October 2010
While waiting in line at the grocery store, where I shop for its proximity and not its people, I was easily distracted by two perfectly placed turtle brownies on a white napkin. The edges faded into a white abyss, and the font made its bold claim from the clean design of the cover, “BEST-EVER RECIPES.” I oohed and ahhed at each photo and then eeeked at the price of the magazine: $9.99?!?!
Then I splurged! I bought it, but I bought it with a mental stipulation. I vowed to myself to work my way through this America’s Test Kitchen recipe collection and not let the eye candy fall expensively to the floor. I wasn’t on the verge of a Julie & Julia undertaking. I planned to skip the seafood recipes (to maintain my seafood “virginity” until I arrive at a proper seafood source with a knowledgeable dinner date) and for the lack of a grill, the grilled recipes. There was no need, however, to skip any of the dessert recipes. I would still allowed myself the leeway to make changes as I saw fit, which is how “New York Style Crumb Cake” became “Bonne Maman Breakfast Cake!”
I <3 NY, but Paris, Je T’aime!
Crumb Topping Ingredients
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup pure cane sugar
1/3 cup packed organic dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
Cake Ingredients
Bonne Maman Cherry Jam
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
½ cup pure cane sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
1/3 cup 2% Greek yogurt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk (from farm fresh eggs)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Crumb Topping
Whisk the butter, sugars, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl.
Stir in the flour until the mixture resembles a thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10-15 minutes.
For the Cake
Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a rectangular, glass, baking dish.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined.
Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, beating the mixture with a hand-held mixer at low speed until it resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the yogurt, egg, yolk and vanilla and beat at medium-high speed until the batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
Top the batter with a layer of cherry preserves.
Using both hands, break apart the crumb topping dough, rolling the dough between your thumb and forefinger to form crumbs about the size of large peas. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the cherry preserves layer.
Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
PS: The magazine was worth the $9.99! I’m sure the dashing carpenter would agree as well, in between bites of brisket, fried chicken, pork tenderloin and crumb cake of course (not all at once now)!
