Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze

CAKE:

2 sticks (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
zest from 2 lemons
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
juice from 1 1/2 lemons (about 1/3 cup)
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350

1. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy

2. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating mixture between each egg, then add lemon zest and vanilla

3. Mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder, then add to egg mixture and stir until consistent

4. Add in milk and lemon juice

5. Place into greased (preferably with butter) springform cake pan, then level the top

6. Place in oven for 50-75 minutes, or until a knife in the center comes out clean. If it starts to brown on top but isn't getting cooked in the middle, place some foil loosely on top

7. Take out of oven to cool while you make the glaze


GLAZE:

1 cup confectioner's sugar
juice from 1/2 a lemon (about 2 T.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Whisk confectioner's sugar, then add lemon juice and vanilla extract until consistent. You can add more sugar or sugar until it gets to be the consistency you like (ideally runny, but viscous and thick)

2. Spread onto still warm (but not hot cake) and allow to drip down the sides for a nice effect :)

Apple Tart

Okay, so apparently the tart phase is still going strong. Sue me! This one was mighty good, though....

CRUST:

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. water/milk/cream

1. Mix together dry ingredients

2. Incorporate butter into flour mixture using a pastry cutter or by rubbing between your fingers

3. Beat together egg yolk, vanilla and almond extracts, and cream

4. Incorporate egg mixture and flour mixture until consistent, then press into a tart pan

5. Prick all along the bottom with a fork, then place in the fridge while you preheat the oven

6. Preheat oven to 375, then place refrigerated crust into oven for about 15 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you prepare the apples.


BOTTOM LAYER OF APPLES:

3 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
zest from 1/2 lemon
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 T. butter

1. Toss apples with all ingredients except butter

2. Melt butter over skillet, then add apples

3. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are mushy.

4. Squish apples as much as you can (I used a pastry cutter to do this), then set aside while you work on the top layer


TOP LAYER OF APPLES

3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
juice from 1/2 lemon
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 T. butter

1. Toss apples in all ingredients except butter

2. Melt butter over skillet, then add apple slices

3. Stir occasionally for about 3-4 minutes, until apples are just started to soften and heat up but well coated

PUTTING IT ALTOGETHER

Preheat oven to 350

1. Spoon the bottom layer of apples evenly into the pie crust

2. Drizzle any liquid in the pan from the top layer of apples over the bottom layer

3. Place apples from top layer concentrically across the pie, forming a nice solid layer

4. Using a spatula, drizzle any remaining liquid over tart

5. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until apples are nice and cooked

Cucumber Dill Salad

1 large cucumber
1 orange pepper (or yellow; red would probably also be fine)
1 handful fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese

Dressing: 2-3 parts olive oil, 1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 part pomegranate syrup, salt to taste

1. Cut cucumber in half, then slice

2. Cut pepper into bite-sized strips; mix peppers, cucumbers, and dill together

3. Sprinkle dressing over salad, toss salad, then top with feta cheese.

Cherry Stuffed Roast Chicken

This is a really delicious and surprisingly easy roast chicken, taught to me by my friend Elham (who is an AMAZING Persian cook) and then slightly modified. It looks very complicated but is very, very easy, making it a great weekend night meal.

The reason there are 2 marinades is because the first one was made at Elham's house by the wonderful chef herself, and the second one was made at home by me. I'm not sure which one made the chicken so delicious, so I'm recreating it here. If you just want to use one marinade to make your life easy, that's fine by me!

All measurements are approximate.

1 whole chicken, rinsed, emptied, and with neck cut.

STUFFING:

1/2 cup onion, finely diced
olive oil
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup dried barberries (an Iranian fruit you can order online; otherwise, can use cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pomegranate syrup

1. Saute the onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until it just starts to brown

2. Lower heat, then add the cherries, cranberries, walnuts, and pomegranate syrup to taste; toss around until well coated and slightly sticky, then set aside.

MARINADE 1:

1/8 cup mustard (preferably a good grainy one; my favorite is Maille)
1/8 cup A-1 Steak Sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 T. Old Bay seasoning
A little bit of salt and pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together. Set aside.

BASE / PUTTING IT ALTOGETHER (all slices are about 1/2 an inch thick):

1 white or yellow onion, sliced
1 large carrot, sliced
1 potato, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 cup water

1. Make shallow (about 1/2 inch deep) slits into the thickest parts of the chicken (breast and thighs). Elham taught me this trick, and it not only gets the marinade inside, but assures more even cooking!

2. Brush the marinade inside the cavity of the chicken, then all over, including into the slits; be sure to use all the marinade to ensure a nice juicy chicken.

3. Stuff the chicken with the stuffing.

4. Place onions along bottom of a baking dish (like the kind you make brownies or lasagna in, but preferably a little smaller), then put the chicken on top of the onions, breast side down.

5. Add the rest of the vegetables (potatoes, celery, and carrots) to the pan.

6. Preheat oven to 375.

7. Before placing the chicken in the oven, add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan, then place in the oven.

8. Every 20 minutes or so, baste the chicken with it's own juices.

9. The second time around (about 40 minutes later), baste with the MARINADE 2 below, then continue to baste it in its own juices (which now include the second marinade) until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 170 degrees.

10. Continue to baste it until served. Absolutely delicious!


MARINADE 2:

1/8 cup grainy mustard
1/8 cup A-1 Steak Sauce
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 T. pomegranate syrup

Apple Custard Tart

Okay, I swear I will get over my tart phase. Soon :)

CRUST

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. water/milk/cream

1. Mix together flour, sugar, and salt

2. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour until it resembles course meal

3. Whisk together egg yolk, vanilla and almond extracts, and water/milk

4. Incorporate into flour mixture until consistent

5. Press into a tart pan and prick all along the bottom with a fork

6. Place in fridge while you preheat the oven to 375

7. Bake for 16 minutes or until very slightly golden



CUSTARD:

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional, but good!)
pinch of salt

1. Mix together flour, sugar, and salt, then add eggs, vanilla and almond extracts until consistent

2. Heat the half and half until it just starts to get foam on top, then VERY SLOWLY incorporate into egg mixture, whisking CONSTANTLY. Continue to whisk occasionally as you prepare your apples



PUTTING IT ALTOGETHER:

3-4 granny smith apples
1 T. butter
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350

1. Peel and core 3-4 granny smith apples, then cut into 1/8 inch slices.

2. Arrange apples concentrically along the tart crust, then pour custard on top

3. Mix together sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon, then sprinkle over tart.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until custard is set. For softer apples, halfway through brush or pour 1 T. melted butter onto apples.


then bake for 20-25 minutes.

Fruit Tart

This is the kind of thing that you find in grocery stores, covered in kiwis, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and all that jazz. These always look WAY more tasty than they actually taste, so this was my attempt to recreate my own. I made a pastry cream, or "creme patissiere" if you are trying to show off. I used 4 egg yolks and whipping cream, and to be honest it was a little heavy and eggy. I'm reduced the egg in this recipe and recommending milk instead, although to be honest I haven't tried it.

You can top this with whatever fruit you want! I actually made a blueberry compote because I had some blueberries that were on their last legs and not particularly attractive.


CRUST:

1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 stick (8 T.) butter
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. water/milk/half and half


1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix together dry ingredients, then cut butter up into pieces and incorporate it into the flour mixture by rubbing the butter between your fingers with the flour until it resembles course meal.

3. Whisk together egg yolk, vanilla, and water/milk, then drizzle over flour mixture; mix together with until consistent

4. Press into a tart pan, prick along the bottom of the tart with a fork, then bake for 15 minutes or until starting to look golden (NOT brown!)

5. Pull out and allow to cool.


PASTRY CREAM / CREME PATISSIERE:

2 cups milk
5/8 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. corn starch
2 T. flour
4 egg yolks
lemon zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
splash orange juice (optional)


1. Put the milk in a saucepan and heat up on medium/medium-low (you're going to want it when it's just starting to boil and looking foamy)

2. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks and sugar, then add in vanilla, lemon zest, corn starch and flour.

3. When milk is looking foamy, splash a little (like a quarter cup) into the egg mixture and QUICKLY incorporate it; if you don't whisk immediately it can start to curdle

4. Slowly pour the rest of the milk into egg mixture while whisking constantly

5. When the mixture is looking consistent, place it back in the saucepan

6. Bring mixture up to almost a boil on medium high heat (whisking constantly), then bring heat down to medium/medium-low, continuing to whisk constantly, until it starts to thicken. This is where you will add the lemon juice and splash of orange juice; keep whisking until it gels

7. Pour into the cooled pie crust and chill in the fridge overnight (or for at least a few hours).

8. Top with fruit! (Do this once the cream is cooled, but not necessarily once it's been chilled.) You can make a glaze by microwaving a tablespoon of jam with a splash of water, then brushing or spooning it over the fruit.