Easiest whole lemon blueberry cake

I have been intrigued by the idea of blending a whole citrus fruit into a cake ever since I first heard about the Sicilian practice of using whole oranges in cakes. I complete most kitchen tasks one-handed while holding onto a baby who likes to hang onto me like a sloth, so the idea of a cake in which I could dump everything into a blender was very appealing.

I had high hopes the first time I made a whole lemon  cake. It looked good! It smelled good! It tasted bitter. I thought that might happen because the white part underneath the skin--the pith--is indeed very bitter.

I almost gave up on the idea, but something in the back of my mind kept telling me it could work. So I tried it again and again and again. I finally developed what I think is the easiest whole lemon blender cake with lots of fresh lemon flavor and no bitterness.

The key is to use boiled Meyer lemons.

The bitterness in lemons comes mainly from compounds concentrated in the peel and pith. Meyer lemons have a thinner rind than other lemons. Additionally, boiling the lemons helps tremendously because heat breaks down the compounds that cause the bitterness.

The lemons will look like little deflated balloons when they're done boiling. Then let them cool before using them in the rest of the batter. You can do this the day before to save time.

A few more tips when making a blender cake...

Add the wet ingredients first (lemons, eggs, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract) and blend until smooth. Then add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, thyme), and pulse. Just like with regular cakes, blend only until the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth. Over mixing can result in a dense and tough cake. 

If you choose to use blueberries in the cake, toss them with a little flour before mixing them in the batter. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom when the cake bakes.

The most accurate way to ensure your cake is done baking is to check the internal temperature. The center should be between 200 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit.

I made this recipe in a Vitamix. A food processor will also work well. If your blender or food processor is unable to hold the wet and dry ingredients, blend the wet ingredients and mix separately in a bowl with the dry ingredients.

Easiest whole lemon blueberry cake

Yield: One lemon cake

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

• 6 ounces Meyer lemons (about 3 small lemons)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (180 grams) full-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Optional: 2 Tablespoons thyme leaves
• Optional: 6 ounces fresh blueberries mixed with 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the glaze

• 1 cup (110 grams) powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

For the cake

1. Put lemons in pot with cold water and bring to boil. Boil for about 30 minutes or until lemons look deflated.
2. A few minutes before lemons are done cooking, grease loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inch) and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Drain and discard cooking water. Cut lemons in quarters and discard seeds.
4. Place lemons, skins and all, in large high-powered blender or food processor.
5. Add eggs, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla to blender and blend until smooth.
6. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and optional thyme. Add dry ingredients to blender and pulse until everything is just combined.
7. Toss the optional blueberries into the batter, and gently fold them in.
8. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth top.
9. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until cake is golden and internal temperature registers around 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Let cake cool for 10 minutes. Then remove it from pan and let it continue to cool on wire rack.

For the glaze

1. Once cake is cool, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice. Consistency should resemble glue.
2. Drizzle glaze over top of cake.
3. Slice cake and serve.

Lavender lemon curd mini tarts

 

Spring is finally here, and I'm so excited to start baking with my favorite spring flavors once again, especially lemon and lavender. I love the combination of bright citrus and delicate floral flavors.

The recipe I'm sharing today couldn't be easier (dare I say it's foolproof), and it's the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket and pull out for all the upcoming special occasions, like Easter, Mother's Day, baby showers, bridal showers, etc.

Lavender lemon curd is a twist on the classic lemon curd recipe, and it tastes like sunshine in a jar. Here's what makes this recipe different:

1) It doesn't use eggs or butter. I thickened the curd with cornstarch instead. This is great because you don't have to waste precious eggs, and it's vegan! Also, you don't have to worry about the eggs curdling if you overcook it. That also means you don't have to strain it!

2) I infused the curd with flavor by tying lavender buds in cheesecloth and stirring it in the saucepan while cooking the curd. There are two types of dried lavender buds you can buy: English and French. English lavender is for eating; French is for fragrance. So make sure you use English lavender. Oftentimes, the lavender will say "culinary lavender."

A few more notes about this recipe...

After you remove the curd from the stove, it may seem too runny, but it will thicken as it cools.

I like to add turmeric to lemon curd to brighten the yellow. A little goes a long way. You won't taste it, but it isn't necessary.

You can make and store the tart shells up to two days in advance, but it is best to fill them the day you plan to eat them.

There will be plenty of leftover curd which you can use on scones, as filling in cakes, as a pancake topping, etc.

Lavender lemon curd flower tarts

Yield: Makes about 28 tarts, plus leftover lemon curd

Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

Necessary equipment

• Mini muffin tin
• Flower cookie cutter (about 4" to 4.5" in diameter)
• Cheese cloth
• Twine

For the tarts

• 3 pre-made ready to roll pie crusts

For the lavender lemon curd

• 5 large lemons
• 3 Tablespoons dried lavender buds
• 1 1/2 cup milk, cow or dairy-free
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)

Directions

For the tarts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Unroll pie crust and use flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many flowers as possible. Combine scraps, roll out dough, and cut out more flowers. Repeat process until you run out of dough.
3. Place dough flowers in every other cavity of mini muffin tin, gently pressing down in the center so they touch the bottom.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and cool while you make lavender lemon curd.

For the lavender lemon curd

1. Use a microplane to zest lemons. 
2. Juice lemons until you have 1 cup juice.
3. Place lavender buds in center of cheesecloth. Fold and tie cheesecloth with twine.
4. Combine zest, juice, milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and optional turmeric in small saucepan and place lemon peel-lavender sachet in pan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture comes to simmer and starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Check temperature. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively, check doneness by dipping spoon in curd. If you can draw line on back of spoon and it holds, it's done.
5. Remove sachet from saucepan and pour lemon curd into heat-safe container. Refrigerate to cool.
6. When ready to serve, spoon curd into mini flower tarts and dust with powdered sugar. 
7. Store leftover curd in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Use leftover curd on scones, as cake filling, etc.

Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream Bars

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville Ice Cream, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Fresh blueberries are one of my favorite parts of summer. I went blueberry picking with my mom every year growing up. I loved finding the biggest, plumpest blueberries and popping them in my mouth.

My mom and I would return home with buckets of blueberries, and we sprinkled them on everything—oatmeal, yogurt, salads, etc. But my favorite way to eat them was with ice cream. We would make a quick blueberry sauce with a little sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. I spooned an extra generous portion atop my ice cream for the ultimate blueberry sundae. 

Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Blueberry Graham Delight ice cream reminds me of those sweet summer memories. Their rich vanilla ice cream is mixed with blueberry sauce and ribbons of graham cracker. Every bite is filled with fresh blueberry taste.

I wanted to create an easy dessert with this ice cream—something I could keep in my freezer and pull out to serve others (and myself) for an extra special treat. 

Blueberry with lemon is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I made blueberry ice cream bars using crushed lemon sandwich cookies mixed with butter as the base. I tested the ratio of cookies to butter many times to make sure it was the right consistency and not too hard to cut into.

Of course, the ice cream bars wouldn’t be complete without my favorite blueberry sauce on top. Keep the sauce chilled in your refrigerator and spoon it over your ice cream bars when ready to serve.

I promise you’ll want this tasty time treat stocked in your freezer all summer long! Use this Scoop Locator tool to find Blueberry Graham Delight ice cream at a store near you.

Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream Bars 

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

For the topping

• 24 ounces Hudsonville Limited Edition Blueberry Graham Delight ice cream
• 1 pound blueberries, fresh or frozen (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (9.5 grams)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (5.5 grams)

For the lemon cookie crust

• 16 ounces lemon sandwich cookies (about 24 cookies)
• 4 tablespoons salted butter (1/2 stick), melted 

Directions

For the topping

1. Remove ice cream from freezer and place in refrigerator to soften.
2. Place blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch into medium sauce pot. Set over medium heat and bring to simmer.
3. Simmer about 5 minutes, or until some berries burst and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cool.

For the lemon cookie crust

1. Line 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 2-inch overhang on two sides. 
2. Crush lemon cookies to fine crumbs in food processor or in resealable plastic bag with rolling pin. 
3. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl. Add butter to bowl and stir until evenly moistened. 
4. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press down into even layer on bottom.
5. Spread ice cream in even layer on top of cookie crust and place in freezer until ice cream hardens, at least 1 hour.
6. When ready to serve, use parchment overhang to to transfer bar to cutting board. Cut into 9 squares.
7. Spoon generous amount of blueberry sauce over bar and serve.

Lemon cardamom bars + food trends for 2021

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

And just like that, it's 2021! Happy New Year! Somehow 2020 both dragged on and flew by. Regardless, I am ready to kiss it goodbye! Or should I say quiche it goodbye? (Bad pun!) As we enter the new year, I'm sharing some food trends we can expect to see, as well as some recipes for incorporating the trends into your cooking at home. 

1. Bigger emphasis on breakfast: As more people continue to work from home and no longer have to worry about a long commute, they're finding they have extra time in the morning to focus on breakfast. So long are the days of grabbing a piece of toast or a bagel "to go." Pancakes, waffles, and omelets are no longer just for the weekends. 

2. Kicking up home cooking with gourmet condiments: As more people prepare meals at home and try to replicate restaurant experiences, cooking with gourmet condiments will be a big trend. Condiments are an easy way to add flavor to simple ingredients, plus they have a long shelf life. You can buy the condiments or find a way to make it yourself.

A recipe that combines the first two trends is this southwestern quiche with hot honey!

3. Coffee beyond the mug: Coffee-flavored products will pop up more and more in 2021. You will soon be able to get your coffee fix in the form of granolas, yogurt, and even alcohol. You'll find the flavoring in both sweet and savory treats.

4. Global flavor exploration: International travel is still a no-go, so more home cooks will experiment with global flavors at home. Eastern Mediterranean, North African, East/Southeast Asian, and Indian cuisines are the top influencers for trending ingredients. Personally, I've seen cardamom popping up more and more in the past month. Cardamom is an ancient spice native to Southern India. It's made from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family. It's incredibly diverse and used in both sweet and savory dishes.

This recipe for coffee cardamom nuts combines the previous two trends!

I also wanted to showcase a sweet option for using cardamom. My mom used to always make cardamom bars to give out to neighbors during the holiday season, and they were so good and unique. Recently, I tried a lemon cardamom roll from my new favorite Indianapolis bakery, Leviathan Bakehouse, and the flavor was combination was heavenly! Cardamom is a high-impact ingredient that brings a level of warmth and earthiness to the sweet-tart notes of the lemon. The pastry inspired me to incorporate lemon juice and zest into my mom's cardamom bar recipe, and I'm so glad I did. 

Lemon cardamom bars

Ingredients

For the bars

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Challenge unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
• 1 egg, white and yolk separated
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped raw pecans

For the glaze

• 2 Tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter
• 1 cup (125 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Lemon zest for topping, if desired

Directions 

For the bars

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, cardamom, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until combined.
4. Spread mixture evenly in 7-by-11-inch baking dish.
5. Brush mixture with beaten egg white and sprinkle pecans on top.
6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

For the glaze

1. While the bars are baking, melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Continue to heat the butter until you notice light brown specks at bottom of pan. This should take around 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice.
3. Glaze should be drizzling consistency. If it is too thick, add more milk.
4. Immediately after removing bars from oven, drizzle glaze over top.
5. Allow to cool before cutting. Top with lemon zest before serving.

Classic Avgolemono Soup (Greek lemon, rice and chicken soup)

Avgolemono (pronounced avo-lem-on-o) is a class Greek soup recipe. The word avgolemono means egg-lemon. It doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, in fact, the recipe my yiayia gave me has just 5 ingredients. But don’t let that fool you because the soup is anything but basic.

It is rich and silky smooth and probably unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. It’s the perfect soup when you’re feeling under the weather. The lemon juice soothes sore throats, and the rice can help calm stomach troubles.

The soup appears to be creamy, but the thick consistency actually comes from eggs. Eggs act as a thickening agent in many recipes. But as you already know, raw eggs become scrambled eggs when you heat them, and we don’t want that in this soup (egg drop soup is a different story).

So we must use a special technique called tempering.

Tempering eggs is the process of slowly raising the heat of the eggs to avoid scrambling them. You do this by adding a small amount of hot broth into the egg mixture while vigorously whisking. The process is repeated several times before dumping all of it into the broth.

Staying on the topic of eggs, there seems to be a lot of variance between whether to use only egg yolks or the entire egg.

After much experimentation, I’ve determined this to be the best method:

1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites while the eggs are still cold and before you do anything else! It’s easier to separate yolks from whites while eggs are cold, BUT you want the eggs to warm to room temperature before tempering them. That’s why you should do it first!

2. Whisk the egg whites vigorously before adding the yolks and lemon juice. You want the egg whites almost at soft peak stage. This will help you produce the volume you need to thicken the soup and prevent the egg whites from separating. Once you add the yolks and lemon juice, stir to combine but don't overmix.

Avgolemono soup (Greek lemon and rice soup)
Yield: Serves 8 people
Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Make sure the egg whites are in a large bowl. The egg yolks can be in a smaller bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice to the egg yolks but don't mix. Set aside.
3. Drizzle olive oil in bottom of pot at least 3 quarts in size and warm to medium heat.
4. Brown chicken in pot, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate and shred. It should be cooked at this point. If it's a tiny bit pink don’t worry because it will finish cooking in the stock with the rice.
5. Add onion to pot and cook until tender about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
6. Deglaze pot with a couple of tablespoons of stock. Add the rest of the stock, rice, salt, pepper, and shredded chicken. 
7. Bring stock to boil and let simmer for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
8. Once rice is cooked, turn heat to low.
9. Going back to your eggs, vigorously whisk egg whites until they’re thick and frothy, about 2 minutes. 
10. Add the yolks and lemon juice to the egg whites and whisk slowly until just combined. Don’t whisk too much or you’ll lose the frothiness!
11. While whisking, slowly add 1 cup of hot soup from pot to bowl with eggs and lemon juice. Repeat with several cups of soup, all while still whisking. 
12. Once you’ve finished tempering the soup, add it back to the pot, remove from heat, and stir.
13. Serve with fresh parsley!

Chocolate Cheesecake Easter Eggs

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I'm celebrating Easter with these cheesecake-filled chocolate Easter eggs! I initially wanted to buy chocolate eggs and cut the tops off, but I couldn't find chocolate eggs in stores. Well, I should say I couldn't find them for under $5 which is ridiculous, and you should absolutely not pay that much money for a hollow egg.

So I made the chocolate egg all by myself using a balloon because I'm an I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T woman. It is incredibly easy to do, all you need is a water balloon and melted chocolate. But before you move onto the recipe I have a very important tip! And if you're tired of my rambling and you've already move onto the recipe PLEASE COME BACK! What I'm about to say is very important for the well-being of the state of your kitchen, your clothes, and your sanity. You absolutely must wait for the chocolate to cool completely before you dip these balloons! If you don't wait, the balloons will pop causing the melted chocolate to fly everywhere. Each time you heat up the chocolate, you should wait until the bowl is not warm to the touch, or about 10 minutes. You may only get a few dips out of it before it starts to harden again, so you'll need to reheat it and wait until it cools again. But that's okay. Do what I do while I'm waiting and "rest your eyes."

Also, if you don't like the way one of your bowls turned out, you can always remelt it and try again. There will be no wasted chocolate in the making of these Easter eggs!

Another tip: If you find that the water balloon is sticking to the inside of the chocolate egg, it's because you didn't let it cool off long enough. Refrigerate your eggs a little longer and try again.



Chocolate Cheesecake Easter Eggs
Yield: Makes about 6 chocolate eggs
Ingredients

• 8 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled
• 8 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• About 1/2 cup lemon curd or lemon pie filling, just enough to make yolks
• Also: Water balloons

Directions

1. Dip balloons in chocolate so bottom portion and part of sides are completely covered. Set on baking sheet covered in wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make cheesecake filling by beating together cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla.
3. Pull balloons out of refrigerator and pop balloons. Peel balloon away from inside of egg.
4. Fill eggs with cheesecake filling. I recommend putting the filling in a large plastic bag, cutting off one corner, and piping it in.
5. Add a dollop of the lemon curd to look like a yolk. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lemon Meringue Skillet Dip

Lemon meringue pie was always my grandfather’s favorite pie, but the only version I ever remember having was from Marie Calendar. Very few people make homemade lemon meringue pie anymore, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it seems like such a daunting task.

So in honor of my grandpa and Lemon Meringue Pie Day, I came up with a recipe that you can whip together in no time at all. There are just two easy steps to this Lemon Meringue Skillet Dip, and the ingredients are minimal.

The first thing I want to address are the eggs. With this recipe, and with most all meringue pie recipes, you will need to separate the egg yolks and the egg whites. Eggs separate most easily when they are cold, but egg whites whip best for the meringue when they are room temperature. So before you do anything else, I recommend first separating the egg yolks and whites so the whites can sit out at room temperature while you prepare everything else.

As you can see in the ingredient list below, there are very few ingredients in the filling. And it comes together just with a whisk. Which is good because you’ll need to save your muscles for the meringue.

So the way the meringue comes together is basically magic. Well, technically it’s science. You see, egg whites are 90% water and 10% protein. When you beat them together, air bubbles are distributed and the proteins cluster together causing it to foam. But the meringue is very delicate and at risk of deflating. So an acid like cream of tartar steps in to help stabilize the meringue by keeping the air bubbles in place. Even though you add just a small amount of cream of tartar, it’s very important for the structure of the meringue.

I’ve said this before (just a few sentences ago, in fact) and I’ll say this again — the meringue is very delicate! When it’s time to add the sugar, it’s important to only add it one tablespoon at a time so you don't knock the air out of the meringue. The meringue is done when you lift the beaters and the tip stands straight up. This is called a stiff peak.

For my last meringue tip, I want to talk about giving the meringue texture. Rarely do you see meringue spread smoothly on a pie. One of the things that makes it so beautiful is the texture, or curled peaks. You can create the curled peaks by using the bottom of a spoon to create an indent in the pie and then lift up. The meringue should lift up with the back of the spoon and curl up.

My intention for this recipe was that it would be eaten like a dip, but after trying it I realized it’s with something as delicious as this, there’s no shame in grabbing a spoon and digging in.



Lemon Meringue Skillet Dip
Ingredients
For the filling

• 28 ounces sweetened condensed milk 
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

For the meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 8 Tablespoons of sugar

Directions
For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix together sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest; set aside

For the meringue

1. Combine egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar
2. Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until soft peaks form
3. Switch mixer to high speed and add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time
4. Continue beating until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form

Assembly

1. Spread filling into bottom of 10-inch prepared cast iron skillet
2. Spread meringue on top of filling; use back of spoon to form peaks
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meringue peaks start to turn brown
4. Serve immediately with graham crackers 

Blueberry Lemon Monkey Bread

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Every year on Mother’s Day I’m stumped. I have the hardest time trying to find a gift for my mother.

What do you get the most important woman in your world? What do you get the woman who gave you life… the woman who selflessly serves the needs of your family… the woman who compromises her sleep to ensure your well-being… the woman who loves you unconditionally?

If you have the answer, let me know. In the meantime, my mom’s getting a plant, ha!

But seriously, my mother is the hardest person to shop for. She’s definitely not a “material girl,” and she doesn’t care for perfumes or jewelry or purses. So if you’re in a similar situation, I recommend making your mom something to eat! The way to any woman’s heart is through her stomach. That saying is typically reserved for men, but trust me, it applies to women too!

This year for Mother’s Day I really wanted to make something unique. One of my favorite spring flavor combinations is blueberry-lemon, and somehow I got the idea that it would work well as a monkey bread. I always have monkey bread on my mind. And although it took a few tries to perfect, I love the way it turned out. I think it’s the most beautiful brunch recipe I’ve ever made.

I’m going to walk you through the process of how I made it so you don’t make the same mistakes I initially did.

The first step is to macerate your blueberries, and it’s important to note that you should allow plenty of time for this. If you don’t know, macerating draws out the natural juices in fruit so it develops a thin syrup. You do this by adding sugar to the bowl of berries. That’s really all it takes. Because blueberries have skin, the maceration process takes a bit longer. I recommend doing this step up at least several hours in advance. If you didn't prep that far ahead, don’t worry about! But try to at least let them macerate for a half hour.

Secondly, don't forget to add butter to the dough mixture! If you skip this step, the dough is more likely to stick to the pan. I always use Challenge butter because they use 100% real cream without any hormones, additives, or fillers, and I think it makes a big difference in the taste.

Next, when you add the blueberries to the bundt pan, add half of the biscuit dough first, then add all of the blueberries, and finish with the remaining biscuit dough. It’s important that the blueberry layer goes in the middle. I tried adding the blueberries a couple of different ways, and this looks the best by far!

Lastly, don’t wait too long to flip the monkey bread out of the bundt pan after you bake it! I like to invert the monkey bread onto a plate about 20 minutes after removing it from the oven. If you wait too long, it will stick to the pan and fall out in pieces. I’ve had that happen before, and it’s the worst!

Let me know if you make Blueberry Lemon Monkey Bread for your mom for Mother’s Day, and thank you to all of the strong, gracious mothers out there! You don’t hear it enough, but we appreciate you!

Blueberry Lemon Monkey Bread

Ingredients

Macerate the blueberries

• 1/2 pint blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the monkey bread

• 2 (16 ounce) cans refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons lemon zest
• 4 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Macerate the blueberries

1. Combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice; set aside until ready to use. You can make this up to a day in advance.

For the monkey bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; prepare bundt pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Cut each biscuit into quarters, and add dough to large bowl.
3. Add sugar and lemon zest to bowl, and mix until all of the sugar sticks to the dough.
4. Add melted butter to bowl, and mix until dough is coated.
5. Evenly spread half of dough along bottom of bundt pan; add all of the blueberries.
6. Finish by layering the remaining dough on top of the blueberries.
7. Bake monkey bread for 30 to 35 minutes, or until dough looks golden brown.
8. Let monkey bread cool for 15 to 20 minutes before inverting it onto a plate.

For the icing

1. Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. The icing should be thick, but it should flow enough that you can still drizzle it. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
2. Drizzle icing over monkey bread and serve.

Recipe adapted from Mind Over Batter

SWEET SUMMERTIME LEMON BARS

It may not technically be summer yet, but it certainly feels like it! And thank goodness. I've been awaiting warm temperatures since last October! However, this year I'm a little depressed because it's my first summer without a "summer break." Apparently they don't let you take 12-week summer vacations in the working world. Who knew?! 

So when I was looking through old recipes recently and saw this one, I just knew it would be the perfect cure for my depression. Nothing says summertime quite like bright colors and citrus fruits.

I'm generally not the biggest fan of lemon-flavored treats, but just thinking about these bars makes me salivate. There's something so wonderful about the contrast between the buttery shortbread crust and the tart filling. And of course they're topped with a generous layer of powdered sugar for the perfect sweetness.

This recipe comes from my mother's long-time friend Jane. My mom keeps the recipe in a hand-written recipe book, so you know it's a classic!

SWEET SUMMERTIME LEMON BARS

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For The Crust

·       2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

·       2 cups all-purpose flour

·       1/2 heaping cup confectioners’ sugar

For the Filling

·       4 large eggs

·       2 cups granulated sugar

·       1/2 cup lemon juice

·       1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.

For the Crust

1.     In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients and mash the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork until a sandy, crumbly mixture forms.

2.     Transfer mixture to prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to press crumbs down and form a flat layer of crust.

3.     Prick crust with a fork haphazardly in a dozen places so air and steam can escape while it bakes.

4.     Bake crust for 16 minutes. It should not be golden at all; it should still be white.

5.     Let crust cool for 20 minutes.

For the Filling

1.     In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

2.     Add the flour and whisk until lumps are gone.

3.     Pour mixture over crust and bake for 22-25 minutes or until the top has set and isn't jiggly and runny in the center.

4.     Allow bars to cool at room temperature for at least an hour.

5.     Cover pan and refrigerate for at least three hours before slicing.

6.     Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

7.     Store extra bars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This is what your shortbread crust mixture will look like. Nice and crumbly.

Spray pan with non-stick spray and press crumbs down with the bottom of a spoon.

The lemon filling

After bars have cooled off, sprinkle make it rain powdered sugar. Lots of powdered sugar.

The finished product!