[grooveshark width=”250″ height=”40″ id=34637653 style=grass”]
Musical pairing – It’s My Party by Lesley Gore
I celebrated a birthday last week and found myself in a panic because I thought this was the year to renew my driver’s license; not usually a big deal, right? I know, I know . . . there’s the ‘taking-a-number-and-waiting-for-a-good-hour’ thingie . . . the whole ‘getting-your-picture-taken’ thingie . . . and the ‘height-and-weight’ thingie . . . all of which is not much fun, I’ll give you that . . . but those pesky little annoyances weren’t the cause of my angst . . .
About three years ago, I was happily making my shopping rounds; I don’t even remember which store I was in but the clerk asked to see my driver’s license, which I pulled out and handed to her. She looked at the license, looked at me, looked back at the license for a few more seconds and said, ‘Do you know your license is expired?’ Eyes widened as I gasped, ‘What?! Really?! How can that be?!’ ‘You’d better get it taken care of right away or you’ll be in big trouble’, she said.
I looked at the date of expiration on my license and . . . Oh. Em. Geeeeeee!!! As in, how could this have happened??? As in, isn’t someone supposed to send you a reminder that your license is about to expire??? As in, have I lost enough of my mind to have forgotten said reminder if one was sent??? Oh. Em. Geeeeee!!! What now???
‘What now’ turned into heading to DMV first thing the next morning, taking a number, waiting in line until said number was called, shuffling myself up to the counter and handing over my license . . . Me (mumbling): ‘I need to renew my license . . . and it’s expired . . .’ Clerk: ‘Not a problem . . . wait a minute . . . uhhhhhhh . . . yes, this is a problem . . . your license has been expired for four years??!!’ (with wide eyes and now dropped jaw, I might add). Me: ‘Yes it is, I didn’t realize it had expired until recently.’ Clerk: ‘I’m sorry, but because your license has been expired so long, you’re required to take a written exam.’
Blink. Blink. Sigh.
Here’s where I confess that taking tests and I don’t get along . . . I choke. Big Time. I hear my heart pounding in my ears and before I can hyperventilate, my friend the clerk, points me to a kiosk and, with a cheerful voice says, ‘Good Luck!’ In a nano-second I feel sick . . . ‘ohmygodohmygodohmygod‘ . . . then, ‘You can do this, you’ve been driving for how long??? It’s not as if you’re 16 years old, you can do this!’ I look over at The Professor and mouth, ‘I have to take a test.’ Am I imagining it or do I detect a slight twinkle in his eyes and upturned corners of his mouth? . . . He nods and mouths back, ‘You’ll be fine.’
Well, I wasn’t fine . . . in fact I flunked . . . flunked . . . flunked. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have your name called up to the front of the DMV and be told that you, a middle-aged woman, who has been driving more than half her life, has flunked the written exam??? Of course you don’t . . . because unlike some of us, you remember to renew your license. And did you also know that when you flunk said written exam, you can’t retake said exam for at least 48 hours?? It was Saturday so that meant I had to wait until Tuesday before taking the test again . . .
Did I pass the second written test? Thank the good Lord above, I did in fact, pass the second test . . .
And every birthday since has been filled with fear and trepidation about missing my license renewal date . . .
Think I’ll just have a slice of this cake . . .
NOTE: The Professor bought me this book for Christmas and it is absolutely gorgeous!! The only change I made to this original recipe is to use Meyer-Lemons . . . which I adore!
MEYER-LEMON POPPY-SEED POUND CAKE
Flour Bakery & Café, Joanne Chang
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup plus 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to barely warm
- ¼ cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon fresh Meyer-lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons finely grated Meyer-lemon zest
- 4 eggs, room temperature
FOR THE GLAZE:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons Meyer-lemon juice
METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and set aside
- On a sheet of parchment paper, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside*
- In a large bowl, whisk together butter, cream, Meyer-lemon juice and poppy seeds; mixture should be somewhat thick – if butter hardens into small lumps, reheat gently until butter is melted again – set aside
- Place sugar and Meyer-lemon zest into bowl of a stand mixer and rub fingers together releasing lemon oils into the sugar. Once zest has been incorporated (takes less than a minute), add eggs and, using the whisk attachment, beat together on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until pale lemon colored and the mixture is light and fluffy. You can also use a hand mixer but will take you about 10 minutes
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until combined; then fold one-fourth of the egg/flour mixture into the butter/cream mixture to lighten
- Fold in remaining egg-flour mixture until thoroughly combined
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until top of cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed in the middle**
- Let cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes
TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and enough Meyer-lemon juice to make a spreadable glaze
- When cake has cooled for a minimum of 30 minutes, remove cake from pan and place on wire rack with a sheet pan underneath (to catch excess glaze)
- Spread or pour glaze over the top letting glaze dribble down the sides***
Cake will keep at room temperature for up to three days . . . but I promise, it won’t last that long!!
*I happen to prefer sifting dry ingredients onto a sheet of parchment as it makes things much easier transferring into wet ingredients; feel free to use a bowl if that’s easier for you
**I baked my cake in a Convection oven and it was done in 45 minutes
***I didn’t have time to let my cake cool the full 30 minutes so the glaze melted into the cake – which was still fabulous!! But if you want a thin layer of glaze that shows, wait until the cake is cool
That is hilarious, although I know it was embarrassing for you. I would never hear the end of something like that from my kids! Love this cake recipe and can’t wait to try it.
Trust me, I get it! When I moved from Texas to NJ I had to take a test and ai totally failed. So embarrassing!
Needless to say, second times a charm and I passed. NJ roads have never been the same!
This Cake looks nostalgic and delicious 🙂
I had to take my exam this year when I got an Oregon license. My Arizona one had not expired (love their expiration dates; wasn’t due to expire ’til 2025!), but I had been in Oregon, um, three years 🙁 Now I have to watch expiration dates…
What a story! I admit, I chuckled because I could see myself having a similar experience. Love the looks of the cake. I’m not a huge fan of lemon-flavored foods, but poppyseed bread is a whole different story. I could eat it for breakfast.
I heard DMV has improved over the years, but can’t imagine taking that dreadful written test again. Congrats on your renewal. This pound cake is the perfect antidote to that traumatic experience.
Oh geez, you poor thing! Glad you passed the test the second time around, and you absolutely deserve a slice of that gorgeous-looking cake. 😉
You’re are too funny!
But I think I’m going to put on my calendar right now the expiration date of my license. I’d totally freak if I had to take a test.
Oh gosh Debra…I hate going to the DMV too..I actually dread it! At least now you can relax and have a piece of this delicious meyer lemon poppy seed cake! 🙂 looks so good!
Um, now I’m nervous and need to go check my license. I didn’t even give it a passing glance at the beginning of the month when I turned 32. I love lemon poppy seed anything, that looks gorgeous, Deb! Happy birthday again 🙂
love that people are checking their licenses Amber – i don’t feel like such an idiot for not checking mine!!! Happy Birthday to you again as well friend!!
I am rolling on the floor laughing! This is so something I would do! I love your story – 4 years…and no one noticed it before? *snort* and yeah, a slice of this gorgeous, perfect cake would set me up just fine. Beautiful recipe!
oh Jamie . . . I do wish I could say that I made the whole thing up . . . but alas . . . every word is true! the cake reminded me of you . . . except there isn’t any chocolate . . . but it is lovely nonetheless!
Oh my gosh, I don’t know what I love best…the recipe or the story! I’m pinning both of them. (And I think I need that cookbook…)
Kate ~ I cannot recommend the book enough – it really is worth its weight in gold; stellar recipes that are familiar yet with little twists either with an added ingredient or change up in the method. Joanne Chang knows her pastry!!
I love lemon pound cake and I have some Meyer lemons so I should make this huh? I want to make a blood orange cake too but not sure about pink cake!
I couldn’t pass that test. How many feet before a Stop sign should you start stopping? I have no idea but I know when I need to!
Funny and hoping it never happens to me; that was the most boring stuff to have to learn; I do not want to go there again!
oh muh gawd, boring as hell Barb . . . but you can bet your sweet bippy i won’t forget to renew that stupid thing again!!
Love pound cake. Love meyer lemon poppy seed cake even more. Just beautiful, Debra!! So glad you finally passed the test. Not sure what I would do if forced to write the test. I’m sure I’d suffer the same fate.
flunking a test like that will humble you Mike!