Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

I’m back in the kitchen, where I belong. I feel fine. The only thing that remains is a bit of a lingering cough, but other than that, I am back to 100%. My first recipe for you is a big batch of Lamingtons. These were some of my dad’s favorite desserts while growing up. So Daddy, these are for you. I hope you enjoy them, wherever you are.

Lamingtons are a sponge or butter cake dipped in chocolate and covered all over with desiccated coconut. Inside you might find a layer of cream or perhaps even jam, if that’s your… jam. They were originally created in Queensland, Australia around 1896, by the chef of the territory’s 8th Governor, Lord Lamington, to feed unexpected guests. As with many great recipes, they are thought to have been created by accident. Much of the Lamington’s iconic status probably derives from its suitability for the Australian climate, as sponge cake lasted much longer in the heat when it was iced in bite-sized squares and covered in coconut. Their popularity soon grew to cover all of Australia, and obviously they made their way south down to Melbourne, because as I mentioned, they were some of my dad’s favorite desserts. But then again, if it was something sweet, chances are my dad was going to love it. He had a real sweet, sweet tooth. 🙂

Once again, I am learning new things as I share them with you. I originally thought Lamingtons were British in origin, and I thought they made their way to Australia via England. I contacted my friend Karen for her feedback on the jam, but she had no idea what they were and Karen is originally from England. So even though I grew up with Lamingtons, I always thought they were British in origin and not Australian. We all learn something new everyday.

I had always remembered Lamingtons as having either a cream or jam filling, but the recipes I found didn’t call for either, so it had me questioning what I remembered. But, upon further research it turns out I was correct. Not that it really mattered much to me anyway. You should all know by now that I am going to do my own thing and will always add my own personality. I made them with a layer of blackberry jam in the center. Recipes are just guidelines. Creativity comes from expanding upon those guidelines, and that I do all the time. 🙂

Australian Lamingtons

Make your sponge cake, filled with either pastry cream, custard or jam, at least one day in advance. Then cover it tightly and store in the refrigerator until ready to dip into the chocolate and coconut. You want the cake to be firm so when you start dipping it, it won’t fall to pieces and become all crumbly. When it is cold and firm, it is much easier to handle and work with. It will also allow the flavors to really pop too.

The Sponge

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

about 1/2 cup of either strawberry, raspberry or blackberry jam, or custard or pastry cream, all of which are optional

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Spray a square cake pan with cooking spray. Because I doubled the recipe, I used a 9×13 baking pan.

Just like with any batter, mix your dry ingredients together and set aside. Then mix your butter and sugar together, and gradually add the eggs and vanilla, mixing in between each addition. Add 1/2 the flour mixture and beat again, then the milk and repeat until everything is incorporated together. Do not overmix or your sponge will be tough and not spongy.

Evenly spread about half the batter in the prepared cake pan, then carefully spread the jam or filling over the batter. Cover the filling with the remaining batter and evenly spread it over the jam to completely cover it.

Place the cake into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow the cake to cool completely, still in the pan, then cover tightly and refrigerator for at least one day.

Once you are ready to make your Lamingtons, cut the cake into bite-sized squares. I doubled my recipe, so I have a lot, but you will get a goodly amount as it is.

Make your chocolate sauce and fill a bowl with your dried coconut.

The Sauce

3 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup milk

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup melted butter

dried coconut

Line some baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk everything together until smooth and creamy.

Cut your cake into bite-sized squares and completely coat with the chocolate sauce. Shake off the excess, then roll into the coconut and completely coat all sides.

Once all your Lamingtons are coated in both chocolate sauce and coconut, cover again and refrigerate for at least an hour to set. Then share them with friends and enjoy. Good on ya mates, and Aussie, Aussie Oi!!!

Stay safe, stay well and carry on. ‘Til next time.

I haven’t been cooking at all since COVID entered the house. Neither of us has had an appetite and it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to cook just to cook, when neither of us is really going to eat or enjoy what I am cooking. But just because I haven’t been cooking doesn’t mean others haven’t been cooking.

Today, I give you a scrumptious sour cream coffee cake made by Guest Chef Steve Axelrod. Once again, the wonderful world of blogging has “introduced me” to my new friend, whom I actually have yet to meet in person, Steve’s wife Sandy. Sandy and Steve are living the RV dream and are traveling around the country in their RV, Ladybug, with their adorable Yorkie, Hershey. Life in the RV though, is not all about taking in the sights. They do have to eat as well. So in his downtime, Steve baked us this wonderful coffee cake.

I am letting Sandy tell us about Steve’s cake in her own words. She did an excellent job of describing Steve’s masterpiece. I wish I was there enjoying it with the two of them right now. It looks mouthwateringly delicious. Steve did a fantastic job!

I’m always on the lookout for baking recipes that are easy enough for a novice baker. My hubby Steve started baking in March and has been doing an amazing job. As soon as I read Ina Garten’s recipe for Sour Cream Coffee Cake, I knew it would be perfect.

The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, has become a very trusted source for both savory and sweet recipes. I find her directions to be easy to follow, no matter how much or how little experience you have. Her recipe for this luscious Sour Cream Coffee cake is no exception.

It was so easy to follow, that Steve was able to get the cake in the oven without asking me even one question! I did guide him to make a couple of changes out of necessity. Ina’s instructs us to use a tube pan. Since we live on an RV I had whittled down my baking pans to a bundt, a 9-inch X 13-inch, an 8-inch X 8-inch, two 8-inch rounds, a muffin tin and 1 tube pan that is tucked away in a hard to get to spot. With the bundt in easy reach, I suggested that he use it. Plus I love how bundt cakes look.

Steve’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake, from Ima Garten

A moist and flavorful cake that is filled with cinnamon streusel goodness. The fragrance alone will have you craving more that just one slice!

• Author: Adapted from Ina Garten’s Recipe
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

UNITS USM

For the cake:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 

at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature 

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

1 1/4 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

For the streusel:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

For the glaze:

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 

1 teaspoon orange zest 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

3. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble.

4. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan and spread it out. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

5. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice and zest together, adding a few drops more juice if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Notes

If you love nuts in your coffee cake you can add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts to the streusel.

This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is so good you will have a hard time resisting another slice. Or two. Or three!

So moist and full of cinnamon streusel goodness!

The only other swap was that the recipe calls for a maple glaze which I know would be delicious. However, we had leftover orange glaze from the previous cake Steve had baked. And it was so tasty that he used that instead.

Another change was that Ina has us pouring half of the batter in the pan, then part of the streusel, the remaining batter on top of the streusel and the rest of the streusel on top of that. I had Steve putting all of that yummy streusel in the middle of the cake.

Thank you Sandy and Steve for sharing this delicious cake with us. Well done Steve!!!!!! If you are interested in learning more about Steve and Sandy’s adventures on the road, or the foods they eat while out and about, you can follow Sandy at any one of these social media outlets:

TheTravelingLocavores.com

instagram.com/TheTravelingLocavores

pinterest.com/TheTravelingLocavores

twitter.com/SandyAxelrod

facebook.com/TheTravelingLocavores

Trust me, you will be glad you did. And who knows? You might just make a new friend or two like I did too. Thank you again Sandy and Steve. Kudos!

Stay safe, stay well and carry on. ‘Til next time.

Our niece’s wedding last week was beautiful, but unfortunately, it was also a COVID super spreader. We know of at least 16 people who all came down with COVID after the wedding, us included. Larry got it first. I was keeping my distance, and we have a big house, so it was pretty easy to do. He slept upstairs in our bedroom and I was downstairs in the guest bedroom. Then Friday afternoon, it hit me too. There was no escaping it.

I know COVID affects everyone differently, but for us, it was nothing more than a bad cold. It kicked our butts, but I am only 2 days into it and I am already feeling much better. Larry is now 4 days into it and is almost well. I have had other viruses that are far worse than this, such as the norovirus. Fortunately, we are both on the mend and are feeling much better. We should both be back to normal (whatever that is) within a matter of days.

Stay safe, stay well and carry on. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday was such a fabulous day for a walk. There was so much life all around my ponds. Life was flourishing and it came in many different forms. I saw so much. Everyone was out enjoying the day.

The ducklings were out and about too. They are growing up so quickly. They were having so much fun playing around. Here, they are getting some swimming lessons. They are still just tiny babies here.

That was just last week. Now, one week later, look at how much they have already grown. They have progressed from swimming to diving lessons.

It’s hard to believe what a difference one week makes. Soon they will be all grown up.

All the lilacs are still in bloom and the air smells so fragrant and sweet. The other day when I posted about the blooming lilacs Nature Walks – Lilacs in Bloom my friend and our very own Gail, from https://snapshotsincursive.com/ sent me this delicious recipe for lilac sugar, to capture the essence of the lilacs a bit longer. I had never heard of lilac sugar before. But thanks to Gail and her fabulous idea, I have now made some and am anxiously waiting to use it. I already have a scrumptious idea in mind for it too.

This is Gail’s picture of her lilac sugar. Gail is a bit shy, but I am still featuring her as a “Guest Chef” for this delicious idea. Gail has many, many great recipes. If you are not already familiar with Gail and snapshotsincursive, you should definitely stop by and say hi. You will be in for a whole world of fabulous treats.

Gail sent me the recipe, and it is just 2 ingredients. Yes, that’s right, just 2. Fresh lilac flowers and sugar.

I picked a whole bunch of lilacs from my front yard so, I made a whole bunch of this fragrant, sugary treat. Gail’s recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of fresh lilac flowers, but I just kept going. I wanted to use all the lilacs I picked and didn’t want any of them to go to waste. So I just kept adding layer after layer of lilacs and sugar and filled my jar.

Rinse the lilacs and let them dry, then remove the blossoms from the stems. Add a layer of sugar, then a layer of blossoms, and repeat until all the lilacs and sugar are used, or in my case, until the jar is filled. Seal the jar tightly and gently shake the jar, then place in a dark cabinet and store for 1 week. Make sure to gently shake the sugar jar once a day while it is in storage.

After one week of storage in a dark cabinet, sift the sugar and spread it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Store it in a safe place for another week, and then use it creatively. Gail says it goes very well with anything lemony. I hate to admit it, but I am so anxious to try it, that I am NOT going to wait that long before using it. Soon you will see what I create with my lilac sugar. 🙂 Thank you so much Gail for this wonderful idea.

Keep an open mind and an open heart, and we will all learn new things everyday. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was just perfect weather. Not to hot, not to cold, and everyone was out enjoying the day. I took so many great pictures. Today I am sharing my turtle pics. I had both Red-Eared Sliders and Snapping turtles out sunning themselves.

The Red-Eared Slider

The Snapping Turtles

And then there is a our resident turtle who always dresses for the season.

Have a great day Everyone.

Bread! It is one of the most delicious creations ever made, at least in my view. I love all kinds of breads. Back in my younger days, many moons ago, there were many days that breads of some sort made a meal for me.

When I lived in the San Francisco area, many, many years ago, I was poor, and I did whatever I needed to do to make ends meet. So I would take the bus into work and walk from the bus station into work. Along the way there was Beaudoin’s Bakery. I would stop in every morning and buy a mini baguette and that would be breakfast (and sometimes lunch) for the day. I had it timed just perfectly and would finish the last bite just as I walked into the doors of my job. I still love my breads to this day too.

My latest bread making adventure was a delicious cheesy jalapeno loaf. Though not the soupiest of weather, Larry wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want a big meal, so we pulled some creamy chicken soup out of the freezer and it paired perfectly with the cheesy jalapeno loaf.

Cheesy Jalapeno Loaf

Even though I have been cooking all my life, and as a professional too for many, many years, it never ceases to amaze me how you can create such beautiful and tasty foods with just a few simple and basic ingredients.

3-4 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast (or 1 package)

1/4 cup lukewarm water

3/4 cup milk

2 TBSP melted butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste

1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced fine

1 cup shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese

1 TBSP sugar

Combine about 3-3 1/2 cups of flour with the salt, peppers, jalapenos and cheese and set aside.

Add the yeast to the water and mix together then add the sugar. Let set for about 5-10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.

Add the melted butter to the milk.

Add the milk and butter to the flour mixture and fold it all together.

Then add the yeast mixture and start working it in and kneading it all together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead for about 8-10 minutes or until the dough forms into a soft stretchy ball. Place the dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl and cover to let it rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Once the dough is ready and has doubled in size, turn it onto a lightly floured surface once again and pound it into an 8×12 rectangle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Starting from the smaller side, roll into a thick log and pinch the seams together.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and place the dough, seam side down, into the pan. Cover and let rise again for an hour, or until doubled in size once again.

Preheat the oven to 375* F or about 200* C, then bake the loaf for about 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is hollow when tapped. I rubbed a little olive oil on top of the bread to help with the browning and crusting.

Allow the bread to cool slightly before slicing and enjoy.

Bread, no matter how you slice it, will always be good.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I just love lilacs. They are so beautiful and fragrant. They perfume the whole area with their sweet fragrance. The only downside is they are not in bloom for very long. One day they are are showing off their bright pinks and purples and then, poof, they are gone and we have to wait for the next season for them to return. But they are in bloom now, and I am thoroughly enjoying it too. We have them in all shades of pinks and purples this year.

These are in my own front yard. They just smell Heavenly.

Always take time to smell the roses, or in this case the lilacs. It will always put you in a happy mood.

I think by now you all know about my love affair with good Mexican food. !Me gusto! So I am always looking for new recipes and new ideas to add to my ever growing repertoire. The other day when I made my enchiladas with mole sauce Enchiladas Con Pollo y Mole I also made a Mexican salad with a creamy avocado dressing to go with it. I took both dishes to our potluck party and both were loved by all.

The Salad

For the salad I just tossed together a few ingredients that are often used in a variety of Mexican dishes such as, corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and lettuce. Then I topped it all with some avocado slices, roasted pepitas and crumbled cotija cheese.

The dressing was a recipe I saw, once again, from our very own “My Meals Are On Wheels” at https://beatcancer2010.wordpress.com/. But of course, I added my own personal touches to it, as I always do.

It is once again lemon verbena season and it is growing wild all over my backyard. I just love lemon verbena, also known as lemon balm, and I try to use it as much as I can when it is in season. But every year I get more and more and there is NO WAY I can ever use it all. Anyone who wants some is more than welcome to it. It makes everything taste and smell lemony fresh. That being said, of course I added some to my dressing.

Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing

2 avocados

1/2 white onion

1 jalapeno

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup white wine or Proseco vinegar

3 TBSP olive oil and/or lime olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup buttermilk (I make mine with powdered buttermilk and milk)

1/2 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lemon verbena, optional

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until it is smooth and creamy. Then chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

I used this salad two different ways. The first day I used it as a side salad. But I had quite a bit of my chicken filling leftover from the enchiladas, so I made the salad into a dinner salad by topping it with the chicken. Both ways, it was muy delicioso.

Life is short. Eat well and be happy, healthy and safe. ‘Til next time.

We have so many beautiful birds out and about these days, and I love it. I just can’t help taking as many pictures as I can of all the birds we have here. We have such a great variety. Today, I am sharing some pictures of a Say’s Phoebe.