Lemon Poppyseed Tea Cakes w/ Sourdough Discard

 

My character Sol from Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer loves Lady Wynwood’s cook’s seed cakes, so I decided to try some seed cake recipes using a cook book published in 1800. The first seed cake recipe I tried, Pound Seed Cake, turned out really well, but after tasting them, my husband requested lemon poppy seed flavor.

Making the seed cakes with sourdough discard turned out exactly the same as when I made a sourdough levain, so I thought that making these tea cakes would be a GREAT way to use up sourdough discard, since I always keep a jar for my discard in the fridge.

The lemon poppy seed version turned out fantastic! I admit that the first time I made them, I accidentally forgot to check them at 25 minutes, so I took them out at 30 minutes and they were a little brown. But they still tasted wonderful and were great with tea. The sour tang of the discard paired perfectly with the lemon zest. I made them again and took them out at 25 minutes, and they were perfect (but I forgot to take a photo).

As before, I included instructions for making them with flour instead of sourdough, but be warned that I have not tried this recipe with only flour (since I can’t eat it because of my IBS).

When I made Sol’s seed cakes, I used a cast iron mini cake/biscuit pan so the cakes turned out like tea cakes. You can instead use muffin tins if you’d like, although I have not tried this so I can’t tell you how it will turn out. When I used the biscuit pan, the wide flat shape made the tea cakes bake quickly and evenly and gave a really great texture to the cake—it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

However, you can certainly bake this in a loaf pan like a regular pound cake. I would suggest that you double the recipe and increase the baking time to one hour, but check it for doneness at around 45 minutes or so.

Pound Seed Cake

This recipe makes 7 small cakes. It’s about the same amount of cake as half of a large loaf of pound cake.

Ingredients:

148 grams of spent sourdough discard (100% hydration)
39 grams flour
Alternative: Instead of discard and flour, you can instead make a 65% hydration levain with 114 grams (1/4 pound) flour, 74 grams warm water, and 1 tablespoon 100% hydration sourdough starter, active and bubbly, and let it incubate for a few hours.
Alternative 2: If you don’t want to use sourdough, just use 114 grams of flour in place of the levain. However, be warned that I have not tried this recipe with only flour (since I can’t eat it because of my IBS). Also, (according to some articles on the web) it’s the sourdough that weakens the gluten and makes the cakes tender, so omitting it will change the texture of the cake.
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, room temperature
114 grams (1/4 pound) sugar
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, beaten together lightly and at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons poppy seeds (add according to your own tastes)
2-3 teaspoons lemon zest (add according to your own tastes)

Instructions:

Make a 65% hydration levain by combining 114 grams of flour with 74 grams of water and 1 tablespoon of 100% hydration sourdough starter. The consistency of the levain is almost like a ball of bread dough that you could knead, but it's stickier than bread dough. If you’d like it to ferment for a little longer to get a little bubbly, leave it out at room temperature (I put it in a glass mason jar) for a few hours and then use it whenever you like. I let it sit for 24 hours since I wanted the bacteria to break down the wheat fructans a bit more.

Alternately, mix 114 grams of flour with 74 grams of water and 1 tablespoon of 100% hydration sourdough starter, and leave it out at room temperature until it’s most bubbly and active.

If you’d rather not use sourdough, skip the above steps and instead add 114 grams of flour below in place of the levain.

Mix the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer for a minute or so, then add sugar and cream them together until light and fluffy. This whips air into the butter to help the cakes turn out a little less dense.

Add the beaten eggs to the butter/sugar very slowly, a teaspoon at a time, scraping down the sides and making sure the egg is completely incorporated before drizzling in another teaspoon of egg. This is supposed to make an emulsion of the egg with the creamed sugar and butter.

Add the vanilla, levain, poppy seeds and lemon zest and mix. The batter will be a bit stiff, stiffer than cornbread batter, but not as stiff as biscuit dough.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. You can butter the inside of the biscuit pan if you’d like, but I didn’t the second time because the fat in the batter makes the cakes release easily without buttering. Spoon the batter inside the pan, filling each cup only about halfway. If using a loaf pan instead, butter the loaf pan before spooning the batter inside.

Bake it at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes. If using a loaf pan, bake for 60-75 minutes, but especially the first time you make it, check for doneness at around 45 minutes or so. The cakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean.


***

The original pound seed cakes, made from a recipe book published in 1800, were featured in my Christian Regency Romantic Suspense novel, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 3: Aggressor. Get volume 1 in the series for only 99 cents!

How To Use That Leftover Eggnog by @Donna_Fasano

 Have you been wondering what to do with that leftover eggnog? Here’s a recipe that is sure to please. The cake contains the spices found in eggnog AND a nice dollop of actual eggnog. There’s another splash of eggnog in the glaze. Enjoy!

 Eggnog Loaf Cake

For the cake: 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 Tbsp. butter, softened

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup eggnog

 

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

2-3 Tbsp. eggnog

 

Directions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2.    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3.    In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, and white and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add half of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the eggnog, mixing after each addition only until fully incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and eggnog, stirring after each addition. Do not to overmix.

4.    Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Bake on the center rack for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely.

5.    Make the glaze by combining the confectioner’s sugar, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add the eggnog a tablespoon at a time until the glaze is thick but pourable. Glaze the cooled cake and serve.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Cheese and Bacon Scones Recipe by @Donna_Fasano

Hello! Donna Fasano here. Recently, a good friend of mine told me she’d made a batch of cheese and bacon scones, and the recipe sounded SO delicious, I had to try it for myself. For my first batch, I used cheddar cheese. I will soon try the recipe using Swiss cheese and I’m certain that will taste good, too. The result of my Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Scones adventure was a light, flaky, and extremely flavorful biscuit-like treat. As you can see from the picture, I cut my scones into triangles rather than the circles called for in the recipe. (When I traveled to Europe, every scone I ate was 3-sided not circular. But you cut yours however you wish.) I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Cheese and Bacon Scones

Makes 1 dozen

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 T butter

1 cup shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese

6 slices bacon crisply fried and crumbled

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

 

Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly grease cookie sheet. 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add the butter in chunks and work into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the bacon and cheese. 

Mix the egg and buttermilk together and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms. 

Roll the dough on a floured board to a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Place scones on cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until scones are golden and well risen. 

~  ~  ~

There is nothing better on a chilly autumn afternoon than a cup of hot tea, a yummy scone, and a good book. Here are a few of my romances that are very inexpensive… less than $1 each.

A Beautiful Stranger is the first book in my A Family Forever Series. It's available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks readers as well as in paperback.

Derrick is Book 1 of my Single Daddy Club Series. This series on only available to Kindle readers and in paperback.

An Honorable Man is Book 1 of my Black Bear Brothers Series and is available for Kindle readers and also in paperback.

Happy Eating! And Happy Reading!

Spring needs spring recipes

Spring has sprung! Or so goes the old saying. It's certainly true here at Casa Aylworth in beautiful Nor-Cal where the temperatures could not be more pleasant, the skies more forget-me-not blue, or the blossoms more lovely. The quarantine we've all been experiencing has not daunted the flowers. It seems our whole world is suddenly in bloom.

During my permitted morning walks, I have enjoyed all these lovely reminders that after every winter comes a spring. This time of renewal gives me power to keep going. Here I'm sharing some of the loveliest blossoms of the new season, part from my own yard and part from my neighbors.

Most of the time, quarantine means staying in. That has led to some indulgence, and in some cases, over-indulgence. (You may know the meme that encourages social distancing from one's refrigerator.)

In keeping with that norm, one of our indulgences during this stay-at-home time has been binge-watching TV cooking shows. Since I don't have most of their fancy ingredients, and we're all discouraged from going shopping just to buy those specialty items, I've been looking up recipes I can create from the items in my pantry. Today, I'm sharing two of those with you. These are scones (great for breakfast, dessert, or a treat) made from Bisquick or another baking mix. If you don't have the mix, use a basic biscuit recipe and then doctor it. Here you go. Happy baking!

Cinnamon-raisin scones

·         2 cups Bisquick baking mix

·         ¹⁄₃  cup milk

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         3 tablespoons sugar

·         1 tablesspoon cinnamon

·         ½ c. raisins

DIRECTIONS

1.   Preheat oven to 425.

2.   Mix together all ingredients well.

3.   Take large rounded tablespoons of mixture and drop onto a non-greased pan. (Alternative: roll into a round about ½” thick and cut into wedges, like a pie. Place on non-greased pan.)

4.     Bake for 10-12 minutes.

5.     If you wish, drizzle with simple icing (powdered sugar softened with a tsp. of water) while cookies are still hot.

CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST scones

·         2 cups Bisquick baking mix

·         ¹⁄₃  cup milk

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         3 tablespoons sugar

·         1 tablespoon cocoa powder

·         ½ c. chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 425.

2.    Mix together all ingredients well.

3.    Take large rounded tablespoons of mixture and drop onto a non-greased pan. (Alternative: roll into a round about ½” thick and cut into wedges, like a pie. Place on the non-greased cookie sheet or pan.)

4.    Bake for 10-12 minutes.

5.    If you wish, you can drizzle with chocolate frosting or melted white or dark chocolate.

As the quarantine lets up, I hope to enjoy, and perhaps share, some of the great recipes I've gathered from bingeing the cooking shows. I'll let you know how that turns out. If you have some good ideas for using common pastry items, you are welcome to share with us as well.

Susan Aylworth is the author of 20 novels. Her newest series, "Seasons of Destiny," explores romance in every season of the year in the small, former Gold Rush town of Destiny, California in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Paris in the Springtime, Sunny's Summer,  Amber in Autumn, and Winter Skye are all available now in e-book and paperback. She is beginning a new "Daughters of Destiny" series featuring five sisters-cousins who sing together and lots of interesting song lyrics. Look for them in the coming months. 

Chocolate Pecan Bars AND a Bargain Bundle by Donna Fasano

This month, I am offering FALLING FOR THE SINGLE MOM, my 2-book “duet” bundle, for just 99¢ in the Kindle Store. That’s a $6 savings off the regular price of this set. The two books in the bundle are Take Me, I’m Yours and Her Fake Romance.

In Her Fake Romance, Julia Jones is a caterer and a harried mom of a rebellious teen. Julia’s daughter accuses her of having no life; Julia fakes a romance (just to prove her daughter wrong); Julia ends up falling in love. It’s a cute, lighthearted story that I loved writing. Ryan, the hero of the story, is perfect for Julia… it just takes her a while to come to that conclusion.

If I were a caterer like Julia, I think I’d offer my clients these Chocolate Pecan Bars. They’re rich and delicious! Give them a try. I hope you’ll take a look at FALLING FOR A SINGLE MOM, too. You’ll save a bundle! Click here to buy the bundle. 

Rich Chocolate Pecan Bars

Crust
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate pieces
1 pound pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 13 inch x 9 inch baking pan, making a small lip around the edge like you would a pie crust. Dough will be sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate and pecans. Pour over the crust and spread the filling evenly, staying within the lip of the crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Cut into bars and serve. Wrap remaining bars in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.

~oOo~

Hey, readers! You are invited to the Sweet Romance Reads Mother's Day Event. All the fun will take place on May 9th on Facebook. Click here to join the party. You muct click GOING (rather than just "interested") in order to participate. Hope to see you there! Here's a link to the Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2105376836242289/

Chocolate Ganache – Drizzle It On Everything By Donna Fasano @DonnaFaz

I recently made a BostonCream Pie (for my birthday) and the recipe called for the cake to be topped with chocolate ganache. Well! Let me tell you, I have been making chocolate ganache and drizzling it on everything: ice cream, brownies, cakes, cookies, fresh fruit. You name it, I’ve drizzled it. And I think you should, too. Here’s the recipe so you can give ganache a try. The corn syrup offers a glossy finish. Don’t have corn syrup? No problem. Leave it out.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits

2 tablespoons white corn syrup (optional)

1/2 cup whipping cream

Stove top method: Add chocolate bits and corn syrup to a bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just at the simmering point. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth. Drizzle over your favorite dessert.

Microwave method: Add all ingredients to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. If mixture is not warm enough to melt chocolate, microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Be careful not to scorch the chocolate! Stir until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth. Drizzle over your favorite dessert.

~~oOo~~

I am offering NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR for 99¢ this month. Readers have called this book “a delightful read” and “a feel-good romance that will leave you smiling.” One reader said, “By the end of the book I was in tears as these four learn the true meaning of family.” This book usually sells for $3.99, but you can get it for $3 off during April. I hope you’ll enjoy both the story AND the savings. This deal can be found in these stores:

Kindle  ~  Nook  ~  Kobo  ~  iBooks

Please double check the Kindle price before buying. 

I'm still working on getting the price reduced in the Kindle Store. 

Thank you!

~~oOo~~

About the author: Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author of sweet romance, contemporary romance, and women's fiction. Discover more about her, her books, and her favorite recipes at her website. 

Toe-Curling Blueberry Muffins

I’m currently writing a Christmas Novella that will be available on Dec. 1^st. My hero, Adam, offers the heroine, Veronica, a blueberry muffin and tells her, “It’s so good, it’ll make your toes curl.” However, HE is what makes her toes curl… his smile, his touch, his kiss.

The recipe for Toe-Curling Blueberry Muffins will be included in the book, but why wait? Now that September has arrived with its cooler temperatures, we can turn on the oven and begin baking again. I love a blueberry muffin that has a crumble topping! I hope you do, too.

Toe-Curling Blueberry Muffins

Makes 8 large muffins

For the muffin batter:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

For the topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1.     Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare muffin pan by spraying with cooking spray.

2.     To make muffin batter: combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, milk, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix. Gently stir in the blueberry just until they are well distributed. Do not mash the fruit.

3.     To make topping: in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the softened butter and stir with a fork until all ingredients are combined. Topping will be crumbly.

4.     Fill the muffing tins to the top with batter and top each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the muffins comes out clean.

Here's a sneak peek at my new cover. 

If you'd like to be alerted when the book comes out, 

please join my newsletter. I promise not to share your 

email address with anyone. Ever. 

 Donna Fasano is a USA Today bestselling author of over 40 romance and women's fiction novels. Learn more about her (and a FREE book she's offering) at her website. 

A Family Forever Series by @DonnaFaz and a Cookie #Recipe

When the weather is cold and blustery, I love the smell of warm cookies fresh out of the oven. These cookies, rich with molasses, cinnamon, and ginger, are scrumptious and perfect with tea and a good book!

Marvelous Molasses Cookies

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

¾ cup butter, softened

⅓ cup molasses

1 egg

2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375º.

Cream the brown sugar and butter. Add molasses and egg, and beat to incorporate. Stir in the flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until thoroughly combined. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake until just set, between 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen mouthwatering cookies.

Now that the cookies are baked, brew yourself a cup of hot tea and snuggle up with my latest sweet romance novel, A BEAUTIFUL STRANGER. This is the first book of my A Family Forever Series. Available in these fine stores:

Paperback 

US Kindle        UK Kindle

iBooks Store

Nook Book

Kobo

Google

Book 2 of the series, MADE IN PARADISE, will be out soon!

Click here to be magically transported to the Valentine's Party Page! The party is set for Feb 9th from 2-8 PM (Eastern). Be sure to save it in your favorites to join us on that day!

 

 

Want to get in on the latest information of Sweet Romance Reads? 

Then sign up for our newsletter here.

~   ~   ~

USA Today Bestselling Author Donna Fasano has written over 30 romance and women’s fiction novels. Her books have won awards and have sold 4 million copies worldwide. Her work is available in paperback, audiobooks, and ebooks for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, and Google Play. Learn more about her at her blog, check out her books, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. She loves to hear from readers.

Thanksgiving Is Coming!

I love Autumn. I know I’ve said that before…many times. One of the best things about Autumn is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The gathering of family and friends, the food, the tryptophan, and football playing on TV in the background ~ makes me remember many, many years of happy Thanksgivings. 

Traditionally, of course, we expect turkey and stuffing and gravy and cranberries, but what else? Is there some dish that you always make for Thanksgiving and rarely have any other time during the year? Mine is Spoon Bread. 

I love Spoon Bread. It’s simple and it’s bread and you put lots of butter on it and eat it with a fork (or spoon, if you prefer). I use my grandmother’s recipe (and who knows how many generations before her). It’s very simple and basic, but it’s easy and good, and I’m sharing it with you in case you don’t already have your own:

Spoon Bread

·        Put one cup of white corn meal in a glass or metal bowl.

·        Pour two cups of boiling water over the white corn meal.

·        Beat in the following ingredients (which you should already have handy so it goes quickly):

o   One cup milk

o   One-half teaspoon salt

o   Three teaspoons baking powder

o   Two tablespoons softened butter (take the stick out the night before so it softens)

o   Four eggs, well-beaten.

·        Pour the hand-beaten mixture into a buttered two-quart baking dish.

·        Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for twenty to twenty-five minutes. The top and edges should be golden brown.

·        Enjoy.

What is your special dish? The one you yearn for on special holidays? Share if you will (I know some old family recipes are Top Secret!). And have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 ::-::-::-::

Grace Greene is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction and contemporary romance set in the rolling hills and forests of her native Virginia (Kincaid’s Hope, Cub Creek) and the breezy beaches of Emerald Isle, North Carolina (Beach Rental, Beach Winds). Her debut novel, Beach Rental, and the sequel, Beach Winds, were both Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. She is the also the author of The Happiness in Between (release date: January 31, 2017), a standalone also set in Cub Creek. For more about the author and her books, visit www.gracegreene.com or connect with her on Twitter at @Grace_Greene and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GraceGreeneBooks.