Lemon Pound Cake...to die for

On Wednesday night I volunteered to take dinner to a few families in the neighborhood freshly home from the hospital. And I feel that dinner is not complete without a dessert, so the dilemma of what to make began.

Of COURSE I opted for this recipe (I can't believe I haven't shared it with you yet). Lemon is my favorite and this pound cake melts in your mouth it is so delicious. It was gobbled up so fast I forgot to take a picture.

I think it is best still warm from the oven, but don't take my word for it.

Lemon-Glazed Pound Cake

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

6 large eggs

2 tsp pure lemon extract

1 T. grated lemon zest (2 medium lemons)

Glaze

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, blend flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add butter, buttermilk and 3 eggs. Beat on low until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add lemon extract and lemon zest and blend at medium speed. Add the remaining 3 eggs one at a time, beating at high speed for 30 seconds after each addition.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While pound cake is baking, prepare lemon glaze. In a small pan heat lemon juice and sugar over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.

When cake is done, remove from oven and leave in pan. With a toothpick poke holes in the surface of the cake and pour half the glaze over it.

Cool in pan 15 minutes then invert on cooling rack. Brush top of pound cake with remaining lemon glaze. Cool to room temperature, and dust with confectioners' sugar if you want.

{Modified from Mrs Field's Cookie Book}

Orange Rolls

These Orange Rolls? Amazing. I shared them with family and they couldn't stop raving. So so yummy.

The only thing to work on for next time - when rolling them up, lots of the filling oozed out making an ooey gooey mess. But still amazingly delicious.

Orange Rolls
1 recipe dinner rolls (below)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated orange rind from two large oranges

Follow directions below for dinner rolls. Combine butter, sugar, orange juice and orange rind in a small bowl and mix well. When dough is ready to shape into rolls, punch down and divide in thirds. Roll each portion into large rectangle about 9 X 13 inches, 1/4 inch thick. Spread each rectangle with one-third of the butter/orange/sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll up jelly roll style. Seal edges well, then cut with a sharp knife or dental floss into 1 inch slices.

Twist and stretch each slice, then place on a well-greased baking sheet (the “twist and stretch” may be confusing but all you do is take the cinnamon-roll like circle you just cut from the log and stretch it while twisting it into a figure-8…if that is not your thing than by all means bake them cinnamon-roll style and they will still be very delicious and pretty). Let rise away from draft until dough doubles. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Remove rolls from pans and cool on wire rack. When rolls are cool, drizzle with orange glaze: Mix together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 T. freshly squeezed orange juice and 1/2 tsp. Grated orange rind.

Lion House Dinner Rolls
2 T. dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 1/2 tsp. Salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5-6 cups flour
1 egg

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add 2 more cups flour, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Add about one more cup flour, 1/2 cup at a time until well mixed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and satiny (I simply use my very-well-loved Bosch mixer to knead for me). Return dough to an oiled bowl and cover to let rise until about triple in size.

Use last of the flour as needed on the board for rolling and shaping the dough. Let dough rest on board for 10 minutes so it will be easier to manage if you roll it. Separate dough into three portions. Roll out each portion into a circle and cut into 8 pie-shaped pieces (or 12 pieces if you want smaller rolls). Roll up crescent-style and place on baking sheet (I line mine with a silpat liner or parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes 2-3 dozen rolls.

{From Mel's Kitchen Cafe}