lemon blueberry pound cake

Mix together

1/3 cup milk
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

until they are light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture alternately with the egg mixture, starting and finishing with the flour. Beat the batter after each addition until everything is combined. Add your last ingredient

3 cups picked over blueberries, tossed with 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

in stages. Fold 1 1/2 cups into the batter. Spoon one third of the batter into a greased 10-inch bundt pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle a half a cup of blueberries over it and then add another third of the batter and another half a cup of blueberries. Add the rest of the batter and the last of the blueberries. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven at 350 for 60-70 minutes, or till it is golden brown and the tester comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, mix together

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar

and heat until the sugar is dissolved. When the cake comes out of the oven, put it in a cooling rack and poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the cake with the tester or a toothpick and then pour half of the liquid over the cake slowly, so it soaks in. After ten minutes, invert the pan and remove the cake, leaving it on the cooking rack. Poke holes all over it and brush with the remaining sauce.

I adapted this recipe from here.

Peace,
Milton

red velvet waffles

I made these and served them as white chocolate ice cream sandwiches and blackberry-balsamic sauce. They rocked.

In a bowl, mix together

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

In another bowl, mix together

3 egg yolks (save the whites for later)
1 oz. red food coloring (the little bottle)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and combine until just mixed (may still be a bit lumpy). Now, beat the egg whites you saved until they are stiff and then fold them into the batter. Cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.

NOTE: To make the ice cream sandwiches, I divided the waffle into quarters and then sliced each quarter through the middle, as if they were buns and then put a scoop of ice cream in between the halves because I thought two full waffle pieces would be too thick.

Peace,
Milton

blackberry balsamic sauce

1/2 cup blackberry preserves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer and let it reduce by half. Let it cool a bit before serving.

Peace,
Milton

white chocolate ice cream

1 cup white chocolate powder
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 oz. egg yolks (9-10 large yolks)

Heat the white chocolate powder, sugar, cream, and half and half in a double boiler. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and then temper them by adding a ladle of the cream mixture at a time and mixing into the eggs until at least half of the cream mixture is incorporated. This will warm up the eggs without cooking them. Then add the new egg mixture back into the remaining cream and cook over moderate heat until the mixture thickens to almost a pudding consistency. Pour into a bowl and put the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until mixture is very cold and then follow your ice cream maker's directions to finish the job.

Peace,
Milton