4 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 peaches, preferably organic
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
Cobbler topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
½ cup milk
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator before you gather the other ingredients. This should allow it to come to room temperature.
Wash the peaches.
Slice them or cut them into chunks.
Coat the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish (or 8" Pyrex) with nonstick spray.
Put the peach slices on the bottom of the baking dish.
Measure brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nut-meg and add to the peaches. Toss with clean hands.
In a small bowl, crack 1 egg, fishing out any stray shells.
Measure the vanilla and 3 tablespoons brown sugar and add it to the egg.
If the cream cheese is soft to the touch, add it to the egg and vanilla. If it is still too cold and stiff, put it in the microwave on a microwave-safe dish and soften for 30 seconds.
Measure the sour cream.
Stir the sour cream, cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and brown sugar together.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the peaches.
To prepare the cobbler topping:
Measure the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt, and mix them together in a medium-sized bowl.
Melt the butter.
In a small bowl, crack the egg.
Measure the milk, and add it to the egg.
Add the melted butter to the milk and egg mixture. Stir to combine.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the medium-sized bowl and stir gently to integrate the batter. It is okay if there are still a few lumps.
Dollop the batter by spoonfuls over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
In case the juices bubble over, put a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil on the rack below the baking dish.
Bake for up to 25 minutes. Check after 15 minutes, and rotate the pan. The cobbler is done when the top is browned and cooked through. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Note: Since you are baking this treat, remember that it's okay to use slightly bruised and ultra-ripe peaches. Taste them first to be sure they aren't fermented.
KID ZONE
How Do You Plant a Seedless Watermelon?
In order to grow seedless watermelon, farmers plant a special variety of seeds that would not produce any fruit if they were planted alone. Nearby, they plant another special variety of watermelon that produces pollen to fertilize the seedless watermelon plants. Lo and behold, the combination of the two different parents grows seedless watermelons. I spoke to several farmers who all said that growing these specialized fruits is pretty tricky. One farmer told me about a disaster that took place in his fields last year. By accident, only one variety of seeds was planted, and he ended up with a field filled with fruitless vines, and nothing to sell.
By the way — when we say “seedless” we are talking about the tough black seeds, not the flimsy white ones, which won't mature and can be easily digested if you swallow them with the fruit.
Cinnamon Pear Clafouti
Serves 4–6
While a clafouti isn't much to look at, it takes just one bite to fall in love. First, you'll adore saying its name (kla-foo-tee) — try it, you'll see. It's as much fun to prepare as it is to say! Simply prepare the pudding in the blender and pour it over sweet seasonal fruits before baking. The resulting dish looks a bit like an inflated pancake, dotted with fresh fruit. Serve this rich and creamy treat warm, dusted with powdered sugar. (P.S. It makes a decadent breakfast, too!)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1¼ cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 lemon
3 Bartlett pears
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Rub the butter along the insides of a shallow baking dish (8-cup capacity).
Measure and pour the milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour into a blender.
Crack the eggs over a small bowl, checking for stray shells. Add the eggs to the blender.
Rinse and dry the lemon.
Zest the lemon and add the zest to the blender. Blend the batter mixture until it is light and fluffy.
Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler.
Cut the pears in half and scoop out the seeds with a small scoop or a melon baller. Slice the pears thinly.
Lay the pear slices in a fan shape on the bottom of the baking dish.
Measure the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix them together in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the cinnamon/brown sugar over the pears.
Pour the batter over the fruit.
Bake until top is golden brown and custard is firm. Check after 35 minutes, and again every 5 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Apple Crisp with Vanilla Sauce
Serves 8
This crisp embodies the seasonal sweetness of a traditional pie but comes together more quickly. The decadent sauce, shared by my beloved great-aunt Beatte Berliner, makes this treat seem even more special. It's like you are serving a piece of fall on a plate.
For the filling:
8 apples, Pink Lady or Pippin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 lemon
For topping:
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
For the sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, plus more for topping dessert
½ teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Tip: Set up all of your ingredients ahead of time, but keep the butter in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
For the filling:
Peel and core the apples. Save the peels and cores for your compost or your chickens.
Cut the apples into 1–2" cubes or slice them (but not too thin).
Put the apple pieces into a 9″ × 13″ ovenproof dish.
Measure 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, mix them together in a small bowl, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples.
Zest 1 lemon with a microplane grater or with a zester, and sprinkle the zest onto the apples.
Toss the apple mixture with clean hands. Press it into the bottom of the baking dish.
For the topping:
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the flour and sugar.
Remove the butter from the refrigerator and cut it into small pieces.
Add the butter to the flour mixture and quickly rub your hands through it, so that the butter becomes coated with the flour and sugar. You could also use a food processor to combine these ingredients, pulsing to create a crumbly texture.
Crumble the topping over the apples.
Bake for about 30–40 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
To prepare the sauce:
Measure the heavy cream and pour it into a medium-sized bowl.
Whisk it until thickened but not stiff.
Measure and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Gently stir to blend.
To assemble:
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Cover the bottom of each dessert plate with some sauce.
Place one portion of apple crisp onto the sauce, and then top with powdered sugar.
Note: Feel free to use this formula with other fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, pears, or berries. You can also add slivered almonds to the topping for additional texture.
GOING GREEN
Living Pest Busters
Having chickens as a part of a farm or backyard ecosystem has its perks. They never tire of eating leftovers and kitchen scraps, and produce copious quantities of fertilizer and fresh eggs in return. Another benefit that may go unnoticed is their ability to find and consume insects. If there are pesky insects eating your crops, consider employing a few free-range chickens instead of using chemical pesticides.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Serves 8–10
With the onset of fall comes a plethora of pumpkins. They serve as decorations set on windowsills, carved on porches, and scattered as centerpieces on dining room tables. What about in the kitchen? Guess what? The pumpkins you eat don't necessarily come in a can! This bread takes advantage of real pumpkins, which offers a special sweetness and seasonal flair.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour and ¾ cup whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup Puréed Pumpkin (see Chapter 7)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup milk
¼ cup canola oil
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Measure flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a medium-sized bowl and mix until well blended.
Crack eggs into a large bowl, fishing out any stray shells.
Measure pumpkin, sugars, milk, and oil and pour into the large bowl.
Beat the wet mixture until ingredients are well blended.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and stir until the dry ingredients become moist.
Stir in the chocolate chips.
Pour into greased 9″ × 5″ loaf pan.
Bake for approximately 1 hour (or longer, depending on your oven temperature), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Hold a plate against the top of the loaf pan and carefully turn them both over, so the loaf comes out of the pan and lands on the plate.
Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Coconut Macaroons
Serves 12
This recipe was born when I was teaching a preschool class at a Jewish preschool, and we needed something that was kosher for Passover. The kids were so smitten with the recipe that their parents started asking for the recipe, and now it is requested at every Passover party I attend! The recipe is so simple that your kids can do almost the entire process all by themselves, and the macaroons can be enjoyed year-round.
2 egg whites
14 ounces shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened, your preference (about 4½ cups)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon butter
¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Crack one egg at a time over a large bowl. To separate the egg white from the yolk, carefully empty the cracked egg over an egg separator or clean hands — catching the yolk and letting the white drip through to the bowl below.
You can save the yolks for another use in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to four days, freeze in an ice cube tray (sprinkled with a pinch of sugar or salt, depending on how you plan to use them later), or discard them.
Fish out any stray shells.
Wash your hands when you are finished touching the eggs.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are stiff. You will know they are done when the mixer leaves a pattern in the surface of the egg whites. Another clue that they are done comes when you lift up the beaters and they leave behind little peaks that look like the tips of chocolate chips.
Measure the coconut and pour it into another large bowl.
Open the can of condensed milk.
Scoop the milk out of the can and into the coconut.
Measure the butter.
Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave. Add the melted butter and salt to the coconut mixture.
Stir the coconut mixture so all of the ingredients are blended together. It will be stiff, so it may take someone with muscles to help.
Fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture until they are all combined.
If you want to make chocolate macaroons, melt some chocolate chips and fold them into the mixture.
Put a Silpat or sheet of unbleached parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
Use an ice-cream scoop to scoop spoonfuls of the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. (These cookies don't spread, so you can put them about 1" apart.)
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool the cookies on a rack before storing in an airtight container.
KID ZONE
What Does That Mean? Baking versus Roasting
You never hear about people roasting cookies or roasting a loaf of bread. But baking and roasting both involve cooking foods in the oven — so what's the difference?
Roasting is done in a shallow pan with some added fat or oil and usually results in a nice brown exterior, and a moist interior. It usually refers to meats and vegetables, and normally happens uncovered, so the food doesn't stew in its own juices. Baking usually occurs at lower temperatures than roasting, and often calls for the foods to be covered.
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Serves 12
This was one of the first cookie recipes that my nine-year-old daughter, Amelia, made almost all by herself. No wonder there were fewer dried cherries and chocolate chips than I expected — some of them never made it into the finished product!
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup dried cherries
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Measure flours, and scrape the excess flour from the top of the measuring cup with the back of a butter knife. Put flours into a large bowl.
Add oats, salt, and baking soda to the large bowl with the flours. Stir gently with a whisk. If you are concerned about spills, nest this bowl inside an even larger one — that way, it's more likely that the spilled ingredients can be captured and reclaimed.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a glass container in the microwave. Butter tends to splatter in the microwave, so cover it with a washcloth (unless you like to clean the ceiling of your microwave!).
Remove the melted butter from the stove or microwave.
Pour the brown sugar into the melted butter and stir until it forms a smooth mixture.
Add the sugar mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Beat with a mixer or hand mix with a spatula until well blended.
Crack the egg into a small bowl. Pick out any stray shells. Beat the egg lightly.
Add beaten egg, vanilla, cherries, and chocolate to the mixture in the large bowl, and mix until combined.
Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and place onto baking sheets coated lightly with cooking spray, 2″ apart.
Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes. Cool on the pans for a few minutes and then move them to cooling racks where they can res
t until they are at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week. (Good luck with that!)
GOING GREEN
All Naturally Delicious?
Did you notice that these cookies contain whole grains and you can pronounce every ingredient? Plus, they don't come with unnecessary packaging. Now only if you could eat just one or two ….
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Many thanks to Daniela Weiner for permission to adapt this recipe.
Serves 12
I tend to be an impulsive cook, simply gathering up all of my ingredients just after I decide to make a recipe. This lack of planning isn't very conducive to the requirement of many baking recipes for room-temperature eggs. If you are wondering, YES, the temperature of the eggs does matter. Cold eggs don't whip as well and can yield a denser dessert. Don't despair; you can still prepare tasty treats at the last minute. Simply put the cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, and that should do the trick. Alternately, you can put them in a bowl near the back of your stove as you preheat the oven below. Be forewarned — this cake is decadent and deserves to be shared with a large group of family and friends, along with a carafe of cold milk!
1 pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup prepared hot cocoa (see Chapter 7, or use any recipe that you like)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature (8 ounces)
The Whole Family Cookbook Page 12
