We did it. I can’t believe it’s true, but we planted two pecan trees in our yard. We spotted them at Lowe’s in late September and selected a Sumner Pecan and a Stuart Pecan. We are slightly north of the growing zone for the Sumner, but our area has mild winters so it should do well. Pecan trees need another variety nearby to produce, and we planted these within 30 feet of each other. They got a little dry at one point and we were worried we might lose them, but it looks like they have taken to their new home. They don’t look like much right now, just a couple sticks about five feet (152 cm) tall since they lost their leaves, but they are full of promise, I can feel it. We have hopeful visions of harvesting pounds and pounds of pecans in about eight years. Yes it will be a long wait, but if the trees produce then my dream to grow our own pecans will be fulfilled.

And what better use for pecans than to make a pecan pie? Pecan pie is a favorite on my side of the family—we are Southerners, after all—and you can always find at our Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. I’ve tasted plenty of pecan pie over the years, and this recipe with bourbon and chocolate is still my favorite. This year we tried it with a whole wheat crust and loved the combination. Pecan pie is a bit hearty anyway, and the crust really seemed to match the pie well. This will be our go-to crust for pecan pie from now on.

For Thanksgiving preparations, you can make this up to a day ahead and save yourself a little work on the big day.

BOURBON CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE WITH WHOLE WHEAT CRUST

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie.

Equipment

9-inch pie pan
baking sheet
medium bowl

Ingredients

1 recipe whole wheat pie dough
3/4 cup (75 g) chopped pecans
50 pecan halves
3/4 cup (131 g) semisweet chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (36 g) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) golden syrup or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F/165° C. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest about 15 to 30 minutes, until it has warmed up and is easy to roll.

2. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, then place it in the pie pan. Carefully press it into place and crimp the edge. Put the pie back in the refrigerator while you prep the rest of the ingredients, about 15 minutes. You want the dough to chill a bit before baking so it doesn’t shrink up in the oven.

3. Roast the pecan halves and bits on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips in the bottom, then add the chopped pecans, and finally arrange the pecan halves on top.

5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, golden syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Pour the filling over the pecans, making sure all of the pecans are coated in the mixture.

6. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set and the crust is deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Variations

You can also use a traditional white flour pie crust.

You can also use coffee liqueur (i.e. Kahlua) instead of bourbon.

More Thanksgiving Day Treats

More Pecan Recipes From Around the Blogs

Farmgirl Fare – Spicy Pecan Muffins

The Well-Seasoned Cook – Quick Pecan Salad

101 Cookbooks – Toasted Pecan Toffee

Closet Cooking – Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries, and Pecans

[The Green Valley Pecan Company Pecan Store sent me a small sample of pecans, but I was under no obligation to mention their product. I used them in this pie and thought they tasted very good and fresh.]

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Though we’ve had a few detours along the way, we remain committed to our resolution to use more whole grains in our baking, and pie dough was next on the list to change. I’ve tried a number of whole wheat pie dough recipes, and this is one of my favorites. The good folks at King Arthur Flour published Whole Grain Baking in 2006 and for their efforts they received a James Beard Foundation award nomination. I bought the book this year as we embarked on our quest to finally change to whole grain baking and it has been an invaluable reference.

As they tested pies and doughs, the authors decided that different pies call for different pie crusts, and they experimented with traditional whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, barley flour, and oats. Some of the doughs have a mixture of whole grains and a few have a small amount of white flour. This whole wheat pie dough has no white flour and no other grains; the whole wheat flour stands on its own.

The texture is quite different from the standard all-purpose flour pie dough, not light and flaky, a little hearty but not chewy. The baking powder offers a little lift to the crust and keeps it from being too heavy. The flavor is bold and unmistakably whole wheat, though the addition of orange juice and buttermilk powder softens the edgy flavor somewhat.

I use a food processor for preparing pie dough as demonstrated by Alton Brown on Good Eats, though you can also mix this by hand or with a mixer. The resting time is important for the flour to properly absorb the liquids, which will soften the bran and produce a smoother crust. When ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to rest for about 15 to 30 minutes. It will warm up and become more flexible, making it easier to roll.

Note the recipe makes just one single pie crust, but you can easily double it.

[Updated November 13, 2009.]

WHOLE WHEAT PIE DOUGH

Adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. (review)

Makes 1 single pie crust.

Equipment

food processor (or mixing bowl or stand mixer with paddle attachment)
pastry blender (optional)
plastic wrap

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces/113 g) traditional or white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional, but good)
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 g) cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 ml) cold orange juice
2 to 4 tablespoons (1 to 2 ounces/30 to 60 ml) ice water

Preparation

1. In the bowl of the food processor, add the flour, buttermilk powder, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse several times until the dry ingredients are thoroughly distributed.

2. Cut the cold butter into small cubes (about 1/3 the width of a stick of butter) and add it to the dry ingredients. Pulse about 10 to 15 times, until the mixture is crumbly with uneven bits of butter.

3. Sprinkle the orange juice over the dough and pulse a few more times. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the dough clings together. If a piece of the dough holds together in your hand and doesn’t feel dry or crumbly, it’s ready.

4. Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out. Shape the dough into a round disk about 1 inch/2.5 cm thick and roll it on its edge in the flour to smooth the edges out.

5. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator overnight before using. Will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Tasty Pies To Make With Whole Wheat Pie Dough

More Whole Wheat Pastries From Around the Blogs

Chocolate & Zucchini – Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust

A Mingling of Tastes – Caramelized Onion Tart with Blue Cheese and Whole Wheat Crust

A Veggie Venture – Farm Pie with Whole Wheat & Lard Crust

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We discovered the persimmon tree in September when we noticed the golden orbs hanging from the branches. We hadn’t paid attention to the tree before because it was in a relatively inaccessible area behind our house and we had no idea what it was or what if anything it would produce, it had not set fruit until this year. When we found the fruit, we realized it was American persimmon (aka common persimmon and Eastern persimmon), which is a berry in botanic terms. The fruit is small, ranging 1 to 1-1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) in diameter and very sweet when ripe.

Persimmons are autumn fruits that can hang on even after frost, and you can wait until after frost to gather them to ensure they are fully ripe. The leaves start to droop and fall off the tree as the fruit ripens. The persimmons should be very soft and even a little wrinkled before eating, otherwise they’ll have a chalky taste. If the fruit starts to drop when you shake the tree, they are pretty much ready.

The tree we found is in a wild, untamed area surrounded by thistles, climbing vines, and poison ivy, and we also had to watch for snakes as we carefully made our way to it. There are actually three persimmon trees back there, all about the same size and one without fruit so it’s probably the male tree. Persimmon trees are either male or female and the female trees bear fruit. Unlike some fruit trees, persimmon seeds produce trees that are true to the mother tree and the trees grow wild and prolifically.

The birds were already picking at the fruit near the top of the tree, so we knew it was time to gather persimmons.

They taste sweet, almost like honey, and the flavor came through in this spiced cake. Except for the time it takes to press the persimmons, the cake is relatively easy to make. The thin lemon glaze is optional, Michael doesn’t care for it but I like the bright flavor and bit of crunch it adds. You can use other types of persimmons, such as Hachiya or Fuyu for this cake, but since those are larger you will use fewer fruits to get the same amount of puree.

SPICED PERSIMMON CAKE WITH DATES AND LEMON GLAZE

Makes 1 large Bundt cake.

Equipment

2-quart bowl
medium mesh strainer
heavy spatula
stand mixer with paddle attachment
12-cup Bundt pan, greased and floured
fine mesh strainer
small bowl

Ingredients

PERSIMMON PUREE
1-1/2 to 2 pounds common persimmons, less if you use Hachiya or Fuyu persimmons (enough to make 2 cups of puree)

CAKE
2 sticks (1/2 pound/227 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups (240 ml) persimmon puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (125 g) chopped dates or golden raisins

GLAZE
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F/165° C. Set rack in the middle of the oven.

2. PERSIMMON PUREE: Rinse the persimmons and remove the brown or green calyx. Place the strainer over the 2-quart bowl. One at a time, place a persimmon in the strainer and press down hard with the spatula. Press and move the spatula around, forcing the pulp through the mesh. Remove the seeds and skin and continue with the remaining persimmons. (Note: This can take a while when using small persimmons, so plan for it.)

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it it light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time. Add the persimmon puree and vanilla extract, and mix well.

5. In the medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and stir gently, tossing in the chopped dates. Do not overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 1 hour has passed. When a tester comes out dry with just a few crumbs clinging, remove the pan from the oven. If the tester has no crumbs the cake will be dry.

7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

8. MAKE THE GLAZE: While the cake is cooling, whisk together the the powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze is smooth.

9. Pour the glaze over the cake while warm. Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve.

References

Wikipedia – American persimmon

Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservations (Common Persimmon)

Wikipedia – Persimmon

More Autumn Recipes

More Persimmon Recipes From Around the Blogs

Pinch My Salt – Persimmon Cookies

David Lebovitz – James Beard’s Amazing Persimmon Bread Recipe

Simply Recipes – Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad

White on Rice Couple – Poached Persimmons in Rum & Mascarpone Coconut Cream

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My husband Michael, the engineer (aerospace, not trains), is the designer for all our sons’ birthday cakes. He’s a big fan of Duff Goldman and watches Ace of Cakes often trying to pick up any tips he can. We only tackle cakes like this three times a year and we are definitely not pros. I bake the cakes and whip up the frosting and he does all the assembly and decorative work. Here’s his story on how we made the Percy train birthday cake.

Monkey Boy’s favorite toy is trains so for about six months prior to his third birthday we heard all about how he wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine cake, then just a couples months before his birthday he changed his mind and asked for Percy, the green number 6 train. Green is his favorite color, so it wasn’t a big surprise.

(Andrea’s notes: Percy was not available for a proper photograph at the time of this article. He’s somewhere in the house, hidden under a bed, at the bottom of a closet, or tucked away under a pile of dust, hopefully to resurface soon.)

For a couple months I examined the two versions of the Percy train we had and let the design percolate in the back of my head. The final Percy cake is based primarily on the Jack Frost Percy (above), a discontinued train. My years of working in engineering started to get the best of me as I pulled out a ruler and started measuring the dimensions of my next assignment. For the record, Percy is about three inches long and a little over 1.5 inches wide and about 1.75 inches high.

We had about ten to twelve family members joining us for the big day, so I thought of an initial scale of one inch of Percy equals 4 inches of cake Percy, and quickly determined a 12 inch long, 4 inch wide, 6 inch tall Percy would be less than impressive. So then I hand sketched out a 1 inch equals six inch version and calculated a cake that was 18 inches long, 8.5 inches wide and about 12 inches tall. Now that is a Percy someone could be proud of, plus working in the larger scale would make some of the detail work easier to accomplish.

I also realized that this meant there would be quite a bit of cake and the weight would be a challenge. After a couple of trips to Lowes and Home Depot I found some one inch foam insulation that I decided to use as the base. We needed a type of foam that could support this heavy cake, and Styrofoam isn’t sturdy enough,. This is the first cake I’ve made that wasn’t 100% edible, but figured I’d make up for it in size. With a box cutter and a carpenter’s square I cut out what would be the black wheel area and the main base of the plate. I also cut out the vertical shapes of the various pieces that would be make out of cake. Stacked them up on top of each other to get an idea of how big this would be.

Based on the design we made a guess on the amount of cake, frosting, and rice crispy treats we would need. We made two batches of rice crispy treats, baked three 9×13 cakes, and whipped up five batches of frosting. (We are not fans of fondant, hence the predominant use of buttercream. If you like fondant, of course feel free to indulge.) As we hit crunch time and I picked up one of the dense chocolate cakes which we have found are best for carving and stacking, I realized the cake was going to be a lot heavier and bigger than I initially imagined. We quickly decided on changing the scale down to 1 inch Percy equals 5 inches of cake and settled on a version that was 15 inches long and about 12 inches tall. A cake this size could easily feed 30-40 kids/adults and still have some left over.

[Hammer as required equipment for making birthday cakes. Love it.]

I stacked up the foam plates, taped them with masking tape, and drove two chopsticks through the stack for extra stability, thinking the assembled cake might be a bit top heavy. We put down a layer of wax paper to form a barrier between the foam and the cake just to make sure nothing would leach through. I frosted the foam so it would have the same texture as the rest of the cake, and then started to stack and carve the engine compartment and boiler using a paper pattern. Assembly and carving of the cake is fairly straight forward and having the Percy cars nearby and a Thomas book where Percy was a main character with plenty of pictures helped out immensely.

I knew the hardest part would be the face and didn’t think carving it out of cake would stand up, so we decided to make the face and wheels out of rice crispy treats and chose fondant for the covering since the faces of the engines are smooth.

To make the barrel-shaped front end and face , we cut down a 2-liter soda bottle, greased the inside with butter and packed it full of warm rice crispy treats. (Andrea’s note: I forgot to photograph that, sorry.) We learned after shaping the treats that we should use less butter next time to improve their ability to harden. After about an hour we popped the front out of the form and I pushed the rice crispy treats into a shape somewhat resembling Percy’s face, adding additional rice crispy treat mix as I went. We made a half batch of marshmallow fondant and colored it gray using black Wilton gel coloring and then liberally spread frosting over the face of the rice crispy treat so the fondant could easily slide into place.

Getting the face and eyes just right was critical to making the train look like Percy and not one of the other trains. We made the eyes out of white fondant and black fondant, using a 2-liter soda bottle cap to get a uniform white circle and an apple corer for the black part of the eye.

After attaching Percy’s face, we noticed that he was aging rather quickly as the rice crispy treats started to sag and little cracks began to form. We decided to remove the face and lay it down until we were ready to light the candles and sing the next day. His face didn’t come out perfect, but we though it was pretty close.

After making the face, we cut wheels out of rice crispy treats and made the smoke stack out of two kid-sized ice cream cones, one cut down and inverted inside the other. We held off on attaching the rice crispy wheels until the next morning thinking they would harden up over night, but that didn’t work out as planned, they were still saggy. Putting the wheels in place was the most frustrating part of the assembly, and it took another batch of frosting to glue the wheels to the base. After dealing with the saggy rice crispy treats I think if I ever make another train cake like this I will make the wheels and face out of foam and use a Dremel-like tool to carve the face and front area.

In the end Monkey Boy was pleased and recognized Percy immediately, but I think the big yellow 6 on the sides was key. I spent about 9 hours assembling and decorating the cake, but I’m not a pro and this was my first attempt at this design.

We do have some Plan Ahead Tips to help organize the work.

Plan Ahead Tips

• Make the marshmallow fondant up to 30 days ahead. Keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and store in dry place (not refrigerator).
• Bake the cakes up to one day before and allow them to cool completely. Freezing them for about 30 minutes before assembly makes them easier to carve.
• Make the frosting up to three days before. Mix one batch at a time and color as you go. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before frosting the cake.
• Make the rice crispy treats up to one day before. Keep covered with plastic.

A Word on Fondant

You can use fondant for the cake rather than buttercream, either purchased or homemade. Zoe of Zoe Bakes (one of my favorite bakers) has a tried and true recipe for homemade fondant or you can use the marshmallow fondant recipe below. Fondant gives the cake a professional-looking sleek, smooth surface, but no one in our family will eat it, so that’s why we skip it.

PERCY TRAIN BIRTHDAY CAKE

Serves 30 to 40, possibly more depending on serving sizes.

Equipment

Percy train toy or book with photo
3 (9×13) cake pans, greased with a layer of parchment in the bottom
stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large bowl)
5-6 quart/liter pot (if you make rice crispy treats)
2-liter soft drink bottle + cap
foam, approximately 2 feet (61 cm) x 3 feet (91 cm)
wax paper
masking tape
box cutter or X-Acto knife
32-ounce yogurt container lid (as pattern for the wheels)
2 kid-sized ice cream cones, one cut down and inverted inside the other
2 chopsticks
small hammer
1 large pizza pan or serving platter
3 #3 piping tips + couplers
3 quart-sized freezer bags (for piping frosting)
angled frosting spatula
toothpicks (for portioning gel colors)

Ingredients

chocolate cake or other cake of your choice (make 3 9×13 cakes)
vanilla frosting (no shortening, make 5 batches) OR
vanilla frosting (with shortening, make 5 batches) *We only use this recipe when the weather is really hot and humid.
marshmallow fondant (recipe below)
rice crispy treats (make 2-1/2 batches)
green frosting gel color
no-taste red frosting gel color
yellow frosting gel color
black frosting gel color

MARSHMALLOW FONDANT

Adapted from a post on Wilton.com forums.

Equipment

microwave safe bowl OR 2-quart pot
silicone spatula
rolling pin (for rolling the fondant)
toothpick (for dipping the gel color)
food service gloves

Ingredients

1/2 cup mini marshmallows, packed well
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

COLORS
black frosting gel color

Preparation

1. Put the mini marshmallows in the microwave safe bowl and add the water. Cook in the microwave for 20 seconds, just until they soften and look puffy. If you prefer to do it on the stove, put the marshmallows in a 3-quart pot and add the water. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the marshmallows look soupy.

2. Add the confectioners sugar and stir using the silicone spatula until the mixture is fully incorporated and no longer sticky. It will get stiff.

3. Sprinkle more confectioners sugar on a work surface and spoon the marshmallow mixture onto the surface. Coat your hands with confectioners sugar and knead the dough until it is smooth, about 5 minutes.

4. GRAY: (Note: Wear the gloves while coloring the fondant.) Cut off about a 2-inch/5 cm ball of the fondant and mash it with your hands. Add a tiny amount of black gel color a little at a time and knead it in with your hands. The color will look streaked at first, then will become more consistent as you work it.

5. BLACK: Cut off a 1-inch/2.5 cm ball of the remaining fondant and mash it with your hands. Add some black gel color a little at a time and knead it in with your hands. Continue adding black gel color until the fondant is dark enough.

6. If you make the fondant a day or more ahead, roll it into balls and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and store in zip plastic bags to keep it fresh. Do not refrigerate. If it’s well-wrapped, this marshmallow fondant will keep at room temperature for up to 30 days.

Assembly

1. COLOR THE FROSTING: Tint the frosting as you make each batch. You’ll need the following amounts:

• 2-1/2 batches (7.5 cups) green frosting
• 1/2 batch (1.5 cups) black frosting
• 1/4 batch (0.75 cups) red frosting
• 1/4 batch (0.75 cups) yellow frosting
• 1-1/2 batches (4.5 cups) white frosting

2. MAKE THE BASE: Cut the foam into 5 pieces (3 inches x 15 inches/8 cm x 38 cm) and 2 pieces (3 inches x 3 inches/8 cm x 8 cm) and stack them as shown. Wrap masking tape around them to hold together. Cut the platform piece and place it on top. Cover with wax paper, then use a small hammer to drive two chopsticks through the foam to stabilize the pieces.

3. Coat the base area under the platform with black frosting.

4. Carve 4 square pieces of cake the width of the platform, and then 3 more pieces slightly narrower than the square pieces. Stack the square pieces at the back end of the train to make the Engine Room, adding layers of white frosting between. Stack the smaller pieces next to the others to make the Water Tank, adding layers of white frosting between. Both the Engine Room and Water Tank have slightly raised areas in the top middle, so cut away some small pieces of cake and lay them on top to approximate that look.

5. Cover the Water Tank and the sides of the Engine Room with green frosting. Use black frosting to cover the top of the Engine Room.

6. Butter the inside of the soft drink bottle and press about half a batch of the rice crispy treats into the bottle, conforming to the bottom. Allow to rest until completely cool, then remove the rice crispy block from the bottle. We used a chopstick to help remove it.

7. Begin shaping the face with your hands. Michael used a Percy train toy for reference to get the correct shape. On a board sprinkled with powdered sugar, roll out the gray fondant to a circle approximately 4.25 inches/11 cm in diameter. Coat the rice crispy face top with white frosting, then lay the gray fondant on top of the frosting, pressing again to conform to the proper shape.

8. Roll out some of the white fondant and cut circles with the soda bottle cap or free hand (about 3 cm diameter). Roll out some of the black fondant and cut circles about 0.75 inch/2 cm in diameter. Cut a small smile out of the black fondant. Use a bit of white frosting to glue the white circles to the face, then again with the black circles on top of the white circles. Repeat with the black smile. Using the tip of a toothpick, paint a small amount of black coloring gel on the face for the eyebrows.

9. Place the face on the front end of the train. It will hang off slightly on the front. Apply black frosting to the area between the face and the green water tank. Apply black frosting to the assembled smoke stack (2 kid ice cream cones, 1 cut down and inverted inside the other) and place it on top of the black frosting area.

10. Apply green frosting to the platform.

11. Attach decorating tips to the 3 freezer bags and fill them with red, yellow, and black frosting.

12. BLACK DETAILS: Pipe black detail trim on the Engine Room, following your Percy model.

13. RED DETAILS: Pipe black detail trim on the platform and Water Tank, following your Percy model.

14. YELLOW DETAILS: Pipe the number 6 on both sides of the Engine Room, then outline with red. Pipe a round circle on top of the water tank. (Note: If you are using a regular wooden Percy as your model, the round circle on top will be green.)

15. WHEELS: Cut four wheels out of rice crispy treats (or foam) using a 32-ounce (907 g) yogurt container lid as the pattern, or free hand (4.5 inches/11.5 cm) in diameter. Coat them with green frosting, and use green frosting to glue them to the black base.

360° VIEWS

More Kids Birthday Cakes

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With Labor Day weekend upon us, we’ve reached the unofficial end of summer. School starts next week and the pool closes, two signs that summer is over, but we’re stretching it out a bit with this gelato based on one of my favorite candies from childhood, Whoppers. The inspiration for this gelato came from two sources: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, and Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer (both books in my personal collection). Lebovitz has a recipe for malted milk ice cream in his book, but I wanted to make it into a gelato, so I followed Kopfer’s methods to make the gelato base and used Lebovitz’s instructions for mixing the malted milk powder. If you enjoy gelato and want to learn how to make it at home, I highly recommend Kopfer’s book because it has so much helpful information on how to get that creamy gelato texture or at least approximate it with common home ice cream makers.

My boys saw the box of Whoppers on the counter, a sweet they had not tried before, and curiously asked for one. That one taste was all it took and they got very excited about the “Whopper ice cream.” I’ll be the first to admit that these little chocolate coated balls aren’t healthy and would probably rot your teeth and make you gain five pounds if you ate the whole carton, but we’re talking moderation here. If you share the gelato and the Whoppers, you’ll be fine.

MALTED MILK GELATO

Adapted from Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer and The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz

Makes about 1 quart/1 liter.

Equipment

medium saucepan
instant-read thermometer
whisk
2 nonreactive 3-quart bowls
4 or 5–quart bowl
stick or immersion blender (optional, though helpful)
fine-mesh strainer
ice cream maker (review)

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 g) malted milk powder (i.e. Carnation brand)
1 vanilla bean, split in half with seeds removed
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1-1/2 cups (150 g) malted milk balls (i.e. Whoppers or Maltesers), quartered

Preparation

1. In one of the 3-quart bowls, stir together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and malted milk powder. Set aside.

2. Put the split vanilla bean and its seeds in the bottom of the saucepan, then add the milk and 1/2 cup (100 g) of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 170° F/77° C. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

3. Remove the vanilla bean pod and return the pot to the burner. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the thermometer registers 170° F/77° C.

4. In the other 3-quart bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar until the mixture is foamy and slightly thickened.

5. Temper the egg yolks by adding about half of the hot milk mixture one ladle at a time, whisking continuously. Whisk the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan and return to the burner. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the thermometer registers 185° F/85° C. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from heat and insert the immersion blender into the hot liquid. Blend (aka emulsify) until smooth. (Note: You can also use a whisk and vigorously whip the mixture, or use a blender.)

6. Make an ice bath in the large bowl and set the bowl with the heavy cream mixture on top. Place a fine-mesh strainer on the rim of the bowl and carefully pour the custard through the strainer. Stir the custard about every 5 minutes until the mixture is cooled, about 30 minutes. Remove the bowl from the ice bath, dry the bottom, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

7. About 30 minutes before churning, set the bowl in the freezer to get the mixture as cold as possible without starting to freeze. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions for processing. Add the chopped malted milk balls during the final 2 minutes of churning.

8. Store the gelato in a plastic container. Press a layer of plastic wrap against the gelato and seal the lid on top. Freeze until fully hardened.

More Frozen Dessert Recipes

More Malted Milk Recipes From Around the Blogs

Baking Bites – Malted Milk Ball Cookies or Malteser Cookies

Adventures in the Kitchen – Malted Milk Chocolate Cheesecake

Culinary in the Country – Malted Milk Black and White Pound Cake

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody – Whopper of a Week

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I have very fond memories of tasting gelato on my trip to Italy way back when, but my first taste of gelato didn’t happen in Italy; it was actually in Bogota, Colombia. Centro Andino was a pretty new shopping center when I lived in Bogota in the early 90s, and they had a gelateria that drew me in every time I visited the center. I always ordered the dark chocolate gelato with whole almonds because the chocolate was so rich and almonds were my favorite nuts. I don’t fully trust my memory of the taste of that gelato, after all it was 15 years ago, so I haven’t tried to recreate it, but I have been in search of a dark chocolate gelato that would satisfy my cravings.

Epicurious had a recipe for chocolate gelato from the Hotel Cipriani in Venice that seemed promising. The recipe starts with caramelizing sugar, a twist that got my attention, and has both cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. I was a bit disturbed by the amount of cocoa powder listed, a whole cup in addition to the bittersweet chocolate, and some of the comments confirmed my suspicions. I reduced the cocoa powder to 1/4 cup, and we were very pleased with the result. The gelato is deep, rich, and sweet, one of those desserts that can satisfy a chocolate craving with just a small scoop. I toasted some hazelnuts to mix in and made hazelnut praline to top it off, a useful skill I learned in the Daring Bakers.

Some stores carry blanched skinned hazelnuts, which will save you a little work, but if you can’t find the skinless kind you can skin the nuts at home. Skinning hazelnuts is one of those things that I don’t get too worked up about. I’ve always roasted then rubbed the hot nuts in a towel to loosen the skins, but as you can see I’m not particularly successful with it. As long as loose pieces of skin aren’t floating around in the ice cream, I’m happy.

If you have never caramelized sugar, you’ll find it’s pretty easy but demands attention. You can’t walk away from hot sugar and leave it unless you really don’t mind cleaning burned sugar off a pan. It can burn quickly, so stay nearby and keep an eye on the sugar color. The dry method (melting sugar over heat without any liquid) is a standard method but can result in crystallization. You can add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, which will help prevent crystals from forming.

CHOCOLATE GELATO WITH HAZELNUT PRALINE

Gelato recipe adapted from Epicurious.

Makes about 1 quart/liter.

Equipment

3-quart heavy saucepan
double boiler or metal bowl + saucepan
stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large bowl)
candy thermometer
ice cream freezer
10-inch heavy skillet
sheet pan, greased or lined with a silicone mat

Ingredients

GELATO
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, hot
1/4 cup (19 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
3-1/2 ounces (99 g) fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
4 large egg yolks, beaten lightly
1 cup (150 g) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, roughly chopped

HAZELNUT PRALINE
1 cup (150 g) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup (117 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)

Preparation

1. In the 3-quart heavy saucepan cook 1/4 cup (44 g) sugar, over moderate heat until it begins to melt and cook. Don’t stir the sugar until it has begun melting, then stir with a fork until melted completely and deep golden brown. Don’t be tempted to walk away; you need to keep a close eye on caramelizing sugar. (You can add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup to the sugar once it starts melting to help prevent crystallization, but that’s optional.)

2. Add the hot milk very, very slowly. Start with just 2 ounces (60 ml) and pour very gently, whisking. The hot mixture may bloom up the side of the pan, so do this very carefully. Add a little more and continue whisking until all the milk is in the pan. If the caramel hardened, continue cooking until it has melted. Whisk in the sifted cocoa until combined well. Keep the mixture warm. (Alternate directions for the more cautious: After caramelizing the sugar, remove pan from heat and dip pan briefly into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Caramel will harden. Cool pan about 5 minutes and return to heat. Add milk and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until caramel is melted.)

3. In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (or a double boiler), melt the bittersweet chocolate, stirring, and remove from heat. (You can also do this in the microwave in a glass bowl. Heat 30 seconds at a time until almost all the chocolate is melted, then stir in the remaining.)

4. In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the egg yolks with remaining 3/4 cup (131 g) sugar until thick and pale. Whisk in caramel mixture and chocolate in streams until combined. Pour custard into the 3-quart heavy saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until the candy thermometer registers 140° F/60° C. Stir and cook custard, 4 minutes more. Do not allow it to boil. Remove the pan from heat.

5. Cool the custard to room temperature, than overnight in the refrigerator. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. Store churned gelato in a plastic freezer container with tight-fitting lid.

6. PRALINE: In the heavy skillet, cook the dry sugar over medium heat until the edges start to melt. Do not stir. As the sugar melts, you can swirl the pan a little to get the melted sugar moving around the pan. Continue cooking until the melted sugar turns a deep golden brown. Again, stay with the sugar while it cooks. (You can add 1 tablespoon of corn syrup to the sugar once it starts melting to help prevent crystallization, but that’s optional.)

7. Scatter the hazelnuts onto the sheet pan lined with the silicone mat and pour the hot melted sugar over the nuts. Allow to cool completely before breaking apart the praline.

8. Serve scoops of gelato with shards of praline on top.

More Frozen Treats

More Gelato Recipes From Around the Blogs

David Lebovitz – Pistachio Gelato

White on Rice Couple – Red Beauty Plum and Muscat Gelato

Good Life Eats – Strawberry Gelato

A Good Appetite – Red Velvet Gelato Sandwiches

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

The Daring Bakers have made all sorts of challenging desserts, some before my time and some since I joined two years ago. I’ll never forget my first, the Strawberry Mirror Cake, which challenged both my skills and patience; or last year’s Filbert Gateau, which tasted fabulous but took me 15 hours to make; or the Opera Cake and the weeks I spent planning and practicing for it. Yes, we have done our share of difficult challenges. This month the challenge was easier though no less enjoyable, and actually it couldn’t have come at a better time as I need a little breathing room until summer vacation time is over and the kids are back in school.

We were challenged to make versions of two popular cookies, Milanos and Mallomars, and we could choose to do either or both. Since I’ve been working very hard to loose some extra pounds this summer doing a boot camp and now also spinning, I thought one of the cookies would be enough, and I chose the Milan cookies just because I think they are elegant enough to serve at a party. Because one of my boys doesn’t care for chocolate, I set aside some of the cookies without any chocolate and the boys even enjoyed them plain. We thought the flavors worked well, though next time I might use lemon zest in the cookies for more lemon flavor or switch to orange liqueur and orange zest.

Piping the cookies just right took a bit of practice. My first sheet of cookies looked so tiny. I piped them 1 inch long as the instructions said, but when they baked they were no larger than my thumb, so for the rest I made them wider and longer. I piped slowly, making sure to push some extra batter out for more width and doubled the length. This made the baked cookies closer to the size we all know and love.

Thanks to Nicole at Sweet Tooth for hosting this month, it was a fun and delicious challenge. To see all of the Milan and Chocolate Covered Marshmallow cookies, visit The Daring Kitchen Blogroll and the Daring Bakers Gallery at Foodgawker.

MILAN COOKIES

Adapted from Gale Gand on Food Network.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Equipment

stand mixer with paddle attachment
#12 piping tip (1/4-inch plain tip) + coupler
plastic bag
baking sheets lined with parchment
small saucepan
medium mixing bowl

Ingredients

COOKIES
12 tablespoons (6 ounces/170 g) unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 cups (325 g) powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon extract
1-1/2 cups (180 g) unbleached all purpose flour

CHOCOLATE FILLING
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
8 ounces (227 g) semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
zest of 1 orange

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. COOKIES: In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.

3. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

4. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed. Don’t over mix.

5. Fit the decorating tip onto a corner of the plastic bag, snip the corner, and attach the coupler. Fill the bag with the cookie batter. Pipe 1-inch (2.5 cm) sections (I made mine longer, about 2 inches/5 cm) of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches/5 cm apart as they spread.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan. Continue with the remaining cookie batter.

7. CHOCOLATE FILLING: While waiting for the cookies to cool, in the small saucepan over medium flame, scald the cream.

8. Put the chopped chocolate into the medium mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Whisk to melt chocolate, then add the orange zest and blend well.

9. Set aside to cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

10. ASSEMBLE: Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top. Continue with remaining cookies and filling.

Previous Daring Bakers Challenges

You can see all of my previous Daring Challenges in the the Daring Challenges tag list.

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

When we began planning our annual trip to the Meyers family cabin in the Adirondacks, Michael announced that he wanted to make campfire pies, a favorite from his childhood camping trips. I racked my brain from my Girl Scout camping years but could not conjure up an image of what campfire pies might look like. We always made s’mores and banana boats, but I could not remember ever once making campfire pies. He gave me a brief description and assured me I would like them.

So this week his parents cleaned up the old sandwich irons, Michael built a fire, and we made campfire pies. The pies, er sandwiches, are not haute cuisine, but that’s not important. We sang songs with the kids and grandparents and made pies in the campfire while the sun set. The evening was cool, the pies were hot, and Michael kept them coming until we had eaten almost all of the fruit fillings. And he was right; I did like them.

CAMPFIRE PIES

Equipment

seasoned sandwich iron (Make sure it has been properly seasoned before use. You may need more than one depending on the number of people.)
nonstick cooking spray
campfire (or very hot coals in a grill)
knife

Ingredients

Choose amounts according to the number of servings needed.

bread slices
cinnamon sugar mixture
seasonal fruit (sweet cherries, blueberries, raspberries, peach slices, apple slices) or preserves or canned pie filling

Preparation

1. Make sure the campfire is very hot with glowing coals.

2. Spray the insides of the sandwich iron with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Lay a piece of bread in each side of the iron and press it down slightly to make an indentation in the bread. Place a few tablespoons of fruit on the bread and sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Lay the other piece of bread on top of the other.

4. Connect the two sides of the sandwich iron and press down, locking the handles together. Scrape away any bread hanging out of the irons as it will burn in the hot coals. Place the iron right in the middle of the hottest part of the fire and leave it there for about 2 to 3 minutes. The sides should be toasted golden brown when ready. The pie will be very hot, so allow it to cool for a couple minutes before eating.

Variations

More sweet fillings: Nutella and sliced bananas, peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Use cinnamon swirl bread or a brioche loaf.

Make savory pies with pizza fillings, ham and cheese, or Rueben sandwich fillings.

More Easy Foods for Camping

More Campfire Recipes From Around the Blogs

Eating Well Anywhere – Campfire Apple Crisp

That’s Not What the Recipe Says – Campfire Pot Roast

Wandering Spoon – Campfire Shrimp Boil

Two Yolks – Yosemite Campfire Cooking: Southern Delaware BBQ Chicken

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

For Top Gun’s fifth birthday, he requested a volcano birthday cake with dinosaurs. For some reason, he associates volcanoes with dinosaurs, so we obliged and made a chocolate volcano birthday cake with chocolate frosting and colored vanilla frosting with five toy dinosaurs—one for each year—strategically placed on top, making a sort of volcano diorama. He was so excited when he came home from school and found the cake sitting in the kitchen, though he felt we had not included enough dinosaurs in the diorama, so he ran upstairs and pulled another from his collection and plopped it down exactly where he thought it should go.

Top Gun had a big happy smile when we brought the cake in and let him blow out his candles, which we placed in the cone of the volcano. As we started serving, Grandma asked him, “Would you like a piece of birthday cake and some ice cream?” My precocious five-year-old responded, “Yes, that would be lovely.” I know exactly where he has heard that (me).

As with the Little Einsteins Rocket Cake, we used two Wilton oval cake pans—one larger than the other—from the Wilton four-piece oval set. You can find it at Michaels or A.C. Moore, and we used one of their 40% off coupons to save money on the set. We like using these pans because the cake starts out roughly in the shape we want, but you could also use two 9×13 pans. The larger oval served as the base and we cut up the smaller oval into three pieces and stacked them to form the volcano. We weren’t exactly worried about being precise since volcanoes should have a rough appearance. It kind of tilted forward, so we used a cut off chopstick to stabilize it, then we shaved off some of the cake and arranged it around the top layer to form the cone where a pool of molten lava frosting would sit, and later where we would place the candles.

This is one of the easier birthday cakes we have made, taking just two hours to decorate. Volcanoes have rough, rocky surfaces and since we were shooting for some semblance of authenticity, rolling fondant was out and scraping chocolate buttercream with a fork like Richard Dreyfuss with his mashed potatoes was in. We decided to go with a tropical volcano theme with some green at the base of the volcano, but you could certainly go with an all-chocolate desolate look, too, making piles of frosting here and there to create a rocky surface.

The cake was tall and didn’t fit in the refrigerator, so using pure buttercream that would loosen and run down the sides in hot humid weather was out. For the frostings we used Wilton’s recipes for vanilla and chocolate buttercream, which uses some shortening. The shortening helps to stabilize the frosting, important for hot humid weather if you cannot refrigerate the cake. If the weather is cool or the cake can fit into your refrigerator, go for pure vanilla buttercream and the pure chocolate buttercream recipe included below, they are so delicious. We used melted Ghirardelli 100% cacao baking chocolate, which gave the chocolate frosting a rich flavor.

VOLCANO BIRTHDAY CAKE

Makes about 30 servings.

Equipment

stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large mixing bowl)
microwave safe bowl or small saucepan
10-3/4-inch x 7-5/8-inch oval cake pan, greased and lined with parchment
13 x 9-7/8-inch oval cake pan, greased and lined with parchment
serving platter, pizza pan, or baking sheet
serrated knife
angled frosting spatula
1 #16 (star) frosting tip
1 #3 frosting tip (for writing)
1 plastic freezer bag, fitted with the tip and coupler
toothpick

Variations

2 (9 x 13-inch) rectangular cake pans instead of the oval pans

Ingredients

chocolate cake (make 2 batches)
chocolate buttercream (with shortening, recipe below, make 1 batch) OR
chocolate buttercream (no shortening, recipe below, make 1 batch)
vanilla frosting (with shortening, make 1 batch) OR
vanilla frosting (no shortening, make 1 batch)
orange frosting gel color
green frosting gel color
no-taste red frosting gel color

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM  (with shortening)
Adapted from Wilton.
1/2 cup (1/2 stick/195 g) trans fat free shortening
8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces (85 g) Ghirardelli 100% cacao baking squares, melted, or 3/4 cup (82 g) cocoa powder, sifted
16 ounces (454 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
2 to 4 tablespoons cold milk (Depends on humidity and whether you chose the melted chocolate or cocoa powder.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM (no shortening)
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
8 ounces (227 g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2-1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons/283 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (260 g) confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Chocolate Frosting (with shortening) Preparation

1. In the bowl of the stand mixer at medium speed, cream together the shortening and butter until smooth.

2. Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate and stir until thoroughly combined.

3. Add the sifted confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.

4. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, just until the frosting is creamy, not runny. You may not need all the milk. Whip at medium speed for about 1 minute to combine all the ingredients thoroughly.

5. Use promptly or refrigerated with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface. Allow to come to room temperature and whip again before using.

Chocolate Frosting (no shortening) Preparation

1. Stir together the melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until the salt dissolves.

2. In a stand mixer with paddle attachments, beat the butter until it is smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then slowly add to the butter, beating until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.

3. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, 4 to 8 minutes.

Colored Frosting Preparation

Make the vanilla frosting recipe. Set aside approximately 1/4 cup, then divide the remaining frosting into two equal parts. Tint the two larger portions green and orange and the smaller portion red.

Cake Assembly

1. Place the large cake on the serving platter. Cut the smaller cake into three roughly oval shaped chunks.

2. Use some of the frosting, whichever flavor or color you choose, to anchor the volcano layers to the base. (We used green so it would show up in the photos.) Use the serrated knife to shape and form the volcano and base to your liking. We used some of the shaved cake pieces to create a cone at the top of the volcano by piling them around the edge.

3. Spread the chocolate frosting around the volcano, bringing it up and over the lip of the cone, and around parts of the base. The frosting doesn’t have to be neat, this is a rocky, craggy volcano after all.

4. Scrape the chocolate frosting with a fork to create texture.

5. Begin spreading the green frosting around the rest of the base. Again, we didn’t go for smooth, wanted it to give the impression of tropical undergrowth.

6. Prepare one piping bag with orange frosting using the #16 tip. Pipe the frosting (lava) into the cone and down the sides in whatever pattern and direction you like. Michael decided to take out one of the dinosaurs with the orange lava. Add some red lava frosting by dipping the toothpick into the frosting and just twisting it on top of the orange here and there.

7. Change the orange frosting tip to the #3. Pipe Happy Birthday and the child’s name on the open area on the platter/baking sheet. Place candles in the volcano cone’s pool of lava.

360° Views

More of Our Birthday Cakes

More 3D Birthday Cakes From Around the Blogs

Dad ~ Baker & Chef – Pirate Ship Birthday Cake

Dianne’s Dishes – Teapot and Lady Bug Birthday Cakes

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

Early blueberries have started coming into the markets and grocery stores and we brought a big bunch home last week, eager for a chance to enjoy some of the delicious fruits. We use them in pies, muffins, ice cream, cakes, tarts, on top of a bowl of oatmeal, or just to eat out of hand. The boys usually have their fingers in the bowl of blueberries when we make something with them.

Blueberry buckle is a classic coffee cake that is easy to prepare and always a pleaser, whether served for breakfast or brunch, or as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream on the side. The name “buckle” comes from the nooks and crannies that develop in the crumb topping during baking. King Arthur Flour created a whole grain version for their book Whole Grain Baking (review) using whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, making the cake slightly healthier, though still rich in butter and sugar.

The streusel makes a thick layer of crumbs, but you can adjust the ingredients to make a smaller batch if desired. The recipe allows for either fresh or frozen blueberries, but my boys were pretty happy that we used fresh.

WHOLE WHEAT BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

Adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, by King Arthur Flour. (review)

Makes a 9-inch square cake.

Equipment

2 medium mixing bowls
stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large mixing bowl)
9-inch square baking pan, greased and floured

Ingredients

STREUSEL
3/4 cup (131 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (48 g) whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (20 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened

BUCKLE
2 cups (256 g) white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (60 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (284 g) fresh blueberries (If using frozen, don’t thaw.)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.

2. STREUSEL: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flours, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives (or your hands) until you have medium-size crumbs. Set aside.

3. BUCKLE: In a medium bowl, wish together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

2. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the between between.

3. Stir in half the dry ingredient, then add all the milk and the vanilla, scraping down the sides as you mix. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the blueberries.

4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the streusel mix evenly over the top.

5. Bake in the preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack.

More Blueberry Recipes

More Coffee Cake From Around the Blogs

Baking Bites – Strawberry Jam Crumb Coffee Cake

Smitten Kitchen – Big Crumb Coffee Cake with Rhubarb

Chocolate & Zucchini – Blueberry Coffee Cake a la Myrtille

Fatfree Vegan Kitchen – Pineapple Coffee Cake

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