Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I've enjoyed reading Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen blog for a while now.  All the recipes are beautiful, doable and always turn out delicious. So when I had a container of sour cream leftover from Christmas and guests popping by our new house for coffee, I knew just where to look for a coffee cake recipe. 

This Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake would use up all the sour cream, and I knew I had all the other ingredients on hand. Plus it uses cinnamon which is my favourite flavour in coffee cake. 

This cake is incredibly easy and delicious. The eggs are separated and whipped whites are folded into the batter, making the cake puff up beautifully as it bakes. 

Chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar are layered within the batter and strewn on top of the cake.

We were impatient and ate the cake warm from the oven, but it's even better once it's had a chance to cool and the chocolate chips form back into firm nuggets of chocolate.  The flavour was even better the next day.

You can find the recipe here:  Smitten Kitchen Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Make it and enjoy!  

Tart of the Month - Pumpkin Spice Tarts

It's that time of year!  Pumpkin spice is on everyone's mind. 

I was never a huge fan of pumpkin pie - it's a little dense and the texture isn't that appealing to me.  But these pumpkin spice tarts are lightened up with cream cheese, and I love the gingersnap crust.  

Here's what you need for these easy fall treats:

Spiced Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Dried Apricots

This was a last-minute pantry dinner that turned out very nicely.  I was looking for a way to use some boneless chicken thighs and found this recipe on Epicurious. I adapted it a bit and it was quick and tasty.

Here's what you need:

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon each salt & black pepper

8 skinless boneless chicken thighs

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large sweet potato, 1 small butternut squash or a combination of both (1.5 lbs total)

1 cup dried apricot halves

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 cinnamon stick

3 cardamom pods

3 whole cloves

First mix the thyme, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper together in a small dish.

You can leave the chicken thighs whole but I like to chop them into bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle the chicken with the spice mixture.

Chop the onion, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan over high heat and add the onions.  Sauté about 5 minutes then add the chopped garlic and cook one minute more.

Slide the onions and garlic over to one side of the pan.   Add a  bit more oil.

Then add the chicken to the pan.  Let cook without stirring for 2 minutes to get a brown crust on the meat.

Then flip the chicken and continue to cook for about a minute more.

Chop the dried apricots.

And get your spices ready.

Add the apricots, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to the chicken in the pan.  (Only 2 cloves!)

Meanwhile peel and dice the sweet potatoes and/or butternut squash.  I just used sweet potatoes this time.

Add the sweet potatoes to the chicken along with the canned tomatoes.

Stir it up, cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

About 5 minutes before the stew is done, cook up some couscous.   This is so easy.  Put a cup of couscous in a pot or bowl.

Add a cup of boiling water.  

Cover and let it stand for about 5 minutes until all the water is absorbed and couscous is tender.

After cooking 30 minutes, remove the lid from the stew and let it simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes to let it thicken up a bit.  Remove the cinnamon stick and the cardamom and cloves if you can.  If not, it's ok but try not to eat a whole clove.  

Portion some couscous onto a bowl or plate.

Then ladle some stew over top.

This was a lovely, spicy winter dish, full of flavour.  Very quick and easy for a weeknight dinner.  

Short & Sweet Sunday - Dark & Spicy Black Russian

Ready for a super tasty cocktail recipe?  I started "inventing" this cocktail last time we were in Las Vegas.  I ordered a Black Russian and then noticed Cinnamon Spice Kahlua behind the bar.  

So I asked for a cinnamon Black Russian and loved it.
When we got back to Canada I looked for it at the liquor store but they said they'd never heard of it.  Then this Christmas season I noticed Cinnamon Spice Kahlua in the LCBO and I snapped it up.

Another new product I'm addicted to is this dark chocolate milk.  It is so wonderfully rich and delicious.  I make mochas with it all the time.  I figured I could make a "white" Russian with this that would be pretty tasty.

So, this is basically a standard White Russian with 2 oz Vodka, 1 oz Cinnamon Spice Kahlua and 3 oz dark chocolate milk.  

I always pour the Kahlua in first, although I think you're supposed to pour the vodka first.  Pour the Kahlua over ice, then add the vodka.

Top with the dark chocolate milk.

I like my Black Russian with a maraschino cherry, and it would be worth a try in this too, but I didn't have any on hand and it's great as is.