Hard Rain Peach Galette with Whole Wheat Pastry Crust

Last year I posted an apple galette from Claire Ptak, a recipe I found in Alice Waters' In The Green Kitchen.  The post can be found here.

This year I was inspired to make this peach galette (from the same recipe, using one of Ms. Claire's recommended variations for stone fruit instead of apples).  After missing the Collinsville Farmers Market for several weeks in a row, I was thrilled to find so many new things this week, peaches among them.  It was raining during most of the market, but a bit of rain does not fluster our local farmers.  In fact, it seemed to make them all the more ebullient.  Farmer Tom, of Hard Rain Farm in Burlington, CT, boasted a few cool and appropriate words on his T-shirt and showed it off to us proudly as he was setting up.  It read:  A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.  Indeed.  At the end of the market he graciously made sure to give me some of his "seconds" peaches.  They just had a few bruises, nothing much, so I took them home, cut them up, and made this delicious peach tart.  Bring on the hard rain!

Peach Galette with Whole Wheat Pastry Crust

This is, hands down, the best crust recipe I know of.  I ate half of a galette this evening while it was barely a moment out of the oven.  This is also one of the easiest desserts to make, especially because the recipe makes enough for 2 doughs and you can freeze one and pull it out later for an impromptu finish to dinner.  

Whole Wheat Dough (makes enough for 2 12-inch tarts)

I love Claire's technique here of blending in half of the butter and leaving the rest in larger pieces--it makes for a very flaky dough.  I have replaced 1 cup of the all-purpose flour from Claire's original recipe with 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour. 

 

1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I've had great success with Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp salt
12 T unsalted butter, cold
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice-cold water (before you begin mixing your dough, measure 1/2 cup very cold water in a liquid measuring cup and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes)
 

Topping
sliced peaches
Sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten, or 1 T heavy cream, for brushing the dough
butter, optional

Measure the flour and salt into a bowl.  Cut the butter into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes and put about half of it into the bowl.  Work it into the flour with your fingertips, lightly rubbing and breaking the flour-coated pieces of butter into small bits, until the mixture is roughly the texture of oatmeal or cornmeal.  Add the rest of the butter and work it quickly into the dough until the pieces of butter are about half their original size.  Dribble the water into the dough while tossing the mixture with a fork.  Keep adding water only until the dough begins to clump and hold together when you squeeze a handful.  You may not need the full 1/2 cup.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces and gather each part into a ball.  Wrap each ball in plastic or wax paper and flatten into a disk.  Let the rest, refrigerated, for about an hour.  If you plan to make only 1 galette, freeze the second disk for later use.  

When ready to make the tart, let the dough warm up at room temperature for 15 minutes or so and preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface  in to a rough circle about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick.  Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you can also bake directly on the sheet) and refrigerate while preparing the peaches.  

 

Mix the peaches with a bit of sugar if desired.  Then sprinkle 1 T flour and 2 T sugar on the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 inch diameter clean, which you will fold over the fruit.  The flour and sugar help to soak up all of the juices and keep the crust crisp.  Arrange peaches in pretty concentric circles or simply pile them on.  Fold the dough over the fruit in 3-4 inch segments.  Then brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg yolk or cream.  If desired, dot the top of the peaches with butter.

Slip this galette in the preheated oven.  I like to put a jelly roll pan (a baking sheet with a lip around the edge) under my galette pan just in case the juices drip.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes.  Remove and eat.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream if desired. 

Mint Chocolate Devil's Food Cake for My Sweetheart's Birthday, and a Host of Variations

Chocolate lovers will delight in this layer cake made of three different chocolate components, and all will love how easy the cake is to make.  This cake is delicious, of course, but it has so many other phenomenal things going for it that I felt I had to tell you about them. 

First, consider the versatility of a good devil's food cake recipe, as this one undoubtedly is.  I'm thinking cupcakes for all occasions, chocolate sheet cake for little ones' birthdays, layer cake for grown-ups, or even loaf cake for snacking.  You can add frosting or sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar.  Or, perhaps you would prefer a little whipped cream and some berries.  Top it with coffee ice-cream and douse it in hot fudge sauce for a classy ice-cream cake version.  Or, add nice accoutrements like fruits and nuts to the filling or icing. 

Then, notice the ease of the recipe.  No separating yolks and whites.  No separate batters or mixtures that you must make individually and then beat together.  No complicated ingredients for the icing or filling.  Observe that the icing and filling are actually...yes...the same!  The magic happens in the whipping of the frosting, and said whipped ganache becomes filling.  So easy.  Then you merely pour the rest of the ganache on top of the cake and your're done.  No time-consuming spreading action.  Did I mention that you can make this recipe ahead of time--in fact, that you must make it ahead of time so the icing has time to set?  Bonus points. 

Next, think about how adaptable the recipe is.  I used peppermint extract in the icing and filling because my husband (bless his heart) loves mint chocolate.  However, you could use any extract that seems appealing, such as orange or almond.  You could also add a liquer and certain other embellishments such as fruit and nuts.  I'm thinking Frangelico and almond extract would be nice, with toasted almonds mixed into the ganache filling and/or used to decorate the top of the cake.  Cherries soaked in brandy or kirsch are sounding pretty good, too.  Vanilla extract in the ganache with cherries soaked in liquer placed between the ganache filling and the next cake layer, then used to decorate the top.  Salivating yet? 

Finally, and most importantly, let me tell you about how delcious and attractive this cake is.  Three kinds and colors of chocolate!  The whipped ganache carries a light and fluffy angelic appearance, texture, and taste, which contrasts beautifully with the sexy, shiny, devil-like ganache icing.  Along with the cake itself, whose crumb is tender thanks to cake flour, the frosting and filling provide a luscious triple chocolate experience. You might just call this Angel/Devil Cake.  Enjoy.

Devil's Food Cake with Mint Chocolate Ganache

From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Makes one 8-inch layer cake.

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for pans

3/4 cup hot water

3/4 cup sour cream

3 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 T pure vanilla extract

1 recipe Mint-Chocolate Ganache Frosting (recipe follows)

*A note about the cocoa powder:  I often use Saco brand cocoa powder:  This brand makes a cocoa powder that is a mixture of natural and dutched cocoa powders.  It seems to work well in recipes without leaving behind that bitter flavor you get when you use all natural cocoa powder.  However, if natural (non-Dutched, or non-alkalized) is all you have, you can add about 1 tsp of baking soda (dissolve it in the water the recipe calls for first) to neutralize the flavor.  Do not try to use natural cocoa powder without the baking soda.  It will ruin your dessert!  Of course, if you can find 100% Dutched cocoa powder, this is ideal.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.  Whisk together the cocoa and the hot water until smooth.  Then whisk in the sour cream and allow to cool.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  

Beat the butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each.  Scrape down sides of bowl.  Beat in vanilla.  Then add flour mixture in two parts with the mixer on low, alternating with the cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with the flour.  Beat until combined.  

Pour batter into prepared pans, smooth the top, and bake about 45 to 50 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Cake is ready when a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, or when the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.  Allow pans to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert and turn right side up; allow to cool completely.  

While the cake is baking, make the mint chocolate ganache from the recipe below.  

Transfer half of mint chocolate ganache to a clean mixer bowl fitted with the whip attachment and allow to cool completely, about 40 minutes.  Beat on medium high speed until soft peaks form when you lift the beater slowly, about 5 to 7 minutes. 

Using a serrated knife or a cake layer cutter, trim the tops of cake layers to make them level.  Transfer one of the layers to a cake platter and spread with about 1 1/2 cups of the whipped ganache.  Top with remaining layer, cut side down, and spread remaining whipped ganache in a thin layer over entire cake, covering completely.  Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.  

Transfer cake to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.  Pour the reserved ganache over the top, letting it run down the sides.  If necessary, use a large offset spatula to spread from the center outward.  Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.  Use two large spatulas or bench scrapers to transfer cake to a serving plate and garnish or decorate as desired.  Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.  

Mint Chocolate Ganache

"Ganache" is just a fancy way of saying melted chocolate and heavy cream mixed together.  It does make a lovely covering for a cake.  

4 cups heavy cream

2 pounds best quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract (use a high quality, all natural extract; you don't want any fake flavors here!)

The Butterscotch Sauce Recipe and the Art of Sharing

I have to admit, I debated about whether to post this butterscotch sauce recipe.  It's actually from my mother-in-law, who got it, as you can see from the recipe name, from her Great Aunt Ethel.  Maybe I was hoping she would tell me not to post it so that I wouldn't have to decide for myself whether or not to do so, but she said to go right ahead and let it out onto the great wide internet.  

So here I am, sharing this recipe with you.  Several of you have already asked me for it, and I have stalled or promised to make you more of the stuff myself.  (I made jars of these and gave them away as holiday gifts.)  And, when I really think about it, I fully believe in sharing good things, not hoarding them.  So, in the spirit of sharing, here it is:

Great Aunt Ethel’s Butterscotch Sauce

As the name hints, this recipe comes from Margie’s great aunt Ethel.  When Margie first poured this sauce on some vanilla ice cream for Steve and me, I fell in love instantly.  The sauce is thick and it solidifies when it hits the cold ice cream so that when the sauce enters your mouth it is ever so slightly crunchy.  Margie’s recipe book states that she gave this ice-cream topping as a Christmas gift in 1985 and that a triple recipe will make about 9 cups, or 9 small jars. 

4 T butter

1 ¼ c brown sugar

2/3 c white corn syrup

¾ condensed milk

Melt butter, add sugar and corn syrup and boil to 230° or until it forms a soft ball in water.  Add milk and serve warm.  Makes 1 ½ cups, which serves about 6 people. 

Do make it and let us know how it comes out.  

I would also like to share with you some other wonderful things.  I am constantly inspired by the blogs around me and grateful that people have the courage to share themselves with those around them, something that I am slowly learning how to do.  It's not an easy thing for me, but reading what others have shared makes the endeavor that much more doable.  

First, you should check out Jules Blogspot, a new blog by a woman who I know will share some great lessons with us, along with recipes and photographs from her travel.  I always appreciate this woman's willingness to share herself with others, from giving tons of time to her work and her community to being open about herself and her own life.    

After reading Jules' blog, do visit my cousin Lauren's blog, Write a Pumpkin, Bake Some Prose.  The author of this blog posts constantly, and I love that she simply snaps a picture of whatever it is she made that night for dinner or dessert and immediately puts it out there.  This is a place you can return to often and always find something new.  Also, Lauren used her own jar of Great Aunt Ethel's Butterscotch Sauce on this Coconut-Banana Cream Pie that looks heavenly.  I haven't made this yet, but I plan to soon.  Talk about sharing the love and paying it forward!  Thank you for this wonderful gift, Pumpkin Prose.  You can find her pie recipe here.   

Once you have decided on a recipe to try from Pumpkin Prose, you can pop on over to More Than a Weed, a hilarious blog written about pregnancy, motherhood, and life by another cousin of mine, Christy.  Christy began this blog while pregnant with her daughter, Purslane (not a weed!), and made me literally laugh out loud while reading it.  Now that Pursy is an adorable 7 or 8 month old, Christy posts about many other things besides pregnancy.  Like Jules from Jules' Blogspot, Christy has a unique gift for sharing herself with those around her.  It has been a treat to hear her thoughts via More Than a Weed.  

By the time you are finished digging into these three places, hopefully the snow will be melting and your mind will turn to what mine always turns to...weddings!  Yes, despite this crazy winter we are having, the snow will be replaced with green grass and sunshine.  Those of you who are engaged, are helping the bride as a bridesmaid, or who just love to look at beautiful wedding pictures (great ideas for other non-wedding events, too) will find this site and blog, Down the Aisle, to come in handy.  Christine is woman I met more recently who used to be in health insurance and realized that what she really loved to do was plan weddings.  She now owns and manages her own successful wedding planning business, Down the Aisle, LLC, and is an inspiration to all of us who want to cut our own paths towards work we truly love.  

Another woman who quit her job as the art director at a publishing firm to do what she had always wanted to and open her own successful cookie business is Ricki Hellner.  She owns Haiku's Luscious Cookies and graciously agreed to take me on as a baker this past summer when I had quit my teaching job.  You can find her cookies at the Whole Foods stores in CT, RI, NY, and MA, and at many small specialty food stores in Connecticut.  To find specific store locations, go here.  You can even find a picture of me on the Haiku site if you go here!  A portion of the proceeds from the cookies goes to help wild mustangs--another example of a woman doing inspiring work that positively impacts those around her.  

After wedding dreaming and finding and sampling some of Haiku's cookies, you need to make time to visit Eyes Peeled Always, a blog written by a young woman that I have known since first grade.  While we don't talk any longer, we do visit each others' blogs, and I think of her often.  Hers is one of the most inspiring blogs I have read, and her words are a constant reminder to me about what is truly important in life.  Last summer when I was gearing up to return to teaching, reading this woman's blog helped realize it would be my last year of teaching and helped me gain the courage to quit.  

If you are not already full of all kinds of share time inspiration, or even if you are, you should not forget to look at Cup O' Cake Designs.  I put this one last on the list because it is here that I come full circle.  Reading this woman's blog in January of 2009, I was inspired to create my own baking blog.  If she could do it, then couldn't I?  And so her blog is really the reason I began my own and highlights the true joy in sharing.  Since this blogger is pregnant and thus soon to be immersed in newborn baby activities, I imagine she will be very busy over the next few months.  However, perhaps she will share with us some of the things she creates for the baby and some of the things she makes for herself along the way!

Finally, do put yourself out there and share the blogs that have inspired you by posting links to them in the comments section.  And, if you are one of those people who has been thinking about starting your own blog, now is a good time to do so.  Once you've got your first post, please let us know!

Valentine's Coconut Ice-Cream Swirled with Mango Sorbet

It's Valentine's Day, and I'm in love.  His name is David, and he makes my eyes light up with anticipation and my tongue tingle.  In the midst of this icy cold winter, he is heating me up with his warm-weather flavors and allowing me to pretend for a few blissful moments that it's not -5 outside.  I met him almost a year ago now, and, if my husband's approval of him is any measure, I think our relationship is going pretty well.  

So well, in fact, that I decided to share him.  Like everyone else I know, my husband and I celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday night, and I cooked him Thai food.  I made Thai Lemon Shrimp (the recipe can be found here) from Closet Cooking; the same blog I used for my green tomatoes over the summer.  I served the shrimp with stir-fried vegetables from here and plain white rice.  Dessert is where David came in.  David Lebovitz, that is.  We had one of his lovely ice-creams from The Perfect Scoop.  After infusing toasted coconut into warm cream and sugar, you make a quick custard (see tips passed on from David, below) and then freeze it in your ice-cream maker.  Then, if you wish, you swirl it with mango sorbet (technique below).  I cheated and used store-bought sorbet (I like Haagen Dazs), but David has a recipe for that, too.  (See why I adore him?)  I also added sweetened flaked coconut to the ice-cream after it had been in the ice-cream maker for 20 minutes.  

Today, the temperature rose to 57 degrees and we had David's coconut mango ice cream for dessert once again.  I am, like the groundhog, anticipating a swifty spring arrival.  But in the meantime, David's ice-cream will have to suffice.  

David's Toasted Coconut Ice-Cream Swirled with Mango Sorbet

1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened

1 cup whole milk

2 c heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

Big pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

5 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla extract, or 1 tsp rum

Toast the coconut at 350 for about 5 minutes, or until golden.  Meanwhile, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.  Add the toasted coconut.  Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the milk, then add the pod as well.  Cover, remove from heat, and let steep at room temperature 1 hour.  

Rewarm the coconut infused mixture.  Set a mesh strainer over another medium saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan.  Press down on the coconut to extract as much flavor as possible.  (A rubber spatula works well for this.)  Remove the vanilla bean seeds and the coconut and reserve for another use.  

Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set the mesh strainer on top.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.  Then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.  

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.  Mix in the vanilla or rum and stir until cool over an ice bath.  Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator (at least four hours but perhaps more), then freeze it in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.  

My notes:  I skipped the vanilla altogether but did add 1 tsp rum.  You could add 1 tsp vanilla in place of the vanilla bean (just add it at the end after the mixture has been warmed).  I also added sweetened flaked coconut to the ice-cream as a "mix-in" after it had been mixing in the ice-cream maker for 20 minutes.  

Ice-Cream Tips:

To "swirl" two ice-creams:  Alternate scoops of two different ice-creams (or ice-cream and sorbet) in a large dish that can be covered.  Smooth the top and bang the dish on the counter to release air bubbles.  Repeat with remaining scoops.  

To fix a broken custard (one that has curdled):  Blend the warm custard before straining it.  

How to know your custard is done cooking:  Ice-cream custard is ready when steam starts rising from the pan.  You can also tell by the fact that the custard will coat the back of a spoon.  When you run your finger across the back of the spoon, the custard should hold its shape and not run over your finger line.  The custard will seem thin, but it's ready.

Rose's Apple Sour Cream Crumb Cake

 Here is a delightful coffee cake for you.  I love everything that Rose Levy Beranbaum creates, and this cake, from Rose's Heavenly Cakes, is no exception.  It is similar to the sour cream coffee cake recipe from her older book, The Cake Bible, but, as she explains in the recipe intro, she has made a key change here:  baking the cake for a half hour before adding the crumb mixture.  This keeps the crumb topping from sinking too much into the cake batter and out comes full, luscious crumbs.  You might want to make this cake for someone special on Valentine's morning...and special could just mean you!  It's also delicious with jam in the center instead of or along with the apples--I like it with blueberry.  Just spread the jam on top of the apples or on top of the batter if using it alone, top with the remaining batter, and there you go.  

Apple-Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Serves 8-10

Cinnamon Crumb Topping:

1 cup walnut halves

1/3 cup light brown sugar, preferably Muscovado

2 T granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup (sifted into the cup and leveled off) plus 1 T

4 T unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla 

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon until the walnuts are coarsely chopped.  Remove and set aside 1/2 cup to use for the filling.  To the remainder, add the flour, butter, vanilla, and pulse briefly to form a coarse, crumbly mixture.  Scrape it into a medium bowl and refrigerate it for 20 minutes to firm up the butter and make it easier to crumble.  

Batter:

1 small tart apple, such as Granny Smith

2 tsp lemon juice

2/3 c sour cream, divided

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 c bleached all purpose flour (sifted into the cup and leveled off)

1 c superfine sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

12 T unsalted butter 

Prepare your pan and oven:  Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan and, if you have one, encircle it with a cake strip (don't forget to soak it in water).  If you want to get fancy, you can add a parchment round to the greased pan and then coat the parchment round with grease and flour.  Preheat the oven to 350 and set the rack in the lower third of your oven.  

Prepare the apple slices:  Just before mixing the batter, peel, core, and slice the apple about 1/4 inch thick.  (You should have about 1 heaping cup of slices.)  Sprinkle with the lemon juice and set aside.  

Mix the liquid ingredients:  Whisk together the eggs, 3 T of the sour cream, and the vanilla until just combined. 

Make the batter:  In a mixer bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.  Add the butter and remaining sour cream and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1  1/2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  

Starting on medium speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  

Scrape about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula.  Using your fingers, sprinkle lightly with the reserved 1/2 c crumb topping (do not press it into the batter) and top with two rows of overlapping apple slices.  Drop the remaining batter in large blobs over the apples and spread it evenly.  

Bake the cake:  Bake for 35 minutes.  Meanwhile, use your fingertips to pinch together the refrigerated crumb topping, breaking up the larger pieces so that about one-third of the mixture is formed into 1/4-inch balls or clumps and the rest is in small particles.  (Do not make them too large because they will make it difficult to cut when serving.)  Let them fall onto a large piece of parchment and add the rest of the lightly pinched crumbs.  

Finish the cake:  Remove the pan from the oven and gently place on a wire rack.  Using the parchment as a funnel, quickly and evenly strew the surface with the crumb topping.  Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for 20-30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center.  Cool on rack 10 minutes, then loosen sides of cake and remove the springform sides.  Cool completely, 1 1/2 hours.   

This cake is pretty simple to make and could easily be made the night before you plan to serve it.  I took part of this one to the New Hartford Historical Society where I volunteer every Wednesday night, and I'm pretty sure people loved it.  That, or they were just being polite!  

Speaking of the Historical Society, I've been thinking a lot lately about work.  Mainly, the purpose of work and the ways in which work fulfills us.  For me, teaching has always been incredibly fulfilling work, and I can't imagine doing something that didn't challenge me in new ways and fulfill some kind of larger purpose.  By helping others, I felt I was always serving a purpose, even though I wasn't crazy about all of the practical aspects of teaching:  arriving to work at 6 am (I am far from a "morning person"), being surrounded by over a hundred people all day long, performing all day (if I could just teach 1 class per day, that would be the perfect amount of performance for me, but teaching is not like that!), and having to follow the same darn routine day in and day out.  That last part was the hardest for me.  I was a big fan of the schedule my own high school followed, where our classes met every other day and for different amounts of time each meeting.  It mixed things up a bit and cut through the monotony.  I am just not a routines type of person.  

Since quitting teaching, I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do instead.  I haven't come up with the perfect answer yet, if there is a perfect answer.  But, in the meantime, I find a lot of fulfillment from the volunteer work I do with the Historical Society, the Collinsville Farmers' Market, and the Women's Club.  These commitments don't take up a lot of time, but they allow me to feel as though I am doing something useful for my community while I search for other work, and they make me immensely happy.  What are your thoughts about work?      

If you buy no other cake books besides The Cake Bible and this one (a bit fancier cakes but still has some basics), you will be happy and will be able to impress your friends with delicious cake.

Apple Cranberry Crumble from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home: A Sweet Ending to a Well-Planned Meal

Meal-Planning.  When you think of the concept, maybe you groan, or maybe the blood starts rushing through you excitedly, urging you to pull out cookbooks and check out the front pages of your favorite food websites for inspiration.  Whatever the case, we have to eat, and meal-planning can be a stress-free way of organizing home-cooked meals all week, even if you are making a couple of dishes on Sunday and heating up leftovers all week.  You can turn a pot-roast into a pasta sauce or add an egg and some bread to a soup.  And, you can top it all off with a healthy ending:  fruit.  

I never want to eat cold fruit in the winter, so instead I roast it all in the oven.  Roasted pears go into my oatmeal for breakfast and get covered in chocolate sauce for dessert.  Baked apples get cored, filled with butter, raisins, and brown sugar, and served with Greek yogurt as an afternoon snack or vanilla ice-cream as dessert.  This apple cranberry crumble is a new and slightly more complicated version of the baked fruit, though it is still incredibly easy.  You can keep the skins on for added health and throw in a little extra oatmeal.  And, you can get it all ready and stick it in the refrigerator until it's ready to bake.  

To roast pears, cut the them in half and remove the stems and cores.  Place them skin side down in a baking dish filled with a half to one inch of water.  Sprinkle with some white wine or sugar and roast in the oven (375 to 425 will work--if your oven is already on then just pop the pears in there with whatever else is cooking).  You can turn the pears skin side up halfway through baking if you wish, or you can occasionally baste them with the liquid in the bottom of the roasting dish.  Pears are done roasting when tender when pierced with a fork.  For an extra-special treat, remove the pears from the baking dish and pour the liquid into a small saucepan.  Add a tablespoon or two of sugar and simmer until a syrup forms.  Pour the syrup over the pears.  You can also serve with chocolate sauce.  I like the chocolate glaze I used for the cupcakes in my last post, which can be found here.  To lighten the sauce, use half and half instead of heavy cream.  

Apple-Cranberry Crumble 

from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds apples (about 3 medium), peeled and cored

1/2 cup fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Coarse salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for dish

1/2 cup pecan halves (2 ounces), coarsely chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Quarter apples lengthwise, then thinly slice. Toss in a large bowl with cranberries, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated.

Butter an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish. Mix pecans, flour, oats, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl until combined. Work in butter with your fingertips until topping is crumbly, with pea-size chunks.

Spread apple mixture in prepared dish; sprinkle with topping. Bake until filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

*Notes:  I like to use Cortland apples and a mixture of pecan and walnut halves. 

The recipe comes from this book pictured below:  Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home, which is a lovely little book I picked up at the library and have been cooking out of for a month or so now.  The recipes are presented as 52 meals divided by season and include instructions for dishes like Creamy Chicken with Tarragon, Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Cutlets, Braised Chicken Marsala with Sage Polenta, Pasta Shards with Poached Eggs, a creamy Cauliflower Gratin, Caramelized Endive, Salmon with Creamy Leeks, and Broiled Black Pepper Tofu with Soy-Lemon Dipping Sauce.  Quick and easy to make with glossy color photographs of each recipe, this book is a great one to have on hand when planning weeknight meals.  

Some Other Meal-Planning Resources

I've recently started writing out our dinner menus on a refrigerator magnet pad that looks like this:

I purchased several of these at Michaels last spring for $1 each with old-fashioned farmy patterns like black and white checks with two hens, red cherries, and apple-pie rickrack, but you can also find them on Amazon here if you want to chalk up a few extra dollars.  Pottery Barn also has a nice meal planner you can hang in your kitchen that you can find here.  A couple of other websites offer free online meal planning, which might be more your style.  One is Meals Matter.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  

Some more sophisticated weekly and monthly meal planning templates can be found here, which you can print for your own use.  Finally, an interesting article to check out that has tips about meal planning from OrganizedHome.com can be found here.  My husband is pretty excited that he can now look up at our refrigerator on any given day and anticipate the meal he will get that night.  Got other meal-planning tips and resources?  Post a comment and let us know!

Literary "Groundbreaking" Cupcakes for the Avon Free Public Library, and Happy Birthday to DKB

(Photo by Steve Bartha; Photo Arrangement by Donna Miller, Assistant Library Director at the Avon Free Public Library Library)

I know, I know.  Two cupcake posts back to back, both containing the same vanilla cupcake recipe, when I haven't posted in two months.  And, just to put it out there upfront, before you commit yourself to this writer/reader relationship, I want to tell you that I misspelled Austen. Yes, as in Jane Austen, the British literary figure America loves to love, the author of the essential Pride and Prejudice, written in 1796, published in 1813, and downloaded free to my Kindle for my in-flight reading pleasure in 2010.  It's embarrassing, to say the least, which is why I thought I'd get that little bit over with.  


Now that that's out there, we can get on with the really important things.  Not that I'm ignoring the importance of proper spelling, but I think we could all agree that Austen, by any other name, would (gasp) still be Austen, and a cupcake by any other name would taste as sweet.  

I made these cupcakes for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Avon Free Public Library, which is undergoing a beautiful renovation and addition slated to be completed in February of 2012.  My husband, who works for the town of Avon, CT and who is working on the library project, asked me if I would bake something for the ceremony.  Really, the credit goes to him  for coming up with the clever idea of writing Dewey Decimal numbers on the tops of the cupcakes.  As a former English major and recovered English teacher, classic literature is close to my heart, hence the literary names and the wicked embarrassment with the whole "Austin" debacle).  


By the way, Julie Styles, the Avon Free Public Library's Technical Services and Collection Manager, has a cool cooking blog (called "641.5 with Julie"--641.5 being the Dewey Decimal classification number for cookbooks) that you should check out here.  Aside from  consulting some of my latest favorite books (The Culinary Institute of America's The Professional Chef--truly "mammoth" in Julie's words, as anyone who has laid eyes on the book knows--and Sur La Table's The Art and Soul of Baking), Julie is downright funny as she describes taking a shot of whiskey before deciding on the right pie crust recipe and holding a "stick of naked butter" while she attempts to grate it into her flour mixture.  Anyone who considers pie crust their nemesis (as do I) will appreciate this post.  Do check out the blog.  


For the Literary Groundbreaking Cupcakes, you will need:
1 recipe of Rose's Vanilla Sour Cream Butter Cupcakes
1 recipe of chocolate glaze (recipe follows)
1/2 recipe of white piping frosting (recipe follows)


Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then frost with the chocolate glaze by dipping each cupcake into the bowl of glaze and letting the excess glaze drip off.  Allow the glaze to cool completely, about 30-60 minutes.  Use your smallest tip to pipe the frosting into desired words and numbers (you could pipe any themed words--Scrabble or crossword letters for the word game fanatic, periodic table elements for your scientist friends, or see Valentine Message Cupcakes for a sweet V-Day idea).


Chocolate Glaze
From Marthastewartliving.com
Makes 1 cup


2/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 T corn syrup
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Place chocolate and corn syrup in a small bowl.  Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture, and stir until smooth.  Use immediately.  


White Piping Frosting
1 egg white
1  1/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
Place the egg whites and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with whisk beater at low speed until sugar is moistened. Beat at high speed until glossy and stiff peaks form when the beater is lifted (5-7 min). The tips of the peaks should curve slightly. If necessary, more powdered sugar may be added.  You can see in the pictures that my frosting was not stiff enough, and the letters ran a bit, so be sure to test out your frosting on waxed paper or a trial cupcake. 
Last but not least, I want to say a quick happy birthday to DKB, which turned two years old this past Saturday!  Happy birthday, DKB, and may you have many more delicious treats in your pages to come.