Dessert Thursday

Funny thing when it came to making certain thing, even though my grandmother had so many great recipes to choose from, when she wanted to make something really mouth-watering for her family, or for a special get-together, she oftenwent to her old red recipe book.   The only thing she would often say it was a guide and the you can create the rest from what is in your kitchen and your heart.

Then again there are just some things she made that were never written down, have no measurements and we can recreate by taste.  One of those amazing treats a proven recipe,  a tasty topping for great desserts that she knew her family loved, was her strawberry frosting.  Ok it may not be the buttercream of Hawaii 5-0 legend, but there I not a single member of that team I guarantee that would turn it down.  

Pound Cake

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  
2. With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. 
3. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. 
4. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Strawberry Frosting

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 cup butter

1tsp vanilla extract 

3 -1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. Place strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. 
2. Then place the strawberry puree into a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stir often, until puree is reduced by at least half, for about 15-20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool completely.
3. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
4.  Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar into butter until just blended. 
5. Add  2 tablespoons strawberry puree and vanilla extract into butter mixture until just blended.
6. Repeat with 1 cup confectioners' sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons strawberry puree two more times. 
7. Beat last 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar into mixture until just blended.