Great Day Farms - grace grits and gardening

Velvet Elvis Poundcake and FREE EGGS!

December 2, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(This post is sponsored by Great Day Farms. All opinions are my own.)

Y’all. Before I get to this amazing Velvet Elvis Pound Cake recipe, I want to let you know I have ten dozen Great Day Farms eggs to give away just in time for Christmas baking! If you are like me, you can always use extra eggs, especially free ones. I went through almost three dozen eggs preparing my Thanksgiving meal. Almost every dessert and casserole calls for eggs.

But first…

Let’s talk about the yummiest pound cake ever. I present the Velvet Elvis Pound Cake.

My Momma (who rarely cooks these days) made this pound cake last Christmas, and it was so heavenly that I made it for Thanksgiving last week.

According to the recipe Momma found in the Dallas Morning News, it was Elvis’s favorite. I know what you’re thinking and no, it isn’t a peanut butter and banana poundcake. The texture is smooth like velvet (so velvety I’ve named it the Velvet Elvis Pound cake).

This cake is truly perfect from the edges to the center. It’s made with cake flour and whipping cream—therein lies the difference.

Who knew?

Well, Elvis did.

You’ll want to add this to your holiday baking menu. It’s a Christmas worthy dessert and my new favorite.

Velvet Elvis Poundcake

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick 1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups cake flour sifted twice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed - about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in half of the cake flour.
Add whipping cream.
Beat in remaining cake flour and vanilla.
Pour batter into a buttered and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 60 - 65 minutes.
Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
While you enjoy it, think of The King.

Now here’s more about the egg giveaway. Courtesy of Great Day Farms, I will be giving away one dozen eggs to ten winners. Contest ends December 9. Winners will be announced periodically during contest. There are several ways to enter, just follow the instructions below or on the Grace Grits Facebook page by clicking HERE. Thank ya, thank ya very much!

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Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Velvet Elvis photo courtesy of Jamie Dwyer – http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamidwyer/2474408252/

my 29 second gourmet breakfast

October 13, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

There’s no reason not to eat a healthy and delicious breakfast. If you’ve got 29 seconds, you can dine on a gourmet-ish egg cooked in your microwave. This is one of my favorite quick breakfasts. Okay really you’ll need a full minute when you add in prep, but what a great tradeoff. One minute for protein and vitamins!

This egg is so simple.

Crack an egg in one of those small measuring bowls, the sort cooks use to line up all their ingredients on food shows.

Give it a stir.

Add your favorite spices. I added a smidge of tarragon, cayenne and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir again.

Cover with a paper towel and cook in the microwave for 29 seconds on high. (Every microwave is different. You will need to experiment to find out the perfect time for your egg.)

Top with a dab of goat cheese. I bought yummy White River Creamery (Elkins, Ar) artisan goat cheese at Fayetteville Farmer’s Market. (Follow White River Creamery on Facebook.) They are an Arkansas Made & Arkansas Grown company.

I added a few currant tomatoes from my sister-in-law’s garden and there you have it, an easy yet impressive breakfast. Oh and there was coffee, of course.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Molten Chocolate Cake. Oh my ganache!

April 24, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(Eggs for this recipe were provided by Great Day Farms. All opinions are my own.)

This molten chocolate cake recipe comes with a warning: not to be shared with the chocolate lightweight. With one scoop of the spoon, the luscious chocolate center flows like Willie Wonka’s river. Serious chocolate here, people.

This recipe is courtesy of Sur la table cooking school, where I learned to make it (along with creme brûlée—BeStillMyHeart). Here’s my rule about cooking class recipes—if I can successfully repeat it at home, (and by successfully I mean it turns out the same), it’s a keeper. Plus, if the steps are easy and the ingredients basic, I consider it blog-able and too good not to share.

Chocolat-y heaven.

This one passed the test. I think you’ll agree!

Molten Chocolate Cake

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter plus melted butter for brushing
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 1 extra tablespoon all-purpose flour divided
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a silicon pastry brush, prepare the inside of four 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter.
In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of the flour; dust the ramekins with the cocoa mixture, tapping out the excess. Transfer the ramekins to a sturdy baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter with the chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar with the eggs and salt at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, 3 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the melted chocolate until no streaks remain. Fold in the 1/4 cup of flour.
Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins. Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are cracked but the centers are still slightly jiggly. Transfer the ramekins to a cooling rack for 5-8 minutes.
Run the tip of a small knife around each cake to loosen. Invert a small plate over each cake and, using potholders, invert again. Carefully lift off the ramekins. Dust the warm cakes with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately with optional whipped cream or ice cream.