FOOD RECIPES : SWEET CHERRY COFFEE CAKE

SWEET CHERRY COFFEE CAKE Food Recipes, This coffee cake is sweet, moist and perfect for Sunday morning. I made it with frozen dark sweet cherries, but it works just as well with fresh raspberries.

It is excellent warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

2 cups frozen dark sweet cherries (thawed and drained well)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter room temperature
½ cup sliced almonds
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sour cream

Thaw and drain the frozen dark sweet cherries completely (I put them in a colander overnight in the fridge). The next morning, drain completely, cut the cherries in half and mix with the brown sugar and almond extract. Set aside.

Beat butter till creamy, add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, add extracts and sour cream, mix well. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Spread 2/3 of the batter into greased 9" spring form pan. Top with fruit and then spoon dollops of the remaining 1/3 of the batter, over the fruit, like this:

Sprinkle the sliced almond over the top of everything and sprinkle it with a little cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let the coffee cake cool in the pan for about 15 minute before removing it. Drizzle the cake with a simple vanilla glaze.

GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

IMPORTANT NOTE: When you thaw the frozen dark sweet cherries, you will get a considerable amount of "juice". DO NOT USE that juice in this recipe (save it for a different recipe). However, after they are drained and you mix the cherries with the brown sugar and almond extract (after it sits a few minutes) you will get even MORE "juice"...make sure you use this extra juice in the recipe.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This recipe calls for a 9" spring form pan, but you can make it in a regular 9" round cake pan. The spring form pan just makes for a prettier presentation. IF YOU USE A SPRING FORM PAN, make sure you wrap the bottom of the pan in foil, in case your pan does not have a super tight seal (I also set the whole thing on a baking sheet).
SWEET CHERRY COFFEE CAKE FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

Read more >>

SWEET DINNER ROLLS FOR EASTER

SWEET DINNER ROLLS FOR EASTER Food Recipes, This is an "oldie, but a goodie" recipe for a sweet, buttery, dinner roll for your Easter holiday. This recipe can be made ahead of the holidays, partially baked and then just tossed in the oven, to finish baking, just before the big dinner. They are delicious, easy to make and freeze beautifully.
½ cup warm water
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup warm milk
1/3 cup soft butter
1 package of dry yeast (see note)
1 egg (room temperature if possible)
3¾ cups all purpose flour

Heat the water and milk until warm (I use the microwave). Put it into the large bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes (it should get foamy). After 10 minutes, add the salt, butter, egg and 1 cup of flour, mix well.

Continue adding the rest of the flour, ½ cup at a time. Stop your stand mixer every once in a while and scrape down the inside of your bowl and turn the entire dough mixture over (this insures that all of the flour gets mixed in completely & evenly).

Remove the dough from the bowl and spray the bowl with cooking spray. Return the dough to the bowl and spritz the top of the dough (a little) with more cooking spray (so the plastic wrap doesn't stick to the dough). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warmest part of your kitchen for an hour to raise. Keep in mind that marble counters are not the warmest place to keep your bowl of dough.

After an hour, or after the dough has doubled in size (whichever comes first), push the air out of the dough with your hands. Roll out 12" "ropes" of dough and tie a knot in the middle, like this:

To complete the "knot", tuck one loose end under the roll and bring the other loose end over the top and tuck it inside of the original knot, place in greased muffin tins. They will look like this:
Spritz the top of the rolls with (just a little) cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap again. Let them raise until they are double in size (35-45 minutes).

If you want to partially bake them (they will be like brown & serve rolls), bake in a preheated 325 oven for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely (then freeze). When it is time to use them, defrost them for about 15 minutes, then bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 8-10 minutes.

If want to bake them right away (after they have risen in the pans), bake in preheated 350 oven for 12-15 minutes (depending on how hot your oven runs, just keep an eye on them after 12 minutes).
NOTE: I buy bulk yeast, so, when a recipe calls for a package of yeast, I just use a tablespoon (that is a little extra, but works well).
SWEET DINNER ROLLS FOR EASTER FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

Read more >>

PUMPKIN - CRANBERRY BREAD (the best)

PUMPKIN - CRANBERRY BREAD (the best) Food Recipes, If the rating system for this recipe was 1 to 5 stars; I would rate this a 10. It is absolutely delicious and will be perfect for your holiday table!! It is very easy to make (doesn't even take an electric mixer) and yet it is unique enough for gift giving. I hope you try it, it is SO GOOD... extremely moist, total comfort food!!! Preheat your oven to 350, and grease and flour two 9" x 5" loaf pans. Set out two large bowls. In the first one mix:

3 cups all purpose flour
3¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoon salt

In the 2nd bowl, mix:
3 cups granulated sugar
(1) 15 ounce can pure pumpkin (see note)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup orange juice (see note)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (see note)
.
Whisk the first bowl (with the flour in it)until the dry ingredients are well mixed. Whisk the 2nd bowl (with the pumpkin in it) until WELL mixed and oil is completely incorporated. Pour the wet into the dry and mix with spoon just until moistened. Stir in cranberries gently.
.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake 60 to 65 minutes (my oven took 70 minutes). Cool (in the pans) for about 10 minutes, then turn them out. Wrap the hot bread IMMEDIATELY in plastic wrap, covering tightly. Let the breads cool completely in the wrap.


NOTE: Make sure you use a 15 ounce can of plain packed pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling (big difference).

NOTE: Recipe calls for ½ cup of orange juice, which I didn't have, so I used pineapple juice instead.

NOTE: Wash and sort your cranberries. Try to use the darkest berries. Make sure they are thawed out before mixing into batter.

NOTE: It is OK to put the plastic wrap on the hot bread as soon as it comes out of the pan. This forces the moisture back into the bread as it cools.

NOTE: My oven took 70 minutes to cook these loaves. Use the toothpick test to determine doneness.
PUMPKIN - CRANBERRY BREAD (the best) FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

Read more >>