Lovely, tender coffee cake with toasted walnuts, and the hint of cinnamon and chocolate.

From Food52 I’d saved this recipe awhile back, intending to make it one of these days. It’s Maida Heatter’s recipe from her 1999 book, Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts. And if you questioned it, this recipe has certainly has passed the test of time. And don’t think, oh, I’ll just pick up that cookbook – even a paperback is about $50. Obviously, it’s out of print.

The nut filling contains toasted walnuts, chopped raisins (I used currants because I had them on my shelf), cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa and dark brown sugar. The cake batter is relatively standard except it uses 2 cups of sour cream, that’s what makes the cake so tender.

Reading the Food52 comments, I noticed lots of people had some difficulty removing the coffeecake from the Bundt cake pan, so I made it in two bread pans instead. And I used those new loaf pan liners from King Arthur. What a fantastic product they are – I’ve used them several times. They’re $19.95, made from silicone.

I followed the recipe with a few changes – I added less sugar (based on comments), plus, after the batter and nut filling were in place in the baking pans, I used a plastic spreader to swirl the batter to help lock the filling and the batter in place. And I baked the a lesser time, too, since the Bundt cake suggested 40-50 minutes. And I reduced the amount of the filling too (because I thought there was too much). And I decided not to ice the cake, though I’ve left that in the recipe below.

What’s GOOD: what can I say – lovely, tender cake. I liked the swirl in the batter which gave it a different appearance rather than just straight lines of filling. The chocolate flavor was just barely perceptible (if you happen to not like chocolate, delete it). Yes, I’d definitely make this again.

What’s NOT: nothing really. I’m glad I made all the little changes I did (loaf pans instead of Bundt, less filling, less sugar).

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So very tasty. Sara makes the best scones!

Over the holidays we had extended family with us at the desert house. One morning Sara was inspired to make one of her favorite scones, this one with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Sara just loves to bake, and as her two children were growing up, on weekends, she’d almost always bake something, whether it was biscuits or scones, or some brownies, or cookies. Something sweet. Their two children are in their mid-twenties now. Sabrina is in her second year of medical school in South Carolina, and son John just graduated from Virginia Tech, is working but is still figuring out his next career step(s).

Over that period of time she developed her own favorite method for scones, and then varies the additions (so, raisins, or nuts, or other kinds of dried fruit). Her family loves white chocolate in just about anything, so it was an easy addition to make scones with dried cranberries and the white chocolate chips. With her now standard scone recipe.

What’s different about the scones is the GRATED BUTTER she uses. A full stick of butter – hard frozen – grated on the big box grater. What that method does is disburse the butter all through the dough and it stays frozen almost, until the scones hit the oven and then it does its magic, allowing for lovely light lift. She also uses buttermilk, to make the scones so-tender. And this recipe also calls for the zest of an orange too.

In the picture here, you can barely see some of the orange zest (adds such lovely flavor) and the dried cranberries.

Sara likes to make hers into a rough round shape, about 10″ in diameter, then she cuts the round into wedges. Those went onto a big baking sheet lined with parchment and into a 375°F oven they went, for 18-20 minutes. She used some heavy cream to brush on top of the scones, and sprinkled some coarse sugar (not sure that is visible in the photo) on top, too.

What’s GOOD: these scones are to die for. They were gone, gone. I think a couple of family members breezed by the kitchen and grabbed an extra one. This recipes makes 8 scones, but you could create more if you used a biscuit cutter.

What’s NOT: not a single thing. This recipe is a keeper.
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Every Christmas season I make this bread. I’ve posted it more than once. I just took two loaves out of the oven and wondered if some of you hadn’t ever read my original post for this quick Bishop’s Bread? I posted it in December, 2007, the first December I’d been writing this blog. It’s such a  favorite. And as I was looking it up today I realized that I have more comments about this bread than I have about any other recipe on this blog. One thing you need to know is this is NOT fruitcake. It has none of the citron stuff in it. It may look like fruitcake, but it’s not . . . Several people wrote me saying how thrilled they were to find the recipe as they’d lost it somehow. There are some other varieties of the bread. My original recipe (above) contains chocolate chips (Ghiradelli dark), Maraschino cherries (halved) and lots of walnuts. Some versions contain chopped dates. I don’t love dates in a bread so have never included it. Some people use dried cherries (or cranberries); others prefer the glazed cherries that are ubiquitous in Christmas baking. Some include walnuts and pecans.

One year I made Golden Bishop’s Bread. That was 2011. It’s more of a rich cake/bread (butter, spices, brandy), and it’s good too.

When I was in junior high school, the school cafeteria made white cake cupcakes nearly every day and they made a Maraschino cherry frosting with some chopped cherries in it and some of the juice in the frosting, so it made the frosting extra pink. I think (actually I’m sure) that’s when I fell in love with Maraschino cherries. I don’t eat them at any other time of the year. Start your holiday baking, my friends!

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Another sensational recipe from my friend, Linda T. It’s an Ina recipe, and so worth putting into your recipe treasure chest.

My friend Linda T is a marvelous cook. And she’s so tickled when one of her recipes appears here on the blog. So I’m delighted to share this recipe – which – as I type up this post – I’m going to make in the next few days for one of my book groups as they’re coming to my house, and I’m reviewing Geraldine Brooks’ book Horse. Such a wonderful and powerful book, by the way. I wrote up a review of it on the sidebar if you’re interested.

It was a month or so ago, and I stopped to visit with Linda on my way to my daughter Sara’s. As it turned out, Linda invited Sara to come too, and we enjoyed some of this wonderful breakfast cake and some coffee as we chatted and visited. Linda has had a lot of health problems in the last couple of years, and now her puppy has had some challenges too. I’d told Linda not to make or bake anything, but she doesn’t listen to me!! In this case, I’m glad she didn’t because this recipe is such a keeper.

In describing this, I’d say this is a cake disguised as a breakfast bread. Disguised in that it’s as pillow-tender as the tenderest of dessert cakes, but with the blueberries in it, you can serve it for breakfast and feel like you’re eating something that isn’t so decadent. You could make this for a dessert too – it works for either. Sara and I both had second helpings. The batter (picture at right) is straightforward (except it has ricotta cheese in it – do buy full fat). Half of the blueberries are folded into the batter, then it’s poured into a springform pan and the remaining berries are sprinkled judiciously all over the top, pressing them very lightly into the batter surface. Linda served this when it was still warm. Can I just say, it was sublime. And so pretty with the dusting of powdered sugar on top.

What’s GOOD: everything there is is good about this breakfast cake. So tender. So delicious. Nice, rich flavor (the little bit of lemon zest is nice in it too). It’d be delicious as a dessert too. If you can, serve it warm – Linda did. Ina Garten is a wizard in the kitchen.

What’s NOT: nothing that I can think of. Altogether a keeper of a recipe!

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Always on the lookout for a new use for my home grown Meyer lemons. This one is a real winner.

This recipe came from The Splendid Table. I don’t recall if the author of the recipe, Paul Hollywood (that very handsome man on The Great British Bake Off) was interviewed about this cake or whether I happened to be at the website looking for something else. Either way, I’m so glad I downloaded it and then made this cake. You’ve heard me say that when someone writes (or says) prosaic words, I pay attention. Paul said this: This is my favorite cake of all time. Could you resist making it after hearing those words? Not me!

This cake is divine. Just absolutely divine. All I wanted was more of it. I think the Brits call that more-ish. Yup, it qualified on all counts. My Meyer lemon tree doesn’t have many lemons on it at the moment, but new ones are in development, so it won’t be long before I have more. My tree is very pokey – i.e., you can seriously damage your arms trying to reach inward to grab a lemon. You almost need one of those long, long gloves vets use for handling some wild animals. Anyway, I did have some lemons available and I had house guests who devoured this bread in no time flat (with me helping along the way too).

The cake was so easy to make – get the ingredients out and measured before you begin. I have a bread pan that has grooves (very light ones) so nothing sticks to it; but I still used the parchment, which makes it very easy to remove from the pan. I’ll just say -again – this cake is really tender, so getting it out of the pan without the parchment might not turn out well.

You use a hand-held mixer – the immersion blender type, but with the whisk attachment. Made it so easy to combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and pour it into the prepped pan. While it bakes make the drizzle (lemon juice and sugar). While the loaf is still hot (and in the pan, still), poke many tiny holes in it and slowly drizzle the cake with the mixture – it soaks in easily enough. If you want to be fancy, sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top just as you serve it. If you left it on the cake for long it would dissolve into the top and you wouldn’t see it at all; hence, do that at the last minute.

What’s GOOD: everything was wonderful about this cake. So lemony. So very tender – the tenderest of loaf cakes. Truly it’s a cake rather than a bread, even though it’s made in a bread pan.

What’s NOT: I sure can’t think of anything – only that you’ll be out of it in a jiffy – it’ll get eaten up way too soon. My advice: make two.

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This is such an unusual bread . . . unless you come from Naples, where you see it all the time, I suppose. So delicious. Easy. Those little holes you see are where there were little chunks of Provolone cheese that oozed into the little crevices of the baking bread.

A post from Carolyn. At that cooking class I went to earlier in the month, Phillis Carey prepared this quick bread. I’d never had it before, so I went online to read about it. A common bread in Naples, Italy, Babà Rustico (or Rustica) is usually made with yeast and usually it’s made in a tube or ring mold, even a fluted one you’d use for a cake. And, in fact, I found a recipe online that uses yeast but cooks it like a quick bread (no rising required, in other words). I may have to try that version.  But this quick-bread version is just marvelous. It’s so tender (probably from the buttermilk in the batter) and moist (from the eggs and cheeses). It’s a very moist bread, in other words.

You mix up the dry, then stir in add-ins (salami, provolone and parsley). The wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, olive oil) are mixed into the dry – remember, with a quick bread you don’t want to over-mix it, just until combined. The batter is quite thick. The Parm gets sprinkled all over the top of the bread, then it bakes for 45-55 minutes (depending on the exact size of your pan). Once out of the oven you drizzle a little bit of EVOO over the top of the bread and let it soak in.

What I will tell you is that the leftover pieces of this make fantastic toast. I toasted it in my countertop oven and slathered just a little bit of butter on it. Oh my. Divine. Do serve it warm if you can. It freezes well too. You can bake it ahead several days (store, wrapped, in the frig).

What’s GOOD: the lovely moist, cheesy texture (like brioche) of this bread is fabulous. You’re gonna love it.

What’s NOT: nothing really except that you may not have salami and Provolone on hand.

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Ever wondered why there isn’t more zucchini IN zucchini bread? Read on . . .

A post from Carolyn. Not that I’ve ever spent much time philosophizing about zucchini bread, but when I read the article from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, I knew I needed to make her version. Her write-up on her blog was so funny, I LOL’d. If you need a good hearty laugh, do go to her post about it. And her starting point is why isn’t there more zucchini in zucchini bread? She decided to change that, and for now, at least, until someone else comes up with something better, I’ll be baking this one. I’m too afraid of fiddling with baked goods because of the chemistry of them – the right amount of dry to wet to leavening to baking. I’m glad Deb did!

My friend Sue (Colorado Sue) made the bread when I was visiting them in late April. Sue is careful about sugar because her husband Lynn is a diabetic now, so she used monkfruit in her version – except for the turbinado sugar on top.

Once home from my trip I located the recipe and have now made it myself. If you look carefully at the open slice of bread (pictured, on the right) you can actually see some of the zucchini peeking through. I used monkfruit golden (instead of brown sugar) and monkfruit classic (instead of granulated sugar) when I made it, and it’s just as tasty as making it with the real thing. Sometimes in desserts I can tell it has some type of artificial sugar in it (I get that cooling feeling or texture – can it be called a texture? – after chewing or swallowing) and know. With this, I couldn’t tell. That’s a real big win for my taste buds!

Make this with the real sugar or a combination of artificial ones. In either case, this recipe is a real winner.

What’s GOOD: altogether delicious bread – you can’t taste the extra zucchini, but it’s so moist. A keeper.

What’s NOT: nothing at all.

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So very easy, you will hardly believe it. No, there isn’t any lavender in it – Taylor was using photo props to make the picture more beautiful.

A post from Carolyn. My dear granddaughter Taylor will only be living with me for another week or so by the time this recipe posts. Oh sigh. I’ll miss her so much! She made this bread. Four ingredients. During her last clinical hospital work (12-hour shifts at a local hospital, in their post-partum department) she befriended all of the nurses in the department and wanted to do something nice for them on her last day. She’d made this bread before (a recipe from her friend Quinn – thanks, Quinn!), and it’s so very easy.

The dough is mixed up in a stand mixer (with dough hook if possible). I couldn’t FIND my dough hook. (Where in the heck has it disappeared to?) So she used the metal paddle for awhile until it got to be labored in mixing, then she kneaded it a bit by hand. It sat out on the kitchen counter (covered with plastic wrap) for about 15 hours until it had more than doubled in bulk. She punched it down, then formed it into a nice big loaf shape (on the counter is fine, just cover it with a big bowl or a damp tea towel). When she was ready to bake it, she preheated the oven to 450°F AND put the big ceramic Dutch oven into that cold oven so it heated up while the oven did. You could use a cast iron Dutch oven too, or a regular lidded pan – just grease the container so it pops out easily.

Then she very carefully picked up the loaf and put it in the hot-hot Dutch oven, with the lid. It baked for 15 minutes. Then the oven temp is turned down to 350°F for 20-30 minutes. Then you remove the lid from the bread and allow it to bake further for 10 minutes until the crust has turned a golden brown. Once out of the oven you can carefully tip over the Dutch oven to let the bread pop out, then right it and let it sit on a rack until cool. Wait at least an hour before trying to slice it.

She was serving it with artichoke dip, so I cut up the bread for her into thicker slices, then into elongated cubes, about 3/4″ side and 2 inches long. I ate a few edges with a little butter. Yum. I think back to decades ago when I used to bake bread every week (sourdough, with a starter) and the hours it took. This is just so easy to do, letting the overnight rise do all the heavy lifting, so to speak!

What’s GOOD: how easy this is to make, and when fresh and warm, altogether delicious. You could use this as a bread bowl too. Am sure this could be made into 3 smaller boules also as long as you have the containers to do them in. Adjust the baking time, obviously. The bread texture is on the firmer side – this isn’t a tender bread (no fat or milk in it, notice!). So a French style, rustic texture.

What’s NOT: only that you need to be at home when the 12-18 hour window is up, and continue to be there for the 2nd rising and then the baking time.

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So easy to make with puff pastry dough, fresh fruit and some frangipane.

A post from Carolyn. I’ve been on a tear lately with frangipane. I made some recently for a rhubarb galette (don’t think I’ve posted that recipe yet), then decided to make it again using a different recipe for my book review group meeting at my home. I was expecting about 12-13 people, but at the last minute only 6 of us showed up (not sure if was the book, or just other circumstances). I sent everyone home with one of these plus some of the lemon almond tea cake (haven’t posted that one yet, either).

It was years ago when I was attending a cooking class near me and the hostesses served something similar to these as we all arrived for the class. They were quite easy to make, so I input the recipe in my files, but never had gotten around to making them. With fresh summer fruit in season, I decided to try these. But I decided to use some apricot halves (canned) and some fresh blackberries instead. And in lieu of the cream cheese filling (from the original recipe) that was going to be underneath the fruit, I made the frangipane.

If you’re not familiar with frangipane, it’s pronounced fran-jeh-payn.  Wikipedia says frangipane:

. . .is a sweet almond-flavored custard used in a variety of ways including cakes and such pastries as the Bakewell tart, conversation tart, Jésuite and pithivier. A French spelling from a 1674 cookbook is franchipane with the earliest modern spelling coming from a 1732 confectioners’ dictionary. Originally designated as a custard tart flavored by almonds or pistachios it came later to designate a filling that could be used in a variety of confections and baked goods.

You might know it from the center filling of a bear claw. Certainly that was my earliest knowledge of an almond filling. I remember stopping at a bakery in Europe (France, I think) one morning and we bought a little slice of a tart – sure enough, frangipane. Yummy is all I can say.

So these little numbers require puff pastry. Pepperidge Farms brand is probably the most widely available. My grocery carries a store-label also, but I opted for the Pepperidge Farms. There’s also one called Dufour, I think it is. Also very good, probably better than the Pepperidge. The unopened packages defrosted in the refrigerator for more than a day. If you decide to try these, be sure to look at the expiration date on the puff pastry box. Do not used any that are “old.” And be sure to give them the full 24+ hours to defrost fully.

The pastry sheets are lightly floured, but you need a bit more flour on your work surface to keep them from sticking as  you roll it out further, to about a 11″ or 12″ square. Then cut that square into quarters, so about 5 1/2″ squares. One box will make eight pastries.

Meanwhile you’ll have made the frangipane – some butter and sugar, some almond meal (flour), an egg and a little bit of regular flour, PLUS a jot of almond extract. Perhaps if you used freshly ground almonds the frangipane would have a significant almond flavor, but I wanted it stronger, so I used almond extract instead of vanilla.

Then you scoop a bit of the frangipane pastry cream in the center, position the fruit on top (they kind of look like sunny-side up eggs, huh?), then roll in the pastry edges and crimp them (similar to the edge of a pie crust). Onto a baking sheet they go. They got a brush of an egg wash and some sprinkled Turbinado sugar on top. They take about 30 minutes to bake, to get that lovely golden brown.

What’s GOOD: everything about these was good. Delicious. Loved the frangipane filling, loved the flaky pastry, ate one. Gave the rest away. Why did I give them away, you ask? Because I’d eat them all! And I had about 10 of them left.

What’s NOT: only that you’ve got to buy the puff pastry a couple of days ahead so it has time to completely defrost in the refrigerator. There are instructions for defrosting in the microwave, but I wouldn’t do it.

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Oh my, oh my. Do I love popovers. 

A post from Carolyn. I wish there was an ode, or a poem to the gloriousness of popovers. Alas, I didn’t find any, and I’m not going to write one! You know, of course, that the batter that makes popovers is nearly identical to what’s used to make Yorkshire pudding. A eggy, thin batter (eggs, flour, salt, milk and butter – that’s all that’s in them). Yorkshire pudding traditionally is made in the pan after a big beef roast is removed from the oven to rest, most of the drippings are poured off, then the batter is poured in and it’s baked for 30-40 minutes. A wedge or square of it would be served alongside a big hunk of juicy beef roast.

Years and years ago (we’re talking the late 60s), when I was about 25-26 my then husband and my parents (who were visiting from San Diego) and I drove to British Columbia (I was living in Washington at the time) to visit my dad’s cousins who hailed from a tiny farming community there. I think they raised wheat or soy beans, but don’t quote me. They lived in a very old farmhouse, and Sunday dinner was served at about 2pm. The ladies of the house had been bustling in the kitchen for hours (not enough room for more than 2 people) and finally dinner was served at the huge dining table. Yorkshire pudding was portioned out beside the slice of roast, along with big roasted potatoes (probably also cooked in the pan with the roast). Beyond that I have no recollection of what we ate. Probably a vegetable and dessert. But it was the Yorkshire pudding that captivated me. I wanted to know all about it. They’d mixed it up by hand earlier in a big crockery bowl and let the mixture rest at room temp before it was poured into the large roasting pan of beef drippings (grease). Beyond that I knew nothing.

Years later, after I moved to Orange County, CA in the 70s (where I still live) when my mother visited, she and I used to go shopping at a department store, Bullock’s, and they served popovers with the lunch entrees in their restaurant. Loved them. You know and have heard about that Proust-ian moment when you bite into something and it transports you back in time, when memories of the past flood through your brain. With Proust it was madeleines, that lovely little soft French cookie. I was taken back to that day when I’d had Yorkshire pudding. Then I began researching it as best I could. No internet in those days. I bought a popover pan (see above, although the one I had then was not nonstick). I don’t think nonstick existed back then. Over the years I had difficulty with that pan and eventually gave it away because it just was not reliable about the popovers sticking, even though I buttered them well. I didn’t replace it. I THINK my mistake was putting it in the dishwasher. I’ve read since that popover pans should not be put in the dishwasher – even this new nonstick one. Probably because the strong/harsh detergent will eventually damage the nonstick surface. Lesson learned.

More years went by, and then I went on this last trip and had popovers at Kaynes in Nashville. They were absolutely sensational. Again, I was transported – this time not to the Yorkshire pudding days – but to friends my DH and I made in England, and Pamela had made a roast beef and she made popovers. When I got back home from this trip to Nashville, though, I went online to amazon and bought la new Bellemain nonstick popover pan. And since then I’ve been on a mission to make popovers that make me happy. There are lots of nonstick popover pans on amazon – the Bellemain one merely had lots more good reviews. Just don’t ever put it in the dishwasher.

With my new popover pan in hand, my first recipe iteration was from America’s Test Kitchen. It was the traditional 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of melted butter. I made them, and they were okay. Certainly acceptable, but not up to the eggy, rich popover I had at Kaynes. I began researching more recipes and wanting them to be more eggy (so more eggs in ratio). And wanted a richer taste, so I assumed maybe a little more melted butter would be a good addition. My second iteration hit the mark – maybe not quite as rich as Kaynes’, but it’s close. In researching this blog post I came across yet another recipe, purported to be from Cook’s Illustrated that uses even less flour, and a lower oven temp, so I think I’ll need to give that one a try too. I also have a recipe for chocolate popovers – obviously it’s a dessert! I’ll make those one of these days.

This recipe, from King Arthur Flour uses more eggs, less milk and flour, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter. You’re to use warm milk and eggs that have warmed to room temp (or let set in hot water for 10 minutes before cracking them open). They suggest mixing in a bowl with a whisk, but I used the blender, and then just let the batter sit with the lid on, for an hour. This gives time for the batter to lose bubbles that have formed in the mixing. Some recipes insist popover batter needs to rest at room temp for an hour. This particular one did not, but I didn’t think it would hurt. I halved the recipe below as my popover pan has six wells.

RECOMENDATIONS: There are any number of recommendations from seasoned cooks and chefs about making popovers. Warm milk, warmed eggs, let the batter sit for an hour, hydrate the flour (needed), heat the popover pan in the hot oven before pouring in the batter, and cardinal of all, NEVER open the oven door during the baking, or they’ll deflate. Also if your oven is smaller, place the popovers on the lowest shelf possible, leave some space, then slide a cookie sheet on a higher shelf (helps to prevent over-browning).

When you make them, prepare only as many as you think you’ll eat. Although you can eat them warmed up (microwave 10 seconds, turn them over and microwave another 4-6 seconds), they’re just not the same. Reheating in the oven will over-heat/bake that lovely eggy interior.

This recipe calls for  using a muffin tin, but I used the popover pan using the same instructions.

What’s GOOD: that they’re so tender, very eggy and golden, gloriously brown on the outside. So easy to pop out of the pan if you have a nonstick popover pan. And remember what I did in Nashville? Julian recommended we have some cheese (he ordered a cheese platter for the table) with little torn pieces of warm popover. Oh my. So good.

What’s NOT: nothing, really – they’re not that hard to make, even for people who think they are. Mix by hand or in the blender. Either one works well.

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