Lemon Bars

After reading about Meyer lemons from lots of blogs. I went to the store and bought some lemons and made two different recipes from my moms recipe box. The lemon cake below and this recipe of lemon bars.
This recipe reminds me of a pie crust on the bottom, with lemon curd on top, sprinkled with powered sugar. Very creative, little cookie pies!



Crust -
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powered sugar
1 cup butter
Mix these together (could just pulse in a food processor until crumbly, no longer, you don't want it to form a ball.) Press this mixture into a jelly roll pan (15x10").
Bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Do not brown.

Filling-
4 eggs beaten well
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
6 tablespoons lemon juice
Beat these ingredients together. Pour over hot crust. Bake another 25 minutes at 325 degrees. Do not brown.
After baking sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Cut while warm. (This is something I forgot to do and was harder to cut.)

Refreshing!

Sent to: Sweets for a Saturday #18 and Savory Sunday!

Lemon Cake

Well, here is some good laughter for you! This recipe card is from my father's mother, Grandma Utterback. Most of my father's side of the family lived in the Bay area of California and we didn't get up to visit them often. When we did we usually took the ocean route, Hwy 101 - Pacific Coast Highway.

Coastline of California during the 1960's.

I loved looking at all that water! Beautiful scenery most of the way! In our family we would camp overnight at a beach campsite. We tried different ones each time. The foggiest was Morro Bay.

My siblings at Morro Bay, it was always cold there.

The waves crashing was interesting to listen to during the evening hours. We also stayed at Big Sur more than once and met other family members there. When we camped at Big Sur we also visited Hearst Castle, beautiful place. My father made sure we visited all the missions of California during our summer camping.

My family and cousin Buddy Armstrong's family at Big Sur. Where is Buddy and family now?

I loved our summer vacations. During the day we would visit the area around where we were camped. Most often we would tailgate our lunches as we were travling to the next campsite. Down in the LA area where we lived, we didn't have the Safeway stores that northern CA did and for some reason we always shopped at that store when we were on vacation. Mom said at least she knew we could get good groceries from Safeway. (Funny isn't it the things I remember from my childhood.) I think, as we visited the Missions, we were all pretty bored, but as I got older and was learning them in 5th grade I was able to share pictures we had taken of them.

Santa Inez mission, about 1965.

Now as an adult I have revisited some and appreciated them more. I have many family members who have lived all over California, so the history of CA is important to me. It brings out the history of what some of my family members went through from the late 1860's to present. That is another story, but for now back to this recipe.
There are two recipes for this cake in my mom's box. One written by my grandmother and the other by her daughter, my Aunt Shirley. So, I was at my daughter's yesterday and decided to take my grandmother's card.




Well, to my surprise the instructions made me think it was the Jello Poke cake from the late 70's, so I had it in my head to make it this way. That was a big mistake as I misinterpreted the instructions:
When cake is done take a fork and make holes over the entire top. Then pour over the lemon glaze. Juice of 2 lemons - pwd sugar enough to make a thin glaze. (That's it, the instructions.)
Next I looked at the ingredients:
1 box Swansdown Lemon Flake Cake Mix (I think Duncan Hines is now the Swansdown brand, maybe, anyone out there know for sure?)
1 box lemon jello
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
rind of 2 lemons
What would you do with this? Well as I mentioned I thought the jello was made up and poured through the cake, since you poked holes in it. After I made and baked the cake with the mix, eggs, water and oil, I let it cool a bit and made the jello up. Then took the liquid jello with the rind from the lemons and poured it over the baked cake. And then instead of the lemon glaze, I just frosted it. It was good, just a little watery. I kept the cake refrigerated so the jello would set up.
When I got home and read Aunt Shirley's recipe, it made more sense and I knew what I did wrong. Too funny!




New instructions:
Mix all above. (So you mix the cake mix, 4 eggs, and dried box of jello, with the water, oil and rinds from the lemons - together!) Then bake in the 9x13" pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, not the 30 minutes I did. Then when the cake comes out of the oven, poke the holes and pour the glaze into it. The glaze is juice of the 2 lemons with enough powered sugar to make a thin glaze.
This makes more sense and I will be making this again.
In all reality, you could do what I have done for years, just make a regular lemon cake mix and use a glaze that you like. It taste the same and is much easier. Not all the extra oil and sugar (from the box of gelatin) plus you'll save an egg.
Lemon cake no matter how you make always taste refreshing!!!
I hope you have had a good laugh of my mix-up but enjoyed reliving some of my sweet camping memories!

Peachy Crumb Cobbler

Here is another recipe that was on a Duncan Hines card. It sounded good, so I decided to buy the exact ingredients and then go to work! As I was putting in the ingredients in my basket, I noticed that this would of cost over $10 to make, so I did a little switching around. Next time I will make from scratch and save even more. Using a different brand of blueberry muffin mix with canned blueberries, I saved 75 cents, by making my own peach pie filling from canned peaches, I saved $4.


Peachy Crumb Cobbler
1 package Duncan Hines Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix (sorry, but I used a different brand, to save money)
1/4 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cans (1 pound 6 ounces each) peach pie filling (see notes*)
1/2 cup sugar (I use brown sugar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used a 1/2 teaspoon here, see notes*)
3 teaspoons almond extract (I only used 1/2 teaspoon, as I didn't want over power the fruit.)
Ice cream, if desire
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine dry muffin mix, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter, then stir in nuts.

In a 13x9-inch pan combine pie filling, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the almond extract and the drained blueberries.

Spoon the crumb topping over the peaches.



Bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream if desired.

NOTES: For the peach pie filling, I used 3 cans (14-ounce size) of peaches and drained and saved the juice. To this juice I cooked in a medium pan and started it boiling. To this I added the called for sugar, almond extract, cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, (1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg). Let this boil for about 1-2 minutes. While that is boiling, take a bowl and add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water, stir and dissolve. Add this to the juice mixture and thicken. After this has thickened then I add the peaches and drained blueberries.

My Report: When I make this again, I will not add the sugar to the peaches. And I will only add half of the sugar called for in the topping part. It was too sweet for me, so a little less sugar seems right. I liked the flavor of the peaches with the blueberries. (If you don't want to throw out the blueberry juice, then you can make it into syrup for pancakes or ice cream topping.) I added the nutmeg. I like the flavor of fresh nutmeg with cinnamon. I have always made peach cobbler with pie crust, so this was a good and different change!

Extra note: I didn't care for this the next day, as the crust seemed to soak up the juices and become soggy. So my suggestion is to eat this the very first day!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

As I mentioned in the previous post, I am going to do a sample of my comparison shopping for this recipe.
The Duncan Hines Pineapple Cake Mix was on sale, $1.99 and I have always made pineapple upside down cake from scratch. But in the interest of time and I saw a box of store brand on sale for 89 cents, I decided to buy and try it. The store brand cake mix is a butter cake mix. In the following recipe it ask you to save the pineapple juice for the liquid part of the cake mix, which I did.
Recipe from Duncan Hines:
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Duncan Hines Pineapple Supreme Deluxe Cake Mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 can (1 pound 14 ounces) pineapple slices or 1 can (1 pound 4 1/2 ounces) pineapple chunks
Maraschino cherry halves, if desired
Whipped cream, if desired
Melt butter in a 13x9 1/2 x2-inch pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly in pan.
Drain pineapple; save the syrup. Arrange pineapple in the sugar mixture. If desired, also arrange maraschino cherry halves, rounded side down, in the sugar mixture.
Add enough water to pineapple syrup to make 1 1/3 cups liquid; add this and 2 eggs to the cake mix an mix as directed on the label. Pour batter over fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes, until cake pulls away from side of pan. Let stand 5 minutes for topping to begin to set. Then turn upside down onto a large platter or a cooky (yes, this is how the spelled cookie on the recipe card.) sheet. Serve pieces of cake topped with whipped cream.


What I did:
In a 13x9" pan, melt about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, from the stick of butter used in the cake mix.
REMEMBER, to watch, as the butter can catch on fire!
I have the oven preheating to the 350 degrees F, for the cake, so I put in the pan and melt the butter there.
It only takes about 1 minute or less to melt the butter.
After taking out of the oven I sprinkle about 3/4 cup dark brown sugar.
Next add 1 pound 12 ounces can pineapple slices, drained (saving the liquid).
If you add the cherries, put them in now. I also like pecans, so I added a few.
Set aside, while you make up the cake batter.



In a large bowl, mix up:
1 package of yellow cake mix, butter kind
3 eggs
1 stick of butter, remember I used about 2 1/2 tablespoons for the melting in the pan.
I use cold butter and cube it. I have found this to work better, than softened butter, as you don't get such a greasy cake.
2/3 cup of pineapple juice, from strained pineapple slices (this was just the right amount of liquid the cake mix instructions add for, if you don't have enough to make 2/3 cup or what ever you cake brand ask for, add water, to make the correct amount)


After mixing this for about 2-3 minutes, to make sure the butter is mixed in completely, pour into the 13x9" prepared pan.
Bake according to the instructions on the cake mix. (You might need to add 5 extra minutes.)
It takes about 30-35 minutes.
Make sure the cake is baked, by carefully touching and seeing if the cake springs back and not sinks in. Use a toothpick and insert into the cake and the toothpick should come out clean if the cake is done.
After it cools for about 5 minutes and using pot holders, turn over onto a cookie sheet that fits the 13x9" pan.

My report:
I saved on the butter part, as the box asked for a stick of butter and the recipe asked for a stick of butter to be melted in the cake pan. Instead, I chose to use 2 1/2 tablespoons in the pan and the rest of the one stick in the cake mix. It worked, the cake was still delicious. I saved an extra dollar from buying the store brand. I don't think I used a cup of brown sugar for the bottom of the cake pan and still the cake was sweet enough from maybe using 3/4 cup of brown sugar. I do buy the pineapple in it's own juice and save on some sugar. Also didn't have to buy cherries, as I don't care for them. And lastly I didn't use whip cream on the cake. In fact I haven't heard of putting whip cream or anything extra with pineapple upside down cake. (Your choice of course.) So there is some savings to this cake recipe. This was very close to my home-made and was just as delicious!
Enjoy and let me know what you tried!

Added this to the Sweet As Sugar Cookies #13.

Deep Fry Batter

There are four different recipes from Duncan Hines, in my mom's recipe box. These must have been as a page in a magazine where you could easily tear them a part.
Last night I went to my daughters and made two of the recipes. As I was in the grocery store buying some of the ingredients, I originally put in all the products that were asked for and then decided to save on money and put the brand names back. Sorry Duncan Hines, but comparison shopping does help in the economic times. (I do buy only Duncan Hines cake mixes, when I make wedding cakes and I wait until they are on sale.) Will show you the comparsions from the Pineapple Upside Down Cake and the Peachy Crumb Cobbler.
For this recipe it asks for the buttermilk pancake mix, I had some home-made mix on hand, so used it.
Now for the recipe:
Deep Fry Batter
(For coating fish, chicken and other fried foods)

1 cup Duncan Hines Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 tablespoon melted shortening or oil
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a bowl, beat egg and milk together. Add shortening and Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in salt, paprika, and pepper.
(I could see if you deep fried food this recipe would come in handy, as the ingredients would be good taste of spices.)

This seems to me to make a liquid batter, so I made it the old fashion way. Took the pancake mix, salt, paprika and pepper and added some Panko and cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients and put in a bowl. In a pie pan, I put about 1/4 cup milk and 2 eggs and mix them together. I took chicken breast and dipped it in the milk,egg mixture then dipped in the flour mixture and fried them in a little shortening (about 1/2 cup Crisco), until the chicken was thoroughly cooked. I poured out the extra shortening and then cooked up some chicken gravy. Made some mashed potatoes to go along with the chicken and had some cranberry sauce, that's what was for dinner last night.



On the back of this card is a recipe for donuts, which I won't make at this time, but will add the recipe here.

Mom's Meat Loaf

My mother's meat loaf is always something I have enjoyed. When I was little my mom thought this was my favorite meal, so for my birthday each year, she made it. I honestly don't know what my favorite meal was, so this was a good choice.
I still use this recipe myself, and add different veggies to it. I like celery, green or red or yellow bell peppers in it. One time when I was out of oatmeal, I added some Special K cereal. I liked that so much that I have also tried All-Bran and my all time favorite Bran Buds. As you can see, you can add what you like. I will say that I do enjoy the tomato sauce the best over gravy or ketchup. But of course it is what you prefer.
This recipe my mom gave me years and years ago was just a list of the ingredients, not how much of each. So I was surprise to find on this recipe in her box that she does list how much of each spice goes to one pound of hamburger. Now-a-days I don't measure, I just add the spices until it smells right.

Ingredients:
one pound ground hamburger
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 grated carrot, if small do two
1 small onion, diced and chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Put all of this in a bowl and mix it well. Make into a loaf and put on a special meat loaf pan with holes, or can put in a loaf pan. Bake at 400 degrees, although I do 350 degrees for about an hour.
(Note: if you do the little loaves, takes about 40-45 minutes.)

As I was making the meat loaf this evening, I decided to bake it in a little toaster/convection type oven, as not to overheat the house.

Here is a picture before putting in the oven, minus the sauce.
The first picture on top is of course with the tomato sauce poured on and then I put it in the oven. I usually make a big loaf and put it in a loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour. So as I found out today, it was nice to make smaller loaves, tasted just as good! That is a 9" round cake pan and yep that is the whole one pound, fits nicely.
Here is the final dish and I am ready to eat my dinner! I love the leftovers to make sandwiches, yum!

COOKIE DAY

Hedda’s Cookies

1 cup C&H Granulated Sugar

1 cup shortening

1 egg

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups flaked coconut

Cream together sugar, shortening, egg and almond extract. Add flour and salt and mix well. Fold in coconut. Shape into one inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork. Bake in 325˚F oven 15 to 18 minutes until slightly golden around edges.

Makes about 5 dozen. (I made about 3 dozen.)

I enjoyed these macaroons! My mom must have made these as there is shortening stains on the recipe. It sure would be cool to remember to date our recipes, as I don’t know when this came out. Probably late 60’s or sometime in the 70’s. One more thing, after the cookies set, they are a crunchy cookie. I do like soft macaroons, but still I will make these again, as I do like the flavor.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)

¾ to 1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups biscuit baking mix

Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350˚F. In large mixer bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add biscuit mix; mix well. Chill at least 1 hour. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with fork. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned (do not overbake). Cool. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Makes about 5 dozen. (I always come up short of what a recipe says. This made about 3 ½ dozen for me.)

Only difference is that I used my own homemade biscuit mix, not a store brand. It didn’t seem to make a difference. These are a nice peanut butter cookie, but I do like the flavor of the recipe I use better. This recipe came out of a magazine as on the back is a advertisement for chop suey vegetable thing and the paper in magazine type.

Will be sending this off to: Sweet As Sugar Cookies.

http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/04/sweets-for-saturday-11.html