BB: Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Crumbles, cobblers and crisps, oh my. Frankly the difference between these various approaches to serving seasonal fruit escapes me. In come Ina with something I would have never tried if not for joining a group dedicated to trying her recipes.

Tart, sweet, flaky, smooth and delicious this is very simple yet so very good. I halved the below recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. I would suggested reducing the sugar if using very ripe peaches. Also it needed a bit more topping so if crumbly is your thing make a bit more of the crumble.

Many thanks to Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen a brilliantly written and photographed blog, for an excellent seasonal selection.

Peach & Blueberry Crumbles
From Barefoot Contessa Family Style, pages 197-198
Serves 5 to 6

For the fruit
2 lbs firm, ripe peaches (6-8 peaches)
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)

For the Crumble
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 lb (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until their skins peel off easily. Place them immediately in cold water. Peel the peaches, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the blueberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or custard cups.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it’s in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and back for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles int he refrigerator and bake before dinner. Serves 5 to 6.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Blueberries and lemon are a classic combination that bring out the best flavors of spring. You cannot go wrong with cheesecake. I found the cheesecake bars to be more simple than a traditional cheesecake. I was looking for something light and fruity for a Mother's Day lunch dessert. If you follow my blog you know that I am not a seasoned baker, so I did not want to take too much of a risk. I have come to the conclusion that I usually fail at sweet items that require flour.

The bars were smooth, slightly sweet and tart. I followed the recipe as written and made a few adjustments. I liked the thickness of the bars since cheesecake can be so rich.

Happy Mothers Day to all!!!



Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Tyler Florence, Food Network Website

Yields 10 bars

For the base:

Butter, for greasing

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 graham crackers

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted (used 2 tablespoons unsalted butter)

For the filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs (used 1 extra large egg)

2 lemons, zested and juiced (combined lemon zest with sugar)

About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Powdered sugar, for dusting (omitted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

For the base:

Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

For the filling:

Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed. As the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Tsoureki Apricot Bread Pudding

Tsoureki bread pudding was inspired by a version with caramelized figs I had a few years ago at Pylos in NYC. While the dish is no longer on their menu, tsoureki bread pudding is a light dessert that I managed to make. I am not a baker so I am happy this actually turned out. Maybe it turned out because there was no real measuring involved. I found this recipe was very easy and had the elements I love best in dessert, a bit of sweetness and some fruit.

Tsoureki is an egg based sweat bread in the Challah family that is made for various celebrations, but most associated with Easter. It’s usually given as gifts to young children, but this bread is enjoyed by kids of all ages. Most homes have their own version of tsoureki and store bought can also be good. I am partial to a dear family friend (Kuria Anthoula) rendition as I believe she uses a bit of orange zest- not that she would ever reveal her real recipe.

I have never made bread pudding and was pleased with the results, but would however recommend this be served warm. The dried apricots cooked in a bit of Metaxa (Greek cognac) brought a some sweetness while the walnuts provided crunch. I found the proportions for the milk/egg portion of this dish in the Gourmet cookbook and it turned out a bit soggy so I ended up using only half of the milk/egg mixture. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar, this takes me back to great time in NYC.

Tsoureki Bread Pudding

Inspired by: Pylos, Tsoureki with Caramelized Figs
Tsoureki: Courtesy of Kuria Anthoula
Bread Pudding Adapted from: Gourmet

Serves 6

Ingredients
Half loaf tsoureki or challah bread cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into fourths
1/4 cup Metaxa of other high quality cognac
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Dash of cinnamon
2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 F. Whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar. Heat a small skillet over low heat add the apricots. Cook for a minute or 2. Carefully pour in metaxa and cook until liquid is absorbed. Combine tsoureki pieces, cooked apricots, milk/egg mixture, top with walnuts. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Dust with a bit of powdered sugar and serve warm.

BB: Meringues Chantilly

Oh boy was this a doozy of an effort! I must preface my comments on this recipe with some background. I hate meringue. Since I committed to trying new recipes I made this with the hope that somehow I would grow to love meringues, I mean Ina never real steers one array....

The recipe was easy to follow and the approach straightforward, I couldn't help thinking so much effort so lackluster meringues? Even my husband didn't care for them and he generally likes meringue. Regardless I found the berry stew very tasty and will for sure use that in future desserts and you really can't fault a dessert with homemade whipped cream.

Thanks to BMK of Reservations Not Required (recipe may be found here) for the selection as sometimes you have to try to make something to reinforce the notion that you actually dislike it!