Crumb cake was brought to New York City by German immigrants, and quickly became an iconic breakfast treat across the city, though it’s not often served outside the East Coast. It’s known for its contrast in texture: a base of moist yellow cake with a dense, dry cinnamon-crumb topping.
grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. Set pan aside.
Crumb Topping
Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then gently mix the flour using a fork. Keep the mixture as large crumbles, do not over-mix. If over-mixed, this will turn into a thick paste. Set aside.
Making the Cake
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled; that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not over-mix. The batter will be thick, creamy, and sticky.
Spread the batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Top with crumb topping. Using a rubber spatula or the back of a large spoon, press the crumb topping tightly down into the cake so it sticks.
Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours and begin checking at 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to slightly cool for at least 30-45 minutes before cutting.
Notes
You can optionally dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Onion Patties – While everyone has heard of onion rings before, my favorite friend onion was always the patty. Onion patties as a side for meatloaf…yum.
History. A British recipe from 1802 calls for cutting onions into slices, dipping them into a batter including Parmesan cheese, and deep frying them in lard. It suggests serving them with a sauce of melted butter and mustard. Many recipes for deep-fried onion slices or rings are found starting in the early 20th century …
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients, then add milk and stir. This will give you a thick batter.
Add onions and mix until well blended.
Heat 1/2 inch oil in skillet over medium high heat. Drop batter by tablespoons into the hot oil.
Flatten with the back of a spatula, then brown on both sides until crispy, golden brown.
Drain on paper towel, sprinkle salt to taste.
Notes
You can make these even more craveworthy by adding 1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon to the batter before cooking. Other tasty add ins include: 1/4 cup green pepper, 1/4 cup cooked mushroom, or sprinkle cheddar on top after you’ve finished cooking.
Vanilla Custard Cream Squares – While this dessert is a little tricky to eat without making a complete mess, it rivals any decadent layer cake out there.
Custards baked in pastry (custard tarts) were very popular in the Middle Ages, and are the origin of the English word ‘custard’: the French term croustade
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place each puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Add three cups of milk to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour, vanilla, rum (if using), and remaining 1 cup of the milk.
When milk has come to a boil, fold egg yolk mixture into boiling milk and slowly stir until thickened. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, and slowly fold into the custard mixture.
Place one of the puff pastry sheets on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread custard evenly over the top. Place in refrigerator to chill until cool and stiff, 1-2 hours.
When custard has chilled, beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar with an electric mixer until stiff. Spread evenly on top of custard.
Cut second pastry sheet into 15 squares and place over whipped cream. Return to refrigerator to chill for 2 more hours.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
A note on the rum: we find it cuts through any lingering egginess in the custard, but it’s absolutely optional, so feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
The classic French onion soup gets its name from its country of origin: France. After making its debut in the 18th century, it has become a national treasure. During ancient times (and still today), onions were cheap and easy to grow, and hence, readily available.
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cooking time.
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 11 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are starting to brown.
Sprinkle flour over onions in skillet; cook and stir about 1 minute. Stir in broth; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in chicken and cooked pasta, mixing to combine.
Add half of the mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining pasta mixture, then remaining cheese. Cover and bake 20 minutes.
In small bowl, mix Topping ingredients. Remove cover; sprinkle on top of pasta mixture; bake 5 to 10 minutes or until topping is golden brown and mixture is heated through.
Notes
Try substituting shredded mozzarella cheese for the Swiss cheese, if desired.
Leftover cooked chicken also works in place of rotisserie chicken.
Georgia Peach Cobbler – I have a soft spot for southern food. This is TRULY the most amazing, most delicious and seriously the easiest peach cobbler recipe you will EVER stumble upon!
Peach cobbler is a popular dessert in the southern United States. American settlers invented peach cobbler because they didn’t have the proper ingredients and tools to make peach pie. The Georgia Peach Festival created National Peach Cobbler Day in the 1950s to promote the sale of canned peaches.
Now living in Georgia, We have a soft spot for southern food. This is TRULY the most amazing, most delicious and seriously the easiest peach cobbler recipe you will EVER stumble upon!
Pour melted butter into center of 9×13-inch baking dish, do not spread butter around pan.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, salt, and baking powder. Slowly pour in milk and vanilla extract,and stir to combine. Pour batter over butter, but do not stir.
Add brown sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a saucepan on high heat. Stir frequently until sugar is completely melted and peaches have released their juices.
Pour peaches over top of batter. Do not stir.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top of cobbler is a golden in color.
Serve warm or cold, or with a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy
Cornbread Enchilada Skillet – This tasty casserole combines Mexican enchiladas with a cornbread base for a fast dinner that the whole family will love.
Enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least to Aztec times. The people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish.
Prepare cornbread base by combining corn muffin mix, sour cream, creamed corn, and one egg. Pour into large cast iron skillet (we used an 11-inch skillet).
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool in pan. In the meantime, prep enchilada base.
In a separate skillet, sauté onions over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When translucent, add garlic. Cook until fragrant.
Add ground beef, stirring to break up the meat, and add: cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne.
Add the jalapeños and the green chilis. Cook for a few minutes until soft. Add 1/2 cup each of the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
Remove skillet from stovetop to drain excess fat.
Poke surface of cornbread base with the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour enchilada sauce over the cornbread, making sure to cover the entire surface.
Spread meat mixture over cornbread base. Top with leftover 1/2 cups of the cheeses. Bake for about 20 minutes. To brown the cheese for a crisper crust, broil for five minutes.
Top with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately, while warm!
