Paula Deen's Ultimate Coffee Cake

With a title like that, how could you resist??

Every morning I make my husband breakfast, after 23 years you start running out of ideas . . . Cherrios just doesn't cut it anymore - LOL!!  (I do serve him something else besides Cherrios!!).  I was thinking the other day, a nice coffee cake would be great for breakfast.  Scanning my vast supply of cookbooks, I came to Paula's Southern Cooking Bible and I found this recipe.  Yes, it did require a quick run to the grocery store!

The beauty of the recipe is that it is oh so easy to make.  You can whip this up in a matter of minutes! 

I did add the icing to the coffee cake because I thought it looked rather dry coming out of the oven - I think it did help make the coffee cake taste better!

Anyway, on to the recipe . . .

Ultimate Coffee Cake by Paula Deen

Ingredients

2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, separated
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Press the dough from the first can of crescent rolls onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Using your electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, 3/4 cup of sugar, vanilla, and the egg yolk together until soft and no lumps.

Spread the mixture over the dough.

Top with the dough from the second can of crescent rolls.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white with a whisk until "frothy" and brush on top of the cake.

Sprinkle the cake with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the pecans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.

**I combined 2/3 cup of powdered sugar and enough milk to make a icy glaze and drizzled it over the hot cake.  This is not in Paula's recipe.  This is optional.

Let cool on a rack.  Serve warm.

Verdict: 

OH MY!!  Was this every good!!  My husband loved it also.  I can see this becoming a family favorite very quickly!! 

Ultimate Coffee Cake by Paula Deen

Ingredients

2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, separated
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Press the dough from the first can of crescent rolls onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Using your electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, 3/4 cup of sugar, vanilla, and the egg yolk together until soft and no lumps.

Spread the mixture over the dough.

Top with the dough from the second can of crescent rolls.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white with a whisk until "frothy" and brush on top of the cake.

Sprinkle the cake with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and the pecans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.

**I combined 2/3 cup of powdered sugar and enough milk to make a icy glaze and drizzled it over the hot cake.  This is not in Paula's recipe.  This is optional.

Let cool on a rack.  Serve warm.

ENJOY!!!

German Potato Soup

I love the Fall!  I love all the colors - the golds, the burnt oranges, and the tans.  I love getting out my big comfy sweaters, walking through the leaves and listening to the rustling sound.  And I love because this is great soup and chili weather!!  There are so many wonderful soup recipes out there!!  So many soups, so little time - LOL!!

I found this recipe on the Just A Pinch website posted by a Cindy Rowe.  Thank you Cindy for such a wonderful recipe!!!  As always, I did have to improvise a bit . . . I didn't have the smoked sausage, so I used polish kielbasa instead.  The sauerkraut I used had caraway seeds in it, not sure if that made that BIG of a difference.  Also, I used red potatoes with the skin on - she used fingerlings potatoes.

The recipe . . .

German Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb smoked sausage - halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices (see note above about substitution)
4 cups potatoes (again see note above about substitution)
1/2 cup chopped sweet green pepper
3/4 cup chopped red onion
2 large celery stalks, chopped
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (see note above)
3 cans of chicken broth (14 oz each)
2 T stone ground mustard
2 large bay leaves
pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  In a crockpot combine the sausage, vegetables and seasonings.  Pour the broth over all.

2.  Cover and cook at low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or a high setting for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

I wish you could smell how wonderful this makes my house smell!!  I love meals like this - you spend about 10 minutes chopping vegetables and then you let the crockpot do its thing!!  Seven or eight hours later, you have a delicious meal!!  It just doesn't get any better than this!

German Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb smoked sausage - halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices (see note above about substitution)
4 cups potatoes cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chopped sweet green pepper
3/4 cup chopped red onion
2 large celery stalks, chopped
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (see note above)
3 cans of chicken broth (14 oz each)
2 T stone ground mustard
2 large bay leaves
pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  In a crockpot combine the sausage, vegetables and seasonings.  Pour the broth over all.

2.  Cover and cook at low heat setting for 7  to 8 hours or a high setting for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

 VERDICT:

Oh yes, this is definitely a keeper recipe!!  I served this with grilled cheese sandwiches.  My husband loved it!!  And so did I!

ENJOY!!

Zwiebelkuchen or German Onion and Bacon Pie

For Oktoberfest, I spent several days looking up German recipes on the Internet.  This is one of the many recipes I found.  I know Oktoberfest is over, but the recipe sounded interesting.  I found this recipe on the web site www.Tablespoon.com, it didn't say who posted the recipe - at least, I couldn't find a name.

The hardest part is chopping up 2 1/4 pounds of onions!!  Yes, your eyes will be watering by the time you get to that last 1/4 pound.  I am sure you could do that in a food processor.  I have an old processor that pretty much mutilates any veggie I put in there, so it was just easier to chop by hand.

You will need a 9 inch springform pan.  You can get a set at Walmart for only $9.99 - it comes with a 8 inch, 9 inch and a 10 inch pan - that is where I got mine.   Anyway, onto the recipe . . .

German Onion and Bacon Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)

Ingredients

1 package Pillsbury pie crust
2 T butter (I used unsalted butter - don't think it makes a difference if you use salted butter)
2 1/4 pounds onions, finely chopped
5 or 6 thick cut bacon, finely chopped ** (excuse me - there is no way that you can "finely chop" raw bacon!! - I just cut it into small pieces)
1 1/2 cup sour cream (not the non-fat variety)
4 large eggs
2 T all-purpose flour
caraway seeds for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until slightly crisp.   Drain the bacon fat.

Add the onions and butter (on top of the bacon) and cook until the onions are a light golden brown.  Take off burner and let cool.

Combine the sour cream, eggs and flour.  Mix thoroughly.  I used a whisk to do this - worked great!!

On a slightly floured surface, roll out the Pillsbury crust with your rolling pan to make it large enough to fit the springform pan and extend up the sides.

(Note: I rolled the pie crust a little to big, so I had to fold the edges over a bit)

After the onion/bacon mixture has cooled, add it to the filling mixture - stir to combine.

Pour the filling into the springform pan and sprinkle the caraway seeds on top.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the pie is golden brown on top and the filling is firm.

 



Verdict:

 

Oh yes, this is a winner!!  My expert (i.e., my husband) loved it!!  I was afraid the onions would be overpowering but by cooking them, you "tame" the flavor.  It was really good.  This is definitely a keeper recipe.  

German Onion and Bacon Pie (Zwiebelkuchen)

Ingredients

1 package Pillsbury pie crust
2 T butter (I used unsalted butter - don't think it makes a difference if you use salted butter)
2 1/4 pounds onions, finely chopped
5 or 6 thick cut bacon, finely chopped ** (excuse me - there is no way that you can "finely chop" raw bacon!! - I just cut it into small pieces)
1 1/2 cup sour cream (not the non-fat variety)
4 large eggs
2 T all-purpose flour
caraway seeds for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400

Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until slightly crisp.   Drain the bacon fat.

Add the onions and butter (on top of the bacon) and cook until the onions are a light golden brown.  Take off burner and let cool.

Combine the sour cream, eggs and flour.  Mix thoroughly.  I used a whisk to do this - worked great!!

On a slightly floured surface, roll out the Pillsbury crust with your rolling pan to make it large enough to fit the springform pan and extend up the sides.

After the onion/bacon mixture has cooled, add it to the filling mixture - stir to combine.

Pour the filling into the springform pan and sprinkle the caraway seeds on top.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the pie is golden brown on top and the filling is firm.

Enjoy!!!

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

I found this recipe in the book, The Book of Yogurt by Sonia Uvezian. What a perfect recipe for fall  particularly with the abundance of pumpkins EVERYWHERE!!  Though you probably want to use one of the "pie pumpkins" for this recipe.

The hardest part of this recipe is "dismantling" the pumpkin - removing the seeds, removing the skin and chopping it up into small pieces.  Fortunately, the rest of the recipe is pretty easy!  The only ingredients that you might need to buy (besides the pumpkin) is plain yogurt and half and half.  

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

2 T Butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 lbs pumpkin, peeled and chopped in small pieces
1 quart chicken broth (or 2 cans of chicken broth)
1 bay leaf
1/2 t dried thyme
1 cup half and half (I didn't have it - so I used milk instead)
1 cup plain yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry sherry or dry vermouth
1/4 c chopped chives (optional)

In a stock pot, melt the butter and add the onions.   Saute the onions until a golden brown.

Add the pumpkin, chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.

Remove the bay leaf.  Puree the pumpkin mixture in a blender.

Pour the pumpkin puree back into the stock pot, add the yogurt and half and half (or milk in my case).  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in the sherry or vermouth.

Ladle into individual bowls and top with chopped chives if you wish.

Verdict

Both my husband and I thought this was way too watery.  It tasted good but we both prefer a "thicker" soup.  I think next time, if I make it, I might eliminate the half and half/milk.  Will I make this again - maybe. 

Oktoberfest Lager Stew

Everyone is German in October like everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day - LOL!  And if you go into the grocery store these days, everywhere you look you see sauerkraut, German beer and all sorts of brats. 

Since both my husband and I have German ancestors, this is a great month for us!  I found this recipe on Pinterest on the Cozy Apron website.  It sounded interesting and, as luck would have it, I had almost all of the ingredients!  So this was meant to be!!

It is a very easy recipe to make up - the hardest part is doing all the chopping of the vegetables and sausage.

Oktoberfest Lager Stew

Ingredients

1 T Olive Oil
1 14 ounce package smoked beef sausage or polish kielbasa sausage (your choice) cut into bite size pieces
1 large onion, sliced into thin semi-circle slices
1/2 head small cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 t black pepper
1/4 t ground caraway seeds (I didn't have that, so I omitted it)
pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup German-style lager beer (Oktoberfest variety) - I let my husband buy that - he is the "beer expert"!
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
2 1/2 cups hot chicken stock
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T parsley, chopped (I didn't have that either, so I omitted that)

Directions:

Using a stock pot, heat the olive oil.

Add the sliced smoked sausage and sauté until brown - roughly 4 to 5 minutes.  Be careful not to let them burn!
Add the onions and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the sliced cabbage and cook until the cabbage begins to soften.

Once the cabbage has softened, add the pepper, ground caraway seeds, salt and garlic.
Add the one cup of beer.  Allow the beer to slightly reduce for about 5 minutes or more.
Add the cubed potatoes and the hot chicken stock.

Bring the stew to a boil, place a lid slightly askew to allow a little bit of steam to escape, and reduce the heat to let it simmer for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, turn off the heat, add the apple cider vinegar and parsley.

Verdict:

OH MY!!  This was good!  Definitely a keeper recipe.  I think this would be great with rye bread or a hearty roll smothered with butter.  My husband loved it.