Ingredients:

• 2 baking potatoes (about 1.5 pounds)
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp butter
• 2 cups vertically sliced red onion
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at high 10 minutes or until done, rearranging potatoes after 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Combine potato pulp, 1/4 cup cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Spoon potato mixture evenly into shells.
3. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sugar, saute 8 minutes or until browned. Stir in sherry, Worcestershire, thyme, and garlic; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to looses browned bits. Top each potato half with about 2 tablespoons onion mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese. Arrange stuffed potato halves on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at high 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Cake:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1.5 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 recipes lemon curd (3/4 cup reserved for piping)

Lemon Curd:

• 8 large egg yolks
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons
• 3/4 cup lemon curd

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two 9x2" round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, combine sour cream with lemon zest and juice; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
3. With the mixer on lowest speed, add the flour mixture in four parts, alternating with the sour cream mixture and beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
4. Divide batter between prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden and pull away from sides of pan, and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Run a knife or thin metal spatula around the edges of the pans. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
5. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of the cakes to make level. Slice each layer in half horizontally into two layers. Place one of the bottom layers on a cake plate, and spread 1/2 cup lemon curd over the top. Repeat with remaining cake layers and curd, leaving final cake layer uncoated. Spread a thin layer of lemon Swiss meringue buttercream over the entire cake to seal in crumbs; refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes.
6. Using an offset spatula, spread entire cake with remaining buttercream. Refrigerate 30 minutes before decorating with lemon curd: Using a paper cornet filled with curd, pipe dots of varying sizes on top of the cake. Starting at the bottom, pipe vertical lines of varying lengths up the side of the cake. Cake can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome, for up to 3 days.

Lemon Curd Directions:

1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160F on an instant-read thermometer.
2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Directions:

1. In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Stir in 3/4 cup lemon curd with a rubber spatula.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream*
• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions:

1. Cake prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.
3. Ganache: For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados
• 1 cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
• 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 3 cups fresh tomato, finely diced
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. LAYER 1: (Bottom) Mash the avocados and blend in the lemon juice, mixing well, and spread evenly in a bowl or on a serving plate to the edges of the dish.
2. LAYER 2: Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Blend in the sour cream, mixing well, and blend in the taco seasoning, blending well. Spread over the avocado layer.
3. LAYER 3: Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the cream cheese mixture.
4. LAYER 4: Distribute the tomatoes over the cheddar cheese layer.
5. LAYER 5: Spread the green onions over the tomato layer.
6. LAYER 6: Top with the black olives. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 4 8oz packages of cream cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 oz melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 tsp rum flavoring
• 1 cup of flaked coconut
• 1 can crushed pineapple

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended and fluffy.
2. Pour into a deep pan and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes (or until browned on top).