Poppy Seed Tart

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Mother Nature is really throwing the winter assaults on us now.  And I'm not just talking about the Midwest anymore.  The frigid temperatures, blowing snow, wintry mix, and ice storms across most of the country make for some pretty bad travel in the car and in the air.  So here's my suggestion-- don't go out.  Just stay home, put on your cozy clothes, and make this tart☺.

There's really not a whole lot to say about this recipe other than it is rather simple and wonderfully delicious.  It is essentially a rich vanilla pudding filled tart with the addition of poppy seeds.  I take it just one step further by adding a little whipped cream topping because, let's face it--much like bacon, whipped cream makes everything better☺.

Southern Pound Cake

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If you follow my facebook page, you know that I was out of my kitchen this past Sunday and was unable to share our weekly Sunday dinner.  We were enjoying time with family up North, but I certainly didn't go empty handed.  

Like my mom's Chocolate Pound Cake, this is a treasured family recipe from my Great Aunt Margaret.  We didn't have many sweets growing up (making up for that in my adult life), so when they did appear on the table or in the picnic basket, they were thoroughly enjoyed.  I have memories associated with just about every slice of pound cake I ate in my youth.

This is a pretty standard southern pound cake. You can taste the sweet, creamed butter, the floral essence of vanilla and the kiss of lemon, but then there is that something.  It's that something you just can’t put your finger on.  It rounds out all the flavors into one delicious slice of heaven. That secret ingredient is ground mace. What is ground mace you ask?  It is the ground outer membrane of the nutmeg nut.  It is warm and spicy like nutmeg, but more subtle in flavor and devoid of the little black flecks that nutmeg leaves behind.   

So please, if you do not have any ground mace, pick some up on your next trip to the market and make this cake!  Then resist the urge to eat the cake on the day you make it (torture, I know). Trust me, letting it rest a day gives it that next day better goodness.  Once it is completely cool, put it on your cake plate and cover with a dome or just wrap it in aluminum foil and walk away. OK, maybe steal one of those crispy, buttery crumbs that accidentally fell of the edge of the cake and then walk away. Grab a slice for breakfast with your morning coffee, steal a slice for an afternoon snack, or serve it as dessert with some berries and ice cream. 

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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With last Sunday's dinner in the rearview mirror, I am ready to gear up for this coming Sunday.  With the dessert I will be serving, I am in need of some ice cream.  I certainly wanted to go the homemade route.  And with the way this batch turned out, I am glad I did!   

Vanilla ice cream is the blank canvas of the frozen dessert world.  I think it is important for any adventurous cook to have a quality, go-to homemade version.  It is the perfect accompaniment to just about any dessert and can be dressed up in a variety of ways, like with a drizzle of chocolate syrup for a simple example.  As I have discussed before, I use a little liqueur or alcohol in the frozen base of most of my ice creams and sorbets to keep them from freezing rock hard.  This recipe takes this step one step further.  Light corn syrup is cooked with the custard.  The combination of the vodka (vanilla flavor is nice if you have on hand☺) and the corn syrup makes for the ultimate creamy ice cream texture.