almond muchas leches cake

I’ve never tasted an authentic tres leches (in Spanish, “three milks”) cake.  I set out to correct that on Mother’s Day, but after making this, my inexperience still holds true. Things don’t always go right in the kitchen, but it went wrong oh so deliciously.
The cake I decided was to induct me into the world of tres leches cakes was in fact a twist, a muchas leches (“many milks”) cake. Once I finally got over my visual hangup that the photo in the cookbook looked as if Frosted Flakes were covering a cake, I realized the recipe’s potential. An almond-based cake with muchas leches soaking liquid consisting of cream, dulce de leche, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, with sugared almonds to garnish. Yes, please.
However, things don’t always turn out as planned. To my chagrin, the liquid simply would not soak into the cake, the hallmark of a tres leches cake. When a puddle   stubbornly remained on the bottom cake layer for about 30 minutes, I finally decided it wasn’t meant to be. Instead, I gently folded the liquid into the whipped cream, refrigerated it to firm up more, proceeded to frost and layer the cake, and hoped for the best.
I think we know where this is going. The cake, though not an authentic tres leches cake, was dreamy. The muchas leches soaking liquid that gave me such troubles was delightful in the frosting, lending an indescribable sweetness and flavor that dressed up the whipped cream, and coupled with the firm almond cake and crispy  sugared almonds, it was by no means a failure.

Muchas Leches Cake with Sugared Almonds
adapted from Rebecca Rather’s The Pastry Queen

This cake is slightly reminiscent of a wedding cake with the almond, but the overall flavor is complex due to the muchas leches.

I halved this gigantic recipe, but if you are serving a big crowd, double all ingredients and bake in a 18 x 13-inch pan. Slice the cake into quarters (halve lengthwise and widthwise) and assemble.

Cake
2 cups (8 ounces) blanched (skins removed) almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 1/4 ounces/120 grams) sugar; plus 1/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
7 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce/15 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Muchas Leches Soaking Liquid/Frosting Mix-in*
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons dulce de leche or caramel
1/4 cup sweetened cream of coconut, such as Coco López
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sugared Almonds
2 large egg whites
2 cups (6 1/4 ounces/177 grams) sliced almonds
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Frosting
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup (3 ounces/105 grams) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

Fresh berries, for garnish (optional)

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and butter and flour the bottom and sides of the pan.In the bowl of a food processor, finely grind the almonds with 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour and baking powder and then the ground almond mixture.

Using a handheld mixer, in a large bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to overmix! If the egg whites look curdled/grainy, you’ve beat them too much.) You can also whip the egg whites in the cleaned bowl of a stand mixer. (Or do this step in the stand mixer first, before the egg yolks, and transfer to another bowl.) Gradually and gently fold the egg whites into the batter until it’s fully incorporated and no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Evenly smooth the top with a spatula (important because the batter will not even as it bakes). Bake until the top is golden brown and firm, pulling away from the sides slightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a baking rack greased lightly with cooking spray to cool completely.

Make the muchas leches soaking liquid: Whisk together the cream, dulce de leche/caramel, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla in a bowl or liquid measuring cup.

Make the sugared almonds: Preheat the oven to 325° F. In a clean, dry bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy. Stir in the almonds, sugar, and salt, being sure to coat each almond.  Spread the almonds in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes. Break up the almonds slightly with a spatula. Cool and then further break apart into small chunks.

Make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream on speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff, spreadable peaks form.

Assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, slice the cooled cake into thirds width-wise so that you have three rectangular pieces of cake about 4 1/3 x 9 inches each.  Place a layer of cake on a serving platte, poke some holes in the top using a skewer or fork, and brush with a third of the soaking liquid.  Frost with about 1/4 of the whipped cream. Top with another layer of cake, poke holes, brush with half of the remaining soaking liquid, and frost again with whipped cream. Top with the final layer of cake, poke holes, and brush with the remaining liquid*.  Frost the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the whipped cream.  Press the sugared almonds into the top and sides of the cake to cover evenly. Garnish with fresh berries and a light dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.

Cake will keep, refrigerated and covered in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.

*This process of soaking the cake with the muchas leches didn’t quite work for me. I folded the muchas leches soaking liquid into the whipped cream, refrigerated it to firm up more, and proceeded to frost and layer the cake.

strawberry shortbread

I have put off sharing this until strawberries were more widely available, as Louisiana is no standard for seasonality of produce. Lucky us, local strawberries are ready as early as late February, which is decidedly not the norm. I picked up a half-flat of ruby-red strawberries from the farmers’ market in mid-March, and they found their way into shortbread, among other goodies.
I was a little apprehensive about baking the strawberries, as they have a penchant for becoming watery in the oven. It’s also so tempting just to leave the berries whole and fresh and eat them as is, but I wanted to do something different. I reworked  this peach shortbread to feature strawberries and added some complementary flavors: almond, in the form of flour, and bright lemon zest. The browned butter in the original recipe is an ingenious touch–browned, frozen to re-solidify, and rubbed into the shortbread crumbs, which double as a base and topping. I then somehow managed to forget half an egg (since I halved this large recipe), so the bars were more crumbly than they should have been. But due to the small quantity, all was well.
The result? The strawberries became jammy, sweet, and deeply concentrated in the oven, melding with a nutty, buttery crust (hello brown butter and almond flour!) with the hint of bright lemon zest to balance it all out in a thin, crumbly slice of spring that left me excited for the rest of the season.

Strawberry Shortbread
generously adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s peach shortbread

Makes about 12 2 x 2 1/2-inch squares

A long list of adaptions: I halved the recipe to bake in an 8 x 8-inch pan, swapped strawberries for peaches, substituted some of the all-purpose flour for almond flour, added lemon zest, omitted the spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), and forgot to add (half) an egg.

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces or 100 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (4.25 ounces or 120 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) almond flour*
1/8 teaspoon  salt
1/2 egg (beat egg in a measuring cup and use half), or omit, but bars will be very crumbly
about 1 pint strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. It will melt, bubble and foam, turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom to prevent them from burning. Watch the butter closely– it goes from brown to burned very quickly. Transfer to a small bowl and freeze until solid (about 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter (or nonstick spray) a 8 x 8-inch pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, rub together the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the baking powder, flours, and salt and whisk to combine. Using a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips (my preferred method, but work quickly), rub the solidified brown butter and egg into the flour mixture. It will be very crumbly. Pat about 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly to make a solid base. Layer strawberry slices over crumb base in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over strawberries. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until top and edges are gently golden brown. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares or diamonds.

Storing and Keeping: These are best kept in the fridge, where they are good up to  a week. Deb supposes freezing between layers of waxed paper, with the container sealed in plastic wrap, would work well.

*Although the texture from store-bought almond flour is best, you can make your own by processing blanched almonds (skins removed) in a food processor until fine.

banana cream pie

I have two stories about banana cream pie. The first is that my dad, the Emeril Lagasse-devotee that he is, made this pie about 14 years ago, when I was a wee tot. Therefore I have no memories of said pie, but according to both my mom and dad, it was a highly delicious pain, with multiple components and too many dirty dishes to count. Of course, my dad’s forte is in Big Green Eggs and savory cooking, not pastry. Nonetheless, a recipe that is memorable after nearly a decade and a half must be good, and long, involved recipes have never scared me.
When I was younger, just before the time when I started making my own birthday dessert, my choice for two years in a row was banana cream pie. Why I suddenly loved it I don’t know, as I’d probably eaten it only a few time before. I think it was the pastry cream that attracted me, with its thick, cream, vanilla richness that I still find irresistible to this day. Whatever it was, I loved those pies my mom made, but I haven’t eaten banana cream pie since.
Until this Easter, when I felt motivated enough to tackle the banana cream pie, merging my former love for the pie with my parents’ memory of my dad’s pie. As they remembered, it was long and involved (but dividing the work over a few days helps!) but also was as delicious as they remembered and more so than any banana cream pie I’ve had before.

Banana Cream Pie
adapted from Emeril

There are several unique aspects of this pie that I love: inclusion of mashed banana in the graham cracker crust (which itself is a nice change from a traditional pie crust), a plethora of bananas in the pie (how healthy!…) , and the chocolate and caramel sauces. I did have a few issues and have noted them below.

I noticed two different versions of the pie online: this one, which reviewers claimed has a finicky, overly rich pastry cream and a too-thick crust, and this one I made, which has a modified pastry cream, halved crust recipe (which I found to be not enough, see below), and a different caramel sauce recipe. My dad had made the first version so I was momentarily blinded by nostalgia but decided that the second would be easier to manage and better.

Yes, this is a lot of work. However, spreading out the components over a few days makes a big difference. I made the caramel and chocolate sauce on one day; made graham cracker crust and pastry cream and assembled the pie on the day before, and on the day of, I made the whipped cream. Ideally, make the pie the day before you want to serve it, so the flavors can deepen.

It took me a long time to cook the cornstarch and thicken the pastry cream. I ended up with a smaller volume than expected and very thick (but very good) pastry cream, leaving me to think that the longer cooking time cooked out more liquid than usual. However, a thick pastry cream really is essential for this pie, because the slices need to be firm.

The graham cracker crust gave me some difficulties. I found that I needed more of it for a proper crust, so I’ve increased the quantities below. Also, my crust stuck terribly to my pie pan. I’ve chalked it up to too long in the oven, because it was nearly caramelized (delicious but almost unremovable from the pie pan). Just be sure to watch the crust closely as it bakes.

Pastry Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar, separated
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch

For Assembly
Graham Cracker Crust, recipe follows
3 pounds (about 9) firm but ripe bananas, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
Chocolate Sauce, recipe follows
Shaved chocolate, for garnish, optional
Powdered sugar, for garnish, optional

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, eggs, cornstarch, and the remaining 1 cup sugar until pale yellow in color (may take a bit of strenuous whisking).

Slowly drizzle and whisk about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture. Gradually add the remaining cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to cook out the cornstarch and thicken the mixture, about 5 minutes, but it took me at least 15 minutes. (Emeril advises that if the mixture should separate slightly, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth. I didn’t encounter this problem.) Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Or, speed up the chilling process with an ice bath: fill a large bowl with some ice and a little cold water, and rest the bowl with the pastry cream in the ice bath, being careful that ice and water doesn’t reach too far up sides of the bowl with the pastry cream (It really only needs to cover the outside area where the pastry cream is). Stir occasionally until the pastry cream is thoroughly chilled.

To assemble, spread 1/2 cup pastry cream over the bottom of the prepared crust, smoothing with a rubber spatula. Arrange banana slices (not quite one-third) in a tight, tiled pattern over the pastry cream, pressing down to pack them firmly. Repeat to build a second layer, using 3/4 cup pastry cream and enough bananas to cover, smoothing down the layer evenly. For the third layer, spread 3/4 cup pastry cream over the bananas and top with the remaining bananas, starting 1-inch from the outer edge and working toward the center. Spread the remaining pastry cream evenly over the bananas to prevent discoloration. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. This chilling period helps marry the flavor of bananas into the pastry cream.

To prepare the whipped cream, in a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whip attachment, whip 2 cups cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form. You can spread the whipped cream over the entire pie or individually over each slice. Either way, wait until you are about to serve the pie to add the whipped cream.

When you are ready to serve the pie, use a serrated knife to cut the slices. Don’t forget the whipped cream, drizzles of caramel and chocolate sauce, and, if using, chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.

Graham Cracker Crust
About 15 graham crackers to yield 1 2/3 cups crumbs
5 tablespoons sugar
1/3 ripe banana, mashed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a food processor, grind the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add sugar, mashed banana, and butter and mix well. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.  Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Let cool.

Caramel Sauce

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons whole milk

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently with a silicon spatula, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Add the cream (it will fizz and sputter slightly violently), whisk to combine, then add the milk. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before serving with the pie. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) You can make the caramel sauce ahead and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 ounces (About 1 1/2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips, or chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Scald (cook to just under the boiling point) the half-and-half and butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat.

Place the chocolate and vanilla in a medium, heat-proof bowl. Add the hot half-and-half and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. The sauce can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for several days, but should be returned to room temperature or heated slightly before serving.

maple oat waffles

I think by now it’s no secret that breakfast is perhaps my favorite meal of the day. Aside from the nutritional aspect of breakfast (I’m always hungry in the morning, quite ravenous, really), the meal most tout as the most important to get metabolism rolling, yada yada, one of my personal favorite parts of the meal is its easy ability to pass off what may resemble a pastry or sweet as something quite reasonable to consume in the a.m. hours. (Ahem, see coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, scones…)But I try to reconcile these two elements, nutrition and deliciousness, that are so often at odds with each other, yet shouldn’t be at breakfast. Sometimes I want something that sways more nutritious, sometimes something that is unabashedly delicious, but I love when I can get both, as in these waffles. They aren’t the epitome of health, but the addition of oat bran and oat flour boosts the nutritional aspects. I know, I know. “You want me to put oat bran and oat flour in my waffles?! Uh, no thanks.” Don’t run! These are so far from dense cardboard. The oat bran is hardly detectible in the waffles, and the oat flour lends an almost sweet, mild flavor that echoes the sweetness of the maple syrup.
So although these maple oat waffles caught my eye because they looked more nutritious than the average waffle, they caught my taste buds because they’re actually more delicious.

Maple Oat Waffles
barely adapted from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain

Aha, now you can have your maple syrup in your waffles! Yet I still like to have some atop the waffles too. Yum.

3 tablespoons butter, melted, for the waffle iron

Dry Ingredients 
1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup oat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Ingredients
2 cups cold whole milk, separated
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably grade B, which is darker and deeper and will impart a stronger flavor)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Heat the waffle iron to its highest setting. These waffles are best (hello caramelized, crispy edges) when cooked at high heat.

2. Put the oat bran into a small bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of milk to just under a boil. Add the hot milk to the oat bran and stir to combine. Set aside.

3. Sift the rest of the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, and salt) into a large bowl, dumping back any ingredients that remain in the sifter into the bowl.

4. Put the egg whites into the clean bowl of a standing mixer and the yolks into a separate medium bowl. Whisk the maple syrup and vanilla into the egg yolks until thoroughly combined.

5. Stir the remaining 1 cup of milk into the oat bran—the cold milk will cool off any residual heat from the bran. Stir the oat mixture into the maple syrup mixture to combine.

6. Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. The batter will still have fine lumps throughout; resist the urge to mix them in.

7. Fit the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and beat the egg whites on high speed. As they whip, they’ll become light and frothy and begin to increase in volume. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Next, they will turn thick and very soft. Continue whipping until they are fluffy and glossy and hold their peaks, about 3 minutes total. (If they look cracked and mealy, you overwhipped them. Throw them out and start over.)

8. Gently fold half of the egg whites into the batter  so as not to deflate the airy whites. Add the rest of the egg whites, and fold gently to combine. The egg whites should be entirely incorporated into the batter and the batter should be quite airy and light with small bubbles.

9. This light batter needs to be cooked on the waffle iron just as soon as you finish mixing it. It will deflate quickly (in the fridge or not) if left to sit.

10. Brush the waffle iron generously with the butter. Using a ladle or measuring cup, scoop about 1/2 cup of batter (depending on the size of your waffle iron) onto the spaces of the iron. Boyce says that the smell wafting from the iron starts out like a freshly kneaded loaf of bread, then becomes toasty. Remove the waffle when an indicator light shows that it is done, or when a quick peek shows that it has turned a deep golden-brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. My waffles are always done when the steaming stops. Carefully remove the hot waffles, and repeat with the remaining batter.

11. These waffles are best eaten hot, right off the iron. Boyce recommends a thin slab of butter melting on top and maybe a bit of jam. Maple syrup is also a fitting accompaniment.

12. These freeze and refrigerate decently well, although the crispy crust and freshness can never be mimicked.

meyer lemon curd

Winter citrus is nearly gone. Its bright, spunky influence on the overall drab scene of winter produce (still shocks me how citrus belongs to the cold months) is being replaced by strawberries (see below) and other spring delights. I’ve been meaning to bake with Meyer lemons, but the season has slipped by. Luckily, though, I found some stragglers last weekend. Success! Now the only question was what to do with these (orangey) yellow  gems.
I couldn’t resist revisiting this Meyer lemon curd. If you’re one of those people that loves a generous dose of tart along with your sweet, lemon curd is for you. (And even if you don’t, I’m fairly convinced you’ll still love it.) Mellow Meyer lemons soften the edges of the lemon flavor, lending a sweet floral note to the curd, a twist I’ve become addicted to.
So hurry! Scoop up some Meyers before they are gone and make this. You just might be able to score this duo:

Meyer Lemon Curd
adapted from Gourmet, December 1999

This curd is a multitasker. It plays nicely as dipping for fresh fruit; filling for cake or tarts; spread on scones/biscuits/muffins/etc.; folded into whipped cream for a mousse-like treat; layered with cake, fruit, and whipped cream for a trifle; or, you know, on a spoon.

If  you want to sub regular lemons, increase the sugar to 3/4 cup.

Note that I halved the recipe, so my pictures depict slightly different quantities.

3 to 4 medium Meyer lemons
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup/8 tablespoons/4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 4 chunks

Zest lemons to yield 1 tablespoon of zest and squeeze 1/2 cup juice.

In a medium metal bowl, whisk together the zest, juice, sugar, salt, and eggs. Add the butter chunks.

Rig up a double-boiler: set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until thickened and smooth and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 5 minutes. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to get rid of any pesky egg bits and most of the zest.

Serve warm or cover surface of curd with wax paper or plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming) and cool completely in the fridge.

The curd will keep in the fridge, covered, for about 1 week.

coffee cake muffins

Cake for breakfast? Yes, I think so. Breakfast of champions! These really are every bit as indulgent as they sound. Their full title is Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins with Chocolate-Cinnamon Swirl and Streusel Topping, quite a mouthful, but we can abbreviate that to coffee cake muffins. It’s really a dessert masquerading as breakfast, but just give the cake the epithet “coffee,” and you’ll be good to go.
I made these as a portable yet delicious Mardi Gras Day breakfast. Squares of cake would be too messy (albeit delicious), so I opted for muffins instead. They provided a quick cake fix on the parade route and sweet fuel for the day (besides the obligatory king cake, of course).
They’re impossibly moist, due to the classic addition of sour cream, and have a perfect texture–delicately sturdy. Two ribbony swirls of chocolate-cinnamon sugar interrupt the rich cake, while buttery brown sugar streusel finishes off the muffins with a crunch and crumble.

Coffee Cake Muffins with Chocolate-Cinnamon Swirl
adapted from Baked 

My major change was to switch these from 9 x 13-inch coffee cake to coffee cake muffins. I made 12 regular-sized muffins and 5 jumbo muffins, if I remember correctly. This should yield about 24 standard-sized muffins. I also doubled the about of cocoa powder in the swirl to make it equally chocolate and cinnamon flavored.

Makes about 24 muffins

Streusel
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped finely
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Chocolate-Cinnamon Swirl
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sour Cream Cake
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream (do not substitute low-fat sour cream or yogurt)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, dark brown sugar, and salt. Stir in the pecans. Add the butter cubes and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until the streusel is crumbly and resembles coarse sand. Cover and refrigerate.

Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl:
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients and set aside.

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line muffin tins with paper liners, or grease with butter or cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and pale. Scrape down bowl. Add the sugar, and cream until the mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until incorporated.  Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl as needed and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not over mix! The batter should be very thick, smooth, and creamy.

Filling the muffins is pretty much a guess-and-check process. Pour an even layer of batter in the bottom of each muffin tin (filling it about 1/4), using 1/3 of the batter to fill all the muffins. If needed, use an offset spatula to spread batter evenly. Sprinkle half of the chocolate-cinnamon swirl mixture over the batter, covering the entire surface of each. Spoon half of remaining batter over the swirl mixture and spread it evenly. Top with remaining swirl mixture, then the remaining batter, and spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

The muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, although they are best the first day.

oatmeal raisin biscotti

Guilty as charged. I hadn’t meant to abandon this space, but February blitzed by in a whirlwind. A few busy weeks at school, a big swim meet, and, of course, Mardi Gras! and here we are nearing the end of this short month. At least I had this holiday week off of school to relax. I brought some cookies to make up for it. Well, I brought the recipe at least. You’ll have to make them yourself.
These biscotti taste just like richly spiced, deeply flavored oatmeal raisin cookies, crammed with golden raisins and with the nutty, rich flavor of toasted pecans. They are crunchy, crisp, and break off into dry little crumbs when you bite into one (see photos for evidence), thanks to the trademark double bake at a low temperature that dries out the cookies. Dry cookies? Sounds…not good. But these are great. A crispy bite is the hallmark of good biscotti. I find that sometimes biscotti aren’t completely dried out and made crisp and crunchy by the second bake, but low and slow proves to have the perfect effect, a technique I hope to try with other biscotti recipes.
These have a way of begging you to eat them for breakfast, in part due to their resemblance to a nice bowl of oatmeal. They certainly play well in the morning, having only two modest tablespoons of oil, dried fruit, nuts (yay protein), oats, and even whole-wheat flour, if you like. Biscotti also have a long shelf life, making them perfect for sending away (lucky recipients have included college siblings). Even though I made these almost three weeks ago, they are as delicious as ever.

Oatmeal Raisin Biscotti
adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco

Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on size

I tweaked this recipe here and there. I added instructions for a homemade version of maple sugar, a hard-to-find and expensive ingredient, although you can use brown sugar instead. I added orange zest for  bright contrast, nutmeg because I like it, and increased the vanilla and cinnamon.  Also, you can play around with the ratio of flours, keeping in mind the different effects whole-wheat flour will have on your dough. I also listed many ways you can go wild with this recipe; there are really endless variations you can try.

3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup maple sugar or 3/4 cup sugar (granulated or brown) + 2 tablespoons maple syrup   (for homemade maple sugar) or  3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons orange zest (I used 1 teaspoon, and it was barely noticeable; I’d use 2 teaspoons next time.)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (or use 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup oat flour)
1 3/4 cups flour (DeMasco lists 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. I used 1 cup white-whole wheat flour and 3/4 all-purpose and really couldn’t tell the difference. You could probably use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour.)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used spicy Vietnamese cinnamon.)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup dark molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup golden raisins (or regular raisins)

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Toast pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet until they are browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let cool, and chop roughly. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

If you are making a homemade maple sugar imitation, stir 2 tablespoons maple syrup into 3/4 cup sugar (granulated or brown). Regardless of what sugar (real maple sugar, homemade maple sugar, or plain brown sugar) you are using, rub the orange zest into the sugar so it is fragrant and moist.

In a food processor or blender, process 1/2 cup oats to make a fine flour. (Omit this step if using oat flour.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, mix together the orange sugar, oat flour, remaining 1/2 cup oats, flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses, oil, and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  The dough should be dark, dense, and sticky. Mix in the pecan and raisins just until combined.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a skinny 2 x 16-inch log and carefully transfer onto the baking sheet, placing them about 2 inches apart. (If you like, you can nix the whole floured surface part and instead divide the dough in the bowl and shape it on the baking sheet.)

Bake until the logs are golden and firm, about 30 minutes, rotating the sheet once. Allow the logs, still on the parchment paper, to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250° F. Transfer the warm logs to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut them on the diagonal into 1/3 to 2/3 inch thick slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake again until the biscotti are dry, firm, and crisp, about 1 hour. Let the sheet of biscotti cool completely on a wire rack.

The biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. (Nice shelf life, eh?)

Variations: DeMasco offers three variations, and I’ve added some further suggestions to them:
Oatmeal Apricot Biscotti: Use 3/4 cup roughly chopped toasted almonds in place of the pecans and 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots instead of raisins. I’d also use honey instead of molasses, use granulated or brown sugar in place of the maple sugar, add 3/4 teaspoon almond extract (or more or less to taste), and omit the spices if desired, although I think the contrast provided by the warm flavor of the spices would be interesting.

Oatmeal Blueberry Biscotti: Use 3/4 cup roughly chopped toasted unsalted pistachios in place of the pecans and 3/4 cup dried blueberries instead of raisins. I’d also recommend using honey instead of molasses, adding 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, adding 1 teaspoon lemon zest, using granulated or brown sugar instead of maple sugar, and omitting or swapping the spices if desired.

Oatmeal Cherry Biscotti: Use 3/4 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts in place of the pecans and use 3/4 cup chopped dried cherries instead of raisins. I’d also add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Play around with this recipe; it adapts easily with different combinations of nuts (pecans, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts), dried fruit (raisins, apricots, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, currants), flours (white, wheat, white-wheat, or a mix), liquid (honey, molasses, maple syrup, golden syrup) and dry sweeteners (granulated, brown, and/ore maple sugar), spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger), extracts (vanilla, almond), zests (lemon, orange), etc.