Homemade Shamrock Shakes!

Now that we're almost to St. Patrick's Day, who wants SHAMROCK SHAKES?!?

2 C vanilla ice cream
1-1⁄4 C 2% low-fat milk
1⁄4 tsp. mint extract
8 drops green food coloring

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Stop blender to stir with a spoon if necessary to help blend ice cream.

Pour into 12-ounce cups and serve each with a straw.

Cleveland Cassata Cake

In honor of DD#3's birthday today, I thought I'd share the recipe for the cake she requested: Cleveland-style Cassata Cake (this one is very close to Corbo's in Cleveland's Little Italy.)

Yes, I know it looks like a strawberry shortcake but, trust me, it's SO much more!

Cleveland Cassata Cake

2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 1/4 and 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large egg yolks at room temperature
8 large egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the custard:
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups half and half
3 tablespoons cornstarch

For the strawberries:
3 pounds strawberries
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

For the whipped cream:
2 cups chilled heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk together all of the custard ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. Turn down the heat so that the mixture just simmers, and whisk until thick, 1-2 minutes. Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a round of wax paper, and cool. Then, chill custard, covered, for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with lightly oiled parchment paper. Sift together the flour, 1 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt two times into a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together the yolks, water, oil, zest and vanilla until smooth. Stir into the flour mixture. In another large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and beat on high until the peaks are stiff but not dry.

Using a rubber spatula, fold about a quarter of the fluffy egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then very gently fold in the remaining whites. As soon as the egg whites are no longer visible, stop folding. Scrape the batter into the two prepared round cake pans and spread evenly. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in their pans on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a knife around the sides to release the cakes, cover each pan with a wax paper-lined plate, and flip. Gently lift the pans off of the cakes.

Slice the strawberries thinly and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar and stir. Allow the strawberries to soak up the sugar for 1 hour, giving them a stir every so often. Strain the berries, reserving the released juices.

When the cakes are thoroughly chilled slice them in half so you have four layers. Place each layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or plate. Whip the cream and sugar together until stiff.

Place one cake layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with 1/3 of the reserved strawberry juice. Cover with a layer of strawberries, and then a layer of custard. Repeat for the following layers. Then, ice the top and sides of the cake with whipped cream. Top with fresh strawberries.

Chill the cake for at least 8 hours before serving, so that the cake has time to absorb the strawberry juices. Bring to cool room temperature before serving.

Alton Brown's homemade lemon curd recipe is AMAZING!

Do you like lemon curd?  Of course you do!  Do you hate paying $5 (or more) in the grocery store for a tiny jar that you can polish off in an afternoon?  Duh, yeah!  Did you know you can make your own and it's even better than the store bought stuff?  Yeah... no... well...

No more excuses!  Here's a recipe form Alton Brown that makes the easiest, tastiest curd you've ever had.  And, best part, you can sub in mashed raspberries for the lemons for raspberry curd, or limes for lime curd, or... well, you get my point.

Now it's time for me to make some pound cake, to enjoy this with.  Maybe even add a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh berry on top.  

Recipe: Lemon Curd
(Originally from Alton Brown)

Ingredients
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

NOTE: I used a double boiler instead of a bowl over a pan of simmering water. And I canned this recipe in a water bath (10 mins. for each 4 oz. jelly jar) because, well, I like to can things. lol

Dessert: Key Lime Pie

This could be the easiest recipe for Key Lime Pie anywhere... and it's so good! Enjoy!

2 C sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
2⁄3 C key lime juice
1 graham cracker pie crust

Garnish:
whipped cream
thin lime slice

Preheat oven to 325*.

With an electric mixer, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice. Mix just until ingredients are well-combined.

Pour filling into graham pie shell and bake on middle rack for 20 minutes or until filling jiggles only slightly when shaken.

Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Then, cover and chill in refrigerator for at least a couple hours before serving.

Garnish with whipped cream and lime slices, if desired, before serving.

PLEASE NOTE: It's VERY important, as with any key lime pie, to use actual key limes or key lime juice, as the flavor is quite different than regular limes.