Coffee Cake to test the mixer.

One of my favorite cook books of all time is Commander’s Kitchen by Ti Adelaide Martin and Chef Jamie Shannon. It is filled with some of the fabulous, unique recipes from the famed restaurant Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. It gives you a wonderful peek into the rich history and diverse life of N’awlins as well as an acute feel for the culture. It is so beautifully written that it nearly beacons you to go to Louisiana and immerse your palate in the Cajun and creole spicy dishes. One day, hopefully, I will be sitting in Commander’s Palace enjoying their infamous Jazz Brunch. Until then I will just have to make do with trying some of their recipes at home for my family and friends. Gee, life is so tough isn’t it?…not :)

Since I needed to try out my new mixer, I wanted to try a recipe that I have never done before. Nothing to difficult. Something easy, fun and yummy the monkeys and I could do together. I decided to make the Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake recipe from my Commander’s Kitchen cook book today. Let me just say that while I am writing this my stomach is grumbling loudly and impatiently from the delicious aroma wafting through the house. I may not be able to wait until dessert tonight. Ya know… I had better taste test it…just to make sure my surfer and the monkeys will like it. The things I do for my guys :)

You can find the Commander’s Kitchen cook book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. If you like Cajun and creole cooking it is a must have for your cook book collection.

The recipe I did today can be found below.

Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake

1/2 pound (2 sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

2 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for preparing pan

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 medium eggs

1 tablespoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 10 inch Bundt pan with the 1 tablespoon of butter and dust the pan thoroughly with flour.

Swirl the flour around coating all of the sides, including the center flute.

Cream the 1/2 pound of butter, 2 cups of the sugar, and the vanilla extract until smooth in the large bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed.

Scrape the bowl

Add the eggs (make sure that all of the egg make it into the bowl) I love it when the monkeys help out :)

Mix for about 30 seconds, and scrape the bowl again.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the mixer over low speed until the ingredients are well incorporated.

Scrape the bowl and mix for a few seconds more. Don’t over mix.

Fold in the sour cream by hand, again being careful not to over mix.

Blend with your mixer for about 30 seconds until smooth.

Combine the remaining sugar, the pecans and the cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Spoon two thirds of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

Smooth the batter and carefully place the pecan mixture atop it.

Pressing some into the batter with your fingers, but leaving most of it on top.

Top with the remaining batter.

Smooth it out.

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven until done, about 60 to 70 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 1 hour, then remove cake from pan.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, add Creme Fraiche or fresh fruit. I am off to get some strawberries.