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.

Amygthalota

As another birthday approaches it becomes ever more important to document and preserve family recipes. The dishes and treats that make everyone smile aren't often the most complicated or innovative. Simple cookies like this family favorite take me back to a special place and time. I was lucky enough to have my dearest aunt, Theia Sotiria (pictured below on the far left) share her recipe and wisdom.

My dad's sisters have a panache for baking and to my great fortune are pretty good about sharing their techniques. They have a dictatorial approach as in this case my aunt needed an extra blood pressure pill when I hinted butter may be a nice substitution for margarine. Sharing on their terms can lead to interesting recipe discussions and I am willing apprentice as no cook book can teach the approach of not measuring the flour rather just continue adding until it comes together and leaves the hand. That dear reader is the philosophy of those born to bake.

Amygthalota cookies are flaky but sturdy little bites of almond goodness. The recipe is straight forwarding, beating the fat, sugar adding the eggs then the dry ingredients. This version creates an almond sugar cookie that is perfect to serve with coffee or wine. While the more traditional recipes use blanched ground almonds as opposed to flour I like this texture and flakiness of this cookie. Enjoy!

Amygthalota (Almond Sugar Cookies)
Adapted from my beloved Theia Sotiria
Yields 4 dozen

1 lb. unsalted room temperature margarine (fleischman's)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs separated
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
8 oz. sliced almonds (unbleached if possible)

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer beat the margarine and sugar until fluffy and white (about 10-15 minutes). Add the almond extract. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time. Decrease the speed and slowly add in the flour. Beat the egg whites. Place sliced almonds in a shallow plate. Roll dough in to 1 inch balls. Dip in egg what then roll in almond pieces. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on racks and store in air tight container for up to a week.

BB: Outrageous Brownies

No words can truly express the chocolaty, gooey and outrageously delicious nature of these brownies selected as the last May recipe for Barefoot Bloggers. May was very hectic and vacay coincided with the deadline for posting this dish. After reading many of the posts I recognized this recipe could not be skipped. While I may be late to the party, please don't be, make these brownies.

Please note, I halved the recipe and broke in my first 9x13 baking pan. I reduced the amount of sugar and coffee by 1/4. The brownies were moist not overly sweet and overall big on chocolate. Please be sure to visit Eva at I'm Boring for an excellent recipe play by play.

Outrageous Brownies
Ina Garten from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Servings: 20 large brownies

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.
Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

BB: Lemon Cakes... Sort Of

Lemon is used is just about everything I make. My husband has an unnatural love of lemons to the point that I don't throw lemons out after juicing as he will eat them like apples. This bonus BB recipe selected by McKenzie or Kenzies Kitchen, profiled lemon in a big way and I didn't take the bait. The recipe sounded challenging but more lemon didn't so very interesting so I substituted orange zest and juice.

The cakes were similar to a pound cake and truly profiled the fresh orange flavor. The recipe was challenging for a novice baker but the directions were concise easy to follow.

Other than using orange I made a few adjustments: added only 1 1/2 cups of sugar as opposed to 2 cups; poked holes so the syrup would seep into the cake; made only 1/2 the glaze.

We brought this cake with us on our road trip to Montreal and it was a perfect snack! Once again you delivered, Thanks Ina! I am on vacay for a bit, hopefully I return with some blog worthy inspiration.

Lemon Cakes

Barefoot Contessa Parties!, 2001
Servings: 2 loaf sized cake, 20 servings

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

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: I Can't Bake and It's My Mother Fault: Brownie Pudding

Well, I am convinced that a persons up bringing affects their current existence and future endeavours in weird ways. Real profound right? Not so much, but I am trying to find the root cause as to why as a decently bright, educated individual I can't seem to achieve success when faced with a relatively straightforward recipes that involves sugar a mixer and a heat source.

I have determined that part of the problem is growing up in a Greek household that:

1.) Used non-standard measuring devices. I am still for the life of me trying to figure out the nomenclature of my mother's "tools".
2.) Owned every size pan but a 9x13 roasting pan (most household cookware came from restaurant supply stores or Theio Panagiotis restaurant, my mother still laughs at stores like Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel).
3.) Had fruit for dessert.

Now item 1 I have overcome as I channel 7th grade home economics class. Items 2 and 3 however are a bit more difficult to tackle.

You see the 9x13 pan is significant as most "American" baking recipes use this dimension. Greek-Americans generally speaking don't cook in such a proportion. One makes a big pan of everything, there is no cooking for two people, it's cooking for a family and the neighbor who is working long hours and the friend at church that just loves that particular dish or the unexpected dinner guest. If you're going to invest the time for dishes like pastitso, youvetsi, baklava, yalatopita, karithopita, bougatsa or the pain staking task of rolling out phyllo you're going to make a large dose of that item. I love to entertain in this manner, I however never picked up the ability to downscale a recipe and have yet to acquire the coveted 9x13. I truly would have it no other way... expect of course when presented with an opportunity to make Chocolate Brownies that resemble lava cake. Somehow the Greek sensibility doesn't mix well when proportion really matters.

Now as for reason 3 as to why Kanella can't bake..... there were no brownies or cookies after supper during my formative years. One can try to assimilate to their adopted country but there are some things that people hold on to. Greeks generally eat fruit after a meal and consuming dessert is an event not associated with dinner. Mind you my parents were born during WWII during a very dark time in Greek history and they barely had bread (I am not exaggerating) so anything sweet that used sugar or honey was reserved for holidays. Thus I was only exposed to desserts for special, large occasions or when ladies visited the house and drank coffee and gossiped and the 9x13 certainly would not do the job for such events.

So the moral of the story I suck at baking and it's my Greek mother's fault.

This week's BB bonus recipes was selected by Tia of Southern Eh? I would have loved this dish if may be I had the right proportion of cookware (see above) and if had a bit more patience as i attempted to discard the water from the water bath while the brownie/pudding vessel was still in the water ending up with a runny mess. Now this called for a 9 x 12 x 2 pan and by the time I had even noted the required pan dimension the eggs were beating away. Regardless I gave it my all and will try this again as I am not quitter.

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!

Lemonade Pie

It's winter in Michigan which means snow, ice and overall gloom. I have no business even thinking about lemonade because there is no heat to quench. Regardless I was randomly on the Betty Crocker website and ran across this simple recipe. Baking is not really my thing and this is great, refreshing and easy recipe. Now if the weather would just cooperate...

Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (20 squares)
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted (USED BUTTER)
3 tablespoons sugar

Lemonade Filling
1 quart (4 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened (USED HAGEN DAZ)
1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Few drops yellow food color, if desired (OMITTED)
Grated lemon or lime peel, if desired (USED MEYER LEMON ZEST)

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. In medium bowl, mix all Graham Cracker Crust ingredients. Press mixture firmly against bottom and side of pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 30 minutes.
2. In large bowl, mix ice cream, lemonade concentrate and food color. Mound ice-cream mixture in crust.
3. Freeze about 4 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature a few minutes before cutting. Garnish with grated lemon peel. Store covered in freezer.

My Big Fat Baileys Bundt Cake

My friend Danielle bought me a spring form bundt cake pan for Christmas. I am super excited considering I really can't bake and such equipment will motivate me to try baking. I found this Emeril recipe on the Food Network site and followed it pretty much to the tee except I used bailey's instead of the suggested liquor.

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon nut-flavored liqueur (recommended: Nocello)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Chopped lightly toasted walnuts, garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10-inch bundt bake pan, then flour, shaking to knock out any excess flour. In a large bowl fitted with an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat until pale and frothy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of liqueur and beat to incorporate. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, mixing well after the last addition. Pour 1/3 of the batter into a separate bowl and add the sifted cocoa powder, mixing well.
Pour half of the white batter into the prepared pan, spreading around the entire bottom of the pan, and top with the chocolate batter, smoothing slightly to make an even layer. Drop and spread the remaining white batter over the top. With a thin knife or skewer, swirl the 2 batters together to create a marbleized effect. Bake until the cake is set and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack with a sheet pan positioned underneath.
To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup liqueur with the confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon milk or water and whisk until smooth, adding up to another tablespoon of liquid, as needed. While the cake is still warm on the rack with the sheet pan underneath, drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Sprinkle the top immediately with chopped nuts and let the glaze set and the cake cool before serving.

Barefoot Blogger: Sticky Buns

I am really pleased that I could join this great group Barefoot Bloogers. I joined late this month and am excited about trying new recipes, since I honestly wouldn't have tried this recipe otherwise, it's a good chance to try new things. Recipe was easy to follow, found it a bit heavy on the butter but the end producet was excellent. Enjoy!

Sticky Buns
Ina Garten
12 servings


12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3 ounces/ 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

FOR THE FILLING:
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture. Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1½ teaspoons of the cinnamon, and ½ cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about ½ inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1½ inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am so not a baker. There is something intimidating about having to measure and ensure you don't substitute baking powder for baking soda or vice versa. Chocolate Chip Cookies are about American as the 4th of July and I literally salivate each time I pass Mrs. Fields. Such a simple concept a cookie which some how I still haven't mastered. This recipe was modified from my Gourmet cookbook. Don't get me wrong we consumed all of these cookies but I don't think it was an experience to write home about but then again not everything in life is a success.



Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted room temperature butter
1/3 cup li1ght brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon good vanial extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate chip or wafers

Directions:
1.) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2.) Beat butter and sugars until well combined and fluffy in electric mixer bowl fitted with paddle
3.) Beat in egg and vanila
4.) Add Flour at a very low speed
5.) Gently mix in Chocolate chips and nuts (optional)
5.) Place on baking sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes