Archives For baked goods + pastries

Now is the time for banana bread.

Why? Well, because what else does one bake when the holidays have just passed, so you can’t bear the thought of another cake or – gasp! – cookie…but you’re still in the mood to bake?

{Is now a bad time to mention that double mocha-fudge brownies are on next week’s menu?}

Banana bread is the answer to our post-holiday, January baking cravings. This banana bread in particular is super, super-healthy. Whole wheat? Check. Low in sugar? Check. Three different fruits and the addition of applesauce to replace half the butter? Healthy fats in the form of crunchy walnuts? Check, check, and check.

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{mini} eggnog pound cakes.

December 17, 2011 — 5 Comments

Is it normal to eat pound cake for breakfast?

Seriously…I’m confused about pound cake’s purpose in life. Is it supposed to be eaten as dessert? All this coming from a person who eats cupcakes for breakfast.

Hi. Clearly, I don’t follow the rules.

But at least I know what the rules are supposed to be for cupcakes…pound cake, I’m not so sure. Pound cake doesn’t seem like something I want to eat for dessert. It doesn’t seem rich enough. Right – because a cake that gets its name from being comprised of one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, and one pound of eggs isn’t rich.

Let me backtrack here. Pound cake is rich…fine. I’ll give you that. But something about it just screams breakfast to me. Is that wrong? I don’t think so. These pound cakes are especially nice for breakfast because they taste like eggnog. And they’re dripping in a rummy-nog glaze. Rum for breakfast? I’m in.

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Call them mini muffins, call them donut holes…

Call them whatever. I call them delicious. Way delicious.

These little-mini-pumpky-babies are so moist, and so packed with spicy pumpkin flavor. For me, this is fall – all wrapped up into one little…donut hole….or mini-muffin. Whatever.

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homemade cherry pop-tarts.

September 27, 2011 — 5 Comments

This is not something I’m proud of.

Or maybe it is. Yes, it is something I’m proud of. I got confused for a second, because sometimes when I explain to people the lengths I go to to make something from scratch, they think I’m nuts.

And I am. So, I suppose I’m proud of being nuts. Or something like that.

I’d like to tell you these weren’t a total pain in the ass to make, but they were. The dough had a hard time staying cool enough to work with, and then there was the tiny problem that occurred when I ran out of parchment paper mid-dough-roll – which let me tell you, is actually a big eff-ing problem, because this means that your dough is now going to get super-warm in the time it takes Dan to run to the store to pick more up – but hey, at least I have someone as incredible as he is, that will stop what he’s doing and do anything for me, even though I more likely than not just got back from the store and never had a thought to check to see if I needed more of something as important as parchment paper…

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It’s time for blueberry sour cream coffee cake to take a back-seat.

Because there’s a new coffee cake in town.

It’s not that I have anything against the blueberry version. I actually quite like it. Anyone who knows me also knows that I adore blueberries. I eat them like candy, I eat them in smoothies… I love my blueberries.

And probably because of that, I like the idea of switching up a coffee cake to include blackberries instead. The next time you get your hands on a package of those lusciously fat, sweet blackberries, I highly encourage you to give this cake a try.

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I had you at pecan streusel topping, didn’t I?

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I think it’s safe to say that this pumpkin bread deserves a spot in the Recipe Arsenal. Everyone needs a great recipe for pumpkin bread, and for me – this is it.

On its own, I think the pumpkin bread would already be a winner. It’s perfectly moist, and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. But then, you add the pecan streusel topping, and that’s where my heart is truly won over. You’ve already seen here that I tend to prefer any typical baked good with a streusel topping, and this pumpkin bread is no exception. As you bite into it, you get that extra explosion of cinnamon flavor and crunchiness on top, which have also made their way throughout the bread itself by way of toasted pecans {and lots of pumpkin pie spice, which I used in place of the mixture from the recipe} in the batter.

The recipe itself makes quite a bit of bread:  either two big loaves, or 36 muffins. For me, it was one loaf and 18 muffins, because I don’t want to decide which I like better.

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I want them both. I want muffins because they’re adorable, and they arrive ready-to-eat in perfect little individual portions. I want bread because this is pumpkin bread we’re talking about, isn’t it? Fall baking just wouldn’t be complete without it.

Head over to Joelen’s blog for the full recipe, and see how the other Project Pastry Queen members fared here!

I bet you didn’t know that cinnamon rolls could be made with potatoes.

I didn’t.

Maybe you also didn’t know that there’s sort of a lot of steps involved when it comes to cinnamon rolls. I didn’t. You know, a lot of making the dough, then waiting an hour to rise. Then making the rolls, then waiting another hour to rise. But – if you know that these said steps can turn out cinnamon buns that put Cinnabon to shame – you shouldn’t mind so much.

Seriously, people. I will put these buns up against any. Maybe even your mom’s.

I’m honestly quite surprised they turned out so good. Cinnamon rolls just seem like one of those things destined to eff up. For instance, when I was rolling the dough out on the counter above the dishwasher. The dishwasher was running, and blowing off some steam right into where I was working. Heat doesn’t mix well with dough – just a tip. Stay away from the dishwasher. I made them in two batches, and I walked the other batch over to another counter space to roll out – and I had a much better time.

This was the first time I’ve made dough that I’ve used absolutely no equipment, like mixers or food processors. Rebecca Rather {the author of the cookbook} stated in the beginning of the book that she’s not much of a fan of these kinds of things. She’s old-school, you know? I respect that. When I learned first-hand how much muscle it took to stir up this dough by hand, I really respected it. The gal’s from Texas, baby. She doesn’t mess around.

If you’re still thinking about the fact that there’s a potato in this recipe, allow me to explain why. Actually – there should be potatoes {2} in the recipe if you’re making the full amount. I halved it, because for me, having 12 cinnamon rolls around the house is equally dangerous. If I had 24, there’s no telling what the damage would be.

Now, the reason these are called “jailhouse potato” cinnamon rolls is because Rebecca was originally introduced to the idea from a newspaper clipping sent by a friend for cinnamon rolls made in jail using potatoes. You see, jailbirds need to get creative – they need to find different ways to make things using the ingredients they have. We can all relate to that, right? And from that recipe, Rebecca worked the potato in to develop this recipe. Apparently, yeast loves the starch in the mashed potatoes. They marry, live happier ever after – and you end up with tender, fluffy cinnamon rolls.

This was the very first recipe in the Pastry Queen cookbook, and I’ve got to give it up to Katy for selecting it for this week’s edition of Project Pastry Queen. Be sure to visit her blog, Katy’s Kitchen, for the recipe!

rather rich corn muffins.

August 22, 2010 — 6 Comments

As it turns out, I’m a fan of corn muffins.

I’ve never been a big cornbread person – it’s always seemed a little boring to me. When that basket is passed around on Thanksgiving Day, I’m usually fast to skip it over in favor of a perfectly soft dinner roll spread with butter. Cornbread feels heavy, and I’d rather be filling up on mac and cheese.

But these – these just may be in competition with my precious bread and butter. I may even be willing to compromise a few bites of mac and cheese for one of these corn muffins – and that’s a big statement.

There’s butter. And fresh corn. And heavy cream. A lot of it.

That’s right, they are “rather rich” – the recipe is that of Rebecca Rather, the Pastry Queen herself.

You don’t even need to spread butter on these perfectly lush little muffins, though you certainly can if you’re feeling particularly gluttonous {as I happened to be feeling this morning}. They are rich in every sense of the word, and biting into one tastes like pure buttercream corn heaven.

Yes, I believe that if there were such thing as frosting made from corn and muffins, this is what it would taste like. Creamy, rich, decadent, buttery – and there’s even a little crunch thanks to the sprinkling of cornmeal overtop.

And to top it all off, these are about the easiest and quickest muffins I’ve ever come across. There’s no sifting of ingredients, no mixing dry ingredients in with the wet in steps. You’re just dumping it all in the mixer bowl, and giving it a quick stir. They only take about 15 minutes to bake, so you can be done and done in all of about 30 minutes flat.

They’re also pretty versatile – we’ve been munching on them all morning, and I’m sure they’d be just sinful with a little spread of jam. The batter can sit in the refrigerator for up to three days, and as we’re having a couple over for dinner tonight, I’ve saved a good amount of batter so that I can drop it in a muffin pan upon their arrival.

Because everyone should be able to taste these golden corn nuggets fresh and hot from the oven.

For the recipe, be sure to check out Amanda’s post over at her blog, Fake Ginger.

Happy Sunday!

project pastry queen.

August 7, 2010 — 2 Comments

Because I apparently don’t think I bake enough butter-laden, calorie-dense, over-the-top luscious treats in my spare time, I’ve decided to join a baking group.

Project Pastry Queen.

I’d started to hear a lot about this alleged Pastry Queen, and I was intrigued. Many of my favorite bloggers swear by this famous baker from a small town in Texas. Her name is Rebecca Rather, and she is the proud owner of Rather Sweet Bakery and Café. How did she become known as the Pastry Queen? Well, the story is that she and a bunch of female pastry chefs used to gather for monthly dinners, and were eventually dubbed  the Pastry Queens by a reporter for the Austin Chronicle. The rest of the ladies all later dropped out of the business, and Rebecca became the last woman standing – thus leaving her the last Pastry Queen. The name stuck. Love that story.

But, I didn’t know any of this yet when I first saw this post on Crème Brûlée French Toast {which, by the way, I absolutely plan on making}. This post is what introduced me to Project Pastry Queen, a blog set up strictly for working one’s way through the Pastry Queen cookbook. Like I said, I had been hearing things. So I hopped over to Amazon to check out the cookbook.

I was in.

So – I signed up, bought the book, and here I am. Snuggling nightly with my copy of the Pastry Queen cookbook. Seriously. It’s that amazing.

I think what I love most is Rebecca’s approach to baking. She may be the most un-fussy and down to earth baker I’ve ever come across. Her recipes are pretty outrageous – some of them more complicated than others – but the one thing they all have in common is they seem to have been developed with love. But not just any love. Good, old-fashioned, homegrown Texas love.

Everything is bigger in Texas, isn’t it?

Some of the recipes I am compulsively-obsessing over are her Jailhouse Potato-Cinnamon Rolls, Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Streusel Topping, Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones, Tuxedo Cake, Toffee Bar Brownie Torte, White-on-White Buttermilk Cake with Jack Daniel’s Buttercream… And the list goes on. And on. And on.

Just be prepared. It’s going to get nutty.

All starting tomorrow with the Fredericksburg Peach Cream Cheese Tart. Stay tuned.

sour cream coffee cake.

June 15, 2010 — 8 Comments

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

The double streusel, maple-glazed, and ridiculously moist sour cream coffee cake has arrived.

This is an important moment, because a good coffee cake is one of those things we should all have in our recipe arsenal. It’s the kind of thing that will improve any brunch or breakfast situation immediately, yet it can be equally enjoyed as a dessert. Or a meal. Yes, I would probably eat this for dinner if I could.

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Even though I own most of Ina’s cookbooks, I always like to check out the recipes on the Food Network so I can read a few of the comments. This is one of the best things you can do as a new cook – or cook of any skill level, really. It allows you to learn about issues people had or tweaks they made to improve the recipe.

In this case, it allowed me to improve the recipe. Several recommendations to double the streusel? Yes, please.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Adapted from Ina Garten

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature {I use SmartBalance}
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups sour cream
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour {or mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, see below}
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the {doubled-down} streusel:

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted {or SmartBalance} butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons real maple syrup {No Aunt Jemima here, it has to be the good stuff}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with Pam for Baking – or, take it old-school and grease and flour.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Since I never have cake flour on hand, I make it myself using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Just replace 2 tablespoons of flour with cornstarch, for each cup you need. Sift together a few times – I usually go for 5; the more you sift, the closer to cake flour it becomes. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. No over-mixing allowed! Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Or, pulse in your food processor until you get there. Mix in the walnuts.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with half the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Be careful not to add too much water – I think I did, because it ran down the cake pretty quickly. I would have liked it to be a little thicker, so more would have sat on the cake as opposed to the dish. Either way, you can’t go wrong – just grab a spoon and drizzle it over the top, and prepare yourself for sour cream coffee cake heaven.