THANKS, MOM!

A sweet delicious cake is the perfect way to top off a Mother's Day meal. Your home-baked cake can serve as a beautiful gift to remind her how special she is. This light and airy Orange Chiffon Cake would be perfect.


6 lg. eggs, separated plus 1 additional egg white
2 1/4 c. sifted cake flour
1 1/2 c. superfine granulated sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T. orange zest
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Note: To make superfine sugar, process 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in your food processor about 30 seconds.

Glaze:
1/2 c. butter
2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
2 to 4 T. fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel


Separate the eggs and place the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Cover with plastic wrap and bring them to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Have ready a 10-inch two piece tube pan. Do not grease pan.
Place the flour, sugar (minus 3 tablespoons), baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixer and add the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, zest and vanilla extract. Beat about one minute or until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. With a large rubber spatula gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended.
Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (When lightly pressed the cake will spring back). Immediately upon removing cake from the oven invert the pan and place on a bottle or flat surface so it is suspended over the counter. Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan. To remove from pan run a long metal spatula around the inside of the pan and center. Invert onto a serving plate.
Glaze: Melt butter in small saucepan; add remaining glaze ingredients. Stir until smooth. Pour over top of cake.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

This pie would make a wonderful addition to your Easter or Mother's Day gathering. I get many requests for this pie at this time of the year. For those of you who like lemon, this pie is for you.

1 ½ c. granulated sugar

½ c. plus 2 T. cornstarch

2 ½ c. cold water

5 lg. egg yolks

2 T. butter

2 T. lemon zest

½ c. lemon juice

1 baked 10-inch pie shell

Meringue

5 lg. egg whites

¾ c. granulated sugar

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Combine sugar and cornstarch in pan. Add the water, and using a whisk, stir until the mixture is well dissolved, making sure no cornstarch lumps remain. Whisk in the egg yolks and stir until mixture is smooth. Cook whisking constantly until thickened then cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the butter, remove from heat and quickly whisk in the lemon zest and lemon juice and stir until blended. Immediately cover the mixture to keep it warm. Set aside. To make the meringue: Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a tabletop mixer bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir continuously with whisk until the mixture is just warm to the touch. Return bowl to mixer and whip at high speed until meringue forms soft peaks. Meringue should be glossy and smooth, not chunky. Pour lemon filling into baked pie shell and spread it out evenly. Make sure the meringue meets the outside rim of the crust all the way around the pie. Use a spatula to shape meringue into swirls. Bake for 6 minutes at 400 degrees. Let pie cool for 4 hours before serving. Best made day it is served. It may be stored uncovered at room temperature overnight, but some liquid will form under the crust the next day.

BUNNY CREAM PUFFS

Aren't these little bunnies too cute! I saw them on the Land O Lakes website and couldn't resist sharing them with you. They promise to make young and old smile. Your children will have fun helping you decorate them. For more great Easter recipe ideas, please visit www.landolakes.com.

Cream Puffs
1 c. water
1/2 c. Land O Lakes butter
1 c. all-purpose flour
4 lg. eggs

Filling
1 (3.3 oz.) pkg. white chocolate instant pudding
1 1/4 c. cold milk
1 c. whipping cream, whipped

Decorations
Large marshmallows
Decorative sugar
Toothpicks
Vanilla flavored candy-coating, melted
Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Black string licorice, cut into thin 3/4 inch strips
Small round pink candies, such as mini candy-covered chocolate pieces
Powdered sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine water and butter in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in flour vigorously until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in 1 egg at a time until mixture is smooth.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Pierce each puff gently with fork to allow steam to escape. Cool completely.

Prepare pudding mix using 1 1/4 cups milk, as directed on package. After pudding is set, gently stir in whipped cream. Cover; refrigerate until serving time.

To create bunnies, cut off cream puff tops. Cut large marshmallows crosswise into 3 pieces. Dip cut sides into decorator sugar for ears. Using toothpicks, attach marshmallows into top of cream puff for ears. Use melted candy coating to attach chocolate chips for eyes.

Just before serving, fill bottom half of cream puff with 1/3 cup filling. Press licorice strips for whiskers and pink candies for nose into filling. Place decorated cream puff top over filling. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Italian Easter Egg Wreath

There are many variations to this Italian Easter Bread. I hope you like mine. I always remember going to my grandmother's house at Easter and this wonderful bread would be waiting my visit. The colored eggs tucked between the ropes of the dough were magical to me. Enjoy!

1 envelope (2-1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F.)
3 lg. eggs, room temperature
2/3 c. granulated sugar
8 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 c. warm milk (100 to 110 degrees F.)
! T. vanilla extract
1 T. grated orange zest
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

6 whole uncooked eggs, colored if desired
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 T. water, for egg wash
Colored sprinkles, optional

To make the dough: In a small cup, combine the yeast with the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Beat in the sugar. Stir in the butter, milk, vanilla, and orange zest. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add 5 cups of the flour and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Gradually add just enough of the remaining flour to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two until very smooth. Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.

Butter 2 baking sheets. Punch down the dough and cut into 4 pieces. Roll out one piece under your palms into a rope about 20 inches long. Repeat with another piece of dough. Lay the ropes side by side and loosely braid them together. Lift the braid onto the prepared baking sheet and bring the ends together to form a ring. Pinch the ends to seal. Place 3 eggs at intervals around the wreath, tucking them in between the ropes of the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough and eggs. Cover the wreaths with plastic wrap and let rise four about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the egg wash over the wreaths. Scatter the candy sprinkles on top if using. Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown, reversing the position of the pans in the oven halfway through the baking time. Transfer the bread to racks to cool complete.

Note: The dye on the eggs may bleed a little onto your bread. This recipe calls for uncooked whole colored eggs to be placed on the dough. You can use hard-boiled if you prefer, they will just be cooked a little more, but will be fine.

BLONDIES WITH EASTER CHOCOLATE CHIPS

A cross between a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie, blondies are thought to have evolved from butterscotch confections and gingerbread. One of the first known recipes for blondies appeared in an 1896 cookbook. This recipe is adapted from the Williams-Sonoma kitchen. I love visiting their stores during the holidays. The have the cutest stuff for baking. I got the Easter chocolate chips there.


2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 lg. eggs
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. Easter chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a food processor, combine, the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla and process until well combined, about 1 minute, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time and pulse for 2 seconds after each addition. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt directly onto the butter mixture and pulse 10 times, 2 seconds per pulse.

Transfer the batter to a bowl and fold in the chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until the blondies are golden brown and the edges are firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, then cut into bars. Makes 20 blondies.

Note: The blondies can be baked in two 9-inch square pans. Spray the pans and prepare the batter as directed. Divide it between the pans and spread evenly, Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.