Spiced Orange Yeasted Coffee Cake

Lifelong Minnesota ELCA Lutheran here! Yep- hymn singing, church basement potlucking, sweater wearing Minnesota Lutheran. It’s a whole thing and I love it. 

While I’ve been a solid Lutheran the majority of my life, I’ve spent a lot of time floating around searching for a church home in my adult life. Finding a place that fills the cups of everyone in our family has been a challenge. That’s why, when we first sat down at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church about a year ago, I all but sobbed at the feeling of home that washed over me. I could feel the immense love filling the space. I could see it in the little details, like the inserts in the hymnals explaining how to love and welcome families with small children, the way members warmly spoke to one another, the way the pastors looked each member in the eye, clearly and genuinely appreciating their presence, and the message that all are welcome and loved and treated with respect. 

Yep. Cue the tears. 

Of course, when we first started attending Gloria Dei, I couldn’t have predicted how much we would rely on this family of (then) strangers. We were fortunate to find some of the best friends we have here in Minnesota at this church, and having those relationships solidified before the pandemic began has proven to be life giving. 

Of course, now we meet virtually on Sunday mornings. But because of the strong sense of community that has been so thoughtfully woven through the congregation, the connection is something we have relied on heavily through the past 6 months. It is truly a gift. Now, I’ve been able to do something I’ve missed so much: share food with others as a sign of love and support. Well, sort of. I’ve created this recipe for Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul in the hopes folks will make and share it with their family, friends, and neighbors. There’s nothing quite like coffee and donuts after church, but I hope this serves as an acceptable (and delicious) alternative. 

Best enjoyed with coffee and a good choral rendition of “Abide with Me”. Extra points if you’re wearing a Nordic sweater.

Spiced Orange Yeasted Coffee Cake

Ingredients

for the cake:

• 3 to 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

• 3/4 cup warm milk (around 100° F)

• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

for the filling:

• zest of 2 oranges (save half for topping)

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

for egg wash:

• 1 egg, beaten lightly

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or water

for the topping:

• remaining orange zest

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Whisk the 3 cups of flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk with 1/2 teaspoon sugar and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add the egg and egg yolk to the milk, then sprinkle in the dry ingredients. Mix with the dough hook for 1 minute.

3. Add 1/2 cup room temperature butter and mix again, at medium speed, until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. If the dough seems overly sticky, add more flour 1/4 cup at a time. You may use all the flour or you may need more. In the end, you want a dough that is smooth and a tiny bit tacky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours until it has doubled in volume.

4. While your dough rises, mix together the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to combine until crumbly and set aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a clean, floured work surface. Punch the risen dough down and turn it onto your work surface. Gently roll the dough into a rectangle about 20 x 8 inches. Brush the edges with your egg wash in a 1 inch border, then spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving the edges clean.

6. Roll the dough firmly and carefully into a long log. Create a seam by pinching the dough together to seal.

7. Shape the dough log into an upside down 'V', then twist it twice, pinching the ends together to seal. Transfer the dough to a greased loaf pan. Brush the top with egg wash and cover to rise for 20 minutes.

8. Mix the topping ingredients together, using a fork, until crumbly and with some visible flour coating the clumps. When the cake has finished its final rise, sprinkle with the topping.

9. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Place a foil lined baking sheet underneath the pan to catch any topping that happens to fall as the cake rises. *NOTE: If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil after the first 45 minutes baking time.

10. Allow the cake to cool for a minimum of 10 minutes and up to 1 hour before removing from the pan and serving or delivering to a friend. 

Hand Made Baking: Nancy Drew Blondies

We are three weeks into this whole we-have-two-kids life. It has both flown by and moved in slow motion. (Trust me, that is totally possible.) While we certainly experience difficult moments each and every day, this has proven to be easier on us than the first time around. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we were prepared for all the sleep deprivation, the constant nursing, and the general upheaval of life as we knew it. Whatever the reason, I'm relieved that this little bundle has slid relatively easily into our lives. Riley is being an amazing big brother. He brings little gifts to Braden throughout the day, including his favorite blankie, and doesn't get upset (yet) when his baby brother is crying and inconsolable.

Another bonus has been that my healing post-Cesarian section has been rather speedy. Could it be that these Nancy Drew Blondies, which I baked and handed out to the nurses at the hospital, had a hand in all of this? I'm going to say yes. At the very least, this little treat brought a smile to the team of nurses that took care of us during our hospital stay. I wanted to make them feel comforted and appreciated because I knew they would make me feel the same way. This recipe from my friend Kamran's book, Hand Made Baking, did not let me down!

Kamran was one of the first food bloggers I really connected with when I started this crazy gig several years ago. I've always admired his grace, both in his craft and his character. He is a wildly talented person with so many good things, recipes and otherwise, to share with the world. When I received his book in the mail and read the dedication he wrote to me (yes, I'm going to humble-brag about that) I immediately teared up. Seeing someone you care about and respect have success like his is such a wonderful thing. One look inside the pages of his book and you can see the immense care and passion he has poured into every photo and recipe.

Kamran, you've just begun what I'm sure will be an incredible career. I'm humbled and honored to be even a small part of your journey. Thank you.

If you are looking for a Valentine's Day gift for your partner, a friend, or yourself, I think Hand Made Baking is perfection. I've made several recipes, all of which have been flawless, and have no doubt that if you baked any of the wonderful items from this book for your Valentine, you'd win.

If you'd like to purchase the book, click here. You won't regret it!

Nancy Drew Blondies from Hand Made Baking by Kamran Siddiqi

Makes 16-36 blondies

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (or muscovado sugar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, cold
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (or dark, which is what I used)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (or pecans, which is what I used)

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil), leaving an overhang around each side.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to mix in the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Quickly stir in the egg. Add the flour, white chocolate chips, milk (or dark) chocolate chips, and walnuts (or pecans). Stir everything until just incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and set in the middle.

Allow to cool completely in the pan before lifting the ends of the parchment paper to transfer the blondies to a cutting board. Cut into 16, 25, or 36 squares, depending on which size you prefer. I went for close to 25.

Olive Oil Pumpkin Muffins

Today was one of those perfect days. Beautiful weather, a happy, super sweet almost-3-year-old, and a morning full of moments that made me want to freeze time. From the aggressive movements of the baby inside of me to the sweet smiles and kisses of my not-such-a-baby boy, I melted over and over again. We passed by a huge Christmas tree while we were out running errands and the icing on the cake moment of the day was watching Riley's face light up as a huge smile spread across his face and he covered his mouth with a very small, chubby, toddler hand. It made me not at all sorry that Christmas is all around us already. Even though the holidays seem to have exploded earlier than ever, I'm still holding on to pumpkin season. These super healthy olive oil pumpkin muffins are the perfect way to indulge without any guilt. These tasty treats are full of vitamin-packed pumpkin, heart-healthy olive oil and are sweetened with maple syrup and honey, which are significantly healthier options than white or brown sugar.

Bonus: they are kid-friendly!

This recipe is largely based on the olive oil zucchini muffins Lindsay from Pinch of Yum posted over the summer. (Riley asks for them every time we go to the park. He assumes park time equals zucchini muffin time.) Needless to say, we fell in love with those muffins and I was sure we could create a fall version with pumpkin in place of zucchini. I added a lot of pumpkin spice seasoning plus a little extra cinnamon (I blame being pregnant for that one- I cannot get enough cinnamon), which make these muffins the ideal autumn treat. I can say from personal experience that they are equally delicious with a cup of coffee in the morning as they are with a cup of chamomile tea at night.

If you have been over-indulging in pumpkin spice lattes and baked pumpkin-y things at the local coffee shop and need a sugar break, these olive oil pumpkin muffins are the answer. Heck, you might as well enjoy them with my lighter pumpkin pie latte! Double pumpkin whammy. You're welcome.

Olive Oil Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12-15 muffins

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum's Honey & Olive Oil Zucchini Muffins

• 1 cup pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a regular muffin tin with liners and set aside.

Combine the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and honey in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.

In another bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice seasoning.

Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and fold until just combined.

Fill each muffin liner 2/3 of the way full of batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the muffins have puffed up nicely and developed a light golden crust.

Easy Cream Biscuits

I've developed a bit of an obsession with cream biscuits. Truthfully, I didn't love eating them when I was kid the way the rest of my family did. Whenever we went to Tennessee to visit my grandparents, we would wake up to the smell of freshly baked biscuits at 4:30am. My grandpa's internal clock was a little off. By the time we were all awake and ready to eat, it was at least 8am (maybe later during those sleepy teenage years) and the biscuits were freezing cold. I can't recall a time when I actually got to eat one of my grandfather's biscuits just out of the oven.

While my experience with biscuits as a kid may not have been the greatest, mostly because I was too lazy and didn't know what I was missing, I still have this need to eat a good biscuit every now and then. I've really loved making cream biscuits the most because I usually have all the ingredients on hand and I don't have to mess with butter. For a self-proclaimed non-baker like myself that is a relief. After a lot of practice, I've gotten pretty good at making cream biscuits that rise like a charm and have a flaky, rich crumb.

And I get to eat them hot out of the oven.

My favorite way to enjoy a freshly baked biscuit is with a slather of my mom's homemade strawberry jam. Or, if I don't happen to have anything that good, I go with a good store bought strawberry or raspberry preserve. Simple, delicious comfort food at its best. I may not use bacon grease in my biscuits the way my grandpa did, but I think about him every time I cut the biscuits out. I'm relatively sure he's peaking over my shoulder trying to convince me to do it his way, which also means using an entire stick of room temperature butter mixed with jam as the main course.

True story. That was his favorite snack.

Food should remind us of people and places that make us happy. Biscuits take me to Cookeville, Tennessee with my sweet grandparents, my giggly little sister, and lazy days spent climbing trees and tying June bugs to a string and taking them for a walk.

Easy Cream Biscuits

Makes 6-8 biscuits

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.
3. Add the cream and stir just until the dough comes together. (It will be ragged at first but will smooth out as the dough is kneaded.)
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the dough is mostly smooth. Pat into a 3/4-inch-thick round.
5. Using a circular biscuit cutter cut out 3 or 4 rounds and place them on your prepared baking sheet. Bring the scraps together and pat out to 3/4 inches again. Repeat until all the dough is used. You should end up with 6-8 biscuits, depending on the size of your cutter.
6. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Notes

I've noticed that here in Denver (high altitude) I have to adjust the amount of cream I use. Sometimes it inches nearer to 2 cups and sometimes 1 1/2 is plenty. Pay attention to what the dough is telling you. It should be ragged, which means it will be a bit wet and sticky but not so much that it sticks to your hands. And it shouldn't be so dry that you can't knead it into a smooth dough.