Peach Crumble

This has become one of my trusty go-to desserts this summer. It's the easiest thing in the world to whip up and is just so good. There's something comforting about a crumble. Especially when it's served with a good dollop of freshly whipped cream.

The recipe is a tweak of Pioneer Woman's Rhubarb Crumble, using peaches instead of rhubarb. I also chose to use cream and butter in the crumble rather than Crisco.

Peach Cobbler

4 large ripe yellow peaches
1 cup sugar, scant
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup cream
1 egg

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a bowl, combine chopped peaches, cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp salt. Stir and set aside.
3. In another bowl combine flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, baking powder. Stir. Add butter, then cut together with a pastry cutter.
4. Beat egg, milk and cream together. Pour into flour mixture. Stir with a fork until just combined.
5. Pour peaches into buttered pie dish. Tear off pieces of dough and drop onto the fruit.
6. Bake 30 - 35 min. Serve warm with freshly whipped cream.

not to be trifled with

If I had known how easy it was to make trifle I might have understood why it seemed to be a staple at all those potlucks in my years growing up. Now that I'm the one being asked to bring plates to potlucks I realize that to choose not to make trifle is like saying, "Sorry, I'd rather go and climb a big rock than sit back, put my feet up, and maybe even hop in the hot tub." You simply can't turn it down.

Sorry kids. You have a lifetime of trifle up ahead.

Here's how easy it is to hop in the tub: you'll need 1 angel food cake (please buy it from the store!), 1 pint of whipping cream (okay, if you want a walk in the park you can get the canned whip), custard (this is the only part you have to make, recipe below), and some chopped up fruit.

Slice the angel food cake into three layers. Layer the trifle with cake on the bottom, custard, whipped cream, and fruit. Keep layering until you reach the top of the bowl (using a glass bowl lets you see the layered effect). It's that simple!

Custard recipe:

Whisk 4 egg yolks, 1 quarter cup of sugar, 1 tablepoon of cornstarch, Vanilla essence, 1/2 cup of cream and 3/4 cup of milk. Mix together and cook on low heat until it thickens. Do not boil. Stir it until it is thick. When cooked put some plastic wrap on top of custard so that it touches the custard and it will stop it forming a skin. Cool in fridge.

(thanks to Toni Castlehow for the custard recipe!)

"lots of chocolate for me to eat..."

I found this delicious Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe over at Epicurious and have made it twice already in two weeks! As a chocoholic, this cake definitely meets my criteria for good chocolatey taste but the best thing about it is how easy it is to make, everything mixed in one bowl and popped in the oven. Here's the low down:

4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

2. Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.

3. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

4. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate. Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.) (Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com)

pavlova cupcakes

Going to watch the Olympic opening ceremony with some American friends, I had to represent Australia with this traditional dessert. To be true, there is some debate between Kiwis and Australians as to who first invented pavlova, but there is no question that this delicious concoction is a winner. These mini versions of the dessert had to be eaten with a spoon as the custard and cream makes these a bit tricky to eat with just your hands. But boy, is it worth every bite!

(My thanks to Toni Castlehow for sharing her family recipe with me.)