Lemon Pudding Cake

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Lemon Pudding Cake

Lemon Pudding Cake

Cake is synonymous with joy, laughter, and togetherness. While warm cookies may accompany an afternoon snack or ice cream may be a treat for a weekend celebration, cake is for the moments we want to remember, the milestones we want to imprint on our minds and hearts. A frosted cake rests on a kitchen table, dotted with glowing candles and melted wax, as everyone gathers to sing a spirited, off-key version of Happy Birthday to the guest of honor. Towering cakes are sliced by a bride and groom as they feed each other their first mouthfuls as husband and wife. Cake celebrates life, marking the passing of another year. Cake is a representation of love, of hopefulness and togetherness.

Cake is served on the best days of your life.

Lemon Pudding Cake

There are two cakes that have etched themselves so thoroughly on my heart, that are entwined so deeply in my memories, I am certain I could not forget their taste if I lived for a thousand years.

The first of the cakes is chocolate glazed banana cake. It is a simple cake, no frills or fuss, but somewhere between the ripe bananas and rich glaze there is the feeling of home. My mother would unexpectedly make this cake for my sister and me during the heat of summer. After playing outside in the sun, our faces pink and our lungs breathing quick, we would bound inside and smell this cake in the oven, which spiraled out scents that made our mouths water. There was no rhyme or reason to when my mother would make this cake, which made the moment of discovery that much more prized. My father kept the cake in the refrigerator, cutting out cold pieces for his daughters to enjoy after a long summer's day.

Lemon Pudding Cake

The second cake is one my mother has made over a dozen times. Since I was very young, I would insist on having strawberry shortcake drizzled in chocolate syrup for each and every birthday. The night before my big day, I would stay up late to watch my mother prepare the cake from scratch, mesmerized by the mixer as it beat egg whites into a flurry. As soon as she placed the cake in the oven, she would send me off to bed to have sweet, strawberry-filled dreams. I adored this cake then and I adore it now. I cannot imagine a birthday passing without digging into a big slice.

While there are very few cakes that insert their way into my heart like these two cakes have, this Lemon Pudding Cake may soon become one of them. I already have plans to make this cake for my citrus-loving mother as soon as Mother's Day rolls around.

Lemon Pudding Cake

Lemon Pudding Cake has a bold, tart lemon flavor with an unexpected texture. The cake is primarily a mixture of milk and freshly squeezed lemon juice (with a tad of butter and a touch of flour), folded together with whipped egg whites. While it bakes, the cake separates into two distinct layers. The top of the cake bakes up like a souffle and the bottom develops into a glorious lemon pudding. The varied textures and bright citrus taste turn this simple, unremarkable looking cake into one that will forever remain etched in your heart.

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Lavender Lemon Shortbread

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Lavender Lemon Shortbread

Lemon Lavender Shortbread

The sun finally feels like it is beginning to come out of hibernation, indulging in a few more precious moments with me each day. After spending a winter in England, I realized just how dependent I am on her warm rays. The cloudy English skies and brilliant fogs, while a novelty at first, grew to become oppressive. I soon felt as withered as the waning plant I kept in my windowsill; the plant turning a shade of brown as it slowly tossed its leaves to the floor. Each day the sun stayed hidden behind the clouds, my energy drained ever so slightly from my limbs, taking a small part of my spirit with it.

The sun, I have discovered, is the cure to the simplest case of winter blues.

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Lemon Lavender Shortbread

As a respite from trudging through foot high snow drifts and scraping the frost off frozen windshields, the sun brought the feeling of spring the last few days. With temperatures above freezing for the first time in months, I shed my winter coat and walked around in a simple sweatshirt. Though it was still far to cold outside for such antics, I wanted to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, to absorb the glow deep into my skin, to replenish the energy a winter of bone chilling temperatures took away.

The sun's rare gift of spring will quickly decline back into winter, but I feel recharged, ready to put back on my mittens and wrap a scarf back around my neck.

Lemon Lavender Shortbread

With a feeling of spring in the air, I was taken back briefly to the flavors of last summer and a resplendent glass of my summer drink of choice—Lavender Lemonade. Even though it is too soon to dream of enjoying a glass while basking in the hot summer sun, I could not resist but bring the flavors together in a new form.

Shortbread is a clean slate in terms of flavor. The buttery, sandy texture of shortbread, while lovely on its own, lends itself well to simple mix-ins. The zest of a couple lemons and the subtle scent of lavender brought a feeling of spring into my kitchen, the aroma hanging in the air long after the cookies emerged from the oven.

Lemon Lavender Shortbread

Lavender Lemon Shortbread brings a bright, refreshing flavor to a winter's afternoon. The classic sandy texture of shortbread meets lemon zest and lavender buds. The lemon is the predominant flavor while the lavender imparts a subtle tone to the overall profile. To add extra sweetness, the cookies are rolled with lemon-scented sugar before heading into the oven. These shortbread cookies are best accompanied with a warm beverage and visions of spring.

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Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

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Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Weekend mornings are meant for a little luxury. Sleeping in until the morning sun gently wakes me, slowly bringing up the radiant light through the bedroom windows, instead of the sharp, loud beep of an alarm clock is bliss. Lazily scrolling through internet pages and listening to the morning news in pajama bottoms and a wild case of bedhead is indulgence. The smell of coffee and a small stack of pancakes with a drizzle of maple syrup is joy.

If weekends were not meant for luxury, then when?

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

When I was younger, my mother often made pancakes for Sunday morning brunch. Eggs were scrambled, bacon was sizzling on the stove, and the maple syrup was warmed in preparation of the feast. Yet, for some unspeakable reason, I had decided I did not like pancakes, lifting my nose up at them until my mother grew exasperated. Looking back, I cannot quite understand what exactly was going on in my mind, but I do feel I owe my mother an apology. I feel a little silly now, inventing my own pancake recipes, when just years ago my mother could only get me to try a bite if she sprinkled chocolate chips over them.

I am thankful my taste buds have grown up with the rest of me.

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

One winter weekend morning, when the sun was shining and the windows were frosted with snow, the mood felt right to stay in and have a warm breakfast. I whisked together the ingredients for blueberry lemon pancakes and heated up a frying pan. Typically, I make large pancakes, simply because they are easy to cook and I have to spend less time hovering over a griddle. For these pancakes, however, the lazy feel of the morning had spread from my head down to my fuzzy sock covered toes and I decided a true short stack was in order. I cooked the pancakes one at time, patiently trying to flip them at just the right moment (and failing, most of the time. It is still a skill I have yet to master).

A secret of the food photographers trade: hide the too dark pancakes in the middle of the stack and perhaps no one will notice. Browned or not, these pancakes punctuated the morning with just the right amount of luxury.

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Blueberry Lemon Pancakes are destined for weekend morning breakfasts. The pancake batter has a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour to give them an extra heartiness. Speckled with fresh blueberries and lemon zest, the flavor is bold and pronounced. For true lemon lovers, you may add a tablespoon of lemon juice to give the pancakes a bit more punch. With a drizzle of maple (or blueberry) syrup, these pancakes become the weekend breakfast of champions.

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