SD Zoo

I love my G12 Canon. I love my EOS Rebel SLR and I will never divorce it, but I am definitely having an affair with the G12. I cannot believe the pictures I can get with an "automatic". The zoom and macro capabilities are awesome too. The animal pictures were all taken VERY far away and settings are just on automatic. Kimmi is mad that I ordered her a kids meal when the sodas are so very small (yet cute!)

Lime coconut cake from Gourmet

I have a ton of recipes clipped from my favorite, now extinct, cooking magazine, Gourmet, that I still miss it terribly. I've never hit a bad recipe. Key lime Coconut cake is another in the pile that I hadn't gotten to but knew it looked wonderful. I decided to try it this week and it was wonderful especially at the start of the summer season. First, toast some coconut... Mix up the batter and bake which is lovely and aromatic of lime. I went with the rum and made self rising flour from scratch because there was none in the pantry.

Top with the lime glaze and coconut...

Then, it will be gone in no time! It was delicious and loved by all with those wonderful coconut and lime summer flavors. The crumb was light and tasty! Another (post-mortem) score for Gourmet. Can't we resurrect it please? And put Bon Appetit out of its misery as a sacrificial offering? Any mag offering Gwynneth Paltrow on the cover as a cooking goddess (and her recipes are frying zucchini and tossing with pasta) deserves to be released.

The recipe which can now be found on epicurious.com:

Key Lime Coconut Cake Gourmet March 2008
by Melissa Roberts
Yield: Makes 8 servings

Active Time: 20 min

Total Time: 2 hr
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups self-rising flour

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice, divided

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon rum (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Toast coconut in a small baking pan in oven, stirring once or twice, until golden, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool. Leave oven on.

Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir together flour and 1/2 cup coconut (reserve remainder for topping). Stir together milk and 2 tablespoons lime juice. At low speed, mix flour and milk mixtures into egg mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool to warm, then turn out of pan and discard parchment.

Whisk together confectioners sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and rum (if using) and pour over cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.