Lemon Meringue Custards w/ Butter Cookies

Serves 4-6

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar for custard plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar for meringue
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from 6-8 lemons)
3 eggs, whites and yolks separated, both reserved for use
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups cold water
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla

Custard:
Have four 6 oz. custard cups at the ready, or six 4 oz. custard cups.

In a medium saucepan whisk together 1 1/4 cups sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 1/4 cups water. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. After 7-10 minutes, the custard will start to thicken. Remove from heat when bubbles have disappeared and mixture is thick. Stir in butter until melted. Divide between custard cups. Chill in refrigerator while preparing the meringue.

Meringue:
The meringue is browned in the oven or with a kitchen torch. If using the oven, go ahead and preheat to 400 degrees. Skip this step if using a kitchen torch.

Fill a medium saucepan 1/4 to 1/3 full of water and bring to a simmer. Combine egg whites, remaining sugar, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla in a heat-proof glass bowl. Have ready your hand mixer and a candy thermometer. Place bowl over simmering water and beat with hand mixer on low speed until temperature reaches 160 degrees on the thermometer - this won't take long! Remove from heat and beat until stiff peaks form.

Remove custards from refrigerator and top with meringue. Place on a baking sheet and brown meringue in oven for 6-8 minutes (keep a close eye on this) or brown with kitchen torch.

Serve at room temp. or chilled - delicious either way!

Butter Cookies

Yield: about 3 dozen 3" cookies

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (3/4 lb.)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Generous pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together. Don't over mix! Beat until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix again briefly. Sift together flour and salt and add to the butter mixture; mix on low until just combined.

Turn dough out onto a piece of wax paper and top with another sheet of wax paper. Roll into a flattened disk. Chill for 30 minutes. Dust work surface with flour and place dough - wax paper removed - on surface. Roll dough to 1/2" thickness and cut into desired shapes - I used small round fondant cutters, the largest at 3". Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown and fragrant.

Note: If making small holes in the 3" round cookies as I did, cut the smaller holes just after the cookies come out of the oven.

Guiness Chocolate Cake

Cake Ingredients

• 250 g (1 c. and 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 250 ml (1 c.) Guinness
• 75 g Dutch process cocoa ( 3/4 c.), sifted
• 275 g (2 + 1/4 c.) all purpose flour, sifted
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 400 g (2 c.) sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 150 ml (2/3 c.) sour cream
• 1 tbsp. good quality vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

• 300 g (1 + 1/3 cup) cream cheese
• 150 g (1+1/2 c.) powdered sugar, sifted
• 150 ml (2/3 c.) cream, whipped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

1. Add butter, cocoa and Guinness to a saucepan. Warm over a medium heat and stir until melted. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly.

2. Add flour, baking soda and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together well. Pour in the Guinness/cocoa/butter mixture, lightly combine, add the vanilla, eggs and sour cream and beat everything together until well combined. The batter should be thick and dark chocolate in color.

3. Pour into a greased and lined 10″ angel food pan (or another straight-sided tube pan) and cook in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake.*Note: This cake is very moist inside, so use your judgment regarding the skewer test. Do not leave in the oven until the cake has totally dried out — cook long enough so there is no uncooked cake on the skewer but there may be a few moist crumbs sticking to it after an hour of cooking. [Please note: Katie baked this in an 8.5" x 3.5" pan. If you make this in a regular angel food cake pan, you should start checking for doneness at least 15 minutes early.]

4. Leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the cake tin and placing on a wire wrack to cool completely.

Frosting Instructions

1. Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat on a low-medium speed using a whisk attachment (I find a paddle attachment tends to over-beat the cheese). Whisk until the cheese is smooth and there are no big lumps remaining.

2. Gradually, using a large spoon, add in the sifted powdered sugar and beat gently to combine. After 2 to 3 minutes, stop the machine, scrape any excess frosting from the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed until lump free.

3. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the whipped cream, mixing to fully combine.

4. Place cooled cake on a cake stand and add the frosting, spreading out just to the edge without going over the side (never go over the sides of the cake) until the cake resembles a pint of the creamy black stuff! The idea is to capture the essence and simplicity of a pint of Guinness. Sláinte!

Cinnamon Roll Pulls

Cinnamon Roll Pulls

1 unsliced round loaf sourdough bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make Vanilla Honey Butter: Whip butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar together until smooth; stir in honey and vanilla. Set aside. (You can use regular butter if desired)

Cut the bread lengthwise into 1/2" slices, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread vanilla honey butter in between slices. Rotate the bread 90 degrees and slice the bread again into 1/2" pieces, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread more vanilla honey butter in between new cuts. This doesn't need to be perfect - just make sure there is lots of butter in between all the cuts. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Generously sprinkle in between all cuts. (You may have extra butter and cinnamon sugar. It will just depend on how large your bread loaf is.)

Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until bread is warm. Unwrap cinnamon bread and place on serving platter. Combine powdered sugar and milk - adding milk until you get the consistency desired. Drizzle icing over bread and serve immediately.

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick oleo, margarine or butter (I used butter)
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups oatmeal (old fashioned rolled oats, not instant)

Mix the sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk in a medium saucepan.* Boil for 1 minute.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix quickly until peanut butter melts, then add the oatmeal and mix til well blended.

Drop spoonfuls on tin foil, wax paper or parchment. Allow to set and cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen 3 inch cookies.

NOTE: *I opted to pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl before adding the oatmeal.