Irish Cream Coffee Cake

By: Amy Weinberg

Morning. It’s morning, everyone! Today is the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we’re gonna get out of…. 

THE TANK IS CLEAN!

Finding Nemo, 2003

But really, the sun is finally shining. The grass is as green as my beer so you know what that means….St. Paddy’s Day! (I originally typed this on my phone and St. Paddy’s autocorrected to St. Party’s – fitting.) There are so many different Irish themed flavors that come alive this time of year, most of them in the form of beer. Even if you’re not at all Irish, you’re a little bit Irish on St. Paddy’s Day. On St. Paddy’s Day, your blood runs green with Bailey’s and artificial food coloring.

Whether you’re entertaining guests, or you just need that perfect midnight, not-so-sober snack, I’ve got the recipe for you.

Irish Cream Coffee Cake

What You'll Need:

For Ganache - 

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur (about half a mini bottle)

For Icing - 

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup plus two tablespoons Irish Cream (about 1 1/2 mini bottles)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For Hot Fudge - 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup coffee

1/2 cup Irish cream (2 mini bottles)

The first thing you’ll have to make is the chocolate ganache. Combine your heavy cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan and heat on medium low until all chips are melted. Start adding in your butter in chunks and stir until everything is combined. Final step? Add the Irish cream. Once everything is combined, you’re going to want to pop this in the fridge to cool while we make the other components.

Next, you’ll want to make your Irish Cream frosting. First, combine your butter and powdered sugar and mix on low, gradually adding in the Irish cream. Add in your vanilla and beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy. Clear some room in your fridge because you’re gonna pop this in right next to the ganache.

The final component of this dessert is the Irish Cream hot fudge sauce. Combine and whisk together all of the ingredients over medium heat. Let your sauce bubble for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Once the sauce cools a little bit, pour about ¼ cup into each empty Irish cream bottle.

 Now that all of the components are ready, it is time for the best part: ASSEMBLY. I used a Granny Smith Apple Coffee Cake because it is what I had, but I would recommend using a no-nut cake for this dessert. I would also recommend semi-freezing the cake beforehand so that it is easier to cut out the hole in the middle. Next, take out your ganache and start spooning it into the hole. The ganache should still be warm so it should finish defrosting the cake. Next start filling a piping bag with your Irish Cream icing and pipe it onto the cake, finishing with a dusting of cocoa.

The final step is the hot fudge. If you are serving this as a dessert for other people, I would recommend serving the Bailey's bottle on the side, allowing your guest to make their own mess. In one swift move, you'll have to tip over and insert the mini bottle into the top of the cake. If you're successful, the bottle will stay still while the cake explodes with chocolate. 

And just a friendly reminder - although everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day, this is not a dessert for children. I even got a little tipsy tasting each component!

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

by: Amy Weinberg


Spring is coming.

"To get Spring, you must be willing to endure Winter" - A quote said by many different people, in many different ways, throughout many different time periods. 

I remember having to walk my friends though the meaning of that one after I tweeted it years ago. Well, anyone who is reading this is alive and (hopefully) well, and that means you were able to endure Winter. So, congratulations! It helped that this Winter was like a vacation in the Bahamas compared to Winter last year. Regardless, we all endured which means that soon we will be able to bask in the glory that is Spring. 

Yes, apple cider is a fall drink and yes, I drink it to celebrate the coming of Spring. As long as my grocery store keeps selling it fresh, I'll keep buying it. And what pairs better with apples than caramel? Today I'm celebrating the coming of spring and warmth with this Apple Cider Caramel sauce. 

What You'll Need:

2 cups apple cider 

1 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp. butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. apple pie spice

1/2 tsp. kosher sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

First you have to boil down the apple cider. Place 2 cups in a small saucepan and boil for about 10-15 minutes. A good half of the apple cider should be evaporated at this point. Next, remove the pan from heat and stir in the brown sugar, butter, cream, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. 

Return to heat and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Remember that sauces thicken as they cool! That being said, you'll definitely want to mix and thicken this up a bit before refrigerating. After reaching an ideal thickness, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and salt.

Once the sauce cools a little bit, you'll be safe to seal in an airtight jar or container. Store in the refrigerator until use. 

The sauce may separate a tiny bit in the fridge. In this case, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and mix it back together. No, this is not in fact raspberry preserves. Yes, we recycle in the Weinberg household. 

I used this sauce on an Original Cinnamon Walnut coffee cake because it is what I had in the house. This sauce would be perfect with a number of our cakes, including the Cinnamon No-Nut, the Granny Smith Apple, and the Chocolate Chip Walnut. Try out this sauce with any one of our cakes and get ready for a great Spring! 

New Year, Same Great Coffee Cake

By: Amy Weinberg

Well that was fast, it's 2016! 

It feels like it was 2015 just a few days ago. Hey, what's your New Years Resolution? Mine is the standard 1024 x 768. Okay, enough with the cheap puns. 

A new year means new things. New trends, new resolutions, new gym memberships, and new coffee cake flavors? 

(Just kidding, but we're always trying out new flavors on QVC!)

One trend that isn't going anywhere is the post-holiday health craze. We're all in the same boat here. We all "went to the gym like last week or something." We all are feeling a little bloated, slow, and cranky. We all have a little bit of Brucey in us right now.

The post-holiday food coma is upon us and there isn't anything that anyone can do to stop it; except  *GASP* eating healthy and exercising. There are hundreds of ways to get back on that horse but the first step is always the hardest. 

So being that this is a coffee cake blog, you're probably wondering why I'm on a rant about eating healthy, right? Well, like a few of you I'm sure, my digestive track is a mess. One bite of cake and I'm waiting 10 minutes for the gurgles and pain to subside. Everyone has their reasons to get healthy, mine just so happens to be to eat an occasional dessert. Pain free. That's not too much to ask for, right?

Instead of taking you on a ride full of chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar, today I'm going to do your guts a favor and list foods to eat/stay away from for a speedy recovery. 

GOOD FOR YOUR TUMMY:

1. Fruits and Vegetables (duh, fruits and vegetables help everything)
2. Water (because let's be honest, most of us are dehydrated anyways)
3. Herbs & Spices (ginger, turmeric, & garlic ) 
4. Organic yogurt (IN MODERATE AMOUNTS)
5. Cultured Vegetables (sauerkraut & nattoh) 

BAD FOR YOUR TUMMY:

1. Spicy Foods (again, duh)
2. Caffeine (don't know if I'll be able to cut this one out) 
3. Soda
4. Alcohol 
5. Dairy (except yogurt IN MODERATE AMOUNTS) 

If you're feeling a little out-of-wack after this holiday season, these lists are for you. Everyone get out there are fix your bodies so that we can fill them with more coffee cake! 

Cyber Monday Continues: 2 Recipes for the Price of 1!

By: Amy Weinberg

This time of the year is all about a good deal (among a few other things), and what better deal than a 2 for 1? Entering Winter means leaving behind the pumpkins and picking up just about everything else. But because we do love pumpkin so much in this country, I have for you 2 INCREDIBLY easy sauces to begin the pumpkin swan song.

There are few flavor combinations out there that are more flavorful, and more classic than pumpkin and chocolate.

Chocolate ganache is one of those things you hear about everywhere but sounds way fancier and more complicated than it really is. All you really need is some chocolate, heavy cream, and a set of eyeballs. The first, and basically only, step is to boil a cup of the heavy cream over medium high heat. You need to make sure to watch the pot because as soon as the cream starts to boil, it'll boil right out of the pot (this is where your eyeballs will come in handy). Once the cream starts to boil, pour it over 9oz of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and mix until completely combined. 

Let that settle in the fridge for a few minutes and viola! Fancy chocolate ganache. 

In the few minutes the ganache is in the fridge, you be able to quickly whip up the second sauce. I swear, these have to be the 2 simplest ways to take our coffee cakes to an even higher level. The maple pecan glaze may be even easier to make. The recipe call for a whole 3 ingredients: maple syrup, powdered sugar, and pecans. First, pour 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup into a bowl and gradually start mixing in the sugar. Once it is completely mixed and you have the right maple-to-sugar ratio for your taste, let it hang out with the chocolate ganache in the fridge for a few minutes. The outcome will be a beautiful neutral color to match my neutral colored countertop and yellow kitchen lighting. 

While your sauces chill, finely chop up a handful of pecans to top off your dessert. Once your sauces are chilled and your pecans are chopped, use a spoon to drizzle on to the pumpkin spice coffee cake. 

I decorated the chocolate ganache slice with some whipped cream and white chocolate. 

And whipped cream and pecans for your maple pumpkin dessert! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

By: Amy Weinberg

'Tis the season for giving, spiked eggnog, and overeating. It's time to chuck the sagging pumpkin face and toss up those holiday lights. Growing up a Jew, I can't speak to the religious aspect of Christmas lights (we stick to 9 candles), but man are they pretty to look at. 

BUT, I am getting a little ahead of myself because tonight is the night that kicks off this 5 week party. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday not because my birthday falls on it every few years, but because of the atmosphere. Delicious aromas fill the air, every imaginable dog breed is on television, and unbuttoning your pants after dinner is no longer 'frowned upon'. Thanksgiving is for everyone! At a time where tensions are high across the world, it's nice to have a true American holiday. Black or White, Christian or Muslim, West Coast or East Coast, Thanksgiving is for you. Whether you love dog shows (me), football (me), or stuffing yourself with food (me), Thanksgiving is for you. The only qualifications for Thanksgiving are a giving heart and an empty stomach.

(Special shout-out to the Native Americans who let us 'discover' their land)

At the risk of sounding corny, one thing for which I am very thankful is My Grandma's of New England. And no, I'm not talking about the coffee cakes (my waistband certainly isn't thankful for those), but the people who make My Grandma's what it is. I am thankful for the wonderful opportunity provided to me by wonderful people. Coffee cakes aside, this is the sweetest job I've ever had.

A few other things I am thankful for:

• All of the beautiful cheese you see on that potato above
• The fact that my entire family somehow prefers white meat 
• The increasing acceptance of sarcasm as my second language 
• The air in my lungs and the blood in my veins

Now that the turkey has been (somewhat) consumed and everyone is in a food coma, is it time to start getting in the Christmas Spirit. Whether you see this time of the year as a religious one or not, one thing remains true: no one is kinder than they are in the month of December. 

With that being said, I'll leave you with this challenge:

Never lose that 'Christmas Spirit', whatever that means to you. I know it's hard because the climax that is the end of each year is always followed by the drag of a long winter (for most of us). The only thing shorter than patience during this time is daylight. I get it. Unless you absolutely thrive in below freezing temperatures and snow-walls the size of my house, the first few months of the year are always the toughest. But don't lose that warm, giving spirit on January 1st. It's so easy for your outlook to match the bitterness of the weather, but never lose that warmth. Never lose the generous, loving, inclusive feeling you have right now.

Your prize? A blog next week on what to do with all of that left over coffee cake!