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. 

Zucchini Bread

3 C flour

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp baking powder 

3 tsp cinnamon 

3 eggs, beaten 

3 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 C brown sugar 

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C apple sauce 

1/2 C oil (mild olive or canola)

3 1/2 C zucchini, grated (squeezed to remove excess water)

1 C walnuts, chopped 

1 C dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Line and butter 2 loaf tins (5" x 9")--I like to use Pyrex. 

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the vanilla. Add the sugar, apple sauce and oil and mix well. 

Add the sifted flour ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix well. 

Then stir in the zucchini, walnuts and chocolate chips. 

Distribute the mixture evenly between the two loaf tins and bake for approximately 55-70 mins until a knife comes out clean.

Allow the zucchini bread to cool slightly in the loaf pans before lifting them out to cool properly on wire racks. 

To serve: slice, lightly butter and add a little dollop of whipped cream if desired. 

Enjoy!

Magic Bar

2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 C unsalted butter, melted
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 C dark chocolate chips
1 1/4 C unsweetened dried coconut (you can buy it bulk from a health-food shop)
1 C walnuts, chopped (peanuts are good too)
1/2 C raisins
5 Tsp rum

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
Put the raisins in a small bowl, and pour the rum over the top. Microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside for about 5 minutes, and then drain. 
Line a 9" x 13" glass Pyrex dish with lightly buttered foil or parchment paper. 
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, and spread the mixture into the lined baking dish. Smooth the mixture out with your hands or a spatula, so that you have an even layer of graham cracker crumbs. 
Drizzle the can of sweetened condensed on top of the graham cracker crumbs, and then add the chocolate chips, coconut, nuts and raisins (drained) evenly over the top. Carefully push the ingredients down into the sweetened condensed milk. 
Bake for about 35 minutes, and then allow to cool before cutting into squares. 

Waldorf Salad

This is one of those old-fashioned recipes, that has the perfect blend of sweetness, sharpness and crunch. You can add green grapes if you like, but it’s absolutely wonderful without them! The golden raisins complement the bitterness of the walnuts and are a delicious addition.
2 sharp apples, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1/2 C golden raisins
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C plain yogurt
1/3 C walnuts, chopped and roasted
1/2 C green grapes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together until they’re well blended. Feel free to add more mayo or yogurt as you wish to make the salad more moist and creamy.

Zucchini Bread

I've been trying out several zucchini recipes this summer, and I think this might be the one! I've adapted it from a recipe from the Joy of Baking web site by adding more spices, some lime juice and a coffee crumb type topping. I've also made the cream cheese frosting a bit sharper by not using butter and reducing the sugar. I think this recipe is definitely a keeper!

1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup shredded zucchini 
1 grated raw apple 
1 1/2 cups flour 
1 tsp baking soda 
1/4 tsp baking powder 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
1/4 cup corn oil 
1/4 cup olive oil 
1 cup sugar 
2 large eggs 
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
1 Tsp lime juice 
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

Crunch Topping 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1/2 cup flour 
1 Tsp butter 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ozs cream cheese at room temperature
2 Tsp confectioners’ sugar 
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Lightly toast the walnuts for about 5 minutes until lightly browned, cool and then chop coarsely. Grate the zucchini and peel and grate the apple. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices, and set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and lime juice for about 2 minutes. Stir in the grated zucchini and apple, and then add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in the nuts and coconut. 

Pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan. Mix the crunch topping ingredients together, and crumble on top of the batter, and then bake for about 55 minutes. 

Lift the bread out of the loaf pan (using parchment paper makes this step very easy), and cool on a wire rack. Slice and smear with the cream cheese frosting. I hope you like it!

Granny's Dream Cake

My granny used to bake this every Christmas when I was growing up, so I tend to feel a little nostalgic for Christmases of my childhood when I bake this. It's a wonderful cake, and looks beautiful finished off with a light dusting of confectioner's sugar.
Recommended baking soundtrack: Dylan Thomas reading "A Child's Christmas in Wales"

Base:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup soft light brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) butter (room temperature)


Nut and Coconut Topping
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup soft dark brown sugar
2 Tb flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the base, mix the the flour, light brown sugar and soft butter in an electric mixer, and pat evenly into a Pyrex dish lined with parchment paper (measuring 12" x 6" or 9" x 9"). Bake for about 10 minutes then allow to cool.


Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix together the sugar, flour, nuts, coconut, salt and baking powder and set aside. In a medium bowl mix the eggs with an electric beater until light. Then gently fold the eggs into the nut and coconut mixture with a spatula, and pour onto the base.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. When the cake has cooled slightly lift it out of the baking dish and allow to cool completely. Before serving, cut the cake into small 1 1/2" squares and lightly dust with confectioner's sugar.