Jam Crumb Cake

When my sister-in-law baked this treat for me, I printed out the recipe from epicurious. After reading numerous online comments and baking it myself, I came up with my own tweaked version.

This coffeecake is relatively easy to mix. It's stirred together, muffin-style, rather than using a mixer, creaming the butter, etc.

The picture below shows how I cope with my no-cooked-fruit child: I make a jam-free piece, mark it with toothpicks before adding the topping, then bake. I don't always accommodate everyone's preferences (poor Lauren doesn't care for our most commonly baked banana muffins), but this is an easy fix.On to the recipe...

Jam Crumb Cake 6-8 servings

Crumb Topping
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
generous 1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups flour

Cake
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raspberry (or other fruit) jam

• Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan.
• Make the crumb topping: whisk together butter, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Stir in flour.
• For the cake:
• Whisk together dry ingredients.
• In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The butter will form little clumps if the milk is cold; this is a good thing!
• Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Stir just to combine. Spread in the prepared pan. There will not be much batter--don't worry!
• Dollop jam over the surface of the batter. Swirl it gently.
• Squeeze the topping ingredients into clumps and scatter over the surface of the batter.
• Bake at 400* until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve from the pan. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Much of this can be made ready the night before baking: crumb topping, dry ingredients for cake, pan prep, etc.
• I have completely assembled some coffeecakes in the evening, refrigerated, and baked the next day. I haven't tried that with this particular recipe, but it should work. Let me know if you do it.
• Sometimes I make two pans at a time with different jams. I've also doubled the recipe and assembled it in a 9" x 13" pan.

Deluxe Eggs

Deluxe eggs have become a regular part of our Sunday morning repertoire. After 9:00 a.m. mass, we eat a big breakfast (brunch, really) of something baked (coffeecake, sweet rolls, biscuits, etc.) and something hearty (bacon or sausage or, nearly always, deluxe eggs). This is enough to keep us going until our early Sunday dinner.

What follows is more technique than recipe. Amounts vary by how many you're feeding, but the process remains the same.

Note that a non-stick pan is essential--it cleans up well, and is responsive to heat changes. Cast iron, usually a non-stick contender, holds its heat too well in this case.

Deluxe Eggs
sweet (Vidalia) onion, chopped
eggs (~1 1/2 per person)
bacon bits or chopped ham
grated cheese (We like a Mexican blend.)

Saute onions over medium heat in some butter or your favorite spread.Beat eggs in a bowl, crank the heat up to HIGH, and add the eggs to your pan.Sprinkle with (real) bacon bits or chopped ham.Let set a bit, then begin scraping and stirring.BEFORE the eggs are as done as you like, sprinkle them with grated cheese, turn OFF the heat, and cover the pan. In one or two minutes the cheese will be melted and your eggs will be perfectly done--not brown or rubbery or dried out (unless that's how you like them!).
These are great with something sweet (juice or coffeecake) and some heat (try smoked Tabasco). Enjoy!

Oven Fried Catfish and Chicken Parmesan

Here's a simple, tasty way to prepare catfish.Oven Fried Catfish

2# catfish fillets

~ 1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 Tbsp Old Bay seafood seasoning

• Rinse fish and pat dry.
• Combine crumbs, cornmeal, and Old Bay.
• Set up an assembly line. Dip fish in melted butter, drain, and coat with the crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet.
• Bake until fish is opaque and flaky. The timing depends on oven temperature; anything from 350-425 will work well.

Notes:

• You can dip the fish in melted butter, margarine, oil, or a combination. Since I use Better Butter, which is whipped, the volume isn't accurate. This means I don't measure anymore, but guesstimate how much to melt.
• To keep things tidy, it works best to use one hand for dipping only--don't touch the crumbs with it at all.
• Catfish is thick and moist, difficult to overcook.
• This recipe isn't appropriate for thin fish filets as the coating-to-fish ratio would be to high.
• I like to keep some prepared fish in the freezer. Lay it on plastic wrap on a baking sheet, cover, and freeze. Then place two filets back-to-back, wrap in plastic, and store in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge on a baking sheet and bake as usual. This can also be the foundation of a give away meal--a change from the usual lasagna or chicken casserole.
• I cover the baking sheets with heavy duty foil. My dish washers are appreciative. ;-)
• Leftovers reheat well in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.

VARIATION: CHICKEN PARMESAN

I use the same technique to make chicken Parmesan:

2# skinless, boneless chicken breasts

melted butter

1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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The chicken can be cooked on a baking sheet (like the catfish) or in a pan with sauce (serve pasta on the side). Grease a baking pan (9 x 13" or larger, depending on how much chicken you use) and pour in a jar of pasta sauce. Mix in a little bit of water (1/2 cup?), top with chicken, and bake uncovered. Again, the timing depends on your oven temp. You already know how to cook chicken, right?

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This freezes well, just like the fish. I find that 2# of chicken has less surface area (smaller but thicker pieces) than 2# of catfish, so you may not need quite as much crumb coating. Measure scant amounts or freeze the crumbs for next time.