Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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There are few things in this world that are better than a slice of cake for your breakfast. Especially one like this – a moist yellow cake,  studded with plump blackberries, and topped off with a delicious buttery crumble infused with lime zest? You had me at cake.

Coffee cakes are a great option for any gathering really, be it brunch or as a dessert after dinner. I love the fact that it only uses a couple of bowls, making for super easy cleanup. It’s been a busy week around here; cupcake orders to fill, doctors appointments, field trips – but I was craving something sweet.

Happened across some gorgeous blackberries at the store, and remembered a coffee cake that the lovely Annie had posted a while back. Modified it a little using the blackberries, and it turned out gorgeous! If you’re looking for something special for your breakfast table this weekend, look no further. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

For the crumb topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lime zest
4 tbsp. (2 oz.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blackberries

Preheat the oven to 350? F.  Lightly grease and flour and 10-inch springform pan.  To make the crumb topping, combine the flour, sugar and lime zest in a small bowl and mix to combine. Pour in the melted butter and mash with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make the cake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  In a 2-cup measuring cupl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid ingredients.  Fold together gently until evenly combined and no streaks remain, being careful not to over mix.  Pour the  the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.  Dot the top of the batter with the blackberries. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the berries. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the crumble.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 38-42 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Remove the sides of the springform pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Source: adapted from Williams-Sonoma, via Annie’s Eats

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

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Making homemade biscuits always scared the hell outta me. They always seemed to be time consuming, and anything involving “cutting in” of cold butter tends to make me nervous too. After seeing Josie’s post on them (such the Southern belle!), she gave me the confidence I needed to try. So glad I gave it a go – because they turned out absolutely perfectly. And both of my concerns that I listed above were completely unfounded.

First off, they aren’t time consuming. Not even15 minutes of prep work, and I had gorgeous butter-topped biscuits that I was putting into the oven. The food processor pretty much does all the work for you, that machine is such a workhorse in my kitchen. A few quick pulses of the flour and butter, then you add the liquid components, knead a few times, shape and cut. It’s that easy!

I don’t like to brag, but they easily were the best biscuits I’ve seen, or tasted. They stood a mile high! Okay, maybe not a mile…but still, very tall.  And the fluffy layers? Unparalleled. They were the perfect accompaniment to the fried chicken dinner I made that night, and the boys and I enjoyed the leftover biscuits with blueberry preserves the next morning. So, if you’re a bit scared of them like I was, get your butt in the kitchen and give it a try. This recipe won’t let you down!

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/4 cups cake flour or 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
6 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
2 Tbs melted butter, for brushing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Pulse several times to combine well.  Add the butter, and continue to pulse in 2-second increments, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces (about 5 pulses).  This can also be done using a pastry blender or 2 forks if you don’t have a food processor.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, pour the buttermilk over it, and use a fork to mix for about 1 minute, or until the dough just comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead with floured hands, and pat into a rectangle about 6×10 inches and 1-inch thick.

Fold the dough like a business letter (the righmost third over the center third, then the left third on top).  Turn the dough a quarter of a turn, pat it into another 6×10 inch rectangle, and fold it upon itself in thirds again.  Repeat one more time, then pat the dough into a 6×10 inch rectangle a final time.

Using a floured 2-3 inch biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits from the dough and place them about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Pat the scraps into a 1-inch thick rectangle and cut more biscuits.

Brush the tops with half the melted butter, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are just beginning to brown.  Brush the tops again with the remaining butter and serve warm.

Source: Pink Parsley, originally from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread

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This bread is a staple in our house. Alongside some yogurt and fresh fruit, it’s a delicious quick breakfast. But sweet enough that when toasted with some butter and cinnamon sugar is a decadent treat when the boys have gone to bed. I’ve been foolishly buying it in the store, knowing full well that I could make a better version at home. I tried a couple recipes, and while they turned out well, I didn’t find myself looking forward to making them again. Either the filling was too runny, or the swirl puffed out too much. Edible and delicious, but not precisely what I had been looking for.

I came across this recipe at The Kitchn and tried it, and I was blown away by how perfect it turned out! It mentioned in the article that the key to having the layers hold together was to use an egg wash, not melted butter, to adhere the cinnamon sugar mixture to the dough. The protein in the egg binds together, where the fat in the butter pushes apart. Fancy that! Anyways, it came together perfectly. The dough gorgeous and a dream to work with. Soaking the raisins really helped them to “set” into the bread better. With the other loaves, the raisins just wanted to fall out when I sliced the bread. Plus, I think the re-use of the raisin soaking liquid to proof your yeast adds nice flavor to the bread as well.

This recipe makes two loaves, so we enjoyed one this weekend. And, I stuck the other loaf in the freezer to be enjoyed this week! I know I’ll be coming back to this recipe again and again.

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread

1 cup raisins
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup  unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 – 6 cups (1 lb 11.5 oz – 1 lb 14 oz) all-purpose flour

Filling:
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 large egg beaten with 2 teaspoons warm water

Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with hot water. Let the raisins plump for at least 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Pour a cup of water into the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over top. (You can use the water from soaking the raisins for some extra-awesome flavor in your loaves, but just make sure the water has cooled to room temperature.) Give it a few minutes, then stir to fully dissolve the yeast into the water.

Stir the milk, melted butter, and salt into the water. Add 5 1/2 cups of the flour and stir to form a shaggy dough. Knead in your mixer on low speed with a dough hook or knead by hand for 8-10 minutes to form a smooth, slightly tacky dough. Check the dough halfway through; if it’s very sticky (think: bubble gum), add a little more flour. The dough is ready when it forms a ball without sagging and quickly springs back when poked.

Toss the raisins with a few tablespoons of flour to absorb any residual moisture from when they were plumped. With the mixer on gradually add them to the bowl and continue kneading until they are evenly distributed.

If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto your work surface and pat it into an oval. Sprinkled about half the raisins over the top and fold the dough like a letter. Pat it into an oval again, sprinkle the remaining raisins, and fold it again. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes to distribute the raisins through the dough. (Alternatively, you can reserve the raisins and sprinkle them over the dough along with the cinnamon-sugar.)

Return the dough to the bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and beat together the egg and water in a second bowl.

Divide the dough into two pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out on the counter. It should be slightly less wide than your baking pan and as long as you can make it. The thinner the dough, the more layers of crazy-good cinnamon swirl you’ll end up with. If the dough starts to shrink back on you, let it rest for a few minutes and then try again.

Brush the entire surface of the dough with egg wash, leaving about two inches clear at the top. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Starting at the end closest to you, roll up the dough. When you get to the top, pinch the seam closed. Transfer the loaf to your loaf pan seam-side down. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Let the loaves rise until mounded over the top of the pan and pillowy, 30-40 minutes. Halfway through rising, preheat the oven to 375° F.

Brush the top with some of the remaining egg wash. If desired, sprinkle some of your remaining cinnamon-sugar over the tops of the loaves as well. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the loaves from the pans and allow them to cool completely before slicing. Baked loaves can also be frozen for up to three months.

Source: The Kitchn

Banana Bread

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What’s more comforting than a loaf of banana bread baking in the oven? Few things my friends, few things. So, in honor of National Banana Bread Day, I wanted to share my favorite recipe with you guys. It’s from the Better Homes And Gardens Cookbook, you know, the one that EVERYONE has on their bookshelf. Great cookbook, by the way. So many tried and true recipes to be found inside!

I’ve tried several other recipes for banana bread, but I always end up coming back to this one. It comes together in minutes, and stays fresh for days. It also uses more mashed banana than most recipe I’ve seen call for, which I like. I’ll usually have 3 bananas left at the end of the week,  and that’s just about what this recipe calls for. It’s great to whip up on a Friday night to munch on all weekend long. Toasted, with a smear of butter or honey, along side a cup of tea. Heaven!

Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3-4 large)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil or butter
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9×5 inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook, Bridal Edition