Mmmm Coffee Cake with a Streusel Layer - Great with Coffee!

Friday night I finally found the time to make the cake I had been craving and waiting to make all week!  Starting with a store bought yellow cake mix, it's not only quick and easy but it's incredibly light and oh so moist.  Great with coffee or just by itself, the streusel is made with graham cracker crumbs and is just incredible.


Streusel Coffee Cake 

1/3 c graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
2/3 c butter, melted

1 regular sized package yellow cake mix
1 c water
1/4 c canola oil
3 eggs

1 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
water


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a tube or bundt pan.  Make the streusal by combining the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter.  Sprinkle half in the bottom of the pan.  Set the other half to the side.

Mix the cake mix with the water, oil and eggs.  Beat on low with 1 minute, beat on medium for 2 minutes.  Spread half the batter in the pan, sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the batter and then pour the rest of the batter on the over streusel.  Bake for about an hour but watch as all pans and ovens are different.  Test for doneness when the center is done.  Let it cool for about an hour, loosen and turn out of the pan.  Make the powdered sugar glaze with the vanilla and just enough drops of water to make it a drizzle consistency.  Drizzle over the cake.  Serve warm, room temperature or cold.  This is excellent and very moist! 

Spring Time Cookies - Tea Cups and Flowers

It's spring!  With May Day and Mother's Day right around the corner I thought I'd make one of my 'least' favorite cookies to decorate;  tea cups and flowers.  Although I recognize the importance of tradition and memories for families and I know from my kids and husband how much they have enjoyed and loved my cookies through the years; I do admit that I don't love making cookies and I get impatient having to decorate them.  Tea Cups and Flowers are two of my least favorite to decorate.

Last night our family's busy schedules had us coming and going at different times with track and work so I took the opportunity at dinner time to whip up some spring time cookies and then decorate them before bed.  Because I didn't have a large span of time, the detail isn't as usual and I did not use a variety of colors (I usually add a pretty mint green and pale yellow) but they are sweet and pretty and oh so delicious.  And?  Tradition continues. 



Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c butter, soft
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cream of tartar
1 t salt

Combine sugar and butter, beat until creamy with your electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough until it's easy to work with; 30-60 minutes.

On lightly floured surface roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies. Bake at 350 until the edges just start to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.  Frost.

 

What to do with leftover Peeps!

It's two days after Easter.  Most of the 'good' candy has been picked through or you've eaten enough of it that just isn't as appetizing as it was at 8:am on Sunday morning.  Many families are looking for ways to use up some of their Easter candy in recipes. 

One of my favorite for years is making leftover Peeps (the marshmallow little chicks and bunnies) into Rice Krispy Bars.  Quick, easy and fun; they make pretty pastel swirled treats in no time at all.




Peep Krispy Bars

3 T butter
30 Peeps (which, really no one should have that many Peeps... so use part Peeps and make the rest up with marshmallows. You'll need a grand total of 10 oz. which is about 40 large or a package of mini. Adjust accordingly to how many Peeps you have to use up!)
6 c crispy rice cereal

Put the butter and marshallow peeps into a very large microwavable bowl and microwave until they puff up and double their size in the bowl. This takes about  90 - 120 seconds (1 1/2 - 2 minutes)   in my microwave.

Immediately stir in the cereal with a rubber scraper that has been sprayed with Pam style cooking oil or oiled with canola or vegetable oil. Press the mixture into a greased or sprayed 9X13 inch pan. As soon as they are cool, cut and serve!

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Cheeseburgers

Let's continue with a 'mushroom' theme this morning!  I found this recipe a few years ago and liked it because it's two recipes in one;  the portobello mushroom burgers as well as a yummy Aioli sauce.  You can play with the recipe a bit and of course, leave the cheese off if you like, don't add the caramelized onions or Aioli sauce if you prefer...  it's all up to you.   It's rather fitting that today is Friday and it's Lent, so this would be a meatless 'cheeseburger' meal as well!


Roasted Portobello Mushroom Cheeseburgers
with Caramelized Onions and Pimento Aioli



Juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t dried thyme leaves or 1/2 t ground
1/4 t garlic powder
6 Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed (large!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss, cheddar or provolone cheese
6 Brioche hamburger buns, buttered and toasted
1 1/2 cups loosely packed arugula

For the onions:
1 T olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T jarred chopped pimentos, drained
1 T red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T minced flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Burgers:
In a shallow baking dish, use a whisk to combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, thyme, and garlic powder. Place mushrooms in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Turn over the mushrooms, cover again, and refrigerate at least another hour. (Mushrooms can marinate for several hours.)

For the Onions:
In the meantime, make the onions. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Season the onions with salt and pepper. Set aside.

For the Aioli:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.

To Finish the Burgers:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove mushrooms from marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet, gill sides up. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and arrange cheese and caramelized onions on the gills of each mushroom and bake another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Place 1 mushroom on each muffin and garnish with aioli and arugula. Serve immediately.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms - Non Video Version

 

Previously, I posted a video for Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms that I made for a product review I did for Johnsonville Sausage.  For those of you who prefer a recipe in text with photos (as I do!) I'm reposting here.

As usual, I'm going to say PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!  Adapt the recipe to what works for you.  The original recipe actually had the sausage mixture separate from the cream cheese layer but I decided to not only mix them together, but play with some of the ingredients as well.  I hope you do too!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

24 - 48 mushrooms (depending on what size you want)
1 lb. Johnsonville's Sausage, mild Italian
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
8 oz. cream cheese
1 T fine chopped dried parsley
1 T lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1/3 c grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove mushroom stems and discard.  Use a small spoon to scoop out the gills from the mushrooms to give you more room for the filling.  Brown the sausage in a pan until no longer pink.  Add the bread crumbs, cream cheese, parsley, lemon juice and garlic.  Stir to mix.  Fill each mushroom cap with the mixture and sprinkle Parmesan on top.  Bake approximately 15 minutes (longer if you choose really large mushrooms) until golden brown. 

Remove the stem from the mushrooms

and gently use a small spoon to scoop

out the gills inside to allow more room for filling.

Adding the cream cheese and other ingredients

to the ground sausage

Fill your mushrooms and bake!