Honey Blueberry Pound Cake

I have no idea what possessed me to purchase blueberries in the middle of winter. Perhaps because 2 for $5 appeared to sound like a deal (even though when blueberries are in season they are 2 for $1.50). Anyway, these out of season blueberries were sitting in my fridge for about a week before I decided last night to do something with them. I was torn between muffins and pound cake. Due to the lack of muffin papers and my distinct fondness for pound cake, I opted for honey blueberry pound cake. The recipe is loosely based on the Honey Vanilla Pound Cake from Ina Gartens’ Back To Basics cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 Sticks Unsalted butter (Room temperature)

1 Cup Sugar

4 Extra large eggs

3 ½ tbs honey

2 ½ tsp Vanilla extract

2 Cups sifted cake flour, plus 1 tbs to dust blueberries.

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp baking soda

2/3 cup fresh blueberries

What you need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (f) . Prepare loaf pan by greasing bottom with butter and lining bottom with parchment.

Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 4 minutes.

While your butter and sugar are mixing, put eggs, honey, and vanilla in separate bowl. Do not mix

Turn mixer to low speed and add eggs one at a time to bitter/sugar mixture. Scrape sides of bowl between eggs.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and gradually add to wet ingredients until just combined.

Scrape sides of bowl to incorporate any remaining flour.

In small bowl, gently toss blueberries with tablespoon of flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Be careful not to over mix or smash any of the berries (unless you want a purple pound cake).

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Late Night Comfort Banana Bread

So it’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything new mostly since I’ve been super busy with school, work, and moving. But I’m all settled now and have one glorious week off from EVERYTHING. It’s amazing. Anyway, I decided that I was in serious need of comfort and banana bread is one of the few things that provides significant amounts. So here is possibly the best banana breads I’ve ever made.

Late Night Comfort Banana Bread

2 Cups of Flour

1 Tsp baking powder

2 Tsp baking soda

1 Tsp salt

½ Tsp Cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

¼ Cup vegetable oil

1 Cup sugar

2 Eggs

1 Tsp vanilla

1 Cup buttermilk

2 ½ super ripe bananas (eat the other half), mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and set aside

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Stir with whisk to incorporate.

In separate (large) bowl mix together butter, oil, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and buttermilk until just combined.

Gradually add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture. Stir with wooden spoon until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Add mashed bananas and stir.

Pour into loaf pans and bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. 45 minutes or so.

Blackberry Coffee Cake

I was raised eating full-fat baked goods. My mother didn’t believe in low fat anything and naturally, I am skeptical of anything labeled low  or reduced fat. Why eat something if it’s not in its genuine fat and calorie laden form? I think I will begin making an exception to my rule with this coffee cake. It’s wonderfully moist and not too sweet. Perfect breakfast food on a lazy sunday morning.

Blackberry Coffee Cake

Adapted from Whole Foods Market Recipe

For the streusel topping:

4 tbs butter

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup light brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

For the cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cups fresh blackberries

1/3 cup sliced almonds

What you need to do:

First preheat oven to 350 degrees (f). Spray 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Assemble streusel topping, blending with fork or fingers. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

I small bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Mix into flour mixture. Gently fold in one cup of blackberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Evenly distribute streusel topping over the top of batter. Then scatter remaining blackberries over the top. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Ina Gartens Sticky Buns

            I love Ina Garten. I’ve have watched her show since it’s inception and I have all the books. Ina Garten is fantastic. When her Back to Basics came out I was beyond excited. This recipe is the first I have made from the book and I think it is wonderful.

Ingredients:

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter at room temp.

1/3 Cup light brown sugar

½ cup pecans

1 Package frozen puff pastry. 2 sheets

 Filling:

2 tbs unsalted butter

2/3 cup light brown sugar

3 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 12 cup muffin pan on a parchment lined cookie sheet

Beat with mixer 1 ½ sticks butter and brown sugar. Put about 1 tablespoon of mixture in bottom of muffin tins. Sprinkle on pecans.

On a floured counter top or board unfold puff pastry and brush with about half of the melted butter. Sprinkle half of sugar, cinnamon, and raisin mixture on puff pastery, leaving about 1 inch around the edges.

 

Roll the pastry tightly as though you were making a jellyroll. Trim ends and cut roll into six even pieces.

Place pieces into muffin tin as illustrated. Repeat process with second sheet of puff pastry.

Ina says to bake for 30 minutes but my buns took about 25. Cool buns for 5 minutes and then flip into parchment. The best way to do this is to flip onto the parchment paper and sort of hold the inverted muffin tin in place until all the sticky goodness comes out of the bottom and drips onto the rolls.

 

It’s important to let the rolls cool for about 20 minutes or so to prevent a burnt tongue as I did since I have no self control when it comes to things like this.

Spinach and Feta Frittata

Making frittata has never come easy for me. Anytime I’ve tried, it has come out either burnt or runny. I could never find a happy medium. This morning however, I woke up with an out of character (for me at least) desire to make a badass frittata. So out I went, without a plan, in the snow and yuck to Cleveland’s famed Westside Market. It was in the parking lot that it hit me: Spinach and feta.

 

Ingredients:

8 to 10 medium eggs (depending on the size of your skillet)

¾ cup of whole milk or half and half

2 ½ cups fresh chopped spinach

½ cup diced red onions (more or less to taste)

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese.

4 tbs butter

2 tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

 

Preheat your over to 350 degrees (f). In a large bowl whisk eggs and milk together. Set aside for the moment.

 

Sauté spinach, onions, and garlic in skillet with about 1 ½ tbs of butter. Set aside.

 

In an oven safe cast iron skillet melt remaining butter over medium-low heat. Add egg mixture and cook for about 8 minutes or so. Stir occasionally so that cooked eggs around the middle are brought to the center, like you were making an omelet. You want it to be almost set on the bottom. Add spinach mixture and spread evenly. Add salt and pepper.

 

Stick the skillet into the oven and cook until the top is no longer jiggles. It took the foodiecall kitchen about 17 minutes but may take more or less time so keep an eye on it.

Let cool for about 4 minutes and garnish with diced tomatoes.