Gosh – it sure has a busy week around here. I’ve been in the kitchen baking pretty much everyday – rolls, bread, pitas, and this delicious coffee cake. This blackberry version has long been my favorite, but when I came across this strawberry-cream cheese version on Pinterest I couldn’t wait to try something different. I also happened to have everything I needed right on hand, as I had some strawberries in the refrigerator that were on their last leg and needed to be put to use in something.

The cake batter comes together quickly, then you top with a simple cream cheese mixture and a quick homemade strawberry jam using fresh berries, then it’s all topped off with a delicious almond streusel. The cake was tender and sweet, and the layers of toppings from the cream cheese and strawberries just made it totally rich and decadent. Not to mention how beautiful it turned out!

It would be a show stopper at a Sunday morning breakfast or brunch for sure. Or, just to bake on an idle Friday night and have around for nibbling on all weekend long. We’re looking forward to a family trip with our crew, as well as one of my best friend and her family to Ocean City. We’re heading to a restaurant we’ve been dying to try, The Shark on the Harbor – and then it’s on to The Annual Waterman’s Expo! A trip to the boardwalk and Thrasher’s might also have to be in order…you know, for the baby. Then on Sunday, football of course. Still trying to decide what munchies to make. I’m thinking a big dish of roasted Seahawk is definitely on the menu. Heh. GO NINERS! I hope that everyone has a great weekend! 

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Strawberry-Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

For the strawberry jam:
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
3 tbsp sugar
3 tsp water
1.5 tsp cornstarch

For the crumb topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the cream cheese layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

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

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour and 9-inch springform pan and set asdie.

To make the strawberry jam, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl to make a slurry. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries and sugar. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the strawberries release their juices. Add the cornstarch mix and stir until well combined. Stir for another minute or two until it has thickened. Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Beat the cream cheese on medium speed for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla and beat until well combined. Set aside.

To make the crumb topping, combine the flour and sugar 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, yogurt, 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.

Carefully layer the cream cheese layer on top of the cake batter, as well as the strawberry layer – spreading out evenly. Top with all of the crumb topping, and then sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes until cake is set and nicely browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes before removing from springform pan. Let cool for at least another 30 minutes before serving.

Store in airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Source: highly adapted from Food Wanderings In Asia

A couple of weeks ago we were up in Annapolis again, for a doctor’s appointment. A long way to go to a docs appointment – yes. But, they don’t have all the fancy sonogram equipment here that they do there. Appointment went fine, in and out in 45 minutes. So, while we were up there I had to go visit all my favorite grocery stores! Trader Joe’s was first on the list, to stock up on necessities. But then we headed to Whole Foods, and it was there that I came across these gorgeous ruby red currants…which of course I couldn’t resist dropping into my cart, even though I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them.

To me, they are kind of reminiscent of cranberries – but more berry like. Soft and juicy, but yet very tart at the same time. You always see them as garnishes on gorgeous desserts this time of year, but I wanted to do something special with them on their own. So, when in doubt? Put it in a loaf cake!

A batter includes buttermilk to make it nice and moist, some poppy seeds for a little crunch, as well as some orange zest for a kick of flavor. The currants are folded in at the last minute, to preserve their integrity. Then it’s baked and topped with a simple glaze of confectioner’s sugar and fresh orange juice. The sweetness of the cake paired with the tartness of the currants was just perfect. It was absolutely delightful for dessert the other night, and even better with a cup of coffee for breakfast the next morning. Everyone in the house raved enjoyed it. If you can find fresh currants locally, I’d highly recommended giving this one a try. I know you guys will love it too!

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Currant & Poppy seed Loaf Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 orange, zested
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
1 cup fresh red currants

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the vanilla and orange extracts, as well as the eggs. Mix until combined, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the poppyseeds to the batter and mix until just combined. Carefully fold in the currants.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before removing from loaf pan.

To make the glaze whisk the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over the warm cake before serving.

Source: adapted from Canelle et Vanille via Daisey’s World

Whenever I see those first bags of fresh cranberries popping up in stores I can’t help but get excited. I instinctively buy a bag, never knowing what I’ll do with them..and over the years it’s forced me to try something new. There’s been the obvious culprit – homemade cranberry sauce. But also a refreshing cranberry sorbet, these killer cranberry brown butter shortbread bars, and these delicious cranberry-orange muffins. So in keeping with tradition, here is another cranberry favorite…

My old friend from high school, Becky,  had tagged me in a post from TheKitchn about these cranberry curd bars. They had a walnut shortbread crust, which I found most intriguing – so I was pretty sure that I was going to make them. Then my good friend Shawnda mentioned something about it, and posted these, giving me the swift-kick-in-the-butt I needed to get into the kitchen and make my own.

I think these are probably my favorite cranberry confection that I’ve made to date. The walnuts in the shortbread crust add such an unexpected richness and complexity of flavor. And the cranberry curd is tart and fresh, but has plenty of sweetness to balance it all out. Will probably be making these again before the cranberries are all gone, maybe trying a little orange juice instead of lemon. A new family favorite for sure!

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Cranberry Curd Bars

1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cupunsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoon pieces

For the curd:
12 ounces (about 3 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1/2 of a lemon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoon pieces
Powdered sugar for dusting

Line a 9×13 baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Spray lightly with baking spray. Set aside.

To make the crust, place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor and coarsely grind, about 15 one-second pulses. Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse until finely ground, about 10 additional one-second pulses. Sprinkle the chunks of butter over the top of the flour-nut mix and pulse until the mixture holds together when compressed in your palm, another 20-25 one-second pulses. Press the crust mix into the baking dish, making it as even as possible. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the crust from the freezer and bake for 20-25 minutes, until beginning to color around the edges.

While the crust is baking, prepare the cranberry curd:

Place the cranberries and water in a medium-sized sauce pot over medium-high heat and stir. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until all the cranberries have popped and become mushy, about 5 minutes. Pour them into a fine-meshed strainer set over a medium-sized mixing bowl and press the cranberry puree through using a spatula. Allow the puree to cool to room temperature. Discard the cranberry skins and clean the strainer for use in the next step.

To the bowl with the cranberry puree, add the sugar, eggs and yolks, lemon juice and salt (reserving the butter for now). Stir thoroughly until the mixture is even.

Return the cranberry mixture to the saucepan and set the burner to medium. Stir the curd continuously, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan. Cook until the curd starts to thicken, coats the back of a spoon, and registers about 150° on an instant-read thermometer (there’s some wiggle-room, so don’t fret about being exact). This should take 10-12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter all at once. Stir until the butter has completely melted, then pour the curd through the strainer into a clean bowl.

Pour the warm cranberry curd onto the walnut crust. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until the curd has set but still jiggles slightly in the center. Cool completely and refrigerate before cutting.

To cut the squares, lift them from the pan using the aluminum foil as handles. Trim off the sides to make even edges if desired. Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar just before serving and use a sharp knife to cut them into squares.

Keep refrigerated.

Source: barely adapted from TheKitchn