Hummingbird Cake with a Goat Cheese & Chamomile Tea Frosting

Hello, friend

Hummingbird Cake is a Southern classic, and rightfully so. This is an incredible cake. I adapted from the original cream cheese frosting recipe by making a creamy goat cheese & crème fraiche frosting infused with chamomile tea to add a decadent yet subtle compliment to the rich, moist, tenderness of the cake.

I apologize for the late posting. I’ve been out of town all weekend attending the Breadsense summit for Aunt Millie’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which was a complete success! It was my first time at Aunt Millie’s, so it was exciting being able to meet all the creators, marketers, and individuals involved with the Breadsense program. We toured the Aunt Millie’s plant, talked about audience and market segmentation, and even got to play with puppets. All I can say is that there are some exciting new things coming in 2017 that I cannot wait to share with all of you. Plus, on my way back home, I got to stop in Indianapolis and have lunch of Lauren (of the Saveur-nominated food blog Harvest and Honey), which was absolutely delightful! We ate at this adorable little brunch café Eggshell Bistro, which was outstanding, to say the least. Over cups of coffee, we talked about all things blogging, food, and photography. We gawked over our favorite bloggers as we chowed down on plates of shakshuka and rosemary & ham tarts. It was so wonderful being able to meet a fellow blogger who is just a stone's throw away regionally. Being able to connect with other content creators like Lauren makes me appreciate this little food community even more than ever. 

Carrot Pound Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting + Thoughts from KC

Hello, friend. 

Back at it again with another cake recipe! That’s number 2 for 2016?? I would apologize, but I have no shame. What’s wrong with posting a few too many cake recipes? I see no issues here. This past weekend was Easter (hence the carrot cake recipe). I never knew that carrot cake was a typical Easter dessert. Then I started thinking “well maybe it’s because rabbits eat carrots. Rabbits are comparable to bunnies. The Easter Bunny, maybe?” Is that true? I really would like to know. I hate being an Uninformed Umberto when it comes to festive figures. Anywho, I was able to head home for the weekend and spend time with family and celebrate the holiday. The holiday was filled with honey glazed ham and double decker brownies. So good!

On a more serious note, let’s talk barbeque, shall we?

Grandma Crawford's Cinnamon Apple Poundcake + my first magazine feature

Hello, friend.

So some exciting news... I’M IN A MAGAZINE!!

That’s right, the rumors are trumors. The blog title does not lie. I am in a magazine!

So rewind to December of last year. I had been following the magazine Local Wolves on Instagram for a while (around October-ish). One day, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I came across one of their post with the caption “#newbeginnings”. It was an open call for submissions where you emailed them, answering the question “how were you going to challenge yourself in 2016?”, for a chance to have a potential spot in their user submitted section of the magazine. I thought “Why I can answer that!” So I sat down in front of my laptop and starting writing. I wrote about the blog, my love of food, and my journey with stuttering. I sent the email and walked away from the computer, knowing I was never going to hear anything back.

Old-Fashioned Coffee Cake with a Cold Brew Coffee Icing │ 30th Anniversary & Huckleberry Cookbook

"And dreaming, as it were, held brotherly speech

With one whose thought I had not hoped to reach.

Men work together,' I told him from the heart,

Whether they work together or apart." 

       - Robert Frost "The Tuft of Flowers" 

This cover has been my current music obsession for a while now. It's been on repeat most of the week. If you are unaware of the musical genius that is Twenty-One Pilots, you need to educate yourself, because they are the best. Plus, it seemed fitting for the post. 

Momma Crawford and Father celebrated their 30^th anniversary this past week. To commemorate the milestone, I decided to make a special family dinner with all the showstoppers set in place. Freshly fried chicken, seasoned mashed potatoes, cheddar butter biscuits (side note: these little dollops of heaven taste identical to the ones from 'Red Lobster'. Recipe for those coming soon) and, for dessert, old fashioned coffee cake with a cold brew icing. It was a night of laughs, talks of the past, and true, down-home comfort cookin'. 

When making this dinner, I was reminded of all the life lessons my parents have taught me through the years about life, love, and happiness. From the funny memories to the heartfelt words of wisdom that will last a life time, I reminisced about it all. My parents have bestowed much elderly grace upon Jon and I over the years. From how to drive, how to put out both an oven and grill fire, how to laugh at ourselves, reasons to value good friends, and always remember to believe in ourselves. Twenty years is a long time for learning and growing and every moment has been worth it. Happy Anniversary Momma Crawford and Father with many more to come! 

Now back to coffee cake. I won the book Huckleberry and two other cookbooks from Chronicle Book’s for their “The Great Tumblr Book Search” contest a few months back. Flipping through the pages, everything looked divine. From the variety of teacakes, breads, cobblers, crumbles, entrees, and side dishes, my mouth was watering and I wanted to try them all, but I was skeptical. It wasn’t until I read a post by Thalia from Butter and Brioche, where she made an adaptation to the book’s Fresh Blueberry Brioche recipe, before I knew I had to experiment. I went with my gut and made some brioche bread. What I was in for was the best bread I’ve ever tasted. More about my brioche experience on my French toast post here. In a short and sweet phrase, I was hooked. I had become a full-on fanatic for Huckleberry. Though I wanted to put my fangirling to the test. Was Huckleberry all it was cracked up to be or just a one-hit-wonder?

In the words of Jon, “This is the best cake I’ve ever had. Period.” I’ve had some pretty outstanding cakes in my life, but this cake was definitely one to beat. It was warm, buttery, and rich. Its texture was a bit on the denser side, but still had a lightness to it. From the sweetness of the sugar, to the boldness of the butter, while rounding out beautifully with the cold brew icing, this cake was filled to the brim with outrageous flavor combinations and textures. The sugared walnuts gave the cake a nice added crunch without overpowering the cakes softness. That cake had a sonorous effect on the entire family. It was quickly devoured in a matter of days, it was that delicious. In the spirit of coffee cake, I knew I had to add something coffee. With heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and cold brew, I decided to make a simple icing drizzle for the top of the cake right before serving. The dark roasted flavors of the coffee and the sweetness of the sugar were the perfect combinations to take this coffee cake to the next level. 

_______________________________________________________________________

Old Fashioned Coffee Cake with a Cold Brew Icing

Recipe adapted from Huckleberry

Ingredients  

• 5 ½ tablespoons/80 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup/65 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/65 g almond meal
• 4 ½ tablespoon/55 g sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup/130 g walnuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups/340 g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons/380 g sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 ½ cups/310 g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup/45 g almond flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups/350 ml sour cream
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon cold brew coffee (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-step: I would feel bad about eating this cake, but today is my cheat day. In all honesty, every day is my cheat day (that can be our little secret).
2. To make the crumble: In a medium bowl, combine the butter, all-purpose flour, almond meal, sugar, and salt. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, combine the ingredients together until everything is well combined and moistened. Allow a few small bits of butter to remain. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. To make the streusel: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon and pulse until the walnuts are ground, but not becoming a paste. Set aside.
4. To make the cake: position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 350°F/180°C. Line and grease a 10-in round cake pan or spring form pan. Use butter to lightly grease the pan and use parchment paper to line the pan for the best results.
5. With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and the sugar begins to dissolve into the butter. Incorporate the vanilla and stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sour cream. Mix carefully, just until all combined. Do not overmix! If over-mixed, the batter will become tough. 
6. Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the batter. Top with the rest of the batter, coaxing it into covering the streusel layer. Top with the crumble. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until fully baked through. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
• Tip: Test if the cake is done by sticking a toothpick in the center, if it comes out dry, the cake is finished. If it comes out wet or with chunks of batter, bake in 5 minute intervals until a clean toothpick is achieved.  Never pull the cake out of the oven until completely baked. Taking the cake out of the oven before it is completely set may deactivate the rising agents in the batter and the cake will fall.
7. Place a flat plate on top of the cake and pan. Carefully invert the cake onto the plate by flipping both upside down. Then lift the pan off the cake. Gently pull the parchment paper away from the cake. Rest the serving plate on the bottom of the cake and turn the cake right-side up onto the plate. 
8. To make the icing: in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, and cold brew coffee. Stir with a fork to combine. Drizzle over the top of the cake before serving. 

Southern-Style Whoopie Pies with Cardamom-Marshmallow Buttercream

There is something indescribably comforting about the South. Look past the stereotypes (and the people who fit them) and the South is truly an inspiring escape.  The land is breathtaking, with rolling hills and scenic views for miles, and the culture is homebound and family-centered. When I think of the South, I think of chirpy old church women making cherry pies, acres of cotton fields, rustic outdoor weddings, and the soundtrack from O Brother Where Art Thou? The food, and the mentality towards it, in the South, speaks to me as a learning chef, writer, and photographer. The way that food centers around family, memories, and joy guides me in the direction of how I want to work with food.

Final exam week is finally over. Compared to previous exam weeks, this one was less stress-infested. My last exam was in Astronomy 101, with a teacher who I truly adored. She had such a love and passion for astronomy. It made me want to be just as passionate and excited about the stars and constellations as she was. We learned about the moon and all its phases, the stars, the planets, the Sun, and all the infinite we call our universe. The class made me realize how small and big we all are and how time and distances are relative. Human time is irrelevant compared the time of the universe. Space runs on a very different clock than we do. The way we view our time here on Earth is vastly insignificant compared to the age and growth of the universe, our solar system, and even our planet. 

This thought of space and relativity got me thinking about the term legacy and how I want to leave one. I think most people want to bestow some form of impact on the world after they die. Death is inevitable. Sorry! Spoiler alert. Everyone understands the process of life and death. We live and then die. A simple process. The circle of life. One of my greatest fears in life is leaving behind a worthless legacy or not leaving one at all. I fear not being the man I want to become because of my internal fears of rejection, betrayal, failure, etc. I fear that I won’t be able to do the things I want to do, accomplish all my dreams, and make the biggest impact on the lives I strive to influence because well, time is fleeting. I don’t want to get to the end of my life and see my legacy as mere scribblings in the Book of Life.

If you can get over the existential crisis I just put you through, I’m going somewhere with this. The universe is big, time is infinite, and everything is dying, hooray for fun blog time! Seriously though, this astronomy class made me realize something: we have the chance to leave a legacy. Maybe I won’t be the next Martha Stewart (but I don’t see why I couldn’t be. I have the hips for it) or the next Bobby Flay or Jamie Oliver or Mario Batali. I’m already someone though, me. As human beings living on this planet at this exact moment in time, we have the opportunity to leave a legacy in our daily lives. A legacy that creates a positive presence to the world.  

Opening the door for a mother-of-four with her hands full, complimenting someone on their new hairstyle, smiling at a stranger at the bus stop, or just simply being a genuinely kind person. These are all steps to leaving our legacy. Maybe you won’t be the next JK Rowling, or the next Oprah, but you are someone even better, YOU. Your ability to impact another person’s day, even if it’s for a split second, will still have an impacted in their life in one way or another. Being able to love ourselves, others, and the situations we all find ourselves in are the first steps to self-acceptance, reassurance, and true happiness. 

Well, that wasn’t what I expected to write. Sometimes my mind goes to some crazy places when I start writing these blog posts. Now how does this pertain to moon pies? In honor of my last day of astronomy and my brother and I’s birthday this past week, I decided to make Southern Whoopie Pies.  I misunderstood and thought whoopie pies were the same as Moon Pies. Apparently they are not which was an emotional blow to me. 

These whoopie pies turned out beautifully. My experience with cake-type baking hasn’t always been the prettiest, but this time was a complete success. I may or may not have patted myself on the back. These cookies were warm, fluffy, light, and just had the subtle hint of sweet and cardamom essences that rounded out all the flavors beautifully. It was bursting with chocolate, marshmallow goodness, and pure deliciousness. I took a few to work, and they were a massive success. Everyone loved these little clouds of heaven. I want to make these again, maybe using a different filling and flavorings. These are perfect for a birthday party or special event coming up. Adapted from the recipe at allrecipes.com

Southern-Style Whoopie Pies with Cardamom-Marshmallow Buttercream

Ingredients

           

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups marshmallow cream
• 1-2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Directions

Ponder the meaning of life while curling yourself up in a ball, swaying back and forth in the corner.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. To Make the Cookie: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until it is all combined and resembles wet sand. Add the egg, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Mix well. Note: this mixture will look like “the morning after”, but fear not, it improves after adding the dry ingredients.
3. In another large bowl, add the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix with a fork to combine. Add the flour mixture slowly to the sugar mixture, about 1/3 increments. Mix until all ingredients are combined, and it resembles a thicker cake batter (for a reference: molten lava consistency).
4. Drop the dough onto the greased cookie sheet in 1 tablespoon amounts. Leave at least 3 inches between the drops because these cookies expand while baking (just like the universe!) Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the baked. Test this by lightly pressing on the cookie and if it bounces back into place, they are done. Let cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour before filling.
5. To Make the Marshmallow Buttercream: In a large bowl, mix the butter, confectioners’ sugar, extract, and marshmallow crème. Mix until smooth. It may take a little while due to the marshmallow crème being a sticky son-of-a-gun. Add the cardamom and stir to combine.
6. To Assemble: Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling on the flat side of the cookie. Sandwich another cookie on top, pressing together slightly. Serve immediately.

Cold Brew Coffee Cake with a Strawberry-Grapefruit Buttercream │ Why French Macaroons are the Toughest Cookies