peach crumble

I'm not going to lie, I ate the leftovers (trust me, they were few) for breakfast the next morning!!!

 

the goods:

 

filling:

2 pounds peaches, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

 

crumble:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup light-brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make filling: Combine peaches, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.

 

Make topping: In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium until light and fluffy.

 

Add flour and salt and, with your hands, mix until large pieces form. Scatter over filling.

 

Bake until center is bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after 30 minutes.

 

Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

apricot-blueberry cobbler

 

the goods:

 

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

12 apricots, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

1 and 1/4 cups blueberries

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing

sanding sugar

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. In a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Stir in apricots and blueberries. Spread mixture into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.

 

In a food processor, pulse remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add heavy cream and pulse 2 or 3 times until combined.

 

Spoon batter in 8 mounds on fruit mixture. Press lightly on tops to flatten, brush with heavy cream, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

 

Bake on middle rack with a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on lower rack to catch drips, until biscuits are golden and juices bubble in center, 40 to 45 minutes.

 

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Serve warm.

peaches-and-cream bundt cake

 

the goods:

 

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus more for pan

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

4 peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced small

2 and 1/4 cups sugar, divided

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 and 1/4 cups sour cream

1 and 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour a 14-cup nonstick Bundt pan. Whisk together 3 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Toss peaches with remaining 2 tablespoons flour to coat. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat 2 sticks butter and 2 cups sugar on medium-high until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with sour cream, and beat until combined. Fold peaches and vanilla into batter and transfer to pan.

 

Tap pan firmly on counter several times to remove any air bubbles and smooth top. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 stick butter. Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Using an offset spatula or small knife, loosen cake from pan, then invert onto rack. Working in sections, brush cake with butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon-sugar.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

fudgy ice cream cake

 

the goods:

 

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 and 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for serving

3 pints vanilla ice cream

18 graham crackers

1 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

 

Lightly coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray; line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 6-inch overhang on two sides. Freeze pan at least 10 minutes. In a medium pot, combine corn syrup, 1/4 cup cream, butter, granulated sugar, cocoa, and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil, whisking, over medium-high. Remove from heat and let fudge sauce cool. Meanwhile, remove 1 pint of ice cream from freezer and let soften, 15 minutes.

 

Evenly press softened ice cream into pan. Top with a single layer of graham crackers, breaking to fit. Drizzle with 1/4 cup fudge sauce, spread and freeze 15 minutes. Repeat twice, omitting sauce on final layer (so graham crackers will be on top). Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, 8 hours (or up to 3 days). Cover and refrigerate remaining fudge sauce.

 

To serve, you can either slice individual pieces (flipping so the graham cracker top is now the base), or invert pan onto a platter and remove plastic. Microwave fudge sauce for 30 seconds, or until pourable. Pour over cake and freeze to solidify, 5 minutes. In a large bowl, using a mixer, whip 1 and 1/2 cups cream and confectioners' sugar on high until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Dollop cake with whipped cream and dust with cocoa.

devil's food cake with fluffy frosting

 

the goods:

 

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans

1 cup boiling water

1 cup sour cream

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 and 3/4 cups sugar, divided

4 large eggs, plus 5 large egg whites, room temperature, divided

5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

1 tablespoon corn syrup

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper, butter parchment and dust pans with cocoa. Whisk boiling water into cocoa until smooth; whisk in sour cream. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

 

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and 2 and 1/4 cups sugar on medium-high until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in whole eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Fold in 4 teaspoons vanilla. Divide batter among pans.

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool completely. Remove cakes from pans and discard parchment. Trim cakes if desired.

 

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, whisk together remaining 1 and 1/2 cups sugar, egg whites, and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; using mixer, beat on high until stiff, fluffy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Fold in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.

 

Transfer a cake layer to a serving plate and top with 1 cup frosting. Stack second cake on top and cover top and sides with remaining frosting.

cherry pie with almond crumble

the goods:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided

6 cups drained jarred sour cherries (from three 24-ounce jars)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 homemade or store-bought pie crust (see below)

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1/2 cup light-brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup almonds

basic pie dough:

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

4 to 5 tablespoons very cold water

Stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into flour mixture. Add water and mix with a fork until dough pulls together.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in cherries and vanilla. Brush crust with egg white and fill with cherry mixture.

In a food processor, pulse together remaining 1 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add brown sugar, butter, and almonds; pulse until large pieces form. Scatter crumble over cherry filling.

Bake on middle rack, with a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on lower rack to catch drips, until topping and crust are golden, 45 minutes. Tent pie loosely with foil; bake until juices in center are bubbling, 30 to 45 minutes more. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

gluten-free pecan brownies

the goods:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Whisk together cornstarch, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add cornstarch mixture and stir vigorously until mixture is smooth and begins to pull away from side of bowl, about 2 minutes. Stir in pecans.
Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Using paper overhang, lift cake out of pan and cut into 16 squares.