Freewheeling Coffeecake

It was a beautiful Spring day here in the Pacific Northwest and I couldn't resist making one of my most favorite recipes.  I call it  Freewheeling Coffeecake, but actually it's a cross between a coffeecake and a cobbler.  Furthermore, the freewheeling refers to changing the fruit with the season or your preference. Today I did strawberry/rhubarb, but I've made this recipe with just strawberries, apples, peaches, blueberry/nectarine and pear/cranberry.  However, choosing your favorite fruit or combination of fruits to make this coffeecake your own is half the fun.

The origin of coffeecakes dates back to biblical times when honey cakes were served to guests.  The French, centuries later, produced a gateau that was more refined for their meals.  By the early 19th century, America was enjoying coffeecakes with the familiar streusel toppings and when the bundt mold came along, it became one of the most popular forms for morning cakes.

So, this recipe qualifies for a coffeecake--a batter, a filling, and a crumb topping.  Serving it in the morning, afternoon with tea, or as a dessert after dinner, I'm sure it will be a favorite of your too.

Freewheeling Coffeecake
Fruit Filling:
4 cups of fruit, (peeled, if needed) and sliced
1 cup water
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch

Batter:
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1 cup butter
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tsp. Vanilla extract


Streusel:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped


Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Spray a 9" x 13" baking pan with a nonstick baking spray.


In a 3 quart saucepan, combine fruit and water.  Heat on medium until it comes to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes or until fruit is tender.  Add lemon juice.  Mix the sugar and cornstarch together and add to the fruit.  Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and is bubbly.  Set aside to cool while you mix up the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles "sand".  Combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla and add to the dry ingredients, mixing well until blended.  Spread half of the batter into the baking dish.

Pour the fruit over the batter.

Spoon the remaining batter in small mounds over the filling, spreading it out slightly to cover.

 Finally, spread the streusel over the cake.  

Bake in the preheated over 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer test done.  Cool and cut into squares.

This recipe is a perfect way to enjoy seasonal fruit.  I might suggest a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but honestly...it's just as good without.  Enjoy!



 

Cinco de Mayo Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May) commemorates the unlikely victory of the French by the Mexican army at the battle of Puebla in 1862.  It's Mexico's Independence Day similar to our 4th of July and is also celebrated in the United States as a symbol of heritage and pride.

We came to know this day well when we moved to California in the 80s and like our friends there, we found our way to our favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate.  When we moved to New England in the 90s and I could no longer get fresh, homemade tortillas, I bought an iron and made my own.  I recreated enchiladas, burritos, tamales, and for dessert churros and sopapillas for our celebration. 

However, today I made up a cookie with an ingredient reminiscent of the chips and salsa that come before the meal.  One of my favorite Food Network shows is CHOPPED and I felt like this would be a great mystery ingredient to throw into the mix.  In the past, I've added crushed potato chips and pretzels to cookies, so why not tortilla chips?  It gave an interesting crunch with an undertone of corn to the cookie and adding chocolate chunks blended so well since cocoa beans were revered by Mayan and Aztec cultures in Central America, not only for food, but monetary value.

Cinco de Mayo Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1 1/2 cups + 2T (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 T Vanilla extract
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla and crushed tortilla chips.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamon and cayenne.  Whisk the ingredients well, then, add to the batter.  Finally, fold in the chocolate chunks.

Use a 2 1/2-inch scoop to measure dough for cookies.  Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes, turning the baking sheet half way through the time.

Let cool 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.  Serve with a cold glass of milk, some hot chocolate, or be daring with your favorite Marguerita. Ole!




 

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!

April's Give-Away Winner...

Congratulations Lisa!  You are the winner of April's Give-Away Apron...April in Paris.  Thank you all for stopping by last month and commenting.  I enjoy hearing how the recipes spark some memory for you too.

I will be posting May's Give-Away shortly--it will be a very special tribute to our daughter, Kelly.  On May 14th will mark one year since she passed away with breast cancer.  Continuing the blog, as she requested I do, has made this year a little more bearable with your support and love.  

Thank you, XOXO

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!

Hula Bars

I started out naming these cookies, Brown Butter~Macadamia~Chocolate Chip Bars.  What a mouth-full! And, even though it tells you what's in them, it just didn't relay the memory to me, and that's what was important.

When I was seven, my mother enrolled me in an after school ballet class offered by Parks & Rec.  I loved it and my mother thought it made me more graceful.  (I was told, I had the habit of running instead of walking and we all know what that leads to--a lot of skinned knees.)  When the program ended, but I wanted to continue, she found a dance school for me.  For the next eight years of my life, on Saturday morning and then, an added Thursday evening, I took ballet, jazz, and Hula.  My mother sewed costumes for all my recitals and she and my dad took turns taking me to classes.  I never missed a class, even though, when I was 12 and had injured my legs at school one day.  I was diagnosed with traumatic arthritis and couldn't walk for three weeks. However, that didn't stop Dad from carrying me into class to watch the steps for our upcoming recital in a few months.  I finished with 8 years of perfect attendance because of the dedication and support of my parents...and I'd like to think I'm a bit more graceful!

However, these aren't called Ballet Bars, but Hula Bars.  It was my mother's memory of living in Hawaii, when my grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor, that led me to take hula.  I have to admit, I loved it just as much because of the story the dance would convey.  I was good enough to be part of a troupe the school singled out to do mini-recitals for clubs and organizations (i.e., Knights of Columbus, USO, etc).  A funny coincidence, but my future father-in-law told me he once remembered our troupe coming to the Knights of Columbus for Hawaiian Night and dancing...how lucky his son was!

Hula Bars
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and browned 
2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 T Vanilla extract
4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 cups Macadamia nuts
1 3/4 cup Bittersweet (or Semi-sweet) chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Brush with melted butter, a 12" x 17" or 13" x 18" rimmed baking, then, line with parchment paper and brush with the melted butter again.  Set aside
Coarsely chop, then, lightly roast the Macadamia nuts in the oven for 5 minutes.  Let cool.

Brown the 4 sticks of unsalted butter, using at least a 3-quart sauce pan.  Set aside to cool.

In a stand mixer, combine the sugars.  While the mixer is running, pour the browned butter over the sugar and mix until completely combined, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Mix in the Vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk.  Fold the dry ingredients into the sugar/butter/egg mixture.  Fold in 3/4 cup each of the Macadamia nuts and chocolate chips.  Blend until all the flour is incorporated.  Use an off-set spatula to spread batter onto the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/4 cup of Macadamia nuts and 1 cup of chocolate chips on top.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Lower temperature to 325F-degrees, rotate baking pan, and bake another 16 to 18 minutes.  (Mine went the full 18 minutes).

Cool in the pan for 30 to 45 minutes before cutting into bars.

My hips are a bit wider and I'm not sure I could dance on point in toe shoes anymore, but the experience will last a life time.  I'm forever grateful for wonderful parents that allowed me to follow my dreams...isn't that what we do as parents for our children.  Enjoy!

Almond Delights

Sometimes the recipes I share are ones that my mother made, but like today, sometimes they're inspired by her.  Jordan almonds are a confectionery that my mother dearly loved.  I remember them at every special event we had and moreover, I remember when we were just out shopping and she spied a candy store, it was one of her purchases.  My daughters knew this to be true and even when we moved away to California, if we saw Jordan almonds, they'd suggest we buy some to remember Grandma.

Interestingly, the almond is not a true nut, but a drupe, consisting of an outer hull and hard shell with a seed inside.  It is related to the peach tree and is native to the Middle East and South Asia.  Jordan almonds, which originated in Italy, are a sugar coated confectionery in pastel colors.

It is traditional at weddings and given as favors in groups of five--the combination of bitter almonds and the sweet sugar prompted this poem:

Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat,

To remind us that life is both bitter and sweet.

Five wishes for the new husband and wife--

Health, wealth, happiness, children, and a long life! 

Almond Delights

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup almond paste

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 tsp. Pure Almond extract

1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 cup almond flour (I grind my own, but you can purchase almond flour) 

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup bittersweet (semi-sweet) chocolate bits

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and almond paste thoroughly.  Add the sugars and beat to combine.  Add the extracts and mix again.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Stir in the chopped almonds and bittersweet chocolate bits.

Use a 2-inch scoop to measure out the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your finger tips to press down the dough, slightly.  Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a rack to cool completely.

I remember five almonds tied in tulle at my wedding for favors.

Today, as I made up this recipe using almonds, I thought about my mother and Kelly

--life can be bitter, but the memories are sweet and I hold tightly to the memories.  Enjoy! 

Eggstrordinary Cake Pops

Every year, I like to make chocolate Easter eggs to give as gifts and this year is no different.  However, instead of a cream filled egg, I chose to make mine cake. According to Wikipedia, the egg "is a pagan symbol of the rebirth of Earth," which I find interesting because yesterday we celebrated Earth Day!  It was later adopted by Christians to symbolize the rebirth of Jesus.

As Christmas and the 4th of July were my mother's holidays to have family over and Memorial Day was Grandma Huekels' day, Easter always meant we would pile into the car and go to Grandma Tierney's house for dinner.  I loved seeing my cousins and sitting around their large dining table, listening to conversations and feeling secure in this tradition our family shared.  That changed when I was eleven and my grandmother passed away, but my mother stepped and started a new tradition.

I've enjoyed making cake pops for awhile and find that they ship better than my cupcakes to family and friends for special occasions.

Who can pass up that little bunny!

I decided to make these chocolate/chocolate--the cake is chocolate and the frosting is chocolate, but I wanted them colorful, so I chose melting chocolate in colors to resembled dyed eggs instead of my usual choice of bittersweet chocolate. (You can find melting chocolate and the 6" Lollipop Sticks at Michael's).  I wouldn't recommend hiding these eggs, but rather make them the centerpiece of your Spring table to celebrate nature's rebirth!

Chocolate Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk


Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12" x 17" (or 13" x 18") sheet pan with a nonstick baking spray and set aside.


In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and mix until combined.


Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and use a wire whisk to blend.  Alternate adding dry ingredients with the buttermilk--starting and ending with dry ingredients.


Spread the batter onto the preparing baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven 20 to 22 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch--DON'T OVER BAKE!
Let the cake cool completely before crumbling it into the frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T Vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 to 3 T milk, if needed

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until combined.  Add the vanilla and cocoa powder and mix until combined, adding milk to create a creamier frosting.

Crumble the cake and while the mixer is running drop into the bowl.  Continue until all the cake as been mixed into the frosting.

  Use a 2 Tablespoon scoop to measure out cake dough.  Roll in your hands, forming into an egg-shape.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Continue until all the dough is used.  Place baking sheet into the refrigerator and let eggs chill for 1 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler over medium-low heat, place the colored melting chocolate.  When chocolate has melted, turn the burner off.  Remove your eggs from the refrigerator and dip a lollipop stick into the chocolate and push into the bottom end of the egg-shape.

Once you have about a dozen done, start dipping the eggs into the chocolate.

Let the excess drip off and then, use a piece of Oasis to stand your colored eggs into while they dry.
I used four different colors to do my eggs--you'll get about 6 dozen eggs from this batch!

To save the chocolate, scrape onto a wax-paper lined plate to cool until hardened.  Place in a 1-quart freezer bag and seal.  You can re-heat this melting chocolate over and over again.

Not everyone may like hard boiled eggs, but I guarantee these chocolate covered eggs won't get passed up.  Enjoy!