sour cream crumb cake

10May13

So easy, so simple, so enjoyable.  This cake isn’t fancy – and doesn’t have any embellishments, but boy it is good!  Sweet and tender, with a melt in your mouth texture – it is addictive.  The crumb top doesn’t hurt (it never does).  Matt and Jamie loved this – they devoured it.  (In fact Jamie just brought it up again even though I made it about a month ago — maybe he is hinting…)  Greg for some reason wasn’t in love – and I don’t really get it.  Rob too – but that makes more sense since his allegiance is mostly to chocolate.  The author states that you can add frozen berries to the batter and cinnamon to the streusel — and certainly other spices are nice too — but she, like me wanted to let the flavors of butter and sour cream shine.  And they do!

Before you start – pull butter, sour cream and eggs to room temp

sour cream crumb cake (from Baking Unplugged by Nicole Rees — love this book!):

cake-
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs at room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temp

streusel-

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9×13 baking pan.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

With paddle attachment of mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – 3 min or so.  Add the eggs, one at a time and the vanilla extract.  On the lowest speed, mix in the flour mixture and sour cream alternately until just combined, ending with the flour.

Spread the batter into the prepped pan and cover with streusel…to follow:

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt.  Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it begins to clump.  Sprinkle the streusel evenly over batter.

Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35-40 m or until a skewer or toothpick comes out just clean.  Please don’t over bake.

Let cool for 15m and serve warm out of the oven, then of course at room temp.

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Filed under 2. easy with an extra step (icing or topping), breakfast/brunch and cake.  |0 Comments

best darn sugar cookies

29Apr13

So my friends daughter broke her arm again.  Pins this time.  And because I do believe that cookies have curative powers (at least while you are actively eating them) I asked Liz what Lucy’s favorite cookie was.  I figured it would be choc chip, or brownies or my meringue cookies.  But no, Lucy’s fave is sugar cookies.  Sugar cookies – hmmm…never the biggest fan and I’d yet to find and make a blog-worthy one.  So I browsed through my books, but realized that I already tried many of them so  I took to the Internet and googled “best sugar cookie” — and well, many popped up, but this one called to me because the author wrote that it was the “best darn sugar cookie” and that it was really true.…(kinda like I do).  And it was!  Liz said Lucy was the happiest and Sylvie and I were also very impressed by how crisp, flaky and flavorful they were.  The rest went to My Sister’s Place, and I hope they were happy with the results as well.  Try them!

Enjoy -

best darn sugar cookie ever – click here to be directed to the page  - the only addition I made was to add  1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the recipe.

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Filed under 1. very easy and cookies and bars.  |0 Comments

one bowl chocolate, espresso, and white choc chunk brownies

22Apr13

Gosh I made these sooo long ago – and have been just too lazy to write them up – and I’m sorry because they are delicious.  Really really scrumptious, rich, moist, fudge-like, decadent and well – truly different from other brownies.  And oh, they freeze really well.  Crazy well.  I served them recently (from the freezer) and Stephanie said “wow, wow, this is crazy good” – I’m not sure she remembers that she said that last time but I do!   I know white chocolate turns many off – but again, if you use really good quality then you might be surprised.  Don’t buy chips here – buy a bar and chop it yourself.  So tasty.  It has been a while since I first served these treats, but I do remember someone (other than Stephanie) who ooohed and aaahed and said the best!  And I felt proud which is really silly because I only followed the recipe.  Anyway, make them.  Enjoy -

one-bowl chocolate, espresso, and white chocolate chunk brownies (from Simply Sensational Cookies by Nancy Bagett:

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
2 1/2 ounces 65-75 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
1 2/3 cup sugar
generous 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
3/4 cup all purpose flour
8-10 ounces coarsely chopped good quality white chocolate

Place rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Line an 9 inch square baking pan with foil, letting the foil slightly overhang on each side.  Grease the foil or coat with spray.

In a heavy large saucepan, heat the butter and chocolates on the lowest heat and stir constantly until melted.  Remove from heat.  I usually opt to melt the butter and chocolate over a pot of simmering water.  That way I can let it sit and not worry about overheating or stirring.  So do what feels comfy to you.  The microwave works well too.

Stir the sugar and salt into the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated and the batter as cooled to warm.  Vigorously stir in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla and espresso mixture.  Stir until the mixture is smooth and shiny.

Stir in the flour until just evenly combined.

Place half the batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle about a third of the white chocolate evenly over the top and cover with remaining batter.  Spread the rest of the white chocolate chunks all around.  Bang the pan on the counter to embed the pieces slightly.

Bake 25-35 minutes – until edges are just pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out almost clean (the bottom will should still be moist and gooey.)

While the brownies bake, fill a large shallow pan a 1/2 inch deep with ice cubes and water.  When brownies are done, place the pan into the shallow ice water to immediately stop continued cooking.  Let stand until completely cooled – 30-45 m.

Refrigerate the slab for 45 m so it will cut easily (or just cut messy!)  Invert onto a cutting board to carefully remove foil.  Then place ride side up.

Cut – and use a damp paper towel to wipe the blade in between cuts.

These are so good cold or room temp.

Enjoy!

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Filed under 1. very easy, brownies and bars, chocolate and cookies and bars.  |0 Comments

peeps!

31Mar13

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matzoh candy (caramel, salty goodness)

25Mar13

Re-posting this from 2 years ago.  So good! 

Many of my friends (and kids friends) keep Passover, so I wanted to try this recipe that I’ve heard about throughout the years.  I like the idea of a handy treat for those who celebrate.  My friend Stephanie happily shared the recipe from her “Passover Stuff” book and I must tell you that this is really good and I thank you (Stephanie).  Really good.  Sweet, yes, but I added some bittersweet chocolate and some delicious sea salt and I have to say this is better than I expected and utterly addictive.  I had friends over this weekend – none who happen to celebrate Passover and they were munching away and loving it.  I mentioned that it didn’t look so pretty but they were undeterred.  They all loved and commented on the salty caramel and nutty chocolate (the matzoh just holds it together).  I used toasted pecans…but really most nuts will do – walnuts, almonds, pistachios – maybe even some raisins too.  You can go really crazy here and have fun.  Serve for your family and friends who happen to celebrate (or not!)  Happy Passover.  Enjoy-

If you have time – find some Maldon sea salt.  It is great – flaky and tasty.  You can order online but pretty certain whole foods sells it.  (Great for salads too – with olive oil.)

chocolate/caramel matzoh candy with sea salt (slightly adapted from Stephanie’s “Passover Stuff”)

4 Matzoh boards (I used salted, but believe unsalted OK too)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cup chocolate chips or chunks (I used half semi and half bitter - but use what you like – Stephanie said she’s tried milk chocolate too)
1 cup (or more to taste) toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds (raisins too optional)
1/2 teaspoon good quality flaky sea salt – or kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.  (Reader Jessie said she made this without the parchment and the toffee spread to the underside…she said it was fantastic.)

Arrange matzoh in a single layer – break if necessary and try to cover the whole sheet pan.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil – stirring constantly.  Cook until syrupy — about 3 minutes or so.

Pour the toffee mixture over the matzoh and spread it out evenly (this is hot be careful.)

Place in oven and bake until bubbly – about 4 minutes (now it is extra hot).  Remove from oven and sprinkle the chocolate over the hot bubbly mixture.  Place in the oven again for about 30-60 seconds more.  (The second time I made this I did not place the chocolate back in the oven.  I let it be…prettier appearance and the chips all over were delicious.)

Now you have a choice…leave as is – or you can spread the chocolate around.  Either way – its a matter of appearance.  I happen to like to see the chocolate chips and chunks.  Sprinkle the toasted nuts over and then the flaky salt.  (Reader Michelle used salted peanuts and said it was AMAZING.)

Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm about 30 minutes to and hour.  cut or break into pieces.  I happen to like this cold – so I store in the fridge.  The chocolate discolors over time, but it is tasty!

Save the crumbs for an ice cream topping.

Enjoy-

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About LL Desserts

Lisi's Luscious Desserts is where I share my favorite dessert recipes and baking tips.


I bake a little bit of everything from recipes for everyday sweet treats like cookies, brownies, and cupcakes, to breakfast staples like muffins and fruit cakes, to dessert necessities like chocolate cakes and pies.