Pumpkin~Cranberry Tea Cake & September's Give-Away Apron

Finally! I actually sewed the apron earlier this week, but haven't had the time to bake something to go along with the post.  I leave tomorrow for an event in Orlando, where I'm teaching and the week has just flown by.

I guess you can say I'm rushing the season, baking with pumpkin and cranberries, but there are signs that Fall isn't far behind.  Some of the maple trees are starting to turn and we've had some leaves fall already.  I just wish the temperatures would have gotten the message that we should be in the 70s and not in the upper 80s with stifling humidity.

Pumpkin~Cranberry Tea Cake
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup boiling water
Pour the boiling water over the cranberries and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz. (1/2 stick) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 3/4 firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 3/4 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray two loaf pans (or you can use a Bundt pan) with baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Add the brown sugar and continue to cream until fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until completely incorporated.  Add the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix together.  

Stir together the dry ingredients and add to the batter along with the dried cranberries.  Mix on low just until ingredients are combined.

Divide between two loaf pans or Bundt pan.  Smooth tops and bake for 40-45 minutes or until tester comes out cleanly from the center.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan(s), then transfer to a wooden board or serving plate.

A quick tea cake to have for the morning or through the afternoon as I continue to have a busy day.  Happy Fall, y'all...Enjoy!

Albert Camus, the Nobel Prize winning author and journalist wrote...

"Autumn is

a second

Spring when

every leaf

is a Flower."

That's exactly what I was thinking when I espied this beautiful fabric.  If you would like to win this apron, just post a comment during the month of September and your name could be chosen:-D
 

Lemon~Pistachio Tea Cake

Sunshine brings out a different baker in me and we're finally had having our share here in the Pacific Northwest!  I reached for some lemons and thought about what I could make; my favorite pairing with lemons is pistachios and I really enjoy tea cakes, so I had a plan..."A."

This cake not only incorporates pistachio nuts, but also, paste.  I had bought a can of Pistachio Paste a while back and had just enough to give the right texture to the cake.  I found it online and it's added so much flavor to not only this cake, but cookies I've made as well.

 I can't believe it's Friday already--just about two weeks before the grands arrive.  Just in time for the nice weather:-D!

Pistachio~Lemon Tea Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup Pistachio paste
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
1 cup Queen Guinevere Cake Flour (or pastry flour)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pistachios (optional) 

Lemon Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
juice of one lemon
1 T light Karo syrup

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 10-cup bundt pan, a large loaf pan*, or mini bundt pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the pistachio paste, extract and zest and beat again.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture.  Stir in the nuts, if using.

Now, here's where I went wrong!  I used a 9" x 5" loaf pan and this batter came up to almost three-quarters to the top.  I held my breath that it wasn't going to run over and it didn't, but it took longer to bake than I had anticipated and I had to lower the temperature to 325F-degrees after 30 minutes because the edges were browning too quickly.  I suggest a 10-cup bundt pan or even the mini bundt cakes.  The cake in this loaf pan took 60 minutes to bake when I was originally thinking 45 to 55 minutes!

To rectify the problem of the dark edges, I inverted the pan on a parchment-lined rack and with a sharp, serrated knife, removed them. (BTW, they were yummy to eat!!)

I liked the looks of this "squared-off" loaf, so I left it bottom-side up to add the glaze to.  Mix up the ingredients for the glaze and after the cake has cooled slightly, pour over the top.  Use an off-set spatula to make sure the sides get covered.

As a final touch, I sprinkled additional nuts on top to show what the cake has in it.

The finished tea cake looks pretty and no one has to know about "Plan B."  My mother always said, "there are no failures in baking, just good first tries!"  And, besides, this cake tastes great and is perfect for an afternoon tea on the porch, maybe doing a little knitting and enjoying the Sun!

My husband couldn't resist and didn't wait for afternoon tea!  Enjoy!!

Cardamon~Nectarine Tea Cakes

I couldn't ask for a more perfect day than what we're having here in the Pacific Northwest--75 degrees, sunny and no humidity!  Okay, I got that off my chest and didn't mean to rub it in to all of you who are having squelching temperatures, but when we get these days, well, we just have to rejoice.

So, I rejoiced with making a recipe incorporating one of my favorite summer fruits--the nectarine.

It is a cultivar of a peach and some might call them, a fuzzy-less peach or shaven peach.  When I was growing up, my grandfather told me they were a crossbred of peaches and plums.  However, when I researched their history, I discovered that genetic studies have concluded that nectarines are created due to a "recessive allele" which gives them their smooth skin.  They are usually smaller than a peach and because of their lack of "fuzz" have a reddish/golden skin color.

My mother use to make a sweet yeast dough with slices of nectarines or peaches on top (like a sweet pizza) as a treat during the summer, but I chose a quick version making mine into tea cakes.  I decided to bake them in my mini bundt pan, but this recipe would make one 9"x5" loaf if you prefer.

Cardamon~Nectarine Tea Cakes
10 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 medium nectarines, washed, dried and grated on the coarse side of a box grater
1/2 tsp. Peach flavoring
1 tsp. ground cardamon
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 6-cup mini bundt pan (or loaf pan) with a non-stick baking spray or brush with melted butter. 

Grate the two nectarines on a box grater, using the coarse side.

You should get about 1 cup of grated fruit.  In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together.  Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy.  Add the Peach flavoring, Vanilla extract and cardamon and mix well.  

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add the grated nectarine and mix again to incorporate.

Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the batter.  Mix on medium speed, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Scoop the mixture into the mini bundt pan or loaf pan.  

Bake mini bundts about 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out cleanly.  Bake a loaf pan about 45 to 50 minutes, again checking the center to see if it's done.

Glaze: 
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
3 -4 T hot water

Mix the glaze ingredients and stir until smooth.  Pour over the inverted cakes, if desired. 
(Optional-dust with confectioners' sugar before serving if you don't want a glaze)

The flavor of this tea cake was just what I needed to celebrate a beautiful day.  Something a little different (not raining) and reminding me how lucky we are to have such beautiful fruits to choose. Enjoy!

Lemon~Chocolate Chip Tea Cake

Today would have been my mother's 92nd birthday.  A truly remarkable woman, who raised eight children, sometimes on her own when my Dad's duty assignment was at sea and she survived The Great Depression, a World War, the Korean conflict and living on a budget before credit cards were popular!  She was my mother and when I got married and had children, my best friend and always my mentor.

This tea cake I made in her honor has her two favorite flavors--lemon and chocolate and I'm sure it would have pleased her.  It's an interesting combination, which my girls would have told anyone, she was famous for.  Once, when my dad picked them up from school while I was working, they came back to the house and my mother was eating Cheetos dipped into Marshmallow Fluff!  Also, I blame her for giving me my obsession with sweet and salty with all the chocolate dipped pretzels and potato chips we sampled throughout the years.

February 6th is a tough day, but baking and being able to talk to my sister today made it bearable.  Memories and traditions have sustained us through the worse times and losing our mother at such an early age is definitely one of those times.

Lemon~Chocolate Chip Tea Bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Juice and Zest of one large lemon
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips


Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1 tsp. Light Karo Syrup


Candied Lemons (optional)
If you are doing the candied lemons, begin the process before starting the batter.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Lightly spray a non-stick pan(s) with baking spray.  
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs, one at a time, continuing to mix on medium speed and thoroughly combined.

Mix together the dry ingredients and add to the batter alternately with the sour cream.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed (don't over mix).  Finally, stir in the mini chocolate chips.

Distribute batter in a 9" x 5" loaf pan plus 2-3 muffin or small loaf pans.  I used a decorative loaf pan and two paper baking forms in a heart shape.

As you will notice, I decorated the tops with the some of the candied lemons, but that's a bad idea because they end up browning way too much.  If you make the candied lemons, decorate the tea cakes after they are baked!

Place pan(s) in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Lower temperature to 325F-degrees and continue to bake another 15 minutes.  I baked the loaf pan for 35 to 40 minutes.  A skewer poked in the center should come out clean and the tops firm when pressed with your finger tips.


Mix up the glaze and pour over the loaf and small cakes (I poured over the candied lemon slices.)

Serve warm or cooled.  The loaf has a wonderful texture and the flavor combination is memorable.  It's not a fancy cake, but my mom would have loved it with her coffee--she liked the unusual and to be surprised.  Wishing you were here to have a slice with me...
   

Blueberry Almond Teacake Bars

Yesterday, I baked for some special friends, who were coming for lunch and I knew blueberries were a favorite, so I came up with these simple but scrumptious teacake bars.  Watching my mother in the kitchen, I learned that baking from the heart for family and friends, desserts don't have to be elaborate, just personal to make a statement.

Teacakes are a wonderful way to end a meal, but more importantly, share with a cup of tea in the afternoon with a close friend.  Typically, to qualify for a "teacake" distinction, the dessert is a bread or cake, served regionally in the afternoon and is sturdy enough to be picked up with your fingers.  This qualifies easily for that distinction!

Blueberries are more a summer fruit and I love when I find them in the farmer's market in late June through July, but these I purchased at Whole Foods and imagine they were harvested south of us.  However, the teacake bars came out so perfect that I'm going to experiment with strawberries, raspberries, and even cherries when the season begins.

Blueberry Almond Teacake Bars
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar*
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
1 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
10 T unsalted butter, melted
1 cup almond flour (I grind my own, but you can purchase it) 
1 cup fresh blueberries

*I use Baker's Sugar by C & H.  It is an ultrafine pure cane sugar that blends well into the baked goods.

Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Prepare an 8" x 11" (removable bottom) tart pan by lining the bottom with parchment and then, spraying the pan lightly with a nonstick baking spray.

I placed the tart pan on a baking sheet that was also lined with parchment.
In a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts until thick, pale, and triple in volume--about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the stand mixer and sift the flour and baking powder over the batter and fold thoroughly.  Next,  fold the slightly cooled melted butter and almond flour into this mixture.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

 Sprinkle the blueberries on top of the batter and place in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Test with a wooden skewer, in the center of the cake after 28 or 30 minutes.  The skewer should come out cleanly of any batter.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

One of the other distinctions of a teacake is that it has no icing, but usually just a dusting of confections' sugar.

My friend, Mary is a talented artist and made for me this beautiful journal as a gift.  She listened how I felt losing Kelly makes me feel like I'm falling down the rabbit hole and used one of my favorite papers by Graphic 45--Hallowe-en in Wonderland to cover the journal and personalize it.  I also feel like we're "old soul sisters in another life" and I'm bless to have her in my life now.

Bake up a teacake and have a friend or sister over to share time with.  Life goes by so fast and we need to take the opportunity just to let the people we love know it.  Enjoy!

Spiced Cherry Tea Cake

I started baking very early this morning...temperatures threatening to hit the 90s and even I won't turn on the oven to heat up a non-air conditioned house!  I was still thinking how my mother would "stretch" ingredients (Ham & Egg Pie) and remembered I had some left over cherries that I didn't use in the pie I made for the 4th of July.  I wasn't quite sure what to bake, but I let the cherries do the talking!!

They said, "We like spices to enhance our flavor," so I thought about my favorites and blended cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamon, of course.  I pitted the cherries, then, coarsely chopped them, and found I had one-and-half cups.  Perfect.

Whenever I bake something with fruit, I have a great tip to pass along.  Add some dried fruit to help balance the juices that will be extracted during baking, from the fresh fruit.  For instance, today I added 1/2 cup dried cherries to 1 1/2 cups of fresh cherries.  It seems to act as a stabilizer for the recipe.  I especially like this trick when I make blueberry muffins that can have a tendency to fall apart because they're too moist.

Spiced Cherry Tea Cake

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cardamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried sour cherries

1/2 cup-3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Use a non-stick spray to prepare pans.  I used a paper tube pan since I was giving one as a gift, but you could easily bake this in a 9" x 5" loaf pan or 10-cup bundt pan.  In the KitchenAid, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemony.

 Add the spices and mix well.  Pour the melted butter into the batter and combine.  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add to the batter along with the sour cream and mix well, but don't over beat.  Fold in the cherries (fresh and dried) and pour into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle top with the sliced almonds.  If using the paper mold, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake 40 to 45 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes.  I ended up lowering the oven temperature to 325F-degrees to finish the time so the top wouldn't get too dark.  Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes before unmolding.  And, if you're wrapping it up as a gift, let cool completely.

As you can tell, it rose beautifully and the almonds have that golden, toasted look.  The aroma of the spices filled the kitchen and I thought I felt a cool breeze outside.  Enjoy!