Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping

Leftover buttermilk is a predicament I think most bakers find themselves in from time to time. It’s usually sold in quart containers, and typically, you only need a cup or less for a recipe. So what to do with the remainder? This is where I found myself earlier this week, after having realized I had an open bottle of buttermilk in the fridge with an approaching expiration date and no immediate plans to use it (see tip at end about freezing buttermilk).

After much Googling, I found this recipe that sounded terrific. Of course, it helped that I had all the ingredients in the house. This cake from The Cafe Sucre Farine web site was adapted from a King Arthur recipe, and it is a hit! It reminded me of the luscious, addictive pralines I enjoyed on my first trip to New Orleans, only in cake form. It’s got everything (IMHO) a cake should be: moist (because buttermilk), flavorful (of course!), a little bit crunchy (thanks to the pecan streusel), and easy! It’s a one-bowl wonder (well, two, if you count the streusel mixture) and no mixer required (although I do think the initial mixing of the butter and brown sugar would be easier with a hand or stand mixer). For the streusel, I used the incredible pecans from The Peach Truck - what a revelation really fresh pecans are. Raw and natural, these pecans are everything you imagine a Georgia pecan to be.

This cake is the perfect after-dinner accompaniment to a pot of coffee. A bit too sweet, I think, for a breakfast treat, but you may feel differently.  I thoroughly enjoyed a piece last night and it took all my restraint not to go back for another slice. Now my only problem is, what do I do with the rest of it? I hope it freezes well!

Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake with Pecan Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

Cake:

1/4 C butter, very soft

1 C light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 C buttermilk

1 t vanilla extract

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1-1/2 C all-purpose flour

Streusel:

3 TB melted butter

1/2 C light brown sugar, packed

2 TB half & half

1/8 t salt

3/4 C diced pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9” round cake pan (with at least 2” tall sides) with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the butter and brown sugar and stir until smooth.
3. Add the egg, beating again until smooth.
4. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
5. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt evenly over the top and stir until well combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and/or the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.
8. During the last 10 minutes of baking time, prepare the topping. Stir the butter and the sugar together. Add the milk, pecans, and salt. The glaze will be thick, but pourable (don’t let this sit too long, or it will become too thick to pour).
9. After the cake has baked for 30 minutes, pour the topping over the cake and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes (for a total baking time of 40 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt, if desired, and serve warm or at room temp. Topping will firm up as the cake cools.
10. Cake can be served in the pan or on a serving platter/cake stand. To serve on a platter, invert cake onto a dinner plate, then invert again so the topping is right-side up. 

PS: I found a great way to freeze leftover buttermilk here!. I’ve got an ice cube tray cooling in my freezer right now.

Blueberry Snack Cake

I had planned to title this article “A Cake So Nice I Made it Twice!” Except that I made it three times!  I found this recipe on the fabulous Food52 while I was rooting around their site. The recipe was developed by Brooke Dojny, a cookbook author based in Maine.

There is so much to love about this cake! Let me count the ways...

1.      It’s easy

2.      Fresh blueberries (full of good-for-you antioxidants)

3.      Topped with crunchy pecans

4.      It’s easy

5.      Great for breakfast!

6.      Great for dessert!

7.      Great mid-afternoon snack!

8.      Love the addition of corn meal for the texture

9.      Keeps well (if you have any left over)

10.   Did I mention it was easy?!

But seriously, folks, if you have a pint of beautiful late summer blueberries at home, make this cake. If you don’t have any blueberries hanging around, get to the store or farmer’s market and buy some! It’s that good (I made it three times in two weeks)! You can thank me later.

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Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze

These weren't on my baking list from the last post, but I came across this recipe on the wonderful Leite's Culinaria and they sounded so good I decided they deserved a spot on the list. By the way, if you don't already subscribe to David Leite's newsletter, I suggest you hustle on over to his site and sign up (the site has all kinds of fabulous recipes and great giveaways).

This recipe is from the cookbook Salty Sweets by Christie Mathieson. I am usually not drawn to toffee recipes, but something pulled me to it and I'm so glad it did. The cookie is rich and buttery (good just on its own -- well, I had to be sure it was worthy of the chocolate, didn't I?), and then you add this lovely layer of dark chocolate, top it with chopped, toasted pecans, and just the barest sprinkle of sea salt...need I go on? I'm sure no one is even reading the rest of this post because you are all running to the kitchen to gather the ingredients for this delectable cookie. That's OK, I'm not hurt. Go forth and bake!

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Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze

Makes 20-24 Cookies

1 C unsalted butter

1 C packed dark brown sugar

2 egg yolks

2 C all-purpose flour

1 t sea salt

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/4 C chopped, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well. Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl, then add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until well combined.

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles with a 2-inch round cutter and place cookies on baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Bring water to a simmer in a double boiler, or set up a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan with water in the bottom. Melt the chocolate over the simmering water. When the cookies are cool, spread them gently with a thin layer of melted chocolate. Before the chocolate dries, sprinkle lightly with the pecans and a few grains of fleur del sel. Let the chocolate set. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

"Rain" O'er Me

A couple of interesting things for you today. And, by the way, Happy Sunday to you! I hope it's a nice day wherever you are reading this from. Here in Seatt...um, New Jersey, yes, it's still raining. This is Day 18? 28? Who knows? We're all a little bit soggy here. BUT, I did see a sprite of sun on the weather map for Tuesday-Thursday, so things are looking up.

My camera is not back from the repair shop yet so I've included a photo taken a few weeks ago of my glorious Double-Knockout Rose tree - beautiful, yes?

I just whipped up a batch of delectable cookies - these are SO good. Chocolate-Chunk Cookies with Pecans, Dried Apricots, and Tart Cherries. Hellooooo? Sound good? I think so. And easy? Absolutely. Get the recipe here or below. I added some unsweetened coconut to the second batch on a whim. Either way, these are terrific.

Next: here in northern NJ we are surrounded either by mediocre chain restaurants or a glut of Italian restaurants. Now, I am certainly not opposed to above par Italian restaurants, but there are times when you want to move away from the norm and try something a little different. Good breakfast spots are especially hard to find here. Sure, we've got iHOPs, and this being NJ, diners galore, but they all offer the same tired breakfast standards.

We (OK, not really me, but my ever-intrepid culinary explorer husband) found a little Mexican/South American restaurant in Lyndhurst that serves wonderful breakfasts. Today I enjoyed the Huevos sobre Arroz con Chorizo (translation: eggs over rice with chorizo). Barry had Huevos Rancheros served with a delicious, spicy green salsa. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the chorizo was flavorful and crispy. Everything is homemade and the owner is very personable. Being a small, independent shop, they don't have a web site, but if you live in the north Jersey area and want to try something outside the norm, I heartily recommend the Bagel Stop Mexican Cafe at 290 Ridge Rd in Lyndhurst (201-460-0001). It's not much on atmosphere, but the food is very good.

Have a good week and may the sun start (or continue) to shine in your little neck of the woods!

Chocolate-Chunk Cookies with Pecans, Dried Apricots, and Tart Cherries

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Yield: Makes about 34 cookies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs 9 ounces fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate 3/4 cup quartered dried apricots (about 4 ounces) 1 cup dried tart cherries (about 5 ounces) 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 4 ounces) Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in flour mixture until just combined. Chop chocolate into 1/2-inch pieces and stir into batter with apricots, cherries, and pecans. Working in batches, drop dough by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, about 12 minutes total, or until golden. Cool cookies on baking sheets on racks 5 minutes and transfer with a spatula to racks to cool. Cookies keep in airtight containers at room temperature 5 days.

Pork Fat Rules!

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a delicious New Year's Eve and Day.

Astute readers will recall that my traditional New Year's Day menu calls for Hoppin' John (the recipe was posted in my December 26 blog). And true to my word, I did whip up a batch today.  I was going to make this yesterday (New Year's Eve) just in case I wasn't "up to the challenge" today, but our New Year's Eve plans got re-routed due to the weather and I didn't get to it yesterday.  So after a lazy start this morning I set about to get this on the stove. 

Non-meat eating readers should skip the next paragraph and jump to the salad...although the title of this post was probably a pretty good indication of what was to come.

Yesterday during the snow storm, we ran around gathering up the remaining ingredients - some of which you see pictured above. There are a couple of wonderful butchers in the area (Haledon Pork Store and Stefan and Son Butcher in Clifton) and that's where we headed to get the andouille and smoked ham.  In addition, we bought a small piece of smoked, cooked bacon on the bone to saute the onions and celery in. These meats were incredible and really gave the Hoppin' John a wonderful, smoky flavor.  The house smelled di-vine!  There really is nothing like the aroma of sizzling pork fat cooking on the stove.

All we needed to go along with the Hoppin' John was a nice green salad.  I had some lovely Bosc pears that were just perfect for a pear, pecan salad-type thing. I found a great recipe (see below) on the web. I didn't have the goat or blue cheese called for and I wasn't running out for it in 17 degree weather. It also called for endive - wasn't going out for that either. The salad was great without either of these items.

We served a hearty Zinfandel with dinner (7 Deadly Zins), some delicious Polish rye bread from Stefan and Sons, and for dessert an Almond Banana Bread (thanks to Joy the Baker (www.joythebaker.com). When I was rooting around yesterday for a recipe, I really wasn't thinking of needing a dessert for New Year's Day. I just wanted to use up the four very ripe bananas on my counter (rather than freezing them, which is what I usually do with our over-ripe bananas). Love this recipe - a) no mixer required, b) it uses melted butter so you don't need to wait for the butter to come to room temp, c) it calls for bourbon. Need I say more?  Recipe below.

May 2009 bring you health, happiness, and fabulous food!

Pear, Endive, and Caramelized Pecan Salad

2 endives

a nice handful of green salad medley, such as mesclun or mache (I used Bibb)

2 red Anjou pears

3.5 oz fresh goat cheese or blue cheese

1/3 C pecan halves

2 TB butter

dash of cinnamon

1 TB honey

Vinaigrette

1.5 TB balsamic vinegar

3 TB walnut oil

salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 385F.  Take a non-stick frying pan and melt 1 TB butter. Coat the nuts in it and add 1 TB honey. Continue to coat for 1-2 minutes. Place pecans on a baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes in oven, checking to be sure they don't turn too dark. Place on a cooling rack.

Wash, peel, core the pears. Cut in quarters and then cut once more in half. Coat them gently in cinnamon. Heat 1 TB butter in non-stick frying pan and cook the pears over high heat for 1-2 minutes each side. Remove and keep on the side.

Wash the endive and salad greens. Dice the cheese. Remove the cone base of the endive and their yellow leafy parts. Cut them in long sticks. Place the endive sticks and salad in a bowl and season with the vinaigrette. Toss well. 

Take individual plates and assemble your salad. Lay the salad greens on the plate, then add a few slices of pear, the pecans, and cheese. Serve immediately.

Almond Banana Bread

3-4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 C melted butter (or in a 1/3 measuring cup measure out half almond oil and half melted butter)

3/4 C brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 t vanilla

1 TB bourbon

1 t baking soda

pinch of salt

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

1-1/2 C flour

3/4 C coarsely chopped almonds

No mixer required. Preheat oven to 350F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter (and almond oil if using it) into the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, mix. Add the almonds and stir until just incorporated. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.