Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Boston, Berlin, and New Haven, here we come!  Tomorrow morning we leave for ten days of ten-year (gulp) college reunions and exploring a new city in Europe.   I can't wait.  I also still have a list of chores I wanted to finish and letters I should write... and I had grand plans to have a few blog posts ready for while I am away.  Oh, and it is 1:38 a.m.  Sigh.  At least I am (over)packed!

Instead, I leave with you a very simple and addictive Rhubarb Coffee Cake.  Last month, I visited my college roommate in Chicago.  We made Ali's Rhubarb Buckle and discussed how we both love the abundance of rhubarb in spring.  Shortly after my visit, K sent me this recipe for Rhubarb Coffee Cake.  Fortuitously, a friend of my mom's generously gave me several pounds of ripe, red rhubarb from her garden around the same time.  Thank you, Stephanie!

Sometimes I want to make something that comes together in one or two bowls with little muss or fuss.  I want the stand mixer to do the work and I want to enjoy my time reading with a cup of coffee (or wine) rather than frantically flitting about the kitchen.  This is a lazy day recipe.  Another observation - is there a smell more enticing than than that of butter and sugar whipped together?  Nevermind the smell, how about the taste?  Trust me, you'll want to lick the beaters once this cake is in the oven.

I was surprised both times by how brown this cake was without being burned.  I'd advise covering it with aluminum foil halfway through baking it to prevent the top from over-browning.  The end result will be a moist, sweet, rhubarby treat that is equally good for an afternoon snack or breakfast (or dessert... or an airplane snack as I'll have it tomorrow).  

Oh, and a confession.  I only just learned this year that coffee cake doesn't have coffee in it.  Who knew?  

Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Yield = 20 squares (one 9x9 pan cut as you please) 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt 
2 heaping cups of rhubarb chunks (sliced approximately 1/2 inch thick on the bias)
For the topping - 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the sugar and butter either using a hand mixer or a stand mixer.  Add the egg and then the vanilla.  In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients.  Alternate adding the buttermilk and the dry ingredients into the bowl with the butter, sugar, etc.  Gently fold in the rhubarb.

Place the batter in a greased 9x9 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with topping.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the center is set.  I'd advise covering the cake after 20 minutes of baking if it is getting dark.

Carrot & Quinoa Muffins

Hello?  Are you still reading?  I was worried that I would lose a number of you immediately after you read the title of this post.  I, too, was a skeptic.  When J mentioned Carrot & Quinoa Muffins as one of the many items in her Kentucky Derby party spread, I stared at them in disbelief.  I've never been a huge fan of carrots in baked goods and, frankly, they sounded too healthy to be good.  I should have known better than to doubt J, the woman who introduced me to my all-time favorite salad Kale and Pear Salad.

My Dad had the same reaction to these muffins.  I offered to send him home with a few and he wrinkled his nose at me like he wouldn't possibly enjoy them.  Then he tried one.  He left our place with a bag full of muffins.  Later, my Mom called for the recipe.

 What I'm trying to say is do not be dissuaded by the healthful ingredients in these muffins.  The carrot flavor is subtle.  The coconut oil provides undertones of coconut, but nothing overpowering.  The quinoa gives the muffins a wonderful texture.  These are dynamite. 

I've made these three times and have a few tips as a result.  First, I think the coconut oil makes a huge difference in how these taste and I'd recommend using it.  I found mine at Sunflowers Market and I am sure they have it at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  The first time I made these, I used 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil.  The muffins tasted great but were a bit greasy.  The second time around, I made these with butter and I frankly didn't like them as much. The third time (I know...ridiculous), I made them with 1/3 cup of coconut oil and they were tasty and less greasy.  Finally,don't overfill the muffin cups!  3/4 of the way full produces lovely muffins that stay in the confines of their wrappers.  Trust me on this one... 

Carrot & Quinoa Muffins
Yield = 16 muffins
Adapted from Fresh365 

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour works well, too)
3/4 cup almond flour (again, all-purpose flour works well, too, but I like mixing in almond flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (substitute 1/2 cup unsalted butter if you prefer)
1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup loosely-packed, grated carrots
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, sugar, flours, baking soda, and salt.  In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil (allow to cool), Greek yogurt, vanilla, and eggs.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing well.  Gently fold in the carrots and walnuts until just mixed.

Divide batter evenly such that none of the muffin tins is filled more than 3/4 full.  For me, this yielded 16 muffins.  Transfer the muffins to the oven.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Ham & Cheese Waffles

In my ongoing quest to make breakfast as simple as possible, my eyes lit up when I read about ham and cheese waffles in this month's Bon Appétit.  How ingenious to turn what is usually sweet into savory.  We enjoyed a few of these for breakfast over the weekend and I froze the rest, which means I enjoyed a tasty toasted waffle on the way to work, which is definitely a great way to start the day.  

I made a few changes from the Bon Appétit recipe, so if you want something a bit fussier (separating egg yolks from whites, beating whites with an electric mixer) and with more butter, check out the original recipe.  It calls for twice as much butter, which seemed excessive.  These tasted rich without half the butter. 

Ham & Cheese Waffles
Yield = approximately 12 waffles
Adapted from Bon Appétit March 2012 

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup milk (I used non-fat milk)
3/4 cup soda water
Non-stick vegetable oil spray
1 cup thinly-cut strips of ham
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Maple syrup (optional)

Special Equipment
Waffle maker

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.  Heat waffle iron until very hot.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large bowl.  Whisk the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, milk, and soda water in a medium bowl; gradually whisk into dry ingredients.

Coat waffle iron with non-stick vegetable oil spray.  Pour batter onto iron, spreading it into corners (amount of batter needed will vary according to machine).  Scatter ham and cheddar over each waffle. Cook until golden brown and cooked through.  Transfer to a baking sheet; keep waffles warm in oven between batches.  Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Homemade Mascarpone

After a number of consecutive weekends away, it was such a relief to be home this weekend.  There is something about two whole days stretching ahead of you with very little planned.  Rob and I enjoyed fresh oysters and happy hour at Jax, a trail run at Matthew Winters, a visit to Little Man Ice Cream, and some gorgeous Colorado sunshine.  I also finally got back in the kitchen and feel so much more like myself.  Hello, March!

When I read this recipe for homemade mascarpone, I couldn't wait to give it a try.  Homemade Ricotta was so simple and a huge success and I had high hopes that the mascarpone would be similar.... and it was. This comes together in about 20 minutes and then sits overnight. In the morning, you have mascarpone! There is something so amazing to me about making something at home just seems impossible to make.

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast today of toast spread with mascarpone, drizzled in honey, and covered with sliced berries.  My inspiration was Panaficio, a favorite spot of mine on Charles Street in Boston, where they serve Formaggio, which is essentially what I made.  After finishing my toast, I proceeded to just dip strawberries into the mascarpone.  Serve it as you'd like, but definitely don't miss this recipe!

Homemade Mascarpone

Recipe from Two Tarts

Yield = 1 1/2 cups (approximately)

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream (pasteurized is preferable to ultra-pasteurized, but ultra-pasteurized worked for me)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

candy thermometer

cheesecloth

Preparation

Heat the heavy cream over low heat in heavy-bottomed saucepan until it reaches 190° F.  While the hevy cream is heating, stir it to ensure the bottom doesn't scorch.  At 190° F, the heavy cream should be gently simmering.  Add the lemon juice to the heavy cream, stir the cream frequently and continue to heat the heavy cream at 190° F for 5 minutes.  The heavy cream will thicken so that it coats the back of your spoon, but no visible curds will form.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.  While the cream cools, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl.  Once cooled, pour the cream into the sieve and allow the cream to drain and cool completely.  Only about 1-2 tablespoonds of liquid will drain out.

Leave the cream in the sieve with the bowl underneath, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge overnight.  The next day, remove the mascarpone from the sieve and store for up to 10 days.

"Happy Bread"

Pinterest is one of those websites in which you can get lost.  I'll sometimes go on with the intention of locating a certain recipe or piece of clothing only to find that 45 minutes have passed and I can't really say what I've been looking at.  Sometimes this aimless viewing of "pins" leads to great things, including this "Happy Bread".  I was drawn in initially by just the look of this bread -- it reminds me of a giant flower.  One of my photos of the bread below shows the flower shape... the rest look like a flower sans a few petals because we couldn't resist eating this immediatley!

I've been in a bit of a cooking slump lately.  It is a combination of being away on the weekends, not grocery shopping, training hard for the Boston Marathon, and the general malaise that inevitably sets in during the month of February.  To me, it feels like it is always dark and that winter will never end.  Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to inspire me to do much of anything other than wish I were on the beach of a tropical island somewhere.  Rob - Hawaii in February 2013?  

So, I came home last night determined to make something and given the utter lack of ingredients on hand, I went for this simple bread.  The dough comes together in 10 minutes, rises for an hour, is shaped into the beautiful flower in about 10 minutes, rises for another 30-40 minutes, and then bakes for about 20 minutes.  I guess what I am (not so eloquently) saying is that the active time in this is limited and the end result is dynamite.

I chose to sprinkle my bread with cinnamon and sugar because I was craving something sweet, but if you are looking for savory, I'd sprinkle some cheese and red pepper flakes on top... or stick to simple and just brush it with butter for delicious, basic rolls.

Happy Bread
Adapted from Food Diva's Kitchen via Eva Toneva

Ingredients

2 teaspoons dry instant yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup warm milk (110° - 115° - be sure the milk isn't too hot or the yeast won't rise correctly) (also, as I mentioned above, we were lacking in groceries, so I used a mixture of skim milk and soy milk -- use whatever you have availble)

3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading and flouring

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

5/8 cup warm milk (extra)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice

4 tbsps butter, melted and cooled

Glaze

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm milk, cover and leave in a warm place to rise 10 minutes.  If the mixture doesn't get bubbly, don't use it - your bread won't rise.

2. In another bowl, sift the flour and salt together.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add beaten eggs, the remaining warm milk, olive oil, vinegar, and yeast mixture.  Knead the dough with your hands or in your stand mixer (using the dough hook) until it separates from the sides of the bowl.  Remove dough, place on lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes until it becomes a soft, pliable dough.  Alternatively, knead the bread in your stand mixer on high for 5-8 minutes until the dough is soft and pliable.  Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, approximately one hour.

3. Punch risen dough and transfer on a floured surface.  Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.  Divide each of these again into 4, so you have 8 pieces of dough in total.

4. Roll each piece of dough out into a roughly rectangular shape with a thickness of 1/4 inch.  Brush cooled, melted butter over each piece.  Set aside remaining butter for later.  I'd advise watching this helpful video to see how the next few steps are done.

5. Place one piece of rectangular dough over another one and start to roll into a cylinder.  Do the same with the rest of the dough.  You will end up with 4 cylindrical rolls.

6. Cut each roll into three pieces by doing the following:  first, slice about 1 1/2 inches off at both ends of each roll and set these pieces aside; second, cut the middle part of the roll into 4 triangles (seriously, it will make so much more sense if you watch the video). 

7.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease or line a large baking tray with parchment.  In the middle of the tray, arrange the cut ends of the rolls around each other to form a circle, placing the cut sides down.  Arrange the cut triangles to completely surround the middle circle.  Cover with a towel and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 30-40 minutes.

8.  Using a fork, beat the yolk with the milk to form a glaze and brush top of the bread with the glaze.  At this point, I sprinkled the bread with 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tbsp of sugar.  You could also use sesame seeds or poppy seeds or allow the bread to bake for 15 minutes and then sprinkle it with cheese and red pepper flakes.  Be creative!  Bake the bread for 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325°, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

9.  Brush bread with melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven, cover with a towel, and leave to cool for 5 minutes before eating (if you can wait).  

Note that this bread is definitely best eaten immediately.  It'd be perfect for a dinner party because everyone could break off their own piece - each section is like a small roll.