Caramel-Banana Muffins

Once again I found myself with an excess of bananas - note to self, maybe only buy one bag of bananas from Costco each week.  As much as I love banana bread, I thought that muffins would be a good change of pace and they are easy for my girls to carry to school and share with their friends.

I really wanted to add caramel to the bananas and found this recipe on the Midwest Living site.  Their recipe had a pecan-cinnamon sugar mixture added to it but, as much as I would have enjoyed it, I knew that the muffins would be enjoyed more by the girls if it was left out.

The muffins were baked for 20 minutes but they did not get very brown.  Since I did not want to over-bake them once they were ready I took them out of the oven. Maybe the pecan mixture would have helped the browning process, so I'll try adding it next time.  Also, I think that in future I would make my own caramel.  I was happy to use up some of the ice cream topping that has been in my refrigerator for a while, but it was very sweet.

Caramel-Banana Muffins
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 medium banana, peeled and mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons caramel-flavored ice cream topping
• 1 medium banana, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Line twelve muffin cups with paper bake cups.
3. In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 
4. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, softened butter and ⅔ cup sugar with an electric mixer until well combined. 
5. Add egg and beat well. Beat in the mashed banana and vanilla until combined. 
6. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
7. Add to the banana mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. 
8. Spoon half the batter into prepared muffin cups,
9. Drizzle ½ teaspoon caramel topping over batter in each cup. Top with remaining batter. If you like, top each muffin with 2 thin slices additional banana.
10. Sprinkle with tops with the cinnamon sugar mixture. 
11. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. 
12. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. 
13. Serve warm drizzled with more caramel topping, if you like. 

Recipe from Midwest Living.

Apple Cinnamon Custard Cake

It's funny isn't it how the word tea cake can mean different things depending on where you are in the world.  To me a tea cake is usually a cake made from flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk.  It is usually sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mixture, and can contain fruit.  If you are from the UK a tea cake could mean a yeast-based sweet bread containing dried fruit, and in the Southern US it could mean a cookie (shortcake). 

I came across this recipe whilst I was looking through the Coles(Australia) website. For those unfamiliar with it, Coles is a large supermarket chain in Australia.  Now I know this may seem like a strange thing for me to be doing, but there was a method to my madness.  I have someone special coming to visit me next week and they offered to bring some goodies from home.  The things I miss has definitely grown smaller during the years I have lived away from Australia, but there are still a few things that I have never found a substitute for, or that I still miss. Whilst I was looking at various products I saw a link for Curtis Stone and found that he has teamed up with Coles to provide a range of recipes, including his Feed Your Family recipes to feed your family fast, in season and on a budget, as well a Video Cookbook, where you can cook-a-long with him.

This was a very quick recipe to put together.  I had some Granny Smith apples that I needed to use up, but I think that pears would work very well also, and I had Grand Marnier on hand but Calvados (an apple brandy) would be really good too.  Within 20 minutes it was in the oven baking, and the cake was ready right at the 50 minute mark.  I made this in a springform pan that has a glass serving plate, and I was glad that I did because there was no way this cake was coming off the bottom without some serious damage.  The crumb is just too tender to move.  If you don't have a glass bottom springform I would suggest cutting out a circle of parchment paper and placing this in the bottom of your pan, and then gently lifting it with a large spatula to your serving plate.

This cake smells heavenly coming out of the oven and it was a little difficult to wait for it to cool, but I didn't want to damage it so I was patient.  It is really good at room temperature, but I liked it even better when I warmed it a little before serving it with a dollop of whipped cream.

Apple Cinnamon Custard Cake

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, then cut into 1/2 cm thick slices
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other orange liqueur
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons extra
• 1 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon extra
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation

1. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350℉.
2. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with the butter. 
3. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with Grand Marnier to coat, and set aside.
4. In another medium bowl, whisk together the 1¼ cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, salt and ¼ tsp of the cinnamon.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, milk, whole eggs, orange zest and vanilla to blend. Whisk dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to form a smooth batter, being careful not to over-mix.
6. Transfer 1 cup of the batter to a small bowl and mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour; set aside. Whisk egg yolks into remaining batter in the large bowl just to blend. Stir in the apples.
7. Transfer the apple batter to prepared pan and, using a off-set spatula, spread batter into an even layer and press the apples in to submerge them.
8. Pour the reserved batter evenly over the apple batter.
9. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining caster sugar and cinnamon to blend, and then sprinkle it evenly over the batter.
10. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
11. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake and release the pan sides.
12. Cool cake for about 30 mins to serve warm, or cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.
13. To serve, cut cake into wedges and serve with a generous dollop of whipped cream.  

Recipe by Curtis Stone via the Coles (Australia) Website

                                                 

Buttermilk-White Chocolate Panna Cotta

There is a first time for everything, and this was my first time making panna cotta. I have certainly had my fair share at restaurants but had never attempted to make it myself.  If I had realized how easy it was to make something this delicious I would have been making it years ago.

My initial inspiration for trying panna cotta was actually Roxana's Home Baking.  I really enjoy reading her blog and I recently saw that she co-hosts a monthly Chocolate Party.  Each month a seasonal ingredient is chosen to go along with chocolate, you make something with both of these ingredients, blog about it, and then link back to the Chocolate Party Page (read more about the instructions here).

This month's choice to be paired with chocolate was buttermilk, so I decided that I wanted to make a panna cotta featuring these two ingredients.  This dessert was inspired by two recipes - one I found at Savuer and one at Tiny Test Kitchen.  I guess I wanted the best of both worlds - white chocolate and buttermilk but in one recipe.

How can something so delicious be so easy to make?  Within 20 minutes I had the mixture in the ramekins and ready for cooling.  Then came the wait - at least 3 hours to set.  I actually recommend a little longer than this because I would rather be safe than sorry.  Once they were set up I drizzled a little passionfruit pulp over the top and they were ready to enjoy.  So ono! (Hawaiian for delicious).

Buttermilk-White Chocolate Panna Cotta
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 4 oz white chocolate
• 1¼ cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or 1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise)
• 1¾ cups buttermilk 

Preparation

1. Soften gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water in a medium bowl for about 5 minutes. 
2. Put cream and sugar into a small saucepan. Add vanilla bean paste (or scrape seeds from vanilla pod into pan, then add pod).
3. Heat cream over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, 3–5 minutes, do not let the mixture boil.
4. Remove from heat and add white chocolate, stirring until melted.
5. Add gelatin to cream mixture and stir until fully dissolved. 
6. Stir in buttermilk, then strain into another bowl.
7. Divide custard between six 8-oz. ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. 
8. To unmold, dip ramekins into a dish of hot water, then invert custards  onto plates.

Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs©

Hot Cross Buns

After years of telling myself that I am going to try and make them and my irrational fear of yeast, I finally attempted Hot Cross Buns.  Why, oh why did I wait so long to attempt this?  They are one of the best things I have ever tasted and I am sure that they will become a regular fixture now that I have seen the light.

Crossed and ready to be made hot

I am pretty traditional with my preferences for Hot Cross Buns.  I have seen some in stores here that have lemon or raspberry crosses, and were so spice-less that I couldn't bring myself to buy them.  I know that in Australia you can buy chocolate buns (both milk and dark), fruitless buns, chocolate chip buns, and white chocolate and cranberry buns, and even gluten-free buns.  It has always been the original spicy fruit buns that are my favorite.  One of the best tastes ever is a lightly toasted hot cross bun with a drizzle of honey on top.

My search for a recipe led me in so many different directions. Apparently there isn't just one correct way to make a hot cross bun, there are thousands.  I finally settled on a combination of two recipes that had exactly what I was looking for - a recipe that made about a dozen buns and a recipe that had lots of spice to it.  This hybrid recipe was just right, and produced a fruity, spicy, dense hot cross bun.

Now I have finally made the plunge into the world of yeast breads I see many more attempts in the future.


Hot Cross Buns
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Ingredients

• 310ml warmed milk
• 60g superfine sugar
• 14g dried yeast
• 650g bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice (or allspice)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 60g butter, softened
• 375g of raisins/currants/golden raisins/mixed candied fruit (I used mixed fruit from Australia)
• 2 eggs
• 60g all-purpose flour
• 60ml water
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed in a pan (or microwave)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan warm the milk; whisk in the sugar and yeast until sugar has dissolved. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
2. Mix the bread flour, salt and ground spices in a large bowl of a stand mixer. With your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until mixed and crumbly.
3. Stir in the raisins/sultanas, egg, and frothy yeast mixture until just combined.
4. Attach the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Lightly oil another large, clean bowl, place the dough in and turn to coat the surface with oil.
6. Cover in clingwrap and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. When ready, remove the clingwrap and use your fist to punch down the dough. Transfer to a lightly floured board and give it a quick knead until smooth and divide into 12 rounds.
8. Place the buns into a greased 20 x 30cm (8x12-inch) baking tray, cover with clingwrap and leave in warm place to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (395℉).
9. Whisk together the all-purpose flour and water to a smooth paste. Pipe crosses on top of the buns and bake at 200°C (395℉) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C (350℉) bake for a further 15 minutes. Buns are ready when it sounds hollow when you tap the tops.
10. Brush with warmed apricot jam while the buns are still warm.

Recipe adapted by All That's Left Are The Crumbs from recipes by Citrus and Candy and Short Street Bakery ©.

The Cake Slice Bakers March 2012 - Honey Bee Cake

The time has once again flown by and it is time for the March edition of the Cake Slice Bakers.  Votes were counted and the winning recipe this month was the Honey Bee Cake.  This is our 5th cake from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson, and I have to say that this is my favorite so far.





I decided that I wanted to use a local honey for this recipe.  After visiting the Kapi'olani Farmers' Market last week, and trying a few different samples, I decided upon an Ewa Kiawe honey from Nalo Meli Hawaiian Honey, which specializes in unique local raw honeys that are fresh from the hive.






It was amazing how quickly this cake came together.  I know the recipe calls for sifting the dry ingredients but to be honest I put them all in a large bowl and gave them a good whisk and that was that. Before I knew it the cake was in the oven and I was getting the honey glaze ready.  After 45 minutes the cake was out of the oven and ready to be drenched in the honey mixture and a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

My family raved about this cake - both the texture and flavor - so I know it will not last long.  I think that the only change I would make would be to double the amount of the honey glaze.  After pouring half of the glaze over the cake I didn't feel like it had covered enough of the cake, but I knew I needed the remaining amount to pour over the top of the almonds.  I ended up using a little more glaze on the cake, pouring what was left over the nuts, and then drizzling a little pure honey over the top for good measure.

It is always interesting to see different interpretations and opinions of the same cake so please click here to see the cakes of my fellow Cake Slice Bakers.  Also, the Cake Slice Bakers now have a Facebook page now so make sure you check it out soon.

Honey Bee Cake

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Ingredients

Cake

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature

Glaze

• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup of sliced almonds, toasted 

Preparation

1. Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350℉. 
2. Prepare a 9″x3″ non-stick springform pan (grease the pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment).
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then whisk to combine. 
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla on low speed until blended; increase the speed to high and cream until very light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes, stopping the mixer frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle paddle.
5. Blend in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time.
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop to scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the mixing by hand with a spatula to make sure that you don't over-beat the batter.
7. Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared pan.  Tap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles.
8. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. The cake will be a deep golden color and be firm on top, and a skewer inserted in the middle will have moist crumbs attached. The cake may crack on the surface as it bakes, but this provides a way for the cake to soak up the honey glaze.
9. While the cake is baking, make the glaze in a small saucepan by combining the honey, sugar, and butter over medium heat until combined.  Bring the mixture to just barely to a simmer.  Turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the burner to keep warm. 
10. Remove the cake from the oven and poke holes all over the top of the cake with a wooden skewer. Pour half of the glaze on the cake, evenly sprinkle the cake with the almonds, then pour the rest of glaze over the almonds. 
11. Place the cake back in the center of the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
12. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour.  To remove the cake from the springform pan, remove the side before gently flipping the cake over onto a plate to remove the parchment paper. Then place serving plate over the cake and flip it back over again.
13. Serve just barely warm.
14. Thanks to the honey, this cake will keep for 5 days when wrapped and stored at room temperature.

Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson