Category: Breakfast/Brunch

Breakfast/Brunch · Desserts/Pastries

Fresh Apple Cake

The Culinary Chronicles14 Comments

Apple Cake Slice

 

Last weekend, my sister and her family came up from Southern California for a visit. And what do the Nguyen’s do when we are on vacation? We Eat….and we Eat a lot. And when we are not eating (or shopping), we like to have Foodventures. So it’s not too surprising that after spending a few indulgent hours at the SF Street Food Fest, we  were hitting the road to Sebastopol to Twin Hill Ranch for some good old apple picking. We filled our baskets with delicious apples (Gravenstein varietal) and also picked up a few jugs of fresh pressed apple cider—absolutely delicious!

We kind of went nuts with apple picking which did leave a slight challenge. What does one do with over 15+ pounds of apples?! I knew we would need to put our hand picked apples to use. My sister (aka. “Head Foodie” of the family) suggested that I make the Fresh Apple Cake that our mom used to enjoy so much. Perfect!

The recipe is from Feasts of Eden and is incredibly easy and quick. Pretty much a dump and stir method–which is great for baking with kids. The glaze that is poured over the warm cake isn’t like the type that I used on the Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Cake. This glaze soaks into the Apple Cake producing a moist and sweet product. A few other things to note:

  • The batter is incredibly thick. But don’t worry! The 3 cups of fresh apples has a lot of moisture and it all works out–I promise!
  • Next time, I will use only 1 cup of granulated white sugar and add 1 cup of light brown sugar.
  • Add 1/4 Cup Molasses – really rounds out the flavors of the spices.
  • The glaze may get lumpy from the confectioner sugar. If it does, strain it before pouring over the warm cake.
  • Leave the cake on a rack when you pour the glaze on it and then transfer to the serving platter. Since the glaze is somewhat thin, it will definitely run over the sides of your plate/cake stand and will leave you a HOT MESS!

Overall, I was pretty pleased with it and my co-workers seemed to enjoy it as well (they often act as my “guinea pigs”, too). The cake really works well as a breakfast pastry—wonderful with a steaming cup of coffee.

And perhaps it’s just me, but knowing that we handpicked the apples ourselves made it taste even better! 🙂

Until next time friends!

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Fresh Apple Cake
From Feast of Eden

Ingredients:

Cake Batter
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Large Eggs
3 Cups Chopped Apple

Glaze
½ Cup Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup Water
1 Cup Confectioner Sugar
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly grease a large bundt pan.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add liquid ingredients, stirring well to combine. Add the chopped apples and transfer mixture to bundt pan. Be sure to spread the mixture evenly. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes before inverting on to a plate.

While cake is cooling, prepare glaze. Melt butter and slowly add confectioner sugar and cinnamon. Stir well to ensure there are no lumps. Add water and mix until combined. Slowly pour over the cake while its still warm.

Breakfast/Brunch · Pork

SPAM….The True American Offal

The Culinary Chronicles13 Comments

Folks are always asking me if we ever eat “regular” food. That question always puts a smile on my face because the BF and I have a vast array of eating/cooking habits. For one meal we may spend an entire day prepping and cooking dishes that are complex and laborious. But then there are those nights that all we eat for dinner is ice cream. True Story.

So what is one of our favorite “regular” dishes? I am proud to say it is SPAM, Eggs, and Rice….The Breakfast of Champions. Easy, quick, nostalgic, and just darn good. And it makes perfect sense since we were both raised on this goodness (I was born in the midwest and the BF is Hawaiian).

Sure, it’s somewhat questionable to what SPAM is really made of. Hormel says that it is a combination of pork and other stuff but this is one example of when I don’t question the contents and just enjoy the goodness. Come to think of it, this may be the only kind of offal that I will eat 🙂 Folks can’t even agree to what the acronym stands for though some have come up with some clever versions. My favorites that I have heard are: “Something Posing As Meat”, “Specially Processed Artificial Meat”, “Spare Parts Animal Meat” and “Special Product of Austin Minnesota”. Hilarious.

This gal prefers her SPAM sliced thinly and prepared crispy (kind of like bacon). The BF likes his sliced thicker and just lightly fried. Add rice, a fried egg, and a sprinkle of furikake and I am a happy camper! Though I also won’t pass up a good SPAM Musubi, either.

SPAM…you can’t get any more “regular” than that. But I do have one last question…..Anyone want to meet me at the SPAM Museum?

Until next time Friends, SPAM Fanatic signing off!

Breads · Breakfast/Brunch · Desserts/Pastries

Blackberry Muffins topped with Almond Streusel

The Culinary Chronicles9 Comments

photo

I try my hardest to eat what is in season and in doing so, I find that I get the best products at the lowest price. The other day while picking up some items at my local grocery store, I came across signs for fresh Blackberries at only $1 a basket! Now that was a deal I couldn’t pass up. I quickly filled my cart with 3 cartons without any idea on how I was going to use them.

The following work day, I decided to greet my new student staff with freshly baked muffins for our early morning meeting. I had never had a Blackberry Muffin before but thought it would be a great use of the fresh blackberries I had just picked up. Plus, I recalled a recipe from Williams Sonoma that featured this combination.

After a little digging around I found the recipe and quickly began making some modifications. The recipe is SUPER easy and I think the additions I made added a great flavor profile to the muffins.

The muffin was light, fluffy, and quite moist. The large blackberries were a nice surprise when biting into the muffin and I was pleased to see that my cautious folding of the batter yielded no “bleeding” from the berries. As for the almond streusel topping, well, what’s not to love about crunchy almonds, sugar and butter? The slight crunch added great texture and it seemed to be quite the favorite component with everyone.

 

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Blackberry Muffins topped with Almond Streusel
Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup sliced toasted almonds, roughly chopped

Batter:
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar (more if needed, depending on sweetness of berries)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blackberries


Preheat an oven to 375°F. Place 12 paper liners in a standard muffin tin. Using a cooking spray, lightly spray the cups and pan. Set aside.

Prepare the topping. In a small bowl, stir together the sugars, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in almonds and set aside.

Prepare the batter. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract. In a larger bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and salt. Make a well in the center and add the egg, melted butter and buttermilk mixture. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be fairly lumpy. Carefully sprinkle in the blackberries (reserving 12 of the berries aside) and gently fold into the batter with a large rubber spatula just until evenly distributed. Take care not to break up the fruit.

Spoon and divide evenly the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Gently place one berry on top of each muffin and lightly press down with your finger until it is submerged. Proceed to cover each muffin with the streusel topping, dividing it evenly .

Bake until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Just missing a steaming cup of Joe 🙂

Breakfast/Brunch · Desserts/Pastries

Ginger Scones

The Culinary Chronicles1 Comment

Years ago my sister came home with a DELISH scone recipe. Truth be told, before that, I didn’t even know I liked scones. I had thought this traditional British quick-bread was always too dry and lacked substance. That is, until I tried these. 🙂

Nancy Silverton of the La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles, California has created these killer Ginger Scones that are perfectly flaky, somewhat fluffy, and are further accentuated by the candied ginger. L-O-V-E them! It’s quickly been adopted by my entire family and is my go-to when hosting folks over for brunch or for any goodie basket.

Give these a try. They’re so easy and tasty that you’ll love them, too!

Chopping the Candied Ginger

 

Golden Beauties out of the oven

 

All that’s missing is a steaming hot cup of coffee…or tea if you want to go traditional. 🙂

 

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Ginger Scones
From Nancy Silverton‘s Pastries of the La Brea Bakery
Makes 8-12  Scones (Depending on size of each scone)
Special item: 3-inch round cutter

Ingredients:

2¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
1½ Sticks (6 ounces) Unsalted Butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
4½ Ounces Candied Ginger, finely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces to equal 2/3 cup
¾ Cup Heavy Cream, plus extra for brushing the tops of the scones

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the lemon zest and butter, and pulse on and off, or mix on low, untl the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of fine meal.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the ginger. Make a well in the center and pour in the cream. Using one hand, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out the circles, cutting as closely together as possible and keeping the trimmings intact.

Gather the scraps, pat and press the pieces back together, and cut out the remaining dough. Place the scones 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops with the remaining cream.

Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the surface cracks and they are slightly browned.

Breakfast/Brunch

Mediterranean Style Eggs Benedict

The Culinary Chronicles4 Comments

I LOVE Brunch. And I LOVE Eggs Benedict.

Poached eggs with unctuously runny yolks? Goooood. Creamy Hollandaise? Goooood.

 

So on Easter morning I found myself craving a big old plate of Eggs Benedict. However, the rainy weather deterred me from going to my favorite local brunch spot (Bill’s Café). I’m such a wuss with cold, wet weather 🙂

Hence, I turned to the kitchen to fulfill my Eggs Benedict needs. I chose to dress the Eggs Benedict in a Mediterranean style since I had some feta cheese in the fridge. As for the bacon? Well, I’m in the belief that it isn’t a true brunch if bacon isn’t present. I also decided to use some rustic style bread instead of English muffins to go with the Mediterranean theme.

As for the Hollandaise? I turned to Tyler Florence’s recipe as the BF had used it a few months ago. By vigorously whisking the eggs before cooking it, it decreased the whisking time over the double boiler. MUCH easier. However, I will say I had to ask the BF to take over whisking at the beginning as my wimpy arms were getting tired. 🙂

It all came together pretty easily and quickly. I loved what the Spinach Spread added to the dish. And let’s be honest, there’s something so darn fulfilling to take your fork and cut into the poached egg. Yolk— gloriously oozing out. 🙂 As for the Hollandaise, it was a tad too acidic for us. I’d recommend cutting the lemon amount in half.

All in all, I was happy with the results and my craving was fulfilled. 🙂  Next time you’re in the mood for Eggs Benedict, give this version a try.

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Mediterranean Style Eggs Benedict
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Hollandaise Sauce (Adapted from Tyler Florence)
2 Egg Yolks
½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice
¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
Pinch Cayenne
Pinch Salt

Spinach Spread
1 Cup Cooked Spinach
¼ Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Sundried Tomatoes, diced
1 Teaspoon Garlic, finely minced
¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Poached Eggs
4 Large Eggs
½ Tablespoon White Vinegar

Additional Ingredients
4 Slices Rustic Style Bread, toasted
4 Slices of Crispy Bacon
Paprika and White Pepper to Garnish

Spinach Spread: Sauté garlic in olive oil for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add Spinach, sundried tomatoes, and thyme. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.

Hollandaise: Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Poached Eggs: Bring a deep skillet of water to a simmer. Add vinegar. Gently break an egg into a large ladle and carefully lower it into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach the eggs for about 3-4 minutes, making sure that the eggs don’t stick together. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the eggs and rest on a plate covered with a paper towel.

To Assemble: Place two pieces of bread on a plate and spread a spoonful of Spinach Mixture over each. Lay bacon over the spinach and carefully place one egg over each slice of bread. Spoon the Hollandaise over the egg and sprinkle with paprika and ground white pepper.

Breakfast/Brunch · Desserts/Pastries

Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake

The Culinary Chronicles10 Comments

My dear co-worker’s birthday was coming up and as her assigned “birthday buddy”, I was in charge of bringing in a cake to our staff meeting to celebrate her fabulousness. Since I knew she had a chocolate cake for her festivities at home, I was sure that I wanted to bake her something sans-chocolate. Lucky for me, our Meyer Lemon tree was filled with ripe lemons for the picking so I opted for a fruit-citrus cake.

I turned to my gal, Martha Stewart, for some inspiration. Since our staff meetings are in the morning, I opted for a bundt cake that makes you feel better about eating sweets in the morning since it “looks” more “breakfast-like”. I know…not really–but work with me here 🙂

I settled on Martha’s Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake, with of course, a few tweaks. For the batter, I added fresh meyer lemon juice to kick up the bright citrus flavor. I also thought the cake was a bit “naked” and created a light glaze to cover the tops. Incidentally, I hadn’t greased the pan thoroughly so the glaze acted as the perfect “cover up” to my imperfections. Also, if you don’t have fresh blueberries, use frozen ones like I did. Just be sure not to defrost them before use—just toss the frozen ones directly with the zest and flour before folding into the batter. 🙂

A few quick suggestions to a successful cake:

  1. Generously and THOROUGHLY cover your bundt pan with cooking spray. I thought I had but clearly I hadn’t done enough when I inverted the cake later. Yikes!
  2. It’s really important to cool the cake in the pan for some time. Trying to flip it too early could cause tears and sticking since the cake hasn’t fully set yet.
  3. I used Meyer Lemons in my recipe which may vary if you use regular lemons. Meyer lemons tend to be juicier and less tart than the more commonly found ones, so adjust accordingly to your preference.
  4. If you glaze the bundt cake, be sure to wait until the cake has fully cooled or the glaze will soak into the cake versus “glazing” it.

Overall, I think the birthday gal and my co-workers enjoyed the cake. The citrus gave a light flavor which was further accented by the berries. The sour cream also assisted in the moist texture. Next time you’re looking for an alternative to a chocolate cake, give this Lemon Bundt Cake a try 🙂

After creaming the butter and sugars.

Tossing the blueberries with zest and flour.

Inverting the bundt cake. EEKS! Clearly, not enough cooking spray!

No problem–that’s where glazes act as a tasty cover up to any imperfections!

 

 

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Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For Cake:
2½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, plus 1 teaspoon for blueberries and zest
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 Cup packed Light-Brown Sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Juice
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Cups Blueberries
2 Tablespoons Grated Meyer Lemon Zest
Nonstick cooking spray, for pan

For Glaze:
¼ Cup Meyer Lemon Juice
2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar (*add more for thicker glaze)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream.

In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter. Coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake cake on bottom rack of oven until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Invert onto a rack; cool completely, top side up.

While cake is cooling, whisk lemon juice and confectioner sugar to create glaze. Mix until all the sugar has dissolved and there are no longer lumps. When the cake has completely cooled, drizzle glaze over the cake.

Serve and enjoy!