Tag: cinnamon
Molasses Snickerdoodles: Walking for Cookies

Molasses Snickerdoodles: Walking for Cookies

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More rain, more gray…will it ever end?  Of course, it will but when?  Last week, the high winds took out our power at home so we escaped to San Francisco for the day.  Luckily, we had a brief, much-welcomed break in the weather and made the most of it.  It was too gorgeous not to take a walk and hit some of the scenic spots in The City.

Polk Gulch-Polk Street

There are a couple of streets that come to mind for me that define life in the city, and Polk Street is one of them. If you haven’t visited this area of the city, put it on your list.  Polk Street stretches from the  Civic Center area near City Hall, the gritty Tenderloin, all the way to the tony Russian Hill area, Aquatic Park, and Fisherman’s Wharf. To walk from Aquatic Park, the northern end of Polk to Civic Center, the southern tip, encapsulates San Francisco.

How can one street be home to Michelin-Starred Restaurants, trendy coffee kiosks, and French Bakeries, but also drug addicts and homeless sleeping in doorways or living in tents?  City life is uncensored and chaotic, where you see Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

We made a beeline for Polk Street which is only 2.5 blocks away…uphill.  The perfect way to start a walk since we’ll inevitably end up at one of the many bakeries on or near Polk.

We stopped at Batter Bakery for a cup of coffee and some cookies.  Known for their cookies, I had a tough time choosing what to try.  As much as I love shortbread, which they have so many permutations, we decided on their Sand Angel and a Sesame Cookie that looked scrumptious.  The Sand Angel had me at first bite.  A molasses cookie with a crispy edge and soft, slightly cakey center, best described as a cross between a Snickerdoodle and Molasses Cookie.  Yummy on the cookie meter, 🍪🍪🍪🍪

Grabbing our coffee and cookies we continued on our walk.  I pointed out spots of interest to the hubster.  Places that were part of my childhood-my elementary school, Victor’s Pizza (still there!), and the corner my favorite dessert cafe, Blum’s occupied (sadly not there).  We passed Bob’s Donuts and Swan’s Oyster Depot, SF icons that have been around for as long as I can remember.

On our walk back we stopped to take a peek at a new neighborhood park, Francisco Park. Built on top of an old reservoir, it’s a nice respite with gorgeous views.  With a community garden, playground, picnic tables and a doggy-run on street level, the park is worth a visit.  Just a note those two highrises, the Fontanas, led to the restrictions on building heights in the city. 😉

So, after a fun day in the city, I returned home with one thing on my mind, Molasses Snickerdoodles.  Adapted from Grandma’s Molasses, it isn’t quite the same as the Batter Bakery cookie, but it’s pretty darn good!

Key points: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  This will give this cookie a cakier texture in the middle. If you prefer a less cakey texture and a chewier center, two things, beat only until smooth and creamy, and during baking when the cookie puffs, pull the pan out and bang the sheet on the oven rack. Do this a couple of times.  More on this later.

If the dough seems too soft to work with, chill it for 10 minutes.  A #40 scoop (2 tablespoons) will yield a 2.5-3 inch cookie.  Perfect dunking size.  The dough balls are rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar.  Substitute turbinado or raw sugar for a crunchier finish.

Variations on a Cookie

One dough, two different bakes.  The cookies on the left received Sarah Kieffer’s pan-banging baking treatment.  This means about two-thirds of the way through baking, when the cookies are puffy, rap the pan on the oven rack to deflate the cookies. Repeat this a couple of times.  The result is flatter, chewier cookies with crisp edges.  The cookies on the right were allowed to bake undisturbed, they puffed and fell naturally creating cracks.  This results in cookies that are a little thicker and cakier than the pan-banging cookies.

Enjoy!

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Molasses Snickerdoodles

A rift on Snickerdoodles, adding molasses gives these cookies a nice earthy flavor. Crispy-edged, tender, slightly cakey, cookie.
Course cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Cookie recipe, cookies, Molasses Snickerdoodles
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Stuff

  • 1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Creamed Ingredients:

  • 1/2 C. unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3/4 C. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C. Light or mild Molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Dredge

  • 3 Tbsp. granulated, raw or turbinado sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • In a bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt until well blended. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add molasses and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until incorporated and no dry flour remains.
  • In a small dish, mix raw sugar together with cocoa powder and cinnamon until well blended.
  • Drop dough by the tablespoonful into sugar mixture, rolling until completely coated. (Dough will be sticky, but the sugar mixture should keep it from sticking to your hands.).
  • Arrange on non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies. Repeat with remaining dough.
  • Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until cookies are just set on top and bottoms are lightly golden brown.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi-Cereal Killa

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi-Cereal Killa

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I am always on the lookout for mochi recipes.  Aside from being downright delicious, it is nice to have gluten-free options in your arsenal.  The blog, Little Fat Boy caught my attention with a recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi.  Holy moly, dessert with not just one but TWO of my favorite foods, mochi and cereal, I am all in.

Bad, Bad Mom

I’m going to admit, I was one of those crazy militant moms about snacks and cereals.  The only cereals that graced our table included Special K, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Rice Krispies.  BORING.  The grams of sugar had to be in single digits for any box to make the cut.  Hostess was not part of our family’s vernacular.   To this day, I’m not sure if my kids have had a Hostess Twinkie.

Eventually, I came clean to my kids, and the flood gates opened.  They rolled their eyes with righteous indignation as I rattled off my favorite childhood snacks and cereals-Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, HoHos, Milk Duds, BigHunks…lol.  Hey, I was a latch-key kid…unlike them…so lucky to have a mom to constantly police, I mean, watch over them!

Welcome to Adulthood

The perks of growing up, my days of being their sugar police are long over.  In fact, during their college days, care packages with Dad’s Good Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and candies were sent on a regular basis.  We made up for years of deprivation.

All Things Mochi

Ground Zero for mochi recipes is Butter Mochi Muffin, adapted from Snixy Kitchen (a gorgeous blog featuring gluten-free recipes), and still the most popular recipe posted on 3Jamigos.  Variations followed, Mango Mochi Muffins, Chocolate Mochi Donuts and Brownies, and Misugaru Mochi Muffins…in fact mochi has its own category on 3Jamigos.  This is the latest in my mochi mania recipes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi. Remember the cereal milk at the bottom of your bowl you savored when you were a kid?  Yep, use it to make your mochi.

Soak the cereal for a minimum of an hour in one and a quarter cups of milk, stirring occasionally.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and half a can (200ml) of coconut milk.  The cereal will absorb some of the milk, after soaking, if there is less than 1 cup of milk, add extra coconut milk to bring it to 1 cup.

For the first batch, I followed Little Fat Boy, made them in a pan, and cut them into squares.  For the second batch, I made muffins because everyone deserves their own sweet treat.

To further crisp the Cinnamon Toast Crunch topping, I used Christina Tosi’s method to make cereal crunch.  Toast crushed cereal bathed in butter in the oven.

Delicious, sweet, with cinnamon and caramel undertones and the characteristic gooey, springy texture of mochi, this is a keeper.  Add this to your bucket list.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi

Butter Mochi flavored with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Another delicious, gluten-free treat!
Course Cake, Dessert, Muffins
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Hawaiian
Keyword butter mochi, cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, coconut milk
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

Wet Stuff

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1.25 cups milk, I like whole but lowfat, skim and alternative milks will work to soak Cinnamon Toast Crunch
  • 1/2 can of coconut milk 200ml I prefer full fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or Golden Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Dry Stuff

  • 1/2 box Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) 254 g
  • 1 cup brown sugar preferably dark brown
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1-1.25 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal to soak in milk

Topping

  • 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal for topping
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • unsalted butter to grease pans

Instructions

  • Soak 1.25-1.5 cups of milk with Cinnamon Toast Crunch for at least an hour or overnight. Strain milk into a measuring cup. You should have 1 cup. If it is less than this, use extra coconut milk to make up the difference,
  • Preheat an oven to 350° F. Generously butter an 8x8 baking pan. For muffins, butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Mix wet ingredients in large bowl, 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk (soaked in Cinnamon Toast Crunch), coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
  • Slowly pour dry ingredients into a bowl of wet ingredients, whisking as you pour until it becomes a smooth batter. Mix in melted butter into the batter until incorporated, then pour batter into the buttered pan. If making muffins, pour batter into each muffin tin approximately 7/8 full. Should fill 12 cups. Tap pans on the counter to release air bubbles.

Topping

  • Crush the extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a small bowl and add melted butter. Stir to coat cereal with butter. Pour onto a small baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Remove and cool.
  • Sprinkle toasted cereal on batter just before baking. You can forego the toasting of the cereal but you lose some of the crispiness.

Da Finish

  • Cake pan mochi: Bake for approximately 60 minutes until golden brown and set. Stick a toothpick or bamboo skewer in, it should go in smoothly and come out without any sticky stuff. If you like your mochi a little more set bake a bit longer. The less time you bake the gooey-ier your mochi will be.
    For muffins bake approximately 40-45 minutes.
  • Once cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on mochi before serving. Slice cake into squares like brownies and serve.
  • Will keep a couple of days at room temp. Do not refrigerate. Mochi is freezable.
Cool Dad, Cool Summer Cooler, Sangria

Cool Dad, Cool Summer Cooler, Sangria

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Father’s Day this past Sunday meant Hubby’s Choice.  We did whatever he wanted to do, eat, and play. Here is my Haiku for Father’s Day

He walked in the morn

Ate fried chicken Played Fortnite

She drank Sangria

Yep,  the Sangria was for me.  Sangria was the perfect complement to our Dad Driven Dinner of fried chicken, potato salad, fresh corn on the cob grilled, served as Elote (my latest obsession), and a berry melange with oranges.  AmIRite?

So I pulled out a bottle of red wine, not the pricey stuff, and made a large pitcher of Sangria. It’s light, it’s festive, it’s refreshing and delicious, one of my favorite drinks.  Perfect for hot summer days and alfresco dining.

Over the years I have tweaked a recipe I first found in Cooking Light magazine.  The tweaks entail adding more alcohol, imagine that.  Feel free to add your favorite fruits, the sky’s the limit.  I added blueberries and lime slices to this batch.  Apples would also be great, or other berries.  To bring out the flavors of the fruit, when you add the fruit to the wine mixture, muddle them lightly.  Totally optional.  Get fancy by garnishing the glass with a wedge of citrus or a strawberry.  If you’re in party mode, hit it with a splash of Brandy.

Did I mention we finished with homemade apple pie?  Happy Father’s Day!

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Sangria

Take red wine, add a little bit of sugar, oranges, lemons, cinnamon, and cloves. Then take it over the top with a splash of Triple Sec, Brandy and Club Soda, that’s Sangria!
Course Drinks
Cuisine Spanish
Keyword Red Wine, Sangria, Summer Cooler
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 750 ml bottle of red wine, inexpensive but drinkable Riojas would be lovely, low tannin, younger wine
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup Triple Sec or Brandy
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 strip orange peel 4” long
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced & seeded
  • 1 orange thinly sliced & seeded
  • Splash brandy
  • 2 cups Club Soda or Sparkling Water

Garnish

  • any fresh fruit

Instructions

  • Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large pitcher, stirring mixture until the sugar dissolves.
  • Press cloves into the rind strip.  Add strip, cinnamon, and fruit to wine mixture. 
  • Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Stir in club soda just before serving.  Serve over ice.
  • Garnish with additional fruit.
Snickerdoodles (Alice in Cookiewonderland)

Snickerdoodles (Alice in Cookiewonderland)

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It has been 1610 days since I sat down and penned my inaugural post, Jamigos 2.0 to launch 3jamigos.  As I reflect on that number all I can think is WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG TO INCLUDE MY FAVORITE COOKIE?  I mean, sheesh, of the 100 cookie recipes I have posted, it doesn’t include my all-time favorite non-shortbread cookie (notice how I slipped in that qualifier, shortbread=cookie perfection).  Unbelievable, and how did I discover this faux pas?

I was tasked with making cookies for an End of Summer Party for our political action group (sanity saver).   I automatically went to my blog and typed in S N I C K E R D O O D L E S in the search box and waited, NOTHING popped up.  A quick search of my cookie index revealed, what the heck, no Snickerdoodles.

Are you kidding?

I’ve never posted Snickerdoodles on my blog?  Hellooo, time to fix that.  I got busy, made a batch for the meeting, snitched a couple to have with an ice-cold glass of milk, and sat down to write this post.

EVERYONE needs a scrumptious recipe for Snickerdoodles.  Buttery, sweet and spicy, crispy edges, soft chewy center,  finished with cinnamon sugar.  The quintessential cookie.  My favorite recipe comes from the cookie maven, Alice Medrich.  Unlike other recipes I have seen, hers are made with just butter. Yep, no shortening in these bad-boy bites of sweet cinnamon bliss.  The recipe is from her small but mighty book, Cookies and Brownies, long out of print but available on the secondary market. The book is worth getting just for this and her Lemon Bar recipe. Well written with easy-to-follow directions, it’s a keeper.  My copy is frayed and tattered, well worn from use.

Cream butter and sugar together to smooth but NOT fluffy.  Add eggs, beat until blended.

Add flour and stir just until combined.  Don’t overmix.  The mixing changes the consistency of the cookie.  Fluffy butter-sugar mixture gives a cakier cookie, go for smooth and creamy.  After adding the flour mixture do not beat the dough too much or you will end up with a tough cookie.

Gather dough into a disc, shape doesn’t matter.  Keep the thickness to about an inch.  This will make it easier to scoop and form the cookies after chilling.

After chilling the dough,  use a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop (#70) to form balls.  Shape the scoops into smooth balls and roll in cinnamon sugar.  Use a good quality cinnamon, like Penzey’s . This is a great cookie to make with the kids or grandkids, never met a kid that didn’t like to roll balls of cookie dough in copious amounts of cinnamon sugar all the while licking their fingers.

The one tablespoon scoop yields a cookie about 2 inch in diameter.  All well and good, BUT, the smaller you make the cookie the harder it is to end up with a cookie that has crisp edges and a soft center.  If that is what you are looking for, try making bigger cookies. Increase your baking time by a couple of minutes.

Bake cookies 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown.  I like the centers soft, if you like crunchy cookies, bake them a bit longer.  How long?  Don’t know, I don’t like them that way.

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Snicker Doodles

Course cookies
Cuisine American
Keyword Snickerdoodles
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper or greased

Ingredients

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (13.5 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 1½ cups sugar 10.5 ounces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400° Position rack in the middle of the oven.
  • Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
  • In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the 1½ cups sugar until smooth and creamy, not fluffy. Beat in the eggs just until blended. Add the flour mixture and stir or beat on low speed just until incorporated. Gather the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
  • Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Form level tablespoons of dough with an ice cream scoop, into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and place 2 inches apart on the lined or ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the cookies puff and begin to settle down. To create crevices, when cookies puff, tap cookie sheet on rack. This causes the cookie to sink, creating crinkles. Rotate the cookie sheet from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Bake until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Remove cookies with a spatula to a wire rack. Don't let them cool completely or the cookies will stick to the sheet. I bake on ungreased sheets to minimize spreading.
  • Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be kept in an airtight container for several days.
Belly Up to the Snickerdoodle Bar Day 6 Holiday Cookies

Belly Up to the Snickerdoodle Bar Day 6 Holiday Cookies

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A riff on quite possibly my favorite cookie, the Snickerdoodle.  The Snickerdoodle is the quintessential cookie. Buttery, chewy, slightly cakey center, crispy edges, a nice hit of cinnamon, my mouth is watering as I write this. This year’s Washington Post’s favorite cookies of 2018 include a Snickerdoodle Blondie.  We all know the quick and dirty route to a batch of cookies is a bar cookie.  Snickerdoodles, baked in a square pan instead of individual cookies, texturally a bar cookie but taste-wise just like a snickerdoodle. Ah, two worlds collide beautifully.

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Snickerdoodle Blondies

Quick and easy bar cookie.  The texture of a blondie/brownie but the taste of a Snickerdoodle.  All that buttery cinnamony goodness in a bar.
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 220kcal
Author Adapted from WAPO

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons for the topping
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more for the topping
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan with cooking oil spray then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Instructions

  • Combine the butter, the cup of granulated sugar and the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium speed for a few minutes, until lightened and a little fluffy. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
  • Whisk together the flour, teaspoon of cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the mixer bowl; beat on medium-low speed until well incorporated. The dough will be quite soft.
  • Transfer to the baking pan, then spread the dough evenly all the way into the corners. Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar with the amount of cinnamon you prefer; we recommend 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Sprinkle that mixture evenly over the surface. Bake (middle rack) for about 25 minutes, until golden and still slightly soft at the center.
  • Cool completely (in the pan) before serving or storing. It's best to lift out the slab and slice on a cutting board; discard the parchment before cutting.

Notes

I used only 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in the topping which seemed like plenty

Going to a holiday party? Make a batch, leave it in the pan and give the whole kit-& Kaboodle of s-doodles to the host.

 

Blueberry Almond Cake
Do You Really Want to Feed Me? Food52 Club Blueberry Cake with Almond & Cinnamon

Do You Really Want to Feed Me? Food52 Club Blueberry Cake with Almond & Cinnamon

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For all you Boy George Fans, my title nod to the 80’s.  Have I mentioned the Food52 Cookbook Club?  I’m sure I have.  From the geniuses at Food52, a Facebook group that features a cookbook each month.  A cynic might say “what a great marketing idea!”.  Ok, it is, but it is actually a wonderful way to share insights and critiques on a book.  By the end of each month, you have a pretty darn good idea which recipes are winners and which are not so great or need some tweaking. Photos for each recipe and a comment or two posted by members…invaluable.  I literally have cookbooks I have never made a single thing from but when Food52 features it, I’m trying recipes from the book like a crazy person.

This month’s selection is Dining In by Alison Roman.  I had picked up a copy awhile back at a cute indie bookstore, Leigh’s Favorite Books in Sunnyvale.  Aside from one fantabulous cookie recipe (click on the link to find out which cookie, I’m so evil) I already have thanks to Bon Appetit’. I didn’t see anything I felt compelled to try.  I shoved the book on a shelf and forgot about it.

Until, of course, it became this month’s featured Food52 Cookbook Club book.

My pictures don’t do justice to this Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon, but the requests for the recipe had me expediting this post.  Made for a happy hour postcard writing session (democracy in action), this cake was the star of the evening. Make it now while sweet, plump, blueberries can still be found at the Farmer’s Market.

This cake is hands down delicious.  Buttery, tender, not too sweet with a nice crunch from the sprinkling of sugar on top and a hint of spice from the cinnamon.  Hmmm, it’s dreamy. The recipe calls for both almond flour and all-purpose flour.  Despite not having any liquid the cake is very tender, actually surprisingly so.  I’m thinking its the almond flour.  Costco has a nice, reasonably priced almond flour.  Whole Foods has Bob’s Red Mill, nice, not so reasonably priced.  Don’t confuse it with almond meal which is not ground fine enough.

Another key to this recipe, beating the butter until it is nice and fluffy.  This aerates the batter adding to its tenderness.  I was surprised at how difficult it was to incorporate the flour mixture into the batter.  I dumped all of it in at once.  Next time I might try dividing the flour mixture and mixing it in a portion at a time.  The almond flour is a bit heavier than reg flour so use the fold method, like folding egg whites into a batter.  Don’t overdo it. The book has a teeny eeny mistake, it lists 2 cups of blueberries in the ingredients but calls for only 1-1/2 cups in the directions.  Just use 1-1/2 cups of berries, that’s plenty. If you are a blueberry-holic, toss the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the batter before sprinkling the sugar on top.

The cake does not rise significantly.  I baked it in a springform, but you could use a tart pan.  But in all honesty, I didn’t want to chance it…too many overflow experiences have caused me to be rather cautious.  I also tried a Honey Yogurt Pound Cake with Raspberries-yummy-ga-nummies. TBP (To be posted) soon.

So, get thee to the Farmer’s Market or grocers, buy some berries and bake this cake.  You’re welcome.  This book is not just a dessert book and judging by the posts on the Food52 page, I’ll be diving into the savory recipes soon.  I’ll get back to you when I do.

By the way, there is a Food52 Baking Club too, if you’re wondering…

Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon

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Blueberry Cake with Almond and Cinnamon

Ingredients

  • Nonstick spray for the pan
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ cup 1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups blueberries

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan or round cake pan with nonstick spray.
  • Whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
  • Using an electric mixer, in a medium bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is super light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl and with the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated, followed by the vanilla. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is pale and nearly doubled in volume, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold in the almond mixture until no dry spots remain. Gently add 1½ cups of the blueberries by hand, making sure you don’t totally smush them.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared tart pan and, using a spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar on top and bake until the cake is deeply golden brown and pulls away from the edges slightly, 30 to 35 minutes. It should start to crackle a bit on top (what you’re looking for).
  • Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

The cake can be baked 4 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature.
Got Dough? (Tasties)

Got Dough? (Tasties)

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In life there are two sides to everything.  The yin and yang of the universe.  There are those that twist their Oreos apart, lick the frosting off the cookie and then eat each cookie (seems kind of silly to me) versus those that absolutely never take Oreos apart but eat the cookie and frosting together.  Or how about vanilla or chocolate?  Coke or Pepsi?

Crust or filling? ……….CRUST OF COURSE, DUH.

So, what does one do with the scraps of dough left from the pie that’s baking in the oven?  It would be a shame to let it go to waste. Not quite enough for another pie but enough to make you feel guilty if you toss all that buttery, flaky goodness out.

Tasties to the rescue.  One of the many delightful recipes from The Art of the Pie by Kate McDermott.  This is my new bible on pie.  Detailed instructions on everything you ever wanted to know about pie crusts and fillings written in a warm easy style.  The majority of recipes are fruit based and pretty classic, apple, blueberry, strawberry rhubarb.  A small section on hand pies, mini pies and savory pies. Photos are gorgeous.  As a bonus, stories by the author add a very personal feel to the book.  Plus…she has a blog  The Art of the Pie, definitely worth checking out.

Back to the Tasties. The dough is formed into a rectangle and sprinkled with generous amounts of cinnamon & sugar.  It is then rolled into a log and sliced into 1 inch thick segments.  Sprinkled with more sugar and baked.  So simple, why didn’t I think of that?  I’m already dreaming of the next time I have leftover dough, maybe I’ll add nuts or use  jam instead.

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar, add nuts if you like.

 

Parchment underneath pastry makes rolling into a log much easier.

 

Bake on parchment for easier clean-up

 

 

 

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Tasties from The Art of the Pie

Ingredients

  • Leftover Pie dough
  • Cinnamon
  • Sugar
  • egg white + 1T water
  • jam
  • finely chopped nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  • Gather up extra dough trimmings and smoosh together gently
  • Roll dough on parchment paper into a rectangle approximately 1/8" thick
  • Generously sprinkle dough with sugar leaving a 1/2 inch border along one long side
  • Liberally top sugar with cinnamon (see photo) use a lot of cinnamon don't be shy!
  • Sprinkle finely chopped nuts on this if desired
  • Brush border without cinnamon sugar with a bit of water.
  • Using the parchment paper as a support to roll dough into a log starting with edge opposite of the brushed water border. Like a jelly-roll.
  • Turn log over so that seam side is down to help seal it.
  • Brush roll with egg wash or milk or cream
  • If roll seems soft, chill for 15-30 minutes before cutting.
  • Slice roll into 1 inch pieces and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional granulated sugar.
  • Options: I would like to try using jam instead. Make sure you use parchment for ease of clean up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Apple Crisp (How Do You Like Them Apples)

Apple Crisp (How Do You Like Them Apples)

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My consolation for summer ending is the arrival of Fall, the magical transition that eases us into the coming colder months.  The air is crisp and cool without the icy sting of winter.  I love how the trees drop their leaves creating a carpet of orange and yellow hues.  Yes, I’m going to miss summer’s yummy bounty but the fall season does have its rewards. From our weekly trek to the farmer’s market we brought home a variety of beautiful apples and pears instead of peaches and plums.  Not a bad trade-off.

dsc04790Too lazy to make a pie I mulled over what to do with the apples, my aha moment came quickly, APPLE CRISP.

Let me get straight to the point.

There is never enough of the oatmeal, sugar, buttery goodness blanketing the apples.  Are you with me?  Oh yeah you are, more buttery, crunchy, sweet topping, please.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the apple filling-warm, slightly sweet, and spiced with cinnamon and mace.  But I freely admit to being a topping junkie.  My go-to recipe is an adaptation of one I found in The Family Baker by Susan Purdy and yes, she too thinks you can never have enough of the crumble topping.  Feel free to tweak this recipe to your liking.  When my kids were little they liked all things sweet. This meant I used only golden delicious apples then (sometimes I snuck in a Fuji).  Nowadays I use a mix similar to my apple pie.  Pippins, jonagolds, mutsus, and fujis in 1:1 ratio.  Explore your farmer’s market, there are so many great apples to try right now.  Ask your friendly apply purveyor which ones hold up well when baked.  I also add pecans to my crisp, I’m sure walnuts or almonds would work well too.  The original recipe calls for nutmeg, I like to use mace.

But, whatever you do…

Don’t forget a scoop or two or three of vanilla ice cream.  That makes it even better!

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How Do You Like Them Apples (Apple Crisp)

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 5-6 apples peeled, cored and sliced (~6 cups of apples) any combination of apples. For a more tart filling use Pippins or Granny Smiths. For a sweeter filling use a combination of Fuji's, Golden Delicious and Pippins (approximately 2 of each)
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 t grated nutmeg or mace
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • dash of salt

Topping (yum)

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal not instant or quick cook
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Mix topping ingredients with pastry blender or fingers until crumbly.
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Butter a 9 inch deep dish casserole or gratin dish.
  • Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon juice with apples.
  • Pour apple mixture into dish. Top with crumble mixture.
  • Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes until topping is browned and apples are soft when pierced with a knife.
  • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or custard sauce.