Old Fashioned Mulberry Cobbler

This Cobbler is sooo good, or as my kids say, it's too good. It's like a warm pudding cake just loaded with mulberries. Serve warm with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If there are any leftovers, it's delicious for breakfast, too!

Serves 6

2 cups fresh mulberries
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup unbleached A/P flour
1 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
Pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In an 8 x 8 baking dish, place the butter. Throw it in the oven while it's warming to melt the butter.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup sugar, flour, milk, and pinch of sea salt. When the butter is melted, pour the batter into the pan. Do not mix with the butter.

In the same mixing bowl, add the mulberries and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Combine to coat the berries. Pour on top of the batter and spread out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes. It's ready to serve!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting

This is insanely delicious!  It was recently my daughter Ayla's 10th birthday and she absolutely loves goat cheese, so I thought I'd add it to the frosting. The resulting tang in the chocolate frosting with the coffee and olive oil in the rich, moist chocolate cake is a perfect balance.

For the cake:

2 cups cane sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached A/P flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
2 cups brewed coffee
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and line 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the eggs, coffee, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Beat well for a minute or so, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
4 oz. goat cheese (chèvre)
4 oz. dark chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups (1 lb.) powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and goat cheese until well combined. Mix in the chocolate, vanilla, cream, and powdered sugar. Beat well until fluffy. Frost the cooled cake as desired. (We have beautiful violets (edible) here, so they adorned our cake.)

Enjoy!

Blue Grapefruit Smoothie

This is, hands down, my favorite smoothie!  If you love grapefruit, I'm sure it will be your favorite, too!

For each large smoothie:

1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
Juice from 1 grapefruit
1 heaping tablespoon raw honey

Blend in a high-speed blender until smooth.

Enjoy!

Coffee Blonde Brownies

I love to undercook these and then cut a piece while it's still warm and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It is a gooey, warm dessert that hits the spot every time.  

2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
3 Tbsp of good instant coffee dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp hot water
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat just until the butter melts. Mix well.  Remove from heat. Add the coffee. Let cool to room temperature (if it's too warm, the chocolate chips will melt when you add them). Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, and sea salt together and then stir into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Spread batter in an 11 x 8-inch buttered baking pan. Bake approximately 25 minutes. 

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Rolls

I thought since it's the weekend, I would share one of my favorite sweet breakfast ideas.  I know you are going to enjoy them as my husband and children just can't get enough!  The best part is they are sooooo easy to put together.  Give these cinnamon rolls a try, you're not going to be disappointed, I guarantee it!  Talk to you soon.

Dough Ingredients
1/2 cup organic whole milk plus 1 teaspoon for finishing glaze
1/2 cup water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons (or 1/4 oz. ) active dry yeast
1/4 cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, room temp. plus extra for greasing
2 organic eggs, 1 for dough, 1 for finishing glaze
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients
8 tablespoons organic butter, room temp.
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Glaze Ingredients
3/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice from 1 orange
Zest from 1 orange

Heat the 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of the milk together  in a small saucepan over medium low heat until warm to the touch.  If it gets too hot, turn off heat and let it cool.  Pour 2 1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and nutmeg into a large bowl and whisk to combine evenly. Cut the butter into small pieces and use your fingers to mix it into the flour mixture until the texture is crumbly and the butter is well combined with the flour. Pour over the warm milk and water, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined, then stir in the vanilla and one egg for a few seconds until the mixture is fully incorporated. Add more of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is no longer sticky. It should be soft and easy to handle. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth. Shape into a ball. Grease a large bowl with oil or butter and add the dough, turning to grease all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with butter. Gently punch down the dough, then roll it out on an oiled surface to an 18 x 10 inch rectangle. (If you rub the countertop down with butter or vegetable oil the dough won’t stick and you won’t have to add any extra flour.) For the filling, spread the 8 tablespoons softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border on the long side farthest from you. Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the butter, and then the raisins. Starting at the long side of the rectangle closest to you, roll the dough tightly into a log, toward the 1 inch clean border on the other side. Using a knife, cut the log into 12 pieces, each 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the cinnamon rolls in the greased baking dish and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Put them straight in the fridge to rise overnight. Remove the rolls from the fridge the next morning and let them finish rising in a warm place for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, while you heat the oven and continue with the next step.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon milk and brush lightly over the top of cinnamon rolls. Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly. Whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and juice and zest from an orange to make the glaze. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Berries with Ricotta Cream

This is similar to cannoli filling and makes a fast, easy dessert.

Serves 4-6

For the berries:
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced or quartered
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine the fruit and sugar in a large bowl. Allow to sit for the berries to macerate while you make the ricotta cream.

For the ricotta cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with an electric mixer, combine the heavy cream and 1/2 of the sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Add the ricotta cheese, remaining sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whip until the ingredients are well combined.

Serve the ricotta cream over the berries.

Enjoy!

Barbecue Tempeh

These barbecue sandwiches always hit the spot whenever I'm craving BBQ!  We love to eat these with Sour Cream Coleslaw on our sandwich.

Makes 4 large sandwiches

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon natural liquid smoke, optional
1 8 oz package tempeh, crumbled
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 buns for serving

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, being sure not to burn the onions. Stir in the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, sugar, and liquid smoke if using. Simmer, stirring occasionally, a few minutes. Stir in the tempeh. Turn the heat down to medium low and let the tempeh cook in the BBQ sauce for about 15-20 minutes. If it is getting too dry, add a splash of water.

Serve on your favorite buns with your favorite BBQ sides.

Enjoy!