Last Call...Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

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It is the weekend after Labor Day, the unofficial start of Fall.  I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in Georgia it is sweltering.  As in 90 degree weather, terribly humid and many an afternoon thunderstorm.  The apples are out in the produce department but, better than that, the berries are on sale, as in three for the price of one.

I know I should be posting about Fall recipes, but who can think of the hearth and apple pie when it's this hot.  These next two weeks are usually bad as far as dressing and cooking is concerned.  I used to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to decide what to wear when I lived in New York City. Beige, tan and black, black and tan, but forget white.  Navy? no, too Spring.  Grey was okay. Brown? nah. The next three weeks were a pain to dress.  You never knew what the next day would bring.

It's the same with cooking for the next two weeks.  We are still grilling but late afternoon showers make it iffy.

This coffee cake, like black and tan, is great to have around in this transition period.  Good for brunch, good for tea and a great dessert with coffee.  Madame Mere has been sneaking a piece (a "tiny" little piece) every day for the last week with her espresso right after lunch.   Yes,  you can make this any time of the year with frozen blueberries but it is really not the same.

One day last week, I did my good deed for the week by helping an elderly lady in one of those motorized carts reach for a few baskets of raspberries.  There were six left and she wanted three.  So I picked out the best three and THEN she told me about the special, written in tiny letters over the counter, three for the price of one.  As I stared at the last three baskets after she took off, and I mean took off,  I thought, jeepers three for the price of one? raspberries?! Well obviously I didn't want the discards after selecting the best for the motorized lady but I was consoled to see that the same deal was offered for the blueberry pints.  So that's how this came to be.  That and the recipe I had saved from Maida Heatter, via Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs.

This cake is called a crumb cake.  I think of it more along the lines of a coffee cake since it reminds me of my mother and her generation. That is what they used to call this kind of cake which was served after lunch or for breakfast together with the infamous percolated American coffee ( insipid and weak!).  I would serve it instead for tea or as part of a brunch.

 Debbie is absolutely right in all her modifications.  First,  why sift the flour when this promises to be a dense cake; and why coat the blueberries in flour when they won't sink to the bottom in a batter this thick.  Two unnecessary steps out of the way.

Do add the walnuts, it makes for interesting mix of texture.

One of the things Smitten Kitchen commented about was the butteriness of the crumble and resisting the urge to add more flour to make it more crumbly.  If you put it back in the fridge, until ready to use, it will be crumblier and easier to sprinkle.

Another thing I did not do was compensate for not sifting the flour by adding an extra tablespoon. Instead, I used White Lily Flour, one of the wonders and great advantages of living in the South.  If you can't find it just use a fine sieve and forget about sifting.

One of the things I like about this cake, or coffee cake, is the fact that it requires just two bowls and one cake pan.  It gets done in no time and it is better the next day and the day after, meaning you are more than safe making it a day ahead.  I have not tried freezing it as there was none left after four days.  Madame Mere and the lady who takes care of her managed to polish it off in three days, with a tiny bit of help from me, so it doesn't look like I will ever know it it freezes well or not.  I just have a good feeling it will.

So, blueberries are on sale, this is an easy cake, no fuss, no mess, it can be made ahead, freezes well and is delicious to boot. What are you waiting for?!

Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the crumble

5 tablespoons (40 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup, 2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, cold
Pinch of salt

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour (use White Lily if you can)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup, 2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint or 340 to 455 grams fresh blueberries, clean and dry
1/2 cup whole milk,
1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts, chopped medium fine (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch round baking pan (with at least 2″ sides) and dust it lightly with flour; line it with a round of parchment paper.'

Prepare the topping by mixing the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt, then cutting the butter in with a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.  (I suggest you put it in the refrigerator until ready to use.  It is easier to sprinkle on top later)

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt until combines.

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and zest together until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredient mixture until just combined, followed by 1/2 the milk; repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, finishing with the dry mixture. The batter will be very stiff, but don’t fret.

Fold blueberries into cake batter until evenly distributed. Scoop cake batter into prepared pan and smooth so that it is flat. If using walnuts, scatter them on top. Sprinkle with prepared streusel.

Bake in heated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out batter-free. You can let the cake cool complete in the pan on a rack, or just cool it in the pan for 20 minutes before flipping it out onto a cooling rack, removing the parchment paper lining, and flipping it back onto a plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using. 

Do ahead: Cake keeps covered with plastic or foil at room temperature for three days. If longer, it might be best to keep it in the fridge. It gets more moist each day and it is better the day after baking.

Adapted from Maida Heatter via Smitten Kitchen
Photos Lindaraxa

Crunchy Banana Muffins For The Hydrangea Society Tour In Atlanta

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Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I am meeting my friend Sandra Jonas of Recreating Eden for the annual  AHS 2012 Garden Tour  featuring many beautiful hydrangea-filled gardens here in Atlanta.  Sandra and I have been virtual friends for over a year but it seems every time we tried to meet,  one of us had an illness in the family.    Finally, tomorrow looks like a go and frankly, I can't wait to meet this wonderful lady.  As we are meeting fairly early in the day, and there seems to be quite a few gardens to tour, I am bringing along some muffins for a mid morning snack.

Banana muffins always seem to come up when there are a few of them over ripening in the kitchen.  I don't know where these came from.  Maybe a product of house guests from last weekend.  But they aint going to waste...not in this house.

If you like banana bread or muffins, these are a must...simply to die for!

Cinnamon Rolls...And Computer Problems!

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If you are reading this, chances are that you have had computer problems in the past and know exactly what an ordeal that can be.

A couple of nights ago I inadvertedly closed down my laptop before the system had a chance to completely shut down and that's where all the problems started.  Hours with technical support talking to people with foreign accents which is bad enough for someone with English as a mother tongue, but twice as hard for someone whose English is a second language.  Believe me, even though my English is excellent and better perhaps than most native born, when it comes to filtering computereze with an accent, my brain turns into a giant cotton ball and my system shuts down.  I become instantly stupid. 

Hello my name is Kevin how may I help you?

The long and the short of it is I have had to download my system again and have lost all my programs and files, albeit temporarily.  Luckily they are somewhere "in there" and will be restored within the week by the techies at Geek Squad.  So my photos of the cinnamon rolls are there (somewhere) and if you think I am going to bake them again to post a photo you are delusional.

The moral of the story is twofold.  Make sure your system has shut down completely before closing your laptop AND make sure all your programs and files are backed up somewhere not in your computer. For a very reasonable fee, you can now back things into the Cloud through services offered by Geek Squad at Best Buy and the like.  If you do this, they can work on your computer and fix problems directly.  I am seriously thinking of going this route.  Has anybody tried it?

 As to the cinnamon rolls....

There is no better aroma than a pan of these big, puffy rolls baking in the oven, fragrant with cinnamon, brown sugar and orange zest.  Great for breakfast or a snack while you are on hold waiting for Tech Support in Bangalore!


Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 package active dry yeast

3/4 cup milk, warmed (110°F)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks


For the filling:

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Finely grated zest of 1 large orange

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water


For the cream cheese frosting:

1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted


Directions:

To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, eggs, the 4 1/2 cups flour and the salt. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed, adding a little more flour if needed, until the ingredients come together. Toss in the butter and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and springy, about 7 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl. Form the dough into a ball, put it in the oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough in half.

Roll out 1 dough half into a rectangle about 9 by 14 inches. Spread with half of the butter, then sprinkle evenly with half of the brown sugar, half of the cinnamon and half of the orange zest. Starting at the long side closest to you, roll the rectangle away from you, forming a log. Cut the log crosswise into 8 equal slices. Arrange the slices, cut side down, in half of the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling ingredients, and arrange the slices in the other half of the pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free spot until puffy, about 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight, then let stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before baking.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Brush the rolls lightly with the beaten egg mixture. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a roll comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until thoroughly combined, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the consistency is too soft, refrigerate the frosting until it is spreadable, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the pan with the rolls to a wire rack and let cool slightly, then spread the rolls with the frosting while they are still warm. Pull the rolls apart and serve warm. Makes 16 rolls.

Baker’s note: If you like, add 1/3 cup raisins or toasted chopped pecans to the filling. If you prepare these the night before up until the final rise and baking, then all you have to do in the morning is let them come to room temperature and slide them in the oven to bake.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Home Baked Comfort, by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2011).

Banana Walnut Bread

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Nothing gets thrown out in this house, that is as far as food is concerned! Perhaps it's because I am of that generation that was forced to eat everything on the plate because of the poor starving children in China (or was it India?)  and look at them now! Those cute starving kids are now eating OUR food and driving the prices insane.  After all the sacrifices I made!

For those of you not of a certain age, this must sound ludicrous but that was the sneaky way our parents got us to finish our meals.  Nowadays, kids eat in stages.  A couple of bites here and there, get up from the table, come back, eat some more...don't get me started on this.

This morning I woke up to 4 over ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen counter, leftovers from last weekend's visit from my grandchildren.   I was exhausted from working in the garden but I knew they wouldn't last another day so out came the pots and pans and the Silver Palate cookbook.

It took less than half an hour to throw everything together and now I am delighted for I will have a real treat to serve for breakfast and tea over the long weekend.  Which got me thinking....there is nothing I appreciate more as a weekend hostess than having someone show up with homemade treats.  Cookies, breads, pies, salads, ANYTHING to alleviate the weekend meal debacle.  Of course,  a casserole will do fine,  but I'll even settle for a jar of homemade jam!

Makes 1 loaf


Ingredients

 8 T unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 c granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 c whole wheat flour

3 large ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/4 cups - 1 1/2 cups) I used 4

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 c walnuts, coarsely chopped (I used 1 cup, love it nutty)


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

2. Mix flours, soda, salt together

3. Mash bananas with a fork, add vanilla to the banana mixture.

4. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat.

5. Alternately add dry and wet ingredients to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry)

6. Pour into pan. Bake 50-60 min, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min, then on rack. f

Banana bread freezes beautifully.  Half my loaf is sitting in the freezer ready for next weekend!

Winter Entertaining...Sunday Brunch In the City

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About two weeks ago Heather Clawson who publishes the immensely popular blog Habitually Chic mentioned in her blog that one of her New Year's resolutions was to have more brunches.  That got me thinking...

One of the things I enjoyed the most when I was living in the city was meeting up with friends on Sunday to have brunch at Luke's or anywhere else where I could get Eggs Benedict and a Bloody Mary.  To me, Sundays were all about the New York Times, the crossword puzzle, brunch afterwards and a good long nap.   Sometimes I would forgo my idyllic afternoon and invite friends for a casual Sunday dinner.

 
If you have lived in New York, you know weekends are all about casual clothes and casual dining.  Try visiting a neighborhood restaurant during the weekend and you will see the same people you saw all dressed up during the week in a most casual yet stylish attire.  People who live and work in town look forward to relaxing on the weekend and what they want is to dress down, walk the dog and rest up for the week ahead.  Going out for Sunday brunch is a popular diversion for New Yorkers but if you want to get in at your favorite restaurant or neighborhood cafe you better get there early.  You will find most places jammed packed!

So what could be simpler and more appreciated than offering friends an alternative to a restaurant brunch by entertaining them informally in the comfort of your home? It beats hosting a cocktail party or sit-down dinner, and it's a lovely and casual way to catch up with friends and family members.  Just make sure you set a civilized hour...like noon!

Now if you live in relatively small quarters, set up a buffet style table and let everyone serve themselves.  Do make sure you have enough seating though for all your guests. Even if you are lucky enough to have a separate dining room, you can use this type of arrangement to make things casual and more enjoyable. This is what makes New York city parties so much fun..

Everything in this brunch menu can at least be started the night before. The strata and the french toast just need to bake in the morning.  The fruit parfaits, Bloody Mary mix, salmon and accompaniments can also be prepared the day before, placed in the fridge wrapped with foil,  and brought out just before the guests arrive.  If you want to add muffins and scones, this is something you can buy ready made.  There is such a wonderful selection to choose from if you live in a major city such as New York. 

Now just because this is an informal party doesn't mean that you can't take out the silver,  crystal or the nice china.  That is what makes it extra special, even if you serve a simple menu.  It's done in English country houses all the time so why shouldn't you?

So Heather, here's to your New Year's resolution...you can cross it off the list!

SUNDAY BRUNCH

The Perfect Bloody Mary

Mimosas

Smoked Salmon

mini bagels, cream cheese, capers, lemon, chopped red onions

Papaya, Berries And Yogurt Parfaits

Ham And Cheese Strata

Baked French Toast

Coffee, Tea

 Make sure you check out the country brunch in My Kitchen By The Lake!


Photos:  (top)  Elegant Entertaining,  Henrietta Spencer Churchill
and Google

Papaya Berry Yogurt Parfaits

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Is there a more elegant, healthier or simpler way to start your day?

Ingredients

Serves 6

3 containers (5.3 ounces each) plain nonfat Greek yogurt

5 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon juice

1 piece fresh ginger (about 2 inches)

1 papaya (1 pound), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds discarded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 package (6 ounces) fresh blackberries

1 package (6 ounces) fresh raspberries

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish

1/2 cup granola


Directions


1.In a small bowl combine yogurt, 3 tablespoons honey, and zest; set aside.

2.Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the ginger (no need to peel) into a small bowl. Squeeze ginger through a fine-meshed sieve or strainer placed over a medium bowl to get a total of 1 tablespoon ginger juice. Discard pulp. To the bowl with the juice, add remaining 2 tablespoons honey and lemon juice; whisk to combine. Add papaya, blackberries, and raspberries and toss gently to coat.

3.To serve: Spoon half the fruit and juices among six 8-ounce tall glasses. Sprinkle chopped mint over the fruit. Top with half the yogurt mixture and half the granola. Layer with the remaining fruit, yogurt, and granola. Garnish with mint sprigs.

.

Source: Martha Stewart.com

Baked French Toast...An Easy Solution When Serving a Crowd!

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Hot and sweet, baked to a golden crisp, and dripping with syrup, you’ll find not a single thing  missing.  A great idea when serving a crowd!


Ingredients

1 (13- to 14-inch-long) loaf of soft-crust supermarket Italian bread

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 2/3 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons sugar

Accompaniment: pure maple syrup


Preparation

Cut 12 (1-inch-thick) diagonal slices from bread, reserving ends for another use.

Generously butter 1 side of each slice and arrange slices, buttered sides up, in 1 layer in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit if necessary.

Whisk together eggs, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined well, then pour evenly over bread. Chill, covered, until bread has absorbed all of custard, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, depending on bread.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Bring mixture to room temperature and sprinkle bread with sugar.

Bake, uncovered, in middle of oven until bread is puffed and top is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: If you missed it, check out the recent recipe posted on the Williams Sonoma site for savory pancakes.



Source:  Epicurious

Cranberry Almond Streusel Cake

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This recipe comes from the Holiday issue of Sweet Paul Magazine,  an online 90 page food, crafts and lifestyle magazine filled to the rim with great recipes, fun crafts, interesting people and much more.  It is based on Paul Howe's wildly successful blog Sweet Paul.

I am surprised to say I love this cyber magazine.  The recipes are fantastic, down to earth and very doable.  The photography is stunning.  If this is the future of online magazines, bring it on!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 stick salted butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 Cups sour cream
2 cups french cranberries
3 TB sugar

Topping

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 sticks salted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Mix the flour and baking powder

Butter a 9 inch square or round pan

Cream butter and sugar until light.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

Add the two extracts and sour cream.

Add the flour and baking powder mix.

Coat the cranberries with sugar in a separate bowl and incorporate into mix by hand

Pour mix into cake pan

Make the streussel, work together sugar, flour and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the cake.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and and dust with powder sugar

I have condensed the directions from the actual recipe on the magazine, but you get the point!