Lemon Coconut Pound Cake

I was invited to attend a baby shower today.  I've met the Mom-to-be on a couple of occasions as she is a  dear friend of one of my best friends (who will be known as "driving force" since she is the one who encouraged me to start this blog) .  Of course I said "I would love to".  "Driving Force" asked me to bake the above mentioned pound cake that she found in the latest issue of  Southern Living Magazine (I bake fairly well, some even say damn good!).  Why not?  I love experimenting with a new recipe on people for the first time.  Yeah I know, that's not the way you should do it, but I say why not.  At least you can get realistic feed back.  In case you haven't noticed, you can always tell how a recipe is going over by watching peoples faces.  No matter how hard people try, if it isn't good, you can tell by their expression.

The Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake Loaf looks absolutely yummy.  They also have some other really tasty looking treats including "Bacon Peanut Truffles" (Driving Force is making these for tomorrow and I will report back on how they came out) and "Cantaloupe-Bacon Relish" that I just can't wait to try.  There are a total of 7 pound cake recipes in this issue and I will be trying a couple of them.  Especially since berry season is approaching and I love fresh berries with pound cake.

So for my last post of the week I bring you--------------

Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake

Total: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  butter, softened
• 1 1/3  cups  granulated sugar
• 3  large eggs
• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/2  cup  sour cream
• 2  teaspoons  lemon zest
• 1  cup  sweetened flaked coconut, divided
• Lemon Glaze

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
2. Stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and 1/2 cup coconut. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.
3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
4. Spoon Lemon Glaze over cake, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut.

Coconut Curlicues
Add a sweet tangle of fresh coconut shavings to any cake that could use an elegant, tropical note. Pierce 2 coconut eyes with an ice pick and hammer; drain liquid, and reserve for another use. Place coconut in a 9-inch cake pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until shell begins to crack; cool 10 minutes. Break open the outer shell with a hammer, and split coconut into several large pieces. Separate coconut meat from the shell using a sturdy, blunt-ended knife, and rinse in cold water. Cut thin strips from the meat using a vegetable peeler. Use immediately, or layer between damp paper towels in an airtight container, and chill up to 2 days.

Note:  The coconut curls are easy to make!  Have a terrific weekend everyone and Happy Cooking and Eating!

St. Patrick's Day Leftovers or Time for Bubble and Squeak

Hopefully you had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and enjoyed some Corned Beef and Cabbage.  Now you are sitting with a fridge of left over Corned Beef for sandwiches and are wondering what in heck to do with the potatoes and cabbage that are left over.  Bubble and Squeak to the rescue.  There are a number of versions to the recipe but here is a simple and quick one for you.  You can make it with or without meat (since today is meatless Friday), but I happen to love adding some cooked chopped bacon to mine!

Bubble and Squeak Recipe (using leftovers)


cooked potatoes (roughly mashed)
cooked cabbage (chopped) - I also use any other veg from the corned beef like carrots, celery
1 small onion - finely chopped
3-4 slices thick sliced bacon, cooked and chopped (reserving bacon fat to saute onion)

Cook your bacon and set aside to cool before chopping.  Add chopped onion and saute until soft.  Remove from pan.
In a bowl smash potatoes (leaving them slightly chunky).  Add chopped leftover cabbage and vegetables, sauteed onion and chopped bacon.  Mix lightly until everything is incorporated.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
Form mixture into individual patties and place into lightly oiled non stick pan on medium high heat.  Brown thoroughly before flipping and brown the other side.

That's it!  I had mine this morning with a fried egg on top.  Not bad, but as Pat would say, that's not the way to eat it.  Serve as side dish, or entree with a salad on the side.