Category: Fruit - DragonWarden

Skillet-Baked Pear and Apple Crisp

4/21/2020

I've been on a huge skillet kick lately, and this seemed like the perfect way to get my apple pie fix the quick-and-easy way. It's not quite easy-peasy, but easy enough with the right tools - a food processor and a 12" skillet, which might seem humongous for a single family dessert, but with all the fruit spread out, is mostly just a single layer thick, so quite manageable for two evenings' worth of enjoyment!

Topping

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Filling

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds firm Bartlett pears—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Cognac
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
In a food processor, combine the sugar with the flour, pecans and cinnamon. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is fine. Transfer the topping to a bowl and press into clumps.
In a large bowl, combine the apples and pears with the currants, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, honey and Cognac and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Spread the fruit in the skillet and scatter the topping over the fruit.
Bake the crisp in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes (for firmer fruit, start checking around 30 minutes), until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving with ice cream.

Chocolate Olive Oil Torte with Cardamom, Pears, and Hazelnuts

10/17/2019

I don't even remember how I stumbled across this recipe from Tending the Table anymore, but it was perfect for my needs at the time as I had a friend over who had a gluten allergy. And how can you go wrong with dark chocolate?

It was beautifully decadent, a little bit like a dense brownie except without all the carb guilt, and nicely balanced on sweetness. I didn't want to specially buy coconut sugar just for this, so followed an online guide that indicated one could substitute light brown sugar at about a 2/3 ratio, and it came out beautifully. This is also one of those magical baked goods that is even more delicious after it has sat in the fridge for a bit.

9" cake pan with removable bottom
¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup California Olive Ranch Arbosana Olive Oil
¾ cup coconut sugar or 1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
1 ¼ cup almond meal
3 eggs, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 Anjou pears, thinly sliced (or, if they're not in season, any other firmer pear)
½ cup hazelnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a removable bottom with parchment. Grease the pan lightly with olive oil.
In a double boiler set over simmering water, melt the chocolate. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, coconut sugar, almond meal, egg yolks, vanilla, salt and cardamom. Stir well to combine. Once the chocolate is melted add it to the bowl and mix to combine.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the batter until completely incorporated and smooth.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Arrange the sliced pears on top and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean.
Allow to cool before serving, or chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Coconut Banana Bread w/ Lime Glaze

5/4/2016

My mother likes to eat bananas just as they're coasting from raw to ripe - in other words, she usually manages to eat only 2-3 out of a bunch before the rest are too ripe for her taste. Inevitably, the rest languish away. In the past I've just thrown them into a smoothie if I notice them in time, but this time, I decided to do some serious research into a go-to banana bread recipe. This was adapted from a myrecipes.com page, and I have to say, the sweet lime glaze certainly adds a nice accent!

9" x 5" loaf pan
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
(optional) 3 tbsp dark rum or 1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut + extra for garnishing

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
Beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add banana, yogurt, rum or molasses, and vanilla. Beat until blended.
Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until fully blended. Stir in the flaked coconut.
Spoon into the loaf pan and sprinkle with some extra coconut. Bake for 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lime juice, stirring with a whisk, and drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.

Notes: The amount of banana you can throw in there is somewhat forgiving - I threw in 4 bananas, and didn't bother measuring how much there was except to ensure that it was at least 1.5 cups. I also sort of eyeball the time - depending on what pan you use (the first time I made this was in a much larger pan) it may take much less than 1 hour to finish. My rule of thumb is that it should turn golden, but it should not start to brown. Try the toothpick trick every 5 minutes after the 40 minute mark to test its doneness.

Chocolate-dipped Strawberries with Cacao Nibs

3/20/2016

This isn't a very precise recipe - there's a lot of eyeballing involved because I think everyone knows what they should do with leftover chocolate or strawberries. However, I've typed this up to provide some tips on melting chocolate, which can be tricky or daunting, particularly if using any random chocolate as opposed to the specially formulated kinds advertised as being easy to melt for dipping. I absolutely love the crunch that the cacao nibs add - because they blend right into the chocolate's flavor, the added texture reminds me of Magic Shells ... except with your own customized flavor of chocolate.

quality chocolate (percentage to taste)
strawberries
cacao nibs
(optional) powdered sugar

Rinse any dirt and detritus off the strawberries. Pat dry and then let them continue to air dry on a paper towel (make sure they are dry before dipping them - water and chocolate don't mix). Cover a cooking sheet or some plates with parchment paper or foil.
If using a microwave, heat the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power for 20 seconds at a time. Make sure to scrape and stir the chocolate each time before heating again. Do so until MOST of the chocolate is melted - at that point, just keep stirring, and the remaining little pieces should melt themselves without the microwave's help. If, partway through dipping the strawberries the chocolate gets too thick, heat it again at medium power for 10 seconds.
If using a stove and the bain marie method, pour about an inch's worth of water into a small pot, and then use a metal bowl that can sit on top of the pot without the bottom touching the water. Heat the pot until the water is lightly simmering (this may be less than you think - when you cover the pot with the bowl, the higher pressure can bring the water to a higher boil than anticipated). Put the chocolate into the bowl, and make sure to mix it while it melts. When removing the bowl, have a kitchen towel handy - steam will have gathered on the bottom of the bowl, and it can drip down and burn you if you don't mop it up immediately. Remember to be careful not to let any steam or drips of water get inside the bowl. (I like to keep the pot simmering on the stove while I dip the strawberries - if the chocolate gets too thick as it cools, I just set the bowl back on the pot for a few seconds, stirring, and then I'm ready to dip again.)
Pour the cacao nibs into a small bowl. Dip the strawberries in the melted chocolate to coat them, then dip one side of the strawberries into the cacao nibs. (I find you don't really need more than one side to be covered, otherwise they can be overwhelming.) Set the strawberry, non-nibbed side down, on the parchment paper to cool and set.
Once you have dipped and covered all the strawberries, if you are impatient to eat them, you can move the cookie sheet or plates to the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes. Dust with powdered sugar if you wish for presentation.

Notes: It's easy to burn chocolate, which is why there is so much care to make sure you don't overheat it, and to constantly stir it around. However, there's no need to worry about tempering the chocolate, so it's a fairly straightforward process to melt it.

If you have leftover chocolate (and want to save it as opposed to simply licking it off the bowl), you can pour it out onto a parchment-lined plate or just a piece of foil and leave it in the fridge to harden for some homemade chocolate pieces. Clean-up of the chocolate bowl can be a tough process - I've found the best way is to first wipe out the bowl with a paper towel before the chocolate gets too set, and then to make sure to wash it with hot water. If you use cold water, the chocolate will merely set, and smear under scrubbing without coming off. If I'm handwashing after using the bain marie method, I just use the hot water from the pot to rinse out the bowl.

Blueberry Custard Pie or Tart

7/3/2015

This was adapted from a Country Living recipe. The first attempt was both weirdly my least-favorite but my family's most-favorite baking attempt ever - I simply could not get over the weird snot-thick consistency of the blueberry topping that came from the original recipe's 3 tbsp of cornstarch, though my father and brother literally gobbled up over half the tart in the space of a morning. A second try not only improved the texture but the appearance considerably, and after substituting lactose-free milk for whole milk, I was also able to enjoy it tablet free! With the sweetness dialed down somewhat and a few extra steps added to improve custard and topping consistency, the second one disappeared nearly as quickly as the first.

1 graham cracker crust, either store-bought or hand-made

The custard:

1.25 cups whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp unsalted butter

The blueberry topping:

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1.5 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter

In a saucepan, cook the milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer custard to a shallow dish to cool.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix 1 cup of blueberries with sugar over medium to high heat. Stir occasionally, until the blueberries start to soften and burst and become a slurry. Mix the cornstarch into the water, then pour into the saucepan. Bring to a boil while continuing to stir, until the mixture thickens. Stir in lemon juice and butter, then remove from heat and let cool. Gently stir in remaining 3 cups of berries.
Once the custard is near room temperature, spread it into the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Top with the berry mixture and refrigerate until set.

Note: If you're going to use lactose-free milk instead of whole milk, you might want to dial down the sugar amount for the custard slightly, as lactose-free milk tends to be sweeter. The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated separately. To prevent the custard from forming a film, press cling film all over the surface.

Candied Lemons or Limes

4/8/2015

This was modified from original recipes, which for the most part, ask for equal parts sugar and water for the candy-ing process. But I simply couldn't stomach how much of a syrup it turned everything into - as one of my friends put it, they were like gummy bears - so I went for more blanching rather than sugar-preserving. The lime peels I found to be more bitter, so I blanched them for longer before chilling.

lemons or limes, sliced thinly but evenly
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
large bowl of iced water

Bring the water to a low boil in a pan or large pot. Blanch the lemons or limes by laying the slices evenly across the water - one layer is ideal, do not do more than two layers. If blanching lemons, leave them simmering for about a minute. If blanching limes, leave them simmering for about 3 minutes.
Fish the slices out with a slotted spoon and put them into the bowl of iced water. Mix the sugar into the still-simmering water. Once the lemon/lime slices have cooled, put them back into the simmering sugar-water. Leave for about an hour.
Fish the slices out and leave on a cooling rack to drain and cool. If you would like them dry completely, set an oven to 200 F and then place the slices onto a baking sheet and bake for about 5-10 minutes.

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

1/1/2015

Ice Cream:

8 ounces cream cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt

Swirl:

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
(optional) 2 teaspoons kirsch (If you're using other berries, experiment with liqueurs — maybe Grand Marnier for raspberries, vodka or creme de cacao for strawberries.)

(Note: The "cheesecake" taste may be a bit too heavy for some people, so you may wish to cut the portions of cream cheese and sour cream a bit.) To make the ice cream base, cut the cream cheese into small pieces. Zest the lemon directly into a blender or food processor, then add the cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth.
Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.
While the ice cream mixture is chilling, make the swirl.
In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, heat the blueberries and sugar until the berries begin to release their juices. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and lemon juice until lump-free. Stir the slurry into the blueberries.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch, if using. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
When the ice cream base is thoroughly chilled, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When it is done, pour roughly 1/3 into a container. Top with half of the chilled blueberry mixture and add another 1/3 ice cream base. Top that layer with the remaining blueberry mixture, then cover with the remaining ice cream base. Put in the freezer to set, 2 to 4 hours.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

1/1/2015

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a blender or food processor, puree the yogurt, sugar, berries and lemon juice. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds. Chill for 1 hour.
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Watermelon Ice Pops

1/1/2015

Watermelon Layer
8 ounces watermelon, chopped (about 15 1-inch cubes)
2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
18 semisweet chocolate chips
Lemon Layer
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
1 drop green food coloring (optional)

Add watermelon to a blender and puree until smooth (about 30 seconds). Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into a bowl, using a spoon to scrape the inside of the sieve so it goes through faster. Whisk in the yogurt, agave and lemon juice.
For the lemon layer, mix the milk, water, lemon juice and agave in a small bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Add the food coloring, if using, to the remaining mixture and stir.
Using tweezers or chopsticks, dip the chocolate chips into the watermelon layer and apply them to the walls of the pop molds, at least 1 inch below the fill line. Use 2 or 3 chips per pop. Insert sticks and pour the watermelon layer until you reach about 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch below the fill line. Let freeze completely, then pour 1 teaspoon of the uncolored lemon layer. Let freeze completely, then pour the green lemon layer until you reach the fill line. Let freeze completely, then remove the pops with the Super Tool. Repeat with remaining pops.

Goat Cheese, Blackberry, and Honey Pops

1/1/2015

2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
4 oz goat cheese
2 pinches salt
2 cups blackberries
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)

Combine milk and cream in a pot. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the mixture and whisk in cornstarch to make a slurry. Add sugar to milk and bring to a rolling boil for 4 minutes. Add cornstarch slurry to milk mixture and stir well for about a minute until mixture is slightly thickened.
Combine goat cheese and salt in a bowl. Turn off heat and add goat cheese and salt to the milk mixture. Whisk to incorporate, and cool mixture completely.
In a small pan, cook berries 5 to 10 minutes until softened, pressing gently to release the juices. Turn off heat. Add honey and lemon zest, and cool completely.
When both mixtures are cool, fill molds 3/4 of the way with goat cheese base. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of blackberry sauce on top, leaving a bit of space for expansion during freezing. Use a spoon, pop stick or chopstick to swirl the sauce throughout the pop. Freeze according to mold instructions.
Leftover base and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.