April | 2012 | Is this a keeper?

I am sure I was not alone in baking this Lemon Loaf Cake early. It seemed like the perfect addition to our Easter Sunday dinner and since my family is always eagar to participate in tasting the new recipes, this made it easier to have a lot more of them involved. The sense I got from those who posted their early impressions was that the cake was a bit dry. Since I didn’t want that reaction on Easter, I made sure to bring the ingredients to make a lemon icing to go over the top. I am one to stick to the original recipe the first time, but I caved this time. I was thinking better safe than sorry and it turned out to be a wise decision. 🙂 For the recipe, check out these host blogs: Treats and The Beauty of Life.

For this recipe I went out and picked the lemons right off the tree…can’t get fresher than that! The only difference in this recipe from other cake recipes that I have made, was the whisking of the egg mixture and then sifting the dry ingredients in by thirds.

I didn’t have a real zester but improvised with my grater and used the small section. It seemed to work just fine.

Before…

and after…

I liked the look of the crust with the bursting center and it sure smelled good while baking. It took my cake longer in the oven than the recipe suggested in order for the center to be done. I am not sure if that added to the dryness of the cake or not.

I went ahead and served the cake with a lemon icing. Everyone really liked the cake and said the icing was a nice touch otherwise it would have been dry. For me, it didn’t seem that special…nothing out of the ordinary. Even though it was a good cake I don’t see myself making this again when there are so many delicious desserts to make. Unfortunately, I would say this recipe “is not a keeper” which makes us 0/2 this month. :(…still a great experience though!!

I love how this cooking group keeps you on a schedule to try new recipes! Instead of once in a while finding time to tackle something new, now I plan for it…SO fun! It has been fun sharing this journey with my family, friends, and the new group of blogging friends. 🙂

Our first recipe for April is Pizza Rustica…a sweet and savory pie/quiche. We had two hosts, Emily and Raelynn, so take a minute to check out their blogs and the recipe.

Somehow I have managed all these years baking and cooking without a food processor but TWD was a good excuse to buy one…and it was exciting to use it for the first time.

I was surprised how easily the dough came together, and compared to the last few recipes, it was not sticky at all. I had no problem rolling it out and fitting it to the pie pan. This might be my first crust. I can’t remember ever making a pie so I felt pretty accomplished!

So now I needed to fill my crust. I decided once again to follow the recipe the first time to see what the original would be like and from there decide if I would tweak it the next time. I have never cooked with Ricotta, Romano, or Prosciutto so this was a new one for me and my family.

Now for the fun part…looking back I wish I had woven the lattice but I didn’t think of it while I was constructing the top. I also had looked at a couple of stores for a ruffle-edged pastry wheel but no luck…so just straight lattices for me.

Before and After…

Now for the final verdict…if you have read any of my previous posts you know that even before I started this TWD I have always asked my family…”Soooo what do you guys think…is it a keeper?” because who wants to waste time cooking something that is not loved…well…this was surprising, the two in my family that eat..anything…didn’t care for it…they thought the filling was ok, but tasted weird with the sweet crust. My husband and son not liking something, rarely happens in my house so I would say this was a fun one to make since I hadn’t tried many of the skills but I think it is safe to say we won’t be repeating this recipe…this one is NOT a keeper for our family….but I have to say, I found others to finish off the pie and they really enjoyed it. 🙂