Lightly Spiced Chai Tea Bread

There are few things in life I enjoy more than a good cup of coffee. It started way back in high school when I worked after-school in a coffee house and roastery. I'd leave work with the odor of coffee emanating from every pore of my body, and despite that, it is still one of my favorite smells. Most often, I take my coffee black, but I love a latte or cappuccino every once in a while as well. One thing I never got into, though, were chai tea lattes. The spicy smell is so appealing, but I really don't want my drink to be sweet in any way. I always said it's like a dessert in a cup. It amazes me, then, that it took so long to use it for my baking.

We had an extra canister of the powdered chai tea mix laying around the restaurant, and I thought I could put it to good use by whipping up a quick bread that is lightly spiced and drizzled with a sweet glaze. As the mix is made up of sugar and spices, I swapped it for some of the sugar and the spice in my standard recipe. I really like the way it turned out- the bread is very moist from the addition of yogurt and the spice isn't overwhelming. It has a nice, light flavor. It would be perfect with a cup of (preferably black!) coffee for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Bread:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

Rounded 1/3 cup Chai tea dry mix (I used David Rio Tiger Spice)

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup plain yogurt

Glaze:

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 tablespoons Chai tea latte mix

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Cinnamon, for sprinkling, optional

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

-Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

-Cream together the softened butter, sugar, and chai mix until light and fluffy.

-Add the vanilla and the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

-Add the flour mixture and blend ingredients together until only just combined.

-Stir in the yogurt. Blend mixture until ingredients are fully incorporated.

-Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

-Bake in preheated oven until loaf is golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

-While the bread is baking, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, chai mix, vanilla, and milk together in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and pourable. If mixture is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

-After removing bread from the oven, allow loaf to cool in pan for 20-30 minutes.

-Remove bread from pan and set on a cooling rack.

-Pour glaze over the top and allow it to drip over the sides. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top of the glaze.

-Once fully cool, slice and serve.

Buttermilk Sweet Potato Muffins

The beginning of fall is right around the corner, and I'm definitely looking forward to the colorful leaves, new sweaters, and seasonal flavors. Recipes featuring apples, pumpkins, acorn and butternut squash are popping up all over the place and I couldn't be happier about this. As the leaves are still green and my summer wardrobe is still in circulation, though, I can't quite justify using those recipes just yet. For now, I'll just enjoy a buttermilk sweet potato muffin or two. Brown sugar, honey, and a hint of cinnamon and spice- they offer a little fall flavor without being too heavy. That's one of the great things about baking with sweet potatoes. The finished product is moist and light! Plus, when you have an extra baked sweet potato leftover from dinner, you can scoop out the inside, puree it up, and use it for muffins the next day.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 stick butter

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbs. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sweet potato puree

3/4 cup raisins or chopped pecans, optional (I like these plain though!)

Demerera sugar and a little cinnamon, for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Line muffin pans with foil or paper liners and spray lightly.

3. Combine all the dry ingredients- flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.

4. Melt the butter in a stainless saucepan over medium heat.

5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, honey, and vanilla.

6. Continue whisking while streaming in the butter.

7. Stir in the sweet potato puree.

8. Add the dry ingredients and stir until only just combined. Overstirring will result in a tough muffin!

9. Fold in additional ingredients (raisins or pecans), if desired.

10. Use an ice cream scoop to generously portion batter into liners.

11. Combine a few tablespoons of demerara sugar with a half teaspoon or so of cinnamon. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with this mixture.

12. Bake in a preheated oven until muffins are golden and a tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes.

Variation (Pumpkin Muffins): Swap out the sweet potato for pumpkin puree, the honey for molasses, and use a teaspoon of cinnamon along with the pumpkin pie spice.

Just Another Manic Monday...

What a day! It was crazy from beginning to end, but nothing a trip to the Spice House couldn't cure. A bottle of vanilla bean paste, a jar of tellicherry pepper, and a peek at their new catalog were sure to brighten my mood. Especially when I noticed, on page 9, a very tasty and familiar-looking recipe for cocoa meringues!

Click on the scanned page below below to get a closer look at the page where my recipe has been included in their new company catalog. This was such a treat as the Spice House is one of my favorite places! All of a sudden, today didn't seem like such a bad day.

You can also visit the Spice House website for online versions of my cocoa meringues or chicken pot pie recipes as well as a host of other mouthwatering cooking ideas. You've got to love that there's a selection of recipes for each of their spices and flavorings, created by staff or submitted by customers. There are a few recipes on there that are sure to do the trick the next time a bad day rolls around...

Tweaked Tomato Pie

As I mentioned earlier this week, during a recent visit to Colorado, Aunt Katie shared with me her recipe for tomato pie. Tomato pie seems to be the thing to make lately as tomatoes are in abundance this time of year. Don't believe me? Check here, here, or here. I was hooked at first bite- it was such a delicious side dish for the dinner party she was hosting. It was just as good cold the next day for lunch, by the way.

I can't imagine improving upon her recipe in the slightest- it was so flavorful and simple to make. However, as we were cooking, Katie asked what I might do differently. I gave it some thought and made a few minor tweaks. I wanted to retain the same simplicity and ease of preparation, but with a slightly different flavor.

The first change I made was to make individual pies rather than a single large one. I love to individually portion dishes when possible- it makes serving easy! Then, to change things up a little, I used a combination of blue and mozzarella cheeses in place of the cheddar and some bacon and green onions in place of the basil. All of these flavors worked really well together, especially when the pies were seasoned with a little smoked paprika and a dash of hot sauce.

Tweaked Tomato Pie for Four

Ingredients:
1 recipe of your favorite single-crust pie dough (or packaged roll-out pie crusts)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup freshly shredded mozzarella, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
A dash of two of Tabasco sauce
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp
6 Roma tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Roll out pie crust and press into individual pie pans. Crimp edges.
-Place a paper muffin liner in each pie and fill with pie weights.
-Blind bake in a preheated oven for 5 minutes with the pie weights.
-Remove the weights and liner, return to oven, and bake an additional 4-5 minutes.
-Remove crusts from oven and turn oven down to 375 degrees.
-While the crusts are baking, mix the mayo, cheeses, paprika, and hot sauce.
-Add 1 tablespoon each of crumbled bacon and green onions.
-Season to taste with salt, pepper, and extra hot sauce, if desired. Set aside.-Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
-Use a small knife to cut an x on either end of each tomato.
-Briefly submerge each tomato in the boiling water and then transfer to a colander.
-Run all of the tomatoes under cold water. This will cause the skin to peel away from the tomato.
-Peel and slice the tomatoes.
-Lay the slices on paper towels to drain extra moisture.
-Season slices with salt and pepper.
-In the pie shells, layer tomato slices, remaining bacon, and onions. You may want more or less bacon depending on your personal preference.
-Top with mayo mixture and additional mozzarella cheese.
-Return pies to oven and bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Colorado Hospitality

People say there's nothing like Southern hospitality. With a host of family members living in the South, I'd tend to agree. However, I think more should be said for Colorado hospitality. Mike, Emily, and I just enjoyed a long weekend visiting Aunt Katie and Uncle Scott out in Colorado Springs, and boy, did we have a great time! Those westerners know how to have fun! They live far enough out in the country to enjoy their horses, dogs, and lots of land to run around on, but close enough to have fun in the city too. The weekend was the perfect balance of city life and country life!

Upon arrival, Katie and Scott immediately swept us off to the Golden Bee at the Broadmoor for a night of drinks, good music, and fun. The bar specializes in nightly piano sing-alongs and yard-long beers. There's nothing like an excessively large beer to get you singing, right? It was an absolute blast and the start of a very fun and busy weekend.

During our time in Colorado...

Mike played cowboy for the day- he helped Scott and Sam haul the winter's supply of hay and rode a horse for the first time- ever!!

We visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It's an amazing zoo cut into the side of a mountain. Emily made special friends with the giraffes because she had a handful of Ry-Krisps to feed them.

We visited the top of Pike's Peak to check out the view and to enjoy a few of their light and airy high-altitude donuts. Yum!

We cooked! Are you surprised at all? Katie and Scott invited a good friend over to enjoy some fantastic wine brought back from a recent trip to Napa, a lively debate on agricultural practices, and a delicious dinner. Scott grilled some ribeyes, Emily and I made cheesecake brownies with raspberry sauce, and Katie made this fantastic tomato pie. It is the perfect side dish- simple to make, super flavorful, and relying on fresh, seasonal ingredients. She was kind enough to share the family recipe, passed on to her from our fabulous southern cousins. Thanks Beal girls- this one's a keeper!

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
1 deep dish pie shell
4-5 tomatoes, sliced and drained on paper towels
Basil leaves, to taste
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
Directions:
-Prebake pie shell at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
-Layer tomatoes, basil, and spices in the pie crust.
-Mix cheese and mayo together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
-Spread cheese mixture over the top of the pie.
-Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
-Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

A Tale of Two Scones...

If you're wondering where to get the best scone in town, just ask anyone who works at Fuel...and they'll tell you to march straight down the street to Alchemy Coffee House. I'm not taking anything personally here- Alchemy has the most delicious scones you've ever dreamed of, as well as fantastic coffee that is roasted in the store. They are what MY scones want to be when they grow up.

Our restaurant manager has gotten everyone hooked on them. You know it's going to be a good day when he pulls a scone or two out of his bag to share. They are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and usually still warm from the oven. If you'll be taking a trip to Alchemy, though, you should know the scones sell out fast, fast, fast! It's the early bird who gets served!

If you miss the morning rush at Alchemy, stop by Fuel for one of our scones? I've been working out the recipe; really, we've all been working on it- the pursuit of great scones has become a group effort around here! Although it can't possibly compete with our down-the-street neighbors, it did get the stamp of approval from our staff and customers. Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, sweet OR savory; these scones make for an indulgent breakfast along with a cup of coffee or tea. I've included my basic recipes for both the sweet and savory versions. You get two recipes for the price of one and lots of different ideas for flavor combinations. My favorite combos are cherry white chocolate for the sweet and ham and guyere with basil for the savory. Be forewarned, though- making scones is a simple process, but certainly not for the faint of heart. Butter and cream are what give a scone it's characteristic texture and flavor, and there's just no way around it.Sweet Scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing over the tops.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup additional ingredients*
*Chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, or some combination of these items. I especially like:
White Chocolate Cherry Scones: 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Nutty Cranberry Orange Scones: 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup pecan pieces, plus 1 tsp. orange zest
Cinnamon Chocolate Scones: 1 cup chocolate chips plus 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Apricot Scones: 1 cup chopped dried apricots plus 1 tsp. lemon zest
Etc., etc., etc.Savory Scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 ounces cold butter, cubed
1 cup coarsely grated cheese (gruyere, cheddar, pepper jack, etc.)
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing over the tops.
1 cup additional ingredients*
*I especially like:
Ham and Gruyere Scones: 1/2 c. cooked, cubed ham, 1/4 c. chiffonade of basil, 1/4 c. chopped scallions with gruyere.
Bacon Cheddar Scallion Scones: 1/2 c. cooked, crumbled bacon, 1/2 c. chopped scallions with cheddar.
Southwestern Scones: 1/2 c. cooked, crumbled bacon, 1/2 cup. chopped green peppers with pepper jack. Throw in a little minced cilantro for good measure! Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, (and sugar for the sweet scones).
4. Cut the cold, cubed butter into this mixture until butter is pea-sized and mixture is crumbly.
5. Stir in the additional ingredients- sweet or savory according to your preference!
6. Pour the cream (and vanilla for the sweet scones) into the flour-butter mixture and stir until just combined. You may not need all of the cream, just enough so that the dough comes together. Do not over stir. This will cause the scones to be tough.
7. Bring the dough together and flatten into a disk.
8. Cut the disk into wedges and arrange on baking sheet, giving each scone room to rise as it bakes.
9. Brush the tops and sides of each scone with heavy cream.
10. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 22 minutes.
11. Cool the scones on a cooling rack.