Catacomb Crumble Topping

It was a picture on Instagram wherein I was tagged by my daughter-in-law that sent me to the GhoulatHeart website where I first saw this clever catacomb crumble topping. Things like this really intrigue me, and I knew that I had to make it. There was no time, at this late date of discovery to shop around for small skull molds, so I used what I had that’s a little bigger. I actually prefer the look of mine (the kind that you see on old gravestones), to the more modern version.

Making the streusel skulls.

I’m not going to lie this was labor-intensive. Because my mold was bigger, it took longer in the freezer (more like 30 minutes) than author’s 10 minutes, so my process dragged out quite a long time. I also had only an eight-well mold, so I had to do it four times. Not every time was successful. Gradually I learned to pack the streusel as tightly as I possibly could, and made use of the smaller end of a tart tamper that worked quite well. I also learned that when I went to pop it out of the mold, in my case anyway, to start with the small end and work my way up to the top of the skull.

Ready for the oven.

 I absolutely love the look, it made my pumpkin bread look perfect for Halloween, it cut like a dream, and it is delicious! This crumble topping can be used on anything you like from coffee cakes, tarts, quick breads, to cupcakes. Just cover a cupcake with a light topping of crumbly streusel and press a streusel skull in the top. They hold up quite well in the oven (one of my fears was they wouldn’t), and as you can see, it’s quite eye-catching.

Right out of the oven.

Use your favorite pumpkin bread recipe add this for the topping.
 

Catacomb Crumble Topping
As seen on ghoulatheart.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Make skull streusel ahead of time and keep refrigerated.

Add streusel ingredients to a medium bowl and use a fork to cut in butter until combined. Transfer 1/2 teaspoon of the streusel mixture into each skull cavity of the skull mold and use the back of a teaspoon to pack the mixture tightly. Place mold into the freezer for about 10 minutes to set the skulls and tap to remove skulls onto parchment paper. Stores skulls in a plastic container and pop back in the fridge. Repeat until you have about 60 skulls. Reserve the remaining streusel mixture.

Make your favorite pumpkin bread. Sprinkle the crumbly streusel topping over the batter. Add about half the skulls to the top of the loaf. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove loaf from oven and top it with the remaining skull streusel, filling in where the bread has expanded. Return the loaf back to the oven and allow to bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely. Wrap and store at room temperature for up to four days, or 10 days in the refrigerator.

Note from Olla-Podrida: I rarely bother with the cut-in method. I placed all ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor and processed until large crumbs formed. Because my skulls were larger, each one took a tablespoon of mixture in order to make a full skull. I tamped it tightly into the mold using a tart tamper. Unlike the originator of this recipe, I placed the crumbly streusel onto the pumpkin loaf, jammed all of the skulls on top, and baked it just once for 60 minutes at 350°. As you can see, it worked perfectly.

Something of major importance that the originator failed to mention is that your baking pan needs to be lined with either foil or parchment so that you can lift the loaf directly out of the pan. You don’t want to attempt to take it out on its side or invert it.

Have fun on Halloween. Bake something scary!

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Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Loaf

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Over the weekend I made double chocolate brownies with pumpkin buttercream frosting. They were delicious. Unfortunately they were not photogenic. Not, in a very big way. As a consequence, I am going to have to make them again and have another photo shoot, because this is a recipe you absolutely must try. I had just enough leftover pumpkin from the buttercream to give this recipe a try. Am I ever glad that I did! I do believe that this is one of the best pumpkin loaves that I have ever tasted. I happen to be a big fan of streusel, totally convinced that it improves everything it graces, which may explain why I like this loaf so much. You have to make this one.

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Loaf
Slightly adapted from cookiesandcups.com

Crumb Topping:

½ c. flour
½ c. dark brown sugar
½ t. pumpkin pie spice
1/8 t. kosher salt
¼ c. cold unsalted butter, cubed

Pumpkin bread:

1 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. kosher salt
1 c. granulated sugar
¾ c. vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. pumpkin purée
2 t. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8” x 4” loaf pan with a Baker’s Joy; set aside

Prepare crumb topping: In the work bowl of a large or mini food processor combine topping ingredients. Pulse until large crumbs are formed; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth and blended. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with prepared crumb mix. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the loaf tests done. If you see the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil.

Remove from oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins

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 I love the combination of lemon and blueberry, and lately I’ve been craving both. I’ve also been craving a recipe that actually makes lemony lemon muffins. Most of them with just a hint of lemon don’t suit my taste. If you feel the same way that I do, then this recipe just may be for you. There is a lot of lemon here, but it makes a delicious, flavorful, and refreshing muffin, and the perfect offset to those wonderful sweet blueberries.

 Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Streusel Topping

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

2 T. butter, melted 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Slowly pour in melted butter, and mix until small crumbs form. You can do this by hand or more rapidly with a mini food processor, either works just fine.

Muffins

2-1/2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. kosher salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 T. grated lemon zest

3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 c. buttermilk, room temperature

1 T. vanilla extract

1 t. lemon oil

2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

 

 Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a standard muffin tin with tulip liners.* You can use standard size liners, but you will end up with more than a dozen muffins. If you’re not using liners, spray each cavity with Baker’s Joy.

In a separate, medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, melted butter, zest, and juice. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla extract, and lemon oil.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture stirring until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. 

Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter into the muffin liners, filling them to the top. (Only fill to the top if you are using the tulip liners. If using standard liners, fill them ⅔ full.) Top with streusel. 

If using tulip liners, bake for 20 to 22 minutes until they test done; if using standard liners, bake for 18 to 20 minutes until they test done. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.

These are wonderful as it is, spread with butter, or if you crave lemon the way that I do, topped with a dollop of lemon curd. Heaven!

*If you don’t already have tulip liners on hand, stop what you’re doing right now and buy some. These. I mean it. I’m not just kidding around. Yes, they are a bit more expensive than the standard muffin liners, but they make the perfect size muffin, give you a beautiful bakery shop quality presentation, and make quite an impressive display. Get some for yourself, and buy some for a gift. They’re perfect for Mother’s Day, young brides, or as a hostess gift.

 

 

Blueberry Blossom Pancakes

If the Blueberry Blossom Pancake from the August issue of Bon Appetit caught your eye the way that it did mine, and if you, like me, feel that the addition of streusel makes anything better, then this recipe is for you. Basically a pancake purist, I was leery, at first, of topping a pancake with streusel.  I wasn't sure that I would be in favor of pancakes with a crunchy topping. Much to my surprise, this additional bit of make-ahead crunch, enhanced the whole pancake eating experience. Flavorful enough to eat on its own, this delicious topping was an enjoyable plus. I'm reprinting the recipe as it appeared in the magazine below, but I did not make the syrup. Blending maple syrup and blueberries sounded less appetizing than making my own cooked blueberry topping (recipe is here). As it turns out, just a light drizzle of maple syrup was enough on its own.

Blueberry Blossom Pancakes

Blueberry Syrup

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup blueberries

Streusel

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled

Vegetable oil (for skillet)

1 cup blueberries (about 5 ounces)

Blueberry Syrup

Purée syrup and blue-berries in a blender until smooth; set aside.

Streusel

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, flour, and brown sugar on a small rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with butter and toss to coat. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool.  DO AHEAD: Streusel can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Pancakes

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg, buttermilk, and butter in a medium bowl, then whisk into dry ingredients.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter into skillet and top each with 2 tablespoons berries. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes topped with syrup and streusel.

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Tasty Tuesdays

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake Three Ways

Happy first day of fall!  With the coming season I’ve been experimenting with pumpkin coffeecake recipes.  Unsure whether I preferred a crumb topping to a streusel topping, I took a survey of family and friends to see which was the most popular.  After months of research (okay, two days, if you must know), it was a tie.  It seemed both toppings were equally loved.  Huh, I thought to myself.  Maybe I can come up with a recipe that uses both.  And I did.  This scrumptiously delicious coffee cake employs the use of both crumb and streusel toppings…or not.  Have it your way as they used to say in the commercials of a popular burger chain.  I made it with the streusel topping as a filling and topped it with crumbs.  But you can just use the crumbs, or just use the streusel, or break up the streusel and use half as a filling and the other half on top.  Can you say versatile?  It’s simply delicious, any way you slice it.

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake Three Ways

STREUSEL TOPPING/FILLING

¼ cup flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup chopped pecans

CRUMB TOPPING

2 cups flour

2 sticks butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

COFFEECAKE

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor*

Preheat oven to 350°F Spray a 9” x 9” square cake pan with Pam.  Line pan with parchment paper, leaving 2 extra inches overhanging the sides.  Spray parchment paper with Pam.

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING/FILLING:

Place all ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until crumbly.

CRUMB TOPPING:

Mix all ingredients together until crumbly:

FOR COFFEECAKE:

Combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin, vanilla extract, and Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor (if using). Gradually beat in flour mixture.

OPTION #1 – STREUSEL TOPPED COFFEECAKE

Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter. BAKE for 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

OPTION #2 – CRUMB TOPPED COFFEECAKE

Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and cover top completely with crumb mixture.  Return to oven and bake an addition 35-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

OPTION #3 – CRUMB TOPPED COFFEECAKE with FILLING (Pictured)

Spoon half of the batter into prepared cake pan.  Top batter with filling (streusel).  Cover filling with remaining batter.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the crumb mixture over cake.  Return to oven and bake an additional 35-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

 *If you don’t have this (and what a shame if you didn’t), just use 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring.

Plum Streusel Coffeecake

Prior to making yesterday’s Plum Butter, I measured out ¾ pound of plums and set them aside to make coffeecake.  You know how you tear recipes out of magazines, then put them in a file and never look at them again?  Well, I decided to look at that file last week, and found this recipe from a 1995 issue of Gourmet.  My mother is the coffeecake maker in our family these days, but I wanted to give this one a try.  Imagine then, my dismay, when one of the plums went missing!  I have baskets of peaches, nectarines, a bunch of bananas, and sliced melon all available for consumption, but did my husband go for any of these things?  No!  He managed to find the plums (well, plumcots, if you must know) that I had hidden behind the cauliflower in the vegetable bin, and he ate one!

“Boy,” he said, “was that plum ever delicious.”

“Yeah,” I said through gritted teeth, “I’ll bet it was!”

For a man who can’t find the butter that is right in front of him, he was sure an ace at ferreting out my saved plums.  So, after an unwanted, and curmudgeonly, I might add, trip to the grocery store to buy one lone plum, I was finally on my way to creating this delicious breakfast cake.  It’s make ahead, can be frozen prior to baking and baked later, or frozen after baking, and it's beautiful, and delicious!

Plum Streusel Coffeecake

Gourmet, September 1995

For streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For cake batter
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound Melissa's plumcots (4 to 5 medium), sliced
confectioners' sugar for sifting over cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 9-inch round or square baking pan at least 2 inches deep.

Make streusel: In a food processor pulse together streusel ingredients until combined well and crumbly.

Make cake batter: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and vanilla. Sift in flour with baking powder and salt and beat until just combined.

Spread cake batter in pan, smoothing top, and arrange plum slices over it in slightly overlapping concentric circles. Sprinkle streusel over plum slices and bake cake in middle of oven 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Coffeecake may be made 1 week ahead: Cool cake completely in pan on a rack and freeze, wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. Reheat cake, unwrapped but not thawed, in a preheated 350°F. oven until heated through, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake slightly on a rack and sift confectioners' sugar over it. Serve coffeecake warm or at room temperature.

If you love coffeecakes, check out this book.  It’s the Bible for coffee cake lovers:

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

What's Cooking Wednesday