Don’t panic. Hostess may have filed for bankruptcy, but Twinkies aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. And even if the day comes when they’re no longer on supermarket shelves, don’t fret. I’ve got you covered. You can bake your own classic vanilla Twinkies, try something a bit different with pumpkin Twinkies, or satisfy [...]]]>

Don’t panic. Hostess may have filed for bankruptcy, but Twinkies aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. And even if the day comes when they’re no longer on supermarket shelves, don’t fret. I’ve got you covered. You can bake your own classic vanilla Twinkies, try something a bit different with pumpkin Twinkies, or satisfy your chocolate cravings with these double chocolate Twinkies. Each of these varieties has far fewer ingredients than the store bought version, and is far superior in taste. Besides, they’re so much fun to make! You can bake them in a cupcake pan, but using a canoe pan guarantees that authentic Twinkie shape.

Ever since The Boyfriend heard the news about Hostess, he’s been salivating for a fresh batch of homemade Twinkies. I was instructed that these should be “Death By Chocolate” Twinkies. Chocolate sponge cake with a chocolate cream filling? How could I argue with that? Yes, I aim to please, even though I may have had just as much of a selfish interest in developing this recipe.

With soft chocolate sponge cake and creamy fudge filling, these little cakes go above and beyond to satisfy your craving for chocolate as well as nostalgia. As far as I can tell, Hostess has never made a “Death By Chocolate” Twinkie, although they did produce a limited edition Chocolate Creme Twinkie last year. But I think that a “Death By Chocolate” Twinkie would catch on, don’t you? If you enjoy them as much as we did, I just might be opening my own snack cake bakery soon.

“Death By Chocolate” Snack Cakes (Twinkies)
Created by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: 20 cakes

Snack Cakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon Princess flavoring (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
7 eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a canoe pan or cupcake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are very stiff. They should hold their shape when removed from the bowl. Set aside.

Combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together or beat on low speed for a minute, until combined. Add oil, water, Princess flavoring, and egg yolks. Beat on medium speed until smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, gently scoop 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Fold the egg whites in by slicing the spatula through the center of the bowl, gently scooping batter from the bottom and wrapping it over the top. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat until the egg whites are barely visible. Repeat this process with each remaining 1/3 of the egg whites.

Spoon the batter into the pan, filling the wells 2/3 full. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cakes are golden brown and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cakes will puff up when cooking, but will settle as they cool. Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them from the pan using a rubber spatula. Allow them to cool, flat side down, directly on the cooling rack.

Filling:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, heat the flour, milk, and cocoa powder over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture becomes a paste (about 5 minutes), remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside to cool completely.

In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, heat the chocolate chips just until they melt. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just barely warm. Alternatively, melt the chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat until combined. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and beat for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Use the pastry filler that comes with the pan (or a pastry bag with round tip) to fill the cakes. Place the tip about halfway into the cake and squeeze gently. Holding the cake in your palm while filling it will allow you to feel when it is full. Fill each cake 3 times to ensure that each bite contains ample chocolate filling!

Happy New Year, my friends. I am ever so grateful that you visit my humble blog so often and share your kind words and friendship with me. I am truly inspired by the diverse talents and incredible treats that I experience on each and every one of your blogs. And so here we [...]]]>

Happy New Year, my friends. I am ever so grateful that you visit my humble blog so often and share your kind words and friendship with me. I am truly inspired by the diverse talents and incredible treats that I experience on each and every one of your blogs. And so here we are on the first day of 2012, embarking on a new year of friendship, smiling faces, baked goodies, photography, and blogging. Thank you for being here. May I offer you a brownie?

I baked these brownies on a whim last night. Our New Year’s Eve after-dinner menu was already set: a bottle of bubbly pink moscato, a bowl of kettle corn, and a Marx brothers flick. But something was missing. And apparently, it was chocolate. My mind latched onto the idea of a plate of fresh brownies to complement the salty-sweet kettle corn. I had a couple of hours to kill before dinnertime, but not a bar of chocolate or a bag of chocolate chips in the house (oh, the horror!). So I turned to my can of cocoa powder to satisfy the craving. I’ve made these cocoa brownies before, and though serious chocolate snobs would scoff at the use of cocoa powder, they get the job done and still beat the boxed brownies by a mile.

I added a bit of peanut butter flavor by swapping some of the flour for peanut flour, and I reduced the sugar to bring out that dark chocolate flavor that I love. These turned out excellent, a fudgy peanut butter-y dark chocolate treat!

Photo credit: The Boyfriend

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter-y Cocoa Brownies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yield: One 8″ x 8″ pan of brownies

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, cold
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup peanut flour

Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°. Grease an 8″ x 8″ pan with butter and set aside.

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Set the bowl into a pan or skillet of barely simmering water, so that it is floating on the surface of the water. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth (it will still be grainy). Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for a few minutes until the mixture is just warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. When the batter becomes thick and shiny, add both types of flour and stir until you can’t see the flour anymore. Once the flour is incorporated, beat the batter vigorously for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan (it won’t rise or spread out much on its own). Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the center has set and is no longer jiggly. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan, on a cooling rack.

On these chilly winter mornings, it’s essential to fire up the oven and create something warm and comforting. Something with a hint of holiday spice and a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Brew a cup of tea and wait for the sun to rise over the trees, finally slanting into the window later [...]]]>

On these chilly winter mornings, it’s essential to fire up the oven and create something warm and comforting. Something with a hint of holiday spice and a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Brew a cup of tea and wait for the sun to rise over the trees, finally slanting into the window later and later each day. During the dark days of December, my one small kitchen window receives only a precious hour or so of sunlight. This little window looks out on the white brick wall of our neighbor’s garage, which is about four feet away. My window faces east, but receives no direct sunlight due to the proximity of this garage. Instead, the early afternoon sunlight bounces off the white wall and into my kitchen. It’s the ultimate reflector for photography, and I am rewarded with great natural light if I time my baking just right.

I often fantasize about painting a mural on this white wall. The neighbors would never notice, since this side of the garage is basically inaccessible from their yard. I would welcome a bit of color in my landscape, but at the same time I would lament the loss of pure white light. Instead, I study the nuances of the brick and the patterns created by mortar that has oozed out of the seams.

This season is all about finding beauty and light in unexpected places. Whether it’s a splash of reflected light or the smell of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves hanging in the air once the gingerbread has been removed from the oven, soak it up. Savor it.

Sourdough Gingerbread
Based on a recipe from the molasses jar, sourdough-ized by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: One 8″ square cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup molasses
1 cup sourdough starter (175% hydration)
1/4 cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease an 8″ square cake pan and set aside.

Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the molasses, aiming for the spot between the beaters and the bowl.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Mix in the remaining flour mixture. Add the sourdough starter and water, mixing on low speed until well combined.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the gingerbread cool for 1 hour in the pan before slicing.

Spiced Whipped Cream
Yield: approximately 2 servings

1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger

For best results, place your mixing bowl and beaters/whisk attachment in the fridge for 10 minutes. Add the cream to the cold bowl, and whip on high speed until the cream starts to thicken. Add the sugar slowly while the mixer is on. Once the sugar has been incorporated, add the spices and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream onto slices of gingerbread and enjoy!

Have you ever developed jaw fatigue as a result of candy cane overindulgence during the holiday season? It happens to the best of us. Why not give your teeth a break from the jarring crunchiness of candy canes and sink them into a soft, pillowy version of your favorite pepperminty treat instead? This [...]]]>

Have you ever developed jaw fatigue as a result of candy cane overindulgence during the holiday season? It happens to the best of us. Why not give your teeth a break from the jarring crunchiness of candy canes and sink them into a soft, pillowy version of your favorite pepperminty treat instead? This traditional angel food cake is jazzed up with peppermint extract and dressed in candy cane stripes, so you won’t even notice the difference!

I’ve set my sights on a new career: Dessert Detective. You say you’ve never heard of this career path? Well, get yourself over to CakeSpy and read all about it! CakeSpy is currently accepting applications for dessert detectives in the “So You Wanna Be a CakeSpy?” contest, and I hereby submit my application. Of course, this job is not without its own set of occupational hazards: compulsive baking, painting cupcakes and unicorns, tirelessly sampling goodies at bakeries the world over, and developing witty puns for a devoted fan base, to name a few. But I am absolutely up to this challenge!

This sweet recipe allows for your own creative interpretation. I have included my favorite angel food cake recipe below, but feel free to use any other recipe that you desire. Simply substitute 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract for the flavoring, and add the red food coloring and cocoa powder as directed below to create the red stripes. This cake is the perfect addition to a holiday dessert table, and its pepperminty aroma is sure to fill the room with good cheer!

Candy Cane-gel Food Cake
Loosely adapted from Alton Brown’s Angel Food Cake
Yield: approximately 10 servings

1 1/2 cups granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted or passed through a fine mesh sieve
12 egg whites, at or close to room temperature
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted or passed through a fine mesh sieve
red gel paste food coloring

Place the oven rack on the lowest setting. Preheat the oven to 325° if you are using a dark or non-stick pan, or 350° if you are using a light colored pan.

If you are using granulated sugar, place the sugar into a food processor and process for a minute or two, until it is superfine. Sift 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt with the flour, and set the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the egg whites, water, peppermint extract, and cream of tartar. Whisk for two minutes. Continue to beat with a hand mixer, or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, while slowly adding the reserved 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat until the egg whites form medium peaks.

Once the egg whites reach the medium peak stage, add just enough of the flour mixture to cover the top of the egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg whites, so that they don’t deflate. Repeat this process until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.

Gently spoon a little less than half of the batter into a clean bowl. Sift the cocoa powder onto the surface, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the batter. Gently fold in the desired amount of red gel food coloring. Keep in mind that the color will still darken slightly in the oven.

Now the fun part! Spoon about 1/3 of the white batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Orient it however you desire: spread it out across the bottom of the pan or keep it all to one side for a more diagonal stripe pattern. Spoon half of the red batter on top of the white. Follow with another 1/3 of the white batter, the remaining red batter, and the remaining white batter.

Place the pan into the oven, and bake for 40-60 minutes. Start checking the cake at 35 minutes. The top should be deep golden brown, and a wooden skewer inserted halfway between the edge of the pan and the center will come out dry.

Immediately invert the pan onto a bottle, or devise some other creative way to cool the cake upside-down. Allow it to cool completely while upside-down, then run a knife around the edges and remove it from the pan. Slice and enjoy, in between candy cane binges!

Take a long look at this picture. Allow your eyes to drift in and out of focus. Let the thoughts and stresses of the day drain from your mind. Introduce your brain to this whoopie pie and let the words flow through like a river. Cookie…cake…pie…filling…peanut butter…chocolate…ganache…sandwich. Acknowledge each word as it appears [...]]]>

Take a long look at this picture. Allow your eyes to drift in and out of focus. Let the thoughts and stresses of the day drain from your mind. Introduce your brain to this whoopie pie and let the words flow through like a river. Cookie…cake…pie…filling…peanut butter…chocolate…ganache…sandwich. Acknowledge each word as it appears on your mind’s screen, briefly consider how it might describe this confection, then let it go. Take a minute to relax and just breathe. When you’re ready, remove yourself from your sweet reverie. I invite you to share your whoopie pie epiphanies in the comments below.

My epiphany? Cookie-shaped cake sandwich. My brain felt that this was the most accurate descriptive phrase for a whoopie pie. That, and the fact that it kinda looks like a hamburger. But I’ll try to let that thought flow right on through and focus on the sweetness of fluffy peanut butter cake filled with intense dark chocolate ganache.

These babies are straightforward and simple. Whip up the batter, then plop it onto a cookie sheet. Pop ‘em in the oven and watch them spread while they rise ever so slightly in the center, creating that perfect domed shape. Make your filling while they cool, then slather it on. Be generous!

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Adapted from Whoopie Pies
Yield: 24 four-inch cakes (12 whoopie pies)

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
scant 1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes, until it curdles. Alternatively, use 1 1/2 cups buttermilk in place of the milk and vinegar.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of your mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between additions and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined. Add half of the milk and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk. Beat on medium speed until well combined.

Drop about 2 tablespoons of batter at a time onto the baking sheet. Space the cakes 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges start to brown and the cakes are firm to the touch. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cakes to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before constructing whoopie pies.

Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces (1 1/3 cups) 60% cacao baking chips, or chopped chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it bubbles. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit until the chocolate has melted, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth.

Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature until it is firm enough to spread, about 2 hours. To speed up the process, place the ganache in the refrigerator and give it a stir every 10 minutes. It should take about 30 minutes to reach spreading consistency.

One plate piled high with 30 chocolate truffle cookies didn’t stand a chance against 30 hungry permaculture design students, who had been deprived of chocolate for 13 days. These were gone in seconds.

The Boyfriend earned his Permaculture Design Certificate and made 29 new friends during his 14 days living out of a [...]]]>

One plate piled high with 30 chocolate truffle cookies didn’t stand a chance against 30 hungry permaculture design students, who had been deprived of chocolate for 13 days. These were gone in seconds.

The Boyfriend earned his Permaculture Design Certificate and made 29 new friends during his 14 days living out of a tent and off the grid. He came away inspired to transform our yard into a sustainable, efficient, and productive plot of land, starting with an herb spiral in our front yard. These cookies were a small reward for the knowledge and inspiration of those 30 new permaculture designers, but they were certainly most appreciated.

Adding chocolate chips to rich chocolate truffle cookie dough is never a bad idea. It’s chocolate overload, appropriately balanced by a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top that adds a satisfying crunch to each bite.

This cookie dough is a bit unconventional and messy to handle due to the small amount of flour (and overwhelming amount of chocolate) in the recipe. A short stint in the fridge firms the dough enough to form cookie-esque shapes that will puff up into chocolatey truffle goodness in the oven. Trust me, they’re irresistible.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies With Sea Salt
From Ghirardelli
Yield: 30 cookies

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups 60% cacao baking chips, for melting into the dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup 60% cacao baking chips, for mixing into the final dough
2-3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Add the 1 1/2 cups baking chips and butter to a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture over the water.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until well combined. Slowly pour in the warm chocolate mixture while whisking. Add the vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Stir in the flour mixture. Allow the dough to cool for a few minutes if necessary, so that the baking chips won’t melt. When the dough is near room temperature, stir in the remaining 1/3 cup baking chips. Cover the dough and place it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes while the oven preheats.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop the cookie dough by the tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of coarse sea salt. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the outside of the cookie starts to crack. The cookies will continue to bake after they have been removed from the oven so be careful not to overbake them.

Place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet. The cookies will be soft and slightly gooey in the center.

If you’re looking for more cookie inspiration to warm up your house this December, head over to the Cookie Love blog hop!

She keeps her Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet “Let them eat cake” she says, just like Marie Antoinette

–“Killer Queen” by Queen

Have a Monochrome Monday post to share this week? Leave a link in the [...]]]>

Shot with Polaroid Spectra camera and Impossible Project PZ 600 Silver Shade film

She keeps her Moët et Chandon
in her pretty cabinet
“Let them eat cake” she says,
just like Marie Antoinette

–“Killer Queen” by Queen

Have a Monochrome Monday post to share this week? Leave a link in the comments.

We all work long days, and the temptation to grab a quick take-out lunch or another slice of the office birthday cake is something that we can all relate to. Consuming unprocessed, whole foods in the modern office environment is a task that takes incredible willpower and a knack for planning ahead. But [...]]]>

We all work long days, and the temptation to grab a quick take-out lunch or another slice of the office birthday cake is something that we can all relate to. Consuming unprocessed, whole foods in the modern office environment is a task that takes incredible willpower and a knack for planning ahead. But there’s good news: there is evidence that your willpower muscles can be strengthened! October is the perfect month to start, since over 1,000 of us have already pledged to eliminate unprocessed food from our diet for October Unprocessed.

This is the second year that Andrew from Eating Rules has hosted the October Unprocessed challenge. But what does “unprocessed” truly mean? Everyone’s interpretation might be a bit different, but Andrew had a great discussion on his blog with some examples of why certain foods meet the criteria. The “Kitchen Test” is an excellent concept. It has worked for me in eliminating quite a few processed foods from my diet. The basic idea is that you don’t have to make EVERYthing yourself, but the items that you buy could theoretically have been made in your kitchen. Take a look at the ingredients, and make sure that you don’t see anything artificial in there.

My goal for this month is to eliminate the few processed foods left in my diet, primarily dry cereal, milk, and sugar. Over the last couple of years, The Boyfriend and I have slowly but steadily eliminated most processed food from our diet. For those of us who work a full week, that means designating an entire weekend day (sometimes an entire weekend!) to prep food for the work week. My work days last 14 hours, including commute time, so there’s not very much time during the week to make food.

Sundays are a busy and sometimes stressful day in our house, as I work to bake multiple batches of healthy muffins, quick bread, or other snacks for the week. We’ll usually make a big pot of soup with our bounty from the farmers’ market, or another entree that can keep well in the fridge all week. Every morning I leave the house (way before sunrise!) with my backpack stuffed full of muffins, fresh fruit, and my homemade lunch. This may seem like an extraordinary amount of work (and it is), but the payoff is that I generally feel much healthier and happier when I eat whole foods that I have made myself and with the help of The Boyfriend.

Over the course of the month, I’ll post about our progress in finding substitutions for the processed foods that we still buy. I’m hoping to try making my own non-dairy milk. Can anyone suggest a good recipe for rice or almond milk, or a suitable alternative? It seems that the organic rice milk we get at our store still has some questionable, potentially processed ingredients. Ideally we’d have our own goat to provide milk, but that’s not a viable option with our current living situation!

Would you like to join me in this challenge? You don’t have to commit to the entire month, and you don’t even have to eliminate everything at once. How about just a day of consuming only unprocessed food? Or maybe picking just a few processed foods to eliminate for the entire month? By the end of the month, you might not even miss them anymore. I’ve noticed that as I decrease the amount of processed food in my diet, I simply don’t crave it as much anymore. Give it a try!

To kick off the month, I’m posting a blueberry buckle recipe that substitutes a natural sweetener (pure maple syrup) for some of the processed sugar. I do use an organic minimally-processed sugar, but it’s still fundamentally a processed food. I’ve used it in the streusel here mostly because I didn’t want to end up with a syrupy mess. Any thoughts on how to make streusel with a natural sweetener?

Blueberry Buckle
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
Yield: 4-6 servings

For the batter:
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup unbleached, unbromated flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the streusel:
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached, unbromated flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

For this recipe, use a pan that’s about 4″ square. I used a small oval pan, but you could use any pan that has a similar volume. Or, double the recipe and use a 9″ square pan. Butter and flour your pan, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

With an electric mixer, beat the maple syrup and butter on medium-high speed until well combined. Add the egg and mix for a minute. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the milk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture alternately with the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat until well combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spread the batter into the pan.

To make the streusel, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/4 inch chunks. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the sugar mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter in the pan.

Bake the buckle for 40-50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the buckle in the pan on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy!