Here’s a good recipe for taking advantage of all the delicious peaches that are in season right now! I was craving some kind of peach dessert and this one definitely satisfied the craving.
2 peaches, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
10 blackberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup oats
3/8 cup flour
3/8 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch of nutmeg
4.5 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the peaches and blackberries in a small bowl with the granulated sugar. Evenly distribute the fruit mixture into two ramekins or small baking dishes. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers. Top the fruit with the topping. Bake for about 25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Note: I made this rhubarb-strawberry crumble earlier this summer that called for turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) in the topping. I like the crunchy texture this adds, so I added about 1/2 teaspoon to the tops of these desserts before baking. If you have turbinado sugar laying around, I’d highly recommend adding it.
When I saw this recipe on the cover of the September issue of Bon Appetit, I knew it was something I had to try. It’s a great way to use up all the rosemary growing in my herb garden (well more like an herb box) and garlic I picked up at the farmer’s market last week.
Al mattone means “with a brick” and is an old Italian technique for grilling. I had also recently seen this blog post for Chicken Under a Brick. This method is typically done on the grill, but the Bon Appetit article gave instructions for baking the chicken in the oven. This is preferable to me, since I tend to burn things on the grill while somehow managing to not cook them through.
So, after work today I went to Menards and bought myself a brick, wrapped it in foil, and proceeded to butterfly my chicken. That was not a pleasant experience, especially since all my knives are in desperate need of sharpening. Nonetheless, everything turned out pretty well, although when we cut into the chicken we discovered it probably needed another five or so minutes in the oven. But, I’m resourceful so I just threw the pieces in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until cooked through. The meat was pretty flavorful and tender. I’d make it again. I served it with roasted veggies and corn on the cob.
I’ve linked to two recipes for Chicken al Mattone above, so I will refrain from typing it out for you.
The other day, I was attempting to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies from my Martha Stewart’s New Classics cookbook when the chocolate chip cookie EPIC FAIL happened. It was a hot day and this recipe calls for melting the butter, then adding the sugar. I think the temperature of the butter was just too high (even though I refrigerated the dough before baking the cookies off) and they spread out way too much. They tasted fine, but definitely resemble cow pies. How, you ask, do I know what cow pie looks like? Well, I grew up next to a farm! Now how’s that for appetizing?
Apparently I only write about desserts lately! I guess that’s probably because they’re the only things I cook worth writing about. I originally made these cakes for our Valentine’s Day dinner at home this year and made them again tonight. They are so easy to make and are probably one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever made. The cake is rich, but still fluffy, and the raspberry filling makes it really moist. When searching for the original recipe online, I found this recipe that I must try next!
1/2 cup butter (plus more for brushing)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
6 oz dark chocolate (recommended: Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chips)
16 raspberries
4 teaspoons raspberry jam
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush 4 ramekins or small baking dishes with butter. Dust with cocoa powder. Place ramekins on baking sheet.
Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a small saucepan. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, mash the raspberries and jam in a small bowl with a fork.
Beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed for a few minutes until pale yellow and thick. Add the cooled chocolate and butter mixture. Fold in the flour and salt, leaving no streaks.
Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared ramekins. Add raspberry filling in each, then top with the remaining batter.
Bake for 16 minutes, until tops are cracked and centers still slightly jiggly. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with vanilla ice cream and high-quality chocolate sauce (recommended: Guittard brand).
