Limoncello

Limoncello is an Italian liqueur mainly produced in southern Italy. Traditionally it is made from the zest of Femminello St. Teresa lemons also known as Sorrento lemons. It is served cold in chilled glasses after dinner. This liqueur has a kick with its taste and an alcohol content of 31-32%.
When I was on a trip to Italy one stop was the Island of Capri in southern Italy. It was there I stocked up on a few bottles to bring back as gifts. The cute little bottles caught my attention :) When I saw a recipe for an almond cake using limoncello I knew this was the recipe to try. Also I still had raspberry sauce left over from the peach melba dessert.
Since not everyone has a little bottle of limoncello in their cupboard I made some adaptations using lemon juice and powdered sugar. It tasted just as good!

 Almond Pound Cake with Limoncello

Cook's notes: The original recipe called for a whole can of almond paste which was way too much in flavor for the ingredients listed below.  Almond paste can be pricey so by using 1/2 can and putting rest in ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator there is enough to use for another time. It is a good addition to almond bread. 

Adding  flour to almond paste in Cuisinart helps keep the almond paste from sticking to blades.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/3 cup olive oil (extra light)
• 5 TB. butter at room temperature
• 1/2 can almond paste+ 1 TB. flour
• 4TB. lemon zest
• 4 large eggs 
• 1/3 cup limoncello or 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325and grease a 9 inch springform pan
• In a Cuisinart crumble 1/2 can almond paste and 1 TB. flour
• In a mixing bowl beat sugar, oil, and butter till fluffy-then add in eggs one at a time
• Beat in zest and crumbled almond paste
• In a small bowl add flour, salt, and baking powder
• Stir flour mixture into egg mixture to blend
• Check cake at 40 minutes to see if toothpick comes out of center clean
• Place cake on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes
• Poke multiple holes in cake using  long wooden skewer
• In small bowl whisk together limoncello or lemon juice and powdered sugar
• Carefully spoon lemon mixture over cake to soak into holes-there will be extra juice left 
• Cool completely 

Serving Suggestions:

Spoon raspberry sauce over cake or dust with powdered sugar and crumbled almonds 

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Today is the birthday of Rebecca Kai Dotlich born July 10th 1951
She is a poet and picture book author. Some of her recent books include: Bella and Bean, Peanut and Pearl's Picnic Adventures and Castles: Old Stone Poems
I was drawn into the beginning of her book 

with her prose...

As the moon unwinds its silver thread
And sleepy children climb in bed,
Sweet dreams are stirring in the air
As wild ones sleep—
Do you know where? 

.