Tag Archives: desserts

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.

Favorite Sugar Cookie

blog sunflowers

Inspired by one of my favorite flowers, sunflowers, I grabbed my favorite sugar cookie recipe, thank you Alton Brown, and created a sunflower cookie to serve here by the bay while entertaining! Of course this recipe could be made in any shape that inspires you. Find the right cookie cutter and colored sanding sugar and start creating!

From by the bay, wishing you yummy sunflower food memories!

Maryann

 

 

blog sunflower cookies

Sugar Cookies

From the Food Network, Alton Brown

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat. Sprinkle with colored sanding sugar and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sugar-cookies-recipe.html?oc=linkback

blog sunflower cookies 2

Pumpkin Cider Bread

Here is another great treat made not only with pumpkin but also apple cider for the perfect autumn food pairing. This easy pumpkin bread taste perfect just as it is moist and spicy or kick the taste up another notch by slathering some cider cream cheese frosting on top. It’s wickedly good!

From by the bay wishing you cider and pumpkin food memories!

Maryann

blog cider pumpkin cake

Pumpkin Cider Bread 

Makes 1 Loaf or 4 mini loaves

Adapted from Gourmet October 1991

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

In a saucepan boil the cider until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup, add raisins and let it cool. In a bowl whisk together well the pumpkin purée, the eggs, the oil, the brown sugar, and the reduced cider. Into the bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves and stir the batter until it is just combined. Transfer the batter to a well-buttered 8 1/2-by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and bake the bread in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan.

blog cider pumpkin cake with icing

Cider Cream Cheese Icing

For the icing
1/2 cup apple cider
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into bits and softened
1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

Make the icing:
In a saucepan boil the cider until it is reduced to about 1/4 cup and let it cool. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese, the confectioners’ sugar, the reduced cider, and a pinch of salt until the icing is smooth.

Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

blog zucchini cake

Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 1 loaf

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs beaten

3 tablespoons warm water

1 cup grated zucchini

½ teaspoon lime juice

½ cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan with oil. In a small bowl combine raisins and warm water and let sit for 10 minutes so raisins can get plump. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar. In a medium bowl combine oil, eggs, grated zucchini and strained raisins, plus 3 tablespoons of the water the raisins were soaking in. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and pour into loaf pan. Bake for one hour until the tester comes out clean. Cool on metal rack for 20 minutes. When cool remove bread from pan. Frost the bread with cream cheese frosting right before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz softened cream cheese

4 oz confectionary sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

Combine ingredients using an electric mixer until smooth. Use to frost zucchini cake or keep in refrigerator until ready to serve cake and frost just before serving