Sometimes the most seasonal item to cook is that which is about to expire . . . the other day Harvest Market offered free quarts of Natural by Nature’s Buttermilk. Until I have some milk producing animals (and the skills to care for them), I’m thrilled to have an organic and grass-fed milk product option nearby. Natural by Nature’s store front is located on Baltimore Pike, just several miles from our home; the products are made with milk from regional farmers who adhere to the company’s organic principles.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten coffeecake, let alone baked it. Thus, my inspiration for some of the excess buttermilk. The Enchanted Broccoli Forest supplied the following recipe. (Also use bountiful buttermilk to make scones, crepes and soups)
Russian Coffeecake — You’ll need: butter for the pan, 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened; 1 cup brown sugar (I used 3/4 cup honey); 4 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups unbleached white flour; 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1 Tbs. baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
For the filling and topping: 1/2 cup chocolate chips; 1/2 cup almonds; 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut; 1/2 cup fruit jam
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Greese a standard-size tube or bundt pan (or a cake pan!). Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.
Sift together the flours, baking powder, soda and salt into a separate medium-size bowl. Add the dry mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture. Mix just enough to thoroughly blend after each addition. Don’t beat or otherwise overmix.
Place the chocolate chips and almonds in a blender jar (coffee grinder works well), whirl together in short spurts until ground into a coarse powder. Combine this with the coconut in a small bowl. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan, gently spreading it until even. Spoon small amounts of the jam here and there onto the batter (don’t spread, leave in blobs). Sprinkle on about 2/3 the chocolate-nut mix.
Add the remaining batter, distributing it nicely. Sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate mix, and bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a probing knife inserted all the way in comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.
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