Rich Coffee Cake

This was served at my quilt group recently, by my friend Janet Bauer. It is fabulous!!! You won't have one slice left, I assure you. I am not a chocoholic, but the chocolate drizzle just makes it perfect. Fall is in the air and the holidays; this is definitely a holiday worthy coffee cake. Another recipe from the wonderful "Taste of Home" magazine...

1. 1 cup butter, softened


2. 2 cups sugar


3. 2 Eggs


4. 2 cups unbleached flour( I prefer King Arthur or Pillsbury)


5. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


6. 1/2 teaspoon salt


7. 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream


8. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING:

1. 1 cup chopped pecans


2. 2 TBLS. sugar


3. 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate Glaze:

1. 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


2. 1/4 cup butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine sour cream and vanilla; add to creamed mixture alternately with dry ingredients.

Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle 2 TBLS. into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. For glaze, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter: stir until smooth. Spoon half of the batter over the topping; sprinkle with half of the remaining topping. Drizzle with half of the glaze. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with the remaining topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center of the cake, comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack. Warm remaining glaze; drizzle over coffee cake. Serve warm, if desired. Yield: 12 servings

Lee's English muffins

My friend, Lee Cumba, says these are the best breakfast treat ever, and you will never want to eat store bought English muffins again. Well worth the little extra effort!!!! Thanks, Lee, will enjoy these, I'm sure.

Combine in a small bowl and let sit for 3-5 minutes:

2 TBLS. Hot water (105-115) degrees) and 1 pkg. active dry yeast

Combine in a large bowl:
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Combine the 2 above mixtures and add 2 cups of unbleached flour (sift before measuring). Gradually beat in the 2 cups flour to the milk/yeast mixture. Cover bowl and let the sponge(milk/yeast/flour mixture) rise in a warm place(85 degrees) for about 1 1/2 hours - or until it collapses back into the bowl. Add 2 TBLS. of softened butter to sponge.
Sift and measure an additional 2 cups flour, and beat into the sponge mixture. Roll out dough on a pastry cloth or board sprinkled with a combination of flour and cornmeal. Roll about 1/2 to 1 inch thick and cut into 3 inch rounds or so. Carefully pick up rounds and place them on a cookie sheet to rise again. When double in bulk, VERY CAREFULLY, so they don't deflate, and using a spatula, transfer onto a hot buttered griddle and cook on both sides like a pancake until golden brown. They taste fabulous right off of the griddle with butter and your favorite jam!!!

Awesome cinnamon rolls

This fabulous "easy" recipe came to my website, Bountiful Bakeshop, from my friend, Lee Cumba in Colorado City. Co. It is great and much faster for the holidays.

• 1 package Rhodes cinnamon rolls (pkg. of 12)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (I would suggest using vanilla beantoo, with extra deep vanilla flavor)
• 1/2 cup butter (Use butter only)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put frozen rolls in pan with sides. Boil all of the other ingredients and pour over rolls. Let rise overnight. Lee says she puts rolls out as late as possible to prevent over-rising. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Happy Baking!

Banana Bread a la Food Processor

I acquired this yummy recipe from a class I took 25 years ago, when Cuisinart introduced their food processor. Very easy and quick to make, besides being delicious, it has been a staple in my recipe box ever since.

• 2 very ripe medium sized bananas, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 TBLS. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds or slightly chopped pecans(can toast the pecans too)
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached flour(I use King Arthur or Pillsbury)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine(I use butter) at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Fit processor with steel blade. Place bananas and lemon juice in work bowl and process until bananas are mashed, about 5 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the nuts, and all remaining ingredients to banana mixture. Process on/off 10 to 12 times, or until flour is moistened well. Do not overprocess. Batter should be slightly lumpy. Pour batter into greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 or 9x5 loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts(chopped) over batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool bread 15 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. Cut a warm piece, savor and enjoy!

Teenie's Cinnamon Rolls

These are the best cinnamon rolls ever and very easy to do!! I got this recipe when I was first married many years ago, from a dear friend of my grandmother's and have used it so much, I can't tell you. It starts with Pillsbury Hot Roll mix and ends gloriously.

• Follow the directions on a box of Pillsbury Hot Roll mix and add 1 teaspoon fast acting yeast and 1/4 cup sugar.





• Syrup- In a cast iron skillet, melt 4 TBLS. butter and add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Remove from fire and stir in 1/4 cup water. Return to fire and stir till thick. Set aside to cool. You can do this first and then make dough, so it will be warm not hot.





• Knead dough on a flour sprinkled pastry cloth and roll into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the dough with softened butter and sprinkle with a mixture of 3/4 cup sugar mixed with 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Roll dough from long side and after a couple of turns, spread roll with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar agin(see photo). Finish rolling dough into long log. Take a paring knife and cut the log into 1 1/2 inch slices and place in skillet, on top of warm syrup. place the cut side down(see photo).Cover with damp cloth and let rise on stove until double, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, might need 5 more minutes at high altitude. Rolls should be nice and brown and firm to the touch. Invert onto a platter or cookie sheet, immediately after taking from the oven. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea or a cold glass of milk!!!