Pear Galette

I received an abundance of pears in our CSA box last week so decided to try making a galette. If you haven't seen one before its like a free form pie or tart. It turned out great and looked impressive plus it was really easy!

The recipe I used is actually for a plum galette from Martha Stewart. It worked out nicely using the pears and I think you could do apples too. A combo of pear, plum and apple might be great as well.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 3/4 hours

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick. Keep slices together. (**see cooks notes below)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream


In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't over mix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (I kept it in fridge overnight).

Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal. (**see cooks notes below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sanding sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 60-70 minutes.

* Cooks notes:

- I purchased almond meal from Trader Joe's rather then grinding up my own. It was much easier. I took 1 cup almond meal and combined with 1/4 cup sugar and 2-3 tbs flour then spread that on dough before layering on fruit. This is important because it soaks up the juices released from fruit and prevents crust from being soggy on bottom.

- You can substitute pears or apples for the plums. To prep the pears I sliced off stem and bottom part of fruit then sliced in half. I used a small melon baller to scoop out center part with seeds.

- Sanding sugar can be found at most craft or party supply stores in the baking section. Its nice to have some on hand because it adds a special touch to the final look of the pastry.

- I sprinkled toasted sliced almonds on top of the galette once it was done baking. This is optional but thought it looked pretty.

Enjoy!

Blueberry peach cobbler w/ oatmeal cookie topping

I made this a few weeks ago and it was SO good. The blueberries were something not in original recipe but I thought they would pair well with the peaches and I was right!! I loved the combo. Also, the oatmeal cookie is so different...not your average crumbly cobbler topping.



With fresh fruit overflowing at farmers markets this summer I bet you could make this with just about anything and it would be good.

* Note: I halved the recipe and used a 8x8 baking dish. It was enough for 4 people plus some leftovers.

Recipe from Cooking Light

12 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients
Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
11 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 5 pounds)
2 pints blueberries ** STK addition
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Cooking spray


Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. To prepare topping, place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Weigh or lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup flour, oats, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

3. To prepare filling, combine sliced peeled peaches, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and fresh lemon juice in a bowl; toss to coat. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dollop 12 mounds of chilled dough over peach mixture at even intervals. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Mini lemon meringue pies

Since the weather has been so nice lately I was inspired to make a summertime treat. I love anything lemon so thought mini lemon meringue pies would be really fun. These little buggers are so adorable and perfectly bite size.

I used the lemon meringue recipe from Americas Test Kitchen "Family Cookbook" and tweaked it a bit to make mini pies.


Here is a step by step (see full recipe below):


1. Using a 1/3 cup measuring scoop cut out rounds for crust (I used Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough)

2. Press rounds into mini muffin pan. Prick a hole in bottom of each crust using a fork. Precook crusts at 375 degrees for 6 minutes (or until light brown). Allow to cool prior to filling.

3. Fill crusts and top with a dollop of meringue. (I used an ice cream scoop and it worked perfectly)

4. Bake in 325 degree oven for 8-10 min or until meringue is starting to brown and filling is set.

5. Allow to cool and try not to eat them all in one sitting!

Makes approx 24 mini pies

Supplies:

Mini muffin pan

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

6 large egg yolks

1 tbs lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

2 tbs unsalted butter

Meringue:

1/3 cup water

1 tbs cornstarch

4 large egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees

2. To prepare filling: Combine water, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer while whisking constantly. When mixture begins to turn translucent, slowly whisk in egg yolks. (Its important to "temper" the egg yolks first by adding a few tablespoons of the cooked cornstarch mixture to the yolks and whisking. This will prevent them from scrambling when added to the saucepan.)

Whisk in zest, lemon juice and the butter. Return to a low simmer then remove the pan from heat.

3. To prepare meringue: Bring water and cornstarch to a simmer over med-high heat, whisking frequently. When the mixture turns translucent and begins to bubble, remove from heat.

4. Whip the egg whites and vanilla with an electric or stand mixer on low speed until frothy. Mix the sugar and cream of tartar together, then add it to the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium and whip until soft peaks form. Add the cooked cornstarch mixture to the whipped egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to whip until they are glossy and form stiff peaks.

5. Now, reheat the lemon filling over low heat for about 1 minute. Pour the hot filling into mini pie shells and then place a dollop of meringue on top (follow step by step photos above). Bake in 325 oven for about 8 minutes or until filling looks set and meringue is browning.

{Review}

These pies turned out great and were really fun to eat! I imagine the shells could be pretty much filled with anything and used as a great appetizer too. Herbed goat cheese maybe? I'll have to experiment with some more ideas.

* Note: Be sure the filling is hot (as mentioned in step 5) when filling the shells. This is important because if it is not your meringue might leak into the filling below causing a mess.

{Time}

About 1 hour total

Margarita cupcakes with lime buttercream frosting

These were a big hit at Hamish's birthday. I don't think we had a crumb left at the end of the night.



Cupcake recipe from Bake Space and frosting recipe from Cooking Light (May 2009)

Cupcakes:
Makes 12
9 oz Margarita mix (such as Mrs. T's)
3 oz tequila
3/4 oz Grand Marnier
White cake mix
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp lime zest


Mix together the margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass or spouted bowl. You will use 1 1/4 cup of this in the cupcake mix. Pour the remainder over ice and enjoy the mini-rita while you're baking.


In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest, and 1 1/4 cup of the margarita mixture. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for two minutes (the batter will still be a bit lumpy).


Spoon the batter into prepared muffin pan and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registers done in the center cupcake. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.


Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the icing and ice the cupcakes.


Lime buttercream frosting:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted


Combine 3 tablespoons butter and next 3 ingredients (through juice) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating just until smooth. Spread about 2 1/2 teaspoons frosting onto each cupcake.


Tip: I spooned the frosting into a ziploc then snipped off a corner of bag. This makes for super duper easy frosting of the cupcakes. Also, it looks better then just smearing it on top (that's how I got the cute little swirls on mine)


{Review}
All I can say is yum!
FYI: I added a bit more lime juice then the recipe calls for. I didnt think the 1 tbs gave it enough lime flavor. I just kept squeezing more in until it tasted right.


{Time}
30min

Birthday dinner course 3: Basil and lime granita

This recipe is based off one I found online from Martha Stewart. I changed it a bit from the original (read: took out the time consuming part) and think it turned out pretty tasty.


2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh honeydew juice (from 1 1/4 pounds honeydew) * see note
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest from 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Raspberries for garnish

*Note- I had no idea where to get honeydew juice so I just made it up as I went. I cut up half of a melon into chunks and liquefied it in the blender. Then I strained the juice into a bowl. It turned out perfect. Half the melon made about 2 cups juice.

Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add basil; cook until basil turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath until cool, about 1 minute. Drain; pat dry.


Stir together sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Add basil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool completely.


Puree the basil mixture in a blender, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in honeydew juice, lime juice, zest and salt.


Transfer to an 8-inch square nonreactive baking dish, and place in freezer. Rake with a fork every 30 - 45 minutes until mixture is completely frozen, about 3 hours.


Scoop into small bowls and garnish with raspberries.


{Review}
This is a very light dessert. Perfect compliment to a rich dinner.
This was my first time making a granita and found it very easy. Now im wondering what other types I can do.
I bet this recipe could be made into popsicles too. Yummy!
Husband approved


{Serve with}
A tasty dinner or have as a snack on a hot day.


{Time}
15 min prep time
3 hours in the freezer

Summer surprise

I don't know why this dessert is called summer surprise but I do know its tasty!

Ingredients:

Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Nectarines or peaches
Brown sugar
Sour cream

* Note: you can really use any type of fresh fruit you want in this. Sometimes I add blackberries which are good too.

Cut strawberries and peaches/nectarines into bite sized pieces. Toss all fruit in a bowl with 4 tbs of brown sugar (you might need a bit more depending on how much fruit you have). Place in serving dish then spread a thin layer of sour cream over the top, kind of like icing a cake. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

{Review}
This is a really easy dessert and super yummy. For some reason the brown sugar and sour cream combo is just so good.
Husband approved


{Time}
10 min or less

Blueberry cream pie

I love this pie! The recipe was given to me by a friend many years ago. Its so easy and people just love it.



Pillsbury premade pie dough
1 pint fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup flour
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
9in pie dish


Unroll pie dough and place in pie dish. Crimp edges. Prick holes in bottom with fork and follow package baking directions. (its usually 350 degrees for 10min). You want the shell to be light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase oven temperature to 400.


When pie shell is cool, fill with blueberries.


Combine rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over berries. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 min or until center is set. Allow to cool and enjoy!


{Review}
Love this pie (obviously)
Husband approved


{Serve with}
Ice cream


{Time}
20 min prep time (including baking shell)
40min bake time

Chocolate swirl gingerbread

This recipe is from "Everyday Food" cookbook. Pg 336

{image}

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cloves.

Melt the butter in thewater in a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg.

Pour half the batter into prepared pan. With a spoon, drizzle half the chocolate over the batter. Pour remaining batter on top, and drizzle the remaining chocolate over the batter in a decorative pattern.

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

{Review}

I thought it was pretty good.

Not husband approved :(

Not a sweet cake...more savory

{Serve with}

Whip cream or ice cream

{Time}

15min prep time

30min cook time