Much of the American appetite for sweet rolls and cakes comes from the German and Dutch settlements in New York, New Jersey and Delaware. Colonial cooks made fruity, buttery breakfast or coffee cakes from recipes that vary only slightly from methods used in the twentieth century. They also share some of the responsibility for the national zest for doughnuts.
Scandinavians were even more responsible than anyone else for making America as coffee-break-conscious as it is, and for perfecting the kind of food that goes well with coffee. German women had already brought the Kaffeeklatsch to their frontier communities, but it was in the Scandinavian kitchens where there was always a pot brewing on the back of the stove and where hospitality and coffee became synonymous.The term “coffee klatch” became part of the language and its original meaning–a moment that combined gossip with coffee drinking–was changed to define the American version of English tea, a mid-afternoon gathering. Like the cooks from Central Europe, most Scandinavian cooks prided themselves on simple forms of pastry making that included coffee breads, coffee cakes, coffee rings, sweet rolls and buns.
According to the book, Listening to America, by Stuart Berg Flexner, it wasn’t until 1879 that the term “coffee cake” became a common term. Historic American cook books and newspapers support this claim.
Coffee Cake – Recipe from 1875
5 cups flour, dried and sifted.
1 cup of butter.
2 cups of sugar.
1 cup of molasses.
1 cup made black coffee–the very best quality.
1/2 pound raisins, seeded and minced.
1/2 pound currants, washed and dried.
1/4 pound citron, chopped fine.
3 eggs, beaten very light.
1/2 teaspoonful cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoonful mace.
1 teaspoonful-a full one-of saleratus.
Cream the butter and sugar, warm the molasses slightly, and berate these,with the spices hard, five minutes, until the mixture is very light. Next, put in the yolks, the coffee, and when these are well mixed, the flour, in turn with the whipped whites. Next, the saleratus, dissolved in hot water, and the fruit, all mixed together and dredged well with flour. Beat up very thoroughly, and bake in two loaves, or in small round tins. The flavor of this cake is peculiar, but to most palates very pleasant. Wrap in a thick cloth as soon as it is cold enough to put away without danger of ‘sweating,’ and shut within your cake box, as it soon loses the aroma of the coffee if exposed to the air.” —Breakfast, Luncheon and Tea, Marion Harland [Scribner, Armstrong & Co.: New York] 1875 (p. 332)
Although once very popular, coffee cakes have often been forgotten over the past few years in favor of bagels, extra-large muffins and egg and sausage breakfast sandwiches.
When the occasional coffee cake does still pop up in coffee shops, it bears little resemblance to the coffee cakes of old. These newer versions are often sweet enough for dessert and topped with icing or even frosting. I still make old-fashioned coffee cakes but with healthy, fresh ingredients. To make coffee cakes healthier reduce the sugar, add fruit and use whole grains to lower the glycemic index and increase the fiber content. Don’t worry though – these cakes still taste delicious.
Summer Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries
Topping:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla and milk and beat to combine. Add flours and baking powder. Stir to mix well. Gently fold in berries.
Spoon into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking dish. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool before serving.
Whole Wheat Cranberry Coffee Cake
Filling
1 can (15 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce, stirred to break up any clumps
Cake Batter
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup yogurt; low-fat is fine, avoid nonfat
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
Streusel Topping
- 2 tablespoons of white whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 5 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.
To make the streusel: In the large bowl of the electric mixer, beat together all of the streusel ingredients until even crumbs form. Scoop the mixture into a smaller bowl, and set it aside.
To make the batter: In the same bowl in which you’ve just made the streusel and beat together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl and again beating until smooth.
Beat in the yogurt, extracts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. The batter will be fairly stiff.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it to the edges.
Spread the cranberry on top of the cake.
Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cranberry sauce.
Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Plums
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 pound Italian or regular plums (4 to 5 medium), sliced
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
Directions
Cream the butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat in the sugar and eggs. Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the butter-sugar-egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Mix the batter, then pour it into a greased 9 inch round cake pan. Smooth the top of the batter and arrange plum slices over it in slightly overlapping concentric circles
Sprinkle the top of the cake with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or longer, until the surface is firm.
Cherry Coffee Cake
This easy coffee cake can be made even faster in a food processor.
Topping:
- 1 tablespoon very cold hard butter chopped into cubes
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons oats
Cake:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups sifted whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cherries, halved (sweet or tart cherries)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a food processor mix the topping ingredients (except the oats) until small crumbs form. Briefly mix in the oats. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
In the processor or using an electric mixer, mix together the wet ingredients (oil to buttermilk).
In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Briefly mix into the wet mixture. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the cherries evenly over the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter over the cherries. (Some will show through.)
Sprinkle on the topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes before slicing into wedges.
Blueberry or Blackberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries, divided
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a large glass measuring cup.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Toss 1 ¼ cups blueberries with the whole wheat pastry flour and fold into batter.
Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup blueberries.
Stir together the 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, sliced almonds and cinnamon. Sprinkle the over batter.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove sides of pan and serve.
Related articles
Looking for Some New Coffeecake Recipes? (jovinacooksitalian.com)
http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/09/18/make-your-quick-breads-healthy/
http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/07/24/healthy-breakfast-breads-to-bake/
If yesterday’s post on how to bake authentic country bread at home wasn’t your “cup of tea” due to the many steps in the recipe, below is a recipe for the quick way to get a crusty country loaf of bread in a short amount of time. While you won’t have the crumb or flavor of Pugliese or Pagnotta bread, you will have a great crusty bread to dip in olive oil or use for sandwiches.
You will need special equipment: a Cloche Clay Baking Pan. The cloche natural clay stoneware baking dish with domed lid will simulate a hearth oven in your kitchen.
The moist dough within the cloche creates the steam needed to produce a delicious bread with a crackly, golden crust and light crumb. It eliminates the need to spritz your bread or pour water in a hot pan to get the nice crust you are after.
Most cloches are sensitive to thermal shock, so you should never put a cold cloche in a hot oven. You should also avoid putting a hot cloche on a cold counter, as it may crack. Cloches should not be spritzed with water, either, as the sudden release of steam can cause the cloche to crack. To wash a bread cloche, wait for it to cool to room temperature and rinse it with water.
CRUSTY COUNTRY LOAF
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Place the warm water in an electric mixing bowl. Add yeast and honey. Mix until yeast is dissolved.
Add the 4 cups of flour and sprinkle the salt on top of the flour
Using the dough hook on number 2 speed, mix the dough until a dough forms that holds together and cleans the sides of the bowl.
Continue kneading for 7-8 minutes minutes, until dough is soft, but supple.
Shape dough into a ball. Spray the mixer bowl with olive oil cooking spray and place the ball of dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double about 30-40 minutes.
Some bakers skip this step and place the dough directly into the bottom of the cloche pan for one rising. I think the bread has a better crumb with two risings and the time for each rising is relatively short – 30 minutes or so. This is a quick rising dough. It is your call, though.
Do not grease or spray a cloche pan.
Sprinkle the bottom of the cloche pan with cornmeal and turn the dough out onto the pan bottom. Gently shape the dough into a round, if it becomes lopsided.
Cover with greased plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes or more. See image below for how the dough should look after rising.
Put the lid of the cloche pan in the oven on the bottom rack and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the other racks since the cloche pan is quite tall. Once the oven temperature reaches 500 degrees F. heat the cloche and oven for 15 minutes more.
With a sharp knife or blade, make a cross slash in the top of the risen loaf, place the dish in the oven and put the Cloche lid over the dough.
USE A THICK POT HOLDER BECAUSE THE LID IS VERY HOT!
Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and remove the cloche lid.
Bake 15 minutes minutes, or until bread is crusty and brown. Remove the loaf when done and place on a wire cooling rack.
How To Tell When Bread Is Finished Baking?
Look at the sides of the bread. If the edges of the bread have pulled away from the pan, then your bread is done, especially if you have a dry-looking top along with the pulled-away edges. Once you have removed the bread from the oven, remove it from the pan and tap the bottom of the loaf to see if it sounds hollow. If there is no hollow sound or if the bottom of the bread is still soft, place it back in the oven and continue baking for a few minutes longer.
Stick an instant-read thermometer into the bread. If the temperature reads between 190 degrees and 210 degrees, then the bread is done. Instant-read thermometers can be purchased at any major grocery store or wherever kitchen utensils and appliances are sold.
What is Instant Yeast?
Instant yeast is an active strain of yeast that is similar to active dry yeast, but has smaller granules with substantially higher percentages of live cells. Instant yeast generally has a small amount of ascorbic acid added as a preservative.”
What is the difference between Instant Yeast and Active Dry Yeast?
Instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients in this bread recipe. It does not need to be dissolved first, making it especially easy to use. SAF Instant Yeast is a high potency, fast acting yeast that can be added directly to your dry ingredients without it having to be activated in water first. SAF Instant Yeast is more than twice as active as regular compressed yeast.
Active dry yeast requires that it be mixed in a bit of warm water to activate it, then it is added to the remaining ingredients. Unfortunately, using active dry yeast leaves room for error as the water temperature has to be just right in order to work. If the water temperature is too hot, the yeast will die. If the water is too cool, the active dry yeast fails to activate. Both scenarios often result in a bread dough that doesn’t rise very much.
How to store Instant Yeast ?
Instant yeast has no special storage needs, and can be kept on the cupboard shelf unopened until the expiration date, or up to 6 months. The yeast will stay fresh longer if stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator or freezer, or up to one year.
Related articles
- Bake Some Italian Country Bread (jovinacooksitalian.com)
- The Secret To Making Real Italian Bread (jovinacooksitalian.com)
- Fun and Flour: The Smells of Baking (brendendarby.com)
- recipe: dutch oven bread (madeyedlinblog.com)
- http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2009/03/31/baking-bread-in-a-closed-clay-pot-cloche-the-best-crust-yet
- http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/la-cloche-bread-recipe
- http://www.breadtopia.com/cooks-illustrated-almost-no-knead/
- Rustic Homemade Bread (tocookwithlove.com)
Benefits of Buying Seasonal Produce
Cost: Seasonal food is often cheaper than out of season produce because it doesn’t require anywhere near as much effort to produce. If it’s the right season, food can be pretty much left to grow on it’s own, meaning it’s far less labor intensive and time-consuming. As consumers, we have gotten used to seeing strawberries in our stores all year round and many of us don’t realise the hidden costs of having out of season produce available. We may, also, forget what the taste of real, seasonal strawberries are like.
Flavour/taste: Blueberries and cherries taste great in the summer but buy them in the winter and you will be disappointed with the taste, texture and flavor. Food that’s allowed to grow and ripen properly is far tastier than artificially produced food that’s travelled thousands of miles to reach the supermarket shelves. On a positive note, some supermarkets are starting to stock produce from local suppliers and you often find the number of air miles (or the country of origin) printed on the packaging which allows us to make a more informed choice.
New experiences with food: If you follow the seasons (as opposed to a shopping list) you’ll also find a more rich and varied collection of fruit and vegetables, which will entice little ones to experience lots of interesting tastes and textures.
Seasonal Ingredient Map
Use Epicurious’ interactive map to see what’s fresh in your area, plus find ingredient descriptions, shopping guides, recipes, and tips.
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap
Summer Vegetable Pizzas
Most fresh seasonal vegetables are delicious on pizza — thinly sliced red or green tomatoes, sweet peppers (red, green, yellow or orange), red onions, scallions, finely chopped broccoli, sliced mushrooms and asparagus tips. Fresh herbs will give intense flavor and fragrance — oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, arugula, dill and plenty of fresh minced garlic. Keep the combinations simple and light without adding too much cheese. Thinly sliced green tomatoes with basil leaves, oregano, scallions and garlic are colorful and inviting choices.
Use a mixture of Italian (parmigiano reggiano, asiago, pecorino romano, fontina) and other imported cheeses, such as Irish cheddar, French gruyere or English cheddar. Look for flavorful American artisanal cheeses or sharp white Vermont cheddar (Cabot). Grate and mix two or three cheeses together. Keep the cheeses in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Pizza Dough
All-purpose unbleached flour makes an excellent crust, with a deep golden color and a rich baked taste. Add whole-wheat flour for a more nutritious, nutty taste.
2 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour and 2 cups King Arthur white whole-wheat flour
2 packages dry rapid rise yeast
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
1½ cups warm water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Mix the flour, salt and yeast in an electric mixer (such as a KitchenAid) using the dough hook, Mix very warm water and the olive oil together. Pour the liquids into the flour mixture. Knead with mixer for about 10 minutes, until the dough comes together. It will form a ball and should be firm and not sticky. Place the dough in a deep oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place. It will double in size in about one hour. While the dough is rising, prepare the toppings.
Putting It Together
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. You will need two large pizza baking pans, greased and very lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.
Shape the dough to fit the pizza pan using oiled fingers. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Sprinkle the dough with a small amount of the grated mixed cheeses. This will help to seal the dough and keep it crisp. Top with sliced tomatoes, other vegetables, garlic and herbs. Season the pizza with freshly ground white pepper. Lightly sprinkle more grated mixed cheese or crumbled feta or shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
Don’t use too many ingredients and leave space between the toppings, so that the pizza will turn out crisp. The preheated oven should have racks on the bottom and the middle. Place one pizza on the bottom rack and one on the middle rack for about 10 minutes. Switch positions and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted, but not brown. Pizzas can be baked separately on the middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes.
Some Ideas To Get You Started
green tomato, broccoli, asparagus, basil, and cheese pie
red tomato, yellow squash, sweet peppers, and red onion pie
Summer Vegetable Pizza
When peppers, sweet corn, and cherry tomatoes are at their peak, there’s nothing like enjoying them on pizza.
- 1 large pizza crust, recipe above
- 1 cup homemade marinara sauce
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels
- 2 bell peppers, sliced thin
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degree F. Stretch or roll pizza dough out to cover a 16 inch pizza pan.
In a small bowl mix marinara sauce, garlic, olive oil, and oregano. Spread evenly over the dough. Top with corn, peppers, and tomatoes. Season vegetables with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Top with basil, mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for about 20 minutes at or until the top is golden, and bubbly – and the crust is browned and cooked underneath. Let cool before slicing.
Herbs and Tomato, Kalamata Olive Pizza with Peppers, Arugula, Onions, Basil, Olives, and Cheese
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
2 oz. Italian fontina, shredded
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup of fresh arugula, chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaf (julienne)
1 cup plum tomatoes, sliced
1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
½ medium sweet onion, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 small hot chile, chopped (crushed red pepper may substitute)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Arrange topping ingredients on pizza dough and bake as directed above.
Now create some summer pizzas of your own based on what is in season in your area.
Related articles
- It’s Friday Let’s Have Pizza! (jovinacooksitalian.com)
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- Naples chefs take sides in the ‘ultra pizza’ wars (guardian.co.uk)
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