Blueberry Crumb Cake

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Blueberry Crumb Cake

I buy Blueberries when they go on sale and have about 4 cups in my freezer, so I used half of them in this scrumptious Blueberry Crumb Cake. This cake is moist and so tender with a crunchy crumb topping. It is divine with your morning coffee or tea. This recipe was adapted from Cookies and Cups (link below). I used Light Brown Sugar instead of Granulated Sugar for the Crumb Topping. This recipe does not require a mixer and it super easy to make. I hope you will give it a try. See recipe below.

Blueberry Crumb Cake, so good!

Crumb Topping Ingredients
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons King Arthur All Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into chunks

3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

My slice of Blueberry Crumb Cake

Directions
In a large bowl, add all of the above ingredients: flour, sugar, butter and ground cinnamon and work with a pastry cutter (or your hands if you do not have one) until combined, set aside.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Cake Ingredients
2 cups + 1 tablespoon King Arthur All Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

3/4 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, cut into chunks

1 XL Egg

3/4 cup Whole Milk

2 cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

9-inch Springform Pan

Non-Stick Baking Spray (I use Wilton Bake Easy! Non-Stick Spray)

Look at the blueberries and that beautiful crumb topping

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 9-inch Springform Pan with Non-Stick Baking Spray, set aside.

Take 1 tablespoon of flour and add into a bowl and roll blueberries into flour until they are lightly coated (shake off any excess flour), set aside. This keeps the blueberries from sinking into the batter.

In a large bowl, use a spatula and mix all the ingredients with a spatula until smooth.

Blueberry Crumb Cake 

Gently fold in blueberries.

Batter will be thick.

Spread cake batter into prepared pan.

Add the crumble topping over the batter.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I checked the cake at the 35 minute mark, and it baked in 45 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes.

Take a knife and gently run it around edges of the cake to loosen, and then release the sides of the Springform pan.Walla!

Blueberry Crumb Cake just taken out of the oven

Cool completely or do like me and enjoy the first slice warm with a cup of coffee.

Please visit Cookies and Cups for the Blueberry Muffin Cake recipe:
http://cookiesandcups.com/blueberry-muffin-cake/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Heartbreaking Dawns The Green

Heartbreaking Dawns The Green Verde Hot Sauce

 This newer Heartbreaking Dawns Green Verde Hot Sauce helps showcase Chef Johnny’s art of blending heat with fantastic flavors. I am not a huge fan of Verde hot sauces yet this one really shines. I have tried others and always seem to opt for the red hot sauces. Yet as no surprise to me, Chef Johnny rocks the kitchen with this The Green Verde hot sauce. I had the sauce with some Mexican food and it was a great condiment addition. I actually also ate some The Green Verde on sweet and sour chicken and it was very good.

HBD's "The Green" on Mexican Food

The blend of four pepper varieties and other Mexican ingredients is I can truly say, perfect. The peppers that make this sauce a hit are Fire Roasted Jalapeño peppers, Green Habanero peppers, Serrano peppers and just a bit of Bhut Jolokia peppers (AKA Ghost peppers). This sauce is All Natural, vegan and gluten free. Accompanying these wonderful peppers are tomatillos, onions, cilantro, garlic, Lime Juice, salt, water and vinegar. I like the textures in this sauce and it is very aromatic. Just smelling this sauce will make you have to have it. The tomatillos add a good base to the sauce.

The Green on a Two Frys Breakfast Scramble

While hot, The Green Verde is on the medium heat scale. The heat hits you yet blends with the flavors. When used on food it is not as hot, but you get a little Ghost pepper bite with the Green Habaneros slight burn. You do not need to be an extreme heat fanatic to eat this sauce. I must say, The Green Verde would be a great table sauce for Mexican restaurants. Get some for your pantry today Señor! The Green Verde Hot Sauce is deliciously recommended by me.

The Green On Burritos

For further information, please visit Heartbreaking Dawns:

heartbreakingdawns.com

“Like” Heartbreaking Dawns on Facebook:

facebook.com/hbdsauces

See HBD at The 2016 NYC Hhot Sauce Expo: NYC Hot Sauce Expo

-Allen/Two Frys

Defcon Defense Condition 2

Defcon Defense Condition 2 Medium Wing Sauce
“All Purpose Medium Heat Wing Sauce”

I am an avid maker of chicken wings and have cooked and blogged about Defcon Sauces. This fine New Jersey based company creates some seriously delicious hot products that are brimming with intense flavor. Defcon Sauces are one of the most true and hard working hot sauce companies out there and the product line is of top-notch quality. Recently, I made wings with Defense Condition #3 Mild Wing Sauce.

Allen Two Frys and John Defcon at Past Expo!

My family loved the spices but asked for more heat, so my next Defcon purchase at the 2015 NYC Hot Sauce Expo was Defcon Defense Condition #2 Medium Wing Sauce. Defense Condition #2 proved to be a bit hotter on the heat scale, and loved by all at a family gathering. Defcon also makes hotter and extreme wing sauce products to satisfy all you serious heat seekers and Chili heads. Be sure to check out the Defcon Creator John Dilley’s other products like Rubs, Habanero Horseradishes, my favorite seasoning Contaminated Soil, and much more.

The Defcon Wing Sauces are all you need to season your wings for the oven or grill. The bold taste is pure bliss and packed with robust flavors. This sauce is so amazing you will be licking your fingers and craving more of this sauce with each bite. Defcon Defense Condition 2 Medium Wing Sauce is a smoothly balanced sauce combining spicy hot aged Cayenne peppers with just the right amount of vinegars (distilled and white wine), salt, garlic powder, cream and natural flavors. The sauce is All Natural, does not contain MSG, and is gluten free. I highly recommend this sauce from my favorite locally based wing sauce company.

Defcon has won numerous awards and swept the Chicken Wing Category at the 2015 NYC Hot Sauce Expo, The Screaming Mi Mi Awards 1^st – 3^rd place. On Saturday, April 23, 2016 Defcon Sauces presents the Chicken Wing Eating Competition at the 2016 NYC Hot Sauce Expo. Be there!

For further information, please visit Defcon Sauces: http://www.defconsauces.com/

“Like” Defcon Sauces on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefconSauces

NYC Hot Sauce Expo Facebook: New York City Hot Sauce Expo

-Allen Fry/Two Frys

Chicken Breast and Spaghetti with Asparagus, Garlic and Olive Oil

Chicken Breast and Spaghetti with Asparagus, Garlic and Olive Oil

Baked Chicken Breast and Spaghetti with Asparagus, Garlic and Oliive Oil

I love pasta and aside from chocolate, it is my greatest weakness. I think I was Italian in a past life if such a thing exists. Baked Chicken Breasts are amazing when cooked correctly, and are juicy and not dry. I searched Pinterest for a recipe and came across one from Gimme Some Oven (link below), and adapted the recipe but I made my own spice rub. This recipe calls for a simple 15 minute brine and it made a big difference in terms of keeping the chicken moist. I steamed the asparagus and tossed it with the spaghetti, garlic and olive oil (in Italian: Spaghetti aglio e olio). It was a very satisfying, tasty and hearty dish. Recipe follows below.

Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Olive Oil

Coarse Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Sophia's Spice Rub Concoction:
1 teaspoon of each:
Coarse Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Cumin, Cilantro Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, and Mexican Oregano.

Look at that beautiful chicken breast

Directions
Brine Chicken Breasts
Fill a large bowl with warm water, add salt and then add the chicken breasts. Let them sit in the warm water brine for 15 minutes.

Remove and rinse chicken breasts with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil on both sides and place in a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

Rub spice mixture on both sides.

Bake for 30 minutes turning after 15 minutes.

Thermometer should read 160-170 degrees.

Take out from oven and let chicken rest for 5 minutes, and serve with spaghetti.

Asparagus
Ingredients
Asparagus

Coarse Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Directions
Cut ends of Asparagus and each asparagus into 2 pieces.

In a steamer, fill bottom with water and bring to a boil.

Add asparagus and steam for 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add immediately to cooked spaghetti.

Garlic and Olive Oil

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil (Spaghetti aglio e olio)
Ingredients
1 lb Spaghetti (Barilla)

1 teaspoon + 1⁄2 cup Olive Oil

6-8 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

Bunch fresh Parsley, roughly chopped

Coarse Salt

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
On high heat, bring a large pot of water to boil.

Add coarse salt.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Add the spaghetti and cook to Al Dente, according to box directions.

While spaghetti is cooking, add olive oil to a skillet on medium heat.

Add thinly sliced garlic, and heat until garlic turns golden. Be sure to not burn the garlic.

Remove from heat. Take out garlic or leave some in if you want.

Before draining spaghetti, reserve about 3/4 cup of starchy pasta water.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add reserved pasta water, garlic oil and stir.

Add asparagus and grated Parmesan cheese and combine.

Add more Parmesan cheese over the top and sprinkle parsley. Serve with chicken breast.

For the Chicken Breast recipe, please visit Gimme Some Oven:
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/baked-chicken-breast/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Lemon Garlic Tilapia just out of the oven

I baked Lemon Garlic Tilapia recently and it was superb. The fish was tender and cooked perfectly. The flavor profile from the garlic, butter, lemon juice, and spices was great and balanced. See recipe below.

My tilapia

Ingredients
2 Tilapia Filets

3 tablespoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

1 tablespoon Butter, melted

2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

Bunch of Parsley, roughly chopped

Coarse Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Tilapia rested and ready to serve

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Line baking dish with aluminum foil, set aside.

Rinse tilapia in cool water and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small pan, melt butter on low heat. Set aside to cool.

Place filets in baking dish, and season with salt, pepper and crushed pepper flakes.

Pour lemon juice over the fish and then drizzle over with the melted butter.

Sprinkle garlic over the filets.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Let fish rest in baking dish for 5 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle fresh parsley over the top.

I served with Spanish rice and black beans.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Easter Lemon Cookies

Easter Lemon Cookies: Bird's Nest, Speckled Eggs, Peeps, Bunny Tails, Bunnies and Chicks

Bird's Nest Cookies

Speckled Egg Cookies

Easter Cookies

This weekend, I baked Lemon Cookies: Bird's Nest, Speckled Eggs, Peeps, Bunny Tails, Bunnies and Chicks and Gluten Free Almond Sugar Cookies for Easter. With the Lemon Cookies I reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup and to make sure the lemon flavor was pronounced, I added lemon extract, lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice. My kitchen smelled like fresh lemons as the cookies were baking in the oven. Delightful! The Lemon Cookies recipe is adapted from Sweetopia, and the Gluten Free Almond Cookies from Meaningful Eats. I used a Glaze Icing from I Am Baker for the Gluten Free cookies and they are egg free as well. I share all the recipes below.

Peeps

Peeps

Peeps

Lemon Cookies Ingredients

Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies

2 cups (4 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened and each stick cut into 8 cubes

2 Extra Large Eggs

1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar

5 cups All Purpose Flour (I use King Arthur)

Zest of 2 Lemons

3 tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Pure Lemon Extract

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

Bunnies

Bunny Tails

Directions
Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces.

Sift flour and salt in large bowl and combine with whisk or spatula; put aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment on low to medium speed. Mix until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds more.

Easter basket with decorated eggs

Decorated eggs

Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down bowl with spatula and mix again for another 5 seconds.

Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract, and mix for 30-45 seconds.

Slowly add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes.

When dough clumps around paddle attachment it is ready.

Glaze Icing, Egg Free for Gluten Free Almond Cookies 

Royal Icing I made

Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and cool in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Take 1/4 of the dough, use rolling pin and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness, dip cutter in a little flour, and cut out shapes. Repeat rolling the dough and cutting shapes until you use it all.

Place shapes on parchment lined baking sheet and space apart 2 inches. Put cookies in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. They hold their shape when you do this.

Easter Cookies

Easter Cookies

Easter Cookies

Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. My cookies baked in 11 minutes.

Let cookies cool in baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Let cookie sheets cool completely before you bake again. I put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat until you have baked all the cookies.

Large Batch Royal Icing
Ingredients
8 Egg Whites

8 teaspoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

12 cups Powdered/Confectioners' Sugar, sifted

A Peep

Another Peep

Peeps!

Directions

In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar, set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the egg whites and lemon juice.

Transfer to stand or hand held mixer with paddle attachment and mix on high for 1-2 minutes.

With mixer speed on low, slowly add sifted sugar and beat on low until smooth.

If needed, you may add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency. Watch the Joy of Baking (link at the end) video for both Flooding Consistency and Piping Consistency Royal Icing. If you prefer a recipe using Meringue Powder, it is also available at this link.

Bunnies

Close-up, Bunny Tail

I separated the icing in plastic containers with lids according to the different colors I needed for tinting.

I used AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color in Turquoise, Green, Yellow, Orange, Fuschia, and Brown.

Keep the containers covered until you are ready to color.

I transferred the icing immediately into Squeeze Bottles using a funnel to prevent it from spilling. Keep the squeeze bottle tips covered. If the Royal Icing hardens due to exposure to air, spray a little bit of water and shake bottle well holding the tip with your finger. Test the icing consistency on a paper towel before decorating the cookie.

I lined a cookie sheet with paper towels and placed the cookies on cooling tray over it. I then outlined the cookies and waited 1/2 hour and then filled them.

Use a paintbrush or cookie stick to reach edges and use tip of cookie stick or a toothpick to pop any air bubbles.

Cotton Candy, Coconut Grass, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Wilton Nonpareils, and Marbled Egg Confetti

I used the following for decoration (see above):
Blue Cotton Candy (for bunny tails)
Cadbury Mini Eggs (tops of bird's nest cookies)
Baker's Sweetened Coconut Flakes (coconut grass for bird's nest cookies)
Wilton White Nonpareils (for bunny tails)
Marbled Egg Shaped Confetti by Target (for easter eggs)

Lemon and Gluten Free Almond Cookies and brush - about to get speckled

Speckled Eggs

Speckled Eggs

Speckled Eggs Technique 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa

2 1/2 tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 unused paint brush

Directions
In a small bowl, mix cocoa and vanilla extract with a small spatula until smooth.

Using a paint brush with thick bristles, lightly dip into cocoa mixture and with your finger flick the brush over the cookies.

Speckles will form on the cookies. You may splatter all over your work space so have paper towels covering it. I even got some on the wall. Yikes! Good thing it came right off with a damp sponge.

Repeat until all your egg cookies have the speckled effect.

Let dry completely for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Bird's Nest Cookies

Bird's Nest Cookies

Coconut Grass for Bird's Nest Cookies
Ingredients

2 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes

5-6 drops AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste in Green

1 teaspoon Water

1 Resealable Bag

Directions
Add coconut flakes in a resealable bag.

Add drops of Green color and water.

Seal bag and shake vigorously until coconut flakes turn green.

Add coconut grass over wet green royal icing.

Press 3 Cadbury Mini Eggs in different colors over the coconut grass.

Let the cookies set for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Bunny Tails, cotton candy and nonpareils

Close-up of Bunny Tail with Nonpareils

Gluten Free Almond Sugar Cookies 
Ingredients

1/2 cup, 1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into 8 cubes

1/4 cup Coconut Oil, softened

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar

3 XL Eggs

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Fine Salt

1 1/4 cup Almond Flour

1 1/2 cups Coconut Flour

Chicks

A chick

Directions
Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces.

Sift baking soda, almond and coconut flours and salt in large bowl and combine with whisk or spatula; put aside.

Cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugars together in a bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment on low to medium speed. Mix until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds more.

Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down bowl with spatula and mix again for another 5 seconds.

Add vanilla and almond extracts, and mix for 30-45 seconds.

Slowly add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes.

When dough clumps around paddle attachment it is ready.

Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and cool in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Chicks

Chicks

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Take 1/4 of the dough, use rolling pin and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper to desired thickness, dip cutter in a little coconut flour, and cut out shapes. Repeat rolling the dough and cutting shapes until you use it all.

Place shapes on parchment lined baking sheet and space apart 2 inches. Put cookies in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking. They hold their shape when you do this.

Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. My cookies baked in 13 minutes.

Let cookies cool in baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Let cookie sheets cool completely before you bake again. I put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat until you have baked all the cookies.

Bunny Tails with Glaze Icing

Bunny Tails with Glaze Icing

Glaze Icing
Ingredients

4 cups Powdered Sugar

6 tablespoons Coconut milk (Silk)

4 tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

2 teaspoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon juice

Directions
In a medium sized bowl, sift powdered sugar.

With mixer speed on medium, add coconut milk, corn syrup and lemon juices and beat for 1-2 minutes.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add powdered sugar until incorporated.

Add 1/2 teaspoon coconut milk if needed until you reach the consistency you want.

Place in plastic containers and add any color you need and then transfer to squeeze bottles.

For the Citrus Sugar Cookie recipe, please visit Sweetopia:
http://sweetopia.net/2012/07/when-life-gives-you-lemons-lemon-cookie-recipe-tutorial/

For the Royal Icing recipe and video tutorial, please visit Joy of Baking:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html

For the Almond Flour Sugar Cookie recipe, please visit Meaningful Eats:
http://blog.meaningfuleats.com/the-best-almond-flour-sugar-cookies-gluten-free-grain-free/

For the Sugar Cookie Frosting (Glaze), please visit I Am Baker:
http://iambaker.net/sugar-cookie-frosting-recipe/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys