Pecan Pie Coffe Cake

I'm literally eating the last piece of cake as I write.  I just returned home from Church, Carsten is sleeping after a 30 hour call at the hospital, and I decided to relax in the living room with the last slice.  A perfect Sunday afternoon.  After two bites I remembered I hadn't taken any pictures, so I got out the camera and snapped a few.

I found this recipe over at bake or break about a week ago, and have had it up on my computer screen ever since, just waiting for a good day to bake it.  I love baking anything sweet, but if I don't have people to share it with I'll eat it all by myself - not only dangerous, but less fulfilling.  So when I got a text from friends inviting me over to have a Christmas tree bonfire, I got right to baking :)

Perfectly moist, not too sweet, and the pecan pie topping added just the right amount of interest.  It's always a gamble letting your friends try a first time recipe, but I shouldn't have worried.  The cake was a hit.  And I will forever associate it with an evening around the bonfire, laughing and drinking wine with friends, new and old.

Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Topping:
1/3 cup corn syrup (the recipe called for light, but I only had dark, so that's what I used)
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
pinch of salt

Procedure
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and generously grease a 9-inch cake pan.  I used a spring-form pan, which made it just a little easier to serve.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Using an electric mixer, whip together the sugar, butter, and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  (If your butter and cream cheese aren't quite softened, just wait ten minutes or so, and beat them a little extra, until everything is smooth and fluffy.  DON'T rush the process but putting them in the microwave!  It will ruin the texture of your cake)  Add the whole egg, and then the egg white, whipping between each addition.  Stir in the vanilla.  Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with buttermilk in between (flour - buttermilk - flour - buttermilk - flour).  Mix until just combined.  Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set the pan on a wire rack, and reduce the oven to 325 degrees.
In a small sauce pan, combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter over medium heat.  Stir and heat just until the butter melts.  Remove from heat, and stir in pecans, egg, and salt.  Using a wooden skewer, (a toothpick is too small - I used a chopstick ;) ) poke holes all over your cake.  This will let the gooey topping soak into the cake.  Carefully pour the topping over the cake, making sure to cover every bit of it.  Feel free to spread the pecans around evenly.  Return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and let cool completely (on a wire rack) before serving.

share. eat. repeat.

Saltine Toffee

I forgot how good this stuff is.  In high school, each year at the beginning of Hanukkah, my friends and I used to get together and make it on top of matzo, and everyone in the class would be begging for "just a little piece" all week long.  Thank you Melissa for introducing me to this simple and delicious candy!

When I was back in Eugene for a few days this summer, my mom decided to make it for Krissy's Going away (to College) party.  It was a hit.  Only she makes it with Saltine crackers, which add just the perfect amount of saltiness to each bite.  And I was so excited that mom had left a good amount at home in the fridge, however, I had gotten excited too soon.  Mom, being the generous person that she is, had my sister and I deliver it to my cousins' house so that they could enjoy it instead.  Sigh.  But that's what sweets are for, sharing.  So I've decided to make a batch myself, and I'm sure there will be plenty of friends to share with :)

This recipe is all over the internet, but here it is once again:

Ingredients
A bag and a half salted saltine crackers (about 40 crackers)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
cup chopped nuts (I used slivered almonds)

Procedure
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray (I forgot to spray mine, but it turned out okay).  Lay the saltine crackers evenly on the pan, squeezing in as many as possible.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat.  After the butter has completely melted, continue stirring until the mixture begins to boil around the edges.  Let it boil for three minutes without stirring. After three minutes, pour the hot brown sugar mixture evenly over the saltine crackers.  I had to spread the toffee over the crackers, so that the whole pan was evenly covered.

 my small sauce pan was just barely big enough

Bake in the preheated oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips across the toffee. Let them melt for a couple of minutes and then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly across the toffee (I turn off the oven after taking out the toffee, but return the toffee to the warm oven after sprinkling the chocolate chips over it.  One minute in the hot oven melts the chocolate just enough that it's easy to spread).

 after 5-6 minutes in the oven, it should be all bubbly

Sprinkle chopped nuts on top of the melted chocolate. Let the toffee and chocolate cool completely (I put mine in the fridge to help it set up quickly). Break the toffee into bite-size pieces.

To store, keep toffee in an air-tight container for 1-2 weeks (in the fridge if your house is warm, like mine) or in the freezer for a couple of months (if you can make it last that long).

share.eat.repeat.

Salted Caramel Bars

It feels good to be back in Eugene.  I was welcomed by the rain, a true Eugenian welcome.  Rain and my parents new kitchen.  Mom and Jamie were still on their way home from their beach volleyball tournament in Seaside, and Dad said that we're on host/hostess duty for church the next day.  So I set right to work making some deliciousness.  As probably everyone who knows me knows, I love any excuse to make dessert, and I'll jump at any chance to spend a few hours baking.

The church I grew up in has always provided a nice spread of finger-food after each service.  Sometimes it's a little excessive, and probably intimidates people from volunteering to join the host/hostess volunteer list.  But regardless of how lavish or decadent or tasty the snacks, there is something beautiful about watching everyone linger after the service is over, enjoying each others company over a cup of coffee and a salted caramel bar.  A simple little bite to excite the palate provides for nearly an hour of fellowship, and brings a family atmosphere to the congregation.

As sad as it sometimes makes me to visit VCC, because so much of my (church) family no longer goes there, I will never stop visiting, because those who are left make me feel like I've come home, every time.  And somehow, Garry McCready knows exactly what songs to play, as if he is personally welcoming me back.  Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.   How deep the father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure.  Those songs will stay in my head all day long. :)

Ingredients
for the shortbread
6 oz unsalted butter, chilled
1 3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

for the caramel
5 1/2 oz unsalted butter
1 can (396 g) sweetened condensed milk 
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp sea salt

for the topping
6 oz dark or semisweet chocolate
coarse sea salt

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Using parchment paper, line the a 8"x8" baking dish.  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar for the shortbread.  Using your a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture begins to come together, and looks moist.  Press the dough into the bottom of the lined baking dish, and pierce with a fork.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until just barely golden brown.  Set aside to cool.  While cooling, begin the caramel...
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Once melted, add the sweetened condensed milk, sugars, and salt.  Turn the heat up to medium, and stir.  When the sugars have dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high, and stir constantly.  When the caramel reaches a boil, turn the heat to low, and continue stirring for 10 minutes.  This step is important.  If the caramel isn't cooked long enough, it won't set well, and your bars will be a gooey mess!  After ten minutes, pour the caramel over the shortbread, and spread it evenly, so that it reaches all the corners.  Let cool completely at room temperature (if you're in a rush, it probably wouldn't hurt to throw them in the fridge).
For the chocolate layer, simply melt the chocolate in a double boiler (in a metal mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water), or in a microwave proof bowl for 30 second increments, until smooth.  I was working with poor quality chocolate, so I had to add a bit of butter to get the chocolate nice and smooth.  But it meant the chocolate didn't harden like it should have.  So I recommend using a good quality chocolate.  Spread the chocolate over the caramel, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt!
Cool at room temperature, then cut into squares using a large knife.  It helps to run the blade under very hot water, and to clean the blade often between slices.  This makes for prettier bars!

share.eat.repeat.