sugar – Aubrey About Town https://aubreyabouttown.com The going-ons of SF party host & chef, bon vivant, homme du monde, & man-about-town Wed, 30 Sep 2020 22:48:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://i0.wp.com/aubreyabouttown.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-43DD7C41-CD23-44CF-9EC7-C1D81E967BB4.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 sugar – Aubrey About Town https://aubreyabouttown.com 32 32 58900657 Haute Living Magazine Feature: Meyer Lemon Squares https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/meyer-lemon-squares/ https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/meyer-lemon-squares/#respond Sat, 11 Jul 2020 22:18:48 +0000 http://aubreyabouttown.com/?post_type=recipe&p=1859 I was delighted when Haute Living Magazine asked me to share one of my quintessential summer favorite recipes, my Meyer Lemon Squares In their inaugural ‘Haute Kitchen’ section in their July/August 2020 issue. I hope you enjoy these refreshing and tart treats! To read my feature in Haute Living, CLICK HERE.

Meyer Lemon Squares
When my friends, Gil & Kyle lovingly surprised me with a sack of Meyer lemons from their tree, I just had to bake something as sweet as their gesture. The use of Meyer lemons in these zesty squares makes for a marvelous alternative to the traditional lemon. Try with regular lemons, limes, oranges, or any citrus you may have!
Servings16 squares
Prep Time20 mins.
Cook Time20 mins.
Passive Time2 hours
Ingredients
For the Cookie Crust
For the Meyer Lemon Filling
Instructions
To Prepare Cookie Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8” square cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour, and sugar.
  3. Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles wet course sand.
  4. Evenly distribute crust mixture in the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Press crust mixture to compact.
  5. Bake in 350 oven for 12 mins. Remove. Allow to cool completely.
To Prepare Meyer Lemon Filling
  1. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Mix well.
  3. Pour lemon filling over cooled crust.
  4. Bake in 325 oven for 20 minutes, or until the lemon has a slight jiggle when gently shaken. Remove from oven to a rack to cool.
  5. Cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours until set.
  6. Gently lift from parchment paper out of pan and on to a work surface.
  7. Through a sifter, evenly sift A generous layer of confectioners sugar over cooled lemon filling. Cut into 16 2x2-inch squares.
  8. Serve chilled.
Recipe Notes

* I use 24 “Coconut Cocadas” by ‘Mother’s’ brand cookies to make the crust. Seal the coconut cookies (or shortbread cookies) in a large plastic zipper bag and crush into crumbs using a rolling pin or wine bottle.

 

For a perfect addition to your Afternoon Tea service, an 8 by 8-inch pan will yield 24 tea-size Meyer lemon bars. Serve individually in paper cups.  

]]> https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/meyer-lemon-squares/feed/ 0 1859 Lemon-Poppyseed Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/lemon-poppyseed-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/ https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/lemon-poppyseed-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/#respond Thu, 14 May 2020 11:57:34 +0000 http://aubreyabouttown.com/?post_type=recipe&p=2086

Lemon-Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings10 slices
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Passive Time2 hours
Ingredients
Lemon-Poppyseed Cake
Simple Syrup
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Prepare Lemon-Poppyseed Cake
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. Grease bottom & sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds, dust sides with flour.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until mixture becomes very pale and fluffy.
  5. Mix in canola oil.
  6. Mix in one egg and a time, mixing well after each addition.
  7. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.
  8. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  9. Add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix just until combined.
  10. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Mix in remaining 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and finish by mixing in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture.
  11. Fold in poppyseeds.
  12. Scrape sides and bottom with a rubber spatula and gently fold until batter is evenly
  13. incorporated.
  14. Evenly divide batter between two prepared cake pans. Spread into an even layer.
  15. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
  16. Remove from oven let cool in pan 20 minutes.
  17. Invert cakes onto wire racks, cool completely.
Prepare Lemon Syrup
  1. In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar to dissolve sugar.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in limoncello (or lemon juice).
  3. Let cool.
Prepare Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in heavy cream and vanilla bean paste.
  3. Sift in confectioners sugar, mix on low to incorporate sugar.
  4. Beat until fluffy. Set aside.
Assemble the Cake:
  1. Poke 15 holes in each cake layer, brush each layer with 1/4 cup lemon syrup.
  2. Gently peel-off parchment round from one cake layer.
  3. Place cake layer upright on to a 9-inch cardboard cake round.
  4. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top of bottom cake layer, spreading to the edges.
  5. Place top layer top-side down onto first frosted layer, gently peel-off parchment round.
  6. Put a large dollop of frosting into top of cake, spreading it all the way to the edge. Spread frosting on sides of cake in an upward fashion to meet the frosted top.
  7. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly and smooth.
  8. Holding frosted cake from the bottom, gently press in poppyseeds around sides of cake.
  9. Garnish top of cake with a sugar pastillage poppy flower (see notes below). Refrigerate 1 hour to set. Serves 10.
Recipe Notes

My friend, Michelle Capogreco in New York sells the red sugar pastillage poppy seen in photo, as well as other flowers, and custom designs on her Etsy store, Sweetpea Sugar Art

]]> https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/lemon-poppyseed-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/feed/ 0 2086 Classic Southern Sweet Tea https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/classic-southern-sweet-tea/ https://aubreyabouttown.com/recipe/classic-southern-sweet-tea/#respond Fri, 08 May 2020 04:33:08 +0000 http://aubreyabouttown.com/?post_type=recipe&p=1844

Southern Sweet Tea
There is something about a nice tall ice-cold glass of Sweet Tea that always hits the spot on a hot day, and leaves you sayin’ “aww” after that first refreshing sip.
Servings16 glasses
Prep Time10 mins.
Cook Time10 mins.
Passive Time1 hour
Ingredients
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