Category Archives: Dessert

Peach Cobbler

July 15, 2010



Certain fruits give me the jeebies. It’s not about taste. I love the flavor of just about any fruit you can think of (except guava- I haven’t had the best experience with that one). It’s more about texture. I love orange juice. But I can barely gag down a whole orange. Same goes for peaches, plums- anything squishy and pulpy (although diced up tiny they’re fine). I don’t like fruit chunks in my yogurt or jam. And I can’t handle any fruit canned. It might be sweet and succulent tasting, but it triggers a gag reflex that I haven’t learn to overcome.

My mom makes delicious canned peaches. I know they taste divine. But I can’t choke them down. So I was a little nervous when I set out to tackle peach cobbler. I was worried I might have the same problem. If you could have seen what was left of this dish when Dustin and I were done with it, you’d know that I was wrong. These tender peach slivers bubbling away under a blanket of cobbler were divine. Maybe the texture combination of peach and batter and soft swirling ice cream made it alright. All I know is that I’m suddenly in love with this furry little fruit. Since it’s peach season, I highly suggest you treat yourself to this dessert. Such a wonderful way to celebrate summer.

Peach Cobbler

INGREDIENTS

Peach Filling:
8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. corn starch

Cobbler Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

For Sprinkling:
2 tsp. white sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a square 8×8 baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it over the entire cobbler. Bake until topping is golden and the filling is bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Blueberry Pie

July 7, 2010

This 4th of July I made a blueberry pie, something I’ve never tasted before. Oh my goodness. It was delicious. It just might be my favorite pie ever! What you can’t see in the picture is the red dish this pie is sitting in. Red dish, blue berries, white crust- it was very festive. And then the stars. Instead of a traditional disc crust, I used a Christmas cookie cutter to cut out stars to banner the top. Pastry dough is very versatile- with little difficultly you can shape it into whatever design you’d like. Someday I’d like to make a lattice. But remember the key to a buttery flakey pie crust is keeping the pastry cold (and not over-working it). Here we refrigerate it between each step to ensure that its still cold when it hits the oven heat. Cold butter + hot oven = puffed flakey crust!

Blueberry Pie

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe sweet all-butter double pie crust
4 cups (2 pints) fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar + extra for sprinkling on top (optional)
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water, whisked (for the egg wash)

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the pie crust according to recipe directions. Roll out half of the dough into a large round and place in the bottom of the pie pan. Set in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

2. Toss the blueberries and the lemon juice in large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the lemon zest, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the blueberries and toss to coat. Transfer to the dough-lined pan. Dot with butter.

3. Roll out the second half of the dough into a large round and place on top of the filled pie. Trim the edges, leaving about 1 inch of overhang. Crimp the edges to seal. Cut several small slits in the top for steam to vent. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until the dough is firm.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F. Before placing the pie in the oven brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (optional).

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving with vanilla ice cream.

Makes 1 9-inch round pie.

(Adapted from Sugar and Spice)

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

June 24, 2010

Today I’m home sick. I consider it pretty lucky that this is the first time I’ve gotten ill since beginning nursing school. With the amount of germs I’m exposed to in the hospital, it’s down right amazing, actually. (I even survived my pediatric rotation without so much as a cold!) Worse than the fever and chills, I’ve lost my appetite. You know I’m not well when I’m not thinking about eating. But I won’t disgust you with the details, because you’re here to hear about food.

Since summer and blueberry season have both just arrived, this is the perfect recipe to share! It’s a quick and easy take on cheesecake. I was very happy with how it turned out. The lemon isn’t overpowering and the filling is soft and creamy. The fresh blueberries burst in your mouth with each bite. Even my under-the-weather self thinks these sound absolutely delicious right now. Too bad they disappeared soon after I made them!

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
9 graham crackers
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
powdered sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Grease the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners.

3. To make the crust, 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.

4. To make the filling, add the 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.

5. Bake in the oven for 30-35 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 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar.

Fills a 9×9 pan, about 9 bars.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream

May 9, 2010

Today is Mother’s Day. And this is what I made for my mom. I’m not cute and crafty. I don’t stitch or sew, paint or design. When I want to create a gift from scratch, I bake. And this occasion called for angel food cake. The perfect ending to an awesome weekend with my family and the perfect way to celebrate my mom. For my mom- I love you.

5/29/09: I’ve never liked angel food cake much. I always thought it was bland and too airy-not really fit to be called a cake. So why I found myself spending the time to separate a dozen eggs and whip their frothy whites might seem perplexing. Hint: See photo above.

The fresh summer berries are what caught my attention; the cake simply being the vehicle for their delivery. Bright busty berries are popping up at the market and I can’t resist incorporating them into salads and desserts…even dinner as you’ll see tomorrow! Just out of personal preference I used strawberries instead of blackberries…but why not try both?!

In cooking and baking I never cease to surprise myself. Sometimes the dishes I expect to turn out devastatingly spectacular are flops and those I doubted become favorites. The berries were a spectacle. But I do not lie, the cake was phenomenal!

This recipe redefines angel food cake. I swear I will NEVER make a boxed version again. They taste like cardboard in comparison. This is light and fluffy, sweet and silky, melt-in-your-mouth good. The photos above just don’t do it justice (rainy days are extra annoying when photographing food). The cake flour is essential for lift and you want to use your finest white sugar.

Whoever named this dessert must have had this recipe. Biting into my big slice of angel food cake with gently whipped cream on top and berries drizzling down the side, I could have died in the moment and been a happy girl.

Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS

10-12 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups fine sugar, divided (a few whirls in the food processor and granulated sugar becomes super fine)
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and the cake flour. Set aside.

3. Beat egg whites until frothy, the add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until fully incorporated then begin to add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When sugar has been added, beat egg whites to soft peaks. You will know when you have soft peaks because the egg whites will look like soft waves and when you lift the beaters, the peaks will droop back down into the batter. If your batter is falling in ribbons, it is not quite done. Don’t be afraid to slow down the mixer and check a few times as you get close. Do not beat all the way to stiff peaks. Once you have soft peaks, add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat for a few seconds to evenly distribute.

4. Sift the flour/sugar mixture over the egg whites in 6-8 additions (depending on your proficiency with folding flour into egg whites) and gently fold it in after each addition. It is better to take your time and do it gently than to rush and deflate the egg whites.

5. Spoon batter into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan with a removeable bottom. Smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan on the counter once or twice to ensure that there are no large bubbles lurking beneath the surface.

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

7. Remove from oven and invert. Cool to room temperature. (If you are not serving it right away, store in an airtight container so that it doesn’t dry out.)

8. Gently run a thin knife around the sides, then around the bottom, of the pan to release the cake when you are ready to serve it. Serve with whipped cream and berries.

(Adapted from Baking Bites)

Berries

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh blackberries (I used strawberries instead)
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Toss to combine. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whipping cream, chilled
2-3 Tbsp. powdered sugar (to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. For perfect whipped cream, use a bowl that’s large enough to allow the cream to double in volume. Refrigerate the bowl and beaters for at least half an hour, or place them in the freezer for 15 minutes, and make sure the cream is very cold. Use the freshest whipping cream available, and add sugar, vanilla, or any other ingredients near the end of whipping; adding them too soon in the process will decrease the amount of volume you achieve.

(Directions from Cooking Light)

Coconut Cream Cake

March 16, 2010

This year I baked my own birthday cake. I have to admit, I didn’t mind one bit! I knew exactly what I wanted. I’d been dreaming about this cake that I’d spotted on Pioneer Woman some time ago, but never justified making, because it contained coconut. Lots and lots of it- in the batter, in the frosting, and even more on top! And Dustin despises coconut. And usually, I try to please him. But this was my birthday. The one day a year I could make whatever dessert I wanted and not feel guilty for not thinking of him. So I made this beautiful coconuty cake for my family who was coming to celebrate, and mostly for me!

I give him credit, because even when he claims to dislike an ingredient, Dustin is usually willing to try at least one bite of anything. Well the silly thing is, Dustin turns out to not only like this cake, but to absolutely love it! As do the rest of us, but that was more expected. He even said it was one of the best cakes I’d ever made! That from a coconut hater.

We all agreed that this cake is incredible. Soft and moist in the middle, with three layers separated by coconut and pecan studded cream cheese frosting (that is sweetened with a generous portion of powdered sugar), and topped with golden toasted coconut. It was one of my best birthday cakes ever. (A close competitor with last year’s German Chocolate Cake– another one of my favorites!)

Coconut Cream Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake:
1 stick salted butter, room temperature (I used unsalted and added 1/2 tsp. salt)
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
5 whole egg, separated
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk

For the Frosting:
2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick salted butter, at room temperature (you can add a pinch of salt if you use unsalted butter)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans (could be toasted for extra flavor)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
several squeezes fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon, optional but highly recommended)

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (for topping the cake, optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour 3, 9-in. round cake pans.

2. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (if using).

5. Alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the egg whites.

6. Pour evenly into the three prepared pans. Sprinkle the top of each with 1 Tbsp. sugar.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 16-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.

8. To make the frosting, in a large bowl cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and lemon juice. Add the powdered sugar slowly, beating until smooth and creamy. Stir in the pecans and coconut. Store in the refrigerator until the cake has cooled completely and is ready to frost. Sprinkle the top of the frosted cake with toasted coconut (optional) and serve.

Makes 1 9-in. round, 3-layer cake.

(Adapted from Pioneer Woman)