Recipes

Blueberry Citrus Cake

Ingredients

1 box lemon cake mix

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup cooking oil

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 T. lemon zest

1 T. orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour two 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pans.  You can also use a 9×13 pan.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, orange juice, water, oil, and eggs.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, increase speed to medium beat for 2 minutes.  With a spoon gently fold in blueberries, lemon zest and orange zest.  Pour batter into prepare pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until something poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean!  Cool layers in pan for 10 minutes and then remove cakes from the pans, and cool them on a wire rack.   For a 9×13 pan simply allow the cake to cool completely.

Frost with Citrus Frosting.  Store cake covered in the refrigerator.

Citrus Frosting

In a mixing bowl combine

1/4 cup butter (softened)

3 oz of cream cheese

Add 3 cups of powdered sugar

and 2 Tablespoons orange juice

Beat until combined.  In a small bowl beat 1 cup whipping cream until soft peaks, add to cream cheese mixture.  Add 2 T. orange zest and 2 T. lemon zest. Beat on low until combined.

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SCONES

Scones are not scones unless you have clotted cream to go with it.  Here is a delightful Scone recipe:

Easy Cranberry-Orange Scones Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix flours, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the orange peel, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup milk, the orange juice and cranberries just until dry ingredients are moistened.

2. On ungreased cookie sheet, pat dough into 8-inch round. Cut into 8 wedges; do not separate.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes.

4. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 2 to 3 teaspoons milk until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over warm scones. Serve warm or cool.

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Or these – I’m drooling already.

Nectarine & Hazelnut Scone Recipe

These scones make the best of sweet summer fruit. Plus, read the story behind them.

cookincanuck.blogspot.com/2010/07/nectarine-hazelnut-scon…

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And what would Martha say? Ginger Scones I suspect,  from Joan Nathan‘s  New American Cookbook.

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Plum Scrumptious

This wonderful recipe for Peach and Plum Cake is from Redbook, takes less than 30 minutes to whip up and would be scrumptious with tea or for Tea.

English Crumpets

The distinguishing feature of real crumpets are their pliable texture and the characteristic holes all over the top surface, into which the generously spread butter melts so enticingly. They are made with a rather thin yeast batter and are cooked on a bakestone in crumpet rings which are about 1″ deep x 3-3½” round. Metal scone or pastry cutters make a good substitute. Makes 12 – 14 crumpets.

Ingredients

3 cups plain white flour
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
2 3/4 cups of warm water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of sugar or honey
2 TBS powdered milk
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 TBS of warm water

Preparation

Combine yeast, sugar and one cup of warm water into a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for about ten minutes. During this time the liquid should develop a foamy head, showing that the yeast is active.
Sift flour, milk and salt into another bowl, and mix well. Make a well in the center of the flour; add the yeasty water and the rest of the warm water.
Using a wooden spoon, mix to a thick batter. Cover with plastic wrap, and stand in a warm place until well risen and bubbly. This will take about an hour. The batter doesn’t rise dramatically, but it does expand somewhat, and the mixture takes on gases, which are necessary in the cooking process.
Combine the bicarbonate of soda and the extra water, and add this mix to the dough. MIX WELL. Then leave this mixture to stand, covered, in a warm place for a further 15 minutes.
Preheat a heavy based fry pan to a low heat such that oils will not burn or smoke
Spray oils also allow you to coat the crumpet rings as you are ready to cook. Place enough mixture into the center of each ring to come almost to the top of the ring. (The dough does rise during cooking, and this should be allowed for in the filling of the ring.) Cook for 4-8 minutes over medium heat, until bubbles appear over the entire surface, and the dough appears ‘dry’.
Remove the ring, turn the crumpet over and cook an additional 30 to 60 seconds to brown the top. Remove from the pan and cool on a cake rack.
If you find that the bottom is too dark (politely referred to as burnt), you are cooking too quickly. Slow it down, relax, and try again. The worst thing that can happen is that you have to make another batch.recipe from Epicurious

Crumpet Rings can be ordered here.