New York Style Crumb Cake: Baked Sunday Morning

I have been following the bakers in the Baked Sunday Morning gang and decided to give it a try.  I couldn't pass trying this tempting cake recipe.  It is as good as it looks.  The crumb topping is soo good with all the butter and sugar...how could it not be?  The cake is delicious also...more butter and sour cream make a moist delicious cake.  This one is a winner!

This recipe is in Baked Explorations...check out what others did

with this recipe here.

Enjoy!

Until Next time...

Carrot-Coconut Scones with Citrus Glaze

Good Scone?  Yes.  Great Scone? No.

I am so disappointed with this scone after reading all the rave reviews. This recipe is from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.  This is an untraditional scone, true, and the coconut adds a very interesting texture but not much coconut flavor.  These weren't overly sweet but I wanted more of a coconut and carrot flavor...there really was none.  The carrots did make them look pretty with the little flecks of orange peeking through and while the glaze added a nice bright flavor,  I thought it was not necesary.  I would rather have the lemon and orange flavor in the scone not on top.  These scones were nice, delicate and moist but I have made better...I really don't know what all the hoopla is about.  If anything, they were pretty to look at and everyone did seem to enjoy them.  So here they are..perhaps you will find them to be super dooper and outstanding like so many other people did. 

recipe here

Nana's Blueberry Cake

Nana's Blueberry Cake reminds me of a little girl that loved to make mud pies in the back yard and pretend that she had a bakery...a little girl that used to run barefoot in the cornfields even though her Mom would ask her not to.  It reminds of a time when you could play outside all day until it got dark. It reminds me of my grandmother when she used to rub my cheeks and say moooshamashel (don't ask, I don't how to spell it and I don't  know what it means, but I felt so loved when she did it).  Just the mention of this cake brings a sparkle to my siblings eyes. It reminds me of the simple innocence of childhood.  It reminds me of family and traditions.  It reminds me of love. 

Nana didn't really make many desserts.  I remember cookies, little pineapple turnovers, tapioca and this unpretentious blueberry cake.  It is so quick and easy to make, I am not sure why I don't make it more often.  You will find this cake not to be too sweet and delicious when served with a dollop of whipped cream.   It is not all fancy shmancy... it is just what it is and I like it.  I think you will too!

Bursting with blueberries and soooo good!

Nana's Blueberry Cake

Serves 9

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 teas. salt

1 1/2 teas. baking powder

1 cup flour

1/4 c milk

1/4 teas. vanilla

1 pint blueberries

Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream thoroughly.  Add egg and beat well.  Mix and sift the flour, salt and baking powder and add to the first mixture alternately with milk.  Add vanilla and pour into a 8" square pan.  Sprinkle blueberries over batter and cover with brown sugar topping made of 1/2 cup flour, 1/8 teas. salt, 2 tbsp. butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

Hello, my name is Chelly and I am a chocoholic.  

OH MY GOSH! 

 These are one of the best chocolate cookies I have ever tasted!  They're rich, chewy, have a brownie flavor and are macaron-like in texture. Since I thought all that chocolate would make these cookies very rich, I didn't make them giant.  I made them normal sized (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter) and got about 40 cookies...that is big enough for me!  I cut the baking time down to 10-12 minutes.  I also added a teaspoon of instant coffee.  You don't taste the coffee, but it makes the chocolate taste so much better!    I absolutely loved them!  They got thumbs up from both Don and Alex.  I will definitely make these again.

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

Bon Appétit | March 2000

Terrific with cappuccino or ice-cold milk. Yield: Makes about 18 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped 1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)



 

Grandma Snyder's Oatmeal Cake

I don't know who Grandma Snyder is, but she has one heck of a oatmeal cake recipe!  A friend sent me this recipe after she made it for her family and got rave reviews.  I have to say, it is ooey gooey delicious!  You can whip it up in a matter or no time at all.  I had everything I needed already in my pantry.  The flavors are a classic combination.  This is a must try!  You can find the recipe all allrecipes.com , I will also insert it below. 

Go ahead make it tonight!

Open wide!!

Grandma Snyder's Oatmeal Cake

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Pour water over oats, let stand.
2. Cream 1/2 cup butter or margarine and sugars. Add eggs and blend in a large mixing bowl. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Add to sugars and egg mixture. Add vanilla and oats mixture, blend well.
3. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 30-40 minutes.
5. To Make Icing: Mix together 6 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, coconuts, nuts, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
6. Pour this coconut concoction over the hot cake.
7. Put cake under broiler, and watch close so nuts don't burn, about 5-10 minutes. Serve hot or let cool. Enjoy.

Until next time.....



ABC: Zebra Cookies

This cookie recipe was selected for our April challenge.  Cake flour, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and cocoa are mixed together to make a light, delicate, melt in your mouth, buttery cookie.  The two doughs were rolled and stacked then formed into logs and gently twisted until the chocolate and vanilla dough were nicely marbled. It was straighforward and simple to do and took under an hour to make the dough. I worked my dough on parchment paper so when it came time to transfer the logs to a baking sheet to chill I just lifted the paper...it kept the logs in tact and made it really easy.  Once the logs chill you just need to slice and bake.  The recipe makes alot of cookies!!!  Flo says that the logs freeze nicely then you can slice and bake when you want!!   A nice little cookie to have with a glass of milk or cup of coffee or tea. 

 This recipe is on page 276

They look so pretty...don't ya think?

Take a look at what the others did with this challenge... just click here

Thanks for visiting my blog, 

until next time...

Oatmeal "Orange Molasses" Raisin Cookies

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs,  Dalla Mia Cucina.  They sounded so tempting I just had to try them.  They are quite possibly my most favorite oatmeal cookie!  Moist and chewy with a nice orange flavor and a hint of molasses.  The raisins are soaked in a orange juice-molasses mixture which makes them very soft and plump.  I used a regular oatmeal recipe like Laurie suggested and added coconut, walnuts and orange zest.  Quite lovely and flavorful! 

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

All Recipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. ( I also added 1 cup coconut, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon orange zest and the soaked raisins*.) Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

* Laurie says that...." You can either soak your raisins and molasses in a jar for 1 day or over night, or you can speed up the process by simmering them on low in the orange juice and molasses till they are plump. I used 2 cups of orange juice to a 1/4 cup of molasses. When they were done I drained them in a sieve before I added them to the cookie batter."


Hope you enjoy this recipe!

 

Nanaimo Bar

The Nanaimo bar is a dessert of Canadian origin popular across North America. It is a bar cookie which requires no baking, and is named after the West-Coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia.  I wanted to see what all the fuss was about after seeing many versions of this recipe all over the place.  They were super easy to make...very rich and a chocolate lovers dream! 

Chocolateness... so worth the calories!!!

Nanaimo Bar Recipe

Bottom Layer

½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Second Layer

½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder or vanilla pudding powder
2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter overlow heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.


Thanks for stopping by....until later,