Iced Lemon Pound Cake & a Spring Playlist

Hey foodies! Everytime spring and summer roll around I all of the sudden crave all things lemon… I don’t know why. Especially me as the self professed chocoholic that I am, now that the season has changed and the flowers are in bloom again, want to bake all things lemon. My tastes in food and music seem to change with the seasons. So in honor of spring and the soon to come summer, I have a lovely lemony pound cake recipe for you guys today as well as a spring playlist!

This is a copycat recipe of Starbucks’ ever so popular Iced Lemon Pound Cake. Honestly I usually opt for the brownie myself when I venture to Sbucks but my parents have always been a fan of the lemon pound cake. But in my humble opinion, this one’s better.

So push play on the happy spring tunes below the recipe and get to baking! :)

Iced Lemon Pound Cake -

(Recipe found @ http://picky-palate.com)

The first thing you notice about this cake is that not ten minutes after putting it in the oven your house starts to fill up with the most delish scent! It’s like aromatherapy in cake form.

This cake is super moist with the perfect tangy lemon flavor. And the lemony glaze running down the sides of the cake makes it even better!

This recipe makes enough batter for either one bundt cake or two loaves (below). It turns out lovely either way. This is the second time I’ve made this cake and it’s safe to say that it’s become a staple. Plus, it’s a really simple one bowl recipe, gotta love that! I hope you give it a try! :)

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

4.3 ounce instant or cook and serve Lemon pudding mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

8 ounces sour cream

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Icing:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray 2 loaf pans generously with cooking spray.

Place all cake ingredients in no particular order into stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Divide cake batter between two prepared loaf pans spreading evenly. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before removing loaves from pans.

To prepare icing, place powdered sugar into a large bowl. Drizzle in lemon juice stirring until smooth and thick. Should be a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cakes and let set for 20 minutes for a firm icing. Otherwise slice while still wet if desired.

Makes about 24 slices.

Spring Playlist -

Salted Caramel Mocha & Hazelnut Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

Hey lovelies! Today I wanted to stop in and share one of my favorite new coffee recipes with you guys! It has a delish flavor combo that just goes together. Like all great combos; peanut butter and jelly, music and lyrics, Corey and Topanga...(had to add that one in there ;)), they work and you couldn't have one without the other. In a world so uncertain, some things are just simply meant to be, agreed? Such is the case with one of my favorite combos, coffee and biscotti! What could be better than a delish cup of coffee with a crispy Italian cookie perfect for dunking? A match made in heaven. :)

Salted Caramel Mocha -
(Recipe found @ 52kitchenadventures.com)

I've really been into making these fancy homemade coffee drinks lately...as evidenced by the fact that I just recently posted a recipe for a White Chocolate Mocha. Because of that, I questioned whether or not it was too soon to post another coffee recipe. But the delish factor is pretty high for this one, so I thought, what they heck? :)  

This Salted Caramel Mocha is hands down my favorite coffee recipe I've tried so far! It's the perfect combo of salty and sweet; with caramel sauce and a pinch or two of sea salt. I've never used sea salt in anything before... now I'm wanting to put it in everything (this means more recipes with the word "salted" in it are to come). The sea salt just brings out the rich caramel flavor and complements it perfectly. Again, I used the Starbucks Via packets for this drink, which worked good, but it would probably have a stronger flavor with straight up espresso. The milk and caramel sauce make it really creamy and velvety.

Now, let me talk a minute about the caramel sauce (recipe below). In theory, this recipe should work perfectly... but it just doesn't. At least not for me anyway. I made it twice, followed the directions to the t, and each time it was a fail. By the time the sugar dissolved and I added in the butter it was a burning, lumpy, stuck to the pan mess. It was beyond frustrating and was ruining my happy coffee vibe, so I tossed it, and did it my way. And it worked great! This could just be me, it may work for you, but if you'd rather not chance it; my way is 1/2 cup brown sugar, with half a stick of butter melted on medium heat. After it melts, stir in about 1/4 cup of heavy cream. And viola! A much simpler, in my opinion, caramel sauce.

However you do it, I hope you sit back and relax this week with a mug of this lovely Salted Caramel Mocha (also great iced too) and don't forget the biscotti! :)

Ingredients:
1 shot of espresso or 3/4 cup coffee
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons caramel sauce (see recipe below)
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (the hot chocolate kind, not the unsweetened baking kind)
Pinch of sea salt (Starbucks uses a blend of smoked sea salt and turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top)
1/2 cup milk
Whipped cream (optional)
Extra caramel sauce and sea salt to drizzle/sprinkle on top

With an espresso maker:

Prepare espresso. Place caramel sauce, cocoa powder and sea salt in a mug and pour espresso over them. Froth milk and slowly pour into mug, stirring to combine everything. Taste and add more caramel, cocoa and/or salt to taste. Top with whipped cream, drizzle caramel sauce, and a tiny pinch of sea salt.

Without an espresso maker:

Prepare coffee. Place caramel sauce, cocoa powder and sea salt in a mug. Pour coffee into mug, stirring to combine everything. Heat milk in microwave or on the stove and add to mug, stirring everything to combine. Taste and add more caramel, cocoa and/or salt to taste. Top with whipped cream, caramel sauce and a tiny pinch of sea salt.

Salted Caramel Sauce -

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
1/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

Directions: 
In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula (if it becomes lumpy, reduce heat and refrain from stirring). When it turns a deep amber color, add the butter and stir until it is melted. Add the heavy cream and whisk until the caramel is smooth (be careful, it will bubble up when you add the cream). Remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate extra sauce. (Makes enough for around 3-4 salted caramel mocha or hot chocolate beverages.)

 

Hazelnut Cinnamon Chip Biscotti -

(Recipe found @ sweetpeaskitchen.com)

Yes, the second half of our lovely couple! This was my first venture into biscotti making and I was pretty happy with the results. This recipe for Hazelnut Cinnamon Chip Biscotti was just calling my name (in an Italian accent of course, okay lame joke, sorry.). It has warm flavors of cinnamon, toasted hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

The process for the biscotti is really simple, though a bit more time consuming than other types of cookies seeing as how you bake it twice. But it comes out with the perfect crisp to it and tastes lovely with coffee or even without! The only thing I would probably do differently is not use the parchment paper; it stuck to some of the biscotti so bad that I was forced to throw a few pieces away. :( So next time I will just grease the pan and save the biscotti. :)

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted, chopped
1 ¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg white

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (Sadly I don’t have one so I just used my hand held mixer), combine the sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the eggs and beat until the color is uniform and the mixture is thick. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the flour in two batches and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and mix for a few seconds more. Add the hazelnuts and chocolate chips and beat until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into a log about 16 inches long, 3 ½ inches wide, and ¾ inch thick. Smooth the surface of the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm, but not browned. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

While the log is cooling, whisk the egg white and 2 tablespoons water together and use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash onto the top of the log. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into ¾-inch slices and set them on the baking sheet cut sides up. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Transfer the individual biscotti to a rack to cool completely. The biscotti will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Yields: 24 large biscotti

Copy Cat Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha

I think I've ranted before about my complete & utter frustration with the fact that I live in a small town that deprives me of a Starbucks. The closest one is a whole hour away! I know, tragic, right? So I don't get my coffee fix as often as I would like. Which is probably a blessing in disguise really as I'm sure it could become an addiction... and I'm still trying to get off the Dr. Pepper...don't need to add a coffee addiction. ;) But I recently found this recipe for one of my favorite Starbucks drinks, White Chocolate Mocha, and am in love with all its copy cat flavor! And with the chilly weather we've had lately, who wouldn't want to curl up with a warm mug of this yummy coffee and watch a movie, like Breaking Dawn, perhaps? ... Oh yeah, sure, … me neither. ;)

Copy Cat Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha -

(Recipe found @ http://www.mommyskitchen.net/)

I made a couple mugs of this White Chocolate Mocha for my mom and I last week and let's just say, we both pretty much inhaled it! I've already made it twice and it definitely won't be the last. And I love that it only takes a few ingredients that you probably already have lying around your kitchen. It's also so simple & fun to whip up! Just melt the white chocolate with the milk and fill a mug half way with it, fill the rest with coffee, top with whipped cream, cinnamon & white chocolate shavings, and drink up! How simple is that? Since I don't have a coffee maker, I used the Starbucks Via packets (which I love & buy often) and it does the trick!

This mocha is smooth & super creamy and I love that you get the perfect white chocolate to coffee ratio. If you need a coffee fix, I hope you’ll try this coffee copy cat! :)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons white chocolate chips
Freshly brewed coffee (strong) to fill mugs or shot of espresso
Whipped cream

Desired garnishes:
cinnamon or white chocolate shavings

Directions:
Add milk and chocolate chips to saucepan or double boiler and heat until chips are melted and milk is hot. Meanwhile make coffee or espresso. Pour half of milk mixture in coffee mug and fill rest of mug with coffee saving enough room for a dollop of whipped cream. If desired, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or chocolate shavings. Makes enough for 2 small mugs.

Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee

At this time of year no coffee drink is more popular than Starbucks' seasonal orange hued, cool kid on the block, Pumpkin Spice Latte! While I have also joined the madness and become a fan, I live in TX ... where cool, crisp fall weather tends to be a far off fantasy, and I refuse to drink hot drinks till the temperature is at least 70. ;) So this homemade Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee was the perfect way to get my Pumpkin Spice fix. Who needs to go to Starbucks and pay 4 bucks for this drink when you can make a super delish version right in your very own kitchen? Someone pass me a biscotti! :)

Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee -
(Recipe & photo found @ http://foodpluswords.com)

I was a bit skeptical when making this iced coffee, thinking it wouldn't be half as good as Starbucks... but I was so wrong. This Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee is just as good if not better and it's pretty crazy addicting... proceed with caution, my fine caffeinated friends. This recipe starts with making the Pumpkin Spice Syrup...the main ingredient & super star of this coffee. With its blend of sugar, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, ect. it fills your kitchen with the warm smells of fall. Next you make the coffee... and okay, I cheated on this one, I admit it! Instead of brewing coffee like it calls for, I took the short cut & bought Starbucks Via Ready Brew in the Iced Coffee Blend... you just add water and ice (love it!). Mixing this all together is so easy peasy; you add in your Pumpkin Spice Syrup, half and half, & sweetened condensed milk, and viola! You have a delish, super creamy, Pumpkin Spice Iced Coffee!

Just a few things to note; the syrup says to boil for 10 minutes, personally it seemed a bit too long to me and made it thicker than I liked it. So I would boil it for maybe half that time. Also, once it sits in the fridge for a while it gets a little clumpy, so before I used it again I warmed it up on the stove and then let it cool to room temp. & it was perfect! And don't be afraid to stray off the measurements for the syrup, half & half, & milk, add to your own personal preference! :)

Ingredients:
6 ounces freshly brewed coffee, chilled (Starbucks Iced Coffee Blend is recommended!)
1 ounce pumpkin spice syrup (recipe below)
4 ounces half & half (you can use whole milk, soy milk, any milk you like)
1 ounce sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the chilled coffee, pumpkin spice syrup, half & half and sweetened condensed milk into the glass, and stir well to combine.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup -
Yield: 8 ounces

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
3 whole cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 whole cloves
7 whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla, or 1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. When the syrup is cool, strain into a clean jar through a fine mesh sieve. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 2 months.