blackberry-cream cheese crumb cake

Raspberry coulis, blackberry coulis---I could drink with a straw. Something about that tangy, not too sweet taste that makes me crave a small glass of it with a touch of tonic water. The uses of coulis are endless: ice cream, cakes, muffins, sorbets, gelato, and crumb cakes. Normally I crave coulis every other day in the summertime; lately I've been craving it in the cold winter months. Might be my lack of vitamin C? Who knows. Good raspberries, blackberries are hard to come by in my neck of the woods, but luckily at a not too far away Whole Foods, I eyed some precious, beautiful looking blackberries. Knowing I had a long overdue request from hubby to make a "kicked up" crumb cake, these blackberries fit the bill. I doubled up the batched of blackberries to make extra coulis for drinking and baking.
If the thought of this crumb cake looks good to you but the thought of all the steps is changing your mind, please don't let it. The coulis can be made days ahead and kept in the fridge. Really the coulis is the only time-consuming part, as well as the most important, as it really adds a nice, tangy burst to the crumb cake. But the best part of this crumb cake is that the longer it sits, the more flavor-full it gets. All those fabulous different flavors only get more intense as a couple days goes by.







blackberry-cream cheese crumb cake
print recipe

cake:
¼ cup canola oil, plus more for pan
½ stick unsalted butter, melted
2 TB sour cream
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
½ cup + 2 TB granulated white sugar
1 ts baking powder
½ ts coarse salt
1 large egg
½ cup + 2 TB half & half
2 ts pure vanilla extract

crumb topping:
1 cups flour
1 cups packed light brown sugar
¾ ts coarse salt
½ TB ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted & cooled

Cook notes: the batter is very thin. It rises a bit when baking. This crumb cake bakes very fast! So please make sure to check it at the 25 minute mark. It will be hard to see if it’s done with all the layers on there, so use a cake tester to check cake layer. The coulis can be made a couple days ahead of time and stored in fridge until ready to use. It is optional, but wonderful to add in a couple tablespoons of the coulis into your cream cheese mixture. I doubled my ingredients for the blackberry coulis as I wanted a little bit more on the cake and for future use.

blackberry coulis:
1 pint fresh blackberries
2 TB granulated sugar, or to taste
1 TB fresh lemon juice, or to taste

For the coulis:
Put all the ingredients in medium sauce pan and cook over medium (not high!) heat until fruit is mostly dissolved and mixture has reduced a bit as well as thickened up; about 30 minutes or more. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pushing down on the solids. You might have to let this sit for a while to finish draining—it takes a while. Don’t forget to scrape off the bottom side of the sieve for all the juicy, thickened pulp. Discard the seeds. Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if needed; it shouldn’t need anything. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the crumb topping:
In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients, pour melted butter over mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Set aside

cream cheese mixture
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
1 large egg yolk
3 TB white sugar
1 TB fresh lemon zest
2 TB or more of the blackberry coulis (optional, but wonderful)

For the cream cheese mixture:
Mix all in a bowl (really well) until ready to use.
For cake:
Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 350°.
Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking pan and dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. (I’ve also used the Pam with Flour and it worked just fine). Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 2 ¼ cups flour, add in the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, butter, half & half, canola oil, sour cream, and vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into wet mixture.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. (to keep batter from sticking to your hand or spoon, just wet or oil your fingers or a spoon and spread evenly throughout pan).

The batter should be about half an inch high. It will cook/rise to an inch thick. (Don’t worry if the batter is very thin and hard to get into the corners, it does spread out as it’s cooking). Use wet fingers to push batter into corners.
Next put on the cream cheese mixture either in one single layer, clumps or vertical lines. You can make swirls if you want too, I did not.
Next add on the crumbs. Then drizzle on the coulis (if it helps put the coulis in a pastry bag and draw lines).
Then transfer pan to oven, and bake for 14 minutes, rotate pan. Then cook another 10 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Check cake at 25 minute mark for sure. Let cake cool and set up before slicing.
Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-4 days.

Giveaway: AeroPress Coffee Maker!

Ever get offered to do a giveaway with something you really love? And just can't wait to post about it? I have been so excited to do this giveaway for the longest time. Plus I have one to giveaway to you.
The AreoPress is quite the remarkable little machine. It's absolutely perfect for one cup espresso. Makes more than just one cup too, but since I'm the only coffee drinker in the house it's perfect for me. I love my starbuck via's, but they can get costly. So glad I have an AreoPress now, far cheaper and just as tasty. The espresso is so much cleaner, crisper, and WAY less acidic.
I have to be honest when I first got the package and saw the parts I was a little intimated, but once it's together you are good to go, and cleanup is literally non-existent. All you really have to do is change filter, put in ground coffee, add hot water--just like any other coffee maker. But the flavor is so much better than those awful drip makers that have that bitter, heavy, cigarette-butts-in-water taste.
Trust me, if you like clean, sharp, crisp espresso, then you have to get one. They retail for only $29.99. That's not a bad price at all in this economy.
Don't forget to check out their Facebook page for deals and giveaways too!



All you have to do to enter the contest is go to their website and tell me where you can buy one. This is their website: AeroPress.
ONE entry per person.
PLEASE have a valid email, OR leave your email along with your answer.

NO anonymous comments.
The winner will be announced on Friday February 3, 2012. Good luck!

ginger-peanut caramel chews

Those ginger chews made by The Ginger People are good. I buy them every time I go to trader joe's or whole foods. As much as I love them, they burn a hole in my pocket. Had to find a much cheaper way to devour them. So, why not try and make my own.

Granted they don't taste exactly like them--they taste BETTER!

If you are a ginger lover them you will love these. Everything turned out great on the first batch--the caramel gods were with me that day. But if I make them again, I will be using fresh ginger instead of candied. Candied ginger only gave a slight ginger flavor; I want strong ginger flavor, the only way to roll. So if you make these please use fresh grated ginger (1/4 cup or less perhaps?). These are slightly like the molasses-peanut chews I made a while back only minus the heavy dose of molasses. I stuck with that recipe because those were incredible and it's really a great caramel base for almost any add in(s).








Pour caramel into buttered glass or ceramic dish. Don't touch! Let cool a bit before slicing.









ginger-peanut caramels
print recipe

4 TB salted butter
Extra butter to grease ceramic dish
3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup half & half
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup molasses
1 cup white sugar
1 ts high quality vanilla extract
Giant pinch of sea salt
½ cup of honey roasted peanuts, rough chop
¼ - ½ cup candied ginger, diced fine

Wax paper squares for wrapping caramels
Extra butter for greasing up your slicing knife

Cook notes:
Remember this is hot sugar, never touch the hot sugar, never be tempted to taste test, and always use oven mits. The next time I make this I will use real ginger root. The ginger in the candied ginger was not that strong. And I think real ginger will add a nice, strong, deep flavor. I used honey roasted peanuts for that extra flavor and texture. Of course you can use regular peanuts if you like or even pecans.
I found it was a lot easier to slice the caramels when the mixture was almost cooled and set. It’s best to wrap these in wax paper. If you don’t wrap them, they will stick to each other when you store/stack them away. Make sure to work fast when you are at the last stage of adding in the add in’s. The caramel sets up fast and needs to be poured as soon as possible. So it’s handy to have your add in’s right at the ready.

Butter an 8-by-8-inch or 8 x 9 baking dish. Get out a candy thermometer and clip onto pot. Get your minced ginger and chopped peanuts ready, set aside.
In a large heavy duty pot (with high sides preferably) combine the butter, chocolate, milk, molasses, sugar, and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly and CONSTANTLY scraping the bottom of pan. (You will be doing this for a while). Let it boil and cook until the temperature reaches around 247 -249 (soft ball stage). Once it hits this temperature remove from heat
And add in the vanilla extract (it will make a lot of noise and sizzle).
Just add in and stand back then stir in. Next, working fast add in your ginger and peanuts, and give it a good stir.
Once mixed, pour the hot mixture into your prepared buttered baking dish.
In about an hour or 45 minutes you should be able to handle caramel. Gently lift if out of baking dish and transfer to a wooden board or plastic cutting board.
Using a sharp knife cut long strips about ¾ of an inch, then cut those strips into 1 or 2 inch pieces.) Wrap in wax paper.
Should make about 70 pieces; all dependant on how you cut them (what size).

crispy coated pita chips (with lots of coating!)

Being that we're all foodies here, I'm so sure that you, like me, are very guilty of over-buying groceries, knowing that when you buy them you are MOST certainly going to use them straight away. You get home with all your groceries, happily and proudly placing them in their respective compartments; feeling good about placing them there and then order a pizza. Yes? Happen a few times to me too. The pita bread in this recipe are such a story. And of course pita goes stale very quickly and you have to use it right away or store in the freezer to never be seen again until you start some crazy fad diet and are starving, thus looking into the freezer many months later for FOOD.
The pita was stale a few days later and I was NOT going to throw them out, so the idea of homemade pita chips came into my mind. Never having made them before, I wasn't sure what coating should or should not go on them. And what I found out was literally any coating can go on them---the pita is the sponge to all things spice, sweet, savory, and a combo of any. Excellent.
I had always wanted to REMAKE the pita chip (much like the Dorito chip) that has a LOT of stuff on them. I absolutely hate buying pita chips (new or new/improved flavors!), with great expectations, only to open said bag and realize it's just a pita chip with a gentle coating or salt and some untraceable spice. Where's the coating? I am not going to consume calories for nothing--give me coating or give me death! Ok, not death, but give me my money back so I can go home and make my own.
What learned creating these tasty lil nuggets? I learned that unused salad dressing, and I know you all have at least 4-5 bottles just sitting away in your fridge right now waiting to be used, makes the best coatings. You knew that already though? I didn't. Salad dressing, along with a little garlic, maybe a little cheese, and maybe a little heat too. Easy peasy. BUT the best part? I think most of you will agree here on this one: you can make your pita chips a little on the burnt side. Oh yeah. I LOVE a the occasional burnt chip. Heavenly. Right?







extra coated pita chips
print recipe

package of pita bread, sliced into triangles
salad dressing (whatever salad dressing you want or oil & vinegar)
2-5 TB chopped garlic (use as much as you desire)
a few dashes of hot sauce, optional but wonderful
2-5 TB Parmesan cheese (or whatever cheese you want), grated fine
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large, but shallow bowl mix all the ingredients well. Take the pita chips and dunk them in bowl one by one or using a thongs many at a time. Make sure to coat them well. You will need to keep stirring the mix since the oil will keep going to the top and the stuff sinking to the bottom. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving enough room in between to let them crisp up.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until they are browned; I like mine a tiny bit burnt so I baked them longer. They cook up fast, so don't leave the oven! Let them cool a bit before eating.
They keep a few days in plastic ziplock bag. Have no idea if they freeze well; I doubt it.

raspberry-cheddar hand pies

I finally found a very good, I mean really good, cheddar hand pie crust. For years I've always made my own UNTIL the talented folks at King Arthur Flour bestowed upon me their own recipe. Wow. It's really that good. Originally King Arthur used it for breakfast hand pies, which is a fabulous idea, but I used mine for a cheddar hand pie filled with jam. I love the idea of cheddar and fruit. Always had a slice of sharp cheddar cheese along with my apple pie--even made apple pie with cheese in--oh so fabulous. To be honest I was going to use apples inside this one, but didn't have enough apples, so I just used whatever was in the fridge.
When I eat croissants I LOVE to put raspberry jam on them--it's such a great combo.
But really you could fill these hand pies with anything--apples, scrambled eggs, stir fry veggies, brie, figs, chutney....endless possibilities. Keep in mind that this dough is really only for hand pies, I do not think this would work well as a pie crust since it puffs, a lot. I think the next batch well have some sort of chutney in them--doesn't that sound good? What do you think about chocolate? I'm in.






This is where I take shortcuts when it comes to cutting out squares. It works though!





raspberry-cheddar hand pies
from vanillasugarblog.com
crust from King Arthur Flour
print recipe

Cheddar crust
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Hi-maize Fiber (or substitute all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup Vermont cheese powder (or substitute ¼ cup fine-grind Parmesan cheese)
3/4 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce, optional
1 1/2 cups (24 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into pats (I grated mine, kept them frozen)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup ice water

Filling
Raspberry jam (or whatever filling you want)

Cook notes: I made this without the hi-maize fiber using flour instead, and used parmesan instead of cheese powder. BUT I highly recommend using/finding the sharp cheese powder because I’m so sure that adds a nice flavor and the parmesan makes it a little more greasy. I separated this dough into 5 mounds and only used one mound for the fruit pies, and freezing the rest. Does it freeze well? Yes. For the square-like hand pies, I rolled my hand pies into long squares, but use any shape you want—keep in mind that the dough should be as thin as possible since it does rise a bit when baking. Always keep the dough cold when working with it and always work the dough as little as possible as we want a nice crispy crust. The more you work the crust the chewier and less tender it will be.
In terms of cutting out dough squares for perfect sized hand pies? -- I’m horrid at this, so I just cut them into long strips and filled one half and folded over the other half (as seen in the photos). It’s rustic, but it works for me. If you have a better way, then please go ahead.

To make the crust: Combine the dry ingredients. Work in the butter until the mixture is unevenly crumbly.

Add the cheddar cheese and water, mixing until the dough is cohesive; add extra water, if necessary, to make it come together. It will be crumbly, that’s ok, just mold them into mounds and cover with plastic—it will come together when it sits/sets up in the fridge. If you are using dough right away chill at least 30 minutes or more. If you are not using all of them right away then freeze the rest.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove a disk of dough from the fridge. Roll it into as big a square/rectangle, as you can. Using a sharp knife, slice out little squares (whatever size you want).
Fill the middles with about 2 teaspoons of raspberry jam. Take a square and place on top, seal up edges with a fork by pressing down or pinching if necessary.

I brushed the whole tops with the beaten egg before baking. Making a vent hole is NOT necessary.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while making the other hand pies. You always want to keep the dough as cold as possible.
Bake the pies for 18 to 23 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven, and cool before eating as the filling is HOT.