Cardamom Tea Bread

Cardamom is my new BFF. (Sorry cumin.) This recipe is based on one from my bread machine cook book, but changed enough that I think I'm allowed to post it to the Wide McCarty World.

3 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c coconut oil, warmed to liquid (or other vegetable oil)
1/4 c buttermilk
1 c sour cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose white flour (or 2 1/4 white, no wheat)
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2 1/2 t ground cardamom
1/2 t salt

Mix together, bake at 350 for about an hour. It fills a loaf pan very full, but hasn't overflowed yet for me. It's strangely and powerfully delicious toasted the next day with raspberry jam.

Cream Cheese Danish

Every once in a while you are blessed with a recipe that makes you long for an excuse to make it. This is one of those recipes. I will throw a brunch for no reason at all just to be able to make this. In fact, I may throw a brunch tomorrow, because thinking about this makes me want to make it.

2 pkg crescent rolls
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1 1/4 c sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan. Pat one package of crescent rolls into the bottom to form a crust. Cream together cream cheese, egg yolk, 1 c sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crust. Pat other package of rolls to form top crust. Beat egg white and spread over the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

For an additional treat, swap out the vanilla for almond extract, and add sliced almonds to the cinnamon and sugar top. That version tastes like a Dutch letter.