Carrot Mini Loaves with Oat Topping

When I was growing up, anytime a friend or family member fell ill or had a life changing event, food was the answer. The fridge and counters would quickly fill up with casseroles, pies, soups, cookies, fried chicken, all other sorts of eats. The warmth and love that went into each dish, prepared just for your family, made you feel like everything was going to be alright.  

This week, my mom had a major surgery, and I thought there would be no better homecoming treat than a stock pile of  delicious carrot mini loaves. These are great for breakfast with coffee, as an afternoon snack, or even as dessert. 

She is very health conscious, and it can be difficult convincing her to eat any sweets besides a small piece of very dark chocolate. To make these more appealing, I replaced some of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour, added more coconut and pecans and used soy milk in place of buttermilk. 

My efforts where rewarded when she said thoughtfully, "I think these are the best carrot muffins I have ever had." I was all smiles. 

Carrot Loaves

1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
3/4 cups Vegetable Oil
3/4 cups Skim Milk or Soy Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
2 cups Shredded Carrots
1 cup Crushed Pineapple
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1 cup Chopped Pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan with non stick spray, and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, backing soda, and salt, and spices. Set Aside. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients, folding them in gently. Add carrot, coconut, and pecans, again folding gently until just combined. 

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each 3/4 full. Bake for 25-27min. Check by sticking a toothpick in the center of one loaf at 25 mins. Let cool on wire racks. 

Vegan Oat Topping

This is my go-to muffin topping. It goes well on vegan or non vegan muffins, quick breads, and mini loaves. Just sprinkle a generous amount on top of batter right before baking. Other options for toppings include a sprinkle of turbinado sugar or a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. 

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until combined. Topping will be in crumbles. 

An Ode to Coffee!

Like many others, I am addicted to coffee. It began long before I started working at the coffee shop. The varieties of drip coffee we serve are fantastic (personal fav: Santa Clara), to the point that I will no longer brew my own. To me, not getting my morning fix throws off my whole day. It feels as if chaos has been unleashed on my normal routine. I lose track of time, stay in bed too long, miss appointments, ect. So, to show my appreciation, and share the joy of coffee with others, I decided to make these scrumptious coffee kisses.

These little delights are perfect for a morning pick-me-up or after dinner snack. The cookies are moist and soft. Make sure not to over bake them because they will become crispy. Not the best thing to bite into with a buttercream filling. Speaking of the coffee buttercream frosting, it is great with not only these cookies, but also anything chocolate!

Coffee Kisses

3 c self-rising flour (substitute below)                      1 tbsp instant coffee (or espresso if available)

5 1/2 oz unsalted butter, chopped                             1-2 tbsp iced water

1/2 caster sugar                                                         3 1/2 oz white chocolate

1 egg lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, and rub butter into the flour with your figure tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add combine sugar, eggs, and coffee (dissolved in water), all at once. Mix with a flat blade knife until ingredients come together to form a soft dough. Knead lightly until smooth.

Roll out the dough to a 1/4in thickness. cut into 2 in round with a fluted or round cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking trays and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Once baked, transfer to cooling rack. 

Adapted from Homestyle Cookies, Muffins, and Cakes, Bay Books.

Coffee Buttercream

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened                                         1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1 1/2 c confectioner's sugar                                           3 tsp strong brewed coffee or espresso

Place butter in electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add sugar, beating until light and creamy. Add coffee and extract, and beat until combine.

Place buttercream in a piping bag, fitted with a fluted nozzle. Pipe cream onto half the cookies. Top with the other half of cookies. Drizzle or pipe melted white chocolate over the top.

Colleen's great sign!

 Enjoy!

Lovin' the Lemon

Lemon Bundt Cake with Raspberry Glaze

As many can attest to, I love almost anything lemon. There is nothing that says summer to me quite like a citrus punched cake, topped with fresh berries. This cake is a great example. It creates a beautiful presentation with the glossy raspberry glaze. Great for all sunny occasions.

This being my first bundt cake, I was a little frightened of the outcome. Unsure of the way the pan would effect the heating process of the batter, I followed the recipe to the word for word. The crumb came out heavenly, moist and delicate. Among my other trepidations was the cake's turn out from the mold due to a couple of disastrous instances in my early baking days. Crossing my fingres, I flipped the cake out onto its pretty blue plate, and it worked! I was thrilled, and I hope you will be too! This is a recipe that I will absolutely be expanding on in the near future!

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup sour cream
Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions 

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously brush the bundt pan with shortening and dust with flour.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and set aside.
  3. Whisk the eggs and sugar together in another bowl, stirring vigorously to lighten the eggs. Gradually whisk in the oil until evenly combined. Add the sour cream mixture and stir together. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined but still a bit lumpy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  4. Bake the cake until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. (Check it at 45 mins) Cool 10 minutes; then unmold cake onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool. (The cake can be prepared to this point a day ahead.)

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Simple Raspberry Glaze

1 cup raspberry jam, All Nature (the fewer ingredients the better)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a medium sauce pan, heat jam, lemon juice, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat. Before presentation, drizzle as much or as little as you would like over the bundt cake, saving some for each serving.