Methley Plum Jam

I bought these plums on a rainy day whim when there was a whole table full them marked $1 per quart,  which was a steal of a deal that I just couldn't pass up. So with very little hesitation, I walked up to the table and handed over a few dollars for three rain-soaked quarts of tiny, ripe plums and asked asked the fellas working the stand why they were so inexpensive. One guy claimed that they just had a lot of that particular variety and needed to sell them. Then the other piped in and said, "Let's be real, it's about to pour down rain and we want to get out of here." I laughed and told them I didn't mind either way because I was going to make jam from the whole lot.

This recipe for plum jam is very simple (like most of the jams I prefer), but for a more spiced up version check out this post to see how I made my plum jam last year: Spiced Plum Jam with Vanilla Bean. I made that jam with Italian prune plums which are a freestone variety available later in the season.

Methley Plum Jam
yield, 4-5 half pints

I had never eaten a Methley plum before this impulse buy and while they taste great, they have one huge drawback. They are clingstone plums, which means that they are a pain in the butt to pit and when they are small, ripe and soft like the batch I had, they are nearly impossible to use without making a mess. So, I just got down to it with my hands. I tore the fruit in half over a large bowl and used my fingers to squeeze as much fruit from the pits as possible. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked just fine. If you are working with larger, less ripe plums you can cut them in quarters and pull the wedges of plum from the pits.

Update 8/8: Sean of Punk Domestics fame just informed me that you can cut clingstone plums (and probably other clingstone fruit) down to the pits, macerate them overnight (pits and all) in sugar (and spices if using) and the pits will loosen up on their own. Handy!

3 pounds Methley Plums or other small sugar plums
28 ounces sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (optional)
1 lemon, juice squeezed and rinds reserved.

1. Wash, pit, and chop the plums if necessary. Add them to a large bowl with the sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod (if using), and lemon juice and squeezed rind. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate over night or up to 2 days.
2. When you are ready to cook the jam, prepare 4 or 5 half pint jars by washing and sterilizing them.
Pour the jam mixture in to non-reactive pot and remove the lemon rind.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the jam comes to a boil, skim the foam that rises to the top of the pot and discard.
3. Raise the heat to high and boil for 15-25 minutes or until set, being careful not to let the bottom scorch. Begin checking the jam for doneness at about 15 minutes. I generally use the wrinkle test to check for doneness with this type of jam, but if you like numbers you can cook it to 220ºF. If you would prefer jam without skin, quickly transfer the cooked mixture to a mesh strainer and force as much as the jam through as possible, discard the skins and proceed with canning.
4.  Remove the vanilla bean pod and save for another use, then pour the jam into sterilized jars, then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Simple Stone Fruit Tartlets

Take a trip to the market and pick up the most luscious stone fruit you can find, but let it sit on your counter in a bowl for a few days, admire it, arrange it, enjoy its sweet smell. Then, when it is ripe and juicy and in danger of bruising, slice it up and make a tart.




Heck, make a whole bunch of little tarts to share with your friends. Pretend you're Swedish and invite everyone over for fika. I don't know about you, but sharing a cup of coffee and a few bites of something sweet and buttery sounds like a perfect little break in the day to me, but it's summertime so let's keep it nice and easy. Less than 5 ingredients easy.




Roll out some pastry, maybe homemade (maybe not) make sure that it is made from butter and only butter (til death do us part). Cut it into little squares or rectangles or circles if you want, just make sure the pieces are large enough to cradle half of an apricot or a few slices of fuzzy peach. Sprinkle the whole mess with sugar, bake until golden, and enjoy the simple goodness of fresh fruit in a buttery crust.



If you've never tried making your own puff pastry, give it a go with rough puff pastry. It takes a little time, but it's not too difficult and the final product will make you feel like a pastry genius. Plus, when your freezer is stocked with a few sheets of the good stuff, it makes recipes like this a cinch to pull together on the fly. The recipe below makes quite a bit and just think how fancy you'll feel when you tell your pals you made it yourself.

What you'll find below is more formula than recipe, easily adaptable to stone fruit in the summer and apples and pears in the fall and winter. Add some spices or serve these tarts with whipped cream, they're good any way you slice it (pun intended).

Simple Stone Fruit Tartlets
inspired by Not Without Salt
yield 18-20 tartlets (depending on size)

It's super important that you make these tarts with very cold pastry and a very hot oven. I've made them a few times now and had the greatest success baking the pastry when it was just shy of frozen. The ones pictured above were baked in an oven that wasn't quite hot enough and while they were delicious, the next batch was quite a bit flakier.

1/2 recipe rough puff pastry (recipe and photo tutorial here) OR 1 sheet store bought puff pastry (all butter please!)
Assorted stone fruit, a pound or so
 - 1 apricot will yield 2 tartlets
 - 1 small peach will yield 3 tartlets
 - 1 small nectarine will yield 3 tartlets
about 1/3c crunchy sugar: turbinado sugar works great, as does organic cane sugar which is generally a bit coarser than granulated sugar, vanilla sugar works well here if you have it
1 egg or 2T milk, cream or even water
Confectioner's sugar to finish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º

1.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 1/4'' thickness. With a knife or pastry cutter, cut the pastry into 2 1/2''-3'' squares or circles (they don't have to be perfect, this is supposed to be easy!). You want them large enough to fit half of an apricot or about 1/3 of a piece of stone fruit. Place the cut squares on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for at least 20min while you prepare the fruit.
2. For apricots: gently tear them in half. For peaches and nectarines: remove the pits and thinly slice the fruit into 1/8'' slices. Try to keep the halves together while you are slicing them, it will make it easier to fan the slices on top of the tarts.
3. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and brush with a beaten egg (or milk or cream or water in a pinch), sprinkle with sugar, and place the the apricot halves or fanned slices of peaches or nectarines on top. Finish the fruit with another light sprinkle of sugar (if desired) and slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and the fruit has softened, 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Bonus watermelon smile. Because it's summertime.

Fresh Apricot Compote with Vanilla

The apricots available at my local farmer's market are of the rosy cheeked variety, and this time of year it is impossible to ignore them. Their blushing faces stare up at me from their baskets every time I walk by, making them completely irresistible to my produce loving heart and I pick up a handful or two every chance I get.



Like most fruit this time of year, fresh apricots require very little to make them sing. Prepared this way, they are not as sweet or smooth as jam, but a bit of sugar (or honey), vanilla, and gentle heat coaxes out all of their wonderful rich, buttery flavor without losing their distinct tartness. They slump over in the pan and release their juices making them the perfect topping for all sorts of dishes. 

The day I made this compote, we piled big spoonfuls on top of a batch of "Waffles of Insane Greatness" which were so tasty and easy to put together on the fly, but if you can anticipate your desire for waffles the night before, give Marion Cunningham's Yeasted Waffles a try. You have to let part of the batter rest overnight, but the reward of crisp, full flavored breakfast treats will far outweigh the little bit of effort required to put the batter together. Both recipes can be found in this post (with far more poetic descriptions) by Molly from Orangette if you're curious.

I can also say with authority that the compote is great eaten by the spoonful, straight from the fridge or with yogurt for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I imagine it would also be delicious spooned over some crispy baked puff pastry and garnished with a dollop of creme fraiche for dessert.

See how I used apricots last summer in this Apricot Jam with Saffron and Rose.

Fresh Apricot Compote with Vanilla
yield about 1 1/2 cups

1 pound/453g rosy cheeked apricots
1.5-3 ounces/36-72g sugar or honey depending on the sweetness of the fruit
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1, 1/2'' wide strip of lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

1. Remove the pits from the apricots by gently tearing the fruit in half. Add the pitted apricot halves, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, lemon zest, lemon juice and water to a medium saucepan and stir gently to combine.
2. Cook the mixture on medium low heat until the sugar dissolves and the apricots begin to release their juices. Turn the heat up to medium and gently simmer the apricots, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and beginning to fall apart, but not completely mushy. About 10-15 minutes. Taste the apricots and add a bit more sweetener if desired.
3. Remove the vanilla bean pod and reserve it for another use, remove the strip of lemon zest and serve the apricots warm or cold. If there are any leftovers, store them in the fridge.

Out West and Cherry Berry Pie

A trip out west, some Daytrotting, a puppy named Garp, bug bites, a dilapidated farmhouse turned art gallery, a rock and roll show in a barn, and a family reunion capped off with a cherry berry pie that was baked in an unfamiliar kitchen then served to familiar folks, with this no-churn ice cream and devoured in seconds.

Where is your summer taking you? I'd love to hear.

Cherry Berry Pie
Sweet cherries and tart berries are combined to make this super summery pie. I used my favorite pie crust recipe, but feel free to use your own favorite recipe if you have one.

For the Crust
This crust comes to you from Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" and she is not messing around. Brandi uses a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter. Delightful!

12 oz pastry flour 
8 oz cold butter 
4 oz ice water 
1t apple cider vinegar 
1/2t salt 

1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, get this, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the dough down and away from you. Congratulations, you have just created a sheet of butter which is going to turn delicious flaky crust. Scrape your sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl, press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I chilled mine overnight.

If this sounds confusing, check out the link above for a really helpful photo tutorial.

For the Filling

1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries
2 pints sweet cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
2-4 ounces sugar, depending on the sweetness of your fruit
zest of one lemon
2T lemon juice
1.25 ounces flour
1/2t almond extract
pinch salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few tablespoons of coarse sugar like turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 450º 1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large bowl,  combine the fruit, sugar, lemon zest and juice, flour, almond extract, salt and nutmeg. Toss gently to combine. Fill the prepared pie shell with the berry mixture and top with the second crust, crimp the edges and cut a few vents. Alternately, you can top the pie with a lattice-style crust as I've done in the photo above. Here is a link to a great photo tutorial on Simply Recipes. When I make a lattice topped pie, I like to use nice thick strips of dough, the strips pictured above are about 1'' wide.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min before you bake it. When you are ready to bake brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.
5. Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15min on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 350º and bake for 40-50min or until the crust is deep golden brown and the berry juices bubble. Cool at least 2 hours before serving, preferably more.

Blueberry Buckwheat Tartlets with Greek Yogurt Cream

The arrival of blueberries at the market (and the farm) signals the start of summer for me. I know they aren't the first fruit to show up to the party, but something about their patriotic hue screams picnics and bbqs, and hot, lazy nights. Where I live, blueberries are plentiful and cheap so I turn to them often for fun, summer treats like these tartlets. 



I baked these little beauties last week on a 90+ degree day when, in a fit of heat induced crazy, I decided to crank up the oven and turn on the stovetop at the same time. What can I say, the blueberries in the fridge were calling and I had to answer despite my assertion that I would not turn the oven on during the heatwave...oops.

I like the combination of fresh and barely-sweetened, cooked fruit here, but if you aren't feeling up to the task of cooking three different components just use fresh berries, any kind you like or maybe some sliced stone fruit. For something a bit sweeter I imagine a dollop of jam would make a fine topping too. I guess what I am saying is that when you have sweet summer fruit at your disposal, you pretty much can't go wrong.



And can we talk about this Greek yogurt cream for a second? It is cool and smooth and just slightly tart which makes it a perfect foil for any fruit you have laying around and nearly impossible to resist eating straight from the fridge. I am already imagining making these little tarts again later this summer, topped with some bourbon spiked peaches.

Blueberry Buckwheat Tartlets with Greek Yogurt Cream

For the Buckwheat Tart Shells
adapted from Desserts for Breakfast
yield, 6 tartlets or 1, 9'' tart

5 1/2 ounces all purpose flour
3 1/2 ounces buckwheat flour
2 ounces sugar
pinch salt
1 egg yolk
4 ounces cold butter
2-3 ounces iced water

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until it is the size of small peas.
2. Add in the egg yolk and stir gently until it is evenly distributed, then slowly stream in the water until the dough will hold together when you press it with your fingers. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and press it into a disk. Refrigerate for one hour. (While the dough is chilling you can prepare the pastry cream, recipe below)
3. To bake the tart shells: Preheat oven to 425ºF and lightly butter 6 removable-bottom tartlet pans.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into 6 pieces. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pans and prick the bottoms with a fork. If the dough has softened, refrigerate or freeze it for a few minutes or until it is firm again. Line each tartlet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
5. Bake the tart shells for 13-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove the pie weights or beans and return to the oven to bake for 3-5 minutes more, or until the crust is completely golden brown. Let the shells cool completely before filling and serving.

Greek Yogurt Pastry Cream

8 ounces whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 3/4 ounces sugar
3/4 ounce cornstarch
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped or 1t vanilla extract
1 ounce cold butter
6 ounces plain greek yogurt (non-fat, low-fat or full-fat will all work)

1. Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean and pod
2. In another saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until well blended. While whisking, slowly stream in about 1/4c of the hot milk to temper the egg mixture. Continue whisking and pour in the remainder of the hot milk. Remove the vanilla bean pod and reserve for another use.
3. Put the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously, making sure to get into the bottom and sides of the pan. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook until thick, about 1-2 minutes. If you are using vanilla extract, now's the time to whisk it in.
4. Add in the butter and whisk the cream until smooth, transfer to a bowl and press a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until cold and set.
5. After the cream has thoroughly chilled, whisk in the greek yogurt until smooth and evenly combined. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Blueberry Filling

12 ounces blueberries, divided
2T honey
2T Gran Marnier (optional)
Zest and juice of 1/2 orange

1. Combine 1/2 of the blueberries, honey, Gran Marnier (if desired) and orange juice and zest in a medium skillet. Warm the berries on medium low heat until they begin to burst and release their juices. 2. Turn the heat up to medium and gently simmer the berries until they are thick and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining fresh blueberries, reserving a few to garnish the tops of the tarts. Refrigerate the mixture until cold.

To Assemble

Divide the Greek Yogurt Pastry Cream between the tart shells, top with a heaping spoonful of the Blueberry Filling and top with additional fresh blueberries and a zip of orange zest of desired (not pictured).  Serve immediately for crisp tart shells. The assembled tarts can also be refrigerated for an hour or so before you serve them, but as they sit in the refrigerator the shells will soften.

The extra blueberry mixture can be enjoyed on the top of yogurt, ice cream, oatmeal, toast or on its own.

Marmalade Pull Apart Bread

I've talked about my "condiment situation" here before so I know many of you also find yourself with an overabundance of jam on your shelves. Well, with rhubarb season in full swing and strawberries just around the corner I decided it was time to face the pantry head on, and by pantry I mean the shelf in my closet where I keep my jam. It's next to the extra sheets if you were wondering. Fancy, I know. This little loaf that I whipped up last weekend is a lot of things, fun to eat, easy to share, your toast and marmalade all in one, but the best part is that it uses an entire 8oz jar of marmalade. Like a lot of sweet bread this is the tastiest the day it’s made, but if you have to keep it around for a day or so make sure you wrap it up tight and warm it up before you eat it.

Marmalade Pull Apart Bread

For the Dough
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
yield, one 9x5 loaf

3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4t)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk + 1/4 cup milk, separated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Filling

8oz marmalade
4 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
½ vanilla bean scraped  or 1t vanilla extract (I used a vanilla scented marmalade and I loved the vanilla flavor so much, but this is totally optional)

To Assemble

1. In a small saucepan heat the 1/3c milk and butter until the butter is melted. Add in the 1/4c milk, vanilla, and the sugar. Let the mixture cool to between 105-115º, then whisk in the yeast and set aside until the mixture is foamy and frothy. 2. In a large bowl stir 2c flour and the salt together, then add in the yeast mixture and stir until the liquid is incorporated. Add the eggs in one at a time, followed by the last cup of flour. Stir for about two minutes, the dough should be quite sticky, but well mixed.
3. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. While the dough rises, prepare the filling.
4. Dump the marmalade into your blender (or use an immersion blender) and pulse a few times to break up the bits of zest, I pulverized mine pretty well because I wanted it to be easily spreadable. If your marmalade has finer bits of zest to begin with, you probably won’t have to go crazy with the blender, you don’t want to totally puree it. Then, add in the spices and vanilla if using. If you are using a flavored marmalade, you might want to skip the spices and vanilla, your call. Grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment.
5. After the dough has risen, dump it onto a floured board and roll it into a roughly 12x20 rectangle. Use a brush or spoon spread the melted butter onto the dough, then gently spread the marmalade mixture on top. You want a very, very thin layer of marmalade so you may need a bit less than 8oz total.
6. Slice the dough into 6 vertical strips, then stack the strips on top of each other. Slice the stack into 6 squarish pieces. Lay the stacks of dough in the prepared loaf pan so the layers are visible, like the pages of a book. Cover and let rise until almost doubled again, 30-45 minutes.
7. Heat your oven to 350º. When the dough has risen, put the loaf pan onto a sheet pan and slide it into the oven. Bake until deep golden brown, 30-35min. Let it rest for about 20 minutes then dig in!

Brown Butter Blondies with Cherries, Chocolate, Cashews and Pecans

I know browning butter is old news in the culinary world, but it's definitely a trick we should all have up our sleeves. It's an easy way to elevate both sweet and savory recipes and I love using it to give cookies, crusts and bars a deep toasty flavor. For this recipe I combined it with dark brown sugar, a hefty dose of salt and a splash of bourbon because I couldn't resist. Then I packed the already rich batter full of all kinds of good stuff, but feel free to switch up the additions to your taste, just keep it to about four cups. When all was said and done these blondies were wrapped up and sent away to a good friend out West and while I was sad to see them go, I was happy they weren't parked on the counter taunting me to eat them for every meal.

Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to pop into one of your local farmer's markets. The first strawberries and rhubarb are trickling down to New York and people are going crazy for them, myself included.

Brown Butter Blondies with Cherries, Chocolate, Cashews and Pecans
yield 9x13 pan, cut into 16-24 pieces

1 cup butter
3 cups dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon bourbon (optional)
2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup roughly chopped cashews
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º and line a 9x13 baking pan with foil and grease well

1. Brown the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until all of the milk solids turn golden and the butter has a nutty fragrance being careful to not let it burn. Remove from heat and stir in the dark brown sugar, set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, bourbon and salt. Whisk in the cooled butter, sugar mixture then fold in the flour and baking powder.
3. Stir in the nuts, cherries and chocolate, but make sure the mixture is cool enough that the chocolate won't melt. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35min or until the top is shiny, set and slightly cracked around the edges. Place on a wire rack to cool completely then cut into squares.

Spring Firsts and a Rhubarb Pie

I love these first days of Spring when we all start to shake off the chill of winter and stretch our limbs towards the sun. Every week more flowers pop open, trees get their leaves back after months of naked branches, and I watch as my lucky neighbors sweep off their patios and start replanting their tiny city gardens. One of the things that surprises me most about living on the East Coast is how much I have grown to enjoy the seasons and the transitions that come with them.



This weekend marked a lot of Spring firsts. My first bbq of the season, my first rooftop cocktails, my first subway ride home when I smelled charcoal smoke in my hair and on my skin. I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone when I say that the first pie of the season tops my list of favorites.



While I made this pie last Sunday, I practically vibrated with excitement at the thought of eating it outside with the sun shining on my face. Add to that the novelty of trying out a new mixing technique in my quest to improve my pie crust and my favorite vegetable disguised as fruit and you've got my dream day all wrapped up.



I am happy to report that this pie was as revolutionary as I hoped it would be. It was so tart and flaky and lightly vanilla scented that alternate titles I considered for this post included: We Don't Need no Stinking Strawberries, I am a Pie Ninja, and Holy Shit, This Is The Best Pie I've Ever Made. That last one was the exact phrase that popped out of my mouth when I pulled the bubbling beaut out of the oven. I didn't even have to taste it to know.



I wrapped it up in a big cloth tied at the top and proudly carried it  on the train to its rightful resting place: a rooftop picnic table full of friends in the sunshine, with a view of the city in the distance.

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" and she is not messing around. Brandi uses a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter. Delightful!

12 oz pastry flour
8 oz cold butter
4 oz ice water
1/2t salt

1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, get this, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the dough down and away from you. Congratulations, you have just created a sheet of butter which is going to turn delicious flaky crust. Scrape your sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl, press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I chilled mine overnight.

If this sounds confusing, check out the link above for a really helpful photo tutorial.

For the Filling

20 oz of rhubarb (about 5 slightly heaping cups), chopped into 1/2'' pieces (if your rhubarb is tough or stringy, remove the strings by pulling them down the stalk)
11.5 oz sugar
2.25 oz flour
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1t orange zest
big pinch salt

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few tablespoons of coarse sugar like turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 450º

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it into a 9'' pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large bowl, rub the vanilla bean seeds and orange zest into the sugar to evenly distribute. Add in the rhubarb, vanilla/zesty sugar, flour, and salt and toss to combine evenly. Fill the prepared pie shell with the rhubarb mixture and top with the second crust, crimp the edges and cut a few vents. Alternately, you can top the pie with a lattice-style crust as I've done in the photos above. Here is a link to a great photo tutorial on Simply Recipes. When I make a lattice topped pie, I like to use nice thick strips of dough, so the one's pictured above are about 1'' wide.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min before you bake it. When you are ready to bake brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.
5. Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15min on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 350º and bake for 40-50min or until the crust is deep golden brown and the rhubarb juices bubble. Cool at least 2 hours before serving.




Thanks to Shawn for the shot of me holding the pie and to Ellie for the Holga shot on the bottom left.

Michelada Brunch: Austin, TX

A few weeks ago I made my way down to Austin, TX for the second time in as many years. My last trip was to celebrate the marriage of two of my favorite folks and bake them a wedding cake, on a ranch no less! This go-round was a more urban adventure because I was lucky enough to tag along with my boyfriend when he went down to work at SXSW.



He and his crew had lots of work to do recording bands during the day, so I busied myself listening to music, eating tacos and bbq and drinking Micheladas wherever I went. I also dutifully stood by the gear while the guys went to get the van and occasionally fed the parking meter, you know, to earn my keep.

Instead of a hotel, we all stayed together in a little cabin compound with cool modern furniture, outdoor showers for the adventurous and a white fluffy rug whose fibers I am still finding stuck to my clothes, like sand from a beach vacation. Tough life, I know.



After a long week of work, those guys earned themselves a boozy, bacon filled breakfast and since we were staying in a house with a full kitchen and I love cooking a morning meal for a crowd,  I was happy to oblige. It's always a little disorienting cooking in someone else's space so I decided to keep it simple: soft scrambled eggs, a heap of crispy bacon, my favorite fluffy buttermilk biscuits, some Texas citrus, and lots of coffee and Micheladas. Have you ever had a Michelada? They are spicy beer cocktails that I've had a pretty serious love affair with since the last time we visited Texas.

I spent the rest of our trip falling so in love with a man named Sam, some Moonpies, the White Horse and beer koozies that I'll forgive Austin for what it's humidity did to my curly hair. Can't wait to see you again, Austin.



Bonus dog photo! You can call him Dude, or maybe His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. Special thanks to Shawn, Pete and Ellie for taking some of these photos while I was cooking for the crew.

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from Alton Brown
yield 1 dozen

2c flour (White Lily brand if you can find it)
4t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
3/4t salt
2T butter, chilled
2T non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter), chilled
1c buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450º

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. With your fingers, or a pastry cutter, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk, mix until just combined. The dough should be sticky.
4. Dump the dough out onto a well floured surface and gently fold the dough over itself five or six times. Pat the dough out 1'' thick and cut with a 2-3'', floured biscuit cutter.
5. Place biscuits, barely touching, on a sheet pan and bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Michelada (Beer Cocktail)
Serves 1

This isn't really a recipe, but this is how I like to make them.

Take a chilled pint glass and rim it with salt (lime salt would be great here if you have it), if you have something larger than a pint, even better. Fill the glass half full of ice cubes and add a few tablespoons of tomato juice, the juice of a lime, a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, as many shakes of hot sauce as you can stand (I like Cholula or Tapatio), a few grinds of fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt. Top with a 12oz Mexican beer (I like Modelo Especial) and half of one of the limes you squeezed for their juice, give it a gentle stir and enjoy. You won't be able to fit the whole beer in a pint glass, so if you use one just add the rest of the beer in as you drink the cocktail. I've also heard a few shakes of Maggi Seasoning are a delicious addition, but haven't been able to find it.

Smoky Honey Caramel Corn with Pecans

I've said it before and I'll say it again, sweet and salty is my jam. In fact, looking over the recipes I've posted here you all may think I have a flaky salt addiction. Who am I kidding, you're totally right. My favorite treats are the ones that keep you guessing a little bit, the ones that hit your taste buds from all angles. When I was putting this recipe together I was feeling a little wild so I tossed in some smoked paprika at the end which ended up being a light, subtle background note, and who doesn't love a honey roasted pecan? Not this gal.

p.s. Wow, wow! Thank you for all of the kind comments on my last post. I don't know what to say except, it's so nice to know that I'm not alone over here.

Smoky Honey Caramel Corn with Pecans

4T butter
2T water
1/2c honey
1c brown sugar
1T salt
1t baking soda
1t smoked paprika
2c pecan halves (optional, but recommended)
8c popped corn (from about 1/2c kernels)

Preheat oven to 200º and line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats, or grease well

1. Put the popped corn and pecans in a large bowl and lightly grease (or spray with cooking spray) two wooden or silicone spoons
2. In a heavy bottomed pot combine the butter, water, honey, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook for 5 min. Whisk in the baking soda and smoked paprika.
3. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the pop corn and pecans and stir well to combine. This recipe makes a lot of syrup, so don't worry about getting it all out of the pan.
4. Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread into an even layer.
5. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and cook, stirring occasionally for 60min. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.


Notes:

- Check out this post for instructions on how to pop corn kernels on the stove, I love to use mushroom corn kernels for caramel corn.
- To wash all of your caramel covered bowls, spoons, and pots just soak them in really hot water and all of the sugar will just melt off.
-You can buy your own mushroom popcorn kernels here. I've ordered from JustPoppin.com quite a few times and their customer service is great, plus I really like their name.

Chocolate Almond Babka and a Trip to the Beach

When Autumn wrote so eloquently about how hard it is to make friends as an adult I nodded my head in agreement and when she quietly questioned the value of blogging and what it has brought to her life I shook it even harder. It's easy to sit back and read other people's words and comment and admire them from afar, but at what point can you consider them friends?

I am someone who likes to have a lot of time to myself. The reason I stayed at my last job long after I should have was that it offered me hours and hours of alone time every afternoon, but now that I've been away from that job for a few months, I find myself with more time than I know what to do with. It's not that I don't enjoy it, but as I've gotten a bit older I've assigned more value to making meaningful connections with other folks. 

You may have seen Ariele's beautiful wood work or Amélie's clever letterpress baseball cards around the internet. I'll try not to sound like a gushing fan girl here, but when I saw their work for the first time I was so surprised and delighted. Yes, I know that sounds terribly cheesy, but I can't think of any other words to describe how happy I was to see two talented gals busting ass to make their living as artists.



After a few months of internet friendship and lots of commenting back and forth, it was decided that a meeting of the minds was in order, a blind friendship date if you will. We chose a time and I promised to bring the snacks. When I saw a swirled chocolate babka by way of Eating for England I knew I had found the perfect tea time treat. I consulted my bread guy (Peter Reinhart) for his recipe and ended up with this delicately sweet and super chocolatey bread. I packed it up in a tea towel to contain all of the delicious streusel crumbs and made my way to Ariele's incredible studio/apartment. We chatted and drank tea and when I got to see their work in the flesh, it did not disappoint.



We spent the afternoon talking about about all sorts of things and when someone mentioned Dead Horse Bay my ears (probably my whole face too) perked right up. I had heard of the place, but had never been. We decided that the next day's spring-like weather demanded a trip!



This isn't a beach for sunbathing and frisbee tossing. It's the kind of beach that requires sturdy shoes and gloves. You see, Dead Horse Bay is the former site of a horse rendering plant, turned 19th century landfill, turned playground for "junk" loving treasure hunters. The beach is littered with piles and piles of beautiful glass bottles, bits of tiles and Amélie even found an old rusted gun and a toy cowboy boot in close proximity to one another. I came home with some glass bottles to add to my collection and some porcelain light sockets that I repurposed into candle sticks.



As we walked along the beach picking up and kicking up treasures, yelling to each other when we found something exceptionally cool, I felt like I was anywhere but New York. The smell of the sea air was comforting, the sun was shining bright and warm and I was spending time with two awesome ladies I knew from the internet and had only met in person the day before.



I knew immediately that I wanted to go back. I've already planned another trip.

Chocolate Almond Babka
adapted from Peter Reinhart

For the Dough

2T instant yeast
6oz lukewarm milk
3oz room temperature butter
3oz sugar
1oz vegetable oil
1t vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
15oz all purpose flour
.25oz salt
1 egg + 1T water for egg wash

For the Filling

9oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
4oz sliced almonds
1t cinnamon
2oz cold butter

For the Topping (optional, but advised)
The original recipe called for 2x this amount of topping, but I could only get about half of it to stick to the bread so if you really want to go for it with the crumbs feel free to double these amounts

1oz butter
.75 oz all purpose flour
.5 oz almond meal
2oz brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
pinch salt

For the Bread

1. Whisk the yeast and milk together. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. I made this entire recipe by hand with a wooden spoon, but you could use a hand or stand mixer instead.
3. Add in the oil and vanilla, then add the egg yolks in one at a time, mixing until each yolk is thoroughly incorporated. Mix for 2 min or until the eggs are light and fluffy.
4. Stop mixing, then add the flour and salt, followed by the milk and yeast mixture. Mix slowly until the dough comes together, if you are mixing by hand, your hands are the best tool for this job.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for 2 min. The dough should be soft, supple and golden in color. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 1/2hrs or until the dough almost doubles in size. At this point you can finish the bread or let the dough rest in the refrigerator over night. I let mine rest.

For the Filling

Combine the chopped chocolate, almonds and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles streusel.

To Assemble the Loaf

1. Grease a 9''x5'' or 10''x5'' loaf pan and line with parchment paper so it hangs over the two long sides. Once the dough has risen, roll it into a 15''x15'' square on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be about 1/4'' thick. Sprinkle the chocolate and almond filling over the dough, leaving a 1/2'' border around the edges.
2. Roll the dough like a jelly roll and place it seam side down on your work surface. Gently roll the dough back and forth until it is about 20'' long.
3. Fold the dough in half to form a "U" shape. Twist the arms of the dough two or three times around each other to form the loaf, then pinch the seams together. This post has a photo of a formed loaf. Place the dough into the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room until the babka fills the pan, 1-2 hours.

While the loaf is rising

Preheat oven to 350º

Prepare the Streusel and Finish the Loaf

1. Combine all of the streusel ingredients with your hands until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
2. When the loaf has risen completely, brush with egg wash made from 1 egg +1T water and sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top. Use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the top of the loaf which will release any air pockets trapped between the folds of the dough and filling.
3. Place the loaf pan onto a baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake for 20-25min, then rotate and bake for 20-30 more minutes. The loaf will be deep golden brown on top and sound hollow when the bottom is tapped when finished. You can also use a thermometer to check the internal temperature which will be 185º when the loaf is finished.

Cool the loaf to room temperature before slicing.

p.s. I recently listened to a TED talk by Susan Cain about the power of introverts, about how our society is built for extroverts to succeed and receive praise. While I don't agree with everything she has to say, I think it is worth a listen.