Sunday, May 31, 2009

ADIEU 'SWEET MAY' (GARDEN DELIGHTS) ~ BLACK PEPPER POUND CAKE

"To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life - this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do."
~ Charles Dudley Warner


ORIENTAL POPPY (Papaver orientale)


MAY GARDEN STARS


WILDFLOWER GARDEN


GARDEN VIEWS


EXBURY AZALIA


GARDEN DELIGHTS


APPLE BLOSSOMS
(Michigan State Flower)


ORIENTAL POPPY
(Papaver orientale)
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BLACK PEPPER POUND CAKE
~ A delightful 'sweet ending' (Southern Living)
___________
1 cup room temperature unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. ground mace (or nutmeg)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla


  • Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer about 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
  • Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture. Mix at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
  • Spoon batter into greased and floured 6-cup Bundt pan or 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
  • Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes; remove cake and let cool completely on wire rack.

7 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm glad you're back...I've been missing your posts!

    Sheila from west Michigan

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  2. Your flower montages are beautiful, as always, and I am intrigued by that recipe. Pound cake with black pepper? Who knew? I'm betting it's wonderful!

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  3. So many lovely photos. The azalea is so beautiful both the form and color.

    Glad to see you back. Missed you last week.
    Marnie

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  4. Thank you, Sheila ~ it's been a wild/crazy 2 weeks. Can't seem to get to your Mermaid Cottage :(

    Hi Nancy ~ I love black pepper (think my black pepper muffins are posted also ... if not, a must). May was stunning, almost too much to photograph!

    I missed myself, Marnie, and thanks :) The end of May was wild/crazy!

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  5. Hi Joey,
    Beautiful garden!! Your Garden Angel has done a wonderful job blessing you. My Angel has been working hard in my garden as well. Love Her!!!

    I'm doing double duty weeding though. Seems "Creeping Charlie" is out of control. Do you have any problems with him? How do you deal with him?

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  6. Hi dear Ann! Oh yes, I believe in Angels and am blessed for sure! 'Creeping Charlie' is a problem, one of many I fight daily along with common MI weeds like Prickly Lettuce (Lactate serriola), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Chickweed, and grasses ... then there are violets, Bishop's weed, Common St. Johns wort, DEAD NETTLE Lamium, creeping sedum, spiderwort, evening primrose, and even beloved Ostrich ferns ... I could spend forever weeding the garden and have found no answers except ... to hand weed! Since we eat many of the edible flowers and rely heavily on culinary herbs, I do not use pesticides. Beware of gifts from friends since many hitch a ride (learned the hard way)! Happy June Gardening :)

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  7. Una belleza de blog.
    Te invito al mio fotografico...

    http://cruz-pedro.blogspot.com

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