Recipes

Blogger CLUE: Lemon Loaf

~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

blogger CLUE

Easter is coming early this year (March 27th) and the Blogger Clue crew and I have been on the hunt to provide you with some wonderful Springtime dishes.

This month I was assigned the blog Confessions of a Culinary Diva. Christy describes herself as a “food enthusiast, wine aficionado, Food & Cooking Channel fanatic, and cookbook bibliomaniac, who suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust.” On quick look at her blog and you just know her mini-bio is true – there’s wine everywhere! And countless recipes that take you to another place (France mostly).

While on the hunt for Easter foods I was immediately drawn to her Easter Pie and next year I’ll be sure to try it! The only reason I didn’t stop, drop, and cook it was because I didn’t have Arborio rice and I wasn’t about to buy some while I’m trying to rid my pantry (via cooking) of my current stock before the big move.

I thought about what foods I think remind me of Easter. I don’t serve a ham and my family has always done our own thing. Growing up we would always have a dish traditional to my mom’s family. We would have a dish called Swienconka (pronounced shven-shun-ka). Swienconka is Polish and translates to “blessed food.” My mom’s grandfather was a butcher and he would bring home the leftover meats for this dish – veal, smoked butt, two kinds of Polish sausage, and ham. These meats would be cooked and mixed with hard boiled eggs. The mixture would then marinate in vinegar and fresh and jarred horseradish.

I decided to look for brunch ideas! I almost made Onion Biscuits. And I took a peek at what cocktails could fit an Easter morning: Earl Grey Mimosa and this beautiful Sangria would definitely fit the bill.

And then somehow I stumbled upon a Lemon Loaf (which she presented most beautifully) and I was sold! Lemon always reminds me of spring time and Easter. Probably because my grandmother’s annual pound cake has lemon extract in it. This loaf cake reminded me very much of her recipe, and I almost made a cream cheese frosting to pair with it but instead decided tolemon loaf 4 Sew You Think You Can Cook create a simple glaze of powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and a little milk to pour over the top of the loaf. It definitely amped up the lemon flavor!

This cake was a hit. Firecracker saw it on the counter and had to have some. He earned his half a slice, too, by helping clear off space for me to photograph it!

 

Lemon Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 C cake flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/3 C sugar
  • zest of 2 extra large lemons
  • 1/2 C heavy cream
  • 5 1/2 tbsp melted butter

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease a 9×5″ loaf pan.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the sifted flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing until combined after each addition.
  4. Whisk the heavy cream into the cake batter. Add the melted butter and stir until combined.
  5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. Option to top with a simple lemon glaze or a cream cheese frosting.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.treats-sf.com/2012/04/twd-lemon-loaf-cake.html*

Lemon Loaf for #BloggerCLUE from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here’s a list of the other players of Blogger CLUE this month:

#SundaySupper: Root Vegetables

~ lk529 ~ 25 Comments

Every year in our marriage we’ve celebrated Valentine’s Day by enjoying fondue. That’s what happens when you get two Fondue Makers! Sometimes I do a cheese, sometimes chocolate, and sometimes even both!

This year, our 5th married Valentine’s Day, was a little different. Our stay here in Ohio has been for schooling, my husband will earn his Masters degree at the end of the month. He successfully defended his thesis this week! This calendar year has been quite a stressful and busy one so far and I am quite ready to get my husband back. So, for Valentine’s Day this year I was reading Chapters 4 and 5 of his thesis, being a second set of eyes to check for content cohesion and grammatical quirks.

I woke up really early on Sunday, February 14th to go to the grocery store before the post-church crowds did their shopping to get everything I’d need for Caramelized Shallot Fondue and Champagne Poached Pears. I also found some Florida Strawberries! And then I got to the check out only to discover that they couldn’t sell me alcohol before noon.

We decided we’d go back to get the champagne later in the day but a snow storm derailed those plans. It was on to Plan B. No plan. The plan of, “What’s in the fridge?” Beets. Pine nuts. Crescent rolls. Pasta. Bacon.

An internet search yielded a Beet Pesto Pizza. We didn’t have any of the toppings but the pesto we could make and serve over pasta instead. (We did toss some bacon in our pasta, too!)

The result? A beautiful, deep pink pasta which turned out to be simply perfect for Valentine’s Day! My garnish of parsley makes this a great option for Christmas, too.

That long introduction leads us to the theme for today’s #SundaySupper hosted by Cindy of Cindy’s Recipes and Writings, root vegetables. We contemplated adding some sweet potato to the pesto, but were too afraid of the color that might result. There are some great ideas for how to prepare a wide variety of root vegetables in today’s round-up, simply scroll past my photo to check them out!

Beet Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 1 large beet, peeled and diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Toss beet and garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Season with S+P. Place on a baking sheet and roast 20-30 minutes, or until tender. (Note: roasting time will depend on size of dice.)
  3. When slightly cooled, place in a food processor and pulse until fine. Add the pine nuts and olive oil and puree until smooth. Season to taste with S+P.
  4. Option: Serve on pasta with parmesan and parsley.

Beet Pesto for #Sunday Supper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

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8387592742_f6164fd5a8_oJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Almond-Crusted Pork Chops

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

The first #SundaySupper of the year was all about kicking off #SundaySupper month. There wasn’t really a theme to the day other than any recipe that helps get the family around the table together. I found some great meal ideas among the impressive list from my fellow Sunday Supper Movement members, but there was one recipe in particular that I had to make right away! (Don’t ask why it took me 3 months to finally share it.)

Almond Breaded Pork Chops by Nichole.

almond pork chopsI was planning on pork that Monday and simply changed my plan slightly, it was easy to do as I had all the ingredients in my kitchen already! Though I didn’t have enough almond meal so I simply added some panko. And I decided to shallow fry the pork instead of bake it. (Don’t worry, I “cut” calories by using egg whites instead of whole eggs – but only because I had some in the fridge already.) Such a delicious idea.

I served the pork with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes. A perfect weeknight meal!

This recipe even earned a “high-five” from Firecracker!

Almond-Crusted Pork Chops

Ingredients:

  • 4 thin boneless pork chops
  • 3/4 C almond meal
  • 1/4 C panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • oil, for frying

Steps:

  1. In a shallow bowl combine the almond meal, panko, garlic powder, onion powder, S+P.
  2. Put eggs in another shallow bowl.
  3. Dredge pork chops in the eggs and then the almond mixture.
  4. Heat about 1/4″ of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. The oil is hot enough when bubbles form around the handle of a wooden spoon.
  5. Fry in batches about 4 minutes on each side, until fully cooked.

Almond-Crusted Pork Chops Sew You Think You Can Cook

#FoodieExtravaganza: Noodles

~ lk529 ~ 17 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300

Can we take a moment and freak out a little bit about how it’s already March? I know February is a short month, but I feel like we just celebrated those #FoodieExtravaganza pies!

Each month we take turns hosting and selecting a foodie holiday associated with that month; March includes Noodle Month, Celery Month, and Frozen Food Month. Today we’re celebrating noodles! Thanks to our host, Lauren of From Gate to Plate, for not picking celery. 😉

The noodle I am featuring in my recipe today are the classic elbow macaroni. But that’s all that’s classic about this dish! This macaroni and cheese is a guy’s dream – bacon and beer! I made this indulgent pasta for my husband’s birthday earlier this year. It would make for a wonderful Father’s Day meal, too.

Having beer in the cheese sauce really reminded me of fondue! I don’t care for beer, but it works amazingly well in macaroni and cheese! Especially when there’s a crust of bacon on top.

This recipe makes way more than the two servings quoted in the original recipe. I’d go ahead and say this macaroni would feed 4-6!

Beer and Bacon Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 C dry elbow noodles
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/2 C milk
  • 1 bottle (12 oz) beer
  • 1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 C panko bread crumbs
  • 8 strips center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

Steps:

  1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water until barely al dente, about a minute less than the recommended cooking time. Drain.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  3. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden. Add the milk and beer, whisking continuously. Slowly add the cheeses and stir until melted. Cook, stirring, 6 minutes until thickened. Season with the paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and nutmeg.
  4. Add cooked noodles to the cheese sauce.
  5. Divide macaroni between ramekins or use a casserole dish.
  6. Combine the panko and cooked bacon. Top the macaroni.
  7. Bake until bubbly and the crust is golden, about 20 minutes. Allow macaroni to cool 5 minutes before serving.

*This recipe is adapted from Melanie at http://melaniemakes.com/blog/2014/02/bacon-crusted-beer-mac-and-cheese.html*

Bacon and Beer Mac & Cheese for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other recipes involving noodles:

One Pot Garlic Pasta by From Gate to Plate
Haluski (Fried Cabbage & Noodles) by Making Miracles
Homemade Chinese Noodles by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Spicy Shrimp with Peanut Noodles by cookinandcraftin
Sopa Seca de Fideo – Spicy Mexican Noodles by Food Lust People Love
Green Bean and Squash Laksa by Caroline’s Cooking
Kakaós Tészta (Hungarian Cocoa Noodles) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
MiMi’s Baked Ziti by Cooking With Carlee
Tortellini and Tomato Salad by The Freshman Cook
Homemade Noodles by Our Good Life
Tossed Homemade Macaroni Noodles by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Soft Noodles with Veggies and Poached Egg by G’Gina’s Kitchenette

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

#SRC: Pot o’ Gold Cookies

~ lk529 ~ 32 Comments

newsrcbanner

Good morning and welcome to another edition of The Secret Recipe Club. For a little “behind the scenes” information, The Secret Recipe Club (SRC) is divided into four group. Each group posts on a different Monday of the month. I am in Group C and always post on the 3rd Monday of the month. Which meant that during those special months with five Mondays there’d be a week without any fun reveal day! So now, on the 5th Monday of the month there is a themed reveal and it’s a “free for all,” which means that there aren’t any group restrictions. I’m looking forward to getting to know some of the other bloggers in the club.

Who would have thought that February would ever have 5 Mondays in it!? Happy Leap Day, everyone! As it’s the last day of February the Secret Recipe Club is looking into March for inspiration. Leprechauns and Bunnies was the assignment as St. Patrick’s Day has to share its month with Easter  this year.

I don’t think I could have asked for a better assignment this month! Making Memories with your Kids has an incredible index of holiday foods and crafts. Erin is a single mom to two kids who are most definitely making memories together through baking and crafting. Her blog is such a great resource of ideas!

Her sloppy Joe baskets would work for either holiday, really. Erin made them as “Easter baskets” but they could easily be a “pot of gold,” too.

While I don’t care much for St. Patrick’s Day (especially now that I don’t live near Kate anymore) I decided to make her Pot o’ Gold Cookies instead of her Chocolate Peep Sugar Cookies simply because the former were simple and used ingredients I already had. I did take some liberty in forming a few as Easter eggs and decorating with purple sprinkles, but you’ll notice they’re not photographed. They weren’t very pretty; to make them like Easter eggs definitely use white chocolate instead!

Forming Pot O' Gold Cookies with Grandma Sew You Think You Can Cook

These shortbread cookies were a huge hit! My mother-in-law helped make them and showed Firecracker how to roll the dough into balls. He wasn’t particularly interested and instead preferred to “Hulk smash” the balls. Until he discovered the deliciousness of the dough! It’s egg-free so I had no problems with letting him try it, though once I realized he was eating it I had to clear most off of his table to prevent a sugar rush!

If I hadn’t put these cookies in a bag they wouldn’t have lasted through the evening. They’re addicting! Luckily the “impenetrable” barrier of a resealable bag (and a trip to Graeter’s ice cream) kept them safe so I could share them with friends.

Pot O’ Gold Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 1/4 C flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 C milk chocolate chips
  • yellow or gold sprinkles

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, and almond extract. Mix in the flour until it starts to combine. Turn dough out onto a flat surface and knead until smooth and combined.
  3. Roll dough into 1″ balls. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Allow cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheet.
  4. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. Spoon chocolate over the cookies and top with sprinkles. Allow chocolate to set before serving.

*This recipe is adapted from Erin at http://makingmemorieswithyourkids.com/2015/03/pot-of-gold-meltaway-cookies/*

Pot O' Gold Cookies for Secret Recipe Club from Sew You Think You Can Cook

I didn’t wait for the chocolate to set before photographing… Firecracker doesn’t like sticky things, he wasn’t quite sure what to do!

Pot O' Gold Cookies, not yet set Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the themed Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

#SundaySupper: Pies, Sweet and Savory

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

Did you know that February is Pie Month? Well, if you followed along with my #FoodieExtravaganza post at the beginning of the month you probably did!

Today’s Sunday Supper is all about pies. Any kind of pie is fair game, too! Normally I’d be hopping on the savory side of the fence in events like this one, but not this time! Gasp! Today I am sharing a sweet pie. And it’s very sweet at that!

There are over 60 pies so be sure to scroll past my recipe. Thank you to Erica of The Crumby Cupcake for hosting today.

Cherry Chocolate Brownie Pie, to be exact. This pie is made in a spring form pan for easy serving. The base of the pie is a rich and chocolaty brownie, it is then studded with cherries, and topped with a luscious ganache.

I used frozen, pitted cherries which I halved and laid along the top of the batter in concentric circles. There’s almond extract in the batter, too, which compliments the cherry flavor beautifully! And that ganache! It definitely takes this pie over the top. Any extra ganache pairs beautifully with some fresh strawberries, too.

Cherry Chocolate Brownie Pie

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 C butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 C sugar
  • 1/2 C corn syrup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1/2 C cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 C cherries, pitted and halved (thawed if using frozen)
  • 1 C heavy cream
  • 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a spring form pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the corn syrup. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add in the almond extract.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
  4. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the batter followed by 1 tbsp milk. Repeat the process until the dry ingredients and the milk are incorporated.
  5. Pour batter into prepared spring form pan. Top with cherries. Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool completely. Remove the pie from the pan.
  6. Make the ganache: bring heavy cream to a low simmer, remove from the heat, and pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour over the pie base, allowing the ganache to drip down the sides of the pie.
  7. Refrigerate until set.

*This recipe is adapted from Danelle at http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2014/08/chocolate-cherry-brownie-pie.html*

Cherry Chocolate Brownie Pie for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Sweet As Pie

Mealtime Pie

Plus

8387592742_f6164fd5a8_oJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Dijon Chicken Salad 

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Some days are just plain harder than others. It’s those days I’m thankful for cable TV, delivery pizza, and leftovers. Or for the incredible technology that is my phone which allows me to attempt to stay on top of my blog! Yes, I am writing another post from the fabulous WordPress app.

Or I should say I’m trying to.

Firecracker is napping and instead of getting to catch up on some of my own sleep, too, I’m fighting with Treat who can’t decide if he wants to nurse or not! The poor guy has a stuffy nose and can’t seem to get comfortable! As a result I’ve already found and fixed some crazy typos from flying infant hands, but if I missed any let’s blame the 3 month old. 😉

Chicken salad is a great way to utilize miscellaneous leftovers in your fridge and makes for an easy lunch. That’s a win-win in my book! I’ve adapted this recipe from Jeff Mauro and it’s my new favorite. I’ve become a little addicted to it actually.

This recipe makes two 10″ wraps but can easily be multiplied. Eat it as a wrap, as a sandwich, on top of salad, with crackers, or as-is. I like it best enveloped in a spinach tortilla.

Dijon Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 C cooked, cubed chicken breast
  • 1/4 C dried cherries
  • 1/4 C glazed walnut pieces
  • 1 rib celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp minced red onion
  • 1/8 C mayonnaise
  • 1/8 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 10″ tortillas (serving suggestion)

Steps:

  1. In a bowl toss together the chicken, cherries, walnuts, celery, and onion.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, yogurt, and mustard. Season to taste with S+P.
  3. Gently fold dressing into the chicken mixture. Wrap in tortillas to serve (optional).

Dijon Chicken Salad Sew You Think You Can Cook

Kale Soup

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Back in November my brother-in-law came to visit. We went grocery shopping to pick up some items for football watching and dinner making. Upon their departure we were left with a bunch of kale; a large quantity not a single bunch.

So I made kale chips.

And soup.

And still there was a little bit left to freeze and “sneak” into Firecracker’s smoothies.

So. Much. Kale!

Not that that’s a bad thing. I buy kale hardly ever, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve purchased said green. I have nothing against kale, but I guess I never jumped on the bandwagon a couple of years ago.

This soup though, I can get on board with. But only if there’s bacon with it. Before heating up some leftovers I had to fry a piece of bacon to provide that bit of crunch and salt.

Kale Soup

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices center cut bacon, chopped
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 leek, sliced in half-moons
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 4 C chicken broth
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
  • 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • sour cream for serving (optional)

Steps:

  1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
  2. Add the potatoes and leeks to the pot and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, S+P and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 4 C of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
  3. Reserve a little bit of the kale to make kale chips for garnishing the soup. Add the remaining kale to the soup, cover the pot, and cook 5 minutes until the kale is wilted. Stir in the Worcestershire.
  4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. (Note: If using a stand blender you may need to puree the soup in batches. Leave the lid slightly open and cover with a towel to prevent burns.)
  5. Put the reserved kale on a baking sheet, spray with cooking oil, season with S+P and broil until crispy.
  6. Garnish the soup with kale chips, bacon, and sour cream.

*This recipe is adapted from Food Network Magazine, January/February 2015*

Kale Soup | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Spicy Tomatillo Salsa

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

Without fail, if I send my husband to the grocery store, he will come home with items that weren’t on the list. Occasionally it’s a package of refrigerated cookie dough but more often than not it’s something “crazy” from the produce section. I’m constantly amazed by his exploratory nature when it comes to the culinary world, actually for all worlds really. I am definitely not as adventurous.

While tomatillos aren’t exactly crazy we’d never worked with them in our own kitchen before. I went that “safe” route and decided to utilize them in a salsa for Mexican Monday.

This salsa is spicy!! Way too spicy for my taste, but my husband loved it!

Spicy Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 4 tomatillos, husks removed, washed, and chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • handful fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • agave, to taste

Steps:

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a desired consistency is reached. Adjust salt and agave to taste.

*This recipe is adapted from Amanda at http://www.thechunkychef.com/abuelos-copycat-tomatillo-lime-salsa/*

Spicy Tomatillo Salsa Sew You Think You Can Cook

#BundtBakers: Cinnamon

~ lk529 ~ 28 Comments

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This month’s edition of #BundtBakers is a little different. No, you won’t notice anything unique about this month compared to any of the previous #BundtBakers events but behind the scenes I got to try my hand at hosting again! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I picked the theme of cinnamon because there’s probably nothing I love more than some cinnamon. In fact, when we had our wonderful Valentine’s dessert my husband mentioned that it’d be great with some nuts and I said, “It could use some cinnamon, too!” to which he simply laughed and said, “You and your cinnamon!” But hey, I can’t help it, it’s just so good! And with 27 other bundt bakers joining me, I know I’m not alone in my love of the spice. Because I am hosting I was more aware of the recipe titles being submitted than I normally am and someone beat me to the punch on using red cinnamon candies in her cake (unfortunately the busyness of work and life prevented her from sharing her cake with us today). There isn’t a rule that says I couldn’t also make a cinnamon candy bundt, but I do like to try to be unique in my flavor profile when I’m aware enough to be so.

Instead I thought about doing a chai bundt, I’ve been wanting to use chai tea in baking, and that thought led me instead use the tea I had in my pantry! It’s “Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea” and it’s fabulous, no honey required. I followed a recipe for a cake using Earl Grey tea. Instead of blueberries I added chopped walnuts to the cake, you won’t find them in the recipe though because I didn’t think it was the right choice, raisins or chocolate chips might be nice. Also, next time I’ll be steeping two tea bags because there simply wasn’t enough cinnamon flavor for my liking. This recipe followed a unique method for making the cake, too. I’d never make cake batter in a pot before! I divided my batter between my Garland Bundt Pan. The texture of these bundtlettes was quite different, too, it was almost a cross between a baked donut, a muffin, and a cake; perfect for breakfast, warmed, with a little butter. And, of course, compliments your morning cup of coffee or your afternoon cup of tea.

Selfishly, this cake was not shared with anyone outside of our little family. Firecracker helpfully (?) participated in the photography of these cakes and declared them “good” after stealing a bite.

If you don’t have smaller bundt pans feel free to use a large loaf pan or 6 C bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes.

Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea Bundtlettes (1) for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea Bundtletts

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 bags Sweet Cinnamon Spice herbal tea
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 C vanilla yogurt (not Greek)
  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six 1 C bundtlettes.
  2. Steep the tea bag in 1/2 C boiling water for 10 minutes. Cut open tea bag and stir the contents into the tea.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the yogurt and tea.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the pot and mix until combined.
  5. Divide batter evenly in the prepared bundt pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow bundts to cool in the pan before turning out.

*This recipe is modified from Izy at http://www.topwithcinnamon.com/2014/01/earl-grey-tea-blueberry-and-lemon-cake.html*

Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea Bundtlettes (2) for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month: