Tuscan Style Coffeecake Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to form a smooth supple dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover, and let it rise abouit 1 hour.
• For the nut and dried fruit fillling: mix 1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped. 3/4 cup raisins, 3/4 cup golden raisins.
• Gently deflate the dough and knead in the nuts and fruit. Shape the dough into a flat ball, and place it in a 9-ionch round pan. Cover the pan and allow the loaf to rise for 30 minutes or till it barely crests over the top of the pan.
• Combine the sugar, vanilla, and water. Drizzle over the top of the risen bread. Bake the bread in a preheated 350-degree over for 35-45 minutes, until it's golden brown and the internal temperature registers 190 degrees. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then carefully turn it out of the pan. Allow it to cool before cutting.Yield: 1 round loaf.

Steps:

• For the crumb topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
• For the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture, allowing each to be fully incorporated. Add the vanilla paste and sour cream and beat until smooth.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add to the batter and mix until combined.
• Spread the batter in the prepared springform pan and sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Remove from the pan, then slice and serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Steps:

• Set up a grill for cooking with direct and indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only. Place a large cast-iron pan on the direct-heat side of the grill to preheat.
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add a film of olive oil to the pan, followed by the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Allow the chicken to deeply brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and add the garlic. Briefly sauté until fragrant, then deglaze with the vermouth. Scatter in the tomatoes, olives and oregano bundle. Add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Move the pan to the indirect-heat side of the grill and close the lid. Allow to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Discard the oregano bundle. Top with the basil and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, or two 9" round cake pans.
• Make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Note that the cocoa powder is used strictly for color, not flavor; leave it out if you like. Set it aside.
• To make the cake: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream or yogurt and milk till well combined. You don't need to whisk out all the lumps.
• Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with the milk/sour cream mixture, beating gently to combine.
• Pour/spread half the batter (a scant 3 cups) into the prepared pan(s), spreading all the way to the edges. If you're using two 9" round pans, spread 1 1/3 cups batter in each pan.
• Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter.
• Spread the remaining batter atop the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.
• Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.
• Bake the cake until it's a dark golden brown around the edges; medium-golden with no light patches showing on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes for the 9" x 13" pan, 50 to 55 minutes for the 9" round pans. When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back.
• Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve cake right from the pan.
• Note: For those of you looking for a cake with less filling, one where the golden cake itself is the main attraction, reduce the amount of brown sugar in the fillng to 1/4 cup, keeping the remaining ingredients the same.