Angel Food Cake with Lemon Yogurt Cream and Fruit Recipe

Inspired by Martha Stewart's Rhubarb Tart with Lemon-Yogurt Mousse, I whipped up a faster, easier version for Mother's Day.

The Greek yogurt adds a really nice tang to this and, combined with the bright lemon notes, reins in the sweetness of the angel food cake without taking away from the decadence of the cream. Everyone was raving about the combination!

Hints:

1 boxed angel food cake mix

1 lemon, preferably organic

1 container CoolWhip or 1 pint heavy/whipping cream

1 container Greek yogurt (I used Fage)

confectioner's sugar

fruit of choice

Make your angel food cake, following the directions on the box. Angel food cake is one of the few things I will *NOT* make from scratch. I tried once and the whole thing plopped out of the pan like a big, old, wet fart shortly after I turned it upside down, and I laughed so hard I cried for the next five minutes. (A shocker for my family members, who assumed I'd be really upset since it was a birthday cake for someone.) The box mix is just easier, foolproof, and delicious!

Once your cake is cool and you're almost ready to serve dessert, get out your CoolWhip or whip your cream. Combine in a large bowl with the yogurt. I used about a 2 parts CoolWhip/cream to 1 part Greek yogurt ratio, but feel free to change this to suit your own taste. Wash your lemon and zest about half of it into the bowl (you won't need the juice). Add a few tablespoons of confectioner's sugar. I used about 2 I think, but again, use as much or as little as you like. Whisk together til thoroughly combined and set aside.

Prep your fruit. Here I used fresh raspberries, but on Mother's Day I stewed strawberries and rhubarb together (adding about a 1/4 c. sugar and some lemon juice) until softened and let the mixture cool slightly.

Slice your cake, top with as much of the lemon yogurt cream as you like, and spoon your fruit on top. That's it! Simple yet delicious.

Burns Night Cranachan (Scottish Berries and Cream!) Two Ways

Have you ever celebrated Burns Night? It's a Scottish holiday toasting the life of the famous poet Robert (also known as "Rabbie") Burns and always falling on his birthday, January 25th.

When we lived in Boston, my husband and I would go to The Haven in Jamaica Plain for the night. They always have a 3-course meal, Scottish beers, whiskey, bagpipes, traditional folk songs, and more. I highly recommend checking out this pub if you're in the area!

The piping in of the haggis is the centerpiece of the whole night. Haggis is definitely an acquired taste, consisting of oatmeal mixed with minced offal (usually lungs and kidneys, I believe) and spices, then boiled in a sheep's stomach. I promise you, it tastes much better than it sounds! Before the dish is served to the guests, someone recites the entirety of Burns' poem "Ode to a Haggis". The best line? "Gie her a haggis!"

Cranachan is often served for dessert. It usually consists of whipped or double cream, pureed raspberries (with whiskey, if you're so inclined), and toasted oatmeal. It's layered in glasses like you see here. Make sure you stick your spoon down a few layers to get a little bit of everything in each bite! I'd recommend pairing the raspberries with a toffee, butterscotch-y lowland Scotch, rather than a smoky, peaty Highland variety. (I prefer the latter for drinking on its own though!)

The next day, I really wanted more but didn't want an entire glass and didn't feel like taking the time to whip cream. So I poured a little cream and whole milk over raspberries, tossed some leftover oats on top, and found out that this makes a delicious, quick, fairly healthy snack. I think a lot of the appeal is that it reminds me of being a little kid and eating bowls of sun-warmed berries fresh from the backyard with milk and sugar in the summer. The simplest things are often the best, don't you think?