guest post: overnight french toast with orange gala syrup

A little while ago—totally out of the blue—I was asked by Appliances Online (out of the UK) to do a guest post for their blog. They asked if I could do something related to family traditions and I immediately knew what I wanted to make, eat and gush about. If you want the recipe for something that has the words "Orange" and "Gala" in the title, I suggest you go to this link.

raspberry peach jam

(photo via Instagram)

Ya'll know I love jam. Ya'll know I love peaches. So when I saw this recipe for Raspberry Peach Jam, I knew I had to make that happen. It's super simple to make, and even easier to eat. I want to eat it all day, every day. You should try it. Let's eat jam together, yeah?

Homemade Raspberry Peach Jam adapted from America'sTestKitchenFeed.com

2/3 cup sugar
1 pint of raspberries
3 fresh peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, sliced ¼ inch thick, and each slice halved crosswise
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Place metal spoon in freezer to chill. Heat sugar in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add raspberries and continue to stir until raspberries release their juices, about 1 minute more. Stir in peaches, increase heat to medium-high, bring to boil, and cook until peaches are just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and mash fruit with potato masher.

2. Return fruit mixture to boil and cook until mixture thickens to jam-like consistency, 8 to 10 minutes. To test for set point, remove saucepan from heat. Dip chilled spoon into jam, and allow jam to run off spoon; jam should slowly fall off spoon in one thickened clump. If it is runny, return jam to medium heat and simmer 2 to 4 minutes before re-testing. Using large spoon, skim foam from top of jam. Stir in lemon juice.

3. Transfer jam to jars with tight-fitting lids, let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Jam can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

blueberry pie

I'm not normally a berry pie person (except for Strawberry Pie, cause, well... doi). Usually berry pies just look like sad jam languishing in crust. Recently, we had a little family reunion, and needless to say, when we get together, there are many pies made. There was Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse, there was Granola Pie, and a Lemon Pie (recipe coming soon). When my Mom made this recipe that my sister found, I was blown away. It was so good, I had to make it myself the next week for one of my best girls that was visiting. She loved it as much as I did—which I consider a great success!

Blueberry Pie, adapted from AllRecipes.com

3/4 cup white sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups fresh blueberries (we used the entire container of blueberries from Costco)
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 tablespoon butter

Turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over blueberries. Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust, and dot with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2-3/4 inch wide strips, and make lattice top. Crimp and flute edges. Sprinkle sugar on the top. Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. (If the crust edges start to get too brown after 30 minutes, cover with foil.)

healthy snack: blueberries with greek yogurt, honey, and graham crackers

This is not rocket science, but who needs that when, in minutes, you can have something that is very delicious and very simple. In the summer, I like to gorge myself on fresh produce, and eat non-cooked meals. Has everyone indulged in Avocado Toast, yet? Oven-less morsels and meals are what I crave when it's too hot to function. I saw this greek yogurt snack idea from thekitchn.com and it has definitely been on my mind. Then, when I saw a crate of blueberries, I went to work and whipped up this simple treat.

1 cup greek yogurt
1/3(ish) cup fresh blueberries
1/2 of a graham cracker
honey to taste (or you could sub in agave, if that's your thing)

Thats it! Just mix it and then copious amounts of it!

vacation: re-visited

It's time for my obligatory Christmas vacation trip re-cap. Of course, the food was incredible, and amazing and was one of the main focuses of my trip. I'm going to post all the photos and names below. If you guys want any of the recipes that aren't linked, let me know which ones, and I'll try to coax them from my Mom. The only one I know for sure that she won't give up is the Special Christmas Torte She Holds Sacred So Don't Even Ask. (All the photos taken by my phone, mostly with Instagram.)

Whole Wheat Waffles with fruit and yogurt and a sauce from the Clinton Street Baking Company cookbook (which I covet greatly - remember how I ate there in New York?). 

 Citrus Wassail (recipe here)

My adorable Mom writes out a menu for the time that I'm home.  

Winter Fruit Salad with Pomegranates (recipe here) 

Butterhorn Dinner Rolls (recipe here) 

Roasted Beets 

 Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Compote

Special Christmas Torte She Holds Sacred So Don't Even Ask 

The best Eggs Benedict In The World, made by my Mom. 

Fig Prosciutto Pizza with Spinach, adapted from this recipe 

Prosciutto wrapped Water Chestnuts

Chocolate Dipped Salted Caramels with Fluer De Sel, adapted from this recipe

Apple Pan Dore. Recipe adapted from Mama's Cafe 

Fancy Hot Chocolate. (You whip cream with cocoa and chocolate syrup then put in in warm milk then drink it!)

One of my favorite things to eat of all time. Croque Madame from Cafe De La Presse in San Francisco.

Chocolate Malted Crunch Ice Cream from Thrifty's. (My favorite!) 

Blackberry Cobbler, made by 2.0. Recipe from Joy of Cooking.

Blackberry Crisp

I made a New Year's resolution, which I never do, cause I just don't like setting myself up for failure. But, I have been thinking about doing this for a while, and I don't think it will be too crazy, so... New Year's Resolution 2012: try one new recipe a week. It could be any kind of recipe, dessert, snack, dinner, beverage, anything really. Since I sometimes (usually) get stuck in my Favorites Zone, I thought this would be a good exercise for me. (Probably the only exercise I'll get this year, let's be real.) Since blackberries were on sale at the store, I thought I'd make something new with them. When I was on vacation, 2.0 (remember my SIL) make a yummy Blackberry Crumble and I've been wanting to eat it every day since. I didn't have time to ask her for her recipe, so I looked up some options, and nothing totally worked for my time frame, so I used the base of one, with a modified topping from my Great Grandma's Apple Crisp recipe. So, I count this as new, and very, very delicious.

Blackberry Cobbler

Base:
4 cups fresh blackberries (about 18 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
Grease an 8x8 pan; preheat oven to 375. Stir blackberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, and the lemon juice in a bowl; set aside. Combine the ingredients for the topping well and pour on top of the blackberry mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden on top, and the blackberry juice is bubbling.

raspberry cranberry crumb breakfast bar

The other day I saw some good-looking raspberries on sale, so I bought a few pints and was looking up some ideas for how to utilize them. I came upon this recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, and realized I needed to make and eat this, but I didn't have enough raspberries. As soon as my wheels started turning, I remembered I had some frozen cranberries, and I sure do love cranberries mixed with other berries. And I always like a little more tart with my sweet. At first, I wasn't sure I should make it because of the word "breakfast" in the title of the recipe, but in reading the intro, it looks like this bar is good for any time. And that sure came out to be true. These were the perfect texture and consistency, and very much hit the spot. In fact, I'm craving some right now...

Raspberry Cranberry Crumb Breakfast Bar
adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

For the crust and crumb:
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Raspberry Cranberry filling:
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Make the crust and crumb:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of 9-by-13 inch pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the raspberry filling.

Make the Raspberry filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, cinnamon, and flour together.

Add the raspberries, lemon juice, and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the bars:
Spread the raspberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

blackberry peach cobbler

i've documented my love for peaches and cobbler before. it's basically the quintessential summer dessert. i saw this recipe for easy, foolproof cobbler on thekitchn. which, if you haven't noticed, is my go to spot for kitchen tips, recipes and inspiration. i had some peaches and blackberries that i had frozen so they wouldn't go bad, so when i saw the recipe, i decided it was fate. it was easy. and it was foolproof. however, one thing to remember: when you freeze fruit, it's a little extra juicy than normal when it thaws out. therefore, it is advantageous to drain some of the juice. i learned this first hand. i actually knew this, but just conveniently bypassed this because i was distracted. distracted baking ≠ smart baking. as for the topping, it's pretty great. i might use a little less sugar and butter next time, or try to integrate what works with this into another recipe. this is why baking is so great, it's like mad science, but with (mostly) delicious results.


1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus a bit more for sprinkling
 (on the fruit)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted  **i would try just one stick next time
fresh berries or fruit (peeled and cut into chunks)

combine the flour and sugar. add the butter, mixing as you go, until the mixture forms a soft dough. it can be slightly crumbly, but you want it to hold together when you squeeze it.

spray a 9x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. put the fruit in the dish — you will probably need about 4 cups of berries or chopped fruit. you want to create a thick layer that comes about two inches up the sides.
 if the fruit is particularly tart, sprinkle with a light layer of sugar (i did a mixture of a little granulated and a little bit of brown sugar). if the fruit is soft and sweet, you don't need it.

take the dough by the handful and pat it into disks that are about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. lay them on top of the fruit, continuing with the patties, until it is covered. (you may not need to use all of the dough to cover it completely) bake the cobbler at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. let cool slightly, then serve with ice cream.

blueberry crumb cakes

i was going to have brunch with a friend of mine this sunday and i was trying to think of something pretty quick and easy, but still fancy enough to be brunch worthy. i was hoping muffins or coffee cake would do the trick, however i wanted to try something new. i ended going through my family cookbook and found this recipe for crumb cakes. i added the blueberries to the recipe and i think it's the perfect addition. but let's be honest, blueberries make just about anything better.

batter:
1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. blueberries

topping:
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 t. cinnamon
4 T. cold butter, cut into pieces
(cut with pastry cutter or two knives until crumbly)

preaheat oven to 375°, grease 12-cup muffin tin. combine dry ingredients till well mixed. whisk wet ingredients till combined. add wet ingredients to dry ingredents and mix with fork until just combined. add blueberries and mix unti l just combined. divide batter between 12 cups (i actually only got 10 cups out of mine, and i used a cookie scoop to divvy up the batter). top with topping and pat down. bake for 12 - 14 minutes. cool 5 minutes and transfer to wire racks.

blackberry lemon pudding cake

i found this a few years ago in cooking light, and it's been one of my favorites. so when i saw some delicious blackberries for sale at costco, i had to make it. it takes a while for the cake to settle, so give it about 45 minutes to cool.

1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. grated lemon rind
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 T. butter
2 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. blackberries

preheat oven to 350°.

lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. combine flour, 2/3 c. granulated sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl; add buttermilk, rind, juice, butter, and egg yolks, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. add 1/4 c. granulated sugar, 1 T. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into buttermilk mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. fold in blackberries.

pour batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. place in a larger baking pan; add hot water to larger pan to depth of 1 inch. bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.

blueberry short cake

blueberries. i love blueberries. here is a delicious blueberry upside down cake. one of our family favorites. it's great for breakfast. or basically anytime.

• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 
  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, combine blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest. Toss to coat berries, then pour into the prepared pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the almond extract and 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest. Stir together 2 cups flour and the baking powder. Beat into butter mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter over the berries in the pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place serving plate over the top of the pan and carefully invert cake and plate together, so that the berries end up on top. Carefully unlock the buckle on the side of the pan and remove. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top of cake and serve warm.