Tag: fresh basil

Savory Tomato Basil Coffee Cake

Savory Tomato Basil Coffee Cake:  You are going to love this inspired recipe. It re-invents coffee cake.
Single serving-savory coffee cake
Fresh herbs, tomatoes and a gluten-free batter combine to make a buzz-worthy brunch feature that will wow your friends and family. The taste is complex, flavorful, and goes great with cup of coffee.
You even bake it in the same 9×9-inch pan in which many coffee cakes are baked. Sign me up for this savory dish. Stat!
 Best Savory Coffee Cake
I first found this recipe at Sweet Laurel. It sounded genius, so I made it, and confirmed, yes, it truly is genius. Its taste blew my mind. I just varied a few parts and the process. For instance, I feature basil instead of parsley in the gremolata, used for the basil sauce and crumble/streusel. I also used Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and added parmesan to the batter and topping. I didn’t roast my tomatoes in the oven, but instead, made them on the stove. Either way works.
The cake’s only sweetness comes from cherry tomatoes. I sauteed them. As a result, they start to caramelize, which brings out their natural sugars, and a more intense flavor.
Fresh Basil & Lemon Zest

Fresh Basil Sauce & Crumble 

With fresh basil, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice, you make a gremolata. Gremolata, a condiment of sorts, that’s more commonly made with parsley, versus basil. Adding extra virgin olive oil to the gremolata, turns it into a basil sauce. You drizzle that between two layers of the batter.
Mid-Bake-Savory Coffee Cake
The magic comes, when you take half of that basil sauce, and add almond flour, turning it into a crumb topping.
Fresh Basil Crumble
You top the cake with this crumble, along with the sauteed tomatoes, and parmesan.
Fresh Basil Crumble aka Streusel
The gremolata is a surprise and complex part of this dish, especially as a sauce and when it morphs into a streusel. If you want to try a full gremolata recipe, use ours here. You can change it to any fresh herb, if desired.
The batter itself for this creative coffee cake, has almond flour, making it gluten free. Almond milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, and parmesan give the cake added moisture and a tender, but hearty texture. Baking soda and baking powder give the cake its lift.
On a follow-up trail, I made a shortened version of this recipe:
  • Use an 8×8-inch pan
  • Use 1/2 the tomatoes
  • Use half the gremolata and just make the crumble.
  • All else can stay the same.
I was quite pleased how this savory tomato basil coffee cake turned out, both ways that I made it. Give it a try. We highly recommend it!
-Cyndi

Easy Bruschetta Biscuits

Easy Bruschetta Biscuits: this best-ever recipe takes the classic Italian appetizer for a spin…with winning results!

Do you love bruschetta? Diced tomatoes and fresh basil on top of toasted baguette slices? With its color and aroma, I remember loving it before I even tasted it.

This easy bruschetta biscuits recipe is inspired by a recipe Marty Ann Johnson won with at the Illinois State Fair (2014) in  a 2014 Bisquick best recipe competition.

Easy Bruschetta Biscuits PLATED

These biscuits are not only super delicious, but are also super easy to make. I love how it takes just 10 ingredients.

When you go to make them (highly recommended), here are a few helpful tips. After you dice and de-seed the tomatoes, lightly pat them dry with a paper towel to take away their extra moisture.

Diced fresh tomatoes

Another tip: Be sure to lightly blend the initial dough ingredients as the recipe notes. i.e. try not to over-mix. Add the cheese, tomato and basil after your dough starts to form.

Easy Bruschetta Biscuits flavorful dough

Bake ’em how you love ’em

I did tweak the winner Marty’s already terrific recipe. (She won third place and a lovely rosette ribbon on contest day.) I used plain yoghurt and lemon juice instead of buttermilk. I had a lot of basil so I increased that. I also upped the diced tomatoes. This added more color and moisture, making the biscuit even more tender and yummy! Brushing them fresh out of the oven with a combo of olive oil and garlic powder was a great finishing touch. The 1/4 cup I used–a bit less than the original–was perfect for “generous brushing.”

As a final tip-or more of a suggestion-serve these biscuits with a big leafy green salad and you have a meal. Whip up your batch soon! They are a winner!

-Cyndi

p.s. If you find yourself without Bisquick in your pantry, no worries. With flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening, you can do a homemade baking mix (scroll down to bottom of this post).  Simply adapt the ingredient amounts or make a big batch to pull from. Refrigerate any leftovers.