Monday, July 11, 2016

Lemon Custard Cake

Another great option for summertime treats, this lemon custard cake it great alone, with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or topped with juicy berries (my personal preference).
Do not be alarmed by the runny consistency of the batter - that is exactly how it is supposed to be.   The cake firms up quite a bit once cooked and cooled.

Lemon Custard Cake
Recipe from Give Recipe

4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter (1 cube)
3/4 c. flour
2 c. milk, lukewarm
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (1 Tbsp. lemonaide powder)

Separate egg whites and egg yolks.
Beat whites in a bowl until stiff and put aside.
Whisk egg yolks, vanilla and sugar until creamy.
Add melted butter and mix for half a minute.
Add the flour and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.
Continue beating as you add the milk gradually.
Gently fold in the egg white, one third at a time.
Fold in the grated lemon zest.
Pour very runny batter into a greased 8x11" baking dish.
Bake at 320 degrees for 60 minutes.
Let cool.
Dust with powdered sugar or top with fresh fruit.  I ended up putting mine face down on a platter first, but you can't really go wrong here.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Cobbler meets granola bar in this fantastic oatmeal breakfast alternative.
I altered the sugar content significantly to make this a bit more morning friendly rather than "treat worthy", and we don't miss it at all!  The berries are plenty sweet and this satisfies even my pickiest oat eaters.
You can dive in fresh out of the oven, and your bowl of breakfast will literally look like berry cobbler, or you can wait for them to cool and cut into bars; perfect for snacks or breakfast on the go.  We love these.
The original recipe calls for frozen berries, coating them in cornstarch to keep the juices down.
However, it is significantly better using fresh, so that is what the recipe below indicates.  If all you have is frozen, simply add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch to the frozen berry mixture before adding to the pan.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Recipe modified from Delightful E Made

2 1/4 c. Quick Oats
2 1/4 c. flour (we use whole wheat)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, mixing until combined.
Melt butter and pour over ingredients, stirring until combined and crumbly.
Pour 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into a greased 9x13" baking pan, pressing down to form a crust.
Arrange berries over crust.
Evenly sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture over berries, breaking up with fingers as you do.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve immediately for cobbler style, or let cool before cutting into long bars.
Refrigerate leftovers.