Coffee Crumb Cake

This recipe is adapted from the Pioneer Woman. Most desserts tend to be too sweet for me, so I reduce the amount of sugar to suit my taste. This recipe was delicious and received rave reviews! 

Cake 
1-1/2 stick butter, softened 
1-1/2 C sugar 3 C flour (white whole wheat), sifted 
4 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp salt 
1-1/4 C milk 
3 whole egg whites (whisked until stiff) 

Crumb Topping 
1-1/2 sticks butter, softened 
3/4 C flour 
1 C brown sugar 
2 TBsp cinnamon 
1-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven too 350 degrees. 

1. In one bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. In a second bowl whisk the egg whites and set aside. 
3. In a large clean bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately until combined but don’t over mix. Then, fold in the whisked egg whites with a spatula. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the crumb topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until you have a crumbly mixture. 
5. Pour the cake batter into a in a buttered 9” x 13” Pyrex baking pan, and then sprinkle the crumb topping over the top. 
6. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through. 

Pineapple Upside Cake

This recipe has that retro feeling that takes you back to childhood. My mother's pineapple upside cake was just the best, with a scrumptious caramelized brown sugar glaze that oozed over the top. Just perfect. This cake is lovely too, but not quite like my mum's!

Butter for greasing the pan

1/4 C brown sugar

7 slices of canned pineapple (in juice)

1/3 to 1/2 C glacé cherries 

2/3 C flour

1 stick (4oz) butter

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

2 Tbsp Malibu rum (optional)

1/2 C pineapple juice (divided)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Lightly butter a Pyrex baking dish, and then sprinkle with the brown sugar. 

Layer the pineapple rings in the dish and place half a cherry in the middle of each pineapple slice and in between. 

Pulse the flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder and baking soda in a food processor until the mixture is smooth. Then add 1/4 C of the pineapple juice and Malibu rum, and pulse briefly until the liquids are incorporated. 

Gently spoon the mixture over the pineapple rings, and then tap the baking dish on the counter a couple of times, to help the mixture fill the nooks and crannies. 

Bake for 30 minutes, then run a spatula around the outside to loosen the cake. Invert a serving dish or a larger dinner plate over the top, and flip the cake out. 

Carefully pour the remaining pineapple juice over the top to help make the cake nice and moist. 

This cake is particularly tasty served with a generous portion of whipped cream. 

 

Welsh cakes

To celebrate St. David’s Day I decided to bake some Welsh cakes. They’re very traditional all over Wales and they’re extremely easy to make. My great grandmother used to bake these when I was little, but I never got her actual recipe which is a terrible shame.

Recommended baking soundtrack: Tom Jones “Gold” or Only Men Aloud

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, chopped into pieces

1/3 cup dried currants (soaked for about 15 to 20 minutes in a cup of Earl Grey tea and then drained)

5 T milk

1 egg

Preparation

• Mix the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
• Put this flour mixture into a food processor, and add the chopped butter. Pulse the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. I usually do this in about three or four smaller batches.
• Add the drained currants; then whisk the milk and egg together and add this to the dry flour mixture.
• Stir until the mixture begins to come together in clumps. It will be quite dry and crumbly, but you can add a little more milk if necessary. 
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured bread board until it is about  1/2 inch thick, or even a little thinner. Cut out cookie shapes using a 3 inch round cookie cutter. In Wales it’s traditional to use a fluted or scalloped cookie cutter.  Be sure to use up any leftover dough!
• Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium to high heat. Place enough cakes on the griddle so that it’s not crowded. You don't need to use any oil as the cakes don't stick to the skillet.
• Reduce the heat slightly, and cook until cakes firm up and brown slightly. Cook them for about four minutes or so on each side. Check them frequently to make sure they don't burn.
• Move them to a cookie cooling rack, and sprinkle lightly with some granulated sugar when they're still warm.

These are wonderful with tea or a big glass of cold milk.

Granny's Lemon Cream Pudding

This is a delicious pudding with a lemony, creamy custard at the bottom, and a light spongy cake on top. I like to serve it in my Granny's bowls too. Perfect comfort food.

Ingredients

3/4 stick butter (3 oz) at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar minus 1 tablespoon

Zest and juice of 2 lemons (or 1 lemon and 1 lime)

1/2 cup flour 

1/2 tsp of baking powder

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups warm milk

2 egg whites (stiffly beaten)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 

Cream together butter and sugar until soft.

Stir in lemon juice and zest (the mixture will be quite soupy)

Add the flour and egg yolks and mix together.

Then gradually stir in 1 1/2 cups warm milk—it will most likely curdle. 

Beat the egg whites, then gently fold them into the milk and lemon mixture. 

Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish, and set it in a pan of hot water, that comes half way up the sides. 

Bake for 45 minutes. It’s delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Easy Peasy Cheesecake

I created this recipe yesterday—and I was very happy with the creamy texture and lemon flavour, with a slight hint of orange. I think I'll try serving it with gingersnaps next time I make it.

2 packages of cream cheese (2 cups) at room temperature
1 cup milk (or cream)
3 eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 T Cointreau
6-10 drops of orange flavour (I used Frontier—all natural)
zest and juice of one lemon
graham cracker shell—homemade or store bought


Graham Cracker Shell
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4-1/3 c sugar
1/3 c melted butter
Mix these ingredients and pat into a 9" pie shell, patting firmly with your fingers. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees. Chill before adding the cheesecake mixture.

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
• Mix the cream cheese, milk, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer for a few minutes, until the mixture is fairly smooth.
• Add the Cointreau, vanilla, orange flavour, and the zest and juice of one lemon, and mix for a few seconds.
• Pour into the graham cracker shell and bake for 50 minutes. Then turn the heat off and leave the cheesecake to cool. I put in a pan of hot water in the oven to keep the cheesecake from cracking.
• I had one cup of cheesecake mixture left over which I baked in a small ramekin next to the whole pie.

Coconut Madeleines

From a recipe by the Barefoot Contessa

These look absolutely adorable and are very easy to make. They're delicious and are a perfect morning treat. Proust just loved his madeleines and he especially liked to dunk them in to his lime-blossom tea!

1-2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, or 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and carefully butter and flour the madeleine pans.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 2-3 minutes in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy. Add the melted butter and mix again.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt), and stir gently into the batter, then stir in the coconut or the lime zest.
4. Pour the batter into the madeleine pans (you will need two for this recipe), almost filling each shell. Bake them for 8 to 12 minutes, until they have risen and are light brown. Be careful not to overcook them as they can burn on the underside. Carefully nudge the madeleines out of the pans and allow them to cool on a baking rack. 

Yield: 24 madeleines
Watch Chef Philippe making madeleines! My mouth is watering!