Starbuck's Lemon Pound Cake...or so they say

This recipe has been floating around FaceBook for the last week and being a lover of lemon, I just had to try it.  Since I'm not a coffee drinker, it's the only thing I can say I have ever purchased from Starbucks!

I don't know if it can truly qualify as a pound cake, but it certain lives up to the name Lemon.

STARBUCK'S LEMON POUND CAKE
2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. Lemon extract
1/3 cup Lemon juice (2 medium lemons)
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil can be found in the baking section of your grocery store

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Well-grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, whisk, and set aside.  In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.  Add the extracts and lemon juice and mix again.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until smooth.  Add the Coconut oil and mix well.  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 minutes.  After 25 minutes, I did lower the temperature to 325F-degrees and covered the top of the cake with aluminum foil for my oven; I would recommend you checking after 25 minutes to see how it's browning.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan 5-7 minutes then invert it on a rack with parchment paper, then flip that onto a serving plate to cool before icing the top.

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. Lemon extract
2 T whole milk
1 T Light Karo Syrup (I added this ingredient, as I do for all my icings, but not called for in the original)

Icing the cake and allow it to set before slicing.

The cake looked and tasted just as I remembered from Starbuck's.  However, the next time I make this cake, I would add lemon zest to the batter and use lemon juice in the icing in lieu of whole milk and lemon extract...just saying!

No one is complaining here though and that luscious lemon cake was a nice treat with the rain coming down--like a bite of sunshine:-D  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies with a Twist and November's Give-Away-Apron

Have you seen the different spreads on the grocery shelves next to peanut butter?  I've been noticing this Chocolate~Peanut Butter by Reese's (need I say more) and decided to buy it to try in a cookie.  So, this is an old-fashioned cookie with a twist.

Peanut Butter cookies were a favorite when I was growing up; great for lunch boxes, but also for M & C's when we got home.  I know today it would be difficult to have your children take these to school because of peanut allergies and in addition, at my granddaughter's school, they're not even allowed to have anything homemade!  It makes me sad, but these cookies make me happy:-D

Peanut Butter Cookies with a Twist
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 jar (13 oz) Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate
2 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 cups Old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups Peanut Butter chips (I used mini)

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees (180C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate and vanilla extract and beat on low to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low to combine.  Finally, add the peanut butter chips.

Use a #20 scoop to measure out the cookies on the parchment-lined sheets.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  Great with a large glass of milk and some conversation with your kids or grandkids.  Enjoy!

Now, as promised...here is the apron for November!

As you can see, I've chosen some pretty rich colors reflecting the beauty of the month.  If you'd like to have this apron for the holidays, just comment on posts in November and I could be sending this beauty your way.

Pumpkin Pie Crumble & October's Apron Winner

Are you ready for the holidays coming?  Well, this might get you in the spirit--Pumpkin Pie Crumble.  I discovered a new magazine on the bookshelf at Barnes & Noble, full of mouth-watering recipes, and yesterday with the crisp air, Halloween decorations, and Trick or Treaters at my door, this recipe stood out!

 My kind of magazine; baking from scratch is why I started this blog so I could show busy women (and men) that it is easy to bake without using a mix or ingredients that are loaded with preservations! It's how my mother taught me and watching her juggling a busy home with eight children--with my Dad at sea often, and she still made everything from scratch.  That's baking with love:-D

I'm trying to keep up sharing with my baking and know I've had some lean months with recipes, but we are starting in to the holiday bake season and I will try to post more--starting with November's apron up by Tuesday.

Pumpkin Pie Crumble
Crust:
3/4 cup + 2T (110g) cake flour
1/2 cup + 2T (125g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup (110g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg

Topping:
1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 T brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Filing:
1 (15-ounce/425g) can pumpkin puree (not Pumpkin Pie Mix!)
2 T brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/4 tsp. ground allspice*
1/8 tsp. ground cloves*
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg*
1 large egg
1/2 cup (80ml) milk

*I used 1 1/4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees/175C-degrees.  Butter a 9-inch round pan with a removable bottom, then, line with parchment paper.  I used my round Springform pan.

For the crust, stir together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add the butter and cut it in until it's the size of peas.  Add the egg and stir until the dough starts to come together.

Dump the mixture into the prepared pan, then, press it evenly into the pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until it puffs up, then settles down and browns a bit.  Remove from the oven.

While the crust is baking, mix up the topping.  In a medium bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients, then, cut in the butter.  Add the chopped pecans and stir until the mixture starts to come together in clumps.  Set aside.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, spices, sugar and salt together, using a rubber spatula or wire whisk.  Mix in the egg, then add the milk and stir until smooth.

Pour the filling evenly over the cooled crust, then sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the filling is set and the top is golden.  Let cool completely before removing the pan sides.

Served on it's own, it was delicious, but I thought a dollop of whip cream would have been nice along side too.  Enjoy!

Now, October's Give-Away Apron goes to Siobhan van N!  Please email me your address so I can send out this lovely.

November's will be up by Tuesday...I promise:-)