Pecan Crunch Cake ---- Still Having Blogging Difficulties

Hi Everyone,

I am still can't access my blog normally.  I call my route in, the back door, and I am hoping someone relates to the problem and can help me.  Google has stopped responding so I am sitting out here on a cloud, in the sky, just floating around, not being able to ground myself and walk into my blog through the front door.

This feeling of floating is not a bad one and I have enjoyed a full week off.  I had hoped, there would be a solution and since there is not, I plan to hobble along.  I do miss my blog.

I have had a lot of thinking time and in that span, idea after idea popped up and then of course, disappeared. I must carry a small notebook with me to jot down these thoughts.

I was giving consideration to what changes, I would like to make.  I know, my dream has always been to mix my new passions, teaching and cooking.  I have never found a way to mix the two.  I could use some thoughts from you.

I came to writing something about my teaching day and then talk less about the food and share a recipe.  I don't want a traditional teaching blog with methodology and teaching ideas.  I want the flesh and blood of a classroom.  What are children like today?  What challenges do they face in and out of class.  Since, I teach boys in a Jewish school, there are some differences from this and the public school but school is school and children are children.

I will say the the "difficult" children are more interesting.  Those kids who do well easily, behave beautifully, care about others and just shine are not as exciting.  They are loving and wonderful boys and they are as complex as their classmates but from the point of view of a teacher, they are a true blessing and less challenging, although there is  huge challenge in finding work that will keep them occupied in a positive way..

Yes, part of the allure of teaching is the challenge.  If I can reach the heart of one child, the frustration found on the path getting there is worth it.  I do  believe, we are in this world, to make a difference and this, for me, is the place, I choose to make it.

I have been doing a lot of cooking and have tons of recipes that have not been blogged.  When I made this Pecan Crunch Cake, Hubby was one happy camper.  It had all those special elements, he loves, crunchiness in the right place, a soft cake, and lots of  flavor.  This is another recipe from Estee Kafra's Cooking Inspired.  I adapted this slightly.

Pecan Crunch Cake

Cake Ingredients: 

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mixture
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon rum extract

Crunch Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour (brown rice)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground  ginger
4 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut (If your are not a fan of coconut, I am sure, it would work without it.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a bundt pan (I used a 10 inch) with baking spray.

Crunch - Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Cake - In the bowl of an electric mixer, place all ingredients, in the order, listed.

Mix with the paddle attachment in electric mixer.  Mix until combined.

Pour one third of the batter into bundt pan.  Cover with half of the crunch.  Repeat layers once, ending with the batter.

Bake  for 55 minutes or until thin knife comes out clean.  Cool for five minutes.

Remove cake.  Remove pan .  Cool completely.  Eat and enjoy.