Apple Coffee Cake-- made in the Slow Cooker

It's the Bunnykens dish set again! (side note: I really should take a run to the dollar store and get more unmatched dishes so I can post food pictures on the Internet.)

I really like baking in the slow cooker. I get it that this perhaps sounds a bit odd---- why should I bake something in the crockpot for 2 to 3 hours, when I can easily throw a pan in the oven and have coffee cake in only 30 minutes?

I'll tell you why. I'm bonkers.

I don't mean this in the clinical sense (although I'm sure some could argue otherwise), I mean it in the I'm always doing too many things at once and sitting around waiting for 30 minutes for a cake to rise and bake properly just isn't going to happen.

because the doorbell rings.

or the phone.

because the baby needs changing. 

or because she plays with a bottle of vanilla extract while "sorting" the spice cabinet and some spills and she licks it up and then her mom reads the bottle and finds out it's 26% pure alcohol and maybe-just-maybe over-reacts and calls poison control and talks to a really nice man named Michael who assures her that she's JUST FINE and that NO ONE likes the way that vanilla extract tastes and she surely couldn't have ingested very much.

or something like that.

SO! That is why I like baking in my slow cooker. I like the wiggle room. I like it that I can whip up the batter, wash the dishes, and leave the house to run a few errands or pull some weeds in the garden. I like that I know that when I start to smell the baked goods, there's no need to panic---it's not going to burn to a charred brick. I like that I can hold a baby on one hip while I check the baking process without worrying that she's going to lean in and burn her hand to a singed nub.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

coffee cake:

cooking spray

2 cups Bisquick mix (NOTE: if not GF, you can use AP flour, but a mix will provide the fluffiest result--I used Pamela's Baking Mix. There is a new GF Bisquick, though, at most grocery stores)

2/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2  apples, peeled, cored, diced (green is best, I had Fuji on hand)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

crumb topping:

1/4 Bisquick (or Pamela's, etc. see above notes)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

The Directions.

I used a 4-quart slow cooker with the batter directly in the crock (stoneware)  insert. If you only have a large 6-quart slow cooker, that's okay---put the dough into a loaf  pan and put that into the stoneware insert. No need to add water, just put the pan in the crock.

Spray your pan or 4-quart insert with cooking spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for your coffee cake. Stir with a rubber spatula--no need to break out the mixer. The batter will be thick and lumpy. Pour into your prepared stoneware insert (or baking pan).

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping and sprinkle evenly on top of the batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, or until the cake browns and pulls away from the sides. Uncover the cooker and cook on high for another 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

The Verdict.

This is a perfect coffee cake: sweet, but not too sweet, moist and crumbly. I sometimes will make the batter the night before and then scrape it into the crock to bake while I get work done around the house before the rest of the house wakes up. I also love making this during the day as an after school snack. It freezes and reheats (in the microwave) beautifully--perfect for a busy morning.

more crockpot baking magic! 

banana bread

blueberry buckle

brownies in a mug

apple dumplings

perfect baked bread

pound cake

turtle pudding

shrinky dinks

salt dough ornaments

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Roasted Garlic Spoonbread Slow Cooker Recipe

Hello, there! I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. We sure did----we laid kind of low and played in the backyard and went to the park. The weather finally cooperated long enough for me to get some vegetables into the ground, and my fingers are crossed that I actually remember to water them this year.

Adam barbecued on Saturday (because it would be un-American to not barbecue during Memorial Day weekend!), and I played around with a spoonbread recipe I was given and made a really savory and delicious side dish in the crockpot.

There's a LOT Of garlic in here---enough to ward off a pack of vampires.

The Ingredients.
serves 4-6

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used the stuff in the can)
1 head garlic, cloves peeled but intact (about 15 cloves)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker (1.5 quarts is fine, just cook a bit longer---I used one of the sections of the crockpot trio).
In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, pepper, milk, melted butter, and eggs until you've got a nice batter. No need to use a mixer---just whisk it together until there aren't any big lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic cloves. Pour the batter into a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 2 to 3. Your spoonbread is finished when the center is set and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

We had ours alongside salmon patties (frozen, from Costco--no filler, totally gluten free, yay!) Adam barbecued. It'd pair nicely with roasted chicken or pork chops, too.

The Verdict.

The garlic roasts inside the cornbread, creating a moist and savory side dish. The girls picked the garlic out (they were huge cloves, and a bit much for them), but ate all the cornbread. I liked the tiny hint of spice from the cayenne. I sprinkled paprika on for the picture. In retrospect, I should have used smoked paprika---it would have added a nice hint of smokiness.

super good.

On a side note:

I wrote an article on Village of Moms about Slow Cooker freezer meals and TV Dinners.

also, the $125 Visa Gift Card is still up for grabs over on my review blog. I'd love to get some more comments/entries. The more entries, the more likely bigger and better stuff comes my way to share with you!

and, I'm thinking of doing a summer book club, if you're interested. At first I thought I could swing a book a month (3 books), but I think that's too much. Maybe 2--and discuss on twitter in mid-July and then the end of August? I'm not sure---just thinking/typing out loud...
if you have any ideas for good books, I'd love to hear them!

only 8 more days of school!!

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Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Cake Recipe

Hold on to your hats--this is a good one!

In my mind, there is no better pairing than peanut butter and chocolate. I have perfected the eating of the peanut butter cup---I take my time and eat all the chocolate first, and then eat the naked lump of peanut butter.

It's the little things make me happy. This pudding cake makes me happy!
So you should make it.
The directions sound complicated, but I know you can do it.

I used a 4-quart slow cooker, and the batter fit perfectly, and I was really happy with how thick the cake turned out. If you only have a 6-quart, I'd put an oven-safe casserole dish all the way into your slow cooker, and load the ingredients into it. If the cake puffs up and overflows a bit while cooking (I don't think it will), it's okay, because the goo will stay in your slow cooker.

The Ingredients.
serves 8

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used Pamela's Baking Mix)
1 cup sugar (divided. this is important, don't just start dumping, read on!)
1 teaspoon baking powder (even though Pamela's has baking powder in it, I used this amount)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (unless you're a rebel. then use chunky)
1/2 cup milk (I used fat free cow's. to keep it light. HA!)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker coated well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.
In the microwave, melt peanut butter for about 30 seconds, and then add to the mix along with milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir really well to combine.
Spread this mixture into the bottom of your slow cooker.

In a separate bowl, mix together cocoa powder, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 cup boiling water (be careful!) Pour this evenly over the peanut butter batter in your cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, or until the top has set and an inserted toothpick (into the cake--underneath the cake is molten chocolate) comes out clean. Let the cake sit uncovered in an unplugged crockpot for about 20 minutes, then serve warm in dessert bowls.

The Verdict.

If you like peanut butter with your chocolate, or chocolate with your peanut butter (best ad campaign EVER), you will love this cake. The peanut butter cake floats to the top (totally trippy), leaving a layer of molten chocolate gooeyness underneath.


like peanut butter?

peanut butter brownies
peanut butter pork
peanut (not brittle) candy not peanut butter. but SO tasty.
peanut butter fondue
African Peanut Soup
chocolate frito candy to die for.

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Drop In and Decorate---Cookies for Donation

I first heard of this fantastic organization about a year ago. I was smack dab in the end-of-the-year craziness in the slow cooking challenge, and instead of jumping in to help, I merely bookmarked the website.

This year is different. This year I look forward to making a bunch of plain cookies, and working with our Girl Scout Troop to decorate them for a good cause. I used to run a child care center that served homeless families, and I'm looking forward to bundling our cookies up to bring to some very deserving children and families.

There are very few rules, which is why I really, really like this project. You don't need to bake (unless you want to). You don't need to make your own icing (unless you want to). All you need is a few of your favorite friends, and an open and giving heart.

My friend, Lydia, started Drop in and Decorate in 2007. It has grown phenomenally. Here's a bit of background on this not-for-profit organization:

Drop In & Decorate is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

Founded by food writer Lydia Walshin of The Perfect Pantry. The idea behind Drop In & Decorate is simple: bake some cookies; gather a group of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, your worship group or book group to decorate the cookies together; donate the cookies to a nonprofit agency serving basic human needs in your own community.

It’s a simple idea in a complicated world, and something anyone can do.

If you’d like to host your own Drop In & Decorate® event, Pillsbury and Wilton would like to help.

Pillsbury has donated 50 VIP coupons, worth $3.00 each, off any Pillsbury product -- including sugar cookie mix and icing -- to be distributed, first come, first served, while supply lasts, to anyone who plans to host a Drop In & Decorate event (max. 5 coupons per person). And we'll include a Comfort Grip cookie cutter, donated by Wilton, to people who plan to host cookies-for-donation events.

Write to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com for more info on how to get your free coupons and cookie cutters.

My girls are quite excited to participate in this event. While I type this, they're looking over my shoulder and would like to do it twice---once with the girl scouts, and again with friends and family.

Thank you to Lydia for this fantastic way to give back to the local community, and for providing a beautiful opportunity to make a difference while creating family memories.

PS. Today (November 15) at 5pm pacific, the $200 Best Buy Gift Card give-away over on my review blog will finally end. It's your last chance to throw your name in the pot.

xoxo steph

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