Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Posted: 02/07/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, fruit, recipes | Tags: apple, apple streusel cake, baking, cake, coffee cake, dessert, recipe 36 Comments »
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
I come from a long line of coffee cake eaters. In fact, the family motto is” we never met a coffee cake we didn’t like”. Our family’s coat-of-arms is a cheese Danish and a cup of coffee. So you get my drift, right. We like coffee cake, so much so that I can’t bake ‘em as fast as they eat ‘em. But that’s okay, it keeps me on my toes.
This Apple Streusel Coffee Cake is a particular family favorite. Why, because it’s all apple-y, and streusel-y, and cinnamon-y, and nut-y. I can think of no better combination of flavors. Well, maybe coconut and bananas, but that will be another blog posting.
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Adapted from Gale Gand’s Brunch!
The Cake
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 apples, peeled and cored, and chopped (I like to use a tart Granny Smith apple)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a pastry brush and melted butter, grease an 8-inch baking dish.
- For the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or I used an electric hand-mixer) beat the egg and then mix in the milk and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated. Add the apples and walnuts to the mixture and pour into the baking dish.
- To make the streusel topping, mix the sugar, flour, cold butter and cinnamon in a medium bowl by pinching them together with your fingers until combined. Spoon the mixture over the top of the batter.
- Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, and when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, and then cut into squares.
Recipe: Easy
Mama’s Tips:
Not all apples fare well when added to baked goods. The varieties that I find work well are; Granny Smith, Fuji, Rome Beauty, Gala and Honeycrisp. I like to use a combination of these apples instead of just using one kind.
Orange Walnut Bread
Posted: 01/21/2013 Filed under: Bread, cakes, fruit, recipes | Tags: baking, bread, cake, orange, orange bread, orange walnut bread, recipe, walnut 50 Comments »
Orange Walnut Bread
Today’s post is about a tea cake with tons of fresh citrus, sweet butter and eggs. But wait…there’s more! Act now, and you get the toasted walnuts and shiny orange glaze too. So, do I have your attention, sound good, huh?
Recently for reasons unknown to me, I decided that a 4pm each day, I was going to stop what I was doing and sit down and have a cup of tea. A quiet time to reflect on what I had accomplished in my day so far, and to contemplate what tasks were still on my agenda. It seemed so civilized to me. Certainly one couldn’t have tea without it being accompanied by a proper tea cake. One of my all-time favorites is this Orange Walnut Bread. It’s not overly sweet, and the bits of orange rind give it that fresh citrus-y flavor which compliments the earthy crunch of the toasted walnuts.
I really think that this new ritual of mine will help me to be more productive, or maybe I’m just kidding myself. Maybe it’s just another reason I’ve drummed up to eat more cake .
Orange Walnut Bread
Orange Walnut Bread
Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, separated
- grated rind of 1 large orange or 2 small oranges
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*
- Orange Syrup
- Orange Glaze
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. What I find that works best is to melt a little butter and using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter inside the pan in all the nooks and crannys. Then dust it with flour, shaking out all the excess.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the 3/4 cup sugar gradually, beating until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and the grated orange rind.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the batter alternately with 1/2 cup orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently mix in the walnuts. Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Wash out your mixer bowl and dry completely. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them carefully into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, set on the middle rack and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until lightly golden and skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
- While cake is baking make the syrup mixture. When cake is done, using a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke holes in the top of the cake and spoon the hot syrup over the bread. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Orange Syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 granulated sugar
Combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a light syrup forms.
Orange Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 3-4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice
Place these ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or stir with a fork until you achieve the desired consistency for the glaze. If you like a thicker glaze add more sugar, if you prefer a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.
Orange Walnut Bread…right out of the oven
Mama’s Tips:
*Toasting Nuts: I always like to toast nuts when I’m adding them to baked goods. Why, you ask? Toasting nuts releases their natural oils and gives them a deeper flavor. Toasting will make the nuts crispier too, giving your baked goods more texture. I place the nuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat. I constantly stir them with a wooden spoon because you don’t want them to burn. It takes about 6-8 minutes to toast them, you’ll start to notice a fragrant smell coming from them as they begin to toast.
Egg Whites: When beating egg whites, make sure there is no yolk in the whites or they will not become stiff. Also make sure your mixer bowl and utensils are completely clean and free of grease, butter or oil, as this will cause your egg whites not to become stiff also.
Orange Walnut Bread
Orange Walnut Bread
Recipe: Easy
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Posted: 01/14/2013 Filed under: chocolate, cookies, desserts, recipes, snacks | Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate pecan cookies, cookies, pecan, recipe 31 Comments »
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
What can I say, baking cookies never gets old for me. Yes, I’m at it again, yet another cookie recipe. People ask me all the time, “Sheryl, don’t you ever get tired of doing this?” No, no I don’t. While others are out in the world doing productive things with their lives, I prefer to remain at home in the privacy of my own kitchen measuring out flour and butter, rolling dough into cute little balls and watching them sprout into delectable little cookies.
I know, girl get a life. I do like to stand in front of the oven with the light on watching my dough balls morph into crispy, crunchy edible treats. It’s a harmless obsession really. These Chocolate Pecan Cookies are a particular favorite of mine as I like nothing more in life than chocolate and nuts, best combo ever since Kim and Kanye, am I right? As if these cookies are not already perfect enough, the chocolate drizzle on top is the icing on the cake, or the cookie…you know what I mean.
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
From Bon Appetit
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
- 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I used half cup of each)
- 1/2 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Stir the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl until you achieve a smooth consistency. Next, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then add the nuts, stirring to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a covered container and chill for at least four hours. You can make the dough a day ahead of time, and just keep it chilled in the refrigerator.
- On baking day, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment. Measure 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it between your palms to form a ball. Place the ball on your prepared baking sheets. Using your fingers, spread out the dough into a 3-inch diameter disk. If it makes it easier for you; pre-draw 3-inch circles on your parchment paper. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, I placed my ball of dough in the center of the cutter and smushed it out inside the cutter to form a 3-inch disk. I fit 6 cookies on each baking pan.
- Bake cookies about 10 minutes until flat and beginning to darken around the edges. Transfer the cookies on the parchment to a cooling rack.
- To make my chocolate drizzle, I took about 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped) and about a teaspoon of Crisco and placed it in a bowl. I gently microwaved it at 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval until I got a drizzly consistency of chocolate. I placed my cookies on a cooling rack and then put paper towels underneath the cooling rack before I drizzled the cookies with the chocolate. Let the cookies stand for about 30 minutes until the chocolate sets.
Makes 16 – 3″ cookies.
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Mama’s Tips:
One of my most useful kitchen accouterments is a cookie cutter set like this. For this particular recipe, I used the 3-inch cutter. I placed the cutter on the parchment covered cookie sheet, and then took my dough ball and pressed it into the cutter to achieve a uniform size for all my cookies. You always want your cookies to be the same size and thickness so that they will bake evenly for yummy results.
Recipe: Easy
Corn Muffins
Posted: 01/05/2013 Filed under: Bread, muffins, recipes, snacks | Tags: baked goods, baking, corn, corn muffins, muffins, recipe, snacks 45 Comments »
Corn Muffins
Southern Californians are a funny lot. No matter how cold it gets, and for the past two weeks it has been very cold, Southern Californians will wear shorts and flip-flops no matter what. I noticed this strange phenomenon yesterday as I was shopping at an outdoor mall. Me, bundled in a winter coat and scarf, and everyone else lollygagging about in their Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirts and sundresses. I really admire their spirit, and for some folks it really is an endless summer. And why not. Maybe it’s the thin, east-coast blood that runs through my veins, but I was headed home to have a big bowl of chili and these homemade corn muffins. I was embracing the brisk winter weather with some down-home comfort food.
Anyway, son #1 had given me the Bouchon Bakery cookbook for a gift and I was anxious to try out some of the recipes. What I like most about the book is that it’s recipes are written in both cups and grams. As a gal whose obsession is baking, naturally I prefer gram measurements. Why, because baking is a science and grams are a precise measurement. When you weigh your ingredients your chances of a successful end product are almost guaranteed. Even if you’re just an occasional baker, I highly recommend you get yourself a digital food scale. You know I would never steer you wrong.
Thomas Keller explains in the book that the reason for allowing your batter to sit overnight is for the purpose of hydrating the flour. When the mixture absorbs the liquid ingredients, the result is a very moist corn muffin.
Corn Muffins
Corn Muffins
From Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery
- 1 1/4 cups + 3 tablespoons (201 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (51 grams) cornmeal
- 2 1/2 teaspoons (12 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (135 grams) sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2/3 cup (168 grams) whole milk
- 2 large eggs (90 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (90 grams) canola oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) frozen corn kernels
* If you do not have a scale to weigh out the eggs, take your 2 large eggs and lightly beat them in a bowl and then remove about 1 teaspoon and that will be about 90 grams.
Directions
- Place the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sift in the cornmeal and baking powder. Add the sugar and salt and mix on the lowest setting for about 15 seconds to combine. Add the milk and eggs and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just until combined. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the oil, then increase the speed to medium-low and mix for about 30 seconds to combine.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients that may be stuck to the bottom. Fold in the corn. For best results, transfer the batter to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Lightly spray the liners with nonstick spray. Spoon the batter into the cups about 3/4 full.
- Place the pan in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until muffins are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When done, place the pan on a cooling rack and cool muffins completely.
Makes 12 standard size muffins
Corn Muffins
Corn Muffins
Recipe: Easy
Linzer Cookies
Posted: 12/26/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baked goods, baking, cookies, dessert, Linzer Cookies, recipe 27 Comments »
Linzer Cookies
We here at Mama’s Gotta Bake just love our cookies. You notice how I said “we”, you know it’s really just me. I like to pretend there’s a group of us here so I can actually justify eating all these cookies. Anyway, “we” spent the entire month of December baking an obscene amount of goodies, but I decided that my last post of 2012 should be the Linzer Cookie.
For me, if there was ever cookie perfection, then the Linzer Cookie is it. They have a tender, nutty dough (check out those gorgeous flecks of nuts in the cookies below), a sweet preserve filling and they’re dusted ever-so-lightly with powdered sugar. Come on, you’re dying for one, admit it!
As we head into 2013, Mama’s Gotta Bake heads into year three, and I just wanted to thank all of you who have stopped by and read my posts. I appreciate your comments, and I can’t believe I get to connect with food lovers from all over the world. I wish everyone a peaceful and Happy New Year.
Linzer Cookies
- 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) sliced almonds
- 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) coarsely chopped hazelnuts
- 9-1/2 oz. (2 cups plus 1 Tbs.) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. table salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 7 oz. (14 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 T. cold water
- 1/2 cup of your favorite preserves (I chose four berry preserves)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions
- The dough will need to be chilled for at least 3 hours, so keep that in mind when beginning this recipe: In a food processor, process the almonds and hazelnuts with 1/2 cup of the flour until fine textured but not powdered.
- Add the remaining flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Pulse to combine. Keep the butter in the refrigerator, it should not be room temperature. Take it out when you’re ready to use it. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to the flour mixture; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Don’t overprocess. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk together the egg and water; sprinkle over the flour mixture and toss gently to combine. The dough should hold together when pinched. (If it seems dry, sprinkle on a bit more water.) Gather the dough into two balls and knead briefly just to blend. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours. I made the dough a day before and refrigerated it overnight.
- To bake: preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the cookie sheets with a silpat or parchment. Roll one ball of the dough in between two layers of parchment paper, 3/16 inch thick. (Keep the rest in the refrigerator, and if the dough warms up to the point of being sticky while you’re working with it, return it to the refrigerator.) Cut out as many 2-1/2-inch rounds as possible, rerolling the scraps to make more rounds. Arrange on the cookie sheets about 3/4 inch apart. Cut 1-1/4-inch holes in the center of half the rounds. Reroll these center scraps to make more cookies. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.To assemble: With the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread a heaping 1/2 tsp. preserves on the underside of the whole cookie rounds. Top with the doughnut-shaped cookies, bottom sides against the preserves. Be sure you dust the “doughnut shaped” cookie with powdered sugar before you place it on top of the half with the preserves so that you do not cover the preserves with the sugar.
Makes 20 – 2 1/2″ cookies
Linzer Cookies
Mama’s Tips:
When you take your dough out of the refrigerator in preparation for baking, let it warm up for 5-10 minutes. Then, roll your dough out in between two pieces of parchment paper. At this point if the dough is too warm and sticking to the parchment, you won’t be able to cut clean edged shapes from it. Lay the dough in the parchment flat on a cookie sheet and return the dough to the refrigerator or freezer. When the dough is cold again you will easily be able to cut your shapes out.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in between layers of wax paper. They should last for 3-4 days. But they won’t last that long, trust me.
Linzer Cookies
Recipe: Intermediate
Chocolate Doughnuts
Posted: 12/03/2012 Filed under: chocolate, desserts, doughnuts, recipes | Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate doughnuts, doughnuts, recipe 40 Comments »
Chocolate Doughnuts
I guess this recipe is going out to all the chocolate lovers out there. Those of us who openly and freely admit that we love chocolate. I was having a real hankering the other day for something chocolatey, and so I took out the doughnut pans and decided, why not make these baked Chocolate Doughnuts with a Chocolate Glaze.
In retrospect, these may have even been a bit too chocolatey even for me. Next time I may douse them in a vanilla glaze, or simply just dust them with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Nonetheless these were still delicious, and extremely easy to make. You will however need a standard sized doughnut pan to accomplish the task. I found mine at my local baking supply store, but you can also easily find them online was well. I won’t try to con you into thinking these are not highly caloric, but the upside is that these are baked and not fried, so that’s a good thing, right?
The secret ingredient here is the espresso powder, as it really enhances the chocolate flavor. But, if you don’t have access to it, don’t worry, they will still taste amazing. And then, bring out your array of sprinkles and jimmies because that’s the best part of this entire process. Really, who doesn’t like jimmies!
Chocolate Doughnuts
Chocolate Doughnuts
From King Arthur Flour
- 2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) melted butter or 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons half & half or cream (light or heavy)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the wells of two standard doughnut pans. If you don’t have two pans, simply bake the batter in two batches.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup or medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and vinegar.
- Add the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter or vegetable oil, to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend; there’s no need to beat the batter, just make sure everything is well-combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling them between 3/4 and full.
- Bake the doughnuts for 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
- Remove the doughnuts form the oven, and after 30 seconds or so, loosen their edges, turn the pan upside down over a rack, and gently let the doughnuts fall onto the rack.
- For sugar-coated doughnuts, immediately shake the doughnuts in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; add 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder to the sugar for an additional touch of chocolate.
- If you want to ice the doughnuts rather than shake them in sugar, allow them to cool completely before icing.
- To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate chips and half & half or cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring the mixture in between until you get a smooth consistency.
- Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth.
- Spread glaze on the doughnuts.
Makes 18 doughnuts
Chocolate Doughnuts
Mama’s Tips
Let your doughnuts cool completely before you cover them in the glaze.
Store doughnuts in an airtight container, and they should last for three days…if you don’t finish them first.
Chocolate Doughnuts
Recipe: Easy
Molasses Cookies
Posted: 11/26/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, cookies, holiday baking, molasses, molasses cookies, recipe 42 Comments »
Molasses Cookies
I know I told myself that right after Thanksgiving I would go back on Weight Watchers. That I would start lifting those weights I have a sitting in the corner of my bedroom. That I would walk my dog Jimi everyday for an hour, and that I would get in my car and go to the gym and pretend to sweat. But who am I kidding. The first free day that I get when I can actually implement these new policies and what do I do instead. Bake cookies. I just couldn’t help it. The lure of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses was just too strong for me to resist. It was calling to me. And I answered. HELLO COOKIES!
These Molasses Cookies are a real family favorite. I seriously can’t keep them in stock. I made them on Friday, and they were gone by Saturday. And no, I didn’t eat them all. I shared. They’re very easy to make actually, as you mix them up in just one pot. Yes a pot! This sinfully chewy cookie just oozes rich molasses flavor and spices. I can assure you, these will become one of your family favorites also.
Okay, so I’m off to the gym now, see ya.
Molasses Cookies
Molasses Cookies
From Great Cookies by Carole Walter
- 1 1/2 sticks, unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies in
- 1/4 cup dark molasses
- 1 large egg
Directions
- Melt the butter in a 3 quart, heavy saucepan over low heat.
- Strain together three times the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves and then set it aside.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, molasses, and egg into the butter, mixing until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, one-half at a time, and blend well. Put the dough in a large plastic freezer bag, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls or you can use a ice cream scoop to form the balls. Place some sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat them. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart from one another as they will spread.
- Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes until the tops begin to crack. Remove from the oven and leave them on the cookie sheets for three minutes and then remove the cookies with a thin metal spatula to cool on a rack.
Makes 24 cookies
Molasses Cookies
Mamas Tips
These cookies freeze really well. You can store them in an airtight container, just layer the cookies with wax paper in between and they should last up to 3 weeks.
All cookies need to be the same size so that they will bake evenly. To insure that all your cookies will be the same size, use an ice cream scoop.
If your shipping your homemade cookies for the holidays, these ship extremely well.
Molasses Cookies
Recipe: Easy
Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake
Posted: 11/16/2012 Filed under: cakes, desserts, Lemon, recipes | Tags: baking, cake, cranberry lemon bundt cake, recipe, Thanksgiving dessert 26 Comments »
Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake
I had neglected the blog recently as my attention had been directed elsewhere in the past few weeks. I have just returned from a trip back east where I attended my high school reunion, and boy, was it a good time. The last time I saw many of these folks they were 17 years old. It was actually kind of sweet how many of the guys were whipping out their iPhones and showing me pictures of their grand-children. Everybody was there; the captain of the cheerleaders, the homecoming queen, the jocks, the potheads, all just a little bit older and a little bit grayer (if that’s even a word). So, now the party’s over and it’s time for me to get back to my real mission in life, and that’s cake.
Today was one of those rare days in Los Angeles where it was cold and cloudy and actually raining. It was the perfect day to put on the thick fuzzy socks, a heavy sweatshirt and break out the KitchenAid and just bake. And did we ever have a good time, me and the KitchenAid that is. When November rolls around I like to make things with cranberries. Personally I think that they’re a terribly underrated fruit, but they really shine in this Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake. If you’re looking for a good cake to bring to a Thanksgiving dinner, this one would be a winner.
P.S. And I just want to give a little shout out to Mindy and Greg for reading the blog. Thanks!
Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake
From Williams Sonoma
- Unsalted butter for greasing pan, plus 12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 cups fresh cranberries, about 12 oz.
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 lemons
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed
Directions:
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter. I used a silicone bundt pan, and the cake easily came out of the pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar in the bottom of the pan, then evenly distribute the cranberries over the sugar
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Next, add the granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Finely grate the zest from the lemons over the sugar and mix briefly.
- In a small bowl, squeeze the juice from the lemons, use a sieve to strain out the seeds and pulp. In a liquid measuring cup, combine 2 Tbs. of the lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla; reserve the remaining lemon juice.
- Add the 12 Tbs. butter to the lemon zest–sugar mixture and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in 2 batches. Raise the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes to aerate.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly over the cranberries. Bake until the cake is browned and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cake plate, lift off the pan and let cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, in a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 1/2 Tbs. of the reserved lemon juice until thick and smooth. Test the consistency by drizzling a bit of glaze over the cake. If it runs off the cake, whisk in a little more confectioners’ sugar; if it sits on the cake without moving, whisk in a little more lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let set for at least 15 minutes.
Serves 12
Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake
Mama’s Tips:
I would suggest that you invest in a silicone bundt pan. My experience with metallic bundt pans is that often, the cake can get stuck in the crevices of the pan even when properly buttered and floured. When I use the silicone pan the cake always relases perfectly.
Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake
Recipe: Easy
Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Posted: 09/16/2012 Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, cake, coffee cake, pumpkin, pumpkin coffee cake, pumpkin streusel coffee cake, recipe 34 Comments »
Pumpkin Streusel Coffe Cake
Wow, what a week it’s been. I think this was the first time in two decades I’ve been all alone in the house for an entire week. Imagine that folks. The husband was away on business in New York, son #1 was working and son #2 is away at school. I suppose this was my golden opportunity to do all those things a gal likes to do when there’s no one else to attend to but yourself. So, woo hoo! yippee! party time…okay, so maybe not. Did I squander my week of being unencumbered, should I just have let it rip?
Well, I let it rip okay. I spent the week on a non-stop bake fest. A real bender if you will. Seven days of cookies, cakes and breads. I finally had to say to myself, “girlfriend, just step away from the oven”. I ended my maniacal bake-a-thon with this Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake. What with autumn just around the corner it seemed so appropriate. So I’ve decided to give the KitchenAid a rest and return to normal activity.
Oh come on people, don’t judge me.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
From Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients:
For the streusel:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (see note below)
For the batter:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp. whole milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan or a 9-inch cake pan with 3-inch sides.
- To make the streusel, in a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Combine the butter using 2 table knives or a pastry cutter, cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Set aside.
- To make the batter, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the pumpkin puree and sour cream and mix with the spatula. Stir in the flour mixture. The batter will be quite thick.
- Using a small off-set spatula, spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. With a small off-set spatula, lightly spread the remaining batter over the streusel spreading the thick batter as best you can. Top with the remaining streusel. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the sides from the pan and slide the cake onto a cooling rack.
- To make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla. Drizzle over the top of the cake. Cut into thick wedges and serve. Makes one 9-inch coffee cake.
Mama’s Tips:
To toast your pecans: Place them in a small frying pan over medium heat tossing constantly until fragrant.
Recipe: Easy
Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme
Posted: 09/03/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, Lemon, recipes | Tags: baking, cookies, dessert, lemon cookies, olive oil cookies, recipe 26 Comments »
Olive Oil Cookies
I do believe I’ve had a love-affair with cookies my whole life. Friends who knew me growing up can attest to the fact that I ate cookies for breakfast most days. Well why not. Back in the day I could plow through bags of Oreo’s, Mallowmars and Chips Ahoy cookies, but I’ve come a long way, baby!
Once I began making cookies from scratch there was no turning back for me. I don’t think I’ve eaten a packaged cookie in years. I just lost my taste for them. I don’t want to eat anything with high fructose corn syrup, partially (why partially) hydrogenated soybean oil or artificial flavors in it.
Don’t misunderstand me. It’s not that a homemade cookie is health food. It’s still butter, sugar and flour, and full of calories. However, if one is going to indulge, and one is going to indulge in moderation, then you’ve got to eat the real thing. When I bake at home, I try to use the best ingredients I can find. Good quality vanilla, chocolate chips, and butter result in a very tasty end product. And you guys agree with me that it’s all about the flavor.
Anyway, I’ve been making these soft and chewy Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme for several years now. Why, because they wallop you with flavor. I use the best quality oil oil I have, and farmer’s market fresh lemons and thyme. One bite takes me back to the green, rolling hills of Tuscany covered in olive trees. Okay, a bit overly dramatic…but you get the picture.
Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme
Olive Oil Cookies with Lemon & Thyme
Adapted from 805 Magazine, September 2009
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon finely minced thyme
- sugar for rolling
- powdered sugar for dusting
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, add olive oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat on low speed until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat to incorporate all ingredients.
- Add the thyme and mix on low just to incorporate.
- Using about a teaspoon amount (or more if you like a larger cookie), roll dough into balls and then roll the balls into a bowl of granulated sugar.
- Place the balls onto the cookie sheet, and flatten slightly with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake about 8-10 minutes, and then cool on a wire rack.
- When completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
Lemon Olive Oil Cookies
Makes 32-36 cookies
