Lemon-Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake - Cheryl Hale

Coffee Cake batter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 Lemons juiced, divided between
       coffee cake, cream cheese layer, and icing
<3/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream
1 cup raspberries, blueberries, or 

           strawberries (cubed), fresh or frozen

Cream Cheese Layer
1 large egg at room temp

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raspberries, blueberries, or 

           strawberries (cubed), fresh or frozen

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

Icing
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare coffee cake batter. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one a time, scraping down the butter and eggs as need be; add vanilla. Mix in lemon zest. In a liquid measuring cup juice lemons with a strainer to catch the seeds. Using a 1 cup liquid measuring cup add 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice and enough buttermilk (or sour cream) to make it 1 cup. Add buttermilk mixture to batter and combine. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in 1 cup of berries.

Prepare Cream Cheese layer. In a stand mixer with the whisk attached add egg add cream cheese; mix until combined. While the mixer is on low, add powdered sugar to cream cheese mixture slowly until fluffy about 2 minutes or so. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice and 1 cup berries.

Spread 1/2 the batter evenly into prepared pan. Add cream cheese layer. Top with the remaining batter.

Prepare crumb topping. In a food processor mix together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add butter pulse until mixture forms a coarse, pea-like consistency. Sprinkle on top of batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and remove ring.

While cooling make icing by whisking together powdered sugar and remaining lemon juice to create a thin glaze. Drizzle icing on cake that has cooled for 10 minutes.

Note: Try the recipe with one, two, or all three berries.

Buttermilk Biscuits

1 stick Butter

2 1/2 cups Flour, 

         plus extra for hands and work surface
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup cold Buttermilk,

         + 2 Tablespoons for brushing tops
2 teaspoons Honey

Cut up butter into 1/2 inch cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450.

In a food processor add flour, baking powder and salt.  Pulse until combined.  Add cubed butter and pulse several times until coarse crumbs form.  Pour mixture into a large bowl.

Make a well in the center for the flour mixture in the large bowl.  Pour 1 cup buttermilk into well and drizzle honey on top.  Fold everything together until it begins to come together.  DO NOT overwork the dough.  Biscuit dough should be uneven and barely stay together.  This helps create the air pockets of buttery goodness!

Pour the dough and any crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands.  If dough ever starts to stick to your hands add more flour to your hands.  

Flatten dough to 3/4 inch thick rectangle.  Fold one side into the center, then the other side.  Gently flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle again.  Repeat folding again.  This should be done a total of 4 times.  

Cut biscuits out using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, DO NOT twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down into the dough.  Re-roll scraps until all the dough is used.  You should have 8-10 biscuits.  Arrange in a cast iron pan, make sure the biscuits are touching.  Placing them close together will help them push each other up.

Brush tops with 2 Tablespoons buttermilk.  

Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.  DO NOT open the oven to look at them part way through baking.  Take them out when they are bronze, flakey, and sky-high!

Cover left overs tightly and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. 

Homemade Greek Yogurt - Quick Reference

- Start by 11am.
- Fill tub with cold water.
- 180 °F for 2 hrs.
- Remove jars with jar tongs
    empty tub
        refill tub with cold water
            finger tighten lids
                place jars back in tub
- 110 °F for 45 min
- Remove jars
    unscrew lids
        add 1 cookie scoop of saved yogurt
            stir
                replace lids and finger tighten
                    place jars back in tub
- 110 °F for 6 hrs.
- remove jars
    sit room temperature for 2-3 hours
- refrigerate jars overnight
- strain for 3 hrs.
- Put in container and place in fridge

Dill Pickles

5 pint Mason Jars

4-5 lbs Cucumbers

4 cups water

4 cups vinegar 5% acidity

1/4 cup Pickling Salt

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Onion thinly sliced

5 Garlic Cloves

Seasonings Per Jar:

1/8 teaspoon Pickle Crisp

1/8 teaspoon Turmeric

1 teaspoon Mustard Seed

1 teaspoon Dill Seed

1 teaspoon Coriander Seed

1 teaspoon Peppercorn

fresh dill sprig

Sterilizing jars.
Bring a canning pot of water to a boil and sterilize wide-mouth pint jars. Bring a small sauce pan of water to boil and sterilize the lids and rings.

Prepare the cucumbers.
Wash and dry the cucumbers. Trim away both ends of the cucumber. Leave the cucumbers whole, cut them into spears, or slice them into coins, as desired.

Pickling brine.
Place the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. You may not use all the brine.

Preparing jars.
At the bottom of each sterilized mason jar place ingredients for seasonings per jar. Pack the cucumbers into the jars. Leave ~1 inch head space to top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers. Top with some onion slices and a garlic clove. Ladle brine into the jars leaving 1/2 inch head space from the top. Finger tight lid and ring onto jar.

Canning Jars.
Return filled jars to canning pot. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars to a towel and let sit for a few hours till cooled down. Test lids to make sure they have a seal.

Slow Cooked Shredded Mexican Chicken

 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 teaspoon White Pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Chicken Broth

Mix Seasonings.  Rub over Chicken.

Place chicken in a  slow cooker.  Add broth.  Cook on high for 1 hour and low for 3 hours or until chicken is tender.  

Remove chicken.  Shred with 2 forks.

Carrot Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 Tablepsoon + 1/4 cup Butter (divided)

1 Onion, diced small

1 Garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup Flour
2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream
3/4 teaspoon Salt

3/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Paprika 

1/2 teaspoon Ground Mustard

Pinch Cayenne

2 Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced rounds

1 head Broccoli, florets cut into bite size pieces, stalk trimmed and chopped

8 oz Block Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

In a soup pot melt 1 Tablespoon Butter over medium high heat.  Sauté Onions for about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.  Remove to a small bowl.

In the same soup pot melt 1/4 cup butter over medium high heat.  Remove from heat and stir in flour till combined.  Return to heat and pour in chicken broth, milk, and cream (I like to combine them into a 4 cup measurer so they pour together).  Wisk constantly for about 5 minutes.  

Lower heat to medium low and continue whisking occasionally for ~15 minutes.  You only want it to be at a simmer.  

Add seasonings and combine with whisk.  

Stir in veggies included set aside bowl of onions.  

Simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Add cheese in small amounts while stirring to incorporate throughly before adding more small amounts.  

Note:  To make it a more hearty meal instead of a side dish add 2 red potatoes, diced, when you add the veggies to the soup.  Then add 3-4 oz of diced ham before you add the cheese.

Frito Taco Casserole

1 lb Ground beef
1 small onion sliced
1 Can of Rotel 
2 TablespoonsTaco seasoning
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 Can Corn, drained
2 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Can Enchilada Sauce (10 oz)

1 Bag of Frito Corn Chips

2 C. Shredded Cheese

In a skillet brown the meat and onion. Add the Rotel and taco seasoning. Simmer until any liquid is evaporated. Add black beans, corn, and cream cheese.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cream cheese until melted and combined. Stir in the enchilada sauce.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Dump 1/3 of the bag of Fritos into the bottom of the pan.

Top with 1/2 of the meat mixture and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layer Chips, meat, cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.  Before serving sprinkle last 1/3 of fritos on top of casserole.