Almond Cake

Get ready to LOVE this dessert. I couldn't get enough of it, and people at work are still (2 weeks later) requesting that I bring more in. It's pretty easy to make and like I said, you won't be able to get enough.

In a small sauce pan add the water and butter and bring to a boil.  While that's cooking, add the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl.

Pour the boiling water and butter mixture into the flour and sugar mixture. Beat well and add the baking soda, almond extract and sour cream.

Mix in the eggs, and beat again scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into a 9x13 inch baking pan, and bake at 375 degrees F for around 20 minutes until the middle is set.  Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for another 20 minutes until you start the icing.

For the icing, bring the butter and milk to boil in a small sauce pan.    

Add the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl.  Once the milk and butter and boiling, pour the mixture into the mixing bowl and mix well.  Add more powdered sugar if you need a thicker consistency.  Pour onto cake and let sit for 20 minutes to harden.  

Serve with ice cream or fresh fruit, I chose raspberries and I think it was the perfect addition.  The cake is moist, and I love the almond flavor in the icing and the cake itself.  

Enjoy!

Almond Cake

Serves 10

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Cake:

1 cup butter

1 cup water

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sour cream

2 whole eggs

Icing:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small sauce pan, bring the water and butter to a boil.

While that is heating, add the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl.

Pour the water into the flour and sugar mixture and beat well.

Add the baking soda, almond extract and sour cream.

Then add the eggs and mix well.

Pour the batter into a 9x13 inch buttered pan.  

Bake for around 20 minutes until the middle is set.

Remove from the oven and let cool for another 20 minutes before starting the icing.

Icing:

Bring the butter and milk to boil in a small sauce pan.

Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Once the milk is boiling, pour over the mixture in the bowl and stir until mixed well.

Add more powdered sugar if it needs to be thicker.

Pour onto the cake and let sit for 20 minutes, until it hardens.

Serve with ice cream or fresh fruit.

Chicken Saffron Pilaf

Hope your holiday weekend was a good one!  C and I spent the weekend at Lake Texoma, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  The lake was way bigger than I thought, and was really nice.  I'll share pictures with you soon.  

I wanted to try this recipe so I could use more of the saffron I bought a while ago.  This is a healthy dinner, with many flavors.  All of them combined tasted awesome. 

You will be marinating the chicken in Greek yogurt, and you can use whichever brand you wish, I used Open Nature.

Mix together the yogurt, juice from a half of a lemon, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.  Cut around two boneless chicken breasts into bite size pieces, and marinate in the yogurt mixture for around an hour.  

While the chicken is marinating, soak the saffron threads in the vegetable stock in a separate bowl.

Over medium heat, in a large pan with a lid, melt the butter along with one tablespoon of oil.

I received this Traditions Coconut Oil to try as a sample, and decided to use it in place of oil in this recipe.  It did add a little coconut flavor to the rice, which I really enjoyed.

Add the basmati rice, and stir it to coat until glossy.

Pour in the saffron and stock into the rice.

Add the lemon juice and zest to the rice and bring the pan to a boil.  Then cover and turn the heat down to very low.  Cook like this for around 15 minutes, and the rice should have absorbed the liquid and cooked through.

While the rice is cooking, shake the excess yogurt off the chicken and fry the meat in a hot pan with the remaining spoonful or so of oil.  

When the rice is cooked, take it off the heat and add the chicken pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, toast the cashews and almonds in the oven for a couple minutes on a cookie sheet until fragrant.

Then add the nuts to the chicken and rice mixture.

Add parsley and salt to taste and serve immediately.  I really liked the light coconut flavor from the oil in the rice.  I also think the toasted nuts made the dish with the added crunch.  This was a pretty simple, and low fat dinner, that everyone will enjoy. 

See you back here tomorrow!

Chicken Saffron Pilaf

Adapted  from Technicolor Kitchen

Serves 6

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces

3/4 cup plain yogurt, or Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon saffron thread

4 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2-3 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 3/4 cup basmati rice

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup cashew nuts

1/4 cup flaked almonds

small bunch of parsley, chopped

Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, juice from half lemon, cinnamon, salt and pepper for about an hour.

Soak the saffron threads in the vegetable oil.

Over medium heat, in a large skillet melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Add the rice, stirring it to coat until glossy.

Pour in the saffron and stock.

Add the lemon juice and zest of one lemon and bring the pan to a boil. 

Cover and turn the heat down to very low, and cook for around 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, shake the excess yogurt off the chicken.

Fry the meat in a hot pan with the remaining spoonful or so of oil.

While meat is cooking toast the almonds in the oven, in a cookie sheet, until fragrant.

When the rice is cooked, remove from heat.

Add the chicken pieces, toasted nuts, and chopped parsley.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.