Almond Coffee Cake

A favorite at brunches. Easy and delicious! Thanks to Betty Crocker for this one.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 oz almond paste (1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Powdered sugar, if desired

Fresh berries, if desired

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 8" square pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and almond paste until light and fluffy. Beat in almond extract and eggs until well blended. Slowly beat in flour, baking powder, and salt, just enough until blended.

Spread batter in pan and sprinkle with almonds.

Bake for 45 min, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely (about an hour). Carefully remove from pan. Sprinkle with berries and powdered sugar. 

Cardamon Coffee Cake

A Moo family Christmas tradition. But good for brunch any time of the year!

Ingredients
2 pkgs dry yeast (4 1/2 tsps)
8 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. cardamon
3 eggs (1 for egg wash)
1 1/2 scalded milk
1 cup melted butter

For filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

4 Tbsp. butter (melted)
nuts (optional)

Directions:
Melt together scalded milk and butter.

Sprinkle yeast into 1/2 c. lukewarm water. Stir until dissolved.

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and cardamon. Stir in 2 beaten eggs, yeast and milk and butter mixture. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise 1 hour in warm place until dough doubles in size.

Knead dough for 5 minutes on floured surface. Divide in half. Roll out one at at at time to form ovals 18–20 inches long. Brush with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly.

Roll up (like a cinnamon roll). Place crescent-shaped on a greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining egg. Allow to rise another 30 min.

Bake at 350º for at least 20 min or until firm and golden brown.

Black Bean Soup

I love Panera's black bean soup, and this recipe came out tasting pretty close to it. Great served in a bread bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 2 cans of black beans, added separately
• 2 cups of chicken stock / bouillon cubes
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• dash of red pepper flakes
• Sprig of fresh cilantro (garnish)

Saute onion in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cumin. 

Add the first can of black beans (save the other one for later). Add 2 cups chicken broth (I use bouillon cubes, and since I like my soup a lot thicker, I prefer to use about 1 1/2 cups of water or even a little less).

Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, pour into a blender, and blend until smooth.

Pour blended ingredients back into pot. Add the remaining can of black beans and bring to simmer. If necessary, thicken with roux. Add red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.

Serve in bread bowls, garnished with cilantro and shredded cheese or sour cream.

Bread Bowl

Easy bread bowl recipe made with artisan bread dough. 

Take a lump of dough for each bread bowl, slightly smaller than grapefruit-sized. Knead in flour for one minute (I'd like experiment with kneading longer, but usually I'm making these in a hurry!)

Form a ball using similar technique as with the artisan bread recipe, stretching the outside of the ball with the heel of your hand. Pinch the bottom of the dough together, forming a tight ball. Twist the pinched corners gently to keep them together.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Score the top with a serrated knife. Sprinkle top with sea salt. Using a spray bottle or your fingertips, sprinkle with water. Set to rise for 15 minutes. (If I'm using fresh dough, I skip this step.)

Preheat oven to 500º. Place in oven. The key to getting the bread bowl to rise straight up, apparently, is the water. In addition to the water sprinkled on the dough, I pour a cup of water on an old tray on the bottom rack of the oven to create a steam oven.

After 2 minutes, set oven temperature to 425º. Sprinkle bread bowls with water a second time, and allow to bake for about 18 more minutes.

Once they are golden brown, remove from oven. Using a serrated knife, cut down into the top, making a circle (this will create a cone-shaped "lid"). Remove lid and, if necessary, scoop out some of the bread to form a wide enough bowl.

Fill with black bean soup and enjoy!

Great Chocolate Chip Cookies

I prefer thick, substantial chocolate chip cookies. I'm finding this has a lot to do with whether or not the butter is melted before mixing. This recipe is the best I've found so far, and the key seems to be to mix the butter with the sugar while it's still relatively hard. That means using a fork first, and then a hand mixer. I've also found I can cut back on butter and white sugar and still make a great cookie. Another thing to experiment with is using a bit of honey to add flavor.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt
Chop butter and combine with brown sugar and white sugar. You may need to use a fork first, then a hand mixer. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth.
Slowly mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.
Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes

A healthy, hearty pancake that's quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups oatmeal (ground in food processor)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or white)
3 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk (I use skim milk with a little lemon juice)
2 eggs
1 Tbs melted butter (or vegetable oil)

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in wet ingredients. Cook on skillet until golden brown.
Garnish with fresh berries. Serve with syrup.