You're Invited! Come Share a Book and a Slice of Pie #thebookclubcookbookCC

I was provided with a copy of The Book Club Cook Book to use for this year-long endeavor of reading and food fun. All opinions and experiences and individual book purchases are my own.

Welcome to the second month of #TheBookClubCookBookCC fun. I am excited to be your host for August and I hope we will all have a lot of fun with this recipe and book choice.

I married an outdoorsman/farmer and currently live in rural Oregon. I have done a fair bit of camping and "roughing it", so I was immediately drawn to Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Okay, it was actually the recipe selection in The Book Club Cook Book that first caught my eye... Lemon Meringue Pie.

You see, I have a great love of lemons...

So this was an obvious choice for my August selection from  The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp.

If lemons don't get you excited, there are two other things to note..

August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day! And the book, the recipe complements, A Walk in the Woods, is coming to theaters September 2nd starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte.

Okay, are you excited now? ...and to think I just picked it because, well... lemons!

Of course, both pie and good books are best shared, so I want to invite you to bake along & read along if you wish. You can do either, join in the fun and then come back at the end of the month when I will post the round-up of all the amazing recipes and thoughts here on Adventures in All Things Food. I am not alone though, there are 11 amazing bloggers joining in on the fun with me:

A Day in the Life on the Farm      

Adventures in All Things Food    

Cheese Curd In Paradise               

Culinary Adventures with Camilla             

Life on Food       

Mostly Food and Crafts 

The Pajama Chef              

The Spiffy Cookie             

Things I Make (for Dinner)           

Tortillas and Honey         

ZooeySuff   

You can follow along with the hashtag #thebookclubcookbookCC on social media or check out the group Pinterest boad. Find out how you can join along with us below.

How to Participate

1. Draw inspiration from the chosen recipe(s).

2. Blog about it! It doesn't have to be a lengthy post. Just share your dish.

3. Include a link back to the hosting blog (that's me!) - Adventures in All Things Food - somewhere in your post. 
4. Include a link back to this invitation.

5. Your post must be current (during August 2015). And, of course,we don't mind if your post is linked to other events. The more, the merrier.

6. Email your entries to me at: andrea.kruse[at]gmail[dot]com and include: 

• Your name
• Your blog's name and URL
• The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
• Attach a photo of any size (or just give me permission to"pull" one from your post)
• Indicate #thebookclubcookbookCC in the subject line

Deadline for submission is: Friday, August 28th. Watch for the roundup to be posted shortly after this deadline...along with the winner of the cookbook.

Slo let's make a pie! The description in the book is for a very yellow, "canary-yellow", wedge of pie.

Very Yellow Lemon Meringue Pie
(from The Book Club Cook Book pg. 451)

• 1/2 recipe pie crust (one crust)
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
• 5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
• 1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 c. cold water
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the crust with a fork and blind bake it for 8 - 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

For the filling, beat the egg yolks to combine and set aside.

Combine the lemon peel and juice in a bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1/3 cup water. Bring up to a simmer, whisking constantly till it thickens. Set aside to cool.

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, salt and 1 1/2 c. cold water in a saucepan. Bring up to a simmer, whisking frequently. The mixture will become clear, then start slowly adding the egg yolks and whisking vigorously to prevent curdling. Once all the yolks are added, add the butter and lemon mixture. Keep whisking for another minute, then remove from the heat and cover to prevent a skin from forming.

Make the meringue by combining the last 1/2 cup sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl. Beat the egg whites and vanilla until they foam. Then add the sugar mixture, one spoonful at a time till soft peaks form. Then add the cooled cornstarch mixture  to the egg whites a spoonful at a time. Beat until you have stiff peaks.

Gently heat the filling and por into the pre-baked pie shell. Top with spoonfuls of the meringue mixture. Bake until the meringue is evenly browned, about 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Now, you can join me in making this Very Yellow Lemon Meringue Pie... or perhaps the book gives you other inspiration. I would love to see it.

Giveaway

This month Andrea at Adventures in all Things Food, this month's host, is giving away a copy of the book.* Enter to win a copy of the cookbook so you can join us for future months, if you wish!

One of our lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from August 1st till August 31st at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: Andrea received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp to use in this year-long project plus the opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake - #BundtBakers

I was lucky enough to make this strawberry lemon bundt beauty at the peak of our strawberry season this year. It can fast, hard and left almost without warning... the heat didn't let these juicy gems hang around for long.

When I heard our June Bundt Baker's challenge was for lemon, I knew I had to incorporate a seasonal fruit with my love of lemon. Big thanks to Anne from From My Sweet Heart who chose this month's theme and hosted all our recipes.  Lemon just has a magical way of enhancing the flavor of other ripe fruit. Whether it is a blackberry, blueberry or strawberry, lemon is dear to my heart for helping the flavors to really pop.

My kids helped me do a lot of the picking this year. I am sure those visiting the U-Pick fields wondered who those talkative kids belonged to. They would beg me every day to go out and pick strawberries in the field. We had an agreement that they would leave the customers alone to pick, and that I would turn their finds into something delicious.

Well, I upheld my end of the bargain...

Now, if you enjoy bundt cakes and baking with bundt pans, you probably realize you don't really need a reason to want a new bundt pan... but I rationalized that this cake deserved something special. This heart-shaped bundt pan was just perfect.

Now I didn't want my fresh fruit to just sink to the bottom (top) of my cake, so I tossed the sliced strawberries in a little flour before gently folding them into the batter.

The resulting cake was beautiful on its own. But I still wanted to take it one step further.

While living abroad in Japan I became completely addicted to these amazing little lemon tea cakes. They were simple enough, but they had a thin, pucker-perfect, lemony sugar glaze over the top. It was the perfect complement to afternoon tea. That is exactly what I was going for here. It needed to help cut through the sweet and juicy berries.

And it turned out just divine!

Of course, I couldn't just stop with a lemon glaze, could I? I had to dress up the whole things with some more fresh fruit and lemon zest. Little tip, I placed an upside down ramekin in the middle of the cake so I didn't have to use too many fresh berries to "fill it".

Ready to dig right in?

Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake

You will Need:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, divided
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
• 3 c. fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 c. powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan by rubbing it with butter and gently dusting it with flour. Knock out the excess, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time till fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Then alternate adding the yogurt and dry mixture.

Toss the strawberries in the remaining flour, gently fold into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice till thick, but still pourable. Pour half the glaze over the cake. Wait 5 minutes, then pour the remaining glaze over the cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries and lemon zest as desired.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by to see my June Bundt Cake creation. Be sure to check out all the other lemon-inspired fun below:

• Bee's Knees Lemon Honey Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Blueberry-Lemon Breakfast Bundt from Cali's Cuisine
• Bundt Cake de Limón from La Mejor Manera de Hacer
• Eggless Lemon Bundt Cake from Seduce Your Tastebuds
• Extra Lemon Bundt Cake from Los Chatos Chefs
• Lavender Lemon Cake from Magnolia Days
• Lemon & Lime Cheese Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
• Lemon Apple Upside Down Bundt Cake from Simply Veggies
• Lemon Basil Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra
• Lemon Bundt Cake from Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Lemon Confetti Bundt Cake from Our Good Life
• Lemon Curd Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze from I Love Bundt Cakes
• Lemon Honey Bundt Cake from Brunch with Joy
• Lemon Marble Bundt Cake from Jenny and Sweets
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seeds Bundt Cake from La Cocina de Aisha
• Lemon Poppyseed Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake from From Gate to Plate
• Lemon Ricotta and Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Spice Roots
• Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
• Lemon-Cranberry Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Mini Limoncello Bundts from Living the Gourmet
• Pink Lemon Pound Cake from Making Miracles
• Pink Lemonade Bundt from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Rhubarb Pound Cake Bundt with Lemon Glaze from Brooklyn Homemaker
• Soft Lemon Rosemary Bread from Passion Kneaded
• Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake from Adventures in All Things Food
• Strawberry Lemonade Bundt Cake from Baking and Creating with Avril
• Sweet Lemon Bundt with Blackberry Glaze from From My Sweet Heart

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving Bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board right here.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites - August Secret Recipe Club #Recipe

If you ever do a search for lemon recipes on my blog, you will see I have a weakness for the tart citrus. Lemons really are my favorite for both savory cooking and sweet baking. My favorite dessert of all time just happens to be the lemon meringue pie.

But the catch is I only eat it if it was homemade. No processed fakes, please.

In fact, I think the hardest part of being pregnant with my 3 children was the ban on meringue. It was truly painful to pass up.

But this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment brought me right back to my love. It also reminded me that I had a lingering craving for lemon meringue that has lasted about 7 years.  I am very overdue!

For August I was assigned to to Leigh's blog, Chit Chat Chomp. Like myself, Leigh started her blog to expand her culinary skills and repertoire. Thrilled with the challenge of complicated ingredient lists and dishes, now each of us enjoys a fresher and simpler approach to eating. I have my farm and Leigh has the backdrop of France to cook from. 

Originally I wanted to make her barley risotto. My husband is currently harvesting barley and I found it very fitting. Oddly, I have had a hard time finding it milled  in the store. Sadly it doesn't just show up like that in the field. But when I stumbled upon her Lemon Meringue Pie Bites, there was no going back. The risotto will have to wait for another day...

This recipe calls for premade shortcrust pastry. After a google search I found the equivalent here is pie dough and in France is called pâte brisée. It was simple enough to make at home with real butter, cold flour and my pastry cutter. I am a die-hard for handmade pastry dough. I just don't find machine made crusts to be as tender or flaky.

The filling came together easily and beautifully. I didn't even have to make a traditional lemon curd. Just a quick whisk and strain produced the lucious lemon filling. I will warn you that this recipe does create a little army of pie bites. I didn't even end up making the entire batch.

A true shame, but I wanted to be able to button my pants. I have no will power where lemon is involved.

So a big thank you to Leigh for introducting me to this recipe. Even my husband, the man who is non-plussed by most of my lemon dishes, enjoyed several of them while they lasted. Alas, they were not long meant for our house and the baby and I finished them all in a few short days.

He seems to love lemon desserts almost as much as his Mama does!

Lemon Meringue Pie Bites
recipe from Chit Chat Chomp and originally from Donna Hay Magazine

You Will Need:
3/4 c. superfine sugar (pulse up sugar in a food processor till fine)
3 eggs
1/2 c. lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c. heavy cream

pie dough

2 egg whites

1/2 c. superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out circles of pastry dough to fit into a pre-greased mini muffin tin. Blind bake the shells for 10 - 12 minutes or until they turn light golden brown. Let them cool slightly while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 285 degrees.

Whisk together the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and cream. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes before straining out the zest. Put the filling mixture into a pourable container. Fill each tart shell to the top, but take care not to overfill. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the lemon curd has set.

In the last few minutes of baking, prepare the meringue topping. Beat th egg whites till frothy and then add in the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. The mixture will also be glossy and thick. Spoon or pipe onto the baked pie bites and set under broil until the tops are golden brown. Keep a close eye on them since the sugar can burn quickly.

Enjoy! 

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