Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Raspberries & Roses

Yesterday's breakfast table was bright with most un-January-like colour and flavour.

Raspberries...


...atop a coffee cake spiked with lime zest and drizzled with intensely lime glaze. Tart and refreshing on a 20º morning, and perfect with eggs and a cup of...


...roses? Well, tea - but what is that lovely thing peeking out from behind the plate?


Only a gift from a dear bloggy friend. Only the most beautiful mug ever made (in England!). Staffordshire Heritage, in case you were wondering. Perfect for tea, and a most elegant vehicle for hot chocolate.

Thank you again, dear bloggy friend.

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Raspberry-Lime Coffee Cake for Two*

In bowl, combine:
1 cup flour (I used half whole-wheat, half unbleached)
2-4 Tbsp brown sugar (we used 2 - cake was barely sweet)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg or mace
Zest of 1/4 - 1/2 lime

Add:
3/8 cup milk or milk substitute (coconut milk beverage for us)
2 Tbsp oil (I used extra-virgin olive)
1 egg**

Mix well. Spread into oiled and floured baking pan, 8x8" or 8-9" round. Sprinkle generously with fresh or frozen raspberries, then with a tablespoon or two of raw sugar (granulated sugar may be substituted). Bake at 375º about 20 minutes or until done. Cool slightly in pan.

Glaze:
1 tsp. butter, melted
Zest of 1/4 - 1/2 lime
1 tsp. fresh lime juice (more if needed)
Confectioner's sugar - stir in enough to make a thick paste, and pipe or drizzle onto cake. If glaze is too thick for drizzling, add more lime juice.

Note: I like to make a very thick glaze and pipe it onto the coffee cake, using a square of heavy plastic with a tiny hole cut in the middle. The plastic, which came from a bag that once held flour, can be washed and re-used and is less cumbersome than a piping bag.


*Recipe doubles well to fit in a 9x13" pan.
**For even better texture, separate egg and beat the white. Add yolk with other liquid ingredients to dry mixture and blend, then fold in egg white.

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47 comments:

  1. Oh! Something nice for tea with raspberries in it and a mug of roses to go with it!
    Thank you for your visit and yes, those flower shots were of an amaryllis!

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    1. Thanks, Sandra - and a gorgeous amaryllis too. :)

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  2. Interesting breakfast food. I like your tip for making a piping bag. I will certainly try it next time I am doing fancy baking

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    1. Not so very different from toast with marmalade, if you analyse the ingredients.... :)

      Thanks for commenting!

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  3. MMMMM! Sounds delicious and I absolutely love your new cup. It's so elegant.

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    1. Isn't it though? I was thrilled when I opened the box, having admired cups like this for years without ever buying myself one. :)

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  4. Ohhhhhh! THISis tHe mOst BeAuTifUl mUg of the universe. :-) Enjoy your tea and hot chocolate. Regula

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  5. This sounds totally fab. But I never would have thought of making a cake for breakfast. I think that now is the time to start. This being the first recipe. Yumm
    PS for some reason your posts are not coming up on my blog roll. Do you know why that happens? I do check in with my mobile every so often but have yet to figure out how to leave a comment from my phone.

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    1. It's not exactly cake (I'm splitting hairs here and thinking of fat-to-flour-to-sugar ratios of the classic butter cake) - it's what we call "coffee cake" which is more like a quickbread. To be honest, this is my basic muffin recipe, spread out in a pan and topped with berries. It lends itself to all sorts of interpretations.

      I have trouble with other bloggers' posts not coming up too. It seems to be a Blogger thing, and more common with bloggers across the pond. Sorry I don't have any helpful advice Rosie! :)

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  6. The Coffee Cake looks too, too, too good. So I'm moving right on, to the cup.

    Oh what a lovely, beautiful, precious, spectacularly-pretty cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    "Auntie"

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    1. Come now, Auntie, you know a small piece wouldn't hurt you. Unless you're gluten-intolerant, which now that I come to think of it, you are.... dang it!

      And yes it IS a beautiful cup. :)

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  7. That looks DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing the recipe...

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    1. De nada, Ana! I was stash-busting the pantry. :)

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  8. That cake looks yummy have taken the recipe thank you and the cup is really beautiful :)

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  9. I don't blame you for being thrilled with that mug. It is a beaut. (So is that coffee cake.)

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    1. Thanks, e. I was ridiculously happy when it arrived in the mail. :)

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  10. This will be my Paleo cheat one day...just for one day...just one treat...

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  11. Right, Susan my dear; I will be making that cake in the next days. Any cake with citrus juice mixed together with icing sugar is worthy of my attention.

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    1. It has such a nice citrus-y shot of flavour. I like to make lemon glaze the same way. :)

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  12. Oh, yummy cake, beautiful mug! And I love your reusable piping bag substitute - brilliant.

    And now my stomach is growling.

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    1. I do have a piping bag, but this is much simpler. A heavy zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off would work too (but is harder to lick - I mean wash - when you're done). :)

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  13. So awesome that it is for two. That would make it great for anytime. Looks yummy too.

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    1. Thanks Beth - it's really half a muffin recipe just spread out in a pan. :)

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  14. Is this a nutritious breakfast? Yes! Eggs! Whole Wheat! Citrus! Berries! Olive oil! Yes! Nutrition! (Okay. We'll ignore the small amount of sugar there and pretend we don't see it) Besides there is much too much NUTRITION in there. :) I simply must try this with Peanuts. :)

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    1. Of COURSE it's nutritious. I have my cholesterol levels to think of, you know. (That's why I eat eggs every morning.) And the whole wheat flour does give a comforting illusion of healthfulness. :)

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  15. Hello, Mrs. Micawber! The recipe is noted and hopefully I'll bake this deliciously looking cake today itself! you always come up with such lovely and easy things :)))thanks!!!

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    1. Thanks Anna! I hope it works out for you. Any berries will work - blueberries and strawberries are both delicious, with lemon instead of lime. :)

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  16. Ok you've got my attention Sue......that cake looks absolutely delicious and to have it at breakfast, well, what better way to start the day?....and what a beautiful mug.
    Can't beat an English mug with roses, such a lovely gift.
    Enjoy many warming cuppas Sue.

    Claire :}

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    1. Thanks, Claire! And the cake isn't very sugary at all - in fact it was rather tart with the berries and lime. Just the way we like it. :)

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  17. Found your wonderful blog today and wanted to say hi! I am your newest follower :) Pretty cup and gorgeous food.

    Bee happy x

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  18. Looks delicious! Love the cup. Stay warm.

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    1. Thanks, Janet. We're doing our best - and are heading into some true cold weather early next week. It builds character. :)

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  19. I am heading to your house for tea and something yummy to eat.
    Hugs,
    MEredith

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  20. Oh, my goodness gracious, that looks scrumptious!!! That mug is just adorable, too.

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  21. Oh yum, that looks delicious! My oatmeal is jealous.

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    1. Put a little cream on it - that should do the trick. :) Thanks Trena!

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  22. Wow, das sieht ja lecker aus. Und dann mit Sahne!!!!!!!!!!
    Ich schaue immer gerne hier mal rein. Arbeite noch an meinem Blog.
    Am Meisten sehe ich mir die Stricksachen an. Ist alles mit viel Liebe beschrieben.
    Vielen Dank
    bay bay, Gerlinde

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  23. Thank you very much for your recipe!!! I had some guests for tea time last week and they enjoyed it very much!!!
    Here you have some pictures of it:
    http://not2latetocraft.blogspot.com.es/2014/02/pa-de-pessic-de-fruits-vermells-i.html

    Raquel

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