Recipes for bakers with too many eggs

Have you ever done something that seemed so smart at the time and then left you feeling a little foolish?

Case in point, while shopping outside of the Valley recently, I noticed a display of eggs on sale. Hmmm, looked to be about three dozen and with the price of eggs lately, that was a little less than what two dozen would have cost me locally.

Oh well, why not. Normally I am unwavering in shopping local. Working in a local store (The Book Loft) where we encourage our neighbors and friends to shop with us, I whole-heartedly believe in doing the same.

And, I don’t buy online for a couple reasons:

One, I practice what I preach and go local.

Two, I prefer shopping anywhere that I can see what I’m buying — clothing in particular, as my late friend Susan Jackson used to say, I want to “feel the goods."

Back to the eggs. Turned out my supposedly three dozen eggs, was five … that’s right, FIVE!

Way too many for me. I gave away all but two dozen which resulted in their costing me almost what they would have cost had I done my thing and shopped locally … oh well — live and learn!

Bottom line, this week I’m sharing my favorite what to do with a lot of eggs recipes.

TWELVE YOLK POUND CAKE

12 large egg yolks, room temperature

3 cups flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh grated

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup cold water

Prepare a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a bowl with stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg yolks until fluffy and thickened. Gradually add sugar and beat two minutes on high speed, scrape bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla and cold water. Gradually, add sifted flour mixture while beating on low; scrape bowl as needed. Beat until blended, about two minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown or when pick inserted in thickest portion of cake comes out clean (OK if a few dry crumbs are visible).

Cool for 15 minutes on wire rack. Loosen sides with spatula before removing from pan. Cool completely and cover with following glaze or light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Will keep in an airtight container four days, or one week if refrigerated.

CRUNCHY LEMON GLAZE

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

While cake is cooling, make lemon glaze by whisking lemon juice with sugars. Place cake on cooling rack over parchment paper. Drizzle or brush glaze over cake and cool completely.

CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE

3/4 cup cake flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1-3/4 cups sugar, divided

1-3/4 cups egg whites (12 to 13 eggs)

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

7/8 cup sugar*

Sift cake flour with cocoa and half of the sugar. Set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and vanilla until frothy, then slowly remaining sugar. Beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Gradually mix dry ingredients into beaten whites using the fold and cut method. When fully incorporated, pour into an ungreased angel food cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, invert and cool before removing from pan.

VARIATION: for a traditional white angel food cake, omit cocoa powder, increase flour to one cup plus two tablespoons and substitute almond flavoring for vanilla, then prepare as above.

NOTE: angel food cake was a specialty of my grandmother’s and she always cooled it by balancing cake (in pan) on the neck of a large soda bottle. I still do it that way.

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Longtime Valley resident Elaine Revelle can be reached at [email protected].