Archive for February, 2011

Crazy Lady

I mentioned today to some acquaintances that we are taking a family vacation soon and that I’m hoping that all three kids will sleep as we are taking a red-eye flight. The responses were many variations on the same theme. Some more sympathetic than others, but mostly just shock and horror at the prospect of flying overnight with three little ones. Maybe they are right and I really have fallen off my rocker, but it seems like a better plan that trying to entertain my wee bitty baby for five hours in my lap… Those older two will watch movies til their eyes fall out, so they should be fine no matter what, right? I pray these are not my famous last words.

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Mmm… Cake.

So, for my birthday, I made myself two cakes. One for breakfast and one for dessert. It was a wonderful way to start and end the day, and they were both delicious.

The coffee cake was inspired by Ina Garten’s. Here is my yummy breakfast cake recipe:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or yogurt (I did a mixture)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sucanat
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup sucanat
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped pecans

For the glaze, whisk together:
1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 t. real maple syrup
few drops water

Mix together buttermilk/yogurt and flour and allow to rest covered at room temperature or slightly warmer for at least 8 hours.

After flour has been soaked, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and rest of ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the batter mixing until mostly smooth.

Pinch together streusel ingredients with your fingers until it forms a crumble. It’s easiest to add nuts at the end, but it doesn’t really matter. Put 1/2 the streusel in the pan, pour half the batter on top and then sprinkle with remaining streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Eila says it’s “Onolicious!”

If you know me well, you know that I enjoy freshly baked cookies over just about everything else. But for a birthday, the kids informed me that I had to have a cake, so I found a chocolate chip cookie cake that looked like it would fit the bill.

Cookie Cake
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup succanat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 9-inch round cake pan.
Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugar, scraping down sides as needed. Add egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly, another minute.
Add the dry ingredients and combine on low speed until just a few dry streaks remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Press the batter into a smooth and even layer in the pan. Bake until lightly golden and puffy around the edges, approx. 25 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes and then run a paring knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Cool in pan on wire rack for several hours.

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