Murphy's Menu
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Blake Eyman came to get his first-place prize for winning the Coffee Cake Cook Off, and I must have looked pretty sour because he said: “Lemons!”
Next thing I knew I had more lemon recipes than I could shake a stick at and I intend to share his largesse.
I am always grateful for a fresh lemon around the house. Even if I never get around to using it, in its last stages of near-moldy life, I can squeeze the juice into the sink for a fresh drain. I have been known to boil lemons and cinnamon in the winter to combat the cold-weather blues. And a columnar vase filled with lemons and limes is just as nice as a bouquet of flowers.
Lemons are high in acid, so they apply a “bite” to dishes, a brightness to the flavor along with a refreshing smell. You can use them sliced, juiced or zested in both savory and sweet dishes.
All of Blake’s recipes are from older cookbooks, and are for desserts. Most of them are very easy to make, and would be very refreshing this time of the year. Enjoy.
FANTASTIC
LEMON COOKIES
1 box lemon cake mix
(B. uses Duncan Hines)
1 cup rice crisp cereal
(B. uses Rice Krispies)
1 stick margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten
Mix all together. Dough will be a little stiff. Make balls a little bigger than the size of a walnut and place on cookie sheets. Bake 10 - 12 minutes at 350 degrees. We had these at The Gazette. They were so light, a little crunchy and very tasty.
VVV
Lemon fun fact: Lemon trees bloom and produce fruit year-round. Each tree can produce between 500 and 600 pounds of lemons in a year.
FROZEN LEMONADE PIE
2 prepared graham cracker crust
1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade
1 8-oz. carton whipped topping
(B. uses Cool Whip)
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened,
condensed milk
Mix together and pour into crust. Keep in freezer except when serving.
VVV
Lemon fun fact: The demand for lemons and their scurvy-preventing properties hit a peak during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Miners were willing to pay huge sums for a single lemon. As a result, lemon trees were planted in abundance throughout California.
LEMON COCONUT PIXIES
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and lemon zest in a large bowl until well-blended. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in coconut.
Cover dough and refrigerate about an hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, two inches apart.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges are set. Immediately remove from sheet to wire rack to cool. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container.
VVV
Lemon fun fact: The main types of lemons produced in the United States are the Eureka, the Lisbon, the Genoa, the Sicily, the Belair and the Villafranca. Some lemons are produced in Arizona and Florida, but about 90 percent of the commercial U.S. crop is grown in southern California.
QUICK FRUIT
& LEMON DROPS
1 pkg. lemon cake mix (18 oz.)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
1 cup mixed dried fruit bits
1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Combine cake mix, water, butter, egg and lemon peel in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at low speed until well blended. Add fruit bits; beat just until blended.
Place sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape dough by heaping tablespoons into balls and roll in sugar. Place two inches apart on cookie sheets and bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set.
Let the cookies stand for two minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about two dozen.
VVV
Lemon fun fact: High in vitamin C, lemons prevent scurvy, a disease that causes bleeding gums, loose teeth and aching joints. To this day, the British Navy requires ships to carry enough lemons so that every sailor can have one ounce of juice a day.
LEMON CRUMB BARS
1 pkg. lemon or yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 cups finely crushed saltine
cracker crumbs
3 egg yolks
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened
Condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 15-x-10-x-1-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter and one egg. Mix well; mixture will be crumbly. Stir in cracker crumbs. Reserve two cups of this mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture firmly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake this 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl combine the egg yolks, condensed milk and lemon juice. Mix well and spread over the baked crust.
Top with reserved crumb mixture and bake 20 minutes or until firm. Cool, cut into bars, and store in the refrigerator.
That’s enough to turn any sour puss into a big grin. Thanks, Blake!
VVV
Do you know what’s coming up? Yet another Murphy’s Menu Cook off, that’s what. Salsa is the category, and if you bring a pint to the Farmers Market kiosk between 4:30 and 5 p.m. on Aug. 26, you could walk away with a wonderful culinary gift bag from Country Marts and Price Chopper and be the star of the Home Cooking page on Sept. 2. I’ll bring the chips, and you just “bring it on.” Let’s get cooking!