Chicken on a Throne

Pap and I love movies! All kinds of movies. Classics, sci-fi, thrillers, action-adventure, and comedies. And we especially love to go the theater, snuggle in the dark, share a box of popcorn, and become absorbed in a good story.

Well the first of the May Movie Mania starts this weekend with Origins. And I can hardly wait. Because, Wolverine, how fab-o you look. Especially when you're angry. What kind of food could I possibly tempt you with? Cookies, tarts, cream puffs, or cakes probably aren't your cup of tea. A rare steak is definitely more to your liking but any duffous can grill a steak. How about some moist succulent smoked chicken? Yes, I think that could win you over. Just be careful licking the sauce from those lethal fingers.

adapted from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison

Ingredients for Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub:
6 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne

Injection Liquid:
12 ounces beer
1/4 cup oil, preferably canola or corn
1/4 cup cider or white vinegar
2 teaspoons Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub

Two 3 & 1/2-pound whole chickens

Ingredients for Throne Mop:
12 ounces beer
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil, preferably canola or corn
1 tablespoon Wild Willy's Number One-derful Rub

Two 12-ounce cans of beer (no bottles please)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup cider or white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced

The night before you plan to barbecue, combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the injection liquid. Remove the organs from the cavity of the chickens.

With a kitchen syringe, inject about 1/2 cup of the injection liquid deep into the breast and legs of each chicken in several spots. Massage the chickens thoroughly, inside and out, with the remaining injection liquid, working it as far as possible under the skin without tearing the skin. Cover the chickens well with the dry rub, again massaging inside and out and over and under the skin. Reserve at least 1 tablespoon of the rub if you are planning to baste the chickens. Place the chickens in a plastic bag and refrigerate them.

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200-220 degrees.

Remove the chickens from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

While you wait, open the 2 beer cans and drink half and only half of each beer. With a can opener, remove the tops of the half-empty beer cans. Place half of the onion, vinegar, garlic, and reserved rub in each can. Insert the replenished beer cans into the cavities of the chickens, balancing the birds so that they rest upright on their legs bent forward. The cans should sit flat on the grill or on a cooking tray, holding the chickens at attention while their insides are steaming and their outsides are smoking.

If you are going to use the mop, combine the ingredients in a saucepan and keep the mixture warm over low heat.

Transfer the chicken to the smoker. Cook for 3 & 1/2 to 4 hours, mopping every 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate in your style of smoker. When the chickens are done, their legs will move freely and internal temperature should be 180 to 185 degrees.

Let the chickens sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the skins, carve the chickens, and serve.

Lemons, Part 3 of 3 - - Lemon Whoopie Pies

This is a big, fat, two-handed cookie of yumminess. If you put this high up on your summer to do list. The spouse, kids, grand kids, neighbors, friends, or whom ever is lucky enough to taste one of these babies will be forever in your debt.

adapted from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans

Ingredients for Cookie Batter:
1 & ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk

Ingredients for Lemon Cream Cheese Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 & ¾ cups powdered sugar (I used only 1 cup of powdered sugar. But I whipped 8 ounces of heavy cream to a firm peak and then folded it into the frosting.)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Make the cookies. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. The batter may look curdled.

On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour mixture just until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth again.

Drop heaping tablespoons (about 3 level tablespoons each) of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm, about 12 minutes. With the exception of a thin line at the edges, the tops of the cookies should not brown.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the filling. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thoroughly blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. If the filling is too soft to hold its shape, refrigerate, until it is firmer, about 30 minutes.

Turn half of the cookies bottom side up. Leaving a ¼-inch plain edge, use a thin metal spatula to spread each one with about ¼ cup of filling.(An ice cream scoop with a ¼-cup capacity makes quick work of this.) Gently press the flat bottoms of the remaining cookies onto the filling.

Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve cold. The wrapped cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Lemons, Part 2 of 3 - - Front Porch Lemonade

Find yourself the nearest shady spot under your favorite tree. Spread a blanket, kick off your shoes, and prepare to spend some quiet time reading a trashy paperback novel. If you find all that lust making you hot, cool off with an icy glass filled to the brim with fresh cold lemonade. I suppose it's kind of a girly drink, especially with the pretty pansy ice cubes. But even a manly man will welcome a glass after cutting the lawn in the scorching summer sun.

My pansies are huge so I made large ice cubes in custard cups. It's unfortunate, but I'll soon have to dig them up and replace them with an annual that can stand the southern summer heat.

Ingredients:

1 & 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup boiling water

4 & 1/2 cups cold water

1 & 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 12 small lemons)

Directions:

Combine sugar and boiling water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add cold water and lemon juice; stir well. Chill thoroughly.

Lemons, Part 1 of 3 - - Big Soft Lemonade Sugar Cookies

Whoa! It has suddenly become unseasonably very hot here. The normal temp should be in the mid-seventies. Instead, for the last three days it has been mid-to-upper eighties. All of this heat and sunshine has put me in the mood for some refreshing lemon desserts and beverages.

When life gives you lemons, make big soft cookies.

adapted from Taste of Home Ultimate Cookie Collection

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed, divided
Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar; add eggs. Combine flour and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup of lemonade concentrate. Mix well.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks. Brush with remaining lemonade concentrate; sprinkle with additional sugar. Cool.

Homemade Pasta with Italian Beef Roll

Isn't it amazing how so many memories are associated with food. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, parties, barbecues, or just Sunday dinner. They all conjure up images of wonderful meals shared with friends and loved ones.

For me, this 'Homemade Pasta with Italian Beef Roll' does that and more. When my daughter was just a little thing, this dinner was a family project. She learned the long process of making pasta dough. The rolling and resting, more rolling and resting, until at last you have achieved the desired thickness. I think it is important that children learn that meals just don't materialize on their plate. Someone has taken the time to prepare the food that is placed before them.

So I was very delighted when we had dinner together a couple of weeks ago and we recreated our family favorite. The tradition lives on and that makes me very happy.

Ingredients for Basic Pasta Dough:
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
About 1/2 cup water

Directions:
Mix flour and salt. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in just enough water to form very stiff dough. Knead till dough is smooth and elastic. Divide dough in half. On floured surface roll half as than as possible. Cover and let rest a few minutes. Repeat rolling and resting until dough is 21 x 15-inch rectangle. Rest 20 minutes. Roll loosely. Slice 1/8 inch wide. Unroll. Let dry on rack 2 hours minimum. Repeat with other half of dough.

To cook. Drop pasta into boiling salted water and cook uncovered about 8 minutes. Keep warm till served.


Ingredients for Italian Beef Roll:
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon butter
1 glove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 & 1/2 pound round or flank steak
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 pound ground ham
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano


Directions:
With a meat mallet, pound a generous amount of salt and pepper into the meat until it is 1/4 inch thick.

Combine egg, pork, ham, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Spread pork mix evenly over steak. Roll like a jelly roll. Tie with string. In large skillet, brown meat on all sides in mix of olive oil and butter. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender but not brown. Remove from heat. Add cognac or brandy and ignite. When flame burns out, return to heat. Add wine and simmer till nearly evaporated. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste and oregano. Cook and simmer 45 minutes, basting occasionally.

Remove meat, slice and arrange a top hot pasta. Skim fat from sauce and pour sauce over all.

Makes 8 servings.

Chai Cake with Honey-Ginger Cream

The Sky High cookbook by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne is a must for your recipe collection. There are so many unusual and delicious recipes to try. With encouragement from "The Cake Slice Bakers", I am breaking out of my old rut of chocolate... chocolate.. chocolate.

The Chai Indian black tea is what encouraged me to do the Henna Tattoo (I used brown food coloring on rolled fondant. I applied this over the Honey-Ginger Cream). I use to do Henna tattoos years ago. Trust me, real henna on skin is far easier than food coloring on fondant.

Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake

Ingredients:
1 and 1/3 cups of milk
6 chai tea bags, without added sweetener, such as Tazo
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 and 3/4 cups of cake flour*
2 cups of sugar
4 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom**
1/2 teaspoon of salt
8 ounces of unsalted butter at room temp.
[*1 cup of cake flour is equal to 3/4 cup of all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.]

[**Cardamom substitute is an equal amount of ground cardamom OR equal parts ground nutmeg and cinnamon OR equal parts ground cloves and cinnamon]

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. Grease the bottom ans sides of the pans and line with parchment paper. Grease the paper as well.

In a small saucepan bring the milk to a simmer over low med-low heat. Add the tea bags, careful not to let the paper tag fall into the milk. Remove from heat and allow the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and squeeze out the milk. Let the chai milk cool completely.

In a medium bowl mix the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/3 cup of the chai milk. Whisk together.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining chai milk, on med-low speed. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg mixture in three additions scraping between additions. Divide the batter evenly among the pans.

Bake the cakes for 26-28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and peel off parchment paper. Cool completely.

To assemble the cake; place one layer flat side down a serving plate and top with 2/3 cup of icing. Spread to the edge and repeat with second layer. Place third layer on top and spread the remaining ginger cream on top allowing it to drizzle down the sides of the cake like icicles.

Ingredients for Honey Ginger Cream:
2 and 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
6 ounces of cream cheese at room temp.
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temp.
1/2 cup of honey (any kind as long as liquid)
1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger

Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to blend together, then scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse until smooth.

Chocolate Babka Loaf

Nick Malgieri has a delicious recipe in his cookbook, The Modern Baker. How did he know that I've been wanting to make a babka? The man must be physic because he also included decadent swirls of chocolate in his bread. Read my chocolate coated lips, Nick. YUM!!!

Makes 2 loaves (1-1/2 for me and 1/2 for Pap)
2 (8 & 1/2 x 4 & 1/2 x 2 & 3/4-inch loaf pans), buttered and the bottoms lined with rectangle so parchment paper cut to fit.

Ingredients for Babka Dough:
1 & 1/4 cups milk
5 teaspoons (2 envelopes) active dry yeast
8 teaspoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 & 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)

Ingredients for Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (about 4 ounces) walnut or pecan pieces, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it is just lukewarm, about 110 degrees. Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk in the yeast. Whisk in the butter, sugar, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla. Use a large rubber spatula to stir in 1/2 the flour.

2. Place the bowl on the mixer and use the paddle attachment to beat the dough on low speed. Add the remaining flour about 1/2 cup at a time, beating to incorporate between additions. When all the flour has been added, beat the dough for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Beat the dough on low to medium speed for 2 minutes more.

3. Scrape the dough into a buttered bowl and turn it over so that the top is buttered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 & 1/2 hours.

4. While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the chocolate with the sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon, and pulse to grind finely. Pour the filling into a bowl and set aside.

5. After the dough has chilled, scrape it onto a floured work surface and press it out to a rectangle about 10 x 15 inches. Evenly scatter the chocolate filling on the dough. Scatter the chopped walnuts over the filling. Roll up the dough from one long side jelly-roll style and pinch the ends to seal. Use a knife to the roll into 2 equal pieces.

6. Invert one of the rolls, seam side down, into one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the second rolls. Cover the pans with towels or buttered plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature of the room.

7. About 20 minutes before the babkas are completely risen, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

8. Bake until the babkas ware well risen and deep golden, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool on their sides to prevent collapsing.

Foodbuzz and Buitoni

Thank you Foodbuzz and Buitoni for the free sample I received in the mail today. I was like a little kid at Christmas when I saw the package on my front porch. In a heart beat, I had the box ripped open and was clutching the delicious looking Wild Mushroom Agnolotti. Yum!

Time is a wasting. I need to come up with a kick butt recipe to enter before the deadline. Thanks again Foodbuzz and Buitoni.

Cinn-a-Bun Cheesecake

(Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any drool on your keyboard or lick smears on your monitor.)

This is a dessert that you need to share with a large crowd. The caloric count must be through the roof. So for sure you don't want leftovers hanging out in your refrigerator tempting you every evening.

When I discovered this recipe, immediately, the little voice in my head started screaming "This is so bad for you. What the hell are you thinking?" That's when I knew that I had to make it at least once. I know I'm not the only one flirting with a heart attack by wanting to devour a slice. But let's face it, who in their right mind could resist such a decadent combination of cinnamon rolls and cheesecake? Because this is the stuff dreams are made of.

A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Ingredients for Crust:
1 & ½ cups finely crushed cinnamon-raisin cookies or other spice cookies
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Ingredients for Filling:
1 & ½ pounds cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup sour cream or whipping cream
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose floured

1 cup coarsely chopped cinnamon-raisin cookies or other spice cookies
1 cup raisins, plumped and dried*
1/3 cup cinnamon chips, optional
¼ cup butterscotch or caramel sundae topping
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with ¼ cup sugar

*Plumping Dried Fruit
The term plumped and dried means to cover the fruit, such as raisin, with very hot water and let the fruit stand 5 to 10 minutes; then drain and pat dry with paper towels before using in a recipe.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. For Crust, toss cookie crumbs, butter, and brown sugar together in bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Press crust into bottom of pan and spray sides with nonstick cooking spray.

3. For Filling, in a mixer bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream until smooth, scraping bottom and sides of bowl to incorporate everything, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and flour and blend well 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Spoon one-third of filling into prepared pan and top with half each of chopped cookies, raisins, and cinnamon chips (if using). Drizzle on some butterscotch topping. Dust on some cinnamon sugar. Cover with another third of the cream cheese filling and then dust on more cookies, remaining raisins, more cinnamon chips, and more cinnamon sugar (you do not want to have raisins on top because they can scorch).

5. Add last bit of filling and finish top of cake with cookie crumbs, cinnamon chips, and a nice dusting of cinnamon sugar. You want to end up with a streusel-looking topping.

6. Bake 45 to 55 minutes. Turn off oven, open oven door, and let cool in oven 1 hour before removing to fridge. Chill cheesecake at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.

7. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Bittersweet Chocolate Black Bottom Bars

I want chocolate. And I want it now!!! I want to sink my teeth into something gooey and have chocolate dribble down my lip. I want to lick chocolate off my fingers and not wipe them on a napkin. I want to reach for seconds and thirds and not care that others think my butt is already to big. I want chocolate!

Chocolate Chocolate by Lisa Yockelson

Ingredients for Vanilla Cookie Layer:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to tepid, and combined with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & ½ cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Topping:
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon
bleached cake flour
pinch of salt

Ingredients for Bittersweet chocolate Bar Cookie Batter:
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons bleached cake flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
7 tablespoons (1 stick less 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to tepid
2 & ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Film the inside of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the cookie layer. Pour the melted butter-vanilla mixture into the prepared pan. Spoon the cookie crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and press down lightly with the underside of a small onset metal spatula so that the crumbs absorb the butter. Bake the cookie layer in the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Place the baking pan on a rack. Cool for 10 minutes.

Mix the topping using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl on moderately low speed until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Blend in the flour and salt.

Mix the batter. Soft the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. In a small bowl, thoroughly toss the chocolate chunks with 1/2 teaspoon of the sifted mixture.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk the melted butter and melted chocolate until smooth. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until blended, about 15 seconds. Blend in the vanilla extract and melted butter-chocolate mixture. Sift the flour mixture over and stir to form a batter, mixing thoroughly until the particles of flour are absorbed, using a whisk or flat wooden paddle. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Spoon the batter in large dollops on the cookie crumb layer. Carefully spread the batter over the cookie layer, using a flexible palette knife or spatula. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Assemble and Swirl the sweet. Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the bittersweet batter. Carefully swirl together the cream cheese mixture and chocolate batter, using the tip of a round-edged table knife. When swirling the two mixtures, do so gently in wide sweeping movements. Do not over swirl, or the batter will look muddy.

Bake, cool, and cut the sweet into bars. Bake the sweet in the preheated oven for 27 to 30 minutes, or until set. Let the sweet stand in the pan on a cooling rack for 3 hours. Refrigerate for 1 hour. With a small sharp knife, cut the sweet into quarters, then cut each quarter into 6 bars. Or, for big bold bars, cut the entire block in half widthwise, then cut each half into long rectangular bars.

Remove the bars from the baking pan, using a small offset metal spatula. Refrigerate all bars not served on baking day in an airtight container

Poppy Seed Bread with Lemon Curd

Sometimes simplicity is the best. And such is the case with this yummy sweet bread I discovered in Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Breakfasts & Brunch. In a hurry? Then this recipe is for you. I had it mixed together and in the oven within 15 minutes. Need another reason to make this bread? How about the fact that it is not overwhelmingly sweet. It has a wonderfully fresh taste with the lemon zest and curd. And warm from the oven with a slathering of butter, it is pure heaven.

Ingredients:
unsalted butter for pan
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup purchased Lemon Curd

Directions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by5-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until blended. Add the oil, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla and whisk to blend. In another bowl, using a large wooden spoon, stir together the flour, baking powder, and slat. Stir in the poppy seeds. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

3. Using a rubber spatula, spread about three-fourths of the batter in the prepared pan. Using a teaspoon, drizzle half of the lemon curd over the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the curd. The batter will not cover the curd completely. Spoon the remaining lemon curd over the batter. Insert a small knife about halfway into the batter and gently swirl it through the curd once or twice

4. Bake until lightly browned and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack and peel off the parchment paper. Turn the loaf top side up and let cool completely on the rack, If desired, using a fine-mesh sieve, dust thee top lightly with confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Grand Marnier Creme Brulee

http://tartelette.blogspot.com/ has absolutely the most divine food blog. What I wouldn't give to spend a weekend with her and experience the baking, presentation, and the photography. She is in a class above and beyond so many food blogs. How jealous am I?

Even though I can't compete with Tartelette, I knew when I saw these Creme Brulees presented in an egg shell, I would have to give them a try. They are absolutely delicious. But I did have to bake them about 15 minutes longer than her recipe directed. I don't know what I had done wrong, but no worry, the end result was perfect. In addition this recipe makes much more than 8 filled egg shells. So start saving your egg shells well in advance of preparing this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Grand Marnier

Directions:
Prepare the shells: break the eggs you will need for the recipe very carefully. Separate the yolks and whites. Rinse the shells under cold water and leave to dry.

Prepare your pan: take a muffin pan and put a small piece of sandwich bread in the bottom of each cavity and make an indention with your fingers to create a nest for the egg shells. Make sure your pan will fit in a large roasting pan.

In a bowl, whip the egg yolks and sugar until very pale. Heat the cream almost to boiling point. Slowly whisk the cream into the yolks, stirring constantly. Let cool 10 minutes and park in the fridge until completely cold. Pour the batter through a sieve to eliminate foam. Divide among the shells. Put hot water in the bottom of your roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the burnt sugar tops; mix equal parts of brown sugar and white sugar. Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon on top of each shell. Put under the broiler until nicely browned.

Braided Easter Bread With Eggs

Spring is in the air. And let me be the first to give a big HOORAY! I don't know about you, but I am so sick of looking at barren trees. But living in the south has its perks. And one of them is that spring flowers show up about a month or two sooner than other parts of the U.S.

This is the time of the year that I split my time between the kitchen and my garden. Must be the country-girl in me, because I love to play in the soil. And if given a choice, I'd take a shopping to the garden center over a trip to the mall anytime.

Pap is well aware of my obsessive need to buy every pretty plant in the tri-state area. The wild-eyed look appears in my eyes as soon as plant catalogs start showing up in the mail right after Christmas. Then by Easter I am in a crazy frenzy to plant... plant... plant.

I'll be share gardening pictures as things progress. But for now, let's bake something pretty for Easter. And this braided bread is a classic. It's easy to create and has a simple attractive appeal.

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 to 2 & 1/2 cups flour

3/4 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

4 whole uncooked eggs, plain or colored for Easter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, add remaining water and 1 cup flour. Using an electric mixer, mix in yeast until well blended and smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and place in a warm place to rise, 1 to 2 hours. This mixture should double in bulk.

3. In an electric mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar and beat until light. Add lemon juice and rind and salt. Add egg.

4. Add raised yeast mixture and mix well.

5. With a wooden spoon, stir in about 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups of flour. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead to form a soft non-sticky dough. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

6. Punch down the dough with your fist. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long cylinder about 1 & 1/2 inches thick.

7. Loosely twist two pieces of dough together to form a loose braid. Form the braid into a ring shape and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place uncooked eggs into spaces in braid. Cover with plastic wrap and towel and let rise until doubled in a warm spot, about 40 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and towel.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. Remove from the oven. Cool bread in a pan on wire rack. Serve warm or cold. When cool, if desired, frost top of loaf with confectioners' frosting.