Alternative Baker
Page 15
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan; it will seem like too thin of a layer but will rise as it bakes. Place the apricots, cut side up, over the batter in concentric circles and press them into the batter slightly. Sprinkle with the almonds, then the sugar.
Bake the buckle until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 45–60 minutes. Be careful not to underbake: the cake has a lot of moisture to absorb from the juicy fruit. Remove from the oven and let cool until warm, then release the sides from the springform pan and let cool completely.
The cake is best the day of baking but will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.
SWEET CHERRY CACAO NIB CRISP
{OAT, SWEET RICE}
My friend and dance crony Steve once brought a bag of cacao nibs to a dance rehearsal because the packaging advertised them as a “superfood.” Before I could stop him, he shoved a handful in his mouth, and his face contorted with horror. Cacao nibs are simply cacao beans that have been roasted and broken up. They have bitter chocolate notes but aren’t sweet at all, so eating them plain is a little like chewing on coffee beans. I explained to Steve that the nibs were at their best when combined with other sweets, such as baked into cookies. Steve’s response was to hand me the bag. And that’s how I ended up with a boatload of cacao nibs.
Here, they fleck an earthy brown sugar and oat flour streusel that lids fresh cherries, gently sweetened and baked until jammy but still holding their shape. The topping turns crisp and toothsome in the heat of the oven and the place where streusel meets fruit stays a little gooey. Like all crisps, this is best slightly warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, though, as with all crisps, I’m not above eating spoonfuls straight from the fridge at all hours of the day.
MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS
FILLING
1½ lb (680 g) fresh sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted (about 4½ cups)
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp (25 g) packed organic light brown sugar
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
TOPPING
½ cup plus 1 tbsp (65 g) oat flour
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (55 g) sweet white rice flour
2 tbsp (12 g) tapioca flour
½ cup (50 g) GF old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (100 g) packed organic light or dark brown sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp (20 g) cacao nibs, chopped
6 tbsp (85 g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coarse sugar, such as demerara or turbinado, for sprinkling (optional)
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, for serving
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Place a 9-inch (23-cm) round or square pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup.
To make the filling, in a large bowl, stir together the cherries, cornstarch, brown sugar and salt to combine. Let sit, tossing once or twice while you make the topping.
To make the topping, combine the oat, rice and tapioca flours with the oats, brown sugar, salt and cacao nibs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scatter the butter pieces over the top, sprinkle with the vanilla and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is incorporated and the mixture forms large clumps, 2–3 minutes. (Alternatively, use your fingers to work the topping together in a large bowl.)
Scrape the cherries and their juices into the prepared pan and sprinkle the topping over, squeezing some of it into hazelnut-sized clumps and letting the rest be loose. Sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Bake the crisp until the filling is bubbling thickly and the topping is golden, 35–45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes or to room temperature. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. The crisp is best on the day of baking but leftovers will keep, refrigerated airtight, for up to 3 days.
MAPLE BOURBON PEACH COBBLER WITH CINNAMON TEFF BISCUITS
{SWEET RICE, TEFF, OAT}
This cobbler is full of earthy flavors that contrast bright peaches: maple syrup, bourbon whiskey and biscuits redolent with teff flour and cinnamon sugar. Malty teff is the dominant flavor in these biscuits, and its slightly coarse texture stands up well to the juicy fruit. Adding hot yogurt and cream to the biscuit mixture right before it goes into the oven gives the dough an instant lift, baking it into craggy biscuits that positively melt in your mouth.
I like to leave the skins on the peaches not only because I’m lazy but also because they add color, help the fruit hold together, and soften into buttery tenderness in the heat of the oven. Serve this cobbler warm with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature with whipped cream (sweetened or not). Be sure to source a certified GF whiskey if your cobbler eaters are highly sensitive to trace amounts of gluten; otherwise I like Bulleit bourbon here.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
FILLING
2 lb (905 g) ripe but firm peaches (about 6 medium-large peaches, 6 cups sliced)
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp (75 ml) GF whiskey (such as Queen Jennie) or bourbon
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp (75 ml) maple syrup
1 tbsp (6 g) cornstarch
¼ tsp fine sea salt
BISCUITS
⅓ cup (50 g) sweet white rice flour
⅓ cup (50 g) teff flour
⅓ cup (35 g) GF oat flour
2 tbsp (25 g) organic granulated cane sugar, plus 2 tsp (8 g) for sprinkling the biscuits
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon, plus ⅛ tsp for sprinkling the biscuits
4 tbsp (56 g) cold, unsalted butter, in ¼-inch (6-mm) dice
3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream, plus 1 tbsp (15 ml) for brushing the biscuits
¼ cup (60 ml) plain, whole-milk yogurt
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream or Whipped Cream, for serving
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
To make the filling, rinse the peaches and rub off the fuzz. Cut the peaches in half, then cut each half into 4–6 wedges. Place the wedges in a large bowl and drizzle with the bourbon, maple syrup, cornstarch and salt. Gently toss to coat the peaches evenly, then transfer to a 9-inch (23-cm) or (preferably) 10-inch (25-cm) ovenproof skillet or 9-inch (23-cm) square pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the juices bubble thickly.
To make the biscuits, in a large bowl, combine the sweet rice, teff and oat flours with the 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar, baking powder, salt and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Add the butter and work in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until broken down into the size of small peas. Chill until needed, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar with the remaining ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon. Place the 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cream in a second small bowl and have a pastry brush (or scrunched-up paper towel) nearby.
When the fruit is nearly done, combine the yogurt and remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cream in a small saucepan. Place over a medium flame and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is hot and steamy, 1–2 minutes (don’t let it boil or it might separate). Quickly but gently stir the hot dairy into the butter/flour mixture, stirring just until combined, evenly moistened and no floury bits remain; do not overstir. Remove the fruit from the oven, give it a gentle stir to redistribute, then use a tablespoon to drop the batter onto the fruit, creating 10–12 rough mounds. Immediately dab and brush the tops with the cream and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
Bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden on top and the fruit is bubbling thickly, 18–25 more minutes. Let the cobbler cool for at least 10 minutes to allow the fruit to thicken up and the biscuits to finish baking from residual heat. Scoop into bowls and serve warm, topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream, or at room temperature with whipped cream. The cobbler is best within a few hours of baking, but leftovers can be ref
rigerated airtight for up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.
SUMMER STONE FRUIT AND MARZIPAN CRUMBLE
{SWEET RICE, OAT}
Almond paste can be a divisive ingredient, with people either loving or loathing its intense flavor laced with bitter almond notes. I’m adamantly on the pro side; once I open a package I can’t resist breaking off nubs to eat straight. Sometimes called marzipan (though marzipan is actually a sweeter version designed to be shaped into edible decorations for cakes and the like), it pairs beautifully with stone fruit, which reside in the same family as almonds. When my countertop becomes overwhelmed with apricots, cherries, peaches and plums in the peak of summer, this catchall crisp turns them into an easy dessert. The almond paste keeps the topping extra crisp and gives it a bold almond flavor reminiscent of amaretti cookies. Do feel free to make this with any combination of stone fruit you like—you’ll need 6 cups (1 kg) of prepared fruit. And don’t miss the summer berry variation below.
MAKES 6–8 SERVINGS
TOPPING
6 oz (170 g) almond paste, crumbled (scant 1½ cups)
¼ cup (35 g) sweet white rice flour
¼ cup (25 g) GF oat flour
¼ cup (50 g) packed organic light brown sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp (56 g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup (55 g) sliced almonds
FRUIT
8 oz (225 g) cherries
8 oz (225 g) apricots
8 oz (225 g) plums
8 oz (225 g) peaches or nectarines
1½ tbsp (12 g) cornstarch
¼ cup (50 g) packed organic light brown sugar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Vanilla Bean, Fresh Ginger or Crème Fraîche Ice Cream (here and here), for serving
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Place a 10-inch (25-cm) ceramic tart pan or 9-inch (23-cm) pie or cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
To make the topping, combine the almond paste, sweet rice and oat flours, brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed, increasing to medium speed, until the almond paste is broken down into pea-sized bits, 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue to beat until the crumble clumps together and the butter is mostly incorporated, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the almonds just until combined. (Alternatively, in a food processor, pulse together the almond paste, flours, brown sugar and salt until the almond paste is broken into pea-sized bits, about ten 1-second pulses. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture begins to clump together, 15–20 pulses. Add the almonds and pulse just to combine, 1 or 2 short pulses.) Cover and chill until needed. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead.)
To prepare the fruit, pit the cherries. Halve the apricots, plums and peaches, remove their pits and cut them into large slices. You should have 6 cups of fruit. Toss the fruit with the cornstarch, brown sugar and salt until combined, and spread in the pan. Bake the fruit for 20 minutes; it will be hot and beginning to soften.
Scatter the chilled topping over the hot fruit. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and cooked through and the fruit is bubbling vigorously, 30–40 more minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve warm with scoops of ice cream. The crisp is best shortly after baking, but will keep at room temperature for up to 1 day and refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days.
VARIATION: INDIVIDUAL BERRY MARZIPAN CRUMBLES
This variation pairs especially well with tangy Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt. Omit the stone fruit, using instead 6 cups (800 g) mixed summer berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries). Hull the strawberries and halve or quarter. Halve large blackberries. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice to the fruit mixture. If your berries are very ripe and sweet, reduce the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons (25 g). Divide the fruit among eight 8-ounce (225-g) ramekins or canning jars placed on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the fruit for 15–20 minutes, then add the topping and bake for 20–25 more minutes. Pictured here and here.
BLUEBERRY PLUM COBBLER WITH CORN FLOUR BISCUITS
{SWEET RICE, CORN, OAT}
This cobbler carries the sunny flavor of corn flour in light, buttery biscuits perched atop indigo blueberry-plum compote. Adding hot yogurt and cream to the biscuit dough may seem like an odd instruction, but it’s the key to fluffy biscuits that bake up light, craggy and full of flavor. The biscuits taste like very moist, tender cornbread, the perfect foil for tart-sweet summer fruit. I especially like this cobbler at room temperature with a scoop of yogurt or whipped cream. Feel free to trade the plums for peaches, or the blueberries for black- or raspberries; all are lovely with stone fruit and corn.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
FILLING
1¼ lb (580 g) plums or pluots (about 8 medium, or 4 ½ cups sliced)
9 oz (255 g) fresh blueberries (2 cups)
⅓ cup (70 g) organic granulated cane sugar
1 tbsp (7 g) cornstarch
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
DROP BISCUITS
⅓ cup (50 g) sweet white rice flour
⅓ cup (40 g) corn flour
⅓ cup (35 g) GF oat flour
2 tbsp (25 g) organic granulated cane sugar, plus 2 tsp (8 g) for sprinkling the biscuits
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp (56 g) cold, unsalted butter, in ¼-inch (6-mm) dice
¼ cup (60 ml) plain, whole-milk yogurt
3 tbsp (45 ml) heavy cream, plus 1 tbsp (15 ml) for brushing the biscuits
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream or Whipped Cream, for serving
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
To make the filling, halve the plums (or if they cling to the pit, cut them off of the pit) and cut them into ½-inch (1.3-cm) wedges. Rinse the blueberries and drain well. Combine the sliced plums, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Scrape the fruit and any juices into a 9-inch (23-cm) square or 10-inch (25-cm) round baking dish or the equivalent, and place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the juices bubble thickly.
While the filling bakes, make the biscuits. In a large bowl, combine the sweet rice, corn and oat flours with the 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter, and rub with your fingertips or cut in with a pastry blender until the butter is somewhat worked in with lots of little pea-sized butter bits. Chill this mixture until needed, about 10 minutes.
When the fruit is nearly done, combine the yogurt and 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cream in a small saucepan. Place over a medium flame and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is hot and steamy, 1–2 minutes (don’t let it boil or it might separate). Quickly but gently stir the hot dairy into the butter/flour mixture, stirring just until combined, evenly moistened and no floury bits remain; do not overstir. Remove the fruit from the oven, give it a gentle stir to redistribute, then use a tablespoon to drop the batter onto the fruit, creating 10–12 rough mounds. Immediately dab and brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cream and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar.
Bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden on top and the fruit is bubbling thickly, 18–25 more minutes. Let the cobbler cool for at least 10 minutes to allow the fruit to thicken up and the biscuits to finish baking from residual heat. Scoop into bowls and serve warm, topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream, or at room temperature with whipped cream. The cobbler is best within a few hours of baking, but leftovers can be refrigerated airtight for up to 2 days. Reheat before serving.
BLACKBERRY BUCKWHEAT CRISPS
{BUCKWHEAT, SWEET RICE, OAT}
Blackberries always strike me as the most precious fruit. They are usually the last summer berry to come into season (besides huckles), and always command a high price. The fragile fruits don’t travel well, thus the ones you find in the market are often underripe and painfully tart. But ven
ture into the Northern Californian woods come high summer, and you may well find thick tangles of brambles flocked with clusters of deep purple fruit. When left to ripen in the sun, the berries turn as sweet as candy.
Whether made with hand-foraged fruit or the store-bought variety (or even frozen berries), these crisps highlight blackberries’ untamed flavor. Bright lemon sets off inky fruit lidded with pebbles of rich, spicy streusel full of buckwheat’s earthy flavor. The buckwheat makes for a softer topping than most crisps, but I find the deep, dark flavor worth it. Topped with a scoop of Vanilla Bean or Crème Fraîche Ice Cream (here and here), they make a sumptuous late summer treat. And if you can’t find this many blackberries, try the Individual Berry Marzipan Crumbles; the topping stands up better to berries with a higher water content than sturdy blackberries.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
FILLING
4 cups (1 lb [450 g]) blackberries, rinsed and drained
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (75 g) packed organic light or dark brown sugar
2 tsp (5 g) cornstarch
Finely grated zest from ½ medium lemon
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
CRUMBLE
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp (45 g) buckwheat flour
2 tbsp (15 g) sweet white rice flour
1 tbsp (6 g) tapioca flour/starch
½ cup (50 g) GF old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup (50 g) packed organic light or dark brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ plus ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp (56 g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla Bean or Crème Fraîche Ice Cream, for serving (optional)