Creamy Hummus

Summer is the perfect time to eat more vegetables. And what better way to do that than with a delicious dip? This is probably the best hummus I've ever made, and I've made quite a few. But when I saw this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, I knew it must be special.

This version of hummus does require a little more work - you boil the canned chickpeas in an effort to get them to release their skins. It's not hard work, it just requires time basically, but the time is well spent. You will end up with super creamy hummus. Super is not an overstatement. This is really creamy and SO delicious.

Hummus and veggies (and pita chips! don't forget the pita chips!) make a great appetizer or cocktail hour snack. And the leftovers at our house were eaten for days plain old carrots. Plain old carrots feel decadent with a dip like this.

So get out in the sunshine, have some friends over, make some wine slushies and this hummus, and you'll have a perfect little get together.

And if you're just making this to get the kiddos to eat more veggies, that's ok, too. (But still make the wine slushies for yourself! ha!)

Find more great ideas at Fabulous, Inspire Me, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul, Full Plate.


Creamy Hummus

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 cloves garlic, finely grated on a rasp
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus extra (2 lemons)
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup tahini, stirred well
2 Tbsp. olive oil


Combine the chickpeas, baking powder and 6 cups water in a large saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, lower the heat, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup, combine the garlic and 1/3 cup lemon juice and then set aside.

Drain the water and the chickpea skins that float to the top, leaving the chickpeas in the pan. Add cold water, stir vigorously to loosen more skins, and drain off the water and skins that float to the top, again leaving the chickpeas in the saucepan. Do this 5 or 6 times, until most of the skins are drained off. Drain the chickpeas, setting aside 2 tablespoons for the garnish and place the rest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the garlic/lemon mixture, Tabasco, paprika, 1/4 cup warm water, salt and pepper and process until very smooth. Add the tahini and olive oil and puree for one full minute, until creamy. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra lemon juice (to taste), an additional 1 teaspoon salt, and enough warm water (1 tablespoon at a time) to make the hummus the consistency of thick yogurt.

Using a rubber spatula, spread the hummus on a large, flat, round serving plate, leaving a 2-inch border. Sprinkle the reserved chickpeas and drizzle with extra olive oil, sprinkle lightly with extra paprika, and serve with toasted pita triangles and crudite.

Recipe Source: Barefoot Contessa

Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake

Raspberries just scream "summer" to me. So when they were on sale recently, I bought some, determined to do something "fancy" with them. I made a danish from scratch (coming soon) and wanted to improve my skills at making a layer cake, so I thought this would be the perfect recipe.

It was. Not only is it chock full of raspberries, but the cake and the frosting both have lemon, another "summer" ingredient. This cake is SO delicious. It's not too heavy, but it's very impressive. It's the perfect late spring or summer dessert.

This cake received rave reviews from both family and friends, and I'm sure you'll have the same experience. The days are more reliably summer-like, so it's the perfect time to make a fantastic fruity cake.

Find more great ideas at Fabulous, Inspire Me, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul.


Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake

Cake:
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 cups sugar
2 cups + 2 Tbsp. flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened (low fat is ok)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Garnish:
additional raspberries
lemon slices

In a small bowl, carefully toss raspberries with 2 Tbsp. of flour to coat them. This helps to keep the raspberries from sinking to the bottom.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cream for 2 minutes. In a separate large bowl, combine sugar, 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into egg mixture and fold.


Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter into baking pans. Bake at 325 for 35-45 minutes. Cake is done when a tester comes out with few crumbs attached. Cool in pans on a wire rack.

For frosting, in a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest and cream together. Chill.

To assemble cake:
Carefully remove cakes from pan. Spread frosting on top of one cooled cake layer. Place other cooled cake layer on top and spread frosting on top and around the sides to cover. Garnish with fresh raspberries and lemon slices. Chill for 20-30 minutes to let the frosting set up.

Recipe Source: Modern Honey