coffee cake

I should start off by saying that I don't bake. Sure, Ghiradelli has helped me bake brownies my co-workers enjoy, but that's adding water and oil and an egg. Not exactly baking from scratch, which is what I've really been wanting to do more of. Because...nothing smells better than something baking (which is why I don't mind baking brownies for work). But I had a nice long weekend this weekend and decided to try my hand at something a little more labor-intensive.

I've made several things from Giada's recent cook book: Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites, and have loved almost everything I've made. The other night, just as an aside, I made the spiced Americano...mmmm. Not only did it taste sweet and delicious, but the smell! You make simple syrup, but add several spices to it, and it made my little studio smell almost like mulled wine.

Anyway, back to the baking. So I decided to try making the almond, pine nut and apricot coffee cake. Because...I love coffee and almonds, and pine nuts and a good coffee cake. So when I put the cake in the oven, I snuck a little taste of the batter just hoping to get an idea of what it might taste like. Because I don't know if it was the roasted nuts or the almond extract, but just mixing the batter together made me really hope the next fifty minutes went by quickly.

So when the time was up, and my apartment thoroughly saturated with those smells, and ample cooling time had passed, it was time to taste it. Now granted, Ok, not to give myself applause, particularly since it's not my recipe, but it was delicious. So good. It was just moist enough, and the scent from the almond extract floated up off the cake, and it kind of crumbled/melted in your mouth. And then there's the slight crunch of the toasted almonds on top. I was tempted right then to make another pot of coffee to go with a second piece, but...I somehow restrained myself. But I know what breakfast tomorrow will consist of.

So...here's another book recommendation for you. I'm really looking forward to trying something else. Hmmm...something warm for the winter. Or just maybe another coffee cake when this one's gone. Why not?