Клео Коул - Decaffeinated Corpse

Here’s a simple recipe for a quick, delicious coffee cake, from one of my old “In the Kitchen with Clare” columns...

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup butter (½ stick)

1 egg, beaten

½ cup milk

1-½ cup flour (sifted)

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Streusel ingredients

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Make the cake batter: Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the egg and milk, and mix with an electric mixer until blended. Dump in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together until a smooth batter forms, but be careful not to overmix.

Now make the streusel filling and topping: Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well, but don’t worry if the mixture is lumpy.

Assemble your coffee cake: Grease an 8×8 square pan, pour half the cake batter. Note that the batter will be a little doughy. Use a rubber spatula to spread batter into pan corners. Spoon half your streusel filling over the batter. Now cover the filling with the remaining cake batter and top with the rest of your streusel. Bake at 375º F. for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Peanut butter

Nutella [2] Helpful hint: never refrigerate Nutella, even after opening. Treat it like peanut butter and keep it in your kitchen cabinet or pantry.

2 slices of bread

In this sandwich, the jelly in your PB&J is replaced with Nutella. What is Nutella? It’s a wonderful hazelnut chocolate spread that originated in Italy, where the hazelnut is king. Most major American grocery stores now carry it. Look for the jar in the peanut butter aisle. And speaking of peanut butter, if you actually need the recipe, here it is:

Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. Spread Nutella on the other. Put the slices together and enjoy. (Hey, didn’t somebody once say peanut butter and chocolate go well together?)

I also enjoy Nutella on crackers, bread, and fruit slices, especially bananas.

The sour cream is the secret to making these muffins taste rich and delicious. Pair them in the morning with your favorite Breakfast Blend, a medium roast Columbian blend, or a cappuccino.

This recipe makes 12 big muffins.

2 cups sifted flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons darkly roasted ground coffee beans

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped hazelnut or almonds

1 teaspoon orange zest minced

½ cup (1 stick) butter softened

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup sour cream

¾ cup whole milk

2 eggs

¼ cup espresso or double strength drip coffee (cooled)

Paper muffin cup liners

Preheat oven to 375º F. Sift flour and mix with the dry ingredients including the cocoa, chocolate chips, nuts, and orange zest. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, sugars, sour cream, milk, eggs, and coffee. Fold in dry ingredients with a spoon, just until moistened and smooth (don’t over mix). Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups and bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife inserted in muffin comes out clean.

Sweet frothy top

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

½ stick butter

After the muffins have cooled, whip ½ stick butter with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix together until well blended into a smooth icing. Lightly smooth glaze on top of cappuccino muffins.

Source: Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2004

Helpful hint: never refrigerate Nutella, even after opening. Treat it like peanut butter and keep it in your kitchen cabinet or pantry.