Banana Bread Crumb Cake

I was planning to make banana bread but then told my husband about this cake. He did not hesitate before casting his vote. 😉 It was incredibly moist and delicious- and easy to make. I loved the crumb layer inside the cake.

This recipe was adapted from cookiesandcups.com. I weighed the ingredients, used unsalted butter, incorporated whole wheat pastry flour and cinnamon, omitted the glaze, and modified the baking time for a convection oven. We ate it for breakfast and dessert!

Yield: one 9×13-inch cake

For the Cake:

• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 120 g (1 cup) whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp Morton kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 ripe medium-sized bananas, mashed
• 8 T (1 stick, 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 400 g (2 cups) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk (I used 2%)

For the Crumb Filling & Crumb Topping:

• 16 T (2 sticks, 1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 432 g (2 cups) light brown sugar
• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 120 g (1 cup) whole wheat pastry flour
• pinch coarse salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. (I set my oven to true convection.)
2. Coat a 9×13 metal baking dish with baking spray, line with parchment paper (overhang on long sides), lightly coat with baking spray; set aside.
3. Make the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl stir together the mashed bananas, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until mixed well.
5. Add in the flour mixture and milk in alternating portions and stir until combined. Set batter aside while you make your crumb mixture.
6. Make the Crumb Filling & Crumb Topping: In a large bowl combine the cold, cubed butter, light brown sugar, and flours using a pastry blender or fork until a coarse crumb forms.
7. To Assemble: Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Cover the filling with the remaining batter and then top with remaining crumb mixture.
8. Bake for 40 minutes on convection or up to 50-55 minutes in a conventional oven, or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Strawberry Cream Pie

This pie is an upgrade of classic strawberries and cream. It was simple and minimally sweet. The creamy pudding filling was flavored with vanilla bean- yum. I had originally planned to make it with our freshly picked berries but ultimately made it with store-bought berries. (I ran out!) The honey drizzle was essential to the presentation and to add a little sweetness.

The recipe was adapted from Food 52, contributed by Erin Jeanne McDowell. I made the crust and filling in advance and chilled each component separately until serving to ensure that the crust wouldn’t soften once assembled. I must note that the crust remained crisp the next day when we ate the leftover pie. I also used a ceramic deep dish pie pan. Next time, I would sweeten the filling a little bit more, noted below. I would also add salt to enhance the vanilla flavor.

This would be a wonderful dessert to serve on July 4th because the components can be made in advance. Nice.

Yield: One 9-inch pie

For the Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

For the Filling:

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided (adjust sweetness to your taste)
• 1/3 cup (5 T) cornstarch
• generous pinch of coarse salt, or to taste
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled (or enough to cover the top of the pie)
• 2 tablespoons wildflower honey

To Make the Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F, preferably on convection.
2. In a large bowl or in a food processor, combine the flour and salt.
3. Add the butter and toss to coat. Cut the butter into the flour with your hands, or pulse in the food processor until the butter resembles the size of peas.
4. Add the water and mix to combine. The dough should come together easily but not be wet or sticky.
5. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it’s 1/8-inch thick. (I rolled it out between lightly floured parchment paper.)
7. Transfer it to a pie plate, and trim the edges so there is only 1/2 inch of overhang all around. (I did not have this luxurious amount of excess crust because I used a ceramic deep dish pie plate.)
8. Chill the dough inside the pie plate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
9. Fold the excess dough under at the edges, pressing gently to “seal” the dough to the pie plate. Finish the edges as desired.
10. Poke the base of the crust a few times with a fork. If the dough seems warm, chill it again.
11. Line the crust with parchment paper and pie weights, and bake until the crust is golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
12. Remove the parchment and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is fully baked, 5 to 10 minutes more. (I continued to cook the crust for an additional 8 minutes.)
13. Cool completely. (After the crust had completely cooled, I covered it with plastic wrap and kept it at room temperature overnight. I chilled it the next day before assembling the dessert.)

To Make the Filling & Finish the Pie:

1. Mix the milk, cream, vanilla bean, and 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of granulated sugar together in a medium sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. (I used 1/4 cup granulated sugar this time but would use up to 1/2 cup next time.)
2. While the milk warms up, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and eggs in a medium heat-safe bowl.
3. When the milk comes to a simmer, gradually pour the hot liquid into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to combine.
4. Return the mixture to the pot and cook until the mixture is thick and comes to the “first boil” (one large bubble rising from the center of the pot, not many small bubbles around the edges).
5. Whisk in the butter and pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary. (I made the filling a day in advance and placed it in a glass bowl and refrigerated it overnight.)
6. Cover the surface of the pudding directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chilled the pie crust for at least 3 hours prior to assembling and serving the pie as well.)
7. To finish the pie, top the pie with the hulled strawberries.
8. Warm the honey in the microwave or over medium heat, and when it’s runny, brush it over the strawberries.
9. Serve the pie chilled. (not too chilled- let it warm up slightly so that the flavors shine through!)

French-Style Roasted Strawberry-Vanilla Ice Cream

This is the most amazing strawberry ice cream I’ve ever experienced. The original recipe states that “the key to French-style ice cream is making a base so good you could eat it without freezing it.” The base was incredibly creamy and rich. The roasted strawberries had concentrated flavor and a perfectly tender texture. Wow.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Fany Gerson. I loved that the vanilla bean steeped in the cream for an hour before being removed. My finished ice cream had a bit of a custard swirl because I didn’t fully mix the roasted berries into the custard before churning- still delicious but I would correct this next time.

To celebrate my birthday, my daughter made pizzelle bowls for serving the ice cream. It was a very special celebratory dessert and perfect way to use our freshly picked strawberries this season.

Yield: Serves 8

For the Roasted Strawberries:

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved if small or quartered if large (about 3 1/2 cups) 
• 2 T granulated sugar  
• 2 T light corn syrup or golden syrup 
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt 

For the Vanilla Ice Cream Base:

• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 1 vanilla bean pod 
• 6 large egg yolks 
• 5 T (1/3 cup) granulated sugar  
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt 

To Make the Roasted Strawberries:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F, preferably on convection roast.
2. Toss together strawberries, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a 13×9-inch baking dish. (I used a glass pyrex baking dish.)
3. Roast in preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft and darker in color and juice is thickened, 30 to 40 minutes. 
4. Using a potato masher, lightly crush strawberries in baking dish, making sure you have a chunky mixture.
5. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Transfer to a resealable container, and refrigerate until ready to churn or up to 2 days.

To Make the Vanilla Ice Cream Base & To Finish:

1. Stir together cream and milk in a medium saucepan.
2. Split vanilla bean pod lengthwise; scrape seeds. Add scraped seeds and vanilla pod halves to mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium-low, undisturbed, until mixture just comes to a simmer.
3. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Return steeped cream mixture to heat over medium-low; cook, undisturbed, until mixture just comes to a simmer.
5. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium-size heatproof bowl.
6. Gradually whisk warm cream mixture into yolk mixture in bowl. (It’s important to slowly add the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly and never bringing to a boil, to ensure the eggs don’t scramble.)
7. Transfer cream-yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 6 to 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t bubble. (I cooked mine for 7 minutes.)
8. Remove from heat. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a medium-size heatproof bowl; discard solids.
9. Place bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water. Let stand, stirring often, until mixture reaches room temperature, about 8 minutes. (I kept mine in the ice bath until the ice melted.) Remove.
10. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or transfer base to a sealable container; seal and refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.
11. Stir together strawberry mixture and ice cream base in a bowl.
12. Pour mixture into frozen freezer bowl of an ice cream maker; proceed according to manufacturer’s instructions. (I churned mine for 25 minutes.)
13. Transfer to a shallow container, such as a glass loaf pan, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. (I press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream and then top the container with an additional sheet of plastic wrap.)
14. Store in an airtight container in freezer up to 3 weeks.

Apple-Cinnamon Pull-Apart Rolls with Apple Cider Glaze

One more apple treat to share. 🙂 We ate these rolls as a special snack and re-warmed them for breakfast the next day as well.

The recipe for these miniature “monkey breads” was adapted from King Arthur Flour.com, but I was inspired to top them with apple cider glaze from davebakes.com.

The apple cider glaze gave them an unexpected tanginess. Tasty and fun.

Yield: 16 rolls

For the Dough:

• 1 cup (113g) white whole wheat flour
• 2 cups (240g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons (32g) potato flour
• 3 tablespoons (50g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm milk (I used 2 percent milk)
• 1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm water

For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup (4 T) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 heaping cup (128g) cored, chopped apple, peeled or unpeeled (I used Pink Lady apples)
• raisins, optional (I omitted them)

For the Glaze:

• 2 cups apple cider, reduced, optional
• 2/3 cup (74g) confectioners’ sugar
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 T (14g) milk (I used 2 percent milk)
• 1 T unsalted butter, melted

To Make the Dough:

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to make a smooth, soft dough. It may seem dry at first, but as you knead it’ll soften up.
2. Place the dough in a greased bowl or greased 8-cup measure, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it’s noticeably puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk). (I used a proofing oven.)
3. Lightly grease paper muffin cups, and use them to line 16 cups (8 cups in each) of two standard muffin tins.
4. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 16 pieces; each will be about 1 1/2 ounces (44g). Round each piece into a flattened ball.
5. Working with one piece at a time, use a bench knife (or regular knife) to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Don’t worry about being precise; pieces can vary in size.

To Make the Topping and Form the Rolls:

1. Ration the chopped apple into 16 piles, each pile should be about a generous tablespoon.
2. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon with a whisk.
3. Roll or shake four dough pieces in cinnamon sugar, and place them into a muffin cup.
4. Sprinkle with raisins, if using, and chopped apple.
5. Roll the remaining four dough pieces in cinnamon sugar; top the filling with these remaining four pieces of dough.
6. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough, raisins, and apple.
7. Sprinkle the top of each roll with an additional 1/4 tsp cinnamon sugar.
8. Cover them lightly with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let them rise for about 2 hours, until they’re noticeably puffy. (I used a proofing oven.)
9. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F, preferably on convection.
10. Uncover the risen rolls, and bake them for 14 minutes, on convection, or up to 17 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Don’t let them darken too much; they’ll be dry.
11. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack.

To Make the Glaze & to Finish:

1. Place the cider in a pot over medium heat. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set aside. (If the cider cools, it must be rewarmed in order to add it to the glaze mixture.)
2. Combine the confectioners’ sugar, salt, milk, and butter. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of reduced cider, to taste.
3. Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more milk or more reduced cider.
4. Using a spoon, drizzle the rolls with glaze.

Szarlotka

I am happy to have a fitting post to share on Pi day! 🙂

Dorie Greenspan described this Polish dessert as a “combination of a cake, a crumble, and a torte.” After reading this in her book, I expected something different. I would describe it as a fruit-packed deep dish pie.

Because I served it warm, the slices had a little bit of trouble keeping their shape! Ice cream was not an essential accompaniment, but we preferred it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The recipe was adapted from Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty, & Simple by Dorie Greenspan. Next time I would add some cinnamon and nutmeg to the filling.

The original recipe includes ideas for variations in the filling including mixing pears with the apples and using dried cherries or dried cranberries instead of raisins. Toasted nuts would also be delicious in the filling.

Yield: One 9-inch pie (serves 8 to 10)

For the Crust:

• 306 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 11 T (5 1/2 oz / 155 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cold large egg
• 1 cold large egg white

For the Filling:

• 3 pounds (1.3 kg) sweet apples, such as Fuji or Gala, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 67 g (1/3 cup / 5 T) packed light brown sugar (or more, to taste)
• 1 1/2 T all-purpose flour
• 160 g (1 cup) moist, plump raisins, preferably golden
• cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or allspice, to taste, optional
• freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste (I used 1/2 a large lemon)

To Serve:

• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
• ice cream or whipped cream, for serving, optional

To Make the Crust:

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place the prepared pan on a parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend.
3. Drop in the pieces of butter and pulse, about 15 times, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple to times. The mixture should resemble crumbs.
4. Lightly beat the egg and egg white; add to the flour mixture in 3 additions, pulsing after each. Scrape the bowl as needed. The mixture should form moist clumps and curds.
5. Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and gather it together.
6. Remove 1/3 of the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer. (This dough will be used for the topping.)
7. Shape the remaining dough into a ball, flatten it and sandwich it between sheets of parchment paper.
8. Roll the dough into a round about 14-inches in diameter. Peel the parchment back intermittently to make sure it’s not creasing the dough. (The round will be about 1/8-inch thick.)
9. Place the dough (still between the parchment sheets) on a flat surface and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
10. After chilling, transfer the dough to the springform pan. Gently press it against the bottom and up the sides, patching and folding if necessary. Trim the top even with the pan.
11. Place the pan/crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

To Make the Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (I set my oven to the convection setting.)
2. Toss the chopped apples, brown sugar, flour, and raisins in a large bowl and mix to coat the apples with sugar and flour. Add the spices at this time as well, if using.
3. Mix in the lemon juice; mix.
4. Taste a piece of apple and adjust the sweetness and/or spices, to taste. Let rest for 5 minutes and mix again.
5. Place the dough-lined pan on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Scoop the filling into the crust, including any juices that have accumulated in the bowl.
7. Remove the chunk of dough from the freezer and, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen dough. Intermittently stop and sprinkle the pieces over the top of the apples.
8. Bake the pie for 40 minutes.
9. Tent it loosely with foil and bake another 25 minutes or so, until the top is golden brown and, most importantly, the juices are bubbling up thorough the top crust. (I baked it for an additional 35 minutes once tented but would add even more time next time- the apples could have been even more tender.)
10. Transfer the szarlotka, on the baking sheet, to a rack and let rest for 20 minutes.
11. Gently run a table knife between the pie and the sides of the pan and remove the sides of the springform pan.
12. Let the pie cool until it’s just warm or reaches room temperature.

To Serve:

1. Dust the pie with confectioners’ sugar.
2. Slice the pie using a serrated knife using a sawing motion.
3. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream, if desired- I recommend it!

Note: The szarlotka is best the day it is made. To store it you can keep it covered at room temperature for one day or refrigerate it for a second day.

Buttery Pear Dutch Baby

This beautiful Dutch Baby was extra special for my pear-loving family. Including pears made it taste similar to a clafoutis. I served it dusted with powdered sugar but others drizzled it with maple syrup as well. 🙂

The recipe was adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favorites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer. I used sea salt and whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose. Easy and delicious.

Yield: Serves 3 to 4 (one 10-inch Dutch Baby)

• 1 cup (120g) whole wheat pastry flour (or 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour)
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1 T granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 4 large or extra-large eggs
• 1 cup milk, preferably whole
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 T (57g) unsalted butter, cold
• 1 large pear, optional, peeled and cored, cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used an Anjou)
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
• pure maple syrup, for serving, optional

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, preferably on convection.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla until incorporated.
4. Whisk one-third of the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until no lumps remain, then slowly add the remaining wet ingredients, whisking until smooth.
5. Place the butter into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and put it in the oven to preheat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the butter melts and starts to sizzle in the pan.
6. Using an oven mitt, carefully remove the skillet from the oven. If using pear slices, sauté in the hot butter for 1 minute.
7. Pour the batter in and immediately return the skillet to the oven.
8. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crisp and the pancake has risen and puffed. (I baked mine for 18 minutes on convection.)
9. Transfer the skillet to a wire rack and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
10. Cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Ruffled Pumpkin Milk Pie

This pie is an autumn version of a classic Greek milk pie, or galatopita. I already have my eye on a summer version. 😉 It was very pretty and elegant. The pumpkin flavor was understated.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart’s Fruit Desserts: 100+ Ways to Savor the Best of Every Season via MarthaStewart.com. I baked the pie in a ceramic baking dish and modified the method. I served it as one of our Thanksgiving desserts this year. I made the pie a day in advance and refrigerated it overnight.

According to the original recipe, clarified butter or ghee is used in lieu of melted butter to eliminate the chance of pockets of moisture in the finished pie.

Yield: Serves 8

• 8 T (1/2 cup) clarified butter or ghee, melted
• 14 to 18 sheets store-bought phyllo (each 14 by 18 inches), thawed if frozen
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup pure pumpkin purée
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom, sifted (I ground 8 pods)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly brush a 9 or 10-inch round cake pan with clarified butter. Line pan with a 13-inch parchment round; brush parchment. (I used a ceramic baking dish so I omitted the parchment paper.)
3. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a work surface, with one long side parallel to edge. Lightly brush phyllo with clarified butter.
4. Using your hands, loosely ruffle phyllo by pushing long sides toward each other to create a long accordion shape, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall. Place upright in center of prepared cake pan, folding around to create a spiral. Repeat process with remaining sheets, continuing spiral outward until bottom of pan is covered.
5. Brush remaining clarified butter over tops of phyllo ruffles in pan.
6. Place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 22 minutes on convection or up to 25 to 30 minutes in a standard oven.
7. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool while making filling (leave the oven on).
8. In a large bowl with a spout, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
9. Gradually pour the egg mixture over baked phyllo, evenly covering surface.
10. Return pan to oven and bake until filling is set, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
11. Use parchment to lift pie out of pan; carefully remove parchment and transfer pie to a platter. (I served the pie in my ceramic baking dish.)
12. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.