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Authors: Kir Jensen

Sugar Cube (9 page)

BOOK: Sugar Cube
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instructions
  • PREHEAT THE OVEN
    to 325°F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 4-cup Bundt pan or 8-inch cake pan.
  • TO MAKE THE CAKE:
    In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.In another small bowl, mix the sour cream and passion fruit purée until blended.
  • IN THE BOWL OF A STAND MIXER
    fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients and the passion fruit mixture, beginning with the dry ingredients and adding each in two increments.
  • POUR THE BATTER
    into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Give the pan a couple of taps on the counter to knock out any large air bubbles. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides of the cake, then invert it onto a plate.
  • TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
    In a medium saucepan, combine the fruit purée, sugar, and vanilla bean pod and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • REMOVE THE GLAZE
    from the heat and brush liberally all over the cake. (You likely won’t use all of it; save the little bit that’s left to put in a smoothie or cocktail.) Serve with Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries.
TIP


Though it’s freakishly delicious, with a bright tropical flavor unlike anything else, passion fruit purée, sadly and strangely enough, isn’t a common item in most grocery stores. Look for it in the frozen section at Hispanic markets, where you might find it labeled maracuyá and sold by the Goya brand. You can also find it online at
Amazon.com
and
PerfectPuree.com
.

MARIONBERRY “CRACK”
Coffee Cake

Some things are so addictive you’re willing to risk anything, even your political career, for just another taste. This isn’t one of them—but it’s close. The moist, fragrant cake, with its layer of lemon-spiked berries in the middle, is definitely something you’ll want to trot out when friends come over for brunch; otherwise you’re in danger of eating the whole thing yourself. The cinnamon-y, crumbly topping alone should come with a caution label. Consider yourself warned!
MAKES 12 SERVINGS

ingredients
streusel topping
  • 3
    /
    4
    cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1
    /
    4
    cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1
    /
    4
    cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
  • 1
    /
    2
    teaspoon sea salt
  • 3
    /
    4
    teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1
    /
    2
    teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1
    /
    4
    teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1
    /
    4
    teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1
    /
    2
    teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
fruit filling
  • 2 pints fresh marionberries or blackberries
  • 1
    /
    3
    cup granulated sugar
  • 1
    /
    4
    teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
cake
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3
    /
    4
    cup toasted pecan halves (see tip)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1
    /
    2
    teaspoon baking soda
  • 1
    /
    2
    teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1
    /
    2
    teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1
    /
    4
    teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1
    /
    4
    cup full-fat sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3
    /
    4
    cup buttermilk
instructions
  • PREHEAT THE OVEN
    to 325°F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, tapping out the excess.
  • TO MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until thoroughly combined. Mix the vanilla with the melted butter, pour into the dry ingredients, and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened and holds together when squeezed between your thumb and index finger.
  • TO MAKE THE FRUIT FILLING:
    In a small mixing bowl, gently toss the berries with sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
  • TO MAKE THE CAKE:
    Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg into a medium bowl.
  • IN THE BOWL OF A STAND MIXER
    fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy. With the mixer on medium-high, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sour cream and and vanilla and beat until incorporated. The mixture will be very light, smooth, and fluffy.
  • WITH THE MIXER ON LOW
    , alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning with the flour and adding each in two increments, and mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the toasted pecans with a spatula.
  • POUR HALF OF THE BATTER
    into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a small offset spatula. Distribute the fruit filling evenly over the batter, leaving a
    1
    /
    4
    -inch border (so the fruit doesn’t burn or stick to the pan). Top with the remaining batter and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
  • BAKE ON THE MIDDLE RACK
    of the oven for 30 minutes. Rotate the baking dish from front to back and continue to bake until the top is a deep golden brown, springs back when lightly pressed, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, another 30 to 35 minutes.
  • LET COOL IN THE PAN
    on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
TIP


To toast the pecans, preheat the oven to 350°F, spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until fragrant and beginning to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Cool and finely chop.

Chocolate Panini

I hesitate to even provide a recipe for this crispy little morsel because it’s so damn simple. It’s like giving a recipe for cinnamon toast. You don’t need me to tell you how to make that—I hope! Still, at the risk of being ridiculed, I offer up this recipe because it’s something a lot of people have never thought to do. If you’re one of them, make this and then thank me, because you’ll find yourself grilling up a chocolate sandwich every time you get the munchies. Think of it as a poor man’s
pain au chocolate
, with the added dimension of fruity olive oil and sea salt (which are musts, by the way, so don’t skip ‘em). It makes a tasty, speedy breakfast partner for your morning coffee.
MAKES 1 SERVING

ingredients
  • Two
    1
    /
    2
    -inch-thick slices brioche bread or other white bread
  • High-quality, fruity, extravirgin olive oil for drizzling
  • 1 ounce chopped bittersweet chocolate, or 2 to 3 tablespoons Nutella
  • Fleur de sel for sprinkling
instructions
  • BRUSH ONE SIDE
    of each bread slice liberally with olive oil. Arrange the chocolate (or spread the Nutella) evenly on the non-oiled side of one of the slices. Top with the other slice, oiled-side up. If you have a panini press, grill the sandwich until golden brown on both sides and the chocolate has melted, a minute or two.
    (If you don’t have a panini press, heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 teaspoons of oil and the sandwich. Weight the sandwich with a heavy cast-iron skillet or a heat-safe plate topped with canned goods or a kettle full of water. [Go ahead and get creative; the goal is to flatten the sucker.] Cook until golden brown and the chocolate has begun to melt, about 1 minute. Turn and repeat on the other side, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry.)
  • REMOVE THE SANDWICH
    from the heat and let cool a minute. Then drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and cut crosswise into triangles.
BOOK: Sugar Cube
7.21Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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