SPRING INTO SPRING

--

Happy Spring,

Newsletter - Spring into Spring - March 1, 2012

 

Greetings to all the wonderful friends and fans of Rosalie Serving Cookbooks.   Well, here we are again, anticipating a beautiful spring season right around the corner.   While I really love all the aspects of spring; the bulbs popping through the ground, buds on the roses and trees, and the explosion of color everywhere, I must also tell you that I lament the work I need to do to get there. 

 

I am still looking at some left over Christmas lights that my husband promised would  come down off the fence, raking leaves away from all my many flower gardens,  changing wardrobes from winter to spring (especially when we end up dragging the sweaters back out related to late freezes), and above all....spring cleaning!

 

Since I would rather cook then clean, I have come up with a solution.  I think I will hire the neighbor kid to rake the leaves, Bill can take down the Christmas lights (he has until May), and I can just buy some new spring clothes.  The cleaning will just have to come in spurts...you know, when I get the inspiration.

 

My motto is this: simplify.     As I was saying,  my tranquility comes from baking up something good, and since it is so medicinal for me, I thought I would share my glorious Lemon Coconut Cake with the Lemon Curd Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting, with you, my dear friends. 

 

It all started when I got out my spring white tablecloth with the yellow round placemats.  My kitchen is yellow and I got to thinking about a centerpiece to highlight the table.  That's when I thought of the beautiful 3-layer stately cake sitting up high on one of my many cake pedestals.  Why not just celebrate spring with an evening of friends and the cake as my centerpiece. 

 

Another reason why I love making this cake is that the recipe is doubled to get the three layers, so there is plenty of batter left over for beautiful cupcakes.  One of my students from the cooking class at the Rendezvous Café tells me that she takes the cupcakes, makes a slit in the middle, plops a dollop of lemon curd in, frosts them with left-over cream cheese frosting and then freezes them.  She claims they are so delicious; she sometime eats them still frozen just like ice cream.

 

 There you have it, friends...no reason to fret over all you're piled up chores.  I say shed the stress...bake a cake, and spring into spring! 

 

Happy Spring,

Rosalie

Posted by Rosalie Fiorino Harpole at 12:47 PM 0 commentsLinks to this post

Cinco de Mayo - Recipe - Chicken Enchiladas with Verde Sauce

 

-- ROSALIE SERVING HOLIDAYS - MAY 

 

 

Rosalie

LEMON CURD CAKE with LEMON CURD FILLING

--
God Bless and have a great day.

Rosalie Fiorino Harpole

Lemon Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

 

butter

flour

1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon cake mix

1 (3.9-ounce) package Jell-O instant  lemon pudding mix

3 large eggs

1 1/3 cup water

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup mild olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon butter extract

1 cup shredded coconut 

maraschino cherries

1.  Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.  

2.  In large bowl combine cake and pudding mixes; stir together with a whisk.  

3.  Add eggs, water, lemon juice and oil.  Stir mixture by hand; do not over mix.

4. Using zester or grater, scrape lemon peel to make 1 tablespoon lemon zest.  Add zest to batter along with lemon and butter extracts.  Fold in gently until well blended. 

5.  Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4, using another cake mix and jello to make another complete cake to make enough batter for 3 cake pans.  Use leftover batter to fill one large (6-cup) or 12-cup standard cupcake pan. 

6.  Bake cakes for 28 to 30 minutes; cakes may slightly crack on top.  Remove cakes to a cake rack and let cool 10 minutes.  Flip pans over to remove cakes, and let cakes completely cool on wire rack until ready to frost.  Bake cup cakes 15 to 18 minutes.

Lemon Curd Filling

1  double broiler

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

6 tablespoons cold butter

1.  Fill bottom of double boiler pan with 3-inches water.  Bring to boil.

2.  In top pot of double broiler, or bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Begin stirring mixture over the boiling water with slotted spoon or whisk; continue for 8 to 10 minutes.  The mixture will thicken to a bright yellow satin consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter a few tablespoons at a time, stirring until melted.

3.  Cool the lemon curd, and use over layers and top center of the cake.  This lemon curd can be stored in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.     Note:  Make a slit in top of cupcakes, and insert a dollop of lemon curd; frost cupcakes with left-over frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter

5 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1.  Cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar, adding a little lemon juice after each addition.  Continue to mix until smooth.  Add the lemon zest and vanilla.  Complete mixing until well blended and smooth.

2.  Frost sides and top of cake within a 2- inch circle on top of cake.  Fill in circle with lemon curd. 

3.  Pat 1 cup coconut around sides of cake.

Place 3 maraschino cherries in center top of cake.   Makes 12 to 16 slices.

Spring Into Spring

--
God Bless and have a great day.

Rosalie Fiorino Harpole

Newsletter - Spring into Spring - March 1, 2012

 

Greetings to all the wonderful friends and fans of Rosalie Serving Cookbooks.   Well, here we are again, anticipating a beautiful spring season right around the corner.   While I really love all the aspects of spring; the bulbs popping through the ground, buds on the roses and trees, and the explosion of color everywhere, I must also tell you that I lament the work I need to do to get there. 

 

I am still looking at some left over Christmas lights that my husband promised would  come down off the fence, raking leaves away from all my many flower gardens,  changing wardrobes from winter to spring (especially when we end up dragging the sweaters back out related to late freezes), and above all....spring cleaning!

 

Since I would rather cook then clean, I have come up with a solution.  I think I will hire the neighbor kid to rake the leaves, Bill can take down the Christmas lights (he has until May), and I can just buy some new spring clothes.  The cleaning will just have to come in spurts...you know, when I get the inspiration.

 

My motto is this: simplify.     As I was saying,  my tranquility comes from baking up something good, and since it is so medicinal for me, I thought I would share my glorious Lemon Coconut Cake with the Lemon Curd Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting, with you, my dear friends. 

 

It all started when I got out my spring white tablecloth with the yellow round placemats.  My kitchen is yellow and I got to thinking about a centerpiece to highlight the table.  That's when I thought of the beautiful 3-layer stately cake sitting up high on one of my many cake pedestals.  Why not just celebrate spring with an evening of friends and the cake as my centerpiece. 

 

Another reason why I love making this cake is that the recipe is doubled to get the three layers, so there is plenty of batter left over for beautiful cupcakes.  One of my students from the cooking class at the Rendezvous Café tells me that she takes the cupcakes, makes a slit in the middle, plops a dollop of lemon curd in, frosts them with left-over cream cheese frosting and then freezes them.  She claims they are so delicious; she sometime eats them still frozen just like ice cream.

 

 There you have it, friends...no reason to fret over all you're piled up chores.  I say shed the stress...bake a cake, and spring into spring! 

 

Happy Spring,

Rosalie

Cinco de Mayo - Recipe - Chicken Enchiladas with Verde Sauce

-- ROSALIE SERVING HOLIDAYS - MAY 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

3:37 PM

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH VERDE SAUCE

 

 NOTE:  This recipe comes from Lili Stephens who grew up in a Mexican home eating the best of her mother's Mexican cuisine.  You will love rich sauce and crunchy corn tortillas.

 

3 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon chicken base

 

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

1 (10-ounce) cream of chicken soup

2 (10-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce, divided

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

 

1 (`16-ounce) package yellow corn tortillas

olive oil

 

1 (8-ounce) package shredded Monterey jack cheese or Mexican blend

 

cilantro sprigs

 

 R1.  Rinse chicken breasts under cool water.  Remove all skin and fat from chicken and place in large pot covered with water.  Bring water to boil, and remove foam as it rises to the top.  Add chicken base and cover pot with lid.  Boil chicken until tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove chicken breasts and let cool in bowl.    Once cooled, remove all bones, and chop or shred chicken into small pieces. 

2.  Place chicken in large bowl.   Add green chiles, chicken soup and ½ can of one of the enchilada sauces.  Stir in the garlic, and mix together well.  Set aside.

3.    In small skillet, fry the tortillas one at a time in hot olive oil, just until bubbly, about 30 seconds.  Remove quickly and while still warm, place 2 tablespoons chicken mixture to one side of the tortilla.  Next, add a tablespoon of the shredded cheese over the chicken and roll the tortilla up.  Place the tortillas on a large baking sheet, (12-inch by 16-inch), that has been coated with the remainder ½ green enchilada sauce on the bottom.

4.   Continue to fry the tortillas, filling them and rolling them up until all chicken mixture has been used.   When all the tortillas are placed on the baking sheet, pour the remaining can of sauce over the filled tortillas.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.   There should be 18 enchiladas.

5.   Place enchiladas on serving platter and garnish top with shredded cheese and sprigs of cilantro.God Bless and have a great day.

Rosalie Fiorino Harpole