Baileys Irish Cream Coffeecake

 

You don't need to be Irish, be in the month of March, or even own a cactus covered in shamrocks to appreciate a recipe made with Baileys Irish Cream. 

This coffee cake was beyond amazing. I recently had morning company, and they were sampling it before I even served it on a plate. It was warm from the oven. The coffee cake is buttery and moist with a generous amount of delectable cinnamon crumble. The flavor is amped up with Bailey's Irish Cream. 

The recipe is adapted from casualfoodist.com

Ingredients for the Crumble Mixture

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon or 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 3/4 chopped walnuts

For the Cake, Batter

• 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (I used yogurt)
• 1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze

• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 2 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1/2 cup +1 tablespoon powdered sugar 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare the crumble. Combine the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Add the cubed butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. You can also place the mixture in a food processor and pulse it three times. Stir in nuts. Refrigerate the crumble mixture for 2o minutes. Recrumble when ready to use.
• Prepare the cake batter. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the granulated sugar and softened butter together with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla extract, and Bailey's Irish Cream and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed until combined.
• Use cooking spray and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
• Spread half the cake batter in the prepared baking pan and top with half the crumble mixture. Layer with the remaining cake batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon crumble.
• Bake the cake for 30- 35 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Prepare the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, butter,  and Baileys Irish Cream. Drizzle the glaze over the coffee cake.
  
• Store the cake in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.

Lenten Special

                          Cheese Tortellini with Lemon Roasted Asparagus 

Cook's notes: A Lenten Special that's easy to prepare and bursts with lemon flavors and delicious roasted asparagus. It's great as a main meal or served as a side dish. Broccoli can be substituted for asparagus.
Recipe adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com and serves 3-4.
Ingredients:
For the roasted asparagus or broccoli  

• 1 lb. broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces or 1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 3-inch pieces 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or lemon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon good-quality balsamic white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 lemon slices
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Tortellini

• 1- 9 oz. package cheese tortellini (refrigerated, I used Buitoni but frozen works also) ravioli can be substituted for the tortellini
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups packed fresh spinach
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the broccoli or asparagus pieces on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic. Add the garlic and lemon slices, and toss the broccoli or asparagus until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once. Remove broccoli or asparagus when it's crisp and slightly charred. Remove the lemon slices and tent a piece of foil over the asparagus or broccoli to keep them warm. 
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. When cooked, drain, reserving  1/4 cup of the pasta water. Set the water and tortellini aside.
• Put the pot back on the stove and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté 1 minute. 
• Turn the heat to low and add in the reserved pasta water, cooked tortellini, lemon juice, and spinach. Cook on low until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add in Parmesan cheese and asparagus or broccoli. Stir and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm and add lemon zest over the dish. 

Chinese Almond Cookies

Chinese almond cookies like these are thought to resemble coins, making them particularly popular as a symbol of good fortune during the Chinese New Year. Traditional recipes are made with lard and flavored with almond extract. This recipe uses butter and almond flour to enhance the nutty flavor and create a crumbly texture similar to that of pecan sandies. Enjoy them year-round, particularly with a cup of tea or coffee. The recipe makes 15 cookies and was adapted from Food Network.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 15 whole blanched almonds or almonds

Directions:

• Sift the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. Whisk any remaining almond flour from the sifter into the sifted flour mixture.
• Combine the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Add the almond extract and 1 egg yolk and beat until the mixture is smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the flour mixture, and beat until no flour streaks remain, about 2 minutes.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk together the remaining egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Scoop the dough by the tablespoon (use a 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Roll each scoop into a ball and return it to the baking sheet. Flatten each with your palm into a 2-inch round. Gently press an almond onto each and brush with the egg wash.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the edges are golden brown, 8-9 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 10 minutes.
• Store the cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Did You Know?

The Year of The Fire Horse

 

As Lunar New Year celebrations begin around the world, 2026 ushers in the Year of the Horse—a symbol of forward movement, independence, and endurance. This year ushers in the Year of the Fire Horse—a rare, blazing return that only comes once every 60 years.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, falls between late-January and mid-February, with its date set by China’s ancient lunisolar calendar. This year the celebrations began on February 17th. Since at least the second century B.C., each new year has been named for one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, which repeat in a 12-year cycle. In Chinese astrology, each of the zodiac animals is believed to have distinct traits which are supposedly reflected in people born in that corresponding year.
The horse is revered in Chinese culture for its long-standing roles in agriculture, transportation, and warfare. However, in the Chinese zodiac, this galloping animal symbolizes strength, grace, endurance, loyalty, freedom, and success. Its strength, Lee explains, represents possibilities for personal growth and success.

In Chinese astrology, Horse years favor decisive action and independence, while also warning against impulsiveness.

Symbolic Chinese Foods

What gives a certain food symbolic significance? Sometimes it is based on appearance. For example, serving a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year season symbolizes family togetherness. Noodles symbolize long life; an old superstition holds that it's bad luck to cut them. Both clams and Spring Rolls symbolize wealth; clams because of their resemblance to bouillon, and Spring Rolls because their shape is similar to gold bars.

On the other hand, a food may have special significance during Chinese New Year because of the way the Chinese word for it sounds. For example, the Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is very common to serve a lettuce wrap filled with other lucky food. Tangerines and oranges are passed out freely during Chinese New Year as the words for tangerine and orange sound like luck and wealth, respectively. And let's not forget pomelos. This large ancestor of the grapefruit signifies abundance, as the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like the word for "to have."

Fish also play a large role in festive celebrations. The word for fish, "Yu," sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. As a result, on New Year's Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.

And what about the sweet, steamed cakes that are so popular during the Chinese New Year season? Cakes such as Sticky Rice Cake have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.

An Asian Inspired Recipe

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
Cook's notes:
Add some Asian flair to your menu with the sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors that make up Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. Top with grilled pork or pulled rotisserie chicken for a main dish.

It's packed with flavor and healthy veggies and makes a very satisfying meal. The dressing really elevates this salad to a whole new level. 

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Salad Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Udon noodles (vacuum-packed) or linguine noodles
• chopped green onions
• chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, cut into quarters
• chopped peanuts
• a variety of veggies-1/2 cup diced red pepper,1/2 cup diced yellow pepper, 1 cup matchstick carrots, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1 cup diced cucumbers, 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage, 4 cups romaine lettuce

Thai Peanut Salad Dressing

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 2- 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon  seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• Optional 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro 
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
• 2-4 tablespoons water or chicken broth

Directions:

• Cook noodles in salted water. Drain noodles and place back into the pan. Cover to keep warm. 
• If you’re not going to use noodles right away, add a drizzle of the peanut dressing and stir to coat. This will prevent the noodles from getting all clumpy. Keep dressing in the fridge until ready to use.
• Combine dressing ingredients in a blender, pour into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and heat until warmed. Remove from heat. 
• Toss cooked noodles with waemed dressing and divide among 4 bowls. When you’re ready to assemble the salad, place noodles, veggies, and chicken in a large bowl and mix well. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with a lime quarter. 
• Squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

Cooking tip: You can add meat to this dish by stir-frying shrimp or very thinly sliced chicken (partially freeze it first) in some olive oil with a couple of cloves of garlic, some fresh ginger, some green onions, soy sauce, and a small squirt or two of Sriracha chili sauce.

Stir Fry Broccoli and Shrimp with Jasmine Rice

Broccoli and Shrimp with Jasmine Rice 

Cook's Notes: Looking for a meal ready in under 25 minutes and all made in one pot? Jasmine rice with garlic shrimp and broccoli may just be the recipe you've been looking for. One-pot meals are always a plus in meal planning. Shrimp should be peeled and deveined before sautéing. Leaving tails on is a matter of personal preference. The meal was served with a slice of French Almond Cake. https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2023/08/french-almond-cake.html
The recipe is an Ever Ready special and serves four.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• lemon zest from one large lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1- 16 0z. package frozen uncooked shrimp (small 50-60 count) thawed
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine

Directions:

• Shrimp should be peeled and deveined before sautéing. Leaving tails on is a matter of personal preference.
• In a large soup pot, melt one tablespoon of butter and sauté shrimp with garlic. Remove and set aside. Cover to keep warm.
• In the same pot, melt butter and sauté onions. Add the uncooked rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Cook rice for 13 minutes until al dente. Add in broccoli, garlic shrimp, lemon juice, parsley flakes, and white wine. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes more. Add Parmesan cheese and cook for 3 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday

 Color, music, and joy collide on Mardi Gras.

Celebrate Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) with Jambalaya, a Creole dish of Spanish and French influence that originated in the Caribbean. Finish the meal with a delicious Bananas Foster, a dessert created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans. It was named after Richard Foster, a civic leader and frequent patron. It consists of sliced bananas topped with rum sauce and served over vanilla ice cream. It is often served tableside in restaurants as a flambé (a cooking technique in which alcohol is added to a hot pan, creating flames). Some suggested sides include: corn muffins and a classic dish Red Beans and Rice.

Jambalya served with Red Beans and Rice 

and a corn muffin. The photo below shows Jambalya with shrimp as another option. 

Jambalaya

Cook’s notes: Marinating the chicken in buttermilk helps make the meat more tender. You will need to add more chicken broth on the second day to serve the dish as the rice absorbs the liquid. The recipe makes six servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 box  Zatarains's New Orleans style Jambalaya Mix (available locally at grocery store)
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in chunks or 2 -3 cups of meat from a rotisserie chicken 
• 1/ 2 teaspoon each of Cajun seasoning and oregano (for baking chicken)
• 2-1/2 cups diced Andouille sausage, small pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth (14.5 oz.)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.)  diced tomatoes (basil, oregano, garlic)
• 3 oz. tomato paste
• 1 cup of water
• ¾ cup diced onion
• 1 small green pepper, diced or 1 cup mini yellow and red peppers, diced
• 4 celery ribs (stalks) diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½  teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 bay leaf
• Optional: substitute cooked shrimp for chicken and add in last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Directions:

• Marinate chicken in 1 cup of buttermilk for one hour. Drain well and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with a mixture of dry oregano and Cajun seasoning. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 35- 40 minutes. Use a thermometer to check for doneness. Turn once during baking time. The sausage can be cooked on the same baking sheet for the last 20 minutes of chicken baking time.
• Cool and dice both meats-set aside,
• In a large skillet, sauté onions,  celery, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil.
• Add in water, broth, spices, jambalaya rice mixture, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, and diced meats. Simmer 45 minutes on low heat, covered. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Easy Bananas Foster for Two

Cook's Notes: Choose bananas that are ripe but still firm. Overripe bananas will break down too much in the sauce, while under-ripe bananas won’t develop the right sweetness. While vanilla ice cream is the classic pairing, Bananas Foster can also be served in other ways. Spoon the sauce with bananas over pound cake, waffles, or French toast for a decadent brunch option. It also makes a wonderful topping for crepes or even oatmeal when you want something indulgent but comforting.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 ½ tablespoons of rum
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 small bananas or 2 large bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions:

• Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, rum, vanilla, and cinnamon; bring to a low boil.
• Place bananas and nuts in the skillet. Cook until bananas have softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Serve the sauce with bananas over vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Book Review Nightflower of Comanche Mound

 Book Review of Nightflower of Comanche Mound. 

Beneath the wide-open skies and the stark, dusty landscape of West Texas, a story unfolds filled with tension, buried grief, and emotional risk. Charlotte, aka Charley, is a girl who finds herself adrift, trying to figure out who she is and where she really belongs. Feeling overlooked in the midst of her parents’ divorce, she recklessly decides to invite herself to her Pap's sheep ranch in Texas for the summer. He is a grandfather she has never met and a man her mother keeps her distance from. Pap is cantankerous and hardened by life, which has dealt him many losses. And he certainly has no time for a young 16-year-old. Just when Charley realizes she has made a mistake coming and should return to the city life of Seattle, a mysterious Appaloosa horse shows up on the ranch. Charley is certain it's fate this horse should be hers, especially after learning the horse is blind and needs special training to survive. She finds an ally in Sabino, a ranch hand who nourishes her spirit and helps her adjust to ranch life.  When a succession of events spirals out of control, Paps vows to shoot the blind, useless horse. Charley's decision to protect the animal pulls her into her family's mysterious past. An impulsive decision puts Charley and her horse, Radar, in real danger, showing Charley's grit and sense of urgency to survive. Indeed, the story becomes a quiet thriller that presses the reader to turn the pages quickly.

There were some things in this YA  novel by Katlyn Bates that stood out to me. One is the descriptive sentences. They weave vivid sensory details, emotions, and context into a tapestry, bringing the Texas landscape to life for the reader, as well as using figurative language to paint evocative images. Another noteworthy point is the emotional depth of characters, which Bates creates, intertwining Comanche heritage, their spiritual practices, and family interactions. The narrative is one filled with compassion and courage. For a debut YA novel, this one will really stick with you long after you close the book.  

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

https://katlynbates.com/

Katlyn Bates writes contemporary fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, Nightflower of Comanche Mound, was named a 2025 Spur Finalist by Western Writers of America (WWA) in the Juvenile-Young Adult Fiction category. The recognition, along with multiple 5-Star book reviews from Readers’ Favorite, encouraged her to dust off old pieces she had written just for fun and look at them with fresh eyes.

Drawn to action and adventure that is grounded in real life, Katlyn finds inspiration in the wildness of the world around us. “Nature doesn’t care what we think. It’s wild and ferocious and unpredictable—a good reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. The downright ridiculous seems to call for a twist of humor. What I can’t see, I can imagine.”

A native Texan, Katlyn Bates lives near Dallas, TX, outside a small town that—like so many interconnected communities- is quickly becoming absorbed by the sprawl. “As for me, it’s open skies and nature and landscape that frame a plot, and lend power to a story.”