Lois Winston for DMC Corp.
The summer I was 11 years old, we moved from a city apartment to a suburban house. During the packing and move, my sister and I attended Girl Scout camp. We arrived at our new home to find our clothes in the small bedroom we shared, books and games on shelves in the semifinished basement.
A week or two later, I realized my dolls were missing. While I was at camp, my parents had decided I was too old for dolls and gave them away. Among the now-gone collection was my prized possession—an original Shirley Temple doll, given to me by a wealthy relative one Christmas several years earlier. I was devastated.
Fast-forward 20 years: It’s Christmas morning. After our kids opened all their gifts, my husband handed me a large box. Inside I found an exact replica of my long-lost Shirley Temple doll.
Lemon Raspberry Chambord Cake
Nonstick cooking spray 1 box lemon cake mix (preferably
Meyer lemon) 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup Chambord Liqueur (raspberry
liqueur), divided 4 eggs, room temperature 1 cup sour cream 1 box instant vanilla pudding 8 ounces seedless raspberry jam 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use butter and flour). Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Beat in oil, 1/4 cup Chambord, eggs, sour cream and pudding mix in that order; continue to mix until batter is smooth. Spoon half the batter in Bundt pan. Spoon jam in dollops over batter. Spoon remaining batter over jam. Run a knife through jam and batter. Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. ( Test cake at 45 minutes and continue to test at 5-minute intervals until cake is done. The difference in time is due to the varying types and shapes of Bundt-style pans.)
While cake is cooling, heat butter, sugar and remaining Chambord in saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into glass measuring cup and place in refrigerator to cool for a few minutes. Using a skewer or long-pronged fork, poke holes around top of cake. Pour Chambord mixture over cake. Continue cooling cake for approximately 30 minutes. Place plate over Bundt pan and invert cake onto plate. Allow cake to continue to cool.