Peachy Keen Breakfast Snack Cake & July's Apron Winner

Peaches are a big crop in the South--I'm sure you've heard of Georgia peaches, but I have to say the ones from the Carolina's fair just as well.  I've been busy this summer making jam (that's Peach and a Peach~Cherry combo) behind this luscious Peachy snack cake.

The peach is native to northwest China, where it was first domesticated, and is the largest producer of peaches.  From there it was brought to Persia and then, transplanted in Europe. Interestingly, it is classified along with the cherry, plum and almond; that's why I chose to make the Peach~Cherry jam and to add roasted almonds for a crunchy streusel on top of this treat!

Peachy Keen Breakfast Snack Cake
Roasted Almond Streusel:
3/4 cup whole almonds (I used ones with the skin on), roasted in the oven for 6-7 minutes at 350F-degrees, then chopped
2 T firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
2 T butter, melted
 
Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (remove 2T of the butter for the streusel!)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 3 medium) diced peaches, peeled

I use a "tomato peeler" that you can find at Sur La Table to peel the peaches!

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  I used "cakelet" papers I found at The Container Store, but you can also make these into muffins.

In a small bowl, make the streusel; mix the chopped almonds, brown sugar, spices together, then, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter from the pan you used to melt the 1/2 cup of butter.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and oil together.  Add the brown sugar and stir together to combine.  Add the eggs and extracts and mix thoroughly.  Measure the oatmeal and all the dry ingredients and sour cream into the bowl and stir just to combine.  Lastly, add the diced peaches.

 Stir again to combine.

I filled 8 cakelets with the batter, spread it with an off-set spatula, then, sprinkled with the crunchy streusel.

Place the cakelets in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350F-degrees.  Bake them for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly when tested in the center.  If you are doing muffins, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and don't lower temperature.  Bake 20-25 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out cleanly when tested in the center.  

I decided to add a simple glaze on top of my cakes:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' (icing) sugar
1 T light Karo Syrup
2 T very warm water

Mix all the ingredients together and use a spoon to dribble the glaze over the cakelets.

Serve warm from the oven...it's like eating peach pie for breakfast and who wouldn't like that?  Enjoy!

Now, the winner of July's apron is FindingPam!

Congratulations!  Email me your address and I'll get this lovely sent to you ASAP:-D  

Tropical Cakelets & June's Give-Away-Apron

What's the best part of a muffin or cupcake?  The top, of course!  When I found this Ruffle Cakelet pan, by Nordic in the King Arthur Flour catalogue, I knew it would be perfect to create those perfect bites we remember as kids. 

The recipe also appeared in the catalogue baked in Ball jars, which is very cute, but I decided this treat would be adaptable to my new pan for treats that I would deliver later to the guys working on our new home.

Looks like July will be our "move-in" date and I'm so excited to share with you some photos I took yesterday.

Rear View

Kitchen--countertops are in, but doors and drawers go in last so they don't get "dented."

Our chandelier that I purchased in Massachusetts, when we built our first home. It's been with us in Connecticut and Washington...now in North Carolina!

The kitchen, which for me is the heart of the home, is full of detail with the tremendous custom cabinetry.  Norman, our cabinet maker, thought of everything including spice racks on either side of the cooktop!

My walk-in pantry is a room unto itself measuring 8' x 8' - a dream come true!

I cannot wait to bake in this kitchen and finally have a place for all my gadgets, pans, and cookbooks!

Tropical Cakelets
5 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. coconut extract (or flavoring)
1 1/2 cups Unbleached Cake Flour Blend 
1/3 cup coconut milk powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 T cake enhancer 

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray Ruffle Cakelet pan with a non-stick baking spray.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy. 

Combine milk, egg whites, vanilla extract and coconut flavoring in a 2-cup measure and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients to blend together.

Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternately with the egg white/milk mixture to the butter/sugar batter.  Combine thoroughly.  Fill the cakelet pan wells half full.  This recipe made 14 Cakelets.

 Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, testing centers with your fingertips or a wooden skewer poked in the center.  Remove from the oven and cool slightly before turning out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
1 T meringue powder, to stabilize the frosting
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T Mango~Pineapple Sonoma Syrup  
Beat the butter until fluffy.  Beat in the salt, meringue powder and vanilla.  Add the sugar and syrup and beat well.  Pipe the frosting onto the split cakelets.

I dusted the tops with a little more confectioners' sugar for presentation. Enjoy!

Now, the inspiration for this month's apron has got to be the beautiful "Carolina blue" skies!

This apron is the perfect example of sunshine and blue skies, which I wish for everyone!  Just comment on any of the posts this month and this apron could be yours.   

 

Banana Creme Brulee Cakelets

I was just telling my sister, the other day, I love making Swiss Butter Cream, Macarons, and even the Seven-Minute Frosting for the Candy Corn Cupcakes, but I'm always perplexed what to do with so many egg yolks leftover.  Sure, I can make lemon curd or ice cream or even, sponge cake, however, the Seven Minute Frosting alone, took six egg whites and Macarons, eight.  See my problem.  So, with egg yolks and ripened bananas, again :(, it came to me to try a recipe where I started with a Creme Brulee base and turned it into a really wonderful dessert.

Growing up I had never heard of Creme Brulee; although, my mother made the best egg custard, which is its "country" cousin.  Other desserts in this category are Creme Caramel and Flan,  The earliest date that Creme Brulee showed up was in a 1691 French cookbook.  Great Britain followed, except the name changed to Creme Anglaise.  Whatever you call it, it made for a great inspiration.  What has inspired you to bake?

Banana Creme Brulee Cakelets
Creme Brulee Base:
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 bananas, mashed
In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla beans--don't boil, just cook until the sugar has dissolved.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  When "bubbles" have appeared around the edges of the cream, remove from the heat.  Add a couple of tablespoons of cream to the egg yolks, whisking immediately to start "tempering."  Keep adding a couple of tablespoons, whisking each time, until you've added about half of the cream.  Return everything to the sauce pan and heat until slightly thickened on med/low heat, whisking continuously.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Stir in the mashed bananas.

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Spray a mini-Bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray.
Banana Batter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 banana, sliced


In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes on medium speed.  Add the cooled Banana Creme Brulee base, mixing on low speed to combine.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the dry ingredients.  Stirring the mixture will prevent over beating!  Cut the bananas.

Yes, I have a banana slicer!

Perfect, even sliced bananas!

Place 4 slices of banana in the bottom of the pan, then, scoop up the batter and place on top.  Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Let cakelets cool about 5 minutes before inverting on a parchment-lined baking rack.  Sprinkle with Turbinado or Raw Cane Sugar and using a Kitchen torch, caramelize the tops.

The moist cakelet and the crunchy, caramelized tops makes a perfect dessert for a cool, Fall evening.  

Enjoy!

 

A Royal Tribute and an Anniversary Memory

I admit it...I love a fairy tale and yes, I stayed up to watch the Royal wedding between William and Catherine as millions of others did.   It was on at 1:00 a.m. here in the Pacific Northwest, but the fascination of what Catherine's dress would look like, her bouquet, and seeing the kiss (or two) on the balcony kept me wide awake.

April 29th also marked the memory of my own parent's wedding.  William Joseph Tierney and Helen Margaret Huekels were married in 1938 and today would have marked 73 years for them.  Also a fairy tale, my father said he knew from a kiss in the cloakroom in 5th grade that he would one day marry my mother.

So, I baked these "happy" little cakes from a Nordic Ware mold I purchased last year.  (At the time, I just thought, one day I'll need this pan!)  The recipe for the cake comes with the pan, but I added a strawberry filling and glazed the little cakes with a pourable fondant--a King Arthur Flour recipe.  I couldn't help but add a few decorations and the edible stardust to make them sparkle.

Tiered Cakelets
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Queen Guinevere Cake Flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup Strawberry Jam (or your favorite)

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray the Tiered Cakelet Pan with a non-stick spray (one with flour in it)
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat 3 minutes more.  Scrape down the sides, then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.  On low speed, add half the flour and all the milk, then, end with the other half of flour.  Scrape down the sides once more.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared wells.  Tap the pan on the countertop to release any air bubbles.  Using a small spatula, spread some of the batter up the sides of the wells.

Bake until the cakelets are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean--20 to 25 minutes.  (Mine took exactly 22 minutes).  Don't overbake!
Cool in the pan about 10 minutes.  Invert the pan onto a rack and life off the pan.  Let the cakelets cool completely before glazing.

Poured Fondant Icing
5 oz. (1 cup) white melting chocolate pieces or white chocolate chips
1/4 cup Light Karo Syrup
1/4 cup hot water
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt the white melting chocolate pieces in the microwave.  In a bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar, then, add the Karo Syrup and hot water.  Mix on low speed, being careful not to incorporate too much air into the fondant.  Add the melted chocolate pieces and mix once more.  Add the vanilla and if mixture is too thick, additional hot water.  You should be able to pour the fondant over the cakelets.

Use an apple corer to remove some of the cake to allow for the filling.  Save the plugs!

 Fill a piping bag with jam and fill the center cavity that has been created with the corer.

 Place the "cake" plug back over the hole to cover.

 I placed the fondant icing in a squeeze bottle and began pouring it over the cake.

If you keep pouring over the top, it should cascade down.  For the decorations, I mixed up a small batch of buttercream:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup of leftover fondant icing.

Using a #7 tip, I piped little dots around the tiers.  The shell border is done with tip #18 and finally, the top rosette was tip #6B.

I used a little rose colored stardust to brush over the cakes for some sparkle.

I was thinking about Kelly today when I was making these little cakelets.  She had a job once where she worked as a server for a caterer.  She would tell me the best events were weddings because she'd get to have a piece of wedding cake.  As I take a bite into one of these little cakelets, I'll imagine I was a guest at the royal wedding, toasting the bride and groom with a lifetime of happiness.  Enjoy!

Pucker-Up! Lemon~Banana~Chocolate Chip Tea Cakes

The unusual sunny, Spring days have gotten the better of me and as I looked at three ripened bananas, the idea hit me.  I've combined pumpkin, cranberries, chocolate, peanut butter and coconut, to name a few, in my banana bread, but never lemon...hmmmm, sounds intriguing.

Lemon was my mother's second favorite flavor, which I've shared before, behind chocolate.  Her Lemon Cheesecake was unbelievable and my sister, Barbara, her daughter, Amy and I still, only admit to each other, that we could literally devour the entire dessert by ourselves :)  Then, there was her lemon meringue pie...is it rude to say "YUM!"  So, it stands to reason, why not lemon with banana?

I baked the batter in mini-Bundt cake pans, but a regular 12-cup Bundt,  two- 9"x5" loaf pans, or a 12-cup muffin pan will work too.  And, to really make it lemony, I made a simple syrup and then glazed them, incorporating more juice and zest.

Pucker Up! Lemon~Banana~Chocolate Chip Tea Cakes
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
juice & zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. Lemon oil or  1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T + 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Lemon Bits
1 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 lemon + enough water to equal 1/2 cup


Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T Light Karo Syrup
Juice of half a lemon + zest
2-3 T hot water


Preheat oven to 350F-degrees (I do 345F-degrees Convection)
Prepare the pan(s) -- either brush with melted butter or spray with a non-stick baking spray


In the KitchenAid, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar.  Scrape down the sides and add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  


Use a micro plane to zest the lemon, then, slice in half and squeeze the juice.  You should have about 1/4 cup of juice.

Peel bananas and place in the bowl with the zest and juice.  Mash the bananas and stir together.

Add the banana/lemon mixture to the your batter and combine on low until incorporated.  The mixture may appear "curdled," but don't worry--once the dry ingredients are added, everything comes together.


In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.  Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the batter and mix on low, then, on medium for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine.  Be careful not to over mix!

Stir in the Lemon Bits and Mini Chocolate chips.

Divide batter amongst the two 6-cup mini-Bundt pans or your desired pan(s).

Bake mini-Bundts for 23-25 minutes until golden brown.  While cakes are baking making up the simple syrup.  
In a small sauce pan, mix the sugar, water/lemon juice together and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to low and keep warm.  When the cakes are done, remove from the oven and use a wooden skewer to poke holes in the top of the cake(s).  Spoon 1 to 1/2 tablespoons of simple syrup over the cakes.

Let cool another 5-7 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool while you prepare the glaze.
In a 4-cup glass measure (with a spout) add the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, juice from half a lemon, and the Karo syrup.  Add hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a pourable glaze.  Pour over cake(s).

Let cakes cool before serving.  Makes 12 mini Bundt cakes.
Cooking times:  12-cup Bundt pan - 45-55 minutes
                           Regular muffin pan(s) - 20-22 minutes
                           Loaf pan(s)  - 50-55 minutes

This is a wonderful, simple little cake, full of flavor that will bring Spring into your meal.  Served as a dessert or a breakfast treat, it's sure to have you saying YUM!  Enjoy!