Cinnamon -Roll Coffee Cake
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda, and salt
1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
2 eggs 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Streusel:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt
Caramel:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9×2 inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.
Caramel: Stir together 3/4 cup brown sugar, cream and salt. Pour caramel into prepared pan, spreading to coat bottom. Sprinkle pecans over caramel.
Make streusel: Blend brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon and salt in a food processor until fine. Set aside.
Cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together buttermilk, yogurt, and eggs. Beat 1 stick butter and granulated sugar just until combined. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture; blend only enough to incorporate the dry ingredients into the batter.
Spread half the batter over the caramel, then sprinkle with half the streusel. Carefully spread remaining batter over streusel; top with remaining streusel.
Bake coffee cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool cake 5 minutes on a rack, then run a paring knife around the sides to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a serving plate while hot. Let coffee cake cool slightly before serving. Makes 10 servings.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties
1 pound ground pork 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon ground sage 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Combine pork, brown sugar, garlic, sage, salt, fennel seeds, pepper flakes, and nutmeg.
Divide sausage mixture in half and shape each half into a log. Wrap longs in plastic and freeze until slightly firm, 20 minutes, or chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
Unwrap logs and slice into twelve patties, reshaping as necessary. Fry sausages in a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick spray over medium-high heat until cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to a paper towel-lined plate. Makes 6 servings.
Winter Fruit Salad
1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 banana, peeled and sliced
1/3 c. diced dried apricots 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented
1 teaspoon sugar 1 Granny Smith apple, cored/diced
Juice of 1/2 a lime Pinch of salt
Warm orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Add apricots, remove from heat, and let stand until soft, about 10 minutes.
Pour juice and apricots over oranges, apple, and banana; toss with mint, sugar, lime juice and salt. Serve salad immediately. Other seasonal fruits like grapefruit or kiwi may be added.
