Yogurt Coffee Cake

When I got out of town for a few days, I have fairly accurate picture of what goes on in the house while I'm gone.

Single Man Mayem ensues.

Let me explain:

Netflix viewing is surely restricted to episodes of Entourage, Family Guy, and various manly action-thriller movies that involve explosions, guns, and large sums of money.

Internet news is limited to ESPN--hockey scores specifically.

Shaving? Who needs it.

And food? I could right a book on the diet of bachelors. I have no doubt there are a lot of fried potatoes, beer, and chocolate chip cookies on the menu.

Last week, I traveled out of town for the annual state Social Work conference. Prior to leaving, I did my wifely duty of preparing several dishes for Adam to eat in my absence. Although the man does at least 50% of the cooking in our house (if not more), I know that when I'm gone and Single Man Mahem occurs, his cooking skills go out the window...right along with his desire to tune into Grey's Anatomy with me.

For breakfast, I created a variation on his mom's fantastic coffee cake recipe. This delightful breakfast ring is moist and sweet--almost like pound cake for breakfast. I made a huge bowl of nutty crumb topping to layer in the middle and cover the top. I could eat that crumb topping straight out of the bowl if someone let me.

Did I need to tell you that the cake stand was empty when I returned home?

Yogurt Coffee Cake

(recipe adapted from Adam's mom, Kathy)

This is one of my go-to company-is-coming breakfasts. Apparently, it's now also the breakfast I make for Adam when I go out of town. I need to start making it for me!

Cake Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 - 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups flour

Streusel Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 - 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 5 TBSP cold butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• about 2 TBSP milk
• splash of vanilla

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9 " tube pan with cooking spray.

2) In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for the cake. Add eggs and beat well. Fold in the sour cream and vanilla. Sift together remaining dry ingredients for the cake and fold into the batter.

3) To prepare the streusel, combine the brown sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter and "stir" with a fork until crumbly. Stir in nuts.

4) Pour half of cake batter in the tube pan. Sprinkle with half the crumb topping. Pour remaining batter on top and sprinkle with remaining crumb topping. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until a lightly browned a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5) Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl, adding more sugar or liquid to reach desired consistency (as needed). Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Company-is-Coming Breakfast

The March 2011 Daring Baker's Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria's Collection and Jamie of Life's a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged the Daring Bakers to bake a Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.

The next time you have company visiting overnight, you MUST make this Coffee Cake. Seriously. It's going to be a new company-is-coming breakfast requirement at your house. It definitely is at mine.

Once again, the Daring Bakers put my baking skills to the test with a delightful treat I'd never heard of, much less attempted in the kitchen. This breakfast ring is essentially a yeast coffee cake, filled with chocolate and nuts.

It tastes like a chocolate-loaded pastry straight off the rack at Panera. Only ten times better.

And honestly, it wasn't near as difficult as I expected (far easier and less awkward to work with than the Stollen). The best part? Definitely the ooey gooey chocolate in the middle, which firms up beautifully once the bread has cooled.

We've all got our company-is-coming breakfast treats. Growing up, my mom always made Cinnamon-Sugar Monkey Bread for breakfast visitors. I hadn't found my own visitor breakfast niche yet...until I baked this baby last week.

Consider my niche found.

Yeasted Meringue-Chocolate Coffee Cake
(recipe from Jamie at Life's a Feast)

Dough Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 - 1/8 tsp. yeast
• 1/4 + 2 TBSP milk
• 2 TBSP water
• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg

Meringue Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup sugar

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping:

• More semi-sweet chocolate chips! (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup?)
  

Directions:
1) In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Set aside.

2) In a small saucepan, combine the milk, water, and butter and heat until just warmed and the butter is melted.

3) Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture with your mixer on low speed. Mix until well-combined. Increase mixer speed and beat for about 2 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 cup flour and beat for another 2 minutes.

4) Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 - 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic (add more flour as neeeded).

5) Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray and turn to coat. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest in a warm place, undisturbed, for an hour (it should double in size).

6) Meanwhile, prepare your filling: Combine the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.

7) Once the dough has doubled in size, prepare your meringue: Beat the egg whites and salt together on high speed until light and foamy. Add the vanilla, and start adding the sugar 1 TBSP at a time. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.

8) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Punch dough down and roll into a rectangle (about 20 x 10 inches). Spread the meringue over the rectangle, leaving a 1 - 2 inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar on top, then the nuts, and then the chocolate chips.

9) Roll the rectangle up, jelly-roll style, from the long end. Transfer the rolled log (funny terminology, isn't it?) onto the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down. Pull the two ends together to form a wreath/ring shape, and pinch the edges together to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut slits around the ring, a few inches apart from each other.

10) Cover the coffee cake ring with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for about 60 minutes to rise.

11) Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden and risen.

12) Once the coffee cake has cooled, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Spread or drizzle over the top of the coffee cake and allow to cool and solidify before serving.

Nuts for Sugared Pecans

Forget sugar plums.

It's all about the sugared pecans.

Warning: This is quite possibly one of the most addictive holiday snacks out there. I generally eat my weight in them during the month of December. No worries though: January was designed to make up for all of the December indiscretions.

Your stomach may cry out for you to stop the overload of cookies and fudge, but it will never turn away the satisfying crunch and sweet n' salty balance of a sugar-coated pecan.

As you're making your list of what to bake for who this season, consider these thoughts on sugared pecans:

• They're the perfect gift for someone with gluten-intolerance. It's easy for folks with Celiac Disease to feel left out of the seasonal fun, what with all the flour-heavy baked treats. Sugared pecans will surely bring a smile to their face.
• Consider adding these crunchy little gems to a gift for the gourmet beer-lover in your life. Fill an empty basket from the attic with select beers, a bag of sugared pecans, and a bag of homemade snack mix.
• They're also packaged beautifully in clean, empty jam or nut butter jars.
• They make a great stocking stuffer--just wrap them in a clear cellophane bag with some ribbon and raffia.

Can you tell I'm just nutty for this snack?

Sugared Pecans

(adapted from this recipe at Allrecipes.com)

Whether you're making these as a gift, or just for your awesome self, I promise you won't regret it. Promise.

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 1 pound pecan halves (I actually mixed a handful of whole almonds into this batch as well)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

3) Add the pecans to the egg white mixture and stir until coated. Coat the nuts with the sugar mixture until evenly-covered. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for approximately one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

4) Package 'em up and send 'em out. But not before you eat a few...handfuls.

Ga Ga for Goat Cheese

Cinnamon. Pecan. Goat Cheese.

Oh, yes I did.

Yesterday I made myself a little snack that, incidentally, could also serve as an impressively festive appetizer for a holiday party.

I already disclosed the secret ingredient: Cinnamon-Pecan seasoned goat cheese. Holy yum. I mean, what doesn't go well with goat cheese? On second thought, don't answer that. Just know that cinnamon and pecans go with it really well.

On top of my goat cheese slather you'll find the festive portion of the dish: bright red, dried cranberries, and chopped pistachios. 'Tis the season for holiday color coordination.

Perhaps the best part of this little treat was the crazy accessibility of the Cinnamon-Pecan goat cheese. No, I didn't pick it up at a quaint little gourmet food shop. I didn't even find it at Giant Eagle. I discovered this little gem of a cheese at Aldi--the low-price, do-it-yourself mini grocery store. (PS--I also picked up a few rounds of seasonal Brie...oh goodness yes).

Adam returns from his manly hunting trip tomorrow, so I'll try to have a plate of these goat cheese dream boats waiting for him in the fridge. Let's just hope he's as ga ga for goat cheese as I am.

What's your favorite dish to take to a holiday party?

Pistachio & Cranberry Appetizers

(aka "Goat Cheese Dream Boats")

Ingredients:

• one whole grain baguette, sliced
• a little Smart Balance
• Cinnamon-Pecan Goat Cheese (if you don't have any on hand, trust your foodie instinct and mix some up yourself!)
• Dried cranberries
• Chopped pistachios

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spread the top of each baguette slice with a little Smart Balance (or other non-hydrogenated vegan margarine). Toast in oven for about 5 - 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Spread each slice with goat cheese and sprinkle with cranberries and pistachios.

The Grill Sergeant

Since childhood, I can recall my dad taking on cooking duty for a few select menu items.

He always wore the same brown apron--it read "Grill Sergeant" across the front--and he moved carefully and methodically through the kitchen, preparing food with a precision I rarely witnessed. (I was more accustomed to watching the cooking style demonstrated by my mom: a fast-moving combo of the Iron Chef and Rachael Ray. Don't mess with the Hungry Spoon Mama in her kitchen. She means business.)

The list of foods my dad has mastered is brief, albeit powerful in the man world:

• Various meats prepared on the grill
• French Toast
• Bacon
• the Thanksgiving turkey
• Stovetop oatmeal
• Chex Snack Mix

I assume that most men would gladly survive on these items alone if given the option.

Today, we'll focus on the Chex Snack Mix. Growing up, this treat was only prepared between the day after Thanksgiving and New Year's Day--it's a strictly holiday food in the Hungry Spoon's household-of-origin. And it's only prepared by my rockin' dad.

With his grill sergeant apron, and his meticulous nature, my dad single-handedly holds the power of signaling the beginning of the holiday season for my family...one pan of Chex Mix at a time.

I stopped by my parents' house yesterday afternoon to take advantage of their fridge full of leftovers, and, much to my delight, a roasting pan full of Chex mix greeted me in the kitchen.

Ah, the holiday season has officially begun.

While there are endless variations to this basic recipe, the traditional version is simple and classic. Set a few bowl-fuls out at your holiday party, or package them up in recycled jars for holiday gifts. Warning: this stuff is addictive. Seriously.

What signals the beginning of the holiday season for you?

Dad's Holiday Chex Mix

(adapted from this Chex Mix recipe)

I placed small bowls of this snack mix throughout our house for our holiday party last year--there was barely a crumb left by the end of the evening.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups corn Chex
• 3 cups rice Chex
• 3 cups wheat Chex
• 3 cups Cheerios
• 1 - 2 cups pretzels
• 1 cup peanuts
• 6 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 - 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2) Combine cereals, pretzels, and nuts in a large roasting pan. In a saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add in seasonings. Pour butter mixture over cereal and stir to coat evenly.

3) Bake snack mix for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

*Fun gift idea: I like to fill recycled nut butter and salsa jars with snack mix, personalize the lids, and add them to food gift baskets/boxes for neighbors and friends during the holidays.

Kitchen Cabinet Finds

On Tuesday evening I got the urge to clean out kitchen cabinets.

You know how it happens: you're searching for that single obscure item you know is hidden somewhere in your stash (in my case, a pouch of dried apricots). Before you know it, you've emptied the entire contents of your cabinet onto the counter, and you're re-discovering ingredients you had long-forgotten you purchased.

After discarding an expired box of prunes and an ancient can of sweetened condensed milk, I was left with the good fortune of two cabinet items I didn't even know I had: a bag of pistachios (score!) and a jar of roasted red peppers (super lucky).

Now the fun begins--what recipe could I create with these bonus delicacies hidden in my cabinet? When all else fails, I turn to a hearty grain as a base, add some unique mix-ins, and stir in a homemade vinaigrette. Voila! A healthy lunch for the next day was ready to go.

As a side note, I hope you all had a beautiful food-filled Thanksgiving! I enjoyed plenty of garlic mashed potatoes, apple-onion stuffing, sweet potatoes with pecans, and Chocolate-Pecan Pie. The best part of the day, however, was spending it surrounded by my family.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory from this year?

Bulgur with Roasted Red Pepper, Pistachios, and Cilantro Pesto

(Inspired by a Cooking Light recipe)

This is a super light and healthy vegan salad. Pack in tupperware for your lunch at work, or bring it to a holiday potluck--it's red and green colors will fit right in :)

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• 2 cups low-sodium broth (veggie or chicken)
• a little olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios

Cilantro Pesto Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 3 TBSP fresh, chopped parsley
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• a dash of salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add bulgur, remove from heat, cover saucepan and set aside.

2) In a small skillet, heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until just softened, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

3) Place all of the cilantro pesto ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, and season to taste.

4) In a large bowl, combine bulgur, onion, and bell peppers. Stir in pesto until evenly coated, then stir in pistachios.

Health Loaf Love

This week I was craving a treat that Adam begrudgingly refers to as a "Health Loaf." Translation: A low-fat, low-sugar quick bread loaded with fiber, fruit, and nuts.

Needless to say Health Loaves don't fall at the top of the man's favorite foods list. He's more inclined to opt for cheesecake.

Me, on the other hand? I LOVE a big ol' slice of Health Loaf (although, I prefer to call them by their true names--e.g., Pumpkin-Walnut Bread). Perfect for a breakfast side dish or a snack, a slice of healthy quick bread satisfies my craving for a baked treat without doing the damage of Metabolism Man's cheesecake.

One of the first places I turn for baking inspriation is Joy's blog. This lady has it going on in the kitchen. Last week she shared a heavenly recipe for Apple-Cranberry-Pecan-Everything Bread. This baby was moist, rich in flavor, and screamed from the pan "I taste like the holidays!"

I managed to morph Joy's wonderful recipe into a tasty, filling Health Loaf that even Adam enjoyed. (Although, his enjoyment might have something to do with the Nutella he smothered on his slice.). To health-i-fy the bread, I almost completely eliminated the oil, cut the sugar in half, and increased the amount of apples, among other changes. I like each to eat my slices plain n' simple, with a little spread of Smart Balance.

Today, let's raise our glasses to all the Health Loaves out there. They deserve a little lovin' every now and then.

What's your favorite quick bread to make? If you have a favorite Health Loaf recipe, please post the link below!

Pumpkin-Apple-Cranberry-Pecan Bread

(adapted from Joy's recipe)

This fruit n' nut loaded bread has completely hit the spot for me this week. Lots of spices, apple chunks, and toasted pecans lend it the perfect holiday flavor...in health loaf form :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I cut the sugar in half! Tastes perfect to me, but if you prefer it sweeter, by all means go for the full cup. But remember folks...it is a health bread.)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt (I topped off the 1/2 measuring cup with canola oil though--probably about 2 TBSP total)
• 3 - 4 TBSP maple syrup
• 3 TBSP water
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (MUST toast 'em!)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 apples, diced

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, yogurt, maple syrup, and water. Gently add to dry ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Fold in pecans, cranberries, and apples.

3) Bake for approximately 60 minutes (I think mine was done at about 56 minutes), or until lightly browned and firm. This guy has a strange texture that I love :) Not a moist crumb like non-healthified breads, but rather a dense, smooth texture.

A Match Made in (Nut) Heaven

The first gift Adam ever gave me was jar of peanut butter.

When we first started dating in college, I returned to my dorm room one afternoon to find a gift bag hung over the knob. Inside, I found a jar of peanut butter, a bag of chocolate chips, and a post-it note wishing me a good weekend.

A man who gives me nut butter to show that he cares? True love, I tell you.

Needless to say, someone with a nut allergy would not fare well in our house. My nut addiction extends far beyond the obvious peanut butter + chocolate obsession, and infiltrates most dishes we eat. Pasta dishes, salads, desserts, even bean burgers--they're all friends of the nut.

When it comes to desserts, I'd argue that quintessential nutty treat is the classic peanut butter cookie. Who doesn't love this sweet n' salty bite-sized treat, complete with its own signature--a stylish fork imprint?

While I love my classic PB cookies as much as the next girl (bring on the butter!), tonight we're going to explore the wonderful world of lower-fat, almost-vegan peanut butter cookies.

No worries--these cookies do not take on the cake-like texture that often characterizes lower-fat cookies (because let's be honest: there's nothing more disappointing than a dry, high-rise, cake-like cookie). They're chewy and ridiculously delicious, similar to their full-fat counterparts.

I discovered this recipe a couple years ago at the amazing Cookie Madness website. It makes an appearance in our house quite regularly, and happily satisfies my after-dinner-sweets-n-peanut-butter craving.

Eat up! And remember--if a guy ever gives you a jar of peanut butter as a gift, snatch him up and marry him. It'll be the best decision you ever made :)

(Almost) Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

(Recipe adapted from Anna at Cookie Madness)

These cookies are a tad on the crumbly side, likely due to the lack of egg. I've never experimented with the recipe to see how this could be reduced (I love the taste and texture so much, the crumbly factor doesn't bother me a bit!). Either way, they completely satisfy the sweet n' salty peanut butter cookie crave :)

*The "almost" vegan tag is because I used yogurt. The original recipe calls for applesauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup, plus 2 TBSP unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 TBSP vegetable oil
• 3 TBSP fat free vanilla yogurt
• 2 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, honey, vanilla, and peanut butter in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture and stir until fully combined.

3) Drop dough by large spoon-fuls onto baking sheet (makes about 12 large cookies). Use a fork to make awesome peanut butter cookie signature on top, if desired (I forgot this time).

4) Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. No worries about under-baking--they're vegan!