Chocolate Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Did anyone know that hazelnuts are also referred to as 'Filburts'? Just wanted to put that out there for starters. I have never cooked with hazelnuts before, but this rainy and damp weekend seemed like a good first time to try.

I was not aware that hazelnuts need to be blanched before cooking to remove their tough skins. After some googling/trial and error, I found that the best method was to boil 2 cups of water, add 3 tablespoons of baking soda, add the hazelnuts for 3 minutes, and drop them into a bowl of ice water. After this process, the skins came off like a breeze, and I was ready to get started on my coffee cake.

 

 

Chocolate Cinnamon Coffee Cake adapted from Bon Appetit

½ cup blanched hazelnuts

4 ouncesbittersweet chocolate chips

½ cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sugar,

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

• Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 8” square baking pan; set aside. Toss hazelnuts, chocolate, cinnamon, and ¼ cup sugar in a bowl.

• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and remaining sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and yogurt, alternating, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. 

• Pour half of batter into prepared pan and smooth top; top with half of hazelnut mixture. Spoon remaining batter over and smooth top; top with remaining hazelnut mixture. Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

I also added a simple glaze, made with powdered sugar, almond milk, maple syrup and cinnamon. Because I'm fly like that.

T.G.I.F

Peach Brioche from Nuvrei Pastries & Cafe.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

For whatever reason, I feel like warm weather and citrus flavors go hand in hand. As the clouds and rain finally gave way toward the end of this week, I felt the urge to try a recipe I had clipped awhile back for a citrusy pound cake, made with lemon zest and yogurt. I tweaked the it a touch, and the results were delicious!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/5 tbs lemon zest
1-2 tbs lemon juice 
3/4 cup greek yogurt (I used lemon flavored)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

-Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a loaf pan with butter/veggie spray and dust with flour. 

-Mix flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a bowl. 

-Rub sugar and lemon zest together in separate bowl using your fingers until the sugar starts to clump a bit. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

-Pour batter into loaf pan and jiggle to smooth out the top. Bake until it looks like a beaming brick of gold, about 45-50 minutes.

Enjoy with fresh fruit, whip, or a scoop of honey ice cream! I think the next time I make this (there will be a next time), I will add some lavender buds, and hang back on the lemon zest a touch to ensure that the herbal flavor comes through.

Happy weekend!