Strawberry Lemon Bundt with Strawberry Jam Glaze for #BundtaMonth

Adding lemon juice to butter cake brightens whatever other flavor you’ve chosen and cuts through the richness, while increasing the rise as the juice interacts with the baking soda, creating a lighter crumb.  Whatever fruit or jam you decide to use, always add a bit of fresh lemon. 

This month’s BundtaMonth theme is a favorite of mine because it’s jam, something I always have in the cupboard or refrigerator.  Sometimes homemade, sometimes store bought but always at the ready to add variety and flavor to any baked good.  I started out with a simple pound cake recipe, switching milk and lemon juice for buttermilk and adding a filling of strawberries and jam.  The bottom of the Bundt didn’t brown very much in the oven I’m using, so I ended up leaving it right, as it baked in the pan, so you’ll notice a nice layer of filling at the bottom.  As it turned out, that balanced nicely with the jam on top so you had strawberries coming and going.  We took the cake out to play Pokeno a couple of nights ago, so the extra strawberries I meant to decorate it with didn’t happen.  I forgot them at home.  But, as my friend Gillian does say, “Small matter.”  The cake was just fine without them.

Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup or 225g sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups or 250g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup or 80ml milk
1/8 cup or 30ml fresh lemon juice
Zest 1 medium lemon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:
3/4 cup or 125g chopped strawberries
4 tablespoons good strawberry jam

For the glaze: 3-4 tablespoons good strawberry jam
Optional:  Extra sliced strawberries to decorate the top

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Grease and flour your Bundt pan.

Zest your lemon and then juice it.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla to the milk and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream and butter until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between.

It might look like it’s curdling a little bit but don’t that alarm you.  That look will go away when you start adding the flour mixture.

Add the flour and milk mixtures alternately to the batter, in two lots, mixing in between.

In a small bowl, mix your chopped strawberries with the jam for the filling.

Put half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan and spread it around.

Spoon in the strawberry filling.

Spoon the balance of the batter on top of the filling and spread it out to cover the filling.

Bake for about 40-45 or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool on a rack then turn out.

While it is still just a little warm, spoon the extra jam for glaze on the top of the cake (or on the bottom in the case of mine that didn’t brown) and spread it around with the spoon.

Enjoy!

For all fans of jammy cakes, we have a great round up of Bundts for you this month!

                                                       

Aloha Cake by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen

Blueberry and Lemon Bundt by Holly at a A Baker’s House

Butter and Jam Bundt by Anne at From My Sweet Heart

Cranberry Pear Pumpkin Cake by Kate at Food Babbles

Crabapple Yogurt Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom

Cream Cheese Black Cherry Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Blueberry Jam by Sandra at The Sweet Sensations

Guava Cream Cheese Bundt Cakeby Kathya at Basic N Delicious

Peachy Keen Spice Cake by Kim at Ninja Baking

Raspberry Jam Bundt with Peanut Butter Glaze by Lora at Cake Duchess

Spiced Bundt Cake with Berry Jam & Cream Cheese Swirl by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake with Cranberry Jelly Glaze by Felice at All That’s Left are the Crumbs

Sticky Fig Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple NYC

Strawberry Jam Glazed Spiced Pound Cake with Buttermilk and Orange by Laura atThe Spiced Life

Strawberry Lemon Bundt with Strawberry Jam Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Triple Blackberry Bundt by Tara at Noshing with the Nolands

Here's how you can be a part of #BundtaMonth:

Simple rule: Bake us a bundt using your favorite jam.
Post it before November 30, 2013.
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read – #BundtaMonth: Raspberry Jam Bundt with Peanut Butter Glaze
Add your entry to the Linky tool below.
Link back to our announcement posts.

Caramel Apple Muffins #MuffinMonday

Apple muffins are wonderful plain, but they are kicked up several notches with the addition of caramel.  Add some cinnamon and you’ve got the perfect fall snack.

When I am counting my blessings, friends in Kuala Lumpur are right near the top of the list, along with family and health.  There are a few things in life that keep me sane, and getting together with folks who share my stories and complete my memory is among them.

I am fortunate to be staying with a dear friend and baking in her KL kitchen this week.  It was like old times as we discussed the muffin recipe and decided on caramel and apples.  She put out the paper muffin cups and I was delighted when I saw her choice because, now, I will always remember where I was and with whom I baked these lovely muffins when I see the photos.  Our friendship goes back to my arrival in KL almost 12 years ago, from the time my younger daughter was in third grade and I volunteered to help with the Girl Scout troop.  That baby girl is now finishing the first semester of her third year at university, to give you some perspective.  That’s a long, long time in a mother’s life!  We all did a lot of laughing and crying and loving and growing up in those many years.  It’s been wonderful to refresh our memories and tell stories on each other and to catch up on all the news.  And bake some muffins.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup or 240ml milk
1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil
1 Granny Smith or other green tart apple
24 square or 200g caramels, divided

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing it thoroughly or spraying with non-stick spray or lining it with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir well.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, oil and egg.

Cut half of your caramels into smaller pieces making sure to set aside 12 whole caramels.  Put the cut caramels into the flour mixture and mix so that the caramel pieces are coated with flour and won’t stick together.

Peel and chop your apple into small pieces.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.

Fold in the apple pieces.

Divide half of the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Put one caramel in each and push down slightly.

Evenly divide the rest of the batter among the muffins cup, making sure to cover the caramel.

Bake in the preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted just next to the middle comes out clean.  (The middle should have a sticky soft melted toffee, remember.)

Cool on a rack for a few minutes and then remove the muffins to cool completely.

These are the perfect snack or breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.  Or even a cold glass of milk.

Enjoy!

I even have a helper dog here.  His name is Max. 

Shrimp with Fried Onion Dip Sauce

White wine, sour cream and caramelized onions do indeed make a fabulous dip.  They also make a delicious pasta sauce. 

I recently joined a Facebook group that has resolved to cook and bake from the wonderful cookbook, The New Midwestern Table by Amy Thielen.  Our noble leader asked Amy for permission that was kindly granted.  The first recipe chosen was for a great fried onion dip that will have you throwing your dried onion dip packets away!  The flavors are wonderful and, as I discovered on a recent evening, it also makes a fabulous sauce.  If you'd like to join us, just follow the Facebook link and ask.  You don't have to be a blogger to cook along, you just need to love Amy Theilen's new book.

This recipe has been adapted and expanded from Amy Thielen's Fried Onion Dip.

Ingredients, to serve four
For the dip/sauce:
3 tablespoons clarified butter (Follow these simple instructions here from the fabulous David Lebovitz – starting with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter)
1 onion (about 8 oz or 227g, unpeeled)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes and more, if necessary, at the end
Few good grinds black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
3 cloves garlic
1 small red hot chili pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml dry white wine
3/4 cup or about 185g sour cream
1/4 cup or a little less than 60g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

For the shrimp:
1 1/3 lbs or 600g shrimp or prawns, peeled
Olive oil

For serving:
16 oz or 500g dried pasta

Method
Mince your garlic and chili pepper and chives.  Set aside.  Cut into your onion 1/2-inch or 1cm thick rings.

Heat the clarified butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.  Fry the onions on one side until they get brown and caramelized on the bottom then flip them carefully to the other side.

Cook till the other side is caramelized and then turn them over again.   They will probably break apart at this point but that’s okay.  Just keep frying and stirring till you have a nice deep color all over the onion pieces.

Add the garlic and chili pepper with the white wine and the honey.

Simmer until the liquid thickens and just about disappears, which should take about three or four minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Chop your onion mixture finely with a knife and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the sour cream and cream cheese together until they are completely mixed and smooth.  Add in the chopped onion mixture and most of the chives (reserving some for garnish) and mix well.  Check the seasoning and add a more salt, if necessary.

Transfer to a small serving bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to cook your prawns.  Resist the urge to eat the lovely dip with a spoon.

When you are ready to eat, boil your pasta according to package instructions.  While it is cooking, cut your shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

Pop them in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat and sauté until they are cooked and turn pinky orange.  This takes just a few minutes.

Add in the fried onion dip and let it melt into a sauce over a low heat.

Serve the shrimp and sauce over your drained pasta.  Garnish with the extra chives, if desired.

Enjoy!