Arrivederci to Winter: Orange Polenta Cake with Sweet Citrus Glaze . . .

Citrus zest in a cake. Olive oil in a cake. Cornmeal in a cake. An accordion in a cake. Okay, maybe not that last one, but all the others? Yes. Today's the day for an orange polenta cake, drizzled with a sweet citrus glaze. Is it Italian? Oh, you betcha. Does the olive oil make it taste strange? Only in the mysteriously delicious sense of the word.

Though pyramids of vibrant winter oranges are still ubiquitous in every grocery store around here, that will soon change. Do you realize we'll set our clocks forward by an hour in just about two weeks? I can hardly believe it, but I welcome spring's approach with open arms. Winter's bloom has faded. Bring on spring. Bring it on, I say!

I'd been wondering lately if the crocuses might already be nudging the soil aside beneath the snow, on the south side of my house. I investigated that possibility this afternoon, and I'm pleased to report that, sure enough, they've made their debut. In Michigan, crocuses are quite the vernal harbinger. They're hopeful little messengers of warmth to come. To borrow a phrase from one of my favorite poems, one could say they're "looked for like mail." And I have been looking for them.

Now, about this cake . . .

The plan to whip up a bright, citrusy, polenta-and-olive-oil cake had been simmering on my mental back-burner for a while. Never having tried one before, I perused several recipe versions before settling on this one. It comes from the book Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen, by pastry chef Gina de Palma (Babbo being Mario Batali's famous restaurant in NYC). A slightly simplified, but almost identical, version of the recipe in the book also appears here, in Babbo's website.

This particular cake's lack of heaviness appealed to me. Some of the polenta cake formulas that I'd read through contained not only a generous portion of olive oil, but also butter. One that sticks in my mind (probably because it would also have stuck in my arteries) contained almost four cups of finely ground almonds in the batter in addition to olive oil, almost a pound of butter, and five eggs. Yikes. Alright, if that's what you're in the mood for, but I had no desire to bake a cake with such heft. Cakes like that emit a resounding thunk when placed on the table. No thunking allowed. All thunking is currently prohibited.

My adapted version of the recipe includes no lemon or lime zest in the batter--just orange zest-- and only orange and lemon juice in the glaze. Aside from those small changes, I did a little rewording of the directions here and there.

I want to mention that I used Meyer lemon juice in the glaze. A cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange, the Meyer's color is luminous, like a lemon that's blushing. Its juice is distinctly different, too--sweeter, with perhaps more character. Meyer lemons seem to pop up briefly at this time of year, at least in this neck of the woods, and they're not expensive.

Orange Polenta Cake with Sweet Citrus Glaze

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

1 and 1/2 cups, plus 1 Tbsp., unbleached All Purpose flour
3 oranges
3/4 cup instant or fine polenta (I just used regular Quaker brand cornmeal)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease or spray a 9" springform pan. Dust the pan with flour.

Grate all the the zest from the oranges. Set the zest aside for the cake batter, and set the fruit aside to use in the glaze.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until they're pale yellow and have tripled in volume (about 3 to 4 minutes). Beat in the reserved orange zest.


Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and the olive oil to the egg mixture. Begin with one third of the dry ingredients, then add half the olive oil. Continue, ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition only until it's incorporated. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.


Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. The cake is done when it springs back when touched in the center, when the cakes pulls away from the sides of the pan, and when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Note from Jane -- My cake took at least 35 to 40 minutes to bake. I recommend you cover the top of your cake lightly with foil as soon as it gets golden on top, just in case you need to leave it in the oven much longer!)

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack, for 12 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Let the cake finish cooling completely on a rack.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Sift 2 cups of confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Squeeze at least 2 Tbsp. of juice from the orange, and at least 1 Tbsp. of juice from the lemon into a small bowl. Make sure no seeds remain in the juice; strain it if necessary. Add the juices to the large bowl and mix into the sugar with a spoon or a whisk until completely smooth.


If the glaze is too thick, add more of the juices or a few drops of water. Too thin? Add in a bit more of the sugar.


Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and allow it to set until it's completely dry. (The sugariness is more subdued, and the citrus flavors are more at the forefront, when the glaze is dry.)


If you want to do so, carefully remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan and transfer it to a serving plate. Store any leftover cake well covered.


(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, just click on the purple COMMENTS below!)

Tiramisu Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding. It is quite simply a sweetened version of bread dressing, made from bread, eggs and milk. The main difference is the addition of sugar or other sweet ingredients. It is also sometimes made from cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, coffee cake or donuts. Quite simply I love it, especially when it’s served warm.

This recipe is a little bit different than many I have seen. It isn’t flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, nor does it have a delicious syrup poured over the top. This bread pudding is flavored with coffee and topped with a Marscapone type of whipped topping—oh my goodness I could eat the topping alone! The texture is similar to a baked French toast, but heavier and denser. I love the corner pieces because it gets a little bit crispy on the edge but there is still some of the custardy, creamy center too. If you love the taste of tiramisu and you are someone that likes bread pudding I think you will really enjoy this recipe.

Tiramisu Bread Pudding
Adapted by: A Cook’s Quest from Better Homes and Gardens

1 ¾ c milk
¾ c whipping cream
1 T instant coffee crystals
6 eggs lightly beaten
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
8 cups of torn, stale, wheat bread (I used 10 slices)
½ cup powdered sugar

Take your bread out of the packaging and set it out on the counter to dry out a little if necessary. I left mine out for about an hour or so just because it was still a little soft. Tear into pieces and place in a 9x13 inch pan.

When ready to prepare, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine, milk, whipping cream and coffee crystals. Mix until coffee crystals are dissolved. Reserve 2 T of this milk mixture and set aside for later.

Stir eggs, sugars, and vanilla into the milk and cream mixture. Pour over the torn bread making sure to cover all the bread. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until bread has absorbed some of the milk mixture.

Cover tightly with tin foil and bake 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the pudding feels firm to the touch.

Combine the powdered sugar and reserved milk mixture, drizzle over the top of the warm pudding. Serve warm or room temperature topped with the cream cheese topper and cocoa powder if desired.

Cream Cheese Topper
In a mixing bowl beat ¾ c whipping cream, 2 ounces of softened cream cheese, and 2 T powdered sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form.

Total Cost approx. $3.50
Milk .33
Whipping Cream $1.00
Eggs $1.08
Bread .50
Cream Cheese .24 (bought last week for .99 a package)

Blogging - Why do it?

Quote of the Day: We are adventuring in the charterless seas of imagination. - Anne Morow Lindbergh

To me, blogging is being part of a globe of writers and artists and readers.  It is taking me to places I never imagined I could go.
 
 
 
 
(photo from google images)
 
I met with my writer's group on Monday night.  We call ourselves The Motley Crew because we started meeting in the tiny Minnesota town of Motley.  Of the 10 or so members of The Crew, only two of us blog. (The other one is FranticMommy) The question, Why should we blog? came up.  A few of us have been to writer's conferences where the powers that be (editors, agents, etc.) tell us to have a web presence.  I was resistent to the online networking world, too.  However, I launched my blog in November, see intro blog, and have not looked back.  Blogging is good.  It's all about connections, inspiration, and energy.  I get all of that and more when I am in the blogging world.
 
My best writer connection started off-line with my writer-mama-pal, Roxane.  Read about our connection when she interviewed me on her blog at Peace Garden Mama.  She was the main force in sending me off into the wide world of writing.
 
And, it is an amazing world.  I never knew I'd get so many great ideas from reading blogs, and writing them.  Art inspires Art.  Words stimulate more words.  The more I read, the more excited I get about writing.  The more I write, the more I want to write.
 
Before I had a blog, I thought, How can I write a blog and find time to read all those other blogs and comment here and there and everywhere?  I'm not even getting my own fiction written, not to mention cleaning the bathrooms, and hauling the kids around to their stuff.
 
Huh, it's like exercise.  The more you do it, the more energy you have to do all the other things that require your energy.  It's revving you up, like a rechargeable battery.
 
Here are some of the stimulating connections that I've made:
 
Whole Latte Life and Journaling Woman are there with me nearly every morning as I enjoy my morning mug of joe.  Their blogs are short and entertaining and stimulate blog posts and journaling ideas and creative juices.
 
I do daily mediations at Inkwell Inspirations.  I find such comfort there.

Jody Hedlund is a contemporary Christian writer who just signed her first contract with Bethany house. It's so fun to read about her journey.
I'm also linked to an agent, Rachelle Gardner, who lets us see into the world of agents and publishing.

The Character Therapist offers the kind of character advice I should be paying big bucks for.  Pull up your couch and read a while.  She gets you thinking about the deep, inner workings of your characters.
 
Shannon at Book Dreaming keeps the dream alive.
 
Jen at Woolgatherings has such style.  I imagine her quite famous some day soon.
 
My friend, JeMA, who lives very near me has started a blog on her art, with short descriptions of what it means to her, her inspiration, and bits of her life.  It's beautiful.  Gives your mind visual stimulation.
 
All of my followers and the ones that I follow, pretty much the same list, offer something unique.  I can't mention them all here.  It would get too long.  Still, every once in a while, I click on someone new from another blog and find a new friend.  You could too.
 
I follow a few mystery writer blogs because I have a secret longing to write mysteries.  I know this because I can't stay away from them (the mysteries AND the bloggers).
Mystery Writing is Murder has given me great tips on characters, especially the antagonist, and plot, even though I'm writing historical fiction.  She linked me to Confessions of a Mystery Novelist. She was featured on Mystery Writing is Murder to promote her latest release B-Very-Flat which I now need to read!
 
Which brings up one "problem."  Reading blogs links you to more great blogs by writers who have interesting books, therefore, giving you more things to read.  You decide if that's good or bad.
 
In the end, your time belongs to you.  What you do with it is your choice.  Some days, other things dominate.  I'm home today with a sick kid.  Last week, I was in the ER with another kid who had a sprained ankle.  My brother, who is not even 50 yet, just had major surgery.  Life is full of distractions.  Even our best friends who want us to succeed, need us and pull us out of our writing.  Or, do they?  For me, being with people, caring for them, loving them, feeling their love, hearing/reading their stories stimulates my creativity and I find that I do have the energy required to write AND clean the bathrooms. 
 
Journaling Prompt:  What type of writing and/or art do you find stimulating and irresistible?

Best Ever Pizza Dough

I'm going to say it....maybe I shouldn't, but I am because it is the honest truth...this pizza dough is the best I have EVER had.  Period.  Don't get me wrong I have tried, very unsuccessfully, to make homemade pizza.  Never once did it taste remotely close to this pizza.  It is so good that we not only had pizza last night for dinner, but we are having pizza again tonight as well.  I'm not just comparing it to the homemade varieties, but also to all the purchased pizzas out there.  This is THE BEST.  My household has just declared a strike on ordering pizza.  We will save the $20 and create our own for much less money with far better flavor.

I first saw this recipe at My Kitchen Cafe, (yes I go there at least once a day).  Melanie adapted this recipe from Savory Seasonings and I could tell by the pictures on both blogs that it was a recipe I had to try.  I made a few changes to the original recipe with complete success.  Our pizzas ended up with a crispy exterior and a nice chewy center, exactly how we like it.

Best Ever Pizza Dough
Adapted by A Cooks Quest from Savory Seasonings and My Kitchen Cafe cooking blogs

**Cook's Note-The recipe does take some time to prepare so plan accordingly**

1 1/4 C warm water (approx. 120° F)
2 3/4 tsp. dry active yeast
2 T sugar
1 T honey
1 T olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
3 cups (16oz.) all purpose flour

In a stand mixer with a dough hook attached, mix water and yeast in bowl and allow it to proof for 5 minutes. Mix in sugar, honey and oil. Add 1 cup flour and the salt. Continue mixing in all the remaining flour until you get a nice, soft dough. When the dough comes together allow to knead in the mixer about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from mixer and continue to knead by hand for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth. (You can do all the kneading by hand if you want, but I like to let my mixer do some of the work for me).  Shape into a ball. Place in the refrigerator in a covered container coated with olive oil overnight (or make this dough first thing in the morning and place in the fridge until dinner that evening).

3 hours before baking: Remove from fridge and either divide dough in half for two 12” pizzas or leave whole for one somewhat thicker 16” pizza. Work each piece of dough into balls. Allow the dough to come back to room temperature (this process generally takes 3 hours).  I actually forgot this step and left the dough in the bowl without dividing. 

45 minutes before baking: With your pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven, preheat your oven to 500 F* to allow the stone to get hot enough (this process generally takes 40-50 minutes).

15 minutes before baking: Reduce oven heat to 475 F. Shape dough into desired pizza crust, sprinkle pizza peel, wooden cutting board or upside down cookie sheet (this is what we used with great success) with corn meal. Place pizza crust on top, then add toppings. Gently slide pizza onto the hot pizza stone and bake for 9-11 minutes.

We don't make an official sauce.  I open a can of crushed tomatoes and add them to the crust.  The end result is a very fresh tasting sauce for the toppings to rest on.

Another tip I got from My Kitchen Cafe is to use fresh grated cheese.  Pre-shredded cheese is coated with something to prevent clumping in the bag and it doesn't melt very well.


*Don't be afraid of the heat.  If you are cooking on a baking stone, you will end up with a perfect crispy crust just like the brick ovens in fancy pizzerias.

**Just discovered that I can bake this crust until it is just set, remove from the oven cool then wrap in plastic and freezer.  Then you will always have fabulous pizza crust ready for a quick dinner meal.  Remove the crust from the freezer, allow to thaw then top with favorite toppings and bake until the cheese melts and the crust browns.

Peanut Butter Stuffed Milk Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Peanut butter and chocolate.  These two flavors are my husband's favorite, I don't think he can get enough of this flavor combination. I can't say that I blame him, the salty peanut butter combined with rich, velvety chocolate is a perfect match for just about everyone.   When I saw this recipe in my mother in law's newest issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray (March 2010) I knew that it would be something I made right away.  The final cookie is soft and chewy with a smooth peanut butter filling that is very rich.  Even better, this recipe was very very easy on the budget.  Next time I will make them smaller, I was a little generous when I was dropping the batter and ended up with pretty big cookies. 

Penut Butter Stuffed Milk Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Recipe Source: Every Day With Rachel Ray March 2010 issue

2 1/2 cups (15 ounces) milk chocolate chips
4 T butter unsalted butter, softened and divided
1/3 cup plus 2 T flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt divided
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 T confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  In a medium, microwaveable bowl, melt together 2 cups chocolate chips and 2 T butter on medium power until almost melted, about 1 1/2 minutes; stir just until smooth.

In a small bowl, whisk togehter the flour, baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.  Using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla at high speed until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Mix in the melted chocolate at medium speed; whisk in the flour mixture.  Stir in the remianing 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Refrigerate the dough until firm enough to scoop, but still soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Onto each prepared pan, drop 12 rounded tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, untl the cookies appear bubbly and still soft, about 15 minutes.  Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat together the remaing 2 tablespoons butter and the peanut butter.  Sift (I didn't sift) in the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until fluffy.  On the flat side of the cookies, spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peanute butter mixture; sandwich with the remaining cookies.

Total Cost: Cheap just over $1.00
I bought the chocolate last fall when baking supplies were on sale.  I paid about .50 for the chocolate chips, the peanut butter cost me around .25 because I only paid .77 for the whole jar of peanut butter and the butter cost me about .22.  The other ingredients cost hardly anything.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

I love breakfast, big hot breakfasts with the whole family.  But I do not love, or even like, pancakes.  You will never see me order them in a restaraunt and rarely has my family seen me make them.  I am a waffle girl, or even better, as I mentioned before, I am a toast kind of girl.  My family though loves pancakes and I have been very supportive of thier love by always making sure there was pancake mix in the cupboards to satisfy their cravings.  But I really don't like buying mixes when I know I can make a healthier and more budget friendly version...insert my new favorite breakfast recipe.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, My Kitchen Cafe and I have to completely agree with the author (who also shares my feelings about pancakes) that this is the best pancake recipe ever. I decided to try this forValentine's Day because I haven't made breakfast for my family in too long.  Once prepared, the mix has a long shelf life. The pancakes have a flavor that  is almost nutty because of the oats and a texture very different from most pancakes I have tried.   Even as a non-pancake lover this is one recipe that I will eat and enjoy with my family.  I have posted her recipe in full below and added my own notes at the bottom.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix
Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Recipe Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour The Baker's Companion

**Cooks's tip--Don't forget that you can substitute 2 tablespons of vinegar and enough milk to make one cup for the buttermilk**


**Cook's changes--I made the mix exactly as the recipe states.  But when it came time to make the batter I found that 1 cup of buttermilk was too much for 1 cup of the mix.  I used two cups of mix for one egg and 1 cup of milk with great results.  Add your liquid slowly and if needed add more pancake mix to firm the batter up if you need to.**

Coconut Almond Bread with Dark Chocolate Chips and Almond Streusel . . .

There's an old but enduring health food store not far from the house where I grew up, and I stopped there last Friday on the way home from visiting my father. He still lives in that same house, along with one of my older siblings, and once a week I come to spend time with him and take him out. We breakfast together at a local restaurant he's been frequenting for decades. No longer able to drive, and now without my mom to accompany him, he's told me half-jokingly that his sanity depends upon these little outings, so I try not to let anything derail them.

As we trek slowly from his silver Buick to the restaurant's entrance, he grips the hand-me-down walker that still bears my mother's name on a little paper sticker. Three or four of the waitresses smile as we enter, and fuss over him. They, too, have been there for decades. One of them, a tiny woman in her late fifties, even kisses his cheek now and then, or pats his shiny bald head with familiar affection. The morning regulars are more and more like my dad--elderly widowers who come to enjoy a predictable, but hot and decently prepared, meal. Predictability is a virtue he finds comforting.

We always pass by the health food store at least once while we're on our weekly outings, and my father rarely fails to comment on its longevity. Somehow, the fact that it's managed to abide and endure for over fifty years, despite fierce economic odds, is comforting to both us. After all, so little stays the same. I like to think that it will be there for a long time, so I stop in now and then to roam through the aisles, never failing to find some arcane item worth buying.

Though it's been renovated and expanded, it's still something of a time capsule with an aura that my husband would likely describe as "old hippy." All in all, it's a nice place. And that's where I bought the unsweetened coconut, as well as the canned coconut milk, that I used for today's coconut almond bread.

This is a recipe that I newly re-adapted from a recipe that I'd already adapted once for a coconut bread post last July. I made several small changes to it, and I think it now evokes all the flavors of an Almond Joy candy bar. (Don't you love Almond Joys? I do, and so does my dad.)


Coconut Almond Bread with Dark Chocolate Chips and Almond Streusel
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour one 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Prepare the almond-streusel topping first:

1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup All Purpose flour
1/3 cup of coarse/sanding sugar
1 very small pinch of salt

3 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled

Stir the four dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. (You'll wait to mix the melted butter into the dry ingredients until just before you're ready to put the streusel on top of the unbaked loaf.)

For the coconut almond bread:

2 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened, dried, finely flaked coconut
3 eggs, large
2/3 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring, or about 3 drops of coconut flavored oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup dark chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and coconut together well with a fork or a hand whisk.

In a medium bowl, still working by hand, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, regular milk, melted butter, coconut extract/oil, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in all of the liquid mixture. Stir just until combined; it's okay if a few streaks of flour remain.


Pour in the chocolate chunks and again stir just until the chocolate is more or less evenly distributed. Be careful not to overmix the batter.


Pour all of the batter into the greased and floured loaf pan.



For the streusel:
Just before you're ready to bake the loaf, mix the 3 Tbsp. of melted and slightly cooled butter into the dry streusel ingredients using a fork. (You can use your fingers to help mix it all up quickly if that helps.)


Sprinkle all of the mixed streusel evenly over the top of the unbaked loaf.


Bake the loaf for about 60 minutes or until the top crust is golden and a toothpick inserted deeply into the center of the loaf comes out clean. (Definitely check the loaf after about 35 minutes, and cover it loosely with foil if it seems to be browning too quickly. The top of the finished loaf should be nicely golden, but not too brown. I covered mine with foil after 30 minutes, and at about 40 minutes I moved the oven rack it was on from the middle of the oven to the upper rung. My oven always runs pretty hot so I have to take precautions!)

Cool the finished loaf in the pan, on a rack, for about ten to fifteen minutes. Run a thin knife down the sides to loosen it, and then turn it turn carefully out of pan to let it finish cooling completely on the rack. (If you slice it before it's completely cool, the slices might fall apart, so try to be patient.)


Recipe full disclosure! The almond streusel portion this of recipe was adapted from one at this link: http://www.valleyfig.com/Lemon-FigBreadwithAlmondStreusel.htm

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