new york style crumb cake

The new year is going to bring a lot of change for me.  I don't like change.  I resist change.  This year I am going to embrace change.  When I got married I was a food and fitness fanatic.  I truly enjoyed exercise and eating healthy.  I still like both of those those things but, I let sugar, butter and fancy cakes creep into my life.  What was once a treat became a daily necessity.  I no longer tasted and savoured a sweet treat.  I craved it and then ate it without even tasting it.  This year I am going to return to healthy eating with the occasional treat.  Instead if making resolutions I am setting a few goals.  In addition to some life goals I have a few goals for this blog. 

1.)  Return to the archived posts and make things from the past.
2.)  Look back and remake something that I love but, dislike the picture.
3.) Creatively use and document my CSA deliveries.
4.) Recreate an old favorites with a new spin.
5.) Work on my photography and writing.

To kick off the new year and my return to healthy eating I made this super light and healthy crumb cake.  Yeah right!  I was in charge of the coffee cake for parent child this week.  As much as I wanted to bring in a healthy breakfast cookie or baked oatmeal I wasn't sure how the moms would react so, I fell back on this family favorite.  When I was a little girl living in Connecticut we would take my grandfather grocery shopping every week.  Each week he would give me the same task of selecting the Entemann's crumb cake with the most crumb topping.  I would look over each cake carefully before I made my selection.  We would return to his home to unpack the groceries and then share a big piece of coffee cake.  Every time I see a crumb cake I think back on this memory fondly.  I love when good food evokes happy memories.  My mom happened to be visiting when I made this cake and the first thing she said when she took a bite was grandpa would love this cake.  Honestly I don't know who wouldn't love this coffee cake.  The cake portion is light and buttery and there is no shortage of crumb on this cake.  Perfect ratio.  I cut this cake into 16 pieces which was the perfect size for a little mid-morning treat for the moms.  Hope you enjoy every last crumb.

new york style crumb cake
source: cooks illustrated

crumb topping

1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounces)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (2 2/3 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm
1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces)

cake
1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Topping: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Cake: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.

3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

4. Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Following photos below, break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.  Cut into 12 large or 16 reasonable sized pieces.  Enjoy!

spicy persimmon brunch cake

The month of November was an emotional blurr.  After 13 years I left my job.  I have started my new life as a stay at home mom.  This is absolutely the best decision for my family and I feel so fortunate that we are in a position that allows me this awesome opportunity.  I have always known that being a stay at home mom would be much harder then my corporate job but, I had no idea how hard it would really be.  My nanny made it look so easy.  At the end of  day I feel tired down to the bone not to mention I look like a frazzle disaster.  Until we get into a groove the me time, baking, bloging, showering, and exercise have fallen to the bottom of the list.  Play dates, tennis lessons, story time and the park have risen to the top.  I need to find some sort of balance in these whirlwind days. 

GG "great grandma" has a persimmon tree in her backyard.  This week a huge box appeared on my doorstop.  Her tree is a hachiya tree which produces the acorn shaped fruit that is used for baking.  My mother in law gave me one of her favorite junior league cookbooks when we got married.  Recently I have read the book cover to cover all the while cherishing the fact that some of my mother in laws favorite recipes come from this book.  The book was written in the 70s and while reading the book you can just feel the homeyness of each recipe.  These are family favorites that have been passed down from generation to generation.  They are not fancy.  They are solid classic dishes.  In honor of two of my favorite past stay at home moms I made this persimmon brunch cake using my mother in laws recipe and her mother's persimmons.  The result was an absolute hit.  This is a simple spicy cake.  You could spruce it up by baking in a bundt pan but, for our casual meal the 8x8 worked great.  There are no eggs in this cake ... weird.  I read the recipe several times and no eggs.  You add the baking soda to the persimmon puree which makes a gelatin like substance after a few minutes.  I have no idea why it does that but, I am assuming this concoction replaces the egg.  As long as the persimmons arrive at our door this will be a family favorite baked with lots of love.

spicy persimmon brunch cake
adapted: california heritage - junior league

1 1/2 cup pureed fresh persimmon, hachiya variety (see note below)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
confectioner’s sugar


Stir together the persimmon puree and the baking soda in a small bowl until blended and set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the puree to the creamed butter and sugar.  Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the persimmon mixture.  Stir in the cinnamon chips, mixing just enough to blend.

Spoon the stiff batter into a well-greased and floured 8 x 8 x 2-inch cake pan or 5-cup bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and turn out onto a rack to continue cooling another 20 or 30 minutes before serving (or serve directly from the pan if using an 8 x 8 x2-inch pan). Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm. Cake is also good at room temperature.  Cake can be reheated with foil cover for 10 minutes at 325.

Note: A fresh Hachiya persimmon should feel soft and jellylike when ripe.  The ripe fruit should feel like a water balloon in your hand.  Cut it in half and scoop the flesh from the skin with a spoon. Use a blender or immersion blender to smooth the pulp. Use at once or freeze. The puree tends to turn brown if left, and a small amount of lemon juice may be added if desired, to prevent discoloration.

chocolate chip loaf

This month of the secret recipe club I was assigned the blog Lavender and Lime  Lavender and Lime is written by Tandy who is one cool, eco-conscience, fearless foodie in the kitchen.  She is super adventurous and if my family would join me in a more adventurous meal I would have tried to tackle one of her many incredibly delicious dishes she features.  Tandy tries to cook and buy local and organic which has been a goal for my family in 2011.  Tandy is also very involved and recognized in the food blog community.  I spent several hours reading through posts on her blog.  She really inspired me to push my boundaries in the kitchen.  I was planning on making her roasted vegetables but, then I saw she said her go to cake in one of her posts.  Go to cake?  I was intrigued and I needed to know about this go to cake.  I understand why this is a go to cake for Tandy.  Not only is it absolutely delicious but, it is versatile in term of add ins and how you bake/serve it.  I made mine as a loaf and served it as part of a brunch.  The next day I thought yum that cake would be awesome as a late afternoon snack with a cup of tea.  Tea pot on and I go to grab a slice of cake and it is poof gone!  My husband ate it for breakfast.  Tandy's go to cake did not last 24 hours in this house.  I know this will be requested and baked again in my kitchen. 

Happy Monday and thank you Lavender and Lime and Secret Recipe Club for another fun month.

chocolate chip loaf

adapted: Lavender and Lime

125g butter (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon); room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

30g ground almond meal

35g self raising flour, sifted

100g cake flour, sifted

80g sour cream

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325.  Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with butter/flour baking spray. 

Beat the butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy ~5 minutes.  Add 1 egg at a time, beating until just combined between additions.  Stir in the almond meal and half of the sifted flour and half of the sour cream.  Mix until combined.  Stir in the balance of the flour and sour cream.  Stir in the chips.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin.  Bake for ~60-75 minutes.  The loaf should be golden and split on top.  It took 75 minutes in my oven.

rhubarb and strawberry crumb bars

One night we were having an adult conversation ... I know shocking that I still have those.  The husband of the other couple asked me if there were any fruit and vegetable that I did not like.  It got me thinking.  There are definitely some that rank higher for me but, I could not think of one that I detested.  What I did know is that there were two I had never tried.  My spring goal was to tackle both of these.  First up was the fava bean which I made into a fava bean and goat cheese dip.  A lot of effort but, LOVED.  The second was rhubarb.  I remember growing up that rhubarb pie was talked about but, it fell into the slimy cooked fruit category which my youthful palette could not stomach.  I am assuming rhubarb is not local because you don't see much rhubarb in southern California and I don't recall seeing it on a dessert menu.  That may not be the case for restaurants that don't have a kids menu but, I have not been to one of those in a long time.  When I saw rhubarb at the fruit and vegetable market I grabbed a few stalks.  It was not that bright red that I had seen in pictures so, I suspect it was not the best rhubarb out there.  At home I washed and sliced it.  The texture is crunchy like celery but, super tart.  I love tart so, I understood now why it is always paired with the super sweet strawberry.  They are a perfect match.  The rhubarb magically softens as it cooks and the tartness is dulled a bit but, present in the sweet cake.  These can be cut as bars or served as a coffee cake and would be perfect for a spring time brunch.  Not feeling the 'barb then swap out any fruit in this coffee cake.   I really like the tart rhubarb but, I kinda feel like I need to sample it a few more times to really get rhubarb.  Any good rhubarb recipes out there?

rhubarb strawberry crumb bars

source: everyday food

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 pound strawberries, sliced thin

1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter and flour parchment and pan, tapping out excess flour.

Make streusel: Whisk together butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add flour and mix with a fork until large crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make cake: In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup flour. In another medium bowl, whisk 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time. With mixer on low, beat in vanilla, then flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with rhubarb and top with streusel.

Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake from pan. Cut into 16 bars.

Monkey Bread

This recipe takes me back to my days in San Francisco.  We would make a batch of this after a fun night out.  Gather around, go nuts, eat every bite, laugh about the crazy antics from the previous night and then go back to sleep.  My hubby still loves this treat and calls each little nugget a piece of heaven.  So easy and I have not met a person who doesn't enjoy.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cans buttermilk biscuits
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 sticks butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters (4 pieces).
Combine the sugar with the cinnamon in a 1 gallon zip lock bag.  Add the biscuits and shake to mix. Make sure each piece is coated well and the pieces are separated.
Dump the entire bag into a bundt pan.  No need to spray or butter the bundt pan ... you will be adding two sticks of butter!
Melt the two sticks of butter together with the brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is completely melted and the two ingredients have combined.  Pour over the biscuits.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15-20 minutes.  Turn out onto plate.  Enjoy.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Cookie got baptized this weekend.  It was a wonderful day.  We had both of our families over after the service for a brunch.  Lots of brunch type recipes to come.

This recipe was very easy to make.  I have never made a streusel toping with melted butter and it was super easy and achieved the same effect with less work.  The cake was light and moist.  The blueberry and lemon flavor were fresh and subtle.  I tossed the blueberries in a bit of flour before folding them in but, I still had an issue with them sinking to the bottom of the cake.  I forgot the powder sugar dusting on the top but, certain no one missed it.  Ina ... another successful recipe! 

Blueberry Crumb Cake
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients 

Topping:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

Cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,

crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.