I was all set out to bake a coffee cake…..I had a bunch of ideas about how I’d make it and then thought to myself isn’t there a Bouchon Bakery Recipe out there on the web for me to try????? The first site that I found the Bouchon Recipe was on www.Joanne-EatsWellWithOthers.com Joanne made the recipe as it was written. I changed it up slightly so I didn’t have to run out and purchase creme fraiche, vanilla paste or some sort of 4 1/4 inch pans.Instead I used French style yogurt, regular vanilla extract and those higher liners that fit in my cupcake pan. (regular cupcake liners won’t work they aren’t high enough). I pick up the high ones at World Market, Target and I sometimes find them at HomeGoods. (I usually use them for Bouchon’s (also a most amazing recipe!) I figured out the timing to be about 26 minutes in my oven…(yours may differ slightly) The little coffee cakes are incredible. They are just light textured and scrumptious. The almond topping is so tasty and the cocoa center adds some interest. You do need a scale that reads grams to do this recipe because you have to weigh everything out. You might also waste part of an egg because I know I did. I weighed everything in a sandwich bag before I dumped the contents into the bowl. I thought it was an easy recipe to prepare. The original recipe requires a stand mixer but I thought it was easy enough to do by hand with a fork. Not always but usually cakes and cookies come out better if you mix them by hand so they don’t get over mixed.  I changed the recipe  only slightly to make it more user friendly so you don’t have to run out to buy so many things you don’t have or need.

Ingredients for about 12 servings

203 g ap flour – batter

1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder – batter

3/8 teaspoon baking soda – batter

1/2 teaspoon sea salt – batter

75 g unsalted butter – room temperature – batter

210 g sugar – batter

75 g eggs – slightly beaten – batter

1 teaspoon vanila extract – batter

1 cup French Style yogurt – (I really like that Oui Brand in the little glass pot) – batter

60 g ap flour – topping

60 g almond flour – topping

60 g sugar – topping

1/8 teaspoon salt – topping

60 g cold unsalted butter – cut in 1/4inch peices

15 g light brown sugar – the middle of batter

15 g unsweetened cocoa powder – the middle of batter

powdered 10x sugar to finish

ground cinnamon to finish

non stick spray

Directions

For Topping Ingredients- In a medium sized bowl whisk together ap flour, almond flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and coat the pieces of butter with flour mixture breaking the butter up. You are aiming for 1/8 inch size pieces. Place the topping mixer in the freezer while you are making the batter.

For the Batter Ingredients – Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar. When mixed well add the eggs and vanilla. Now add about a half of the flour mixture and mix well and then add the yogurt and mix well and now add the rest of the flour mixture and mix well. THE BATTER NEEDS TO BE REFRIGERATED FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES.

Set your oven to 325 degrees F.

Spray 12 high type cupcake liners with non stick spray. Set each cupcake liner in a cup cake tray.

In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar and cocoa.

When 20 minutes has pasted get out a pastry bag. Half the batter goes in the bag. You need to squirt out a circle of batter into each cupcake liner.

Now sprinkle the cocoa/brown sugar mixture over each half of batter.

Refill the pastry bag with the other half of the batter. Make another circle of batter over each.

Sprinkle the tops with the topping from the freezer.

In the oven they go on a middle rack till the tops feel down to the touch. In my oven they took 26 minutes….(yours might differ slightly).

 

The place smells so good!……

Have a half!

Finish them with powdered 10x sugar and cinnamon.

These Bouchon Bakery Mini Coffee Cakes are really great! A special Thanks to Bouchon Bakery for giving us this amazing recipe. It’s truly a gift! And another very special Thanks to Joanne @ www.JoanneEatsWellWithOthers.com because you did the recipe as suggested and showed us how the recipe should be.

 

 

 

After reading about a lot of mini spinach and feta pies I thought I could do the same thing but different with Spaghetti Squash Feta and Harissa and I did! I learned from dining at FnB in Scottsdale that Harissa is an AMAZING pairing with spaghetti squash….so I do that often. There are many styles of Harissa out there but the one I developed is absolutely delicious with many things so you might want to make a double amount…or use the extra to dip the mini pies in…?….I actually didn’t know if this recipe for crust would work out…since I just winged it….But it did…and very well I might add. These mini pies are very unique and also tasty!

Ingredients for about 9 portions

1 1/2 cup flour – plus a very small amount more for rolling out the dough..

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1 1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup spaghetti squash cooked and drained REALLY WELL.

4 oz creamy or fresh style feta cheese……NOT the salty tangy GREEK or substitute goat cheese

1/4 cup scallions – chopped

2 Tablespoons cilantro – chopped

1 Large egg – slightly beaten

2 red bell peppers roasted – skin, seeds & stem removed – rough chopped – PLUS ALL THE SWEET JUICE that comes out of the peppers from roasting

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves – grated

1 hot pepper – chopped (or to taste)

1 lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste

1 Large egg & 1 &tablespoon water

about 4 pinches of sesame seeds

Directions

Make dough

Set oven to 450degrees F.

In a large bowl combine flour, chicken pea flour, sea salt, water, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix and knead well. Wrap in plastic wrap and set to the side. Wrap in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out and keep to the side.

I do note YOUR SQUASH SHOULD BE DRAINED VERY WELL or this recipe won’t work out for you.

In a small bowl to the side make your wash,,,,,It’s just one Large egg and a Tablespoon of water. Set to the side.

Harissa is just 2 red bell peppered roasted with cumin, caraway, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, hot pepper, lemon, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste blended well.

Add the harissa and the feta cheese, scallions and cilantro to the spaghetti squash.

Set a scoopful or two into each.

I didn’t take a picture but I tried to fold them like this.

They were too messy and I didn’t think they would come out right so I threw each one in a muffin pan.

Then I covered them with egg wash two times and sesame seeds.

After some time in the oven they looked more like this. I put these in the oven at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes……I thought they might need longer but I didn’t want to burn them so i turned the heat down to 350 for ten minutes. They came out perfect and lightly browned even underneath.

Delicious…You will love this.

Inside they also came out really well….

Whoo Hoo….This is a Forking Good One!

 

 

 

 

 

I had a cabbage that I had to use so I thought I’d come up with different slaw. Here’s Sriracha Ginger Apple Slaw! It’s very easy to prepare and taste great! I think most people will like it. It’s not too spicy and it’s not too sweet. It’s light and refreshing.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

1 medium green cabbage – shredded very thinly (don’t used bagged)

2 medium carrots – peeled and shredded

1/2 medium sweet onion – shredded very thinly

1/3 cup radishes – shredded

1 honey crisp apple (it will get shredded but do that at the end)

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 Tablespoons minced ginger

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon honey

2 Tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons Sriracha – or to taste because different brands will differ

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon cilantro chopped

1 Tablespoon parsley chopped

Directions

Put the cabbage, sugar and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well and transfer to a colander that sits over a large bowl and let sit on the counter about 1/2 hour. Water will come out of the cabbage. Throw out the liquid and put the cabbage back in the large bowl.

Add the carrots, onion, radishes to the large bowl and set to the side.

In a small bowl add the dijon, honey, Sriracha and ground garlic and mix well. While mixing slowly add the oil and mix well. Slowly mix in the apple cider and mix well. Add the minced ginger and black pepper. Mix well.

Shred the apple and add it to the large bowl with cabbage. Mix in the dressing and lastly add the parsley and cilantro.

It’s ready to serve on a sandwich or on the side or wrapped with protein in rice paper.

Enjoy!

 

 

I was thinking that Buffalo Chicken Meatballs might be tasty so here they are. The meatballs come out just right tang, a little spicy, juicy but firm with little crunches of celery. They are delicious too by the way……You can top them however you like. I like to just use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce with a side of quality Blue Cheese. Feel free to make a more traditional wing-type sauce with a combination of equal parts of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and Butter…..Another alternative is to just pour Blue Cheese Dressing on the meatballs and then drizzle them with the aged Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Frank’s Red Hot). This recipe is very easy to make but make sure your rice is cooked properly or you might wind up with squishy meatballs. The rice is in the recipe to soak up all that delicious hot sauce. To cook rice correctly I do two (dry not liquid) cups of water to a heaping cup of rice and I use a little salt and either a pat of butter or a squirt of oil, then bring to boil then reduce to simmer then cover lightly for 15-20 minutes. I think these meatballs are great as appetizers or also just as good in a sandwich or wrap. Maybe serve with buttered rice, noodles or creamy potatoes as a dinner…….Leftover meatballs can be frozen.

This recipe makes about 10 servings.

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken

2 large eggs – slightly beaten

1 cup white rice (already prepared)

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 cup aged cayenne pepper sauce – preferably Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1/4 cup scallions – chopped

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 celery rib – chopped fine

1/4 cup carrot – finely shredded

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley – chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

2 pinches celery seeds

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons course sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

non stick cooking spray – preferably canola or vegetable

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet(s) with non-stick spray and set to the side.

In a large bowl add eggs, rice, dijon mustard and aged cayenne pepper sauce and mix well. Then add all the vegetables and spices. Mix well. Now add the ground chicken and mix well. Lastly add the bread crumbs and mix well.

At this point you can do a smaller tester ball (a little smaller than a marble to test for seasoning and place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until done.

When you’re happy with the seasoning use a small scoop and make your meatballs. With my small scoop I made 44 meatballs.

Cook till done. In my oven they took 15 minutes.

Serve!

If you like that Buffalo Wing kind of taste then you should enjoy these yummy meatballs.