Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake

Fresh blueberries in a coffee cake with a hint of lemon to start off your morning in a good way.  This isn't overly sweet but a perfect balance of a lemon cream cheese filling that is bursting with blueberries.

Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake

Cake ~

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp lemon extract
juice from 1 fresh lemon
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sour cream

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add in egg, egg yolk, extract and lemon juice.  Alternate adding in dry ingredients and sour cream.  Place in the bottom of a greased 9" springform pan.

Filling ~

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 egg white
1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

Blend the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and egg white together.  Gently fold in the fresh blueberries and spread over the cake mixture.  

Streusel ~

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp cold butter, cubed

Mix the streusel ingredients together with a fork until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the filling.
Bake the cake for 50 minutes at 350°.  Cool on a rack before releasing from the springform pan.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Orange Rolls

Start your weekend morning off with the smell of cinnamon and warm bread coming from the oven.  These are iced with a light orange icing that isn’t overly sweet.  Just a note....rolls are not easy to photograph  :-)

Orange Rolls

 

Dough –

1 pkg yeast

½ cup warm water

¼ cup sugar

Mix together and let sit for 10 minutes

 

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat until the butter has melted –

½ cup milk

1/3 cup butter

¼ cup sugar

 

Put in your mixer  -

4 ¼ cups flour

1 1 /2 tsp salt

1 egg

Add in the yeast and milk mixtures and turn on mixer using a dough hook.

 

When done, spread out into a 12 x 18 shape and top with –

3 tbsp butter, softened to spread over dough

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp orange zest

 

Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, orange zest and salt and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough.   Roll up the 11” way.  Cut dough into 12 slices and place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rise until it reaches the top of the pan.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350°.  Allow to cool before icing.

 

Icing

8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 tbsp orange zest

¼ cup orange juice

½ cup powdered sugar

Coke Chili

Superbowl Sunday means chili day.  I never make it the same way so it's always a surprise how it will turn out - just like the game.  I had made this recipe using Dr Pepper before and decided to try using it with Coke which is always on hand.

Coke Chili

1 - 15 oz can Light Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 19 oz can Cannellini White Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup regular Coke, more if you want your chili juicier
1 pound extra lean ground beef, cooked
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, minced 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
chili powder to taste, I used around 2 tbsp
1 tsp oregano

In your dutch oven or a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions, red peppers and garlic. Add all the remaining ingredients to the dutch oven or crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or longer in the crock pot. 

Berry Panna Cotta

It's not easy finding good fruit at this time of the year but berries are always in season and the best looking in the supermarket besides citrus fruits.  I decided to stack the raspberries and blueberries inside my dessert glasses.

Berry Panna Cotta

1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 package gelatin and 2 tbsp hot tap water to dissolve it in
2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt

Fill the dessert glasses with the berries of your choice.  Heat the cream, milk and sugar in a saucepan until it comes to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and softened gelatin.  Pour into dessert glasses over the berries.  Chill until firm - about 3-4 hours.  Top with whipped cream and some leftover berries.