Lemony Fruit Dessert Cups

The perfect end to a 4th of July barbeque!

I am doing my menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie. So, here is my menu this week:



Also, $5 Dinners inspires us all to make low cost dinners. In that spirit, I am taking what Pick N Save has on sale, pairing it with coupons and coming up with the tastiest money saving around! Lemons were on sales at Pick N Save for .59/each (normally 75/each)and they are HUGE! The strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream was on sale too! So, I grabbed a bunch of all of those to make my featured recipe today:

Lemony Fruit Dessert Cups
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup Lemon juice
5 oz unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
18 dessert cups
1 lb strawberries
1 lb blueberries, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or any mixture of berries desired
8 oz whipped cream
Mint sprigs for garnish
Powdered sugar for garnish

1. Prepare and ice-water bath. Set a medium bowl in ice-water bath and set aside.

2. Place sugar and lemon zest in a mortar and grind with a pestle to combine and release the oils. Transfer sugar mixture to a medium heatproof bowl along with eggs and egg yolks; whisk to combine. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved. Add lemon juice and continue whisking until mixture is thick and reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add butter and whisk until well combined.

3. Strain lemon mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over prepared bowl. Cover lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly onto surface. Transfer to refrigerator until completely chilled.

4. To plate, take one dessert cup and fill the center with a scoop of lemon curd. Top with strawberries and/or blueberries. Finish with a dallop of whipped cream and garnish with mint and a shake of powdered sugar.

Servings: 18

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/18 of a recipe (5 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 2 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 270.91
Calories From Fat (34%) 90.92
% Daily Value
Total Fat 10.28g 16%
Saturated Fat 5.49g 27%
Cholesterol 145.75mg 49%
Sodium 113.94mg 5%
Potassium 140.55mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Fiber 1.37g 5%
Sugar 29.23g
Protein 4.46g 9%

Recipe Type
Dessert, Summer

Tips
This same recipe can be used to make any flavor curd by substituting another acid for the lemon. For example, I made passion fruit curd for an ICM challenge but you could do orange, lime or any other tropic fruit juice.

Source
Author: Susan Ewing



Search for Coupons

Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie with great recipes:-)

I am so glad that I have a lighter week:-)I have to take Mom for a haircut and volunteering twice. That's it!! Maybe I should not publicize that...my phone might start ringing:-)

In addition, I am still playing along with I Blame My Mother on The Food Network Chefs Cooking Challenge (FNCCC). I guess I was wrong; this is the last week and they left dessert for the last course!! Fitting, don't you think? The chef of choice is Warren Brown. There isn't much on The Food Network so, I took to the net and found his Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake. His recipes are dummy-proof because he breaks EVERYTHING done. Check it out below and come back Wednesday for a picture and our review:-) Wish me luck:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Chicken and Pasta
Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake for Appreciation Breakfast (Come back Wednesday for a picture and my review)

Wednesday: Pork Chops (Hair Cut)

Thursday: Leftovers (Volunteering)

Friday: Eat Out (Volunteering)

Mr. Banana Legs Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp potato starch
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 ea very ripe peeled bananas
3/4 cup half and half
1 Tbsp rum
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks

Directions:
1. Spray a bundt pan well with a nonstick spray.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (conventional) or 335°F (convection). Set rack in the middle of the oven.

3. Measure the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and whisk for 10 seconds to blend. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should look white, fluffy, and aerated.

5. With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolks, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.

6. Add the dry ingredient mixture alternately with the liquid mixture in 3 to 5 additions each, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Move swiftly through this step to avoid overworking the batter. Don’t wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next. This step should take a total of about 60 seconds.

7. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl all the way down. Don’t miss the clumps of ingredients hiding on the bottom of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter’s structure.

8. Fill the pan about three-quarters full by depositing the batter with the rubber spatula in small clumps around the prepared pan instead of by pouring it into one spot. Level the batter with the rubber spatula.

9. Bake 45 minutes.

10. Once the top of the cake doesn’t jiggle in the center and is golden brown across the top and edges, test for doneness by inserting a bamboo skewer in the center of the cake. When the skewer shows just a touch of crumbs or comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heat- resistant surface or wire rack.

11. Once the cake has cooled for 5 to 10 minutes, remove the cake by inverting the pan onto a flat surface. Allow it to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before glazing.

Servings: 12

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/12 of a recipe (5.5 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 543.46
Calories From Fat (45%) 245.03
% Daily Value
Total Fat 27.82g 43%
Saturated Fat 16.64g 83%
Cholesterol 189.55mg 63%
Sodium 158.55mg 7%
Potassium 150.08mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 69.03g 23%
Fiber 1.1g 4%
Sugar 49.64g
Protein 5.84g 12%

Recipe Type
Dessert

Source
Author: Warren Brown
Source: Cookstr
Web Page: http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/mr-banana-legs

Recipe Cost: $7.46
Serving Cost: $.62

Cincinnati Chili and a Virtual Bake Sale

Cooking During Stolen Moments is hosting a Virtual Bake Sale today! They are a selling an ebook filled with recipes from the Virtual Great American Bake Sale participants (I am one of them!!). The books are now available for a donation of your choosing and all of the proceeds will go to Share Our Strength. So stop by and help to stop hunger today!!

Now, that I have helped feed needy families around the country, I need to feed my family. I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners .

Ground beef is on sale at Pick N Save this week for $1.99/lb. (normally $2.99/lb.) So grab some up! I did and it is showing up on the menu in Cincinnati Chili:-)

Notice I didn't say "my menu"; I said "the menu". That's because this week, in honor of his birthday, my husband Jeff is off of work and he is doing the cooking:-)

Here is what he is serving this week:

Monday: Eating out for Iron Cupcke: Milwaukee's Wine Challenge.

Tuesday: Cincinnati Chili (see recipe below)

Wednesday: Baked Chicken

Thursday: Eating out again for a trip to Madison to visit my older daughter in college.

Friday: BBQ Ribs

Cincinnati Chili
10 Servings

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
2 lb ground beef
2 medium onions, diced fine
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cinnamon
6 bay leaves
4 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp dried crushed red peppers
3 tsp allspice
3 Tbsp chili powder
salt to taste
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 qt water (aprox)
For Garnish
Diced onions
Grated chedar cheese
Red kidney beans

Directions:
1. Prepare spaghetti per package directions.

2. Brown hamburger and onions together in a large pot.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 4 hours or until chili thickens.

4. Serve as 3-way (spaghetti, chili and cheese), 4-way (3-way + onions) or 5-way (4-way plus kidney beans).

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 534.19
Calories From Fat: 218.29
Total Fat: 23.93g
Saturated Fat: 10.16g
Cholesterol: 79.91mg
Sodium: 476.62mg Potassium: 655.64mg
Total Carbohydrates: 50.84mg
Fiber: 6.56g
Protein: 28.36g

Recipe Author: Lu Ewing

Recipe: $12.40 ($10.40 on sale)
Serving: $1.24 ($1.04 on sale)