Blueberry Buckle

August 27, 2010

The minute I saw this blueberry-dense buckle on Eating Old Loud it was over. I knew I was going to make this cake and love it. And I did (all of the above). It lived up to every expectation I had… moist and sweet, with a cinnamon scented crumbly top. But oh, the berries. So many beautiful fresh blueberries packed into one pan. More than twice as many blueberries as any other buckle recipe I’ve come across. That’s what makes it special, unbelievable. A zillion blueberries. While it was great warm right out of the oven, I liked it even better after several days in the refrigerator. The berries had set and the flavors intensified. Don’t let the summer berry season end before you bake a buckle. You’ll be grateful.

Blueberry Buckle

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
5 cups blueberries (I tossed them with several Tbsp. of flour to prevent sinkage)

Streusal Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the streusal topping, in a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Using a pastry blender (or food processor), cut in the butter until fine crumbs form. Using your hands, squeeze together the mixture to form large clumps. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 10-inch round springform pan.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a large bowl fitted to an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the egg and vanilla, beating until fully combined. Add flour mixture, alternating with the milk, a little at each time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Remove from the mixer and fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusal topping over cake. Bake in preheated oven until a tester in the center comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove outside rim of springform pan. Cool another 15 minutes before slicing.

Makes 1 10-inch round cake.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart via Eating Out Loud)

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Triple Berry Pie with Almond Crumble

July 30, 2010

Before this summer, I never considered myself much of a pie lover. Or perhaps it started in the fall when I made my first all-butter pie crust and filled it full of fresh picked apples. Then in the Winter it was pears. Now berries are bountiful and I can’t get enough of them piled high in pies. For the 4th of July it was blueberry, and this time I threw in three berries. Instead of a traditional top, this pie comes with a crumble. Almost two desserts in one!

Don’t let a fear of pastry prevent you from making your own. I actually consider pies one of the easiest desserts to master. With the help of a food processor, preparing the dough is no work at all. Then you just have to roll it out and fill it full. And bake it until it’s golden and bubbling. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool!

Triple Berry Pie with Almond Crumble

INGREDIENTS

1/2 recipe sweet butter pie crust (this recipe makes a double pie crust and you only need a bottom layer)

Almond Crumble:
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
6 Tbsp. whole almonds
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 1/2 Tbsp. old-fashioned oats
4 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Triple Berry Filling:
5-6 cups assorted berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, about 8 oz. of each)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca (I would assume several Tbsp. of corn starch could be substituted)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the crust according to recipe directions.

2. To prepare the crumble topping, combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until moist clumps form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To make the filling, mix the sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice in large bowl. Add berries and toss gently to combine. Let stand until tapioca softens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a large round. Transfer to a 9-inch-round pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Freeze crust 20 minutes.

5. Spoon filling into crust. Crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake pie until crust and topping are golden brown and filling is bubbling, covering loosely with sheet of foil if topping browns too quickly, about 45-55 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool at least 3 hours. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Makes 1 pie.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

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Spice-Rubbed Grilled Shrimp

July 24, 2010

This is a simple and satisfying way I’ve been preparing grilled shrimp for some time now. The truth is I never actually measure the spices. I just throw them together and it always turns out great! Consider this recipe a suggestion. It is the blend of ingredients I prefer, but of course you’re welcome to add or subtract anything to your liking. I’ve made it without the smoked paprika several times and it didn’t ruin the dish (I just prefer it with!). The key to good shrimp is how long you cook them. The minute they curl up and turn opaque they are done. Don’t leave them on the grill a minute longer. If your shrimp are chewy, it is a result of over-cooking them.

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
extra virgin olive oil

Spice Rub:
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (optional, but I love it!)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat.

2. To make the spice rub, stir to combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. (Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a long time.)

3. Pat the shrimp dry. Rub spice mixture over both sides of shrimp. Brush the shrimp with olive oil.

4. Grill shrimp several minutes on each side (cooking times will vary depending on the size of your shrimp), until opaque.

Serves 4-6.

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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)

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Mom’s Spanish Rice

July 9, 2010

My mom has been making her signature Spanish rice forever (all my life at least)! My family loves it! While I doubt its authenticity, I don’t question its mass appeal. I was surprised how easy it is to prepare and am eager to make it a staple in my own home. We ALWAYS serve it with our New Mexican Sopapillas (recipe yet to come), although I’m sure it would enhance any Mexican-inspired meal.

Mom’s Spanish Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
14 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water (or low-sodium chicken broth)
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender but not brown.

2. Add tomatoes, water, rice, salsa, salt, brown sugar, W. sauce, and pepper. Cover and simmer 45 minutes- 1 hour (I used par-boiled brown rice which only took 25 minutes) until your rice is tender and the water has been absorbed.

Serves 6.

(I think this was adapted from Betty Crocker)


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