Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Would you like a slice of old-fashioned-style cake that is equally good for a morning coffee break, mid-day snack, and even dessert? Then this is it. 

What I really like about this cake is that it isn't overly sweet. I created this recipe using all-purpose flour, not cake flour, which makes a denser crumb with a nice texture. The dairy mix of sour cream, yogurt, and milk is a harmonious trifecta in achieving a light and flavorful addition to every slice. Use good fresh eggs + butter, and you'll have a hit. 

I do warn you with caution - when you catch the first aromas of this cake baking in the oven, you will be tempted to stand by with a knife at the ready. But please wait for the cake to cool completely for a couple of hours. Slicing this coffee cake prematurely will allow steam (or moisture) to escape, thereby making for a drier cake when it cools. So please resist until it cools. This recipe also doubles as a test of patience. Enjoy!

No bundt pan, no problem! Coffee Cake Pie

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Makes a 9" Bundt Pan, about 10-12 slices

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For the Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup light brown sugar

6 Tablespoons sweet butter, softened

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Place the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl and crumble together with your fingers until it forms a crumb mixture. Add in the nuts—reserve and mix the cake batter.

For the Cake: SEE RECIPE BELOW

1/2 cup sweet butter, one stick softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1/4 cup 2% milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated orange rind

Grease and flour two 9-inch pie pans, or a tube, Bundt-style, or a regular-sized 9 1/2-inch baking pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl again.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, yogurt, and milk. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately in three stages with the sour cream, yogurt, and milk mixture, stirring and scraping the bowl with a spatula after each addition. Mix until just blended. Do not over-mix.

Place half the batter in the pan and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. With the back of the butter knife, swirl the batter slightly to mix the crumb mixture slightly into the bottom of the cake batter. Add the remaining batter, then the crumb topping.

Bake coffee cake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake tests are done. Cool for 15-20 minutes; remove from the pan by placing a large plate over the top of the cake, and invert the pan. Tap the sides of the cake pan to free the cake from the pan, place a serving platter over the bottom, and invert again. The crumb topping should be on the top side to serve. Allow cooling at least 2 hours (if you can) before slicing!

Cover the cake once fully cooled.

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Classic Comfort

Autumn is here, a time of cooler days and crisp nights. Short days with less daylight are a primer for comfort foods. So, for those seeking comfort, Mac & Cheese might be the most popular comfort food on tonight's menu.

Macaroni and cheese is simple to make, and the secret is to use a mixture of good cheeses.

George’s Classic Jack Mac

Makes 6 servings

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2 Tablespoons Butter

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups half & half

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Jack cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 pounds uncooked elbow, shells, or other small pasta

Melt Butter in a large soup pot or saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the broth and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, add the bay leaves, thyme, and hot sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Stir in the half & half and heat to a simmer. Slowly add the Cheddar, Jack, and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until they melt and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Place in a serving dish and eat immediately, or sprinkle with Mac Topping (optional), and bake for five minutes in a 350-degree oven. See More Below

Perfect Combo, Mac + Oven Fried Chicken

For the Mac Topping

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

6 Tablespoons bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

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Panzanella

Panzanella is a salad originating in Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, and Lazio regions. It’s a cuisine of homegrown ingredients and is traditionally prepared during the summer season in Italy.  

Almost any type of vegetable can be added to the garden, such as radishes, peppers, carrots, corn, and green onions. Hard-boiled eggs, olives, grilled chicken & shrimp can also be added to round out the dish.

In the Lazio Region of Italy, tomatoes and onions are omitted. Instead, capers, garlic, anchovies, hot red pepper flakes, and parsley are pulverized together with a mortar and pestle.

This dish's original intention is to use day-old or, sometimes, few-day-old bread. Traditionally, the bread is cubed and then soaked in water until soft; then, all the moisture is squeezed out until dry. The bread is then chopped or crumbled into small pieces. 

I personally prefer to use the day-old bread cubes and either sauté slowly in olive oil with a little garlic for 5-10 minutes or toast in a 350-degree oven until light brown. Either way, you choose to start with really good bread, and you can’t go wrong.  

Panzanella

Makes 4 servings 

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2 cups day-old, very good Italian or French bread, cubed

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, split; or 4 vine-ripen tomatoes quartered

4 leaves of basil

1 fresh thyme leaf, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 large red onion, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 stalk celery, chopped 1/4 inch pieces

1 medium-sized cucumber, peeled & split, seeded, and chopped

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cups hearts of romaine, torn into small pieces 

Soak bread in water until it softens, then squeeze all water out. 

Or, heat a large sauté pan to medium temperature and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add bread and slowly cook until bread is light brown tossing occasionally. 

Make a dressing in the bottom of a large salad bowl with vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper, garlic, and onion. Allow to marinate for two minutes and then add olive oil and mix well. Add tomatoes, celery, and cucumber, Tear basil leaves, and add to salad with romaine. Toss and serve immediately.  

Additional Greens: radicchio, the heart of escarole, Arugula, chicory

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Shrove Tuesday

aka…Pancake Tuesday. Since approximately the 12th century, this celebration marks the days preceding lent by using valuable ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar; hence cooking up pancakes or the thin pancake, the crepe.

Pancakes are one of the earliest forms of bread and are served geographically in many ways. You can be all traditional with baking powder or try prospecting with sourdough pancakes like the early pioneers. Flip them with oatmeal or buckwheat when in Vermont, or for a Dutch-style treat, serve with lemon, powdered sugar, and jam. Substitute the flour for cornmeal, and you’ll enjoy it as a Native American specialty.

Go Pollack by designing your pancake creations with sliced apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts.  

Berry Crepes

Makes four servings

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2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)

¼ cup raspberry jam

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2-3 drops of vanilla extract

2 egg whites

1 Tablespoon granulated cane sugar

Confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup freshly whipped cream

8 Fresh mint leaves

Place the flour and salt in a medium bowl and slowly add the milk and egg yolks, using a whisk to avoid lumps.  Stir in the cream, melted butter, and vanilla.  

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Before making the crepes, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the flour mixture.

Preheat a 6-inch nonstick skillet & spray with vegetable spray.  When the pan is very hot, pour in 2 Tablespoons of the batter and swirl it around.  Cook for 1 minute, turn and cook another minute on the other side.  Remove and set aside.  

Continue making crepes with the remaining batter.

Spread two teaspoons of raspberry jam in the middle of each crepe, and add a few mixed berries.

Roll up and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.  

Serve two crepes per serving with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, and top off the crepes with fresh mint leaves.

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Tres Leches

Tres Leches, aka pan tres leches (three milks bread) and three-milk cake - which is a cake perforated and soaked in a mixture of three different milk products; evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk or heavy cream. 

Why three milks? A cake using canned evaporated or condensed milk originated in Latin America to promote the use of the their canned product. Evaporated and condensed milk is widely available throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America. So it's only natural if a highly appealing dessert would use these products, product sales would increase. Both became an immediate success in urban areas where fresh milk was lacking distribution from farm regions. But who knew this cake would become such a highly appealing global dessert.

So what’s the three milk difference? 

- Condensed milk first came into use in the mid-1850’s as a way to preserve milk in cans without refrigeration. 

- Evaporated milk first became available during the 1870’s when milk companies were able to heat the evaporated milk so that it would not spoil in the cans, thereby making the sugar unnecessary. 

Butter or sponge cake is the foundation of this dessert; I suggest sponge cake since it's a better option for a lighter, airy texture and not as soggy, because it can better absorb the cake soaking up the three milks. 

Sponge Cake Tips: 

- It’s all in whipping the egg yolks and egg whites separately to build a light airy cake batter. 

- Use the freshest eggs. The quality of the eggs affects the cake's volume and texture.

- Prepare cake pans by brushing with melted butter, dusting with flour and lining with parchment paper.

- Whisk the eggs and sugar until they have increased in volume about four times it’s original volume and the strands from the whisk are stiff enough to hold a trail on top of egg batter for at least 30 seconds.

- For maximum lightness, use sifted flour; and add flour into the mixture in three stages. 

- Fold in the whipped egg whites using a long-handled spatula with an up-and-over motion, while turning the bowl in the opposite direction.

Pastel de Tres Leches

Makes about 10-12 servings

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For the cake:

5 large eggs, separated

1 cup granulated pure can sugar

1/3 cup milk, warmed

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 Tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Grease a 13 x 9-inch cake pan or baking dish with butter and flour. 

In a mixer, beat 3/4 cup sugar and the egg yolks until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes. 

With a very clean wire whisk or whip, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, adding the cream of tartar after 20 seconds. Slowly add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the whites are glossy and firm, but not dry.

Into the egg yolk mixture fold in the flour, baking powder; milk and vanilla. Then, gently fold the whites into the yolks. Add melted butter. Pour batter into cake pan. 

Bake the cake until it feels firm about 30-45 minutes, you can test by inserting a skewer or a toothpick and it comes out clean. Cool completely in baking pan. 

Pierce the cake all over with a skewer about every 1/2 inch to allow the milk syrup to soak into cake. Prepare milk syrup as directed. 

Milk Syrup

1 12 ounce can evaporated milk

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon Myers Dark Rum 

Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream, vanilla and rum in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended. Pour the syrup over the cake, spooning the overflow back on top, until it is all absorbed.

When ready to serve top with additional fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

And, Tres Leches is ideal serve after a bowl of Posole, my pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico! 

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