Portuguese Mini Lemon-Orange Cakes

How did this happen?  Why do I find myself baking so much?  The only answer I came up with, disappointment with local bakeries.  We were so excited when a new bakery opened next to Trader Joe's only to have our happiness dashed upon eating their product.  Really a chocolate croissant with a dab of chocolate, flavorless cupcakes, looks can be deceiving unfortunately.  So, I learned to bake; not to over mix the flour or measure the flour incorrectly and so on…

One blog I have followed for several years (and p.s. I like the old lay-out better) is Leite’s Culinaria. - fabulous recipes with interesting anecdote (opps almost used the word antidotes) and reviews written for each recipe. When I spied this recipe I thought perfect for my lemon-head friend (one who adores lemons) who just called me over to watch a movie. I whipped this up in no time and at all and I must say they are tasty delights.

 

Portuguese Mini Lemon-Orange Cakes

by David Leite

check out his blog Leite's Culinaria

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pans
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, whisked
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

~ Position the rack in the middle of the oven and crank the heat to 400°F (200°C)
~ Brush two 12-well mini-muffin tins (1 3/4-by-7/8-inch) with butter and set aside.
~ Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted
~ Remove the pan from the stove and let the mixture cool until warm
~ In a large bowl, rub the lemon and orange zests into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant
~ Dump in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine
~ Stir the egg, yolk, and vanilla into the warm milk mixture and then pour it into the flour ~ mixture in several additions, stirring gently until the ingredients are just incorporated ~ and the batter is smooth
~ Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, three-quarters full
~ Bake until the cakes are well-risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes
~ Transfer the pans to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, and then pop out the cakes
~ Serve warm piled high in a napkin-lined basket.

Buttermilk Coffee Crumb Cake

Weekend was upon us and I decided to turn back the hands of time.  I plunged into The Grass Roots Cookbook again.  This time Mrs. Mary Rohrer of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania provided the recipe.  Yum, scrumptious, old fashion, down home are a few words to describe this cake loaded with butter, flour and brown sugar.

 

 creamed butter and brown sugar

 oops, I forgot to blend before adding butter

 ready for baking

Buttermilk Coffee Crumb Cake

from Jean Anderson's

The Grass Roots Cookbook

adapted

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3t cinnamon

1t baking soda

1t sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1 1/2 non-fat milk and 1 1/2T lemon juice)

~ preheat oven 350

~ cream butter until light

~ gradually add sugar to butter continue to cream until light

~ beat in egg

~ sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl

~ alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to creamed mixture beginning and ending with dry  ingredients

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 1/2T unsalted butter

~ mix flour and sugar in medium bowl

~ cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumb

~ pour batter into a greased backing dish 13x9x2

~ scatter the crumbs evenly on top 

~ bake 45 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and top springs back
~ cool 15-20 minutes and serve

!!!!!!! do not over mix when adding the flour mixture