Category Archives: fruit

Easiest Peach Cobbler | Last Call for Stone Fruits

September 15, 2011 –

Today feels like a Monday. That might sound a bit strange, I know. After all, most of you are reading this with an eye to the weekend. Perhaps eeking out the last rays of sunshine as we stumble our way into autumn? I hope so. We just returned home from a trip where we did just that. It was wonderful. It was relaxing. There was lots of sunshine. We took countless trips to the beach and to the park. In fact, we squeezed the most out of these last few weeks of summertime. Maeve took her first several fishing trips and even managed to see an orca pod in the ocean. And, although I’m fairly certain she didn’t recognize the difference between her stuffed orca and the ones that gracefully swam by our itty bitty boat, I will tell her a tale about this adventure someday.

Now that we’re home, I notice there’s a different air sort of brewing around here. A crispness, maybe? A change is due. Isn’t that the funny thing about September? Even when a touch of warmth remains, something in our bodies tells us a change is near. A new season is upon us. Back to school. Back to work.

I’m not sad about it, however. I adore this season. I look good in fall colors. Maeve does too. It’s truly a season for the redhead. And, I’m not sure you heard, but mustards and plaids are all the rage. We will be in fashion. But before I plunge fully into tights-wearing and woolen sweaters, I would like to take this opportunity to share this peach cobbler recipe with you.

Oh sure, you might think the season is over for such desserts. I can nearly hear you saying this now. However, it’s not over until the stone fruits disappear from the market. They’re not gone yet. Go quickly or they will be! I say we raise our forks to this last call for stone fruits and enjoy my new favorite peach cobbler recipe. It’s easy. It’s delicious. The peaches taste nearly buttery and fresh at the same time. The subtle flavors of cardamom and cinnamon really make this peach cobbler recipe special.

Enjoy, dear friends. I am back in town now for several weeks and we are back in action. Goodbye to the stone fruits and summer recipes and hello to root vegetables and hearty greens!

Peach Cobbler

6 large peaches, cut into thin wedges
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss peaches with sugar, lemon juice, cardamon, and cornstarch in a 2-qt. nonreactive baking dish and bake in middle of oven 10 minutes.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

Remove peaches from oven and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Bake in middle of oven until topping is golden, about 25 minutes.

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autumn cake dessert easy fall fruit pregnancy Uncategorized

Upside Down Pear Cake | My Breech Baby

December 13, 2010 –

I was feeling like a really powerful woman there for a while. I had energy. I had spirit. And, while I still have these qualities, I only have them in very small and fleeting doses. Things are a bit altered and I suspect this is the way it will be from here on out.

I’m 39 weeks pregnant. That’s a belly full of baby. And, before last week, I was carrying a breech baby in my belly. If you’re not familiar with that term, it means my little girl was sitting upright with her head in my ribcage. I didn’t mind it so much. I thought of my womb as her cockpit. Or, as K suggested, I was sort of like a puppet she was controlling from within.

Nevertheless, I tried many tricks to turn her into the right birthing position. There was talk of a cesarean section and I was desperate. I took advice from anyone and anything about how to convince my bun that being head down was better for everyone. K burned mugwort over my toes every night. I had abdominal massages and acupuncture needles pricked into my baby toes and wrists. I turned myself upside down in yoga. I tried sifting a blanket or large scarf up and down my back. I even played classical music to her in an effort to lure her into the right spot.

After all of that, I still could feel her tiny head bobbing up and down at the very top of my belly. I resigned myself. No one around here will deliver a breech baby naturally and I was warned repeatedly of all sorts of terrible risks if I requested a trial of labor. So I didn’t argue. Instead, I pulled out the final card.

Version therapy.

Have you heard of it? It seems sort of medieval in some respects, I’m sure. It is where a doctor turns your baby from the outside using, from what I can tell, sheer force, weight, and will.

We went for it and, although it was probably one of the weirdest moments of my life, it was also one of the most remarkable. I went to a special place in my mind where I relaxed as the man in the white coat loomed over me using all of his weight and effort to scoot my little girl’s bum up the side of my belly.

And, lo and behold, it worked on the first try. In just about 30 seconds, she was head down with her little feet in my ribs.

I cried. Of course.

Now, we are ready for the little bun to arrive and she can do so on her own terms. I have to admit, however, I’m ready. Her new position causes a great deal of pressure and it’s not something I care to live with for much longer. As such, I am talking to her daily about how wonderful it is here on the outside. I am told I can be quite convincing. I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, I’m keeping busy. I’m working on writing and cooking a lot. Sweet things are on the menu here as we really enter the thick of the holiday season. And, what could be more appropriate to share with all of you than an upside down cake with the flavor of fresh pears and cinnamon? I can’t think of anything. The cake is moist and airy. The Bosc pears are sweet, but not too sweet. Best of all, this upside down cake is super easy to pull together.

Today, we celebrate a successfully spun baby girl who will feast on sweet pear upside down cake spiked with cinnamon. I think it’s perfect for her impending holiday arrival. Enjoy.

Pear Upside Down Cake

11 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup maple syrup (substitute agave syrup)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into a 9-inch baking pan and arrange pear slices in an overlapping circle on top (or whatever works with your size of slices).

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, continuing to mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not over-mix. Carefully spread batter over pears, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.

Run a knife around edge of pan; put a plate on top of cake and carefully flip it so plate is on bottom and pan is on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I cooked this in a spring form pan, which makes it easy to remove from the pan. If you’d like, you can watch the video for a brief demonstration.

Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman

Tags breech baby position, easy desserts, pear cake, upside down cake, version therapy | Permalink | Comments (51)

dessert fruit

On Fruit & Baked Pears.

March 17, 2009 –

I sometimes marvel at fruit. It comes in an absolutely perfect package. No baggy necessary. It’s transportable. Neat. Healthy. What could be better? Not much.

There is one thing, however. The right combination of sugars and spices transforms an ordinary fruit from a healthy snack into an extraordinary dessert.

I was not actually thinking of making dessert last night. I just happened to waltz by these lovely Bosc pears in the grocery store. Typical of the fruit in my local yuppie supermarket, the pears were sadly hard and underripe. Little rocks of fruit.

However, I was not going to let the texture of these pretty pears stop me. I was determined to eat one of those rocks and it wasn’t going to sit on my window sill for days on end. I bought them and, despite the briefest of second thoughts when I felt a little food pregnant after dinner, I formed a plan. Baked pears.

Baking a pear is surprisingly easy and totally satisfying. It tastes good, looks pretty, and you don’t have to feel insanely guilty after indulging. In fact, you should feel pretty darn good after eating a baked pear. You are supposed to have several servings of fruit everyday. I read that somewhere, I think. So eat up.

Baked Pears for 2

2 Bosc or Anjou pears
2 tblsp. brown sugar
2 tablespoon dried raisins
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Core the pears using an apple corer if you have one. If not, chop off the tops and the bottom so that the pear sits flat. Be sure to save the top piece. Then, slice the pear vertically into 2 pieces. Now, carefully remove the core keeping the 2 pieces in tact.

Fill pear cavities with half of sugar mixture. When you’ve done this, put the halves back together. You will need some kitchen twine to keep them together (see above). Place the pears carefully into a small oven proof container making sure to keep the mixture in the cavity. Pu t the tops back on the pears. Stir the remaining cup water into remaining sugar mixture. Pour the mixture around the pears.

Bake pears uncovered until tender about 50 minutes. The sauce should be syrupy. Add water occasionally if the sauce runs dry or too thick. Serve pears warm with the syrup and fresh vanilla ice cream.

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breads Breakfast fruit

The New Cornbread.

March 9, 2009 –

It is sort of ridiculous how much I miss K when he is out of town. How is it possible that someone you didn’t know a couple of years ago, can add that much to your life? It’s pretty amazing and lovely, but also difficult. I’m often left uninspired to cook or doing anything productive at those times. Where is my muse? Where is my photographer?

This weekend was no different. However, I did attempt to rise up and get a bit of cooking accomplished. I made this, which is always fantastic (and I can bring it to lunch for days). I also made this cornbread, which is the most unique cornbread you will find. Those of you who are purists, may bawk at this as some sort of abomination. I totally understand your reservations. I assure you, however, this is worth a try. It’s especially worth a try if you like fennel. The flavor of fennel is prevelant, but perfect with the fruitiness of the cranberries and raisins.

It is also lighter than most cornbread recipes because it calls for finely ground cornmeal instead of the typical coarse type. This gives it a cake-like texture. Dab on a little butter to that corn-cake and it’s fantastic. Oh, and please use a skillet if you can. While I may not be from the South, I do know it’s a sin to use anything but a cast-iron skillet. You will love me for this once you bite into any bread baked in cast-iron.

Cornbread with Fennel Seeds, Cranberries & Golden Raisins
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal (not coarse)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed with a mortar and pestle or pulsed in an electric coffee/spice grinder
Special equipment: cast iron skillet

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together butter, eggs, and buttermilk in another bowl and add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in raisins, cranberries, and fennel seeds.
Pour batter into the skillet and let stand 10 minutes. Bake in middle of oven until the top is pale golden and a tester comes out clean, approximately 35 minutes. You can keep it in the skillet to cool (which is what I do) or invert it after 10 minutes.

Adapted from Gourmet

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