Tag Archives: Dessert

Grandma Rita’s Jewish Coffee Cake

Grandma Rita's Jewish Coffee Cake

Food and family are a perfect combination; like peanut butter and jelly on white bread at midnight or mozzarella and tomato in a Caprese salad in summer. To me, family means a blend of recipes, fit for five or fifty, passed down through generations and adapted along the way.

My mom has seven siblings, so growing up in Ohio mealtime was not about the food itself, but the social event and being with the entire family. My Grandma Rita raised eight kids and while she was a simple cook, she proudly fed her large family with a limited budget every night. My mom once told me how grandma used to cut peanut butter with butter to make it go further. This kind of fight, creativity, and undying love is what my family is known for. We all get it from Rita.

Grandma Rita didn’t have a ton of regular family recipes. Some of my fondest memories with her were eating Kraft Mac & Cheese while watching Wheel of Fortune. She once made ambrosia cups for my 3rd grade class and we found out that most other nine year olds much prefer chocolate cupcakes. I recently realized while watching a Hellmann’s commercial that the parmesan chicken bake she regularly made probably came from a recipe on the back of the mayo jar.

Grandma Rita's Jewish Coffee Cake

However, for holidays and even some weekends while both my mom and her siblings and me and my cousins and brothers were growing up, Grandma Rita would make Jewish Coffee Cake. This is Rita’s recipe and everyone in my family knows it and loves it.

This coffee cake is simple. It has three sticks of butter. Pecans, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon make it sweet and coffee cake-y. This topping is layered throughout and creates a crispy crust that this cake is known for. It’s baked in a bundt pan, because I assume that’s how many cakes were made in in 50’s. It’s super moist because it has sour cream in it. Which is also how it got its name.  When asked why she called it Jewish Coffee Cake, she didn’t know why, except “Because there’s sour cream in it.” But before she met my dad, my grandma had never met a Jew before.

That was the best answer she could come up with, and though it didn’t make much sense, that’s what Jewish meant to her: a particular infamous and unfamiliar-to-her ingredient. I never identified with any one religion or just one heritage, but to me, Jewish (and Italian and Irish) means food and family. And this simple recipe represents the melding of my backgrounds in a cake (which happens to be my favorite food).

Grandma Rita passed this weekend but her legacy lives on in all her children, her grandchildren, and even this cake. It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes and I look forward to making it and thinking of her for many years to come. For my family, here is the recipe and I hope you will make it often and think of our wonderful family often. For everyone else, this recipe is truly delicious so I do hope you try it. And when you do, I hope you make your own memories over it and share with people you love. That’s what Rita would have wanted.

Grandma Rita's Jewish Coffee Cake

Grandma Rita’s Jewish Coffee Cake

Cake Ingredients:
3 cups flour
15 oz sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cup butter (3 sticks), softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts + pecans)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan with butter very well.
  2. Make the batter: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in sour cream.
  3. In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into sugar mix.
  4. Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine nuts, sugar, flour, cinnamon.
  5. Sprinkle topping at the bottom of the bundt pan, layer with half of the batter, the rest of the topping, then the rest of the batter.
  6. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert and let cool on wire rack.

Grandma Rita's Jewish Coffee Cake

 

Cookie Dough Truffles

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Cookie Dough Truffles

I spent several hours this weekend making these truffle cookies. Saturday night making the dough balls while watching Bridget Jones’s Diary, Sunday morning dancing in my kitchen listening to Christmas music. Maybe I’m a bit slow getting back to baking which is why it took me so long, but I didn’t mind. It felt calming and creative to work with my hands again. Others noticed and asked me “What’s the occasion?” “Who are you making these for?” “Oh, you’re giving these away as gifts?”

Nope. Just baking. Or non-baking really with this recipe. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard questions like those. I used to bake cakes just to see how many layers I could stack. Or because I was craving fudge frosting. That has certainly been rare recently.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Cookie Dough Truffles

I knew in my own time I would get back to this place. It’s funny, this recipe was actually posted on my blog two years ago but I never made them. They were a fabulous guest post by a blogger friend. I was sad to realize she no longer posts and has left twitter…even sadder that I didn’t notice.

But it’s the end of December so it’s time to celebrate. So cheers to finding a piece of you that you felt like you’ve forgotten. Cheers to all the bloggers, the creators, who have inspired me for over five years. Cheers to the holidays and celebrating all things sweet and joyful. Cheers to making cookie dough covered in chocolate and dusted in gold.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Cookie Dough Truffles

Cookie Dough Truffles

  • 1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips for dough
  • 2 cups any chocolate for melting (I used a combo of milk and dark)
  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with an electric mixer) cream together butter and sugars on low speed until fluffy. Add in milk and vanilla extract. Slowly incorporate flour, salt, and baking soda until fully combined. Add in chocolate chips.
  2. Cover dough and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Once dough is firm, form 1″ balls and place on a wax/parchment paper lined baking sheet. (I used a 1″ ice cream scooper at this step so all the truffles would be close in size. A tablespoon would work fine too). Place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
  3. In a glass or microwave safe bowl, melt any dipping chocolate (or extra chocolate chips) according to package directions.
  4. Using a spoon, dip frozen dough balls into chocolate and roll until fully covered. Place dipped truffles on a lined baking sheet to cool.
  5. Sprinkle with toppings like nuts, colored sprinkles, shredded coconut, crumbled oreo

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Cookie Dough Truffles

Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart

This might just be my new favorite summer dessert. For many reasons. Fresh strawberries and beautiful sage from the farmer’s market. A combination of sweet almond and zesty orange cookies as a base. Mascarpone cheese (’nuff said). Fluffy whipped heavy cream. And no oven required.

How can something be so good when there’s no chocolate in it?

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Farmer's Market Strawberries

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart Cupcakes for Breakfast: Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart

The no baking part is especially wonderful. It’s not even that hot outside yet, but I prefer to not crank my oven up high in the summer. This tart just highlights the best of the best. My first pick of strawberries of the season and quality mascarpone cheese. I’ve been really into berry + herb combinations recently. Blueberry basil, raspberry mint, strawberry sage. Fantastic on a tart or in your cocktail. I think I’ll spend all summer exploring these combos. Adding gin, heavy cream, honey, prosecco as I’d like.

Now on to this perfect tart…

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart

Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart

For the filling:

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoon sugar
  • 8oz cups mascarpone cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound strawberries, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

For the crumb base:

  • 7 tablespoons butter
  • 10 oz almond and orange cookies
  1. Make the base: Melt butter. Crush cookies to a crumble in a food processor. Mix the crumbs with butter. Spoon the crumbs into a round tart pan with a removable bottom. Smooth into the corners and up the pan sides. Refrigerate until set.
  2. Make the filling: Separate the egg, putting the yolk in a bowl with the sugar and beating for a few seconds until mixed. Beat in mascarpone and vanilla extract. With a clean whisk, beat heavy cream until it’s whipped, and then fold it into the creamed mascarpone.
  3. Assemble: Spoon mascarpone filling into the cookie crust, spreading it to the edges. Arrange sliced strawberries and fresh chopped sage on top of the mascarpone. Keep cold until serving.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Strawberry Sage Mascarpone TartCupcakes for Breakfast: Strawberry Sage Mascarpone Tart

Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

This post is for my family. Mostly for my older brother who loves every banana. And is graciously letting me film My Family Recipe Rocks with Joey Fatone at his apartment.

It’s a week away and I’m a bit stressed out about it, honestly. Forget the whole spending a day with Joey thing (just trying not to think about that.) But I have a cook some complicated recipes on camera, which is new to me.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

So I’m practicing a lot beforehand. Testing out the recipes, talking to my mom and aunts and uncles about how they make them. While I have so many nerves, I’m feeling more and more connected to the food I’m cooking. They’re recipes that mean something to me and my family. They so many memories attached to them. This is another reason this show means so much to me. It’s not just about Joey or making my tween dreams come true. This show is about everything that means something to me. Food and family and passions.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

This banana cupcake recipe is like everything else I’m preparing for the show. Simple, sweet, and full of flavor memories. These might just be the cupcakes I bake for Joey next week!

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

One-Bowl Banana Cupcakes

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with 24 paper cups.
  2. In a bowl of a stand mixer combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Slowly incorporate the eggs, oil, bananas, milk, and vanilla.
  3. Pour evenly into cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes, rotating pans half-way through, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  4. Cool on to a wire rack completely before frosting.

Dulce De Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 block cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup dulce de leche
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese. Add in dulce de leche and vanilla.
  2. Slowly incorporate confectioners’ sugar until sweetened to your liking. Frost cupcakes.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Banana Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

April Rules: Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Salted Fudge Frosting and Pistachios

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Salted Fudge Frosting and Pistachios

April 1st is probably my least favorite day on the internet. Why did anyone ever think pranks were fun? Like running marathons and tequila shots. Just don’t get it. But April 1st is also the beginning of my birthday week and the start of my favorite month. Things happen in April. Trees bloom and ramps grow and people get happier because they’re walking around drinking lemonade and eating fro-yo in the sunshine and how could that not make you happy?

On the note of happiness and birthdays, it’s not surprising I want celebrate with something chocolate and fudgy. While I prefer cake, these Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Salted Fudge Frosting and Pistachios would absolutely do the trick. Use whatever is your favorite brownie recipe, then add this salted fudge frosting – kicks them up a notch to be birthday-worthy. Chopped pistachios bring in one of my favorite spring flavors (and colors).

Don’t be gullible…April rules. Just add chocolate.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Salted Fudge Frosting and Pistachios

Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Salted Fudge Frosting and Pistachios

  • 6 oz dark chocolate chips
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips divided in half
  • 8 oz butter
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt dark chocolate, half of the semi-sweet chocolate, and butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Let cool.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and eggs. Mix in cooled chocolate. Slowly incorporate the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix to combine. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips.
  3. Pour into a greased cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set.

Salted Fudge Frosting

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg with 1 1/2 cups sugar on low speed, add the cocoa into egg mixture. Add remaining 1 cup sugar, vanilla, butter and sea salt and beat to combine. Spread onto cooled brownies. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Cupcakes for Breakfast: Chocolate Chunk Brownies with Salted Fudge Frosting and Pistachios