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.

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!

I found myself dreaming of a chocolate chip scone on the way to work and it must have been my subconscious knowing that today is National Chocolate Chip Day!  I was reminded when I arrived at work to see a most welcome sight.

Is it wrong to have a cookie for breakfast?  Have I mentioned before that I have the best co-workers?

Should you feel inspired to bake something using chocolate chips today, may I suggest Jim Lahey's Chocolate Chip Cookies (if you like your cookies thin and crispy), Ali's Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (if soft and chewy is your thing), Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, or Chocolate Chip Scones?  Regardless of what you make, it is a great excuse to get to the kitchen to bake something delicious.

Double Stuff Oreos

The last four weeks were a whirlwind of house hunting and negotiating, a wonderful weekend in Chicago, a (very hot) trip to Boston for the marathon, and a visit from a dear friend and her boyfriend who we met for the first time.  Between all of that, life in general, and work (oh, yes, that -- I do have a job), I feel like I've been largely absent from cooking and blogging and doing things at home that I love.  The glorious spring weather we have had is a contributing factor... I just feel guilty being inside!

A major contributing factor to feeling overwhelmed is that we are under contract (!!) on a home.  If all goes well, we'll be home owners in mid-June.  When I think about cooking, I now see myself in our new kitchen and cooking in our current place just isn't as enticing.  The prospect of owning our own home is both amazing and terrifying.  I don't want to share any details about the house until things are official, but below is a glimpse at a lovely little something from the backyard.

Thankfully, S's birthday party this weekend snapped me out of my house dreaming and back to reality - I promised to bring dessert to the party and the clock was ticking until party time.  Initially, I offered to make Rhubarb Buckle.  If you love rhubarb, you must make Ali's version of Rhubarb Buckle.  Seriously.  It is a must.  We made it during the aforementioned trip to Chicago and I had four pieces in a 24 hour period.  Are you judging?  If so, just wait until you make it! 

You know what else is dangerous?  These Double Stuff Oreos.  Looking at my photos, these look more like whoopie pies than Oreos.  If you look at the photos on Smitten Kitchen, the cookies are much flatter and thinner.... I was worried that the cookies would flatten considerably during baking, but they didn't.  Next time I make these, I'll press them down more before baking.  I do, however, stand by my change to make fewer cookies but to add more filling.  The filling really complements the intense chocolate flavor (with a touch of saltiness) of the cookies and I think the cookies as a whole benefit from just a little more filling.

If you have a cookie thief in your household, beware!  I had to stop Rob not only from eating the cookies, but also the frosting.  Under the guise of helping me spread the filling, I caught him sneaking tastes of both.  Consider yourself warned!

Double Stuff Oreos
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Yield = 20 sandwich cookies

Ingredients

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor or the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar.  While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter and then the egg.  Continue processing or mixing until the dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart.  With moistened hands, flatten the dough.  Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking.  Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, use either a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch round tip to pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie or use a butter knife (I used a knife and it worked well).  Apply filling to half of the cookies and then apply any remaining filling to the cookies until you use all of the filling.  Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the filling.  Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.  Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched. 

Update on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 12:43 AM by Darcy Eden

After making these for a second time, I wanted to report back about making the cookies thinner.  The second time around, I used approximately 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookies.  I rolled the dough into a ball, placed it on the parchment paper, and used the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookie to approximately 1/4" in thickness (as pictured below).  The end result is a much flatter, more Oreo-like cookie.  I kind of like the look of my first (very thick) batch, but these were more manageable to eat!

Midnight Cowboy Cookies

One of the oddest things about the internet is how you can become friends with someone you haven't ever met in person. I was e-introduced to Jackie at dessertification by my dear friend Sarah - Jackie and Sarah went to college together. I love reading about her creative desserts and thoroughly enjoy her wry sense of humor... and I suspect that if we went shopping together, we'd have an excellent time and purchase many similar items!  Hopefully we'll meet in person at some point.

Rob sneakily depleted our frozen cookie dough supply and I wanted to mix things up a bit on the cookie front when I refreshed it. I've been on a chocolate chip cookie kick for awhile and these were a delicious discovery - I love that the dough base is peanut butter, and that with each bite you taste chocolate and pecans. These are crunchy and seriously addictive.  I'm psyched we now have a stash of these in the freezer.

Midnight Cowboy Cookies
Recipe from dessertification as adapted from Holiday Baking
Yield = approximately 4 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup vegetable shortening
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.


• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.


• In a stand mixer, beat together the peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for approximately 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and then beat the eggs into the wet ingredients one at a time until fully combined.


• Using a low mixer speed, combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut until just combined.


• Make tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a melon baller) and place them at least 1" apart on the baking sheets. At this stage you can also freeze the dough balls for baking at a later time. Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden brown.

National Caramel Corn Day

In honor of National Caramel Corn Day, I am re-posting one of my favorite recipes for, of course, Caramel Corn.  Caramel corn has been a favorite of Americans since Cracker Jack was introduced at the Chicago World' Fair in 1893 and this makes a great dessert or snack.  Might I suggest you make a batch and go see the Hunger Games if you haven't already?  Happy Friday!