This recipe was one of L.A. Food Times 10 Best Recipes for 2007 - sounds good to me, I'm a lemon FREAK.... I love anything lemon.

AND, since I'm pretty lazy these days when it comes to cooking and take all the shortcuts I can, I probably would just use a lemon cake mix and add a teaspoon of lemon extract to the batter, then proceed with the topping.

That's what I do with pineapple-upside-down cake - I use a pineapple cake mix, the juice from the can of pineapple and add the teaspoon of pineapple extract - then all I have to do is add the butter/brown sugar and pineapple to the bottom of the pan. It works great, just ask Hooterville. She just ADORES it, especially when "Leddy" makes it for her.

~ jan

Note: A marmalade-like top (or is it bottom?) with overlapping slices of lemons make this upside-down cake recipe from Donna Deane a standout. It's from a March 14 article about baking with lemons by Deane and Susan LaTempa. It may be served with a lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

4 small lemons (about 4 ounces each)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter (1 1/4 sticks), divided
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

1. Cut 3 of the lemons into one-eighth-inch thick slices. Remove seeds and set aside. You will have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel from the remaining lemon. Set aside the grated peel; save the lemon for another use.

2. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof 10-inch saute pan until melted. Brush the sides of the skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is moistened with the butter and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Cut the remaining 6 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the sugar and grated lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

5. Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

6. Spread the batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.

Each serving: 498 calories; 5 grams protein; 62 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 28 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 122 mg. cholesterol; 274 mg. sodium.

I've made this pie, and it is SO good, and SO different, with the coconut crust. Give it a try, ladies, it's a winner...

~ jan








Crust Ingredients:

1		(7-ounce) package (2 2/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut
1/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

1/2		cup sugar
1/4		cup all-purpose flour
1/4		teaspoon salt
2		cups milk
3		eggs, separated
1		teaspoon vanilla
1		medium banana, sliced

3		reserved egg whites
6		tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 325°F. Reserve 1/4 cup coconut; set aside.

Combine remaining coconut and butter in medium bowl; press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in 2-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil (7 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir small amount of milk mixture into egg yolks; return to pan. Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until slightly thickened (1 to 2 minutes). (DO NOT BOIL.) Stir in vanilla. Pour half of hot filling into baked crust; cover with banana slices. Top with remaining filling.

Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Beat egg whites in small bowl at high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding 6 tablespoons sugar, until glossy and stiff peaks form. Spread onto warm filling, sealing to edge of crust. Sprinkle with reserved coconut.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Store refrigerated.

Ingredient Substitution Index

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): Calories: 340, Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 240mg, Carbohydrates: 43g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Protein: 6g

This stuff is AWESOME - we've made it for years, it's a great recipe... ~ jan

Andrea's Garlic Salad

DRESSING
Mix together and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving:
3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
3-5 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

SALAD
1 head of Romaine
1/2-1 lb. of bacon, cooked crisp and diced
2/3 cup of toasted almonds
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup julienned Swiss cheese
2 cups of sliced plum tomatoes, or cherry
tomatoes quartered
1 cup of croutons

Serves (about) 6

1 bag of fresh cranberries, washed and rinsed
3 cups sliced apples (I used Golden Delicious)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmet
3 tablespoons butter

Mix pie ingredients together and let sit for about fifteen minutes while you prepare crust.

Bake at 375 for fifteen minutes in 9" pie crust, then turn over to 350 and bake until golden brown and bubbly, approximately another 45 minutes.

This is a great pie. ~ jan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Set aside. Sift cocoa powder into a medium bowl; whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until creamy. Gradually mix in sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, a bit at a time, mixing well between each addition; mix until well blended. Mix in vanilla.
3. Whisk milk into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks; remove parchment and re-invert. Let cool completely.
5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer, bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining 3 cups frosting.

Source: Martha Stewart Living

I made these EXACTLY like the recipe, EXCEPT, I omitted the 2 teaspoons of orange flavoring in the frosting, and instead grated fresh orange rind into it. I did put the 2 teaspoons of orange flavoring in the batter as the recipe specified. I made these in a 9x13 pan - cooked them 27 minutes, just like the recipe said - they turned out perfectly. 4 Stars on these, girlfriends....

I used dried cranberries, instead of Craisins, they are probably the same thing, though...

Lindsay and I took one of my bars to Starbucks and taste tested it next to the real thing - it was really close in taste, except Starbucks seemed to have a bit denser base than mine did. They also tasted a little more orangy, so next time I'll probably do exactly like the recipe says and put the 2 teaspoons of orange extract into the frosting and then grate the peeling on top.

Our version was really yummy, even alongside Starbucks, they stacked up to the originals and were a lot more moist than Starbucks, probably because they were freshly baked...

~ jan

BARS
1 cup butter (2 sticks, very soft)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange extract
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

ORANGE FROSTING
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons orange extract

TOPPING
1/4 cup craisins, chopped
1-2 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 9x13 pan (or 10x15 pan) by lining it with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.
2. Bars: With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy; add eggs and orange extract and beat until combined.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly. Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just to blend and being careful not to overmix.

4. Note: You can make these lower-fat by omitting 1/2 cup butter and substituting 1/2 cup applesauce. No one notices the difference! I didn't do this, though, I made the full fat version ~ jan

5. Spread thick batter in prepared pan and bake 350 (25 minutes for 10x15, 27 minutes for 9x13), until the top is light brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let it cool completely.
6. Frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange extract and confectioner’s sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding 1 t. milk if needed). Spread evenly over cooled bars.
7. Garnish: Use a zester to remove rind from an orange. Chop 1/4 cup Craisins coarsely. Sprinkle this garnish of orange zest and Craisins over frosted bars.
8. For the final topping, mix white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave 60% power for 1 minute; stir. Repeat 1 more minute at 60% power; stir. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate in thin diagonal strips across the bars.
9. Allow one hour for the white chocolate to set before cutting. **To make signature Starbuck triangles, cut jelly roll pan into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally (see additional photos which show this step

Nisha says these are amazing, and Nish is a great cook, Im sure this one is a keeper, gang. ~ jan

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup Frozen Lemon Juice from Concentrate, or RealLemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 (8-ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
Preheat oven to 375. In small saucepan, combine sugars, margarine, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute.
Reserving 1/4 cup, pour remaining lemon mixture into 9-inch round layer cake pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Separate rolls into 8 rectangles; spread with reserved lemon mixture. Roll up jellyroll-fashion, beginning with short side; seal edges. Cut in half. Place rolls, cut-side down in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until dark golden brown. Loosen sides. Immediately turn onto serving plate; do not remove pan. Let stand 5 minutes; remove pan. Serve warm.

These can be made and refrigerated overnight and then baked the next morning...