Eggnog Crumble Cake

Last Monday I did a little guest post over at the lovely blog, This Heart is Mine.

And just in case you didn't have the chance to check it out last week, I promised that I would share it here this week.  I wouldn't want you missing out you know.

So, before I head off to Missouri (bright and early in the morning!) and get even slower with my blog posts...I figured now would be the best time to share this little gem as a little "please forgive me when I abandon the blog for a few weeks" type thing.



I've always been a lover of breakfast.  No matter the hour of day or time of year...I need my breakfast.  And if I'm deprived...you should probably steer clear.

I'm usually a light and savory type of breakfast girl.  But I completely understand the glory that comes from switching it up every once in a while.  It's a special occasion thing.  Like when my mom makes her world famous waffles.  Or when the holidays roll around.  That's the time when you need a big gooey cinnamon roll or a stack of pancakes and a steaming cup of coffee to get into the holiday spirit.  Nothing kills that spirit like an egg white omelet stuffed with vegetables. (Even though I'm on the egg white omelet boat 360 days a year.)



'Tis the season - Might as well eat cake for breakfast.  Right? Right.



Just as I'm not usually on the sweets for breakfast bandwagon, I'm typically not on the eggnog bandwagon.  But I will admit, I love the flavor.



And that's why this breakfast "cake" knocks it out of the park.  It's sweet.  But not too sweet.  The flavor of eggnog is there but you don't feel like you're drinking a big glass of heavy cream.  The whole wheat flour gives it a boost in the texture department, and justifies the whole sweetness thing.  It's quite perfect.

I recommend whipping up this little treat for an early morning family gathering.  Or maybe a mid afternoon nibble.  But of course it would also do as a late night snack.  I don't want to limit you, you know.

Either way, you'll be the hit of the season.



Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Makes: one 9x13 cake
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
for the coffee cake-
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon + an extra 1/4 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar + an extra 1/3 cup
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup eggnog

for the crumble-
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the eggnog glaze-
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup eggnog
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray or rub with butter.  
2. In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.  In another small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, whisking to combine.
3. In a large bowl, add butter and sugars whisking until smooth.  Whisk in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Slowly add dry ingredients and eggnog until a batter forms and then whisk until smooth.  Pour half of the batter in the baking dish and then sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top.  Cover with the remaining batter, gently spreading with a spatula until even.
4. To make the crumble combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over cake and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cake is set in the middle.
5. While the cake is baking, make glaze by heating all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Allow to come to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside until cake is finished baking.
6. When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes all over with a toothpick.  Drizzle glaze over the top.
7. Cut, serve, enjoy!

Meal Plan Monday

Happy Monday!

This morning I pulled myself out of bed at 5 a.m. to finish making the homemade (buttery, flaky, warm, soft, heavenly) croissants that I started on Saturday night.

That means I've had approximately 18 cups of coffee before 8 a.m., which is probably too many.  But that also means that I'll probably have an incredibly productive day.  Or at least until I nose dive straight into a nap around 2 this afternoon.  But until then...productivity machine.

Oh, did I mention that I love nothing more than grabbing a cup of coffee, rolling out homemade croissants, and watching the sun come up?  Seriously.  How can I make that part of my daily routine?

Speaking of...does anyone have a bakery?  Can I come live there?

Moving forward.

Yesterday, I got to spend a good part of my afternoon enjoying this gorgeous New England fall weather at an apple orchard with some friends.  And it was lovely, despite the fact that it was an absolute madhouse and technically we didn't get to pick the apples off of the trees because of the unbelievably long lines...  Either way, I was able to pick up some apples, acorn squash, a sugar pumpkin, and some apple cider.  All of which drove me to find these recipes.

At this point, my devotion to fall recipes can't be stopped.  And I will take no shame in providing a bombardment of fall flavored recipes from this point forward.  After Thanksgiving I will do my best to pull in the reigns and switch to a different kind of winter fare...maybe laying off the squash and pumpkin for a little while.

But until then...

monday

Can we all say "yum" together?  Yummm.  I haven't cooked with fennel since the night I attempted to slice my finger off with the mandolin slicer.  And that's a shame really because fennel is pretty darn good.  A little strange yes, but it makes for some killer flavor combinations.  Like this one.  To me the combination of fennel and thyme screams fall while lemon and olives are still holding on to summer.  Making it perfect for late September.

 Fennel and Thyme Roasted Cod with Lemon, Olives, and Black Forbidden Rice

-from Saffron Lane

tuesday

Alright.  I hate to jump on the bandwagon but soup served in a pumpkin?  Freaking adorable.  If I had the lavish kitchen and dining room of my dreams I would be hosting dinner parties nightly and serving soup in some sort of round fall vegetable on a regular basis.  But...I don't have said lavish kitchen and dining room set up.  I guess I'll have to settle for making it for the select few who are in my apartment at the time.  Lucky them, right?

 Spicy Acorn Squash and Apple Soup

-from Muy Bueno

wednesday

I recently received a comment on a reallllly old shrimp gumbo post.  It reminded me that 1) I needed to make gumbo again and 2) I needed to make real gumbo.  There are gumbo recipes galore out there but I went with this one because it's filled to the brim with seafood while most are sporting chicken and sausage (yummy yes, but not for me).

 Seafood Gumbo

-from Running with Tweezers

thursday

Fall/Winter makes me forget about salads.  And I love salads.  This one is littered with all sorts of delicious things including chickpeas, quinoa, pine nuts and tomatoes.  And then topped with a garlicky balsamic roasted batch of tofu.  Yes, please.  However...I do think I'll make one change...drop the olive oil and balsamic in the salad and add...

High Protein Salad with Balsamic Roasted Tofu

-from The First Mess

...this dressing.  How could I pass up making "The Best French Vinaigrette You'll Ever Have"?  Plus, it just looks fun to make...there is a mortar and pestle involved for goodness sake.  By the way, do you read A Cup of Jo?  No?  Because you should.  She's fabulous.  Especially when she says things like this..."I like a masochistic salad with bitter greens and an assertive dressing. I like to know I'm eating salad, damn it, and that the dressing is my master."  Well said.

The Best French Vinaigrette You'll Ever Have

-from A Cup of Jo

friday

As I was searching around for recipes I had an overwhelming need for scallops.  I love scallops.  I love scallops a lot.  But I rarely make them at home.  Which is sad.  Especially when they could be prepared with a mustard miso sauce.  And then those scallops along with the mustard miso sauce and maybe some rice could be in my tummy.

Scallops with Mustard Miso Sauce

-from Steamy Kitchen

and a few more just because a fall breakfast is so cozy and delicious...  

and I might have been craving breakfast food.

 Roasted Squash Quiche with Gorgonzola and Sage

-from Prevention RD

 Hot Buttered Apple Cider

-from Eating Richly

Pumpkin Ginger Waffles

-from Always with Butter

 Spiced Oatmeal Smoothie

-from Kitchen Konfidence

 Honey-Scented Yogurt with Figs and Granola

-from Some Kitchen Stories

 Sweet Potato Breakfast Biscuits

-from How Sweet It Is

 Pumpkin Spice Bagels with Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter

-from Ambitious Kitchen

Fall Root Vegetable and Quinoa Hash with Poached Egg

-from Dandelion Mama

P.S. - I'm working on a little blog makeover.  And I would like your help!
Is there anything you would like to see on here?
Do you have any suggestions?
Are there things that could make navigating around easier?
Do you have fabulous color palette ideas?
Leave a comment and let me know!  I would love to hear from you on this!

Mediterranean Baked Tomatoes

Last week I mentioned that I might have one more tomato recipe for you.

Well, guess what?

I've finally decided to pull through on that statement!  And it's a good one.

I know it's getting a little late for tomatoes...and I know I've already pledged my loyalty to Fall...but...in 2 months when I'm walking to class in horrendously cold temperatures with even colder wind blowing in my face...I might need to look back on this post for just a little bit of summertime warmth.

So, I actually made this dish while I was back in Missouri.  Yes, that's right.  I did indeed prepare food while I was in Missouri.  It's hard to believe, I know.  Actually, if you refer back to this post about the Zucchini and Mint Gazpacho you will see that I prepared a lot of food...it just happened to all be in one night.

It's still a toss up for the favorite dish of that particular evening (like I said...you should check out the menu...it was epic) but this one was a definite contender.  It was decided at the dinner table that this would be excellent for breakfast.  Not that it wouldn't be (or wasn't) great for lunch and dinner but, a nice warm plate of this with a piping hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning?

Talk about starting your day off right.

I will go ahead and say that I wish there were more pictures.  But there were a lot of dishes that evening to try and capture.  As well as quite a few hungry people standing around wondering why in the world I was taking pictures of the food that could have been entering their mouths at that point in time.  But at least I was able to fend off the ravenous bunch for a few moments, right?

Mediterranean Baked Tomatoes

Adapted from fresh365

Makes: 4-6 servings  Prep Time: 15 minutes   Bake Time: 25-30 minutes   Total Time: 45 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
4 cups ciabatta bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and toasted
2 cups packed arugula
12 eggs beaten together
2 large tomatoes, sliced
large handful basil leaves, sliced thin
2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 shallots, sliced thin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
To toast bread-Preheat oven to 275° and cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes.  Spread the bread cubes onto a baking sheet in a single even layer.  Bake for 20 minutes or until completely dry.  Stir cubes every 5 minutes or so to ensure that they dry evenly.

After toasting the bread cubes, increase oven heat to 400°.  Transfer bread to a 9x13inch pan and spread evenly in the bottom.  Cover bread with the arugula and beaten eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with the basil, tomatoes, and feta.  Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown and the eggs are set.

While the dish is baking, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.

Remove dish from oven, salt and pepper to taste, and top with additional basil and crispy shallots.

P.S. - I made the most delicious stuffed butternut squash tonight for dinner.  So delicious in fact that I just might have to share it with you tomorrow.  We will see.

Raspberry Sweet Rolls

For me, cinnamon rolls have always meant that the holidays are here.  They mean it's cold outside, I'm back in Missouri, and I'm surrounded by family.  It's comforting.  But it also seems a little narrow-minded, don't you think?  Until now I had never thought of cinnamon rolls being anything but brown sugar, butter, cinnamon (except for the occasional orange roll of course), and only eaten around the holidays.  How ridiculous is that?

But finally I have ended this long and unfair bias towards cinnamon rolls.  But seriously, why didn't I think of this before?  Summer.  Fruit.  Rolled up into a big soft, flaky dough.  Drizzled with yummy glaze.

I guess that's why they say good things take time.

If you happen to strictly break out cinnamon rolls during the holidays or think that "rolls" are only allowed to have the aforementioned *butter, cinnamon, and sugar* in them then I highly encourage you to make this recipe and change your ways.  It will be life altering.  For you and everyone around you.  I promise.

Also, remember that you aren't restricted to raspberries!  As I mentioned in this {Meal Plan Monday} I acquired 7 pints of raspberries over the weekend and therefore had to use some of them up.  But if you have other fruit on hand, use it!  And remember to come back and tell me how delicious they were!

raspberry sweet rolls...  

from The Curvy Carrot

Makes: 16 rolls   Prep Time: 3 1/2 hours (including 3 hours rise time)   Bake Time: 20-25 minutes   Total Time: 4 hours

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
for the dough-
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

for the filling-
1 pint frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

for the glaze-
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. For the dough - In a small saucepan, warm the milk over moderately low heat until it's reached 95°.  Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir in the sugar and yeast.  Let stand until the yeast is foamy, 5-10 minutes.  
2. Add the butter, eggs, lemon zest, salt, and flour.  Beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes.
3. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 10 minutes.  Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands 2 or 3 times.
4. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until doubled, 1-2 hours.
5. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the sides.  Butter the paper and sides of the pan.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 10x24 inch rectangle using a rolling pin.
7. For the filling - In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch.  Spread the filling evenly over the dough and tightly roll the dough towards you to form a 24-inch-long log .
8. Cut the log into quarters and then cut each quarter into 4 slices.  Arrange them in the baking pan, cut sides up.  Spoon all of the extra raspberry *goo* that oozed out onto the top of the rolls and cover to let rise for another 2 hours.  --At this point the rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator overnight.  Just make sure to bring them back to room temperature in the morning!--
9. Preheat oven to 425°.
10. Bake the covered rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden and the berries are bubbling.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes.
11. For the glaze - In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, butter, and heavy cream until you have a thick spreadable glaze.  Pour over rolls and spread evenly or use a pastry bag to string the glaze across the top.
12. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Ginger Peach Muffins

By now I think I've made it very clear how much I adore my Flour cookbook, right?  If not, please refer {here}, {here}, {here}, {here}, OR {here}.  You get the picture right?

After going a solid month without baking (except for that little 4th of July cheesecake...) I was starting to have withdrawals.  I've been aching for a day in the kitchen to whip up something scrumptious.  Seeing as though I was a little out of touch with my baking self, I immediately referred to my trusty Flour cookbook for inspiration.  I had peaches on hand so I was on a narrow search and of course Flour turned up just what I wanted.  Ginger Peach Muffins.  This cookbook always seems to turn up just what I need.  Peach muffins?  Delicious.  Peach muffins with ginger?  You're kidding.

These were just what I needed to get back into the swing of baking.  And today I'm going to start the two day croissant making process via Flour's instructions.  I definitely won't be posting a recipe (since the instructions are 4 pages long!) but I will make sure to take some pictures and let you know how it goes.

Ready to bake?

ginger peach muffins...  

from the Flour Cookbook

Makes: 24 regular muffins or 12 monster muffins   Prep Time: 10 minutes   Bake Time: 30-40 minutes   Cooling Time: 20 minutes   Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 

Preheat oven to 350° and butter, coat with nonstick cooking spray, or line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Gather the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour.

 

Sift everything together...

into a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl add two eggs and the yolk of a third.

Whisk together until thoroughly mixed.

Slowly whisk in 1 1/3 cups sugar...

2 teaspoons vanilla extract...

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter...

1 cup sour cream at room temperature...

1 cup milk at room temperature...

Whisking until well combined.

Pour the butter/sugar mixture into the flour mixture, using a rubber spatula to fold gently until the ingredients are well combined.

Remove the pits from the peaches...

and chop them into smaller pieces.

Chop the crystallized ginger into tiny pieces...

and grate the fresh ginger.

Add the peaches and ginger to the batter and mix everything up.

Spoon batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly and filling the cups to the rim until they are almost overflowing.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown on top and spring back when pressed in the middle.

Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes and then remove the muffins from the pan.

Serve warm with a little bit of butter and a big cup of hot tea!  Enjoy.