While I take longer than I would like to admit embracing the changing of the seasons, the flavors of fall do help to make the transition quite delicious. I have been scouring the web for a couple weeks for some new pumpkin and squash recipes to try over the weekends and these are at the top of my list. I love the idea of a cozy slow Sunday morning complete with Pumpkin and Pecan Pancakes or gathering some friends around a table to enjoy a fall harvest dinner and those amazing Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes and then blowing everyone’s socks off with that Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust! Do you have any new tasty discoveries this fall or family favorites you enjoy each year?

I hope this weekend finds you with a balance of adventure and relaxation, Hayley

Top down :  1. Fiorentini with Butternut Squash 2. Pumpkin and Pecan Pancakes   3. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon Sesame Brittle  4. Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage 5. Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Remember those pretty little painted periwinkles? This was the cake we used to showcase the golden-tipped shells. We’re not calling this post The Perfect Chocolate Cake just to catch your attention and pull you in under false pretenses. Seriously, make it. You will most likely come to the same conclusion our family has come to – it actually is the best chocolate cake we’ve ever tasted.

The recipe is from the Portland (Maine!) Symphony Cookbook, a compilation of favorite recipes from all the musicians in the orchestra that served as a fundraiser for our local symphony several decades ago and a family treasure since 1974. For this three-layer cake the cookbook includes a filling and chocolate buttercream frosting. We’ve opted to just give it a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of freshly whipped cream and some berries this time around, but anyway you serve it this cake is out-of-this-world moist and delicious. Go on and indulge your chocolate tooth just a little!

Bon appétit! Blair

The Perfect Chocolate Cake

1 c unsweetened cocoa

2 c boiling water

2 ¾ c flour

2 t baking soda

½ t salt

½ t baking powder

1 c butter, softened

2 ½ c sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ t vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine the cocoa and boiling water, whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at top speed, mix sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Continue until they are very light, about 5 minutes. Then at low speed, beat in the flour mixture alternating with the cocoa and water mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and smooth the tops.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then remove and cool on racks.

Pancakes are a universal weekend breakfast treat. If you’re really doing it up you might throw in a fruit salad, maybe whip cream, or perhaps you go the savory route and add a side of eggs and sausage or bacon. Now I’m hungry. Luckily tomorrow morning is Saturday and that is a great excuse to spend a little extra time putting breakfast on the table.

When I was living in Bar Harbor after college, my Maine gal Lily treated me regularly to ah-mazing food. One day she made these almost-too-beautiful-to-eat lace pancakes using a culinary squeeze bottle. These would be a lot of fun to do with kids, or for a special breakfast in bed for your mom, wife, girlfriend, sister! (hint hint, Blair!), or special guy. I’m sure it comes as no surprise that we highly recommend Stonewall’s pancake mix and Maine maple syrup with blueberries. But Martha has a really delicious basic pancake recipe too.

I hope you can all sleep in and enjoy a nice weekend brunch tomorrow! Hayley

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Did you know that this week is National Picnic Week? We just found out ourselves, but we love picnics so we’re sharing a family favorite summer dessert that is picnic-perfect. They pack up really well in a box or tupperware container, just be sure to put a sheet of parchment paper between stacked layers.

This Lemon Love Note recipe has been passed down for at least three generations now. I’m not exactly sure where it originated, but I know it will be sticking around! The lemon filling really tastes like lemon, which is rather rare for lemon bars these days. My boyfriend says these are the best lemon bars he’s ever tried, which he may just be saying, but it makes me beam regardless. Be prepared to share this recipe with whomever you give a Lemon Love Note!

Enjoy! Blair

Lemon Love Notes

For the crust:

1 c. flour

¼ c. confectionery sugar

1 stick (½ c.) cold butter, cut into T. size chunks

For the lemon filling:

1 ½ c. granulated sugar

3 T. flour

3 t. baking powder

3 T. lemon juice, fresh squeezed (I had ½ T. extra juice that I tossed in, it’s all about how lemony you like it. I would even try 4 T.)

zest of two lemons

3 eggs, lightly beaten

For the icing:

¼ cup confectionery sugar

½ t. vanilla

1 T. butter, room temperature

zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8” square baking dish with parchment paper.

In a medium size bowl cut with a pastry blender the flour, confectionery sugar and butter. When the butter is completely incorporated press the dough into the pan lightly with your hands. Pop it into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown.

While the crust bakes, mix together the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon juice and zest, and eggs. Pour this into the crust and bake an additional 30 minutes or so, until the lemon filling is set and doesn’t jiggle in the center. It will have a spongy appearance when done.

Let the lemon bars cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, mix the icing ingredients: confectionery sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, butter, and milk. Allow the icing to set up for a few minutes before cutting into as many pieces you see fit (four if you are feeling generous, sixteen if you’re a just-a-taste kind of person).

Baker’s Note: Always wash and zest your lemons before you juice them! It’s much easier. Then, before juicing you can roll them under your palm on the counter while pushing down to burst the pulp and make it easier to juice. 

This past weekend was beautiful! Hayley and I visited Cape Elizabeth and had a delicious picnic on our dad’s neighborhood beach. With sunny summer weather the most appropriate picnic fare was, of course, lobster rolls. We placed a call to Dad ahead of time and had several sweet lobsters cooked and ready to go when we arrived. I whipped up a little bit of mayo mixed with a good dose of fresh lemon juice to toss the lobster with, then we lined two Weck jars with bibb lettuce and filled them with our lobster. This makes for much easier assembly on the beach, simply scoop under the lettuce leaf and transfer everything onto your croissant. That’s right, I said croissant. To make a lobster roll even more scrumptious we used croissants, and oh man was that a good decision! All lobster rolls should come on croissants – forget hotdog buns! Period. To round things out we brought along a bag of Cape Cod chips and some super sweet Maple Lemonades from Maine Root (we might try mixing it with some more lemonade next time!).

The view was as delightful as the meal and I remain convinced that food tastes better outside.

Hope you are enjoying some June sun! Blair