Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake with Maple Vanilla Bean Glaze

LiveBakeLove has been M.I.A recently, but we're finally back with a new post! We've been feeling guilty about neglecting the blog, but we've had good reason. Just to catch you up on what we've been up to recently....

I spent 8 whirlwind days in China on a work trip, right in the middle of the bird flu outbreak, an earthquake and some of the worst pollution Shanghai has seen, but I did manage to sneak in some time to go to the Forbidden City....

Shop at the Ladies Market in Hong Kong....

We participated in one of my favorite events, the San Diego Food Blogger's Bake Sale which raises money for the Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in America.....

 

We catered a Cinco de Mayo Party for 70 people!!!

** Sorry, no photos available **

 

 

Spent Mother's Day with my beautiful, amazing Mom..........

 



And now Yvonne is on a business trip to China and India.....

 

So needless to say, life has been a little crazy for us lately...

Now that things have settled down (for the moment), I have more time to devote to my favorite past time - baking!  This past Friday morning was a cloudy one here in San Diego, so I was in the mood for a comforting morning treat, something that went well with a nice, hot cup of coffee so naturally I thought of Coffee Cake! Coffee Cake often gets a bad rap for being dry, this Coffee Cake is far from that, it's moist with a tender crumb and a has a delicious cinnamon-walnut streusel running throughout. The Maple Vanilla Bean Glaze puts it over the top.

I hope you give this recipe a try whenever you want a delicious morning sweet treat.

Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake with Maple Vanilla Bean Glaze

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Streusel Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tsp milk, half & half or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste


Directions:

Generously spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.

Preheat oven to 350f

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix the streusel ingredients together in another small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using your electric hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approx 2 minutes).

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Mix in the vanilla extract just until mixed in.

Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream (begin and end with the dry ingredients) mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. You will wind up with a thick batter.

Dollop 1/3 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared bundt pan and spread batter.

Top batter with half of the streusel mixture.

Dollop another 1/3 of the batter on top of the streusel mixture and carefully spread the batter as much as possible.

Top batter with the remaining streusel mixture.

Dollop the remaining batter on top and carefully spread as much as possible.

Place the bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet, place in the oven and bake at 350 for approx 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clear. Do not overbake.

Place the pan on a cooling rack and cool for approx 15 minutes.

Carefully run a sharp knife around the edges and invert the cake onto a platter.

Allow to cool until just barely warm then drizzle with the glaze.

To Make the Glaze:

Place the ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk to combine. Adjust to desired consistency - if too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick add a little more milk/cream a little at a time stirring after each addition until desired consistency is reached. You want to glaze to be on the thick side. If it's too thin it will run off the of cake.

Store cake tightly covered at room temperature for us to 3 days.

Baked Bacon Mashed Poatoes

Baked Bacon Mashed Potatoes

 

The other night I was looking for a good side dish to serve with some homemade meatloaf. I had this recipe from one of those little cards you get in the mail occasionally. The premise sounds good, but just a bit boring. So I decided to add a few more ingredients and Perfection!. This BAKED BACON MASHED POTATOES dish is delicious! It’s funny, when eating mash potatoes, the main thing I like to do is smother them with gravy. Let’s just say, no need for gravy with this dish! This perfect side dish for any protein you might be making for dinner. Creamy and flavorful.  A potatoes lover’s dream.

Happy cooking everyone

 

Ingredients:

8 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

4 oz Cream cheese

½ cup sour cream (light)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped green onions

4 slices of crispy bacon, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

½ black pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F

Prep-work:

a. Add spray oil to a 2 quart pan. Set aside

b. Put cubed potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil for about 15 minutes. Potatoes will be tender when using a fork to test.

 

c. Crisp up bacon. Cool and chop.

1. Once potatoes are done, drain (but keep about 1/4 cup of the potatoes water). Add cooked potatoes into a large bowl.

2. In the large bowl, add the reserved water, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, green onions and bacon, salt and pepper.

 

3. With a hand mixer, beat everything together, do not over beat.

 

4. Spoon the potatoes into the prepared casserole dish.

5. Sprinkle paprika on top.

 

6. Bake for 15- minutes

 

7. Serve with meatloaf and veggies

 

 

Chunky Peanut butter and Jelly Oat cookies

Chunky Peanut Butter and Jelly Oat Cookies

How this recipe came into play is easy!  I was craving Faye’s Peanut butter and Jelly cookies, simple as that.   Instead of  having her make me another batch, I decided to give these cookies a try myself.  So I did a bit of research and made my own version.   And it was a SUCCESS! If you love peanut butter and jelly, you will love these CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY OAT Cookies!!  Lucky for me, my friend's 3 year old boys were doing the Juniors Carlsbad Race that weekend so it gave me the great opportunity to give the boys and their parents a little gift for their hard work (it was a blessing! It gave me a good excuse not to eat them all). These cookies are delicious! There should be a warning attached. PLEASE GIFT OR YOU MIGHT EAT THEM ALL.   Hopefully Faye will share her amazing recipe in the future , but for now I hope you give this recipe is a try!  Your family will love them! Mine did!

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup extra crunchy peanut butter
¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
¼ cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup oatmeal flour
1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup strawberry preserves (heated 15 seconds  in microwave to soften)

Pre-heat oven to 350

Prep-work:
In a food processor, grind the old fashion oat meal until is creates a flour. As picture.

b. Line cookie tray with parchment paper

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and peanut butter till well combined .

2. Add the light brown sugar and white sugar.  Beat until they are all combined with the butter and peanut butter.

3. Add the Egg and the vanilla

4. In a separate bowl, Combine the oatmeal flour, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix till all ingredients are combined.

5. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the peanut-butter mixture till well combined. But do not over beat.

6. Using either a 1 inch melon baller , or a tablespoon  mold 1 inch balls in your hands.
7. Place ball on cookie tray, about 3 inches apart. 8. Using a 1/2 teaspoon make a indention in each ball (about  ½ inch deep)

9. Fill each cookie with 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of jelly

10. Bake for 12-14 minutes
11. Once removed from oven, wait about 3-5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack

12. Enjoy!

                      Congratulations to our little Runners!!!!

Lemon Madeleines

I always say, "When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Madeleines with Lemon Glaze!" Ok, I don't always say that and actually life didn't give me these lemons, I bought them from Trader Joe's. I love baking with lemons, but I cringe when I have to buy them from the store especially when I know a few people who have an abundance of them growing in their back yards. Nothing beats home grown produce! But I recently needed a few lemons for the Lemon Curd Tart I made for Easter, rather than buying a few lemons, it was more economical to buy a whole bag. So when I was left with a bowl full of lemons that I needed to use up....Lemon Madeleines came to mind.

 

 

Madeleines are one of those rare treats that you enjoy on occasion when you want a special treat. If you've never had one, they're like delicate little cakes usually in the shape of a shell. They're not difficult to make and don't require fancy ingredients, but they do require a special baking pan. While I'm not big on kitchen gadgets, I do love  specialty baking pans and a Madeleine pan is definitely one every baker should invest in.

 

I hope you'll try this recipe for Lemon Madeleines especially if you're a lemon lover. They're moist, delicious and bursting with lemon flavor!

 

 

 

Lemon Madeleines with Lemon Glaze

Makes 2 dozen

 

** Plan ahead - batter needs to rest in the fridge for 4 hours **

 

Madeleine Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter + additional 2 tablespoons for greasing the baking pan

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

Glaze Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + more if needed

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

 

Directions:

 

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium size bowl. Set aside.

 

Melt 3/4 cup unsalted butter. Set aside.

 

In the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using your electric hand mixer), combine the sugar, egg, egg yolks and vanilla and beat on medium high speed until thickened and light in color (approx 4-5 minutes).

 

Add the 3/4 cup melted butter and mix to combine.

 

Add the flour mixture and fold in using a rubber spatula.

 

 

 

Refridgerate the batter for about 4 hours.

 

After 4 hours - preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.

 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl.

 

Brush the cavities of your Madeleine pan with melted butter.

 

 

 

Remove batter from the fridge and fold a few times with the rubber spatula to recombine.

 

Fill each cavity of the Madeleine pan about 3/4 full.

 

Bake until done and edges are light golden brown (approx 7 minutes depending upon your oven).

 

 

 

Place pan on a cooling rack for about 1 minute. Then remove the Madeleines to the cooling rack to cool.

 

Make Glaze

 

Place all glaze ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk to combine and remove any lumps. Adjust glaze to desired consistency. I like mine a little thick so it coats the top of the cookies.

 

Dip the shell side of each cookie in the glaze to coat evenly.

 

 

 

Place glaze side up on wax or parchment paper to allow the glaze to set.

 

Enjoy!

 

Madeleines are best the day they are baked, but can be stored at room temp for one day.

 

 

Healthy Oatmeal Carrot Spice Muffin for a Happy, Healthy Easter

                           

Photos by Teresa Klein

This past weekend, Yvonne and I were excited to host our 2nd Annual Easter Lunch and Egg Hunt. It was a picture perfect southern California afternoon with clear blue skies and not a cloud the sky; the perfect day to enjoy an outdoor lunch with friends and their adorable kids followed by crafts and an egg hunt by the duck pond.

This year's lunch was (surprisingly) healthy and by surprisingly I mean it was totally unplanned!  We must have been inspired by the beautiful beach weather....

On the menu: a beautiful Cheese Platter, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with homemade Whole Wheat Pita Chips, Roasted Veggie Sandwiches on Olive Oil & Herb Focaccia, Turkey Sandwiches with Arugula and Lingonberry Jam, Whole Wheat Orzo Salad, Spring Salad with homemade Orange Vinagrette, Fresh Fruit and a Dreamy Lemon Curd Tart with Fresh Berries.

After lunch, the little ones enjoyed a little craft time customizing their own Rice Krispy Treat Nests.....

Then it was down to the duck pond for the hunt!

As usual, there was a take home treat for the parents. To go along with the healthy theme, Yvonne baked these delicious Oatmeal and Carrot Spice Muffins.

Prepwork

1.  Grind down the Cracking Oat Cereal in the food processor

2. Grate the Carrots

3. Set up you muffin tray with paper muffin cups. Spray them lightly with spray oil.

4.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees ( 375 degrees if you’re using a dark muffin tray)

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour (you can use wheat flour also)

2 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking spice

½ cup Quick Oats

½ cup Old Fashion Oats

¾ cup Crackling Oat Cereal grinded

½ cup Shredded coconut

½ cup white raisins

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ Canola oil

¼  brown sugar

¼ Honey  (warm)
1 cup 1% milk

1  cup of grated Carrot

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and baking spice. Mix till well blended.

Add all the Oats and Oat cereal, coconut and raisins. Mix till all blended.

In a separate bowl combine egg,  vanilla and oil.  Blend together.  Now add the brown sugar, the warmed honey (by warming the honey, it makes it easy to blend together with the other wet ingredients) and Milk

Add the Egg mixture to Flour mixture and stir with spoon. Do not over mix

Add Carrot and combine, do not over mix.

Add the carrot mixture to prepared paper muffin cups. Fill cup to ¾ full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. They will be lightly brown on top

Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!!

We hope your Easter is blessed with good friends, good times and of course, good food!!

Happy Easter!!

~ LiveBakeLove