Pecan Praline Monkey Bread

At some point in my life I must have decided it was sacrilegious to throw magazines away, specifically magazines having anything to do with food. Although I have also been known to hang on to those what I call 'inspiration' magazines for what most would consider longer than necessary. Earlier this week I decided the time had finally come for me to 'let some of them go'. I know of at least one person who secretly hopes I am getting closer to the place of  'let most of them go'. There really are days when I wish there were more minimalist tendencies in my DNA (admittedly I am not taking full responsibility for my 'saving' tendencies). Before parting with some of these magazines, I decided to quickly go through them to see if there was anything worth saving. Flipping though the pages of an old Southern Living magazine, I came across a recipe for a Praline Pull-Apart Bread, otherwise known as a Monkey Bread. This version was frozen yeasted bread rolls dipped in melted butter, rolled in a cinnamon sugar, sprinkled generously with chopped pecans, chilled overnight, slathered in a brown sugar whipped cream mixture and baked until golden brown. There was one less page in the magazine before it was tossed in the recycling bin.

Why did it take me so long to make this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread? Maybe it had something to do with my penchant for 'homemade from scratch' recipes and a blind eye to anything Sandra Lee-esq. But for those of you who read this blog regularly, you know I haven't actually been a 'homemade only' recipe purist as there have been at least two 'semi-homemade' recipes posted in the past year (Wendy's Mashed Potatoes and Four Bean Baked Beans). There always has to be room for exceptions. 

What makes this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread 'semi-homemade' is the use of frozen dinner rolls (I used the smaller ones made by Rhodes). The use of these rolls not only makes this one of those 'almost too easy not to make' breads, they enable you to assemble almost everything the night before, saving the baking for the morning. In a little more than an hour, you can be serving your friends and family warm cinnamon and praline flavored bites of deliciousness. No one will be the wiser that you didn't make the entire Monkey Bread from scratch. And don't be so quick to divulge you didn't slave for hours making it. 

For a deeper praline flavor and even darker finished color to the baked bread, use a combination of light and dark brown sugars. I used equal proportions of the two.

If I were to change one thing the next time I make this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread it would be to use either a 10 inch tube pan or a larger, wider bundt pan. The pan I used worked, but a larger pan would have worked better. Ideally you want to keep as much of the praline 'glaze' in the pan versus having any of it spill over out of the pan. The frozen bread dough not only rises while resting overnight in the refrigerator, it rises significantly during the baking process. There is no need to thaw the frozen dinner rolls in the preparation of this bread as they 'thaw' in the refrigerator after being dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Once all of the dough balls have been placed in the pan and pecans sprinkled throughout, the pan is wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for 8 to 18 hours. Note: Don't wait until all of dinner rolls are placed in the baking pan before adding the pecans. Sprinkle a half cup of the chopped pecans when half of the dinner rolls are in the pan and the other half cup over the top of the finished layer of dinner rolls.

The heavy cream is whipped until very soft peaks are formed. The brown sugars and vanilla are stirred into the whipped cream and,the entire mixture is spread and pressed lightly over the dough balls. In a preheated 325 degree (F) oven, the bread is placed on a baking sheet and baked for 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown.

The baked Monkey bread should rest for approximately 10 minutes before it's unmolded onto a rimmed platter or rimmed cake stand. Pour any of the remaining praline glaze remaining in the baking pan over the bread before serving.

While this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread is best served warm, it is still good at room temperature. You can always reheat individual servings of the bread in the microwave (on half-power) to recapture the taste of its' warm, ooey gooey goodness. 

Now that the groundhog has seen his shadow it looks like some of us will not be getting any relief from the harsh, cold, snowy winter weather any time soon. This Pecan Praline Monkey Bread would be perfect for breakfast or brunch; after a morning of snow shoveling or cross-country skiing; a morning walk or hike; or, just because you crave the flavors of cinnamon and praline. Semi-homemade never tasted so good. I wonder what else I might find in those stacks of magazines.

Recipe
Pecan Praline Monkey Bread (inspired by Southern Living's Praline Pull-Apart Bread recipe, December 2009)

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon, divided
2 pounds frozen bread rolls, do not thaw (recommend Rhodes White Dinner Rolls) Note: Used 24 of the small dinner rolls.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 generous cup pecan halves, chopped
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup brown sugar (recommend using equal parts of light and dark brown sugars)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Note: The Rhodes dinner rolls came in a three pound package, however, you only need two pounds of them for this recipe. I used the package containing 36 small white dinner rolls.

Directions
1. Spray a 10 inch tube or 10 inch bundt pan with oil. Set aside.
2. Combine granulated sugar and three teaspoons cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
3. Dip each bread roll in melted sugar, dredge in sugar mixture, and place in prepared pan. (Note: When half of the rolls have been placed in the pan, sprinkle in half of the chopped pecans. Finish dredging remaining bread rolls and sprinkle remaining pecans over the top. Pour any remaining cinnamon sugar into the pan.)
4. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 8 to 18 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
6. Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Stir in brown sugar, remaining one teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla. Pour/spread mixture over the dough.
7. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Cool on wire rack for ten minutes. Invert on cake stand or platter. Drizzle with remaining glaze from the pan.

In the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), December 2014

Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes

Have you noticed how the "Theory of Everything Breakfast' has been challenged over the years. Pancakes, eggs and bacon, once perceived as morning foods only have now found their way onto our lunch or dinner time plates, up ending everything we had once believed, everything we learned about which foods should be served when. Whoever is responsible for causing this seismic shift in our thinking or revisiting the hypothesis of this theory should be considered a genius, a genius on the Stephen Hawking level. And if you have not yet seen the movie about Hawking's life, you absolutely MUST see it on the big screen so you can be further drawn into the story and the mesmerizing performances.

As a kid growing up we considered it 'strange' if any of our friends had eggs, hash browns, or pancakes for dinner (something usually occurring on no-meat Fridays during Lent when the rules about what we could and could not eat were strictly enforced). In retrospect, I should have been envious. Had I known we really could have had breakfast foods instead of things like salmon patties (with salmon made out of the can) or tuna fish casserole (made with cream of mushroom soup out of the can) for dinner I wouldn't have cared if we were considered one of those 'strange' families. Heck, I would have hidden the cans of salmon and mushroom soup leaving us with no choice but to have pancakes or eggs. Oh, the wisdom of age.

When I saw Food and Wine's recipe for Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes I knew it was something I would make. It was one of those perfect eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner kind of foods as well as one of those to make on a weekend morning or for a late supper. The Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes are a kind of 'hot mess', a 'delicious hot mess' that is. When we think of anything being referred to as a 'hot'' mess, we are usually inclined to perceive it as having a negative connotation. Maybe it is also time we shift our 'theory of the hot mess'. Truth be told a hot mess generally refers to a person or thing in a complete disarray yet still maintaining an undeniable attractiveness and allure. If we use that definition then maybe being a 'hot mess' isn't such a bad thing, maybe it is more compliment than judgment. However, unless you like to live recklessly, I would caution you from universally applying that term as the definition may limited applicability. So if you decide to call anyone you like a 'hot mess' in all likelihood their ability to focus in on the undeniable attractiveness and allure part of the definition won't be their first thought. Trust me.

Referred to as a Mexican-California twist to a Swiss rosti, this dish is definitely more than hash browns with chorizo sausage and eggs. Like a rosti, the potatoes are pan-fried and then baked in the oven. Unlike a rosti, these potatoes are not roughly grated but roughly chopped. Although now having made this, I would either cut the cooked potatoes into smaller cubes or roughly grate them the next time I made this. I think it would taste even better with a crispier finish.

There are basically four ingredients in this dish: Yukon Gold potatoes, a large Spanish onion, eight large eggs and fresh chorizo sausage. A little extra-virigin olive oil along with some salt and pepper complete it.

Once the Yukon gold potatoes are cooked until tender in a pot of water, they are drained and cooled before being 'cut' up. I went with the rough chop, however, at this size they did not get as crispy as maybe they should have. So like I have already said, I would cut them into small cubes or roughly grate them (with a leaning toward the roughly grate). Note: The potatoes need to be prepared first and can be made the day/night before.

With the exception of preparing the potatoes, the entire dish is made in one pan, preferably a 12 inch cast iron skillet (or a pan that can be put in the oven). Once the fresh chorizo sausage is cooked through and lightly browned, the finely chopped onions are added. The entire mixture is cooked until the onions have softened (approximately 5 minutes). The sausage/onion mixture is removed from the pan and set aside. After simply wiping the pan clean with a paper towel, two to four tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil are added and heated before the chopped/grated potatoes are added. Seasoning the potatoes with salt and pepper, they are cooked over moderate heat until golden and crispy. Once crispy the pan is removed from the stove and the sausage/onion mixture is stirred in.

Using either a sauce spoon or small ladle, eight indentations are made into the potato/sausage/onion mixture. The indentations should be deep enough to hold a large egg and spread out enough so the eggs don't spill into each other. In a preheated 375 degree (F) oven the pan is placed in the oven. Bake until the whites of the eggs are just set but the yolks are still runny (approximately 12-15 minutes). You definitely want the yolks to be runny.

Sprinkle the finished dish with a little more salt and pepper and serve with some hot sauce and thick slices of toast.

Paired with a salad the Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes would make for a great lunch or dinner. This is definitely one of those 'not for breakfast only' dishes. Because nowadays the new 'normal' is having those once breakfast only dishes for lunch or dinner. Nothing strange about it.

Recipe
Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes (inspired by Food and Wine's Baked Eggs recipe)

Ingredients
1 3/4 to 2 pounds small to medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes
1 1/2 pounds fresh chorizo, casings removed
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large eggs
Salt and pepper
Toast and hot sauce for serving

Directions
1. Place potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold water, bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender when pierced with a knife (approximately 25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes) Drain and cool. Once cool, roughy grate or cut into small cubes. Note: If you don't want or like the skins of the potatoes, peel them before grating/cutting. Set aside.
2. In a 12 inch cast iron or enamel skillet, cook the chorizo until cooked through and lightly browned, breaking up into chunks while cooking. 
3. Add the finely diced onion to the sausage and continue cooking until the onions have softened. Transfer mixture to a dish and set aside. Wipe the pan/skillet with a paper towel.
4. Heat 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in the wiped clean plan, and then add the grated/cut potatoes. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Remove from the heat and stir in the sausage/onion mixture.
5. Using a sauce spoon of small ladle, make 8 indentations into the potato-chorizo mixture. Note: Make indentations deep enough to hold a large egg as well as spread out enough so the eggs don't spill into each other.
6. In a preheated 375 degree (F) oven, bake until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are still runny (approximately 12-15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
7. Serve with hot sauce and thick slices of toast.

Chocolate Ganache Baked Chocolate Espresso Doughnuts

For more years than I care to disclose we lived in our last house without a washer and dryer (long story but since I wasn't the one doing the laundry I didn't feel deprived). We used to have a snowblower but when we moved we left it behind for the new homeowner (did someone think there would be never be any snow falling on the driveways in our new house some thirty miles away?). As much as I try to look at the upside of removing snow with a shovel, on really cold days these benefits don't seem to matter. In actuality, shoveling the snow on Sunday wasn't really such a hardship and the exercise felt good. In other words the whining was kept to a minimum. However, I was not looking forward to shoveling again on Tuesday morning when the temperatures had plummeted. As I came down the stairs wearing my snow shoveling clothes and carrying my North Face hat and boots, I looked out the front door to see just how much snow we were graced with. After guessing it was a little less than three inches, I gasped. The good kind of gasp, the kind of audible sound you make when you are surprised in the best of ways. The cause of this good gasp was discovering the driveways had been plowed and the sidewalk had been shoveled. Seems the person who shall remain nameless arranged to have a snow service for significant snowfalls this winter and had kept it a secret. If there is such a thing as a good secret, this would be one of them.

What could be better than starting your morning with coffee and doughnuts? Had you ever thought about getting your caffeine rush from a homemade chocolate espresso doughnut topped with some chocolate ganache and chopped pistachios? Think about this for a second. In just one bite you can savor the body, bouquet of a good cup of coffee and the smooth, velvety flavor of chocolate and have it all finish with the saltiness of the sultan of all nuts, the pistachio. And its no secret there have been numerous studies touting the health benefits of coffee, chocolate and nuts. Only a red wine chaser to the chocolate ganache baked chocolate espresso doughnut would make it a healthier way to begin your day. Heck, even Starbucks is now serving wine (albeit not during breakfast hours).

The recent postings of Maple-glazed mini pumpkin doughnuts and the Golden 'Egg' Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts combined with this new posting for the Chocolate Ganache Baked Chocolate Espresso Doughnuts are beginning to make me wonder if I have had a 'secret' obsession with mini-doughnuts. Or maybe I am just coming late to the appreciating the deliciousness of doughnuts party and it is now beginning to border on an obsession. Whether or not I am developing a preoccupation for this confection having an interesting history (for those of you who love learning the origins of foods there is a good article posted on Smithsonian.com), I love making these small bites of yumminess.

When making these doughnuts I decided tweak the recipe a bit but, in general, kept the quantities of the major ingredients listed. Note: I used both cake flour and all-purpose flour for these doughnuts, but you can use only all-purpose flour.

This was a bit of a mistake as the yield for this recipe was nine mini-doughnuts. So in the recipe listed below I have doubled the ingredients. If you only want to make nine doughnuts (and tease your family or co-workers), feel free to cut the recipe in half. 

Not only because they contain espresso powder and are made with chocolate, I also love these doughnuts because they don't require pulling out a mixer and they aren't cooked in oil.

These doughnuts bake in less than 15 minutes in a preheated 325 degree (F) oven. Even when using a non-stick doughnut pan, remember to spray your pan with a cooking spray.

For the ganache I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, whipping cream, unsalted butter and a pinch of sea salt. Note: The ganache recipe wasn't reduced. You can refrigerate and reheat the leftovers if you are only making nine doughnuts.

Once the doughnuts have cooled, they are are ready to be dipped in the warm ganache.

The chopped pistachios take these doughnuts to a different level, one currently occupied by the cronut. I happen to believe that different is almost always a good thing. I also happen to agree with Oscar Wilde's view of the world "Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!"

Borrowing words from a fellow foodblogger, these doughnuts are 'seriously delish'. If you have already lived this long and have not yet been swayed to buy a mini-doughnut pan, I really, really hope these Chocolate Ganache Baked Chocolate Espresso Doughnuts are enough to push you into getting one. Try to imagine the gasp your family, friends or co-workers will make when you put these doughnuts on the table. Even with the thought of experiencing an endorphin rush from hearing the sounds of jubilation as these doughnuts make an appearance, maybe you still don't compelled to go out and buy a mini-doughnut pan. Because it means having driving to the store in the weather that is way too cold. Or maybe snow and ice are everywhere and you would rather be anywhere than out on the roads. Not a problem. You can always order one online. In the spirit of being a good friend, consider this a kind of helping to remove all of the obstacles for you. Consider it giving you a slight nudge or hard push.

Recipe
Chocolate Ganache Baked Chocolate Espresso Doughnuts (adaptation of Shutterbean's doughnut and Jessica Merchant's chocolate ganache recipes)
(makes approximately 18 mini-doughnuts)

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 Tablespoons espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
Substitution Note: Can use 2 cups of all-purpose instead of 1 cup of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of cake flour)

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Spray a mini-doughnut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour(s), baking soda, espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa, and kosher salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vegetable oil and vanilla until blended and smooth.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, whisking until well blended and all ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Spoon doughnut batter into a pastry bag (or into a large resealable plastic bag) and squeeze batter into the prepared doughnut pan (about 2/3 full). Bake for 13-15 minutes or until doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed.
6. Allow doughnuts to cool in pan for at least 3 minutes, then turn carefully out onto a rack to cool.
7. For the ganache, heat the whipping cream in small pan over medium heat just as it begins to bubble at the edges. Pour heated whipping cream over chocolate chips. Let stand for 30-45 seconds. Stir constantly until the chocolate melts and the ganache starts to become smooth. Add in the unsalted butter and pinch of sea salt, stirring until ganache is smooth and shiny.
8. Dip the top of each cooled doughnut into the ganache. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. 

"It may take time, but if you put your mind to something, you can make it happen. You are more powerful than you realize."

Pear Cream Cake

"Life is uncertain. Eat cake first." With many of you making a commitment to getting the new year off to a healthier start, please know I am not out to sabotage you. Just giving you some added 'food for thought' as you reexamine your food choices and priorities in the year ahead. If there was one thing I learned from a life coach friend it is that we shouldn't look at life as giving up what we love, it should be about making the choices necessary to enable us to eat what we love. Like cake! 

If the new year is a time for reflection and the making of resolutions, isn't the proverbial door also open for rethinking the order in which we eat certain foods during the day as well as what we think is or what is not an indulgence? There are two right answers here: yes and maybe (2015 is the year of choice). Okay let's give this a try. What comes to mind when you hear the words 'breakfast of champions'? For many of us we immediately think 'Wheaties breakfast cereal'. The answer to this question might change after you take a bite of the Pear Cream Cake. 
. 

The recipe for the Pear Cream Cake has been on my 'to make' list for quite some time, years actually (talk about procrastination). The foodie husband of a friend had been making this cake as one of the family's holiday traditions. I think I am remembering the story behind this cake correctly but if not, it is a testimony to my active inventive imagination. My prolonged delay in making this cake may have something to do with this memory as I had unfairly pigeon-holed it into something to be made only around the holidays. Having now made this cake, I have come to see it falling into the category of 'monthly tradition' rather than just 'annual tradition' foods. It might also be one of those must make cakes for weekend guests.

Another stumbling block preventing me from making this cake earlier was the recipe called for serving it with half and half. Sort of like, but not exactly like, having a piece of cake surrounded by a creme anglaise. With more whipped cream in the refrigerator than should be allowed, I thought a sweetened whipped cream topping might be the more perfect finishing touch. Besides what is not to love about sweetened whipped cream?

While this cake looks and tastes like it was 'made from scratch', it is actually made using a cake mix. Yes, it is true I am starting off year sheepishly feeling a little like Sandra Lee. But before you jump to any conclusions or worse yet jump ship off this blog posting, just remember there are 'exceptions to everything'. As much as I generally believe that the 'real' deal is always better than anything 'semi-homemade', this Pear Cream Cake is one of those things falling into the  'exceptions' category.

There are four layers to this cake. The fruit layer, the cheesecake-like layer, the cake layer and the sweetened whipped cream layer. What is surprising about this simple, little easy to make cake is how surprisingly 'light' in taste it really is. And the proportions of fruit to everything else going on in this cake is just right. 

Have you ever read a recipe only to discover that in the process of making it you 'misread' it? That happened to me in the making of this cake. When putting together the cake batter layer of the cake I used all of the reserved pear syrup, not a 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup. After mixing the batter, oil, ginger, egg and pear syrup I thought 'this batter seems a little too thin'. So I looked at the recipe again and there it was clearly written in the directions, mix in only 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup. This might have ended my attempt at making this cake, but fortunately the person with the insatiable sweet tooth was out doing errands. Dangling the promise of the Pear Cream Cake along with pretty please asking if he would go back to the grocery store a second time, I was able to get another box of cake mix and another can of pears in heavy syrup. Yippee, the cake baking continued. I am revealing all of this early morning baking chaos with you because I believe there great value in redundancy. So let me just say again 'you need only 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup for this cake'. 

After the pears have been cut and arranged on the buttered/oiled piece of parchment paper cut to fit an 8 inch round pan, the cream cheese/apricot layer comes next. This thick cheese mixture goes on in dollops and is carefully spread smoothly over the pears with the use of an offset spatula. Last, but not least, comes the cake batter layer.

Placed in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven the cake bakes for somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes. My baking time was closer to the 50 minute mark. The cake is done when the top is a beautiful golden brown and it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger (sometimes a more reliable test than inserting a toothpick).

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for approximately 10 minutes before unmolding onto a cake stand or platter. As tempting as this cake looks, wait at least an additional 10-15 minutes before piping the sweetened whipped cream over the top. Otherwise you will have a different kind of beautiful mess on your hands. If you don't want to or can't wait that long, you could always serve the sweetened whipped cream on the side.  

This cake is equally delicious eaten slightly warm or chilled overnight in the refrigerator. Imagine waking up in the morning, making some coffee and then opening up the refrigerator to see the Pear Cream Cake. Don't be surprised if you experience one of those Louis Armstrong or Michael Buble singing "What a Wonderful World" moments. For those of you with very active imaginations or have had music playing in your head long after it ended, this may not be as strange as it sounds.  

Note: This is definitely more of a 'breakfast', brunch, snacking, or 'tea' cake rather than an after dinner dessert kind of cake. Don't let the layers or sweetened whipped cream fool you into thinking it is one of those 'heavy' or overly decadent cakes. Of the many words used to describe the Pear Cream Cake, light would definitely be one of them.

Recipe
Pear Cream Cake (inspired by a recipe shared by Dan Sullivan, one attributed to A Victorian Lady Bed and Breakfast)

Ingredients
1 can pears (29 ounce size) in heavy syrup
1/2 cup of syrup from the pears
1 box (9 ounce size) yellow cake mix (recommend Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake mix)
1 large egg, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons confectionary sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan with oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Drain pears and reserve 1/2 cup of the syrup.
3. Slice pear halves into wedges, place in baking pan in a sunburst design.
4. In a medium sized bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter and apricot preserves until well blended. Spoon mixture over pears. Smooth over pears with an offset spatula.
5. In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of reserved pear syrup, cake mix, ginger, egg and vegetable oil until well blended. Pour batter over the cream cheese/apricot layer.
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes until cake is golden on top and done.
7. Allow cake to cool in pan for approximately 10 minutes before unmolding on a cake plate or platter. Let cool for at least an additional 10 - 15 minutes.
8. Beat whipping cream and confectionary sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a pastry bag. Pipe over top of cake. Serve immediately.
Note: The cake can be made the night before and refrigerated. It is equally delicious served chilled.

"The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes." (Quote source: "La Prinonniere", the fifth volume of 'Remembrance of Things Past also known as 'In Search of Lost Time' by Marcel Proust. 

Other marking the passage of time, the new year brings us all the opportunity to set new goals and to embark on new adventures. While it feels mostly like a forward thinking tradition, we would be remiss if we did not view some of this time as the chance for reflection. Taking a step back (along with a deep breath) can often create the momentum necessary to help us move forward as well to help us adjust how we see ourselves and everyone else in it. Having 'new eyes' really can take us to places we never thought we might go. The possibilities in the year ahead are as endless as we allow them to be. Wishing you a happy new year and an even happier, more fulfilling journey. Hopefully it is one that also includes cake at breakfast.