rye coffee cakes with fruit & nut variations!

For whatever the reason, my mind tends to skip over coffee cakes when I think of breakfast pastries. I suppose I like goods that come with a host of variables, flavor options, etc., and messing with the classic butter, sugar, & cinnamon composition seems silly, so it generally just doesn’t enter my thoughts at all....

…until I was sick a few weeks ago, and “taking it easy” for me means spontaneous baking. These two coffee cakes were the result, one with pears and hazelnuts and the other with apples and walnuts, and I just loved them. The flavors and textures come together to yield a really comforting pastry, cozy but also intriguing. I measure deliciousness by how difficult it is to walk away without another bite, and these passed that test all too well.

I was so excited about them, and then was distraught upon realizing that I was in no shape to be out and about sharing food with anyone—except my toddler, the origin of my cold I am sure! Let’s just say I’m looking forward to the rainy day that I pull these out of the freezer for a play date!

Rye Coffee Cakes

Yields one 9” round coffee cake or two 6” round coffee cakes

Streusel:

• 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup (90 g) rye flour

• 3/4 cup (160 g) light brown sugar

• 1 (generous) t kosher salt

• 1 t cinnamon

• 1/8 t cardamom

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 g) unsalted butter, cold & cubed

• 1 cup (120 g) roughly chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts (peeled)

Cake:

• 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (120 g) rye flour

• 1 t baking powder

• 3/4 t baking soda

• 3/4 t kosher salt

• 1 t cinnamon

• 1/2 t cardamom

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks; 171 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup, packed (70 g) light brown sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 1 t vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup (180 g) buttermilk, room temperature

• 1/4 cup (60 g) creme fraiche

• 1 large apple (I used Honeycrisp) or 2 medium pears, cut into 1/2”-1” cubes

Directions:

pre-bake!

1. Make the streusel: In a small/medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients aside from the butter. Once thoroughly combined, use your fingertips to work the cold/cubed butter into the mixture until it comes together in small/medium clumps. Add/incorporate the nuts and refrigerate until needed.

2. Make the cake: Pre-heat the oven to 350 F, and butter one 9” cake pan or two 6” cake pans and line with parchment. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Add the vanilla extract to the measured & tempering buttermilk.

3. In a the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the sugars and butter and mix until quite light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.

4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk/vanilla, stopping the mixer as soon as each addition is nearly incorporated (to avoid over-mixing), and scraping the sides after each addition. Finally, using a large spatula, fold the creme fraiche into the batter.

5. Pour into the prepared pan(s), and top with the diced fruit. Sprinkle with the nut streusel and bake for about 1.25 hours (about 45 minutes to an hour for the 6” cakes), or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, and the top middle of the cake feels firm to the touch. Set on a cooling rack until cool enough to handle safely with a towel or oven mitt, and invert onto a plate (so it catches the streusel) before inverting again, either back to the cooling rack or serving plate. Enjoy!

hazelnut, honey & pear scones!

I first made these exactly two years ago, in Maine while waiting for Lilly to arrive. I was loving the fall weather and scurrying to pack our freezer with as many wholesome/delicious snacks as possible…these were at the top of that list!

These are inspired by the sugar-free oatmeal maple scones from Flour Bakery in Boston. When I’d first started there in 2011(!), I was blown away by the depth of flavor that came from using a natural sugar source instead of processed. I’ve craved those scones ever since, and have tweaked that recipe here, using honey instead of maple syrup and adding ground hazelnuts, toasted chopped hazelnuts, and pears. And cardamom (it’s true—I am eager to add it to everything).

As with all scone recipes I know and love, I am torn between wanting these with a sprinkle of raw sugar on top, as well as with a glaze. No wrong answer here, and the directions cover both!

Hazelnut, Honey & Pear Scones

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c (210 g) AP or whole-wheat flour

• 2/3 c (65 g) ground hazelnuts (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

• 1 1/2 t baking powder

• 1/4 t baking soda

• 1 t kosher salt

• 1 t cardamom

• 3/4 c (65 g) old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1/2 c (50 g) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

• 1/2 c (114 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

• 1 pear, ripe but firm, diced into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

• 1 cold egg

• scant 1/2 c (150 g) honey

• 1/3 c (80 g) cold heavy cream

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I like to freeze the unbaked scones and bake off as needed, so I use a small baking sheet that will fit in the freezer. Otherwise, if baking immediately, use a standard sized pan that will allow for the scones to bake 2-3 centimeters apart.

2. Whisk together the flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the oats and toasted/chopped hazelnuts, whisk to combine. Using the paddle attachment and with the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the butter begins to break down and incorporate–about 1 minute (some blueberry sized pieces should still be visible). Scatter the pear dices over the mixture and mix on low until just incorporated.

3. Whisk together the egg and honey in a small bowl, and gradually whisk in the heavy cream.  Make sure the honey is well incorporated–it’ll want to stick to the bottom of the bowl. On low speed, pour the wet mixture into the dry, and beat for about 10 seconds. Stop the mixer and make sure to scrape all of the wet ingredients into the bowl before returning the mixer to medium speed for about 20 seconds, or until it’s started to come together. It’s important not to overmix the dough, so by all means feel free to take exacting control and finish it yourself with a spatula!

4. Using a standard muffin scoop or else a 1/2 measuring cup, scoop the dough into rounded portions onto the parchment lined baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator to rest/chill for 15 minutes, and heat the oven to 350 F.  (Alternatively, scoop the scones closer together on a baking sheet, wrap with plastic, and stash away in the freezer!)

5. When ready, bake for about 30 minutes, or until the scones are lightly browned on the top, and when “squeezed” (lightly pressed around the sides with your middle finger and thumb), give a bit of resistance (somewhat firm, not doughy).

6. While scones are baking, whisk up the glaze, if desired. Whisk together 1 cup (140 g) confectioners’ sugar, 2 T honey, and 2 T water all ingredients together, adding more water if glaze seems too thick, adding more confectioners’ sugar if glaze seems too runny. Brush on top of the hot scones when they come out of the oven, and wait about 15 minutes before diving in!