Fresh Peach Blueberry Salsa: fruity salsa with a delicious bite! This fresh salsa is so addictive and the peaches and blueberries are a sweet surprise!

I love a good fresh salsa and one of my fave things to do once the tomatoes finally start ripening around here is experiment with new salsas. Last summer I jumped the gun with Watermelon Salsa in July because the tomatoes weren’t even ripe yet. I just couldn’t wait.

Seriously, I almost never pick my first garden ripe tomato until the end of July or beginning of August. (That’s because sometimes it’s still snowing at the beginning of May around here. No kidding. That’s New England.)

So this past weekend we were racing around trying to get a million and one things done around here. The church picnic at the lake was on Saturday and we were packing to take our oldest to college two days later. I was giving haircuts to the bigger boys and making school shopping lists for the younger ones. So I didn’t have time to make anything elaborate for the picnic. (Understatement.) But I had a bunch of garden ripe tomatoes on the countertop to use up before we headed south.

I also had a few ripe peaches in the fruit bowl. The pint of forgotten fresh blueberries in the refrigerator was actually an after thought but took this salsa to the next level. And that’s how this salsa was born.

Truth is, I wasn’t even planning to put this Blueberry Salsa here on the blog. I was in a hurry getting out the door to the picnic and we were already running late. But it was so pretty and delicious I couldn’t resist snapping a few quick pictures.

The amounts of the ingredients are not all that important. I’m just sharing what I used — which is what I had on hand. Add more tomatoes, peaches, blueberries, garlic, peppers etc. according to your taste.

I don’t care for a watery salsa, so here’s a tip for you. I chopped all the fresh tomatoes, then lightly salted them and put them in a colander in the sink. The salt draws water out of the tomatoes. They drained for a bit while I chopped up the rest of the ingredients.

The fun thing about this salsa is it made a large quantity and disappeared fast at the picnic. It’s got to be one of the prettier and more colorful salsas I’ve made. I think that was partly why it went so fast. Plus the blueberries and peaches added an unexpected sweetness. I’ll definitely be making this salsa again and hope you’ll try it while the fresh garden tomatoes are still in season!

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Fresh Peach Blueberry Salsa

Ingredients

• 5-6 large ripe garden tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno minus seeds and ribs, diced tiny
• 1/2 large red onion chopped
• 2 banana peppers seeded and diced
• 1 large red pepper seeded and diced
• 1 large clove garlic crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ripe peach diced (no need to peel)
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• sea salt to taste
• fresh squeezed juice of 1 lime 2-3 tablespoons

Instructions

• Place chopped tomatoes in a large colander in the sink or over a bowl.
• Lightly salt the tomatoes and gently stir.
• Let tomatoes sit in colander and drain while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Combine all ingredients, including drained tomatoes in a large serving bowl and gently stir.
• Salt to taste.
• Serve with tortilla or pita chips!

You may also like: Lime Avocado Black Bean Dip with Feta

The post Fresh Peach Blueberry Salsa appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

French-style crepes are easy to make at home! And these Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes are the perfect weekend treat. Make crepes ahead, then fill with fresh strawberries and cream just before serving.

So what is a French-style crepe anyway? By definition it’s a very thin pancake often filled with meat, cheeses, fruits and/or fillings. Crepes are even thinner than Swedish pancakes, and they’re either sweet or savory. Think breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks.

Crepes: the perfect weekend breakfast!

When the weekend comes, it’s nice to gather around the breakfast table and connect over delicious fare. We can get in the same rut around here for weekend breakfasts. Omelets or scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, coffee cake and fresh fruit. It’s a nice menu, but I wanted to try to something special and a bit gourmet to surprise the boys.

Once in a blue moon we do go out for breakfast, but that gets expensive, especially if you have a family of growing boys like ours. And when they start ordering the large juices, well you can just throw in the towel. The battle has already been lost. We spent a grand total of $80.99 plus a $15 tip on a family breakfast out just last weekend… ouch! (It wasn’t even a fancy schmancy breakfast by the sea, either. Basic omelets etc.)

So I’ve always wanted to make homemade crepes. And then some friends recently downsized and gave me a lovely non-stick Le Creuset 7″ skillet. Very exciting. Once I had the right skillet, I knew I’d try my hand at making crepes. I always thought crepes would be hard to make and that they were always served hot. (Why?)

Since we all love fresh seasonal berries, I thought I’d make Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes first. The filling combines easily and if you have sweet strawberries in season, it’s hard to screw this up.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how easy the process is. The crepes were tender and delicious, and the boys and I enjoyed them for lunch today.

The most important thing I learned is that crepe batter is super simple to make and only uses a few ingredients. I also learned that crepes cook very quickly. You can make them ahead and stack/store them in the refrigerator, then fill them just before serving. So next time I serve crepes for weekend brunch, I’ll make the crepes the night before, then stuff them in the morning. Wonderful timesaver!

How to make Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes:

Slice up the strawberries, toss them with sugar and let them macerate. (Macerate = draw out the sweet juice!)

Then whip up the easy crepe batter in the blender. (So far so good.)

Then heat the skillet over high heat and spray some non-stick cooking spray on it. Pour in a scant 1/4 cup of batter, and tilt the skillet to swirl the batter evenly all around. Return to the heat.

When the top starts to dry out, flip it over.

And voila! A beautiful, golden crepe. Not bad, eh?

While the crepes cool, whip up the easy filling in the blender or food processor – just a few ingredients!

Spoon creamy filling and fresh strawberries in the center of a crepe, then fold in half and in half again. Garnish with more fresh berries, whipped cream and a fresh herb sprig if desired.

And there you have it folks: scrumptious Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes for all to enjoy! Gourmet and delicious.

Tips for making perfect crepes:

• Skillet should be nice and hot. Heat over high heat initially, but you’ll probably need to turn it down to medium once the skillet is fully heated. (Definitely turn down the heat if the cooking spray starts smoking.)
• I used non-stick cooking spray ‘Pam’ with good success.
• A non-stick skillet is nice if you have one. The 7″ size worked well for me.
• It should take about 1-3 minutes to cook each crepe, depending on how high the heat is.
• Flip your crepe when it starts to look dry on the top.
• If you love making (and eating!) crepes, a crepe pan is a good investment. It’s non-stick and has lower sides for easier access and flipping.
• Use a thin metal spatula to easily loosen edges to remove and/or flip crepes.
• Cool crepes before filling.
• Place filling(s) on top, then roll or fold crepes.

Other crepe recipes you may enjoy: Blueberry Crepes with Honey Whipped Cream, Lemon Cheese Cake Crepes and Paleo Crepes with Strawberries.

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Homemade Strawberry Crepes

Easy recipe to make Homemade Strawberry Crepes.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword crepe, crepe recipe, easy crepe, homemade strawberry crepe, stawberry crepe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 7" crepes

Author Allie

Equipment

• 7" non-stick skillet
• thin metal spatula
• non-stick cooking spray, like Pam

Ingredients

Crepes:

• 2 large fresh eggs room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour all purpose
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• optional 1-2 tablespoons white granulated sugar (if you prefer a sweeter crepe)

Strawberry Filling:

• 3 cups strawberries, fresh sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
• whipped cream for garnish

Instructions

How to make crepes:

• Process milk and eggs together in blender for 30 seconds.
• Keep speed low, and slowly add flour and butter, processing just until blended.
• Heat skillet over high heat until thoroughly heated.
• Lightly grease a 7" skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
• Pour scant 1/4 cup of batter onto heated skillet, picking up pan by the handle and tilting pan so the batter swirls over entire bottom of pan evenly.
• Return pan to the heat.
• Cook until bottom of crepe is turning golden, 1-2 minutes.
• Gently loosen edges from skillet and flip to brown the other side.
• Remove from skillet, and repeat process until you have cooked all crepes.

Strawberry Filling:

• Hull and slice strawberries. Lightly toss with white sugar. Set aside.
• Whip cottage cheese in a blender or food processor on high speed. Process until smooth.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir in smooth cottage cheese, sour cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
• Fill crepes with a dollop of cheese mixture and strawberries on top.
• Fold crepe over in half and then in half again.
• Top with more berries and whipped cream.
• Garnish with fresh green lemon balm or mint sprig.

You may also like: Strawberry Cheesecake

The post Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Fruity White Wine Peach Sangria is an easy and delicious summer cocktail made by the pitcherful. (No bartender necessary!)

This refreshing sangria is the perfect no-fuss fruity drink to enjoy poolside with friends and family this summer. Today I’m sharing an easy white wine peach sangria recipe perfect for a holiday weekend!

So we’ve been outside working hard to spruce up the yard for our son Jacob’s high school graduation party in just a few weeks. It always amazes me how much faster the weeds grow than the flowers.

Jon spent a good amount of time wrestling an invasive vine out of a rhododendron bush out front. He seriously filled three or four lawn bags with just the vines. He was also trimming bushes and weed whacking.

I was weeding flower beds and preparing our little patch of earth for the vegetable garden out back.

So by the time we finished all our hard work last Saturday we were in serious need of liquid refreshment. This Fruity White Wine Peach Sangria fit the bill.

If you’re familiar with sangria at all, you know it’s usually red wine, some sweetener and lots of fresh, ripe fruit. So I did a little switcheroo here, and used white wine instead for a more summery cocktail.

While it isn’t the mixed drink I’d serve Queen Elizabeth if she showed up to tea, it’s a great cocktail just the same. It’s a fun fru-fru girly drink, for the record.

Not high end or pricey, but the perfect cocktail to make by the pitcher and serve inexpensively to large groups. This recipe serves many and makes nearly a gallon. It goes a long way and everyone raves about it. (You’ll thank me later.)

A couple notes:

• Use fresh, ripe fruit that macerates well, releasing its sweet juice into the wine. Bad or unripe fruit doesn’t improve, even when soaked in wine.
• And use decent wine. I like to use cheaper or middle of the road wine for sangria. Today I used a bottle of 2014 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Gris and it turned out great.
• Melting ice can dilute, so opt for extra frozen fruit instead to keep your sangria well chilled.
• If you like a really sweet sangria, add simple syrup. Mine was plenty sweet without additional simple syrup.

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Fruity White Wine Peach Sangria Recipe

Sweet peaches macerate in a delicious cocktail for all the pool & patio summer parties! Make this by the pitcherful!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 25.4 ounce bottle white wine try pinot grigio, pino gris or prosecco I used Kendall Jackson Pinot Gris
• 1, 2 liter bottle of peach soda
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 3-5 ripe juicy peaches, sliced thinly
• Optional - add simple syrup if you like it super sweet. I did not add simple syrup
• Optional - one pint blueberries
• Optional - Extra frozen fruit to keep your sangria cold without dilution.

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients into a very large pitcher. (This make nearly a gallon.)
• Add fresh fruit.
• Chill in the refrigerator, letting fruit macerate in the sangria for several hours.
• Serve well chilled with ice or extra frozen fruit.

You may also like: Blueberry Basil Mojito

The post Fruity White Wine Peach Sangria appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you’re a blueberry lover like me, then this Blueberry Pound Cake recipe is for you! It’s a moist, dense, buttery cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’re set!

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Blueberry Season Means Blueberry Pound Cake!

Blueberry picking season is just around the corner here in New England, and I’m so excited. A homemade blueberry pound cake is New England summer at its finest, and delicious cakes like this are served in Maine restaurants all summer long. And my Jon loves all things blueberry. And I remember as kids we used to buy blueberry jelly beans, share the whole bag in one sitting. We’re not eating so many jelly beans these days in our forties … But we do like fresh blueberries best, and we pick pounds of New Hampshire blueberries every July to enjoy fresh or freeze to use throughout the Fall and Winter.

We mostly eat blueberries straight, but we also like putting them in baked oatmeal, blueberry tarts, blueberry shortbread, and even homemade blueberry ice cream. But we especially love eating this delicious Blueberry Pound Cake. And trust me, you will, too!

Cake recipes can be tricky, but this has gotta be one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever baked. There are no special tricks or temperature settings. It always turns out a beautiful golden brown, looks gorgeous with the sparkling white sugar on top. So, grab your fork, and get ready to dig in!

Key Ingredients

You only need few fresh ingredients and some pantry staples to make this delicious and easy blueberry pound cake, including: a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries (washed and drained), all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter (softened to room temperature), eggs (also at room temperature), granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, white sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling, and fresh whipped cream for serving.

How To Make Blueberry Pound Cake

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 325°, and toss the washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup flour. Set aside. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
2. Make the Cake Batter: Separately in mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar together with hand or stand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, but still being careful not to over-mix. Add vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients by hand into batter until well blended (it’s OK to see streaks of flour). Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to burst them.
3. Bake: Pour into greased and floured 10″ tube pan. Sprinkle with the sparkling white sugar, and bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and tests done. (You can stick a toothpick into the center. if it comes out clean, it’s ready.)
4. Cool: Allow the blueberry pound cake to cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle. Carefully remove the cake from pan, and cool on a baking rack.
5. Serve: Slice the cake, and serve with fresh whipped cream, grated lemon zest, and some mint leaves. Enjoy!

Tip: A fresh slice of Blueberry Pound Cake is delicious served with Triple Easy Homemade Lemonade!

Tips and Variations

• Toss your blueberries in a little flour before folding into the pound cake batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
• Measure all the ingredients carefully beforehand, and have them at room temperature — especially the butter and eggs in this case — to prevent lumps and to ensure a smooth cake batter.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix on low speed and until ingredients are just incorporated. It’s OK to still see streaks of flour.
• Bake on your middle oven rack, and start checking at the 55-minute mark. However, if the top isn’t even golden brown, don’t open your oven yet. Repeatedly opening and closing the oven to check a cake before it’s done causes it to fall.
• Switch up the berries in this pound cake recipe! Raspberries, sliced strawberries, blackberries, and even cranberries would be delicious here.
• Double-up the blueberry flavor by serving this homemade pound cake with my favorite blueberry ice cream.
• Or keep it simple by serving warms with a pad of softened butter and a glass of cold milk!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

• Store cooled, leftover blueberry pound cake in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze this cake whole or by the slice for up to 3 months. Wrap securely in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container or plastic bag.
• Reheat this homemade pound cake by letting it come to room temperature from chilled or frozen, warming in the microwave, or toasting in the oven.

MORE CAKE RECIPES TO TRY

• Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheese Cake
• Brick Street Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheesecake

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Blueberry Pound Cake

A moist, dense, buttery pound cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 pint blueberries washed and drained
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar
• optional: serve with whipped cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup flour, set aside.
• Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.
• Separately in mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with hand or stand mixer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and beat until fluffy.
• Fold dry ingredients (by hand) into batter until well blended.
• Gently stir in berries.
• Pour into greased and floured 10" tube pan.
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar.
• Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done.
• Cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle.
• (If it's a 2-piece tube pan - also use the knife to separate the the cake from the bottom of the pan.)
• Carefully remove the cake from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Notes

If you use frozen blueberries, make sure they are completely thawed and drained.

The post Blueberry Pound Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you’re a shortbread lover, then this easy Scotch Shortbread Fingers recipe is for you! Crunchy and golden, this buttery shortbread has just three ingredients: butter, flour, and sugar. It’s the perfect sweet little something alongside a cup of tea.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Not too long ago, I was happily tasked with preparing these delicious and easy Scotch shortbread finger cookies for a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding reception. It was the perfect slightly sweet bite to have alongside the other rich food and the decadent wedding cake. Plus, they’re a cinch to make! 

These were a hit at the wedding, so I knew I had to share them with all of you here!

Even better, you only need three ingredients to make this homemade shortbread recipe — butter, flour, and sugar. That’s it!

Ingredients

It’s true. You only need 3 ingredients to make this homemade shortbread recipe! Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups of butter (aka two sticks, softened to room temperature)
• 1 cup of white granulated sugar
• 4 cups of all-purpose flour

Additionally, you can garnish these Scotch shortbread fingers with coarse sugar before baking, but that’s totally optional.

How To Make These Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 375°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Beat the softened butter until creamy with an electric stand mixer.
3. Gradually add in the cup of sugar.
4. Then, add the flour gently, and mix until mixture is well-combined. The dough will be somewhat crumbly.
5. Press dough into parchment lined 11″ X 17″ jelly roll pan (with sides). Sprinkle with the sparkly, coarse white sugar (if using), and gently press into the dough.
6. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until just turning golden brown. Cut into uniform shortbread “fingers” immediately after removing from the oven.
7. Enjoy with a cup of tea, some coffee, or a cold glass of milk!

Storage Instructions

Store cooled Scotch shortbread fingers in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the dough to make later. I like to freeze it in the shape of the baking pan for easier transfer later and to just bak from frozen.

Tips for Success

• Use your stand mixer to cream the butter. Then gradually add the sugar, and finally the flour. That’s it for making the dough! So easy.
• Press the dough into a parchment-lined cookie sheet with sides and sprinkle with coarse, sparkly white sugar. Lightly press the coarse sugar into the dough. Then, bake for 18-20 minutes or until it’s just turning golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately slice into long shortbread “fingers.”
• I was able to get nearly 60, 4″ long shortbread fingers per pan. Both panfuls were baked and cooling on the rack in under an hour!

MORE EASY COOKIE RECIPES

• Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• King Arthur Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
• Lime Sugared Chewy Ginger Cookies

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Easy Scotch Shortbread Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons coarse sparkling white sugar (for sprinkling on top)
• You can use regular white sugar if you can't find the coarse, sparkling white sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• With electric stand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
• Gradually add in 1 cup of sugar.
• Add in flour and mix until mixture is well combined (Will be somewhat crumbly.)
• Press dough into parchment lined 11" X 17" jelly roll pan (with sides).
• Sprinkle with the sparkly, coarse white sugar and gently press into the dough.
• Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until just turning golden brown.
• (You can also use a 10" X 14" jelly roll pan, and that will take just a little longer to bake, closer to 25 minutes.)
• The key is to watch shortbread closely and when it is just turning golden brown, remove from the oven.
• Cut into uniform shortbread "fingers" immediately after removing from the oven.
• (Shortbread is somewhat crumbly when cool, and so it cuts much better when it's hot from the oven.)
• A trick I use to cut the shortbread evenly, is to get out my ruler.
• I cut the whole pan in half lengthwise and widthwise.
• Then I cut each quadrant in half, and then cut uniform "fingers" from that.

Notes

I wore disposable gloves when pressing the dough into the parchment-lined pan and for pressing the coarse sugar into the dough. That way the dough doesn't stick to my hands.

You may also like: Raspberry Peach Almond Shortbread Bars

or Pecan Crumble Blueberry Shortbread

The post Easy Scotch Shortbread Fingers (3 Ingredients!) appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you love lemons and you love pound cake, this Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake recipe is calling your name! This old-fashioned pound cake is as popular today as it was in the 1920s. Make it yourself to see why!

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Homemade Lemon Pound Cake

I love an excellent pound cake. Moist and dense, it cuts cleanly. It must be all the butter! (Can one go wrong with butter?) It goes perfectly well  served alongside a scoop of vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream, whipped cream, and lemon curd. 

I am a big fan of pound cakes and made several other pound cake recipes. I like to make them as the seasons change so I can use different seasonal fruits: Blueberry Pound Cake, Glazed Lemon, and Sugared Cranberry. Each is unique and I don’t like playing favorites. But if you ask me today, this Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake is one of the greats.

What Is Pound Cake, Exactly?

It would seem like the amount of heavy, wet ingredients in this cake — like the 5 eggs, milk, and cup and a half of butter and vegetable shortening — would weigh it down or cause it not to rise. However, something magical happens in the baking process that results in a fluffy cake with a fine crumb that melts in your mouth with each bite!

What Makes This Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe Famous?

The recipe for this 1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake recipe has been floating around the internet for years. I love that the recipe is simple. But the first time I made this 1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe, I somehow doubled the shortening. I didn’t even realize about the extra half cup of shortening until my kitchen started filling with smoke about halfway through the baking time. The excess oil seeped out of the tube pan, burning on the bottom of the oven. So, do as I say (and not as I did!).

I like to drizzle this Lemon Pound Cake with fresh lemon slices and mint, but a powdered sugar glaze, fresh berries, lemon curd, freshly whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream would also be delicious! This Lemon Pound Cake recipe is a classic dessert that’s super easy to make for any occasion. It’s perfect for get-togethers with family and friends, holidays (especially Easter and Christmas), and birthdays!

Key Ingredients

• Butter + Shortening: You’ll need one cup of butter and half a cup of vegetable shortening for this recipe. The butter adds a ton of rich flavor and beautiful yellow color to the pound cake. And the shortening hels the top get crisp and gives this pound cake it signature dense crumb.
• Sugar: Use white, granulated sugar for this recipe. It creams well with the butter for a light, fluffy texture. And it won’t change the color of the cake like brown sugar would.
• Eggs: True to its name, you’ll need 5 eggs for this pound cake recipe. Add them one at a time to make sure they’re incorporated into the batter.
• Dry Ingredients: Whisk or sift together your all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate before adding to the batter. 
• Cake Flour: Cake flour inherently contains less protein than all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, which means less gluten formation and a bouncier sponge cake texture. It also contains the leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder, as well as salt.
• Heavy Whipped Cream: Just half of a cup keeps this pound cake moist with a fine crumb, and keeps it from drying out.
• Lemon Zest + Lemon Juice: You’ll need both fresh lemon zest and juice for this Lemon Pound Cake recipe. Make sure to wash your lemons well and roll them on the counter before zesting and juicing. This ensures that you’ll get the most juice from your lemons.
• Whole Milk: Alternate one cup of whole milk, or a half cup of milk plus a half cup of heavy whipping cream (or just a cup of half-and-half) with the dry ingredients, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
• Garnish: Decorate your Ritz Carlton Pound Cake with thin lemon slices, fresh mint leaves, and/or a powdered sugar glaze made from whisking together milk or heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

How To Make the Best Lemon Pound Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and prepare your tube pan or bundt pan by greasing with butter or shortening and dusting with flour to prevent the pound cake from sticking.
2. Next, in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, cream your room temperature unsalted butter with the shortening and sugar until creamy and smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything can get nicely incorporated.
3. Next, it’s time to add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. (Pro tip: you always want to start with the dry ingredients and end with the dry ingredients when alternating with the wet ingredients.) Mix just until combined after each addition. It’s OK to see some streaks of flour.
4. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer, and gently (but thoroughly) fold in the lemon juice and lemon zest by hand with a spatula.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well until incorporated after each addition.
6. Pour the batter into a previously greased pan, and bake anywhere from 55-70 minutes or until the cake gets golden brown on the top. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for few minutes. Then, gently separate the cake from the pan and transfer the cake on a rack.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Garnish with mint and lemon, serve by the slice, and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Pound Cake

• Measure all the ingredients carefully beforehand, and have them at room temperature — especially the butter and eggs in this case — to prevent lumps.
• For a tender cake, don’t over-mix the batter. Mix on low speed and until ingredients are just incorporated.
• Bake on your middle oven rack, and start checking at the 55-minute mark, but if the top isn’t even golden brown, don’t open your oven yet. (Opening and closing the oven to check a cake before it’s done causes it to fall.)
• Grease and flour a bundt pan or tube cake pan so that the cake doesn’t stick to the sides. A tube cake pan has two pieces which makes it simple to remove the cake.
• Cool the cake before removing it from the pan. Gently loosen the sides with a knife, then lift out the middle piece. Run your knife around the center tube and between the bottom of the cake to loosen.

More Cake Recipes To Try

• Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheese Cake
• Brick Street Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Blueberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheesecake

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1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

If you love lemons and you love pound cake, this 1920 Famous Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake recipe is calling your name! This dense, old-fashioned buttery lemon pound cake was a hit at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the 1920s, and it's still popular today.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening at room temperature
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk or 1/2 cup milk plus 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour a tube pan (angel food cake pan) or Bundt pan. Set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using an electric or stand mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Add dry ingredients in three additions to butter mixture alternately with half of the milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
• Gently stir in lemon juice and zest.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake in 350° oven until cake is golden on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 55 - 70 minutes. (Start checking at the 55 minute mark.)
• Be careful not to open the oven if you don't think it's finished baking. (Opening the oven prematurely could cause the cake to fall.)
• Cool cake in pan.
• Using a sharp knife, gently separate cake from cake pan edges wherever you can, including around the center tube.
• Turn cake out onto rack.
• Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a spoonful of lemon curd.

The post Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Sweet (Stabilized) Stiff Whipped Cream: the perfect topping for cakes, pies, parfaits and summer desserts! It is delicious and holds its shape, even in the heat.

I’ve been asked more than a few times how my whipped cream stays so pretty and holds its shape. Even in the heat.

Like on this Blueberry Pound Cake. So I thought now might be a good time with summer here to come clean with my secret. And here it is, drumroll please: beat unflavored gelatin, dissolved in water into the whipped cream during the last stages of beating.

While I often make regular homemade whipped cream, it doesn’t hold up well in a desserts like a parfait or even between cake layers. It can get watery and lose its pretty shape quickly, especially in the heat.

Last month one of my kids requested a brownie parfait instead of a traditional birthday cake. I made the parfait early in the day with homemade brownies, whipped cream, pudding and toffee bits.

But when I went to get the parfait out of the refrigerator, the whole dessert had sunk a few inches. I’d forgotten to stabilize the whipped cream. It slid down the sides of the trifle bowl and wasn’t nearly as pretty as when I’d made it that morning.

So here are some quick tips on making perfect Sweet (Stabilized) Stiff Whipped Cream every time:

Chill a metal mixing bowl and beaters first.

With electric mixer, beat heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract until beaters are just starting to leave a trail….

Slowly add dissolved gelatin in a steady stream while continuing to beat with electric mixer until stiff. Do not add any hard bits of gelatin that may have stuck to the sides and hardened. Add only liquid gelatin.

This Sweet Stabilized Stiff Whipped Cream is the perfect creamy topping for all your summer desserts: cakes, pies and parfaits!

Note: this stabilized whipped cream sets up over time something like jello or gelatin does. It has a different consistency than regular whipped cream, it will not be as soft. Once you’ve made the stabilized whipped cream, spread it immediately. Top that cupcake or pie, or spread between cake layers. Because once it sets up, you won’t be able to re-spread it with a knife like regular whipped cream.

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Sweet (Stabilized) Stiff Whipped Cream

Sweet Stabilized Whipped Cream keeps its shape for days and in the heat. Now you can make desserts with whipped cream ahead of time!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin I used Knox Gelatin
• 4 teaspoons cold water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Chill a metal mixing bowl and the beaters to your mixer.
• Meanwhile, add water to a small microwave safe bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top.
• Allow gelatin to soften for a minute. (This is called "blooming".)
• Whisk water and gelatin together, then microwave for 15 or 20 seconds.
• Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
• Allow mixture to come to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat cream, confectioner's sugar and vanilla until it's very softly whipped and you start to see the beater trails.
• Continue beating, and pour in cooled gelatin mixture in a steady stream.
• Beat until whipping cream is stiff. (But don't beat too long!)
• Use immediately or refrigerate for later use.
• This whipping cream should be spread immediately.
• It will then "set up" like gelatin or jello.
• The consistency is different than regular whipped cream, not quite as soft.
• Once it is set up, it will no longer be spreadable, because of the gelatin. So be sure to spread it right away, and then refrigerate.
• This whipping cream will hold its shape for several days.

You may also like: Fresh Peach Pound Cake

The post How to make sweet (Stabilized) Stiff Whipped Cream appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Happy weekend everyone – hoping it’s blue skies and fluffy clouds wherever you are. It’s been warm around here…finally! We hit the jackpot with 80’s midweek and haven’t looked back.

Look what popped in my front yard this week! Made me so happy.

Baked this cheerful pound cake on Tuesday that pops with lemon flavor and fresh blueberries! Yay spring.

Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs

I received several beautiful imprinted silver spoons as gifts from a sweet friend over the past year, made by For Such a Time Designs. I love them. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. I use them often, smile, and think of her.

Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs

It’s also wedding/bridal shower season. Finding the perfect gift for the lucky couple can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Gifting a fork set imprinted with their wedding date is a meaningful, whimsical gift. Not to mention super affordable. Perfect for that first bite of wedding cake and celebrating anniversaries every year after.

Photo creds: For Such a Time Designs

Shop unique silver spoon designs for many different occasions (or just for fun!) here.

When bad things happen to (very) good dogs

I’ve not yet shared here about what happened to our very sweet dog Chloe two weeks ago. We got her from a rescue as a therapy dog for Hudson last fall after combing the inventory of every rescue in the state for weeks. (Hudson has Down syndrome, autism and a great fear of dogs. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.)

So we were needing a very loving, patient, calm dog. The kind that’s nearly half dead, if you know what I mean. LOL. Chloe fit the bill! She’s far more interested in loving pats than table food, though a crunchy pig’s ear brings endless tail thumps. (That and a good bum scratch.) If you scratch behind her ears juuust right, she purrs like a kitten…

Anyway, Jon was taking her out for a quick jaunt before dinner a few weeks ago. They were practically in front of our house when he stopped to chat with some neighbors who were also walking their dog. Just a friendly hello, how are you doing kind of thing. Without warning or provocation, their dog, who is significantly larger than Chloe (also leashed) lunged  and clamped onto her head and ear.

The dog wouldn’t unclamp and paid no attention to its owner. Jon managed to pry its jaws open. Of course poor Chloe is crying and screaming meanwhile as the teeth are sinking in. Jon finally gets the jaws pried open, then the dog clamps down AGAIN. On her throat and neck this time, and shakes her.

Chloe on her first visit to the beach last fall

All I can say is I am SO THANKFUL I wasn’t there and so grateful none of my kids were there to see this either. In the process of prying the dog off the second time, Jon got bitten and bruised. The other dog owner was also bitten. Jon’s injuries weren’t terrible, but Chloe’s were. We rushed her to the vet ER for staples, stitches and glue. The inside of her right ear was bitten badly and there were deep puncture wounds in her neck, throat and head. I’m not posting pictures of her injuries here because they were pretty gruesome – blood and gore.

To the other dog owners’ credit, they did pay for Chloe’s pricey vet bill and dropped in to check on her the next day. They felt terribly about what had happened and are taking their dog to a dog behavior specialist. Scary stuff. It all happened in a split second and Jon says it was as if time stood still when it all happened. So unexpected.

The excellent news is that Chloe is healing up well. Her wounds have scabbed over and the hair on her head, ear and neck is just starting to grow back in. And the staples behind her ear were removed yesterday. She should be good as new in not too long. Exhale.

Thought: “It’s extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is.” – George Will

Reflective beach read I loved here!

Wishing you a beautiful, restful weekend!

XOXO,

allie

The post When bad things happen to (very) good dogs & Favorite Things #5 appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

A generous slice of this Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is especially scrumptious accompanied by a tall glass of fresh squeezed lemonade with a sprig of mint. Tender, buttery, dense lemon pound cake is studded with fresh, juicy blueberries for the perfect summer combo.

This recipe uses lemon extract in the cake and lemon juice in the glaze, for a great lemon pop. I’ve posted several lemon recipes back to back this spring because I love lemon in the springtime and summer so much. Lemons on the brain.

For me, baking with fresh lemons signals sunshine and warmth. And the daffodils in my front yard are just about to pop! When spring finally arrives here in New Hampshire and the bright green shoots are poking up, it’s time to bake something special to celebrate.

It was a long winter here and I didn’t do much baking. It wasn’t just the snowy weather (read: blizzards) that hit us hard in March.

There was also a lot of sickness in the house (flu, mono, colds, you name it) and big changes in routine and therapies for Hudson, our littlest guy with DS and autism. (Transitions are tough on him.) And then there was that kitchen reno that kept us busy in February and March! Six weeks without an oven will slow down any cake baking production for sure! LOL.

So I’m extra thankful to be through that rough patch of the year with sickness and construction. Today I’m celebrating our new kitchen and spring’s arrival by baking this buttery pound cake that pops with delicious lemon flavor and blueberries.

I prefer using fresh blueberries in this cake, but frozen will do in a pinch. Flouring the berries and folding them in very gently keeps the cake batter from turning blue. If you do use frozen, I suggest thawing and draining the berries first before flouring them.

So why flour the blueberries anyway? Well, it’s just a little culinary genius I think. (Not mine mind you.) Some baking guru along the way discovered that if you flour berries before adding them to a recipe, it keeps them evenly distributed in the batter during baking and prevents them from sinking to the bottom.

I’m not sure all the science behind it, seeing as I’m not exactly a scientist. (I never even memorized the periodic table in high school. Oops.) But flouring the berries does seem to help. So don’t forget! 

Another interesting fact about this Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake recipe is that it doesn’t use lemon juice for that wonderful lemon flavor pop. We’re using lemon extract instead. Not lemon oil. Lemon oil has a stronger, intense flavor that would be overwhelming in this pound cake.

And lemon juice is acidic and it would take a ton of lemon juice to flavor this cake adequately. The acidity of the lemon juice could also affect the rise.

So lemon extract it is, and you can find pure lemon extract in the baking aisle with other baking extracts like vanilla. And save the fresh squeezed lemon juice for the simple glaze.

I must tell you, the fabulous aroma of this cake baking in my kitchen right now is over the top incredible. I’m just about to pull it out of the oven now. It’s golden brown and smells of buttery lemon cake. I’m already thinking about who to share this cake with, because it’s pretty obvious I absolutely should not be left alone with it. Accountability is always good, especially when it comes to pound cake.

This is the two piece 10″ tube cake pan I used to bake this cake. Happy baking!

Tips on making this Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake:

• Grease and flour your tube cake pan.
• A two piece, 10″ tube pan works well for this cake.
• Wash and drain the berries first, then flour them with 1/4 cup of the flour.
• Be sure to hand mix in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. This keeps the batter from getting over-mixed, which produces a tough cake.
• Also be sure to very gently mix in the floured blueberries at the end. This keeps the berries from breaking open and turning your cake batter blue with blueberry juice. (Maybe you want a blue cake, and if so disregard what I just said.) But I prefer a light lemon colored cake studded with blueberries – for contrast.
• If you want to bake this in your convection oven, just drop the temperature down to 300°.  You might have to cook it a little longer though. (I did.)
• The glaze is super easy to make – just whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar and drizzle over the cooled cake.

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Lemon Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 pint fresh blueberries washed and drained
• 3 cups all purpose flour divided
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• optional: 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour and set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, sift remaining 2 3/4 cups flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Separately in large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric hand or stand mixer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add lemon extract and beat until fluffy.
• Fold flour mixture (by hand) into batter until well blended.
• Gently stir in blueberries, being careful not to smash berries.
• The batter will be very thick.
• Spoon batter into greased and floured 10" tube cake pan.
• Optional: Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sparkling white or turbinado sugar.
• Bake one hour and 15 minutes at 325° or longer, until cake is golden brown and tests done with a cake tester or toothpick.
• Cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle.
• (If it's a 2-piece tube pan you're using - also use the knife to separate the cake from the bottom of the pan.)
• Carefully remove the cake from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Glaze:

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add more lemon juice if you want a thinner glaze.
• Drizzle glaze over cooled cake with a small spoon.

Notes

If using frozen blueberries, thaw and drain first.

You may also like: Lemon Curd Easy Thumbprint Cookies

The post Glazed Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Looking for a healthier peanut butter smoothie? Try my scrumptious Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe w/Avocado. I’ve been perfecting it for the last few weeks and inhaling it daily for breakfast.

This smoothie tastes more like a shake – creamy, chocolaty and peanut buttery. And packed with 25 grams of protein and no added sugar. You can’t really taste the avocado, but it makes for an extra creamy smoothie and adds healthy fats and fiber. (Plus Tom Brady practically subsists on avocados – so there’s that.) And the whole shebang comes in at about 300 calories…. BIG SCORE!

I like telling tales here. If you’re not in the mood, scroll down for the recipe. If you are, hop on down my Hobbit trail with me…

As you know, we’ve been remodeling our kitchen for the last few months. Thrilled to be nearly finished, and just a few minor details left.

Each Monday morning for weeks during the remodel, Jon and I loaded up the back of the suburban and made the trek across town to the local dump, getting rid of various boxing, styrofoam, packaging and whatever other building waste the contractors produced.

The guy dealing with the public in the little entrance booth at the transfer station might as well have been Gandalf himself. He looks like him. Acts like him. A gruff man of few words is a generous description.

I could tell you various entertaining stories (entertaining in hindsight only!) from our visits, but you get the point. It became an exhausting weekly ritual, dealing with him and distributing the contents of the packed suburban into the various labeled dumpsters he barked out.

After the final less than pleasant visit, where Gandalf had obviously not yet sipped his morning coffee… we headed to the Bridge Street Cafe downtown for breakfast. To decompress…. and celebrate ‘THE. END’.

Jon got a ham, cheddar and spinach omelet and I had the peanut butter power smoothie. I’d never tried one there before but it was excellent and tasted just like a thick peanut butter shake with chocolate overtones.

I go way back with peanut butter and chocolate. Peanut butter and chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robbins as a kid. And then there were those incredible peanut butter chocolate shakes at the Clock Restaurant in Greenville, SC years later. Alas… a moment on the lips, forever on the hips …

So back to that yummy, healthier peanut butter power smoothie a few weeks ago. I asked for the ingredient list, and she mentioned almond milk, peanut butter, ice, cocoa and espresso. Healthy! So of course I had to come home and try to replicate it myself.

It was pretty easy to do, except for the creamy part… and that’s where the ripe avocado comes in.

I initially used organic natural peanut butter. It tasted great but was too many calories to use regularly, so I switched to a peanut butter powder (PB Fit) I found at Walmart in the protein powder aisle. (Using the peanut butter powder instead of the peanut butter cut out 150 calories.)

PB Fit has 90% less fat and 1/3 the calories of regular peanut butter. But still all that great peanut butter flavor we love, making it the perfect addition to smoothies!

Place all the ingredients – unsweetened organic almond milk, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter powder, ice and avocado in your blender or Magic Bullet and blend together until smooth and creamy. (Optional: add stevia and espresso powder for even more flavor.) Serve immediately.

Tips for making Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe w/Avocado:

• Use unsweetened organic almond milk.
• Use ripe avocado.
• To cut calories and fat, use peanut butter powder instead of peanut butter. I used PB Fit peanut butter powder.
• Use good quality chocolate flavored protein powder. (I used 365 Everyday Value Natural Chocolate Flavor whey protein powder from Whole Foods)
• Here’s the calorie/nutrition breakdown if you’re interested:
• 1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk = 30 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram carb
• 1/2 avocado cubed = 114 calories – 3.5 grams fiber, 1.5 grams protein, 6 grams carbs
• 2 Tablespoons PB Fit peanut butter powder = 50 calories, 6 grams protein, 4 carbs
• Chocolate Protein powder = 1 scoop – 110 calories, 16 grams protein (365 Everyday Value Natural Chocolate Flavor whey protein powder from Whole Foods), 8 grams carbs
• If using peanut butter instead of the peanut butter powder, it adds a whopping extra 150 calories, because 2 tablespoons organic, unsweetened peanut butter = 200 calories
• 2/3 cup ice = zero calories

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe w/Avocado

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup crushed ice or ice cubes
• 1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder I used 365 Everyday Value Natural Chocolate Flavor whey protein powder from Whole Foods
• 2 tablespoons I used PB Fit Peanut Butter Powder (or 2 tablespoons peanut butter)
• 1/2 ripe avocado peeled and cubed
• optional: 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
• optional: 1-2 drops stevia

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in blender or Magic Bullet and blend until smooth and creamy.
• Serve immediately!

You may also like this: Blueberry Coconut Almond Smoothie

The post Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe w/Avocado appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.