowl mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture. Chill dough for at least an hour.

Take about a tablespoon of chilled dough and roll into balls about the size of a walnut. Using a fork dipped into lemon sugar mixture, press down the cookie dough until flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until just lightly browned. Note: These cookies spread quite a bit so don't crowd on the cookie sheet.

Chocolate Pound Cake

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), softened
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan using butter or spray and set aside. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the dissolved coffee and buttermilk. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a plate and cool.

Glaze:

1/2 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons milk
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix together with a mixer and pour over cake. Can scatter a few pecans over.

Lemon Jello Cake

I made a few cakes this weekend to take to a memorial for a dear friend/coworker who I had worked with for over 30 years. It was a beautiful service and I'm so happy we were able to honor him with such beautiful memories. As was said in his service, Namaste George.

LEMON JELLO CAKE

Cake:

1 yellow cake mix

1 package (3 oz.) lemon Jello

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

4 eggs

Glaze:
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup powdered sugar

Beat cake mix, dry Jello, oil, water and eggs for 5 minutes with mixer. Pour into a greased bundt pan (or 9 x 13). Bake at 350 degrees for 38-43 minutes. While cake is baking, combine juice of 2 lemons with powdered sugar. When cake is just out of oven, use a fork and make many holes in cake all over. Pour lemon juice mixture over cake.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

I love going to the library. I was a 'library kid' growing up. I worked in the library when I was in high school. One of my first jobs out of high school was working in a public library in Jefferson City, Missouri. I love the smell of books and love going in used book stores too. As exciting as the electronic world is and as awesome as the Kindle sounds, I still think I'd prefer to have a real book to turn the pages and enjoy. When I go to the library I usually get a book on CD to have in my car, see what new books have come in, and also check out a cookbook. This past week's cookbook I checked out was The Best of Country Cooking published by Reiman (who do Taste of Home magazine -- one of my favorites). This recipe looked good so I gave it a try. I took it over to a friend's house who didn't mind that I had taken a piece out for the photo.

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

COFFEE CAKE:
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla)

FILLING:
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raspberry jam

TOPPING:
1/2 cup sliced almonds added to reserved crumb mixture

Combine flour and sugar, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup crumbs for topping. To remaining crumb mixture add baking powder, soda, salt, sour cream, egg, and almond or vanilla extract. Blend well. (This will be like a moist pie dough). Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan. For filling, combine cream cheese, sugar and egg. Blend well. Pour over batter in pan. Carefully spoon jam over cream cheese filling. Combine reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture with 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Bake at 350 for about 55-60 minutes or until cream cheese filling is set and crust is a deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.

Pecan Praline Cake

Another birthday at work this week. I found this recipe on Cooks.com. Not a great presentation, but we served it with ice cream and there were no complaints.

PECAN PRALINE CAKE

2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla

Warm buttermilk and butter together in a small pan. Put in mixing bowl. Add sugar and eggs. Beat thoroughly. Add dry ingredients mixed together. Beat well. Add vanilla. Bake in greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

ICING:
1 stick butter, melted
6 tablespoons milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix all ingredients. As soon as cake is done, spread mixture on top of cake. Turn oven on broil. Place cake on bottom rack in oven and cook until icing bubbles and is a light brown. This takes only a few minutes.