Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp II

My grand daughter and her friend decided to make my Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp recipe this weekend, but had to change it somewhat to make it gluten free. I told her what to substitute and how to change quantities. They said it was amazingly delicious, the top came out nicely browned and the fruit and sauce perfect! I say bravo! Here is the gluten free version:

NECTARINE AND BLUEBERRY CRISP

1 cup gluten free flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter (or use margarine, solid coconut oil, vegetable shortening or a combination of these)
3 large ripe nectarines or peaches
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the 1 cup GF flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and work into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside. Cut the nectarines into chunks and place them in a bowl. Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch and toss ingredients. Spoon into a baking dish. Top with the crumb mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Makes 8 servings

#glutenfree #glutenfreecrisps #glutenfreeblueberrycrisp #blueberrycrisp #blueberrycrumble #glutenfreeblueberrycrumble #blueberrynectarinecrisp #fruitcrisp #fruitcrisps

Fresh Ginger Cake

It’s my birthday and most people have cake on their birthdays, right? I also discovered that today is National Gingerbread Day. So my birthday cake is what you see in the photo: a ginger CAKE made with fresh ginger, which gives a real spicy, peppery warmth to this version. Especially when you add a piece of crystallized ginger on top (which I do!). Here’s the recipe:

FRESH GINGER CAKE
3/4 cup butter
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour·
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9”x9” cake pan. Place the butter, molasses and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the butter has melted. Stir to blend ingredients thoroughly. Set aside to cool. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture and beat the ingredients to blend them thoroughly. Add the ginger and eggs and beat them in. Pour in the milk and mix until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 8-10 servings

#gingercake #gingerbread #nationalgingerbreadday #ginger #birthdaycake #birthdaycakes #birthdaycakeideas

Applesauce Streusel Cake

Every day brings a new culinary joy. Yesterday was Gingerbread Day. Today: National Applesauce Cake Day. So, how about this recipe to celebrate?

APPLESAUCE CAKE
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup milk

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into smaller pieces
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped nuts

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease an 8” square cake pan. Beat the sugar and butter together with a mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the applesauce, sour cream, egg and lemon zest and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Add half the milk and beat until well blended. Repeat until all the flour and milk have been used up. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Combine the streusel topping ingredients and mix them with your fingers, a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is mealy. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes then carefully invert the cake twice onto a cake rack to cool completely. Turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

Makes 8-10 servings

#nationalapplesaucecakeday #applesauce #applesaucecake #applesaucecakeday #applesaucecakeday2024 #cake #coffeecake

Grandma's Baked Blintzes

One of my grandma’s signature dishes was blintzes. But the cheese filling she made was different than the classic sweet version (with vanilla and/or cinnamon). Her blintz filling was lemony, and included cheese, egg and a small amount of sugar. Also, because there were so many of us, she had no time to fry them a couple at a time and still have everyone eat at the same time. So she placed the blintzes, seam-side down, on a baking sheet, topped each with a little dab of butter, and baked them until they were golden brown. I still love blintzes, lemony and baked. And so does my family. Grandma’s cheese filling recipe is below, but the instructions give you the option to make the more popular vanilla version (and also how to fry them). Don’t worry if the wrappers don’t fry into perfect circles — you’re going to roll them and if they’re a little off, no one will ever know.

GRANDMA’s CHEESE BLINTZ FILLING:
1 pound farmer’s cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest, optional (I always include)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Place the cheese, egg, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon zest OR vanilla extract and mix in thoroughly. To fill each wrapper: use the first fried side as the inside of the blintz. Use about 2 tablespoons of filling for an 8-inch wrapper and place the filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom side up, over the filling. Fold the left side, then the right side over the filling, then roll up to enclose the filling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the blintzes in a single layer on a jelly roll pan, top each with a tiny piece of butter. Bake for about 10 minutes.

To fry: place the blintzes seam side down first over medium heat (using the same method as for frying the wrappers – let the butter melt and become foamy).

#blintzes #cheeseblintzes #shavuot #shavuot2024 #shavuos

Pierogies for a Delicious Dairy Dinner

After Father’s Day (heavy on the meat), I want a dairy dinner. These pierogies! One of my favorite meals. POTATO CHEESE PIEROGIS
FILLING:
3 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup farmer cheese
salt and black pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a bowl. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden. Add to the potatoes. Add the farmer cheese, salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside to cool. Use about one tablespoon filling for each pierogi. DOUGH: 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup water, approximately
1 cup dairy sour cream Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the dough until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup of water and the sour cream and mix the dough until it is soft and well blended. If it seems too dry, add more water. (Or use a food processor.) Let the dough rest at least 30 minutes. Roll portions of dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thick and cut out circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter. To fill the pierogis: place filling in the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half, pinching the edges to seal. Heat 1 tablespoon butter plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add some of the pierogis (do not crowd the pan) and cook 3-4 minutes on the flat side, or until golden brown on the bottom, then turn them over and cook another 2-3 minutes or until golden. Repeat. Serve with sour cream. Makes about 4 dozen #pierogies #cheesepierogi #potatopierogies
#dairydinner

Blueberry Scones

Yesterday I did a cooking demo for a Tea Party at @newcanaan_ymca (for its Forever Well program). I prepared the essentials of Afternoon Tea: mini sandwiches and scones (some plain, some with blueberries). What fun we all had! And we feasted of course! Here’s the recipe for the scones: BLUEBERRY SCONES
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup blueberries
Turbinado sugar, optional
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the butter in chunks and work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix the egg and buttermilk together and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms. Add the blueberries and gently mix the dough to incorporate them, taking care not to crush the fruit. Break the dough in half and place on a floured surface. Press each half into a circle about 3/4” thick. Cut each circle into six wedges and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with some turbinado sugar if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are browned and well risen. Makes 12 #afternoontea #afternoonteatime #scones #sconesrecipe #blurberryscones #teatime

Mascarpone Dip for Strawberries

You know that Christmas carol “Joy to the world?” That’s what I started humming when I spotted these strawberries at a local market today. I bought a lot of them. The ones in the bowl are my portion! They are so perfect they don’t need anything. No sugar or sauce or whipped cream or anything. But if you insist, here’s a lovely dip for strawberries: MASCARPONE DIP
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (or use cream cheese at room temperature)
2 tablespoons dark rum, orange flavored brandy or orange juice
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Beat the ingredients together until well blended

Nectarine Crisp

Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup butter (or use margarine, solid coconut oil, vegetable shortening or a combination of these)

• 3 large ripe nectarines or peaches

• 4 cups fresh blueberries

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the 1 cup flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and work into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside. Cut the nectarines into chunks and place them in a bowl. Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and flour and toss ingredients. Spoon into a baking dish. Top with the crumb mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Makes 8 servings

Brisket, Barbecued with Mango BBQ Sauce

Happy Father’s Day! In our family June is loaded with celebrations! Birthdays, graduations, Father’s Day. So today we’ll read lots of cards, open gifts and have a barbecue, including Texas style brisket. I braise the brisket first until it’s tender, then slather it with sauce and grill it until it’s crispy. Here’s one of the sauces I use:

MANGO BARBECUE SAUCE

1 large ripe mango
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Peel the mango and puree the flesh in a food processor. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for one minute. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the mango puree, chili sauce, orange juice, molasses, soy sauce and cayenne pepper. Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Cook over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until slightly thickened. Let cool.
Makes about 2-1/2 cups #barbecuesauce #barbecue #bbq #bbqlovers #fathersday #fathersday2024 #brisket #bbqbrisket #barbecuebrisket

Citrusy New York Cheesecake

I’m one of those people who loves dairy foods so for me, Shavuot, which is in two days (June 11th at sundown), is the most delicious holiday because it’s the “dairy” holiday and even more specifically, it’s the cheesecake holiday. Who doesn’t like cheesecake!? I make all kinds but I really do love the plain, New York style cheesecake the best. Ok, maybe with some strawberries on the side. But that’s it!

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

1-1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately)
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3-8 ounce packages)
freshly grated zest of one small orange
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan completely. Beat the cream cheese, orange zest and lemon zest together in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has softened and is smooth. Gradually add the vanilla, cream and sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating them in after each addition. Stir in the sour cream. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Prepare a bain-marie, that is, place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1-inch up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 70-75 minutes or until the top of the cake is lightly browned. Remove the springform pan from the larger pan and let the cake cool in the springform pan. When the cake has reached room temperature, refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the pan to serve the cake. Slices best using a knife that has been inserted into very hot water. Makes one #cheesecake #cheesecakelover #cheesecakes #shavuot #shavuot2024 #shavuos #shavuos2024 #dairy #dairydessert