My Cure for Night Duty - Pecan Cinnamon-Streusel Bread

Night duty can be hell:  It plays tricks with your body clock, staffing levels drop to a disconcertingly low number, and patients always seem to get worse overnight.  You never know what you’re in for when you walk into the ward.  It may be easy-peezy, but can just as readily turn into a complete nightmare.

One thing I love about night duty, though, is the camaraderie.  Since there aren’t many of us working, we all have to depend upon each other to get through the shift, and we take care of each other.  Working night duty brings a whole new meaning to “team effort.”  Of course, one of the ways we show our love is through food.  (Isn’t that always the case?)  We bring in treats to fuel our sugar cravings and help power us through the inherent exhaustion.

This week, my contribution to our junk-food addiction was a play on the Cinnamon Swirl bread my mom used to bake when I was growing up.  It was always my favorite breakfast treat, so I thought I would play with the recipe and dress it up a little.  What I ended up creating was absolutely delicious… Pecan Cinnamon-Streusel Bread.  It was everything I had hoped it would, and more.  So, see below for the recipe.  I highly recommend you give it a go.  Enjoy!

Pecan Cinnamon-Streusel Bread

 Ingredients:

Bread:

¼ cup butter, melted

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Streusel:

1/4 cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). 

Make the streusel:  In a food processor, combine sugar, flour, and salt and mix to combine.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and the butter pieces are very small, and the mixture resembles sand.  Add pecans and mix to combine.  (This can also be done by hand by first cubing the butter into small pieces and using a fork to combine the sugar and butter.  Then add flour in small amounts, using your fingers to rub the mixture together.  Continue adding flour until the mixture resembles sand.)

Make the batter:  In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk. 

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/3 cup sugar.  Pour a third of the batter into a greased 8X4X2-inch loaf pan.  Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar and chopped pecans on top of batter.  Repeat layers twice, sprinkling the top layer with the streusel topping.  

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  (Hint - If the streusel browns too quickly, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil on top to allow the bread to fully cook.)

A Little Slice of Heaven (aka Honey-Caramel Macadamia Blondies)

I did it!  I succeeded in baking a small slice of heaven!  (At least, that’s what my coworkers told me.)  After feeling somewhat crushed and demoralized by one of my patient’s family members, I needed a little confidence boost.  So, I decided to bake.  And, since I had some heavy cream in the refrigerator, I knew I needed to make something incorporating caramel.  (What else was I going to do with that heavy cream?)  Besides, after a rough evening at work, making a batch of caramel is the best way to de-stress.  Caramel is kind that way.  It’s such a precise, all-consuming project, my mind doesn’t have time to wander or worry about other things.  (And, believe me, I needed to be fully distracted from what had happened at work.)  The only problem was figuring out what would go well with the caramel.  So, after careful consideration, I decided to make Honey-Caramel Macadamia Blondies.  They’re rich, but absolutely delicious.  They melt in your mouth like any good caramel treat should.  But, most importantly, baking them helped me feel a little better about myself again.  Thank heavens for baking therapy!

Honey-Caramel Macadamia Blondie Recipe

My First Muesli

As much as I would have liked to, I couldn’t stay in bed all day yesterday.  So, after a good amount of lazing around in my fortress of warmth, I finally had to brave the cold of my apartment and do something with myself.  And what better to do on a cold day than bake?  (Twist my arm!)  So, of course, that’s exactly what I did.

My Sticky-Sweet Obsession

OK.  Please forgive the strangeness of this entry.  I realize it has nothing to do with nursing, or living in Australia, or even the on-going struggle with my oven.  (By the way, the score is now 3:2, and I’m in the lead!)  But I simply cannot help myself.  Last night, as I was standing over the stovetop, making caramel for a co-worker’s birthday cake, I had a minor revelation.  I was overcome by how much I truly enjoy making caramel.  Strange, right?  I’m not kidding, though.  I absolutely love everything about it.  Something about making caramel speaks to me.  (I know, I know… I am so weird!)  I love that it starts with nothing more than sugar and water.  I love standing watch over the two elements as they dissolve into each other, eventually morphing into a bubbly, viscous concoction.  It’s entrancing.  I doubly love that it takes more than technical skill to make a good caramel.  It requires a feel for the entire process, an instinct for the right moment to add the cream.  Too soon and the caramel will be runny, lacking depth of flavor.   Too long and it will be nothing more than scorched mess stuck to the bottom of a saucepan.  But when done right, it transforms into a smooth, sweet, silky caramel sauce.  It has to be one of the most satisfying processes ever.  Anyway, see below for my favorite caramel recipe if you’re interested testing my hypothesis.

Caramel Sauce

½ cup water

2 TBS light corn syrup or honey**

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 TBS unsalted butter

Place water, corn syrup (or honey), and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Do not stir!  Brush down and sugar crystals that may adhere to the side of the pan with water.

Boil until the mixture is thick and caramel colored – about the color of straw.

Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook 1-2 minutes until the color of deep amber.

Add the cream and salt.  The mixture will seize and bubble up.  Keep the burner at medium and continue stirring until the sugar is incorporated again and the sauce is smooth.

Remove the heat and add the vanilla and butter.

Cool and refrigerate.

**I added 2 TBS of raw, unprocessed wildflower honey for this last batch and it was AMAZING!  The unique honey flavor really came out, making this caramel wonderfully different.

Oven Wars, Part 2

Yes!  A cake victory!  It’s a good day!  Today, I have succeeded in making an oatmeal cake with broiled coconut/pecan frosting.  Mmmm… This simple oatmeal cake has been a much-needed confidence booster.
Those reading my blog since the beginning are well aware of the hate-hate relationship I have with my convection oven.  My first baking attempts weren’t pretty, nearly reducing me to a pool of sugary tears.  I seriously doubted my baking abilities.  (Who would have thought that could ever happen?)  But, things are changing.  I’ve now had TWO successful baking projects.  Woo hoo!  Thus, in the on-going Stacey vs. Oven battle, I’m declaring the score 2 to 2.  And, without sounding too cocky, I predict I’m well on my way to dominating that stupid convection oven.  Never mind we’re technically tied (minor details); the momentum has shifted.  I now possess the proper tricks to outsmart that evil contraption.  I’m beginning to feel like my old bad-a**, baking self again.  Anyhow, if you’re interested in making this yummy cake, see below for the recipe.

**Oh – I do need to credit my new favorite blog Eat, Run, Read for providing me with this recipe.  Thanks much!  I only made a couple of minor changes to suit my tastes.

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Frosting

Cake Ingredients:


1 cup (3 ounces) quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup water , room temperature


3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour


1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened


1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar


1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar


1 large egg, room temperature


1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



½ cup shredded coconut

2-3 tablespoons milk

Broiled Icing Ingredients:


1/4 cup packed (1 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar


3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled


3 tablespoons milk


3/4 cup shredded coconut


1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) pecans, chopped


Directions:


FOR THE CAKE: 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut two 16-inch lengths aluminum foil and fold both lengthwise to 5-inch widths. Spray 8- by 8-inch metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Create a foil sling for the pan: cut two 16-inch lengths of foil and fold them to widths of 5 inches each. Fit foil pieces into baking dish, one overlapping the other, pushing them into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. This creates a sling that will help you remove the cake after baking and cooling. Spray foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine oats and water in medium bowl and let sit until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.



3. In bowl of standing mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until combined and mixture has consistency of damp sand (2 to 4 minutes), scraping down bowl with rubber spatula halfway through mixing. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing until incorporated. Add soaked oats. Mix until combined.



4. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Lightly tap against counter 3- 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles; smooth surface with spatula. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes (careful: mine only took 28 minutes), rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool slightly in pan, at least 10 minutes.



FOR THE BROILED ICING:

While cake cools, adjust oven rack about 9 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. In medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, melted butter, and milk together; stir in coconut and pecans. Spread mixture evenly over warm cake. Broil until topping is bubbling and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

**If you are baking with a convection oven, decrease oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake slightly longer.  (My cake took 45 minutes.)

Oven Wars

That’s it. I’m declaring war on my oven. I have no idea how I’m going to win. I don’t even have a strategy in mind. But I refuse to let that thing get the best of me. I have never had trouble baking in my life. I have been baking cakes and cookies with ease since I was a little kid. Now, I can’t even make the simplest of recipes. This convection oven is driving me insane! After my blondie debacle the other night, I did some research. I went online, looking up article after article on baking with convection ovens. I even read my operator’s manual. Armed with new knowledge, I was confident. I was certain I possessed all of the tricks and tips necessary for success. So, I tried my trusted recipe for banana bread. Surely, that wouldn’t fail. I was sadly mistaken. I just can’t seem to get it right. The oven just bakes weird. The heat is supposed to circulate, but it concentrates at the top, burning things before they can bake through. It’s maddening. All I can do is continue to play around with the settings and experiment with new techniques. Maybe cookies will be easier. I just hate getting excited about a recipe just to have it flop. I have to try something, though. This oven is not going to get the best of me.

Sweet Dreams

Lately, I’ve been dreaming of cake. As I sleep, I picture white cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake, buttercreams, and ganaches. And when I’m awake, I’m perfecting recipes in my head, concocting various flavor combinations. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to bake, but this is becoming ridiculous. I’m obsessed. I’m not sure where this is coming from. Maybe the recent rainy weather is affecting my brain. Or maybe, it’s my need to nest and make our new apartment feel more like a home. Whatever the reason, it’s slightly maddening. Under normal circumstance, I would cave and just bake a cake, promptly satisfying this urge. But doing so right now would be an extravagance. All of my baking supplies are packed neatly away in our storage unit in Las Vegas, awaiting our return to the states. In Australia, I don’t even own a whisk. So, I’ve had to settle for simple, comfort-food recipes. Last night was rhubarb crisp. This morning was strawberry shortcake pancakes. And while neither are the cake I so desperately wish to prepare, they have taken the edge off my obsession. And, in case anyone else is sharing in my sweet tooth, see below for the recipe:

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

Ingredients:

Pancakes: (Makes 6-8 medium pancakes)

· 1 and 1/3 cups flour

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1 egg

· 2 tablespoons melted margarine or vegetable oil

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

· 2 tablespoons sugar

· 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1 and 1/4 cups milk

Strawberry Topping: (Makes 2, 3-pancake servings)

· 1 pint strawberries, finely diced and smashed

· 2 tablespoons white sugar

· 2-4 tablespoons orange juice

Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions:

Combine the diced and smashed strawberries with the sugar and orange juice in a medium bowl. Let sit to draw out juices. Refrigerate until pancakes are ready.

Make pancakes. Depending upon the skillet size, you should be able to make three medium pancakes at one time. Pour batter into skillet heated to a medium temperature. Let pancakes cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and finish cooking until golden brown.

Assemble the shortcake. Place one pancake on a plate and top with a denerous helping of the strawberry topping. Repeat twice. Top with one to two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Serve.