Adulthood + A Hot Toddy

Mature, trendy, hip outing shot.

       This morning started off great. I had the day off from work; I woke up early, got out of bed, drank two glasses of water, and headed out the door for an early morning speed walk. Impressive, right? Oh wait, let me tell you why I was speed walking...it was to rush to this local bakery I have been wanting to try that only sells their sweet rolls on the weekends and is notorious for selling out early.

      The adventure got me thinking about feeling grown up though. I would never have done this sort of thing by myself when I was younger. I would have felt silly going to get a treat out without a friend by my side to justify it. Today, a peaceful time sitting in a cafe by the window, pondering my love for pecan sticky buns, sounded perfect. As odd as it might sound, I felt mature for doing what I wanted to do even though it was just me this morning. 

Seriousy. That was my breakfest. All of it. 

      So as I sat there, thinking about all the great adult-like decisions I have made recently, I basked in the responsible nature I developed over the last few months. At that moment, I could only help but to look down and laugh at myself. I had six crumpled, useless napkins in my lap and one that had fallen onto the floor. My fingers were covered in caramel messy goo that I kept licking off. I was slightly peeved when someone sat next to me on the bar stools, because I felt they were interrupting what was almost love making to this sticky bun. Not to mention, my face had a smudge of sticky cinnamon when I went to the bathroom. I frowned when I finished the last bite, both because I didn't want it to be over and my stomach hurt from eating the entire thing. 

This is not all of the napkins though...not even close. 

       The best part was I had the goofiest grin of accomplishment as I sat there eating and contemplating my maturity (until the momentary frown at the end). These are all things 5 year old would do when they make their own order and eat their entire, delicious breakfast. Maybe I am not so grown up after all.  You know what though? I finished my taxes early, I make my bed every day, I cook myself pretty much all of my meals, I pay all my bills on time and I was only 3 months delayed on taking my car in for its check-up! So today, I have accepted not being a complete adult, and not being a complete five year old. I embrace being a somewhat mixture of the two and being so freaking happy about it.

       Young people put so much pressure on themselves in college and post graduation. You must accomplish so much and be so presentable and so responsible and so perfect and so knowledgeable and yada, yada, yada. I'm realizing more and more the best part of life is having some of that yes, but also still being a kid. It is great not being totally grown up so I can freely call my mom crying because my car can't get unparalleled parked on the icy, slanted roads. Growing up is cool; learning to be an adult is I guess kind of cool, but in the end, I am not ready to give up childhood yet. So bring on the sticky buns! And the day I don't need a plethora of napkins covered in messiness and crumpled up, I will call my folks and tell them we can just be friends because I no longer need parents. (Don't worry, Mom and Dad, that will never happen.)

And here is my recipe for my new favorite hot toddy, because I am enough of an adult to have that.

Pick out your favoritist mug, put in a generous squeeze of honey and a peppermint tea bag, or loose peppermint tea in a steeper-thing (we're getting technical on this post). Brew some water, add it to the cup, and steep for 5 minutes. Stir. 
Remove tea bag and add a shot of bourbon. Drizzle with a little more honey if you like honey (I do). 
Sip sweet goodness and enjoy being a sort of adult-child, or wherever you are on that spectrum! 

Thanks for letting me indulge in thoughts today.

Love,
Boulder Butter

Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Streusel

       So it may seem I once again disappeared between posts for a while, but I can assure you this recipe is worth the wait. Last week, I tested a new baking book's banana muffins, not intending to blog them since it was my first time using that source. They were brilliant: little nuanced additions and techniques created the most decadently creamy and moist banana bread I've ever had. Alas, I had no photos, so I could not share them. (Not to fret, that recipe will come.) Then three days of dedicated banana muffin eating passed by and I reentered the kitchen with a new baking project. I prepared a post, took photos and was excited to share, only to find out in the end, my peanut butter ice cream was a disaster I could bare pretend worth sharing. So finally, at the start of a bitterly cold week in Colorado, I made the ideal winter snacking cake-and it is absolutely worth sharing.

       It is a deep ginger bread cake, with robust dark molasses, which needlessly to say, pairs well with the heavy ginger spices. Other notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove dance around to add complimentary warmth. The molasses is met with equal parts honey that brings of a more floral sweetness to the cake, particularly around the edges where the heat directly caramelizes it. However, it is the most subtle difference which will enhance the cakes tons, but be the ingredient that people cannot figure out what is slightly different. 

        Then comes my favorite part: the topping. The cake is covered with a crunchy, light streusel. It forms crunchy bites of sweetness sprinkled all over. Next to the natural bitterness of molasses and ginger, it could not be a more perfect compliment. I know if most people add dried fruit to gingerbread, the go with candied ginger, but I am telling you, cranberries will quickly change your mind. They are equally warm in profile to the cake base, enhancing its natural and desirable qualities. They then give a sticky, soft contrast to the crunchy streusel and tartness to the sweet. The bottom is warm and happy and the top is to die for. Digging your fork through them both and getting a thick bite is just what you should do to survive this horrendous cold. Serve it with tea and you are in business. 

Cake portion adapted from Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

**This cake is very specific to high altitude adjustments. You can use the streusel topping anywhere, but if you are not at altitude, please read the changes at the bottom of the page. Then follow the normal instructions starting at #7. 

Ingredients: 
Cake: 
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 TSP baking soda
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP cinnamon
1/4 TSP nutmeg
1/8 TSP clove
1 TSP ginger
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/3 C+ 1 TBSP dark molasses
1/3 C + 1 TBSP honey
2/3 C boiling water

Topping: 
3 TBSP cold butter
3 TBSP flour
6 TBSP sugar
1 TSP cinnamon
1/3 C dried cranberries

Instructions: 
1. Grease and line a 9" round baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, then beat for another 30 seconds on high, until light and fluffy.
5. Add in the molasses and honey, then beat until fully incorporated. 
6. Switch to a spatula. In 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 additions of boiling water, add the two alternating (starting and ending with the flour) to the liquids. Mix in the ingredients until fully combined, mixing and scraping down the sides between each addition.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, even out the top and set it aside.
8. In a small bowl, cut together the butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon until they have broken into large pea sized clumps.
9. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over top, then sprinkle the cranberries on top as well. 
10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, removing when an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean of the middle.
11. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake to remove it from the pan and turn over once more to serve streusel side up. 
The cake is best warm and would be heavenly with a dollop of whipped cream (then again most things would be heavenly with a dollop of whipped cream.)

**For those not at altitude (changes are italicized):
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Sugar
1 Egg
2 1/2 C AP flour (sifted)
1 1/2 TSP baking soda
1 TSP ginger
1/4 TSP each cinnamon and nutmeg
1/8 TSP clove
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 C dark molasses
1/2 C honey
1 C boiling water

1. Melt the butter and allow to cool.
2. Beat together the egg and sugar.
3. Stir in the butter to the eggs and sugar.
4. In a separate bowl sift all the dry ingredients together.
5.  In another bowl, combine the molasses, honey and water.
6. Add the dry mixture and wet mixtures alternating as described in step 6 above. 
   Continue with the recipe as normal from here. 

Pear Sour Cream Coffee Cake

    I mentioned in my last post one of my favorite treats over the holidays was an old fashioned apple cake, and although I promise to share that some time, I wanted to try something new and make sure to use some pears in my baking during their months of glory. I pondered an upside-down cake, or a crisp, but I had some sour cream left over from the German Chocolate Cake and if I am lucky enough to have that around the house it is hard for me to not jump all over making an old fashioned coffee cake.

     I truly love coffee cake. I think it is one of the most wonderfully diverse baked goods in terms of the fact you can eat it for breakfast with your coffee and sit there in wide-eyed happiness that this is how you get to start your morning. If your like me and prefer savory breakfasts, it is the ideal afternoon snack to hold you over and enjoy with (pardon my cliché ) a spot of tea. I dare say its even quite acceptable as an after dinner treat for the gentle soul who still wants cakes but does not care for a thick dose of frosting that particular night. Yes, coffee cake is suitable for everyone's sweet tooth needs.

     Then you cross the bridge of styles of coffee cake: there is yeasted, filled, sour cream, in a Bundt pan, in a square pan covered with large crumbles, with or without fruit, nuts, spices, icing etc. The coffee cake can be adapted to the eaters taste preference, and what time they prefer to eat it.

     Excuse my rambles about the complexity of the humble coffee cake, but perhaps next time you eat one, you will now ponder just how wonderful and what a thoughtful treat it is from the person who shared it with you. 

     This cake in particular is one of the most absolutely moist cakes I have ever made. Period- I am not exaggerating. It was so flipping moist and enveloped in a caramelized outer shell that had a wonderfully deep flavor and contrasted so beautifully with the soft, rich, moist, moist, MOIST inside. My mouth it watering just thinking about it. Now, I did not finish the cake the first day and I have enjoyed it every time I have eaten it, but I cannot stress to you enough the importance of trying this cake a few hours out of the oven. It is a true treat to indulge in and completely necessary. As for the rest of the cake, it has a deep cinnamon flavor that warms you through and through. It has chunks of pear that act as naturally sweet, soft spots almost as if you had used pear butter to spread over the cake. These compliment perfectly the flavors of vanilla, sour cream, and butteriness that are so pronounced in the cake. Finally, the streusel has a heavenly buttery, caramelized pecan flavor, with the lightest touch of salt to balance and enhance the sweet. Where it touches the edges of the pan it turns into bits of joy that resemble a praline. However it does not end there, and adds great richness swirled through the cake. I know this a long post, but I felt in necessary you understand how grateful I am for such a simple baked good, and how strongly I feel you should all make this at home to share with your loved ones as well. 

Ingredients: 

For the Streusel:

1/4 C packed light brown sugar

1/2 C all purpose flour

1 1/2 TSP ground cinnamon

1/4 TSP fine salt

3/4 C chopped pecans

3 TBSP cold, unsalted butter

For the Cake:

2 1/2 C cake flour (not self rising) or White Lily flour (for the Southern folk) if you can get your hands on it

1 1/2 TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP baking soda

1/2 TSP fine salt

1/2 TSP ground cinnamon

12 TBSP (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted, room temperature butter 

1 1/2 C granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temp.

1 1/2 TSP vanilla extract

1 C sour cream

1/4 C whole milk

2 medium-large firm pears

*All my recipes are done at altitude. For sea level, use 2 TSP baking powder and 1/2 TSP baking soda. Also, you may use 1 1/4 C sour cream and remove the whole milk if you would like, but you may also follow as the recipe directs.

For the Simple Syrup:

2 TBSP honey

2-3 TBSP boiling water

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and grease and flour a Bundt pan. 

2. In a small bowl, make the streusel by combining the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans. Next cut the butter into small cubes, add it to the dry ingredients and combine using a pastry cutter, your hands (run them under cold water first, then dry), or two knifes. Cut the butter in until it is the size of peas. Place the bowl of streusel in the freezer for later. 

3. For the cake, sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set it aside.

4. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes on medium-high until they are light in color and fluffy. 

5. Add the eggs one at a time on low-medium speed until they are incorporated. Next turn up the speed to medium-high again and beat for 30-45 seconds until the mixture is a pale yellow and looks thoroughly combined. 

6. Add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk, and beat on medium speed until they are well blended.

7. Finally, turn the speed to low and in three additions, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until there are no streaks of flour. Make sure to scrape down the sides and around the bottom of the bowl so everything is mixed in and no clumps remain. 

8. Peel the pears and dice into 1/4-1/2" chunks. Add the pears to the mixing bowl and beat for 15 seconds on low until they are spread throughout the batter.

9. Remove the streusel from the freezer and add 1/3 off it to the bottom of the Bundt pan. Next add 1/3 of your batter and spread it evenly around the pan. Repeat with the next 1/3 of streusel and batter and finally repeat one more time with the last 1/3 of each. So the cake should go from the bottom of the pan: streusel, batter, streusel, batter, streusel, batter.  

9. Bake for 50-60 minutes until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 25 minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate. 

10. Add the honey and boiling water to a small bowl, whisk to combine and pour the mixture over top the cake. 

11. Allow the cake to cool 30 more minutes before slicing. Serve immediately and tightly wrap left overs in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature.