Lemon Drop Giveaway Winner !!!

To begin, I would like to thank all of you who entered this draw. Your support to Lemon Drop means the world to me.

There was a wonderful turnout for this giveaway. I guess many of us love Paula Deen!

This giveaway, as I am sure you all recall, is for one grand prize. You each had the option of increasing your entry count by adding a sidebar button and/or blog post.

A recap of the grand prize

A Brand New Paula Deen Recipe Card Box

Matching Mug (this is made of hard plastic, not ceramic)

Recipe Cards to fill your new Recipe Card Box

And last but not least, adorable Paper Cupcake Liners!

I again used my preferred online giveaway tool, Random.org, to select the 1 winner!

And the winner is: A Babbling Brunette !

CONGRATULATIONS!
Please email me at lemondropfoodie@yahoo.ca to claim your prize.

For those who didn't win, be prepared for the next giveaway!
I am eager to host another one very soon.
I think June will be a good month, don't you?!

Linda @ Lemon Drop

Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread

A great recipe tailored specifically for use with your trusty bread maker. This bread contains eggs and vegetable shortening which ensures a rich and tender slice each and every time. Speckled with raisins and cinnamon for that taste we all love!

You will be using your Sweet or Fruit cycle on your bread maker for this recipe. This makes a 1.5 lb loaf. Set your machine to normal crust.

About 1/2 hr before beginning, fill up your measuring cup with 1 1/4 cups of water and let sit at room temperature. Yes, no warm water for this recipe. We want perfect room temperature water and then we go from there!

Your egg, on the other hand, should be fresh and straight out of the fridge. No need to bring it to room temperature.

Most bread recipes call for oil as the fatty ingredient. This one calls for shortening. When adding butter or shortening to a bread machine mix, ensure it is always at room temperature and break it apart into small pieces with your fingers before adding to the pan.

This loaf rises up perfectly; no weird lumps and bumps. Also, no pockets of air leaving you with a slice of "more hole" than bread.

So haul out your bread maker and be prepared to salivate as you smell the wonderful aroma of cinnamon fill the air.

LET'S BEGIN!

A truly beautiful loaf

In all its glory!

RECIPE*:
*source: 250 Best Canadian Bread Machine Baking Recipes

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/4 cups water, room temerature
1 egg
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons shortening ( I use Crisco vegetable shortening)
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast
3/4 raisins


MAKE IT

Add all ingredients above, except raisins, to bread machine pan in the order as written.
Place raisins into "Extra" dispenser . If you don't have one, make sure you add the raisins manually at the "add ingredient" signal.
Select Sweet or Fruit/Nut setting
Select 1/5 lb loaf, regular crust
Select "Add Extras" if you have this feature.
Press Start
Sit back and relax !

A perfect way to start the day

Gluten-Free Creamsicle Cupcakes

With summer fast approaching, memories of orange creamsicles come flooding back to me. They were, by far, my favorite summer treat. That and banana popsicles!

I wanted to make a gluten-free cupcake that would do justice to the classic creamsicle ice cream indulgence. After much research, I settled on a source recipe from The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook for Orange Chiffon Cake. Then I adapted it quite severely to go from a cake to these fluffy, orange, cream filled delights you see here today.

The chiffon batter does tend to settle after baking so you will have a flat cupcake top. Perfect for what you need to do next and that is cut out the top with a melon baller, fill with creamy vanilla buttercream and then place the cutout cupcake piece back on top.

For the frosting, I took the vanilla buttercream filler frosting and jazzed it up with orange food coloring, orange extract and then piped it all with my Wilton 1M tip. The crowning glory: a little orange gummy candy and an orange candy stick which I simply cut in half as one large one is simply overkill for these beauties.

To begin, you will want to have 1 orange handy and some orange juice (pulp free). I added the scrapings of 1 vanilla bean to the batter plus one in the icing so I highly recommend you have these on hand as well. The vanilla bean enhances the entire cupcake from top to bottom giving it that vanilla flavor so well loved in the creamsicle treat.

This is my staple go-to book for gluten-free baking . I couldn't live without it. As with the Chocolate Cupcake recipe also posted here on Lemon Drop, the original Orange Chiffon one in her book is both vegan and gluten-free. My focus was simply to retain its gluten-free qualities. Therefore, I did used eggs rather than egg replacer.

Basic Gluten-Free Baking Mix
used throughout the book:

• 4 cups superfine brown rice flour (preferably from Authentic Foods)
• 1 1/3 cups potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour or tapioca starch

You will need 3 cups of this baking mix blend for this cupcake recipe.

NOW LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

CUPCAKES
2 cups fine granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup orange juice (pulp free)
zest of one medium orange
scrapings of 1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil (Crisco oil is great)
3 cups gluten-free flour mix (see above)
3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
orange food coloring gel or liquid food coloring

FILLING/FROSTING
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
6 cups icing sugar, sifted
scraping of one 1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup whipping cream

FROSTING EXTRAS:
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
orange food coloring gel
orange gummy candies
orange candy sticks, cut in half

MAKE IT

LINE muffin pans (2) with 16 liners.
PREHEAT oven to 350F

IN LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, blend together sugar and egg for 1 minute, MED speed
ADD orange juice, zest, vanilla bean scraping, liquid vanilla and oil
BEAT MED speed 1 minute
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining cupcake ingredients
SLOWLY ADD to wet ingredients in 3 batches, mixing slightly after each addition.
BLEND together at MED speed for 1 minute
ADD food coloring and blend into batter on LOW speed just until you have the color you want.
WITH ice cream or cookie scoop, fill liners 3/4 full
BAKE 15-18 minutes testing with a toothpick in center; if it comes out clean then they are done!
LET COOL in pan for 5 minutes
REMOVE and let cupcakes cool on rack completely for 1/2 hr

IN LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, cream butter for 1 minute MED speed
SLOWLY add icing sugar and continue mixing for 4-5 minutes MED speed
ADD vanilla bean and whipping cream. When adding whipping cream, add only a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency

WITH MELON BALLER, scoop out a circle from each cupcake, approximately 1 inch deep. Set cut out tops aside.
WITH teaspoon, fill cut out areas with 1 teaspoon of white frosting.
COVER with cupcake cutouts
WITH remaining icing, add orange extract. Start adding food coloring: A little goes a long way so start adding a little bit at a time and mix after each addition until desired color is reached.

FILL piping bag with orange frosting and pipe onto cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M tip for the swirls on top.

TOP with candy and orange stick.

ENJOY !!!

Also Seen Here:

Sugar Cookies - plain and simple

Sugar cookies are a wonderful light tasting treat. They pair well with tea, coffee and for the kids, a big glass of milk. Ice them or leave them plain. The choice is yours. Play with fun cookie cutter shapes. There are hundreds of possibilities out there for you to explore!

These sugar cookies, once cut and baked, will last for several weeks when stored in an air tight container.

I usually ice my cookies with royal icing but I loved the simplicity of these flower cutouts. I used a dusting of icing sugar on my work surface as well as on top of the cookies before rolling out. It makes rolling 100% easier as it reduces sticking which tends to be the most difficult challenge when dealing with this type of dough because YES, it will stick to waxed paper too. What I really love though is how the icing sugar creates a shiny glaze on the baked cookies. Perfect for cookies that will be eaten as-is, fresh out of the oven.

I added the scraping of one vanilla bean to the dough. I love the flavor it adds and also the small specks of vanilla really enhance the appearance.

Making these cookies does take awhile because of the chilling phase required before baking so be prepared for playing a little bit of the waiting game.

Also, do not OVERMIX! I cannot emphasize this enough. You do not need to cream together the butter and sugar as you would a cake because the longer you cream, the more tiny bubbles are created. Its these bubbles which give cakes height. The opposite of what you want. You want a thin and crispy cookie!

Lastly, when rolling the dough do not go back and forth with the rolling pin. You can easily overwork the dough resulting in one tough cookie. To roll, simply place your rolling pin in the middle of the dough and roll outwards: forward motions from center outward and backward motions from center inward. Rotate the dough when needed to roll out the sides, again starting from the center at all times.





LET'S GET STARTED
* source recipe adapted from Sweetopia

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
scrapings from one vanilla bean
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
icing sugar for rolling

MAKE IT

IN LARGE BOWL, cream together butter and sugar on MED speed for no more than 1 minute.
ADD egg and mix only until combined
ADD vanilla bean and vanilla extract, mixing until blended
SIFT in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
MIX on low speed until the dough starts to form together; no longer than 45 seconds
PLACE piece of waxed paper on work surface
DUST it with icing sugar
PAT out dough into a disc and place on waxed paper
SPRINKLE lightly with icing sugar
PLACE another piece of waxed paper on top of dough
ROLL out dough between the waxed paper to 1/4" thickness
PLACE cookie dough, still in waxed paper, onto a cookie sheet and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs

PREHEAT OVEN 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with waxed paper
TAKE COOKIE dough out of fridge and place back, still in waxed paper, onto work surface
REMOVE TOP LAYER of waxed paper
DIP cookie cutter edges lightly into icing sugar
CUT out desired shapes and with a hard edged spatula, lift and place on cookie sheets
BAKE 8 -10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown
ALLOW to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes then gently remove with spatula and place on cooling rack.
ALLOW to cool completely (approx. 30 minutes)

Leave plain or ice with royal icing.
A great base cookie - a blank canvas - ready for decorating!

Vanilla Custard Powder Cake

An incredibly simple cake to make and a glorious sweet treat that will win over even picky eaters!

So many things to love: it is egg-less, it can be made all in one bowl, and it has the most amazing vanilla flavor thanks to the addition of vanilla custard powder.

This cake is crunchy and flaky on the outside while the inside is rich, dense and moist. I find it has better depth of flavor and a nicer consistency if it rests for a few hours before slicing.

It is especially nice topped with berries and a dollop of whipped cream. It is wonderful for dessert and very welcome at afternoon tea.

I had never made a cake with custard powder before and I am so happy I decided to experiment yesterday. I was lucky enough to find vanilla custard powder but if you only have plain on hand, then simply add pure vanilla extract as shown in the recipe.

Fresh out of the tin, the vanilla custard powder is light pink in color. Initially I was worried this would result in a pink cake but it didn't. Instead the cake was a lovely golden yellow inside and out.

This custard cake is now a family favorite and will be served in our home many, many times in the future.

For the source recipe, please visit My Diverse Kitchen.

If you love vanilla and a recipe that comes together in a flash then this cake will be your new best friend!

My custard powder of choice:

Fresh out of the oven - a golden crust.
It actually reminds me of a sweet scone.

Enjoy !

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

This past weekend I decided to go for it and buy my first ice cream maker. I had been eyeing up the Cuisinart 2 QT one for several weeks and gave up any resistance this past Sunday.

I have never been a huge ice cream fan because I tend not to like the flavors of store-bought varieties. There is some odd after-taste I pick up on right away; almost plastic undertones. I figured homemade is always best so why not try making homemade ice cream and seeing if the same holds true for a creamy frozen treat. It does ! Homemade is BETTER!

First off, get your hands on an ice cream maker. I reviewed several models before deciding on the stainless steel Cuisinart 2 QT one. It is sturdy, easy to work with and does the job well.

I also went out the same day and bought some new dessert bowls.
I love ice cream served in pretty containers far more than any scoop wedged into a cone.
I bought these adorable bowls at Pier 1.



Now back to the ice cream! This recipe requires quite a bit of cooking before the custard can be poured into the machine, processed for 25 minutes, then frozen for 2-3 hrs before eating.
The time spent cooking the custard though is worth every moment. The end result is a rich, deep and flavorful chocolate ice cream that no store-bought brand can beat.

Here is the soft ice cream which I scraped into a freezer container. This now goes into the freezer for several hours and then it is ready to scoop out and eat !


The finished ice cream - incredibly smooth and creamy

LET'S GET STARTED !
Cuisinart source recipe (ingredients slightly adjusted)

WHAT YOU NEED

An ice cream maker ! The inner cylinder should be frozen and ready for use but do not take it out of the freezer yet.

2 1/4 cups whole milk (full- fat, homogenized)
2 1/4 cup whipping cream (35%)
1 vanilla bean
1 1/8 cup fine granulated sugar
1 1/8 cup dutch process cocoa powder. The higher the quality and darker the chocolate is always recommended
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (pea sized)

MAKE IT

IN LARGE SAUCEPAN, combine milk and cream over MED-LOW heat.
ADD scrapings of vanilla bean and vanilla bean pod to milk mixture
SIMMER for 1/2 hr whisking occasionally.
REMOVE VANILLA POD
IN LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, beat together sugar, cocoa powder, eggs and egg yolks 4-5 minutes MED speed
SLOWLY pour in 1 cup of hot milk mixture to sugar/egg mixture, beating LOW speed until thoroughly combined
POUR sugar/egg mixture into milk mixture still in saucepan
ADD chopped bittersweet chocolate to milk/egg mixture
WHISK together and simmer over LOW heat until mixtures starts to thicken into creamy custard consistency
REMOVE from heat and whisk in vanilla extract
POUR into heat resistant bowl, cover with cling wrap ensuring plastic touches surface of custard to avoid a pudding skin developing as it cools
LET sit in fridge for 1-2 hours until completely cool

PLACE your frozen ice cream maker insert into machine
FILL with cooled chocolate custard mixture
TURN ON and let blend for 20 minutes
ADD chopped chocolate and continue blending with machine for 5 more minutes
USING a rubber spatula, scrape ice cream into an airtight container suitable for freezing.
FREEZE for 2-3 hours

Eat as-is or dress it up - Super topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, nuts and a cherry!

Also Seen Here:

Banana Sour Cream Muffins with Pecans

Unfortunately, my banana nut muffin post was lost in the Blogger mishap so I will re-post again with the hopes that you will see this in time to make a fresh batch of these lovely muffins for your weekend treat !

I decided to make these yesterday morning when I was again faced with one overly ripe banana on the counter; the only survivor of a bunch I purchased at the start of the week. Rather than adding to my growing stack in the freezer, I wanted a recipe where only one banana would suffice and muffins came to mind.

These muffins have several key ingredients to ensure optimum moisture: sour cream, milk, oil and of course, banana. The addition of nutmeg and cinnamon are wonderful complimentary flavors to banana in baked treats. These muffins have a soft, cake-like, consistency and are perfect plain, with butter, jam or even a smear of cream cheese.

Throw in some nuts during the final mixing stage to give them great crunch. Top them off with turbinado or demerara sugar right before baking. My girls love theirs with chocolate chips so just swap out the nuts for sweet little morsels of " I can't get enough" chocolate if you prefer.


LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 large) mashed banana
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/4 cup full fat sour cream
1/3 cup oil (a neutral flavored oil is needed. I use Becel)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 375F
LINE 12 MUFFIN CUPS with paper liners

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 6 ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining wet ingredients except nuts
ADD wet ingredients to dry ingredients folding in nuts at same time. Fold together just until combined
FILL muffin cups to the top (as they do not rise too high and won't overflow the tin).
BAKE 18-20 MINUTES or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

ENJOY !