Ralph Lauren's Rum Glazed Brownies

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, April 02, 2022


These adults only brownies are Ralph Lauren's favorite. The secret to these brownies, other than the intense chocolate flavor, is the glaze on top.  It's spiked with a healthy dose of rum.  The rum breaks through the sweetness and gives these brownies a wickedly different kind of indulgence. It also makes it an adult treat since the glaze never gets hot enough to cook the alcohol off.
  Just leave a few without the rum glaze if you have kids in the house

Legend says that Ralph loved Nana’s brownies so much that he offered to put a brownie department in his stores so he would not have to wait until his October birthday when she would make another batch for him.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 250 grams
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped (170 grams)
2 sticks unsalted butter 230 grams
3 cups sugar 600 grams
6 large eggs
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts plus more for garnish

Rum Glaze

6 tbsp. unsalted butter 84 grams
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate chopped, always buy good quality chocolate
1/2 confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp. dark rum or brandy 56 ml

Steps

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch metal baking pan.  Make a saddle so you can lift cooked brownies out of pan by lining pan with parchment paper, coming up the sides enough to lift it out.  Also spray both the pan and the parchment paper with cooking spray. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter with the sugar over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until mixed but not frothy. Stir in the chocolate mixture and then the flour mixture until fully incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Spread in the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set and a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let cool. The brownies should sink a bit as they cool, that's what you want, you don't want to overcook them.

Meanwhile, make the rum glaze: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Stir in the vanilla and rum, and keep warm.

Spread the brownies with the warm rum glaze so that it drips off the edges. Cut into 2-inch squares and decorate each with a walnut half. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

You can also sprinkle some chocolate chips on top before baking. 

HALF BATCH:  Use and 8 inch square pan and bake for 35 minutes or until internal temperature is about 208-210.  Brownies will puff up and sink a bit as they cool. 



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#ralphlauren #rl #polo #ralphlaurenbrownies #brownies #worldsbestbrownies #yummy #yummyfood #homemade #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx

The World Famous Ann Landers’ Best Ever Lemon Meringue Pie with Never-Fail Meringue

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 31, 2022


Absolutely, positively, without a doubt,  the best lemon pie recipe of all time.  This famous pie is just perfection.  This the pie your mother and your grandmother made, the one that has been on family tables for generations and often times the old recipes are best, and this is the BEST of the BEST.  You won't find a better lemon pie recipe, I've made it for years and years and it never fails. 

Filling:

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons vinegar
3 tablespoons butter

Never-Fail Meringue:

1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
3 egg whites
 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Directions:

1. Bake prepared pie crust according to provided directions. Of course homemade is best and I love the vintage Crisco recipe, but Trader Joes makes a wonderful frozen crust.  You must let it come to room temperature before putting in your pie pan or it will break into pieces.  It's worth the effort, though, Trader Joes crust is the best I've found, but of course Pillsbury works, too.

2. To make filling, mix sugar and cornstarch together in the top of a double boiler. Add the two cups of water. Combine egg yolks with lemon juice and beat until well mixed.

3. Add to the rest of the sugar mixture. Cook over boiling water until thick — about 25 minutes which will eliminate any starchy taste.

4. Add the lemon extract, butter and vinegar, and stir thoroughly.

5. Pour mixture into deep 9-inch pie shell, and let cool.

5. To make meringue, blend cornstarch and cold water in a saucepan.

6. Add boiling water, and cook, stirring until clear and thickened.

7. Let stand until COMPLETELY cold.

8. With electric beater at high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, and beat until stiff but not dry. Turn mixer to low speed; add salt and vanilla.

9. Gradually beat in cold cornstarch mixture. Turn mixer again to high, and beat well.

10. Spread meringue over cooled pie filling.

11. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Note:

If you want a sky-high meringue, like the ones you see in bakeries, just use 6 egg whites (save yolks for another recipe), and double the sugar....I just use the same amount of cornstarch/water mixture when I use 6 egg whites.

#lemonpie #annlanders #dearabby #famouslemonpie #lemonmeringuepie #worldsbestpie #awardwinningpie #yummy #homemade #foodie #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx #crisco #traderjoes #easterdessert #inagarten



Lemon Filled Crescent Rolls, So Quick, So Easy and SO good!

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 30, 2022


All you need is a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, a container of lemon curd, some sugar, a little spice and in five minutes you can have these in the oven.  They are delicious and off the charts with WOW factor. 

1 package of refrigerated Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/3 cup of good quality lemon curd
6 tablespoons turbinado (coarse) sugar (you can just sprinkle on regular sugar if you don't have this)
milk to brush tops of rolls
ground cardamom to dust 
confectioner's sugar to finish
sprinkle of sesame seeds for a little crunch (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.   Lightly spray the paperwith nonstick spray.  Set aside.

Unroll the crescent rolls and separate them at perforations. Place one portion of lemon curd at the wide end of each roll.  Gently spread it down about half way the length of the dough towards the point, being careful to not spread the curd all the way to the edge. 

Roll up, starting at the wide end towards the small point, totally encasing the lemon curd.   Twist each end into a crescent shape.  Then pinch one end closed and place each on the prepared baking sheet, narrow pointed side down.  Brush each with some milk. 

Sprinkle with the coarse turbinado sugar and dust lightly with ground cardamom if desired.

Add a few sesame seeds and serve...

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven.   Serve warm and dusted with confectioners sugar.  

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#lemon #croissants #lemoncrescentrolls #pillsbury #pillsburycrescentrolls #brunch #homemade #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx #yummy #foodie #yummydessert




Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 29, 2022


If you've ever had the Lemon Cream Cake at Olive Garden, you know just how delicious it is.  This is a copycat recipe that I've made for years now, but wow, does it taste like the OG's.  This is a knockout recipe and shortcuts make it easy to prepare...

Ingredients:

1 pkg. White Cake Mix, plus ingredients to prepare
1 pkg. Lemon Cake Mix
½ cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Lemon, juiced
1 cup Whipping Cream
1 pkg Mascarpone Cheese
1 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
4 Tbsp Melted Real Butter

Directions:

Prepare the white cake according to the directions on the box, adding the sour cream and vanilla. Bake in a 10 inch round baking pan, or if you don't have a 10 inch round baking pan, you can just use a 9" pan and it will be a thicker cake, if you have too much batter, just make a few cupcakes.  A 10 inch cheesecake pan will also work. Cool the cake completely.

For the lemon cream filling, whip cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the mascarpone, sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest of half the lemon.  For the crumb topping, combine 3/4 cup of the lemon cake mix with the melted butter to make a crumb topping. To assemble the cake, cut the white cake in half to spread the lemon cream filling between the two layers of white cake. Frost the top of the cake with a thin layer of cream filling and sprinkle the crumb topping.  And finally, a dusting of powdered sugar just finishes it off...

Helpful Tips:

 The secret is the mascarpone cheese.

A little lemon zest always makes things better :)

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#lemon #lemoncake #lemoncreamcake #olivegarden #olivegardenlemoncreamcake #yummy #foodie #homemade #easterdessert #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx

Weight Watchers Lemon Pie in a Jar

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 28, 2022


It's Monday and time for a lower calorie recipe.  My month of lemon recipes is winding down, only three more days.  It's been fun posting these  recipes, I think I could post them for a year I have so many.

This lemon pie in a jar is an easy no-bake dessert that won't cost you a lot of calories.  I make it with crushed graham crackers, but you can also make it by putting a vanilla wafer in the bottom of the jar and layering pudding and then another vanilla wafer in the middle.

Ingredients

2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 package fat free, sugar free lemon pudding mix
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup crushed graham crackers or 8 reduced fat vanilla wafers
6 tablespoons whipped cream or Cool Whip

6 small sauce jars

Steps

In a medium bowl, beat the nonfat Greek yogurt with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.

Add the lemon pudding mix and lemon juice and beat to combine.

Prepare the jars by placing crushed graham crackers or a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each jar. Top with 1/3 cup yogurt mixture and one tablespoon whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Crush remaining graham crackers or two vanilla wafers and top each lemon pie with cookie crumbles.

Makes 6 jars

#puddinginajar #lemonpuddinginajar #pieinajar #lemonpie #ww #weightwatchers #jancooks #jancooksrealfood #janspicx #yummy #yummyfood #homemade #lowcalorie #dietdessert

Glazed Lemon Poppyseed Scones with Faux Lemon Curd and Strawberry Jam 😋

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 27, 2022


It's teatime y'all and this is the perfect springtime recipe.  We don't make lemon curd in the South, but I do have a recipe for faux lemon curd made with cream cheese with lemon zest added to it.   It's a good dupe and really easy to make.  Heaven forbid making real clotted cream, the process is beyond hideous, it takes forever, so this is a good work around. But,  if you want to buy clotted cream, they sell it on Amazon 😏

I do have another option for you, forget the clotted cream altogether and just fill it with lemon curd.  Who doesn't love lemon curd, and you can buy it at the grocery store or make your own, it's easy to do.

However you make it, you can't go wrong with any of these options - there is nothing better than a warm, buttery scone, split and filled with "something" and topped with strawberry jam.  I love strawberry jams, especially the ones from the little gourmet shops, and it's fun to browse the aisles looking for them.  I've found some really good ones over the years at Marshalls and Home Goods, too.  

LEMON SCONE DOUGH

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup  granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg, cold
1/2 cup very cold heavy cream or half and half (plus more for brushing the tops)
2 tablespoons  lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

turbinado sugar, optional

 LEMON GLAZE

1 cup  powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2-4 tablespoonslemon juice

Steps

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, until well combined.

Add the pieces of cold butter into the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the dough using a pastry cutter or a fork until the texture or coarse meal.

Lightly whisk together the heavy cream (or half and half), the egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice together. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not over-mix.

Lay the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead with a lightly floured hand about 4 times. Be gentle so that you do not overwork the dough. Pat the dough out to an 8 or 9 inch circle (about 1 inch thick) and cut using a biscuit cutter, or you can also cut into triangle shaped pieces.  I think the biscuit makes a prettier presentation, just do whatever floats your boat.  Gently transfer the scones onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with cream and sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar, if desired.

Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Allow the scones to cool completely before glazing.

Make the lemon glaze by whisking the sifted powdered sugar and lemon zest with the lemon juice little by little until you have a thick but pour-able consistency.

Store leftovers completely cooled in an airtight container for up to 2 days. OR you can wrap cooled scones in plastic wrap or in a ziplock freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Refresh in the oven at 300F ) until warmed through

FAUX CLOTTED CREAM

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1⁄4 cup powdered sugar
1⁄4 cup sour cream
1⁄8 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons lemon zest

DIRECTIONS

Combine the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream in a small bowl.

Beat until fluffy.

Add the extract and milk to thin a bit.  Add the lemon zest and blend well.

Allow to set at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes enough for about a dozen scones.



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#scones #britishscones #homemade #lemon #lemoncurd #clottedcream #yummy #yummyfood #foodie #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx

Pineapple Lemonade Sangria Blanco

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 26, 2022


It's spring, it's the weekend, time to kick back and relax with this yummy concoction.  A little bit of this, a little bit of that, add some white wine, a pretty pitcher and glasses and you've got yourself a party.  

1 (large) bottle white wine, I prefer Pinot Grigio, just use your favorite
1 ( 12 ounce) can  frozen lemonade
1 cup Triple Sec
1 cup simple syrup
1 large can pineapple tidbits with juice1 orange, halved and sliced thin
1 lemon, halved and thinly sliced
6, 8, 10 strawberries, sliced, you decide how many
1 can lemon-lime soda  (7-up, Sprite, Sierra Mist or Ginger Ale works, too)
Whole strawberries, or lemon or orange slices, for garnish
Maraschino cherries, for garnish, drain and path them dry so they don't turn the sangria pink

Steps

In a one gallon pitcher, combine the wine, lemonade, rum, Triple Sec and simple syrup. Stir well. Add the pineapple with the juice,  orange and lemon slices, and sliced strawberries. Stir and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Just before serving, add in the 7-up and stir. Fill individual glasses halfway with ice, scoop out some of the fruit, then add more ice. Pour the sangria in and top off with a garnish of a fresh strawberry or a fresh slice of lemon or orange. Toss a cherry or two on top and serve!

If you aren't drinking this all at once, don't add the soda, you don't want it to go flat.  Just stir a bit of soda in your glass, then fill with fruit and wine.  Just wing it, whatever you do will be delicious...
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#drink #sangria #wine #pinotgrigio #weekend #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx #alcohol #cocktails #vino #happyhour #sangriawine

Ooey Gooey Lemon Pudding Cake with Warm Lemon Sauce

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 25, 2022


When you dip your spoon into one of these warm lemon pudding cakes, you're in for a delightful surprise, there is a layer of lemon pudding just beneath the surface...

Directions

3 large eggs, separated
1 Tablespoon of lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar

Fresh raspberriesor blackberries and Confectioners' sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F and position oven rack in the middle position. Spray six ( 6-oz) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and salt. Add the flour and sugar then whisk until smooth.

Beat the egg whites using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon about ¼ of the egg whites into the lemon mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold into the lemon mixture until smooth. The batter will be light, foamy, and liquidy.  Don't over do this, always stir never mix so that the egg white don't beak down. 

Place the prepared ramekins into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle the batter evenly into the ramekins (it will come almost to the top). Carefully pour room temperature water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the baking pan in the oven, making sure the water doesn't spill into the ramekins and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cakes are puffy and lightly golden on top. Using tongs, carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and let cool on a rack for about 20 minutes before serving. They will sink a bit as they cool.  Dust with Confectioners' sugar and serve with berries, if desired.  A spring of mint is always a nice to uch, too if you have it.

Note:  The cakes can be made a day ahead of time. Don't dust with confectioner's sugar until ready to serve.  After cooling,  cover the cakes with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Before serving, preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the plastic wrap and place the ramekins on a baking sheet; heat for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.  Be careful not to overtake.

These cakes are even better with a drizzle of warm lemon sauce on the top.  

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice*
2 tbsp butter

Instructions

Add sugar and cornstarch to a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add water and stir to combine. Cook until mixture starts to boil and then boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

You can store this in a jar in the fridge and reheat as needed.  Leftovers are great served over ice cream, cake, bread pudding or pancakes.

*If you like extra tart lemon sauce, increase the lemon juice to 1/3 cup.


#lemon #lemoncake #lemonpuddingcake #homemade #homemadedessert #yummy #yummydessert #foodie #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx

State Fair Winner Lemon Crinkle Cookies

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 24, 2022

 

These are such a fun cookie to make and they they are infused with fresh, bright, lively lemon flavor.  Heart be still 💛  No wonder these are award winning cookies.  A cup of afternoon tea and a few of these cookies and your mood will instantly be as bright as the flavors in these delicious morsels of puckery, lemony goodness.  Try them, you will see what I mean...

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheets by covering with parchment paper, using a Silopat or spray baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again.

Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Refrigerate dough for one hour.

Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate, then roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are cracked on top. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.



🍋 🍋 🍋 #cookies #lemon #lemoncookies #yummy #homemadecookies #homemade #yummyfood #food #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx

Restaurant Quality Lemon Creme Brulee

by 👩‍🍳 Cooking With a Southern Vibe in Music City USA 👩‍🍳, March 23, 2022



Oh my, what a special dessert this is.  This Lemon Creme Brulee is a totally decadently richly lemon infused custard topped off with a crackly torched sugar top and it is beyond delicious.  If you are a fan of creme brulee, this takes it to a whole new level.  I first experienced this at The Cooper House, a wonderful little cafe in New Harmony, Indiana many years ago.  I had gone for a girls lunch with my friend, V, and we both were absolutely swooning over how wonderful this dessert was.

I came home, researched many recipes and adjusted them until I found this one that is just perfection.    It's one of those desserts that I don't make often, and only because of the calories.  This is absolutely sinfully delicious, but oh, it's so worth the calories for a special occasion. 

To ensure the custards cook gently and gradually, place the ramekins in a baking pan lined with a kitchen towel and partially fill the pan with hot water (known as a water bath). This helps insulate the delicate custards from the heat. 

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 lemons
2 cups heavy cream
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup plus 6 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 egg yolks 

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 300°F. Line a shallow baking pan with a kitchen towel. Have a pot of boiling water ready.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lemon juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the juice is reduced to about 1 Tbs., 3 to 5 minutes.

In another saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, lemon zest and the 1/2 cup sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until steam rises from the surface, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the vanilla and egg yolks until smooth and combined. Slowly add the cream mixture, whisking constantly, then stir in the reduced lemon juice. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and divide among six 3.5-oz. ramekins. Place the ramekins in the prepared baking pan and add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are just set, about 40 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let the custards cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar evenly over the surface of each custard. Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturer’s instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns. Serve immediately. Serves 6.



#cremebrulee #lemon #lemoncremebrulee #restaurantdessert #yummy #foodie #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx
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