The Cookbook Junkies

We have started a baking group over on Facebook and are baking our way through my friend, Monica’s fantastic cookbook Lick the Bowl Good .

Our first recipe was a Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake.

This cake was delicious and I’m going to use the basic recipe for all types of breakfast cakes.  To Monica’s recipe – I added a tablespoon of orange zest and the juice from one large orange.  I also added about one fourth cup additional flour and left out the cinnamon in the cake mixture.

Monica and her publisher have allowed us to use the recipes in our blog post but I ask that you look to purchasing Monica’s book for your collection.  Every baker should have a copy.  
Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cake ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I added an additional 1/4 cup of flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder3/4 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (omitted)1/2 cup butter, softened3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used regular white sugar)1 large egg1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 cup overripe mashed bananas (I used three large ripe bananas)1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used about a half cup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

(I added a tablespoon of orange zest and the juice of one orange)

For the topping:

Spray a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the 3/4 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg, vanilla and the mashed bananas.

Add half of the flour mixture into the banana mixture and blend until just combined. Do not overwork. Blend in all of the buttermilk and once combined, blend in the additional flour and blend until thoroughly mixed.

Place the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup brown sugar, pecans, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix to combine all the ingredients and then sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.

Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mine took about 35 minutes).

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

We are still struggling along here.  Andrew has had ups and downs and we’re trying to hold on.  Mornings are really rough — standing in the rain with a newspaper rough and not a substantial newspaper like the New York Times – more the New York Post.  Finger guns, “I hope you die”, “You’re an idiot”, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” “This pancake is horrible” “I don’t want to go to school I’m scared” all while charging me – and threatening me until the medicine kicks in.  Some days he makes contact with my face.  Some days he doesn’t.

Everything is a negotiation.  Everything.  Going to the bathroom, eating, taking his medicine, dressing.  I am a negotiation specialist…if your terrorists are nine and have autism.  

Most mornings I have to walk him into the school building because he is too afraid and nervous.  He is nervous he is going to have a bad day.  All day long I am a wreck, waiting for the phone to ring…waiting for the bad report.  Countless messages from Jim during the day, “Have you heard from the school?”

During the day at school, he is being kept from the other kids – because he has a low tolerance for his peers.  We had a meeting on Wednesday and they will start the testing process to get him additional social support.  Academically – he is advanced – it’s the anxiety and his misinterpretation of the other children’s actions that he has the most problems with.  He’s been diagnosed for six years and here we go again with the waiting.  Sixty days to get this work done and then thirty days to have another meeting – and hell the year will be over.  Meanwhile, they are doing the best they can.  So are we.

We are still cooking through Amy Thielen‘s wonderful book, The New Midwestern Table.  My favorite cookbook of the year.  This time we made Best Ever Beer Cheese Soup and it was fantastic.  I added some crumbled maple sausage to the recipe – and it was delicious.  I also made pretzel rolls for dipping – we loved it.  Jim even took some to work – surprising because he hates taking soup to work – too messy!

We have some friends coming to dinner tomorrow – they are visiting from New York.  I’m making a feast. I made the desserts today Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust Cheesecake and Brownies.

Cheesecake always reminds me of my brother in law, George Berry who passed away almost four years ago.  He always said, “Jenny makes a great cheesecake.”  Tomorrow is his birthday.  We miss him everyday.  We will eat a piece of cheesecake tomorrow, George, and think of you.

Jenny’s Cheesecake Recipe

Crust

1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/3 cups of graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix crust ingredients and pat into bottom of spring form pan bringing up the sides (my family likes crust).  Bake for five to ten minutes to set crust.  (Above is my chocolate chip cookie crust cheesecake – I use my standard chocolate chip cookie recipe – pat it in the pan and up the sides and bake the crust for about ten to fifteen minutes until it is firm.)  Let cool for a few minutes while you prepare the filling.

Filling

2 pounds of cream cheese, softened
8 ounces of mascarpone cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (or the seeds from a vanilla bean)
(options:  today I added the zest from an orange but you can add whatever flavorings you like.  Lemon zest, liqueurs, chocolate chips, etc.)

Beat cheeses and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, beat — add flavorings or extracts — beat for a few minutes until creamy and combined.  Spread filling over crust.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes on center rack.  On bottom rack place a pan of water (I always do it this way and it works for me – if a crack happens – because well cracks happen – cover it up with chocolate ganache.  I have never seen a person not eat a piece of cheesecake because of a crack).

Transfer cake to rack, cool one hour, chill overnight.  Serves 10 to 12 people.

I used a 9 inch pan but for God’s sake use your common sense.  If it looks like too much filling transfer some to a greased muffin tin and bake for a short time.  If you can’t figure that out order from Junior’s.  I’m starting to sound like Thug or whatever that dude is that is cursing and cooking.  🙂

I still need to bake the Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake from Lick the Bowl Good – and I will…hoping to do that next week.  February 1st we have our first recipe from Wintersweet — join us here.

We are still cooking our way through Amy Thielen’s wonderful cookbook over on Facebook.

I have missed the last two recipes.  Andrew has been having some difficulties – and my mind has been elsewhere.

We had a trip to Steamboat on Thanksgiving which caused me to miss Swedish Pancakes.

We got back and it was December already – had to get Christmas gifts ready and mailed, baking a little – that I didn’t get to make the cake for my birthday!  I am planning on going back and catching up.

I did make the Sweet and Sour Meatballs a few months back and they were wonderful – crunchy and delicious with an Asian twist – I loved them.  The recipe is online here but do buy Amy’s cookbook here you will not be disappointed.  By the way, this is not an affiliated link – I don’t get a penny if you buy Amy’s book.

Amy has been so generous and kind to me with her time.  She sent me autographed bookplates to have a giveaway of sorts and we did do that.  She also had her publisher send me a copy of the book to giveaway which we did.  She is the only author that took the time to do this.  I buy all the books we giveaway at Cookbook Junkies and I appreciate so much Amy’s time even while filming a second season of her fabulous show Homeland Table on Food Network.  *I should note three other authors were very kind to send me bookplates when I requested them.

Amy has true Midwestern spirit – just like this Midwestern girl.

Happy New Year everyone!  We’re heading back home to New York next week for some family time and our cousin’s wedding.  New York bagels here I come.