Category Archives: crisps/cobblers

Entertaining: What’s Cooking Labor Day Weekend!

If you are like me, you are finding it very hard to believe that September and Labor Day Weekend are here!  But with that we like to celebrate Labor Day Weekend with friends and family. Here are a few of the recipes I’ll be using to entertaining this weekend!

Part of my holiday weekend will be filling the house with some sunflowers, while I still can. Nothing says late summer more to me than sunflowers! In addition, I’ll be using the best of the produce from the farm stands this weekend and corn is still at it’s peak! I’ll be making some corn hummus with corn leftover from another meal. You need just four extra ears.  This recipe calls for roasting the corn in the oven at 425 for 45 minutes wrapped in foil. I’ve been making my corn like this all summer, it’s easy to prep in advance and really easy to serve a crowd of people. I prep it before anyone arrives, leave it on a tray in the oven and just turn the oven on an hour before I want to serve it warm. Delicious!! so make a few extra and also make Roasted Sweet Corn Hummus

Another favorite meal that is an easy meal for a crowd that is delicious and super simple to make is Brisket with Cola Barbecue Sauce. You’ll love the flavor using your favorite NON-DIET Cola in your sauce!

Wondering what to serve along side this dish , you definitely need some fresh coleslaw. I like to make my Grandma’s Coleslaw with Warm Dressing.  Definitely, a comforting complement to the brisket!

The perfect dessert for a crowd is a crumble and this crumble mixes blueberries and plums for a slightly sweet and spicy dish. You will love my Blueberry Plum Crumble!

If you need a breakfast brunch idea for the weekend, one of my favorite dishes is Vanilla Bourbon Soaked French Toast. I use big thick slices of brioche soaked in vanilla and bourbon. Bourbon? Why not it’s a holiday weekend and the french toast is topped with a  yummy mixed berry and plum compote!

I will definitely try to bake some cookies this weekend to have around the house and in celebration of sunflowers I think I’ll be baking sugar cookies topped with sanding sugar to look like my beautiful sunflowers! Use my Favorite Sugar Cookie recipe!

From by the bay, make great friends and family food memories this weekend!

Maryann

 

Roasted Sweet Corn Hummus

Brisket with Cola Barbecue Sauce

Grandma’s Coleslaw with Warm Dressing

Blueberry Plum Crumble

Vanilla Bourbon Soaked French Toast

Favorite Sugar Cookie

Entertaining: What to Cook for the 4th of July Weekend!

It’s a big holiday weekend – family picnics, barbecues with friends, sun, water, fireworks ….. food is an important part of our celebrations! Here are a few of the recipes, I’ll be cooking over the long weekend. Mornings will start slowly, after that first cup of coffee I’ll be taking out my muffin pan to make Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

I like to keep lunches light , it’s better for jumping into the pool or to enjoy a game of kanjam so a salad is nice, I’ll probably make a nice Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Ricotta

Keeping it easy for dinner so starting with a great burger topped with my Whiskey Special Sauce

Side dishes are the key, make them in the morning before the day gets going and you can enjoy the day your self, I’m going old school with my Deli Style Macaroni Salad

Another classic side dish with a twist is my Jalapeno Kale Coleslaw, it is a delicious and healthy second side.

If I can find some corn in the farm stand, you can be sure that I’ll be making and although it’s perfect just grilled or even boiled, I’ll like make Fresh Corn and Zucchini Salad

Now for dessert…. I’ll still be taking advantage of all those fresh berries that are around and make my Red and Blue Firework Crisp and if I have time I’m make some star shaped  cookies using My Favorite Sugar Cookies !

From by the bay , wishing you and your family a very Happy 4th of July!

Maryann

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Ricotta

Whiskey Special Sauce

Deli Style Macaroni Salad

Jalapeno Kale Coleslaw

Fresh Corn and Zucchini Salad

Red and Blue Firework Crisp

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

Blueberry Plum Crumble

I love fruit desserts and this one is a real favorite! Using plums and the last blueberries of the summer give this crumble an autumnal feeling. You can make the crumble without blueberries, I happened to have some leftover when I made this dish and just decided to throw them into the mix, as you can with most crumbles you can alter the fruits you use to suit your own tastes. In the same way you can use pecans instead of walnuts. I’ve made many crumbles over the years, but what I like best from the recipe I choose from Huckleberry is the addition of the maple syrup and I used my favorite steel cut oats from Anson Mills that added a great crunchy texture to the crumble topping. Enjoy!

From by the bay, wishing you some autumn crumble food memories!

Maryann

Iblog blueberry plum crumble

Blueberry Plum Crumble

Recipe adapted from Huckleberry by Zoe Nathan

Ingredients

Crumble

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Filling

3 red plums , halved and pitted

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

pinch of fine sea salt

Preheat over to 375 degrees F. To make the crumble add all ingredients in a bowl and blend with your finger tips until butter is incorporated. Place in the refrigerator. In a small baking dish approximately 5″ by 8″ arrange the plums, cut side up, sprinkle blueberries. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon light brown sugar. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the fruit, letting a little of the outer edges visible. Bake in the hot oven until the topping starts to brown and plums are tender, approximately 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Irish Coffee Apple Caramel Crisp

I love traditions, but sometimes we need new ones. I wanted to make a dessert that delivered just a subtle hint of Irish Coffee to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This Irish Coffee Apple Caramel Crisp does just that! Apple and caramel is a perfect marriage of flavors. There is just a touch of coffee in this rich caramel apple filling, topped with a crunchy crumb. The crisp is covered with a cloud of irish whiskey whipped cream.  It’s hard to make whipped cream taste better but using a touch of irish whiskey or bourbon does just the trick.  This is the perfect topping to any dessert. When you combine all the these flavors you have a winning dessert perfect for any
celebration. You can start a new tradition too!
From by the bay wishing you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Maryann
blog irish apple crisp
Irish Coffee Apple Caramel Crisp
Serves 6
Ingredients
Filling
3 apples such as Gala, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
3/4 cup all purpose flour
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a bowl mix all toppings ingredients together, making moist clumps. Place in refrigerator to chill. To make filling, add butter and sugar into a saute pan on medium heat until smooth sauce forms. Add coffee to pan and cook, stirring until caramel starts to thicken and foam, about 5 minutes. Add salt and then apples. Toss the apples until coated evenly about 1 minute. Divide filling between 6- 4 ounce ramekins, placed on parchment lined baking sheet. Remove topping from refrigerator and divide the crumb topping over each ramekin. Place into the oven for about 1 hour. The crisp should be golden brown and the filling bubbling. Let stand to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Irish Whiskey Whipped Cream
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon Irish Whiskey
Directions
In a large bowl whip the heavy cream into soft peaks. Add the sugar and whiskey to the cream and continue to whip into hard peaks. Place into refrigerator and serve cold. ( Do not make too far in advance, I prefer no longer than an hour).

 

blog irish apple crisp 2

Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler

There is a new favorite summer dessert here by the bay and it’s a cobbler! What makes this cobbler different is that I make little individual portions. This is the perfect combination of fruit, juice and biscuit topping. Out shopping one day,  I fell in love with these little ramekins. Of course I had to own them. So when these ramekins ended up on my pantry shelf , they were just begging to be used. I went through my usual quick dessert list and cobbler seemed a natural, rolling out the dough and using my biscuit cutter to make the perfect size biscuit to place on top of my dessert. Sometimes cobbler can be too juicy and the biscuit can become soggy, but not this version. I experiment with the fruit combinations depending on availability but the tartness of rhubarb combined with sweet raspberries is our favorite. Don’t get me wrong here,  no one is refusing this little gem of a dessert made with other fruits. It’s that good!
From by the bay wishing you sweet cobbler food memories!
Maryann
blog rasp rhubarb cobbler
Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Serves 6
Ingredients
Filling
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup red raspberries
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
Biscuit topping
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
4 tablespoons buttermilk, plus extra to brush top of biscuit
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a bowl mix all the filling ingredients together. Divide filling between 6- 4 ounce ramekins, placed on parchment lined baking sheet. To make the biscuit topping place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse. Add the butter and pulse until butter is pea size. Add the buttermilk and combine. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll or pat dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 6 rounds using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place one round on top of filling in each ramekin. Brush the top of each biscuit with buttermilk and place into the oven for about 1 hour. The biscuit should be golden brown and the filling bubbling. Let stand to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.