Cherry-Peach Rustic Tart

I should really call this a "Summer Tart" - it can be made with any combination of favourite summer fruits and berries. But I had a surfeit of peaches and cherries, so "cherry-peach" it is. (Aren't "peaches and cherries" lovely words? They have such a cheerful sound.)

Less fussy than pie, a rustic tart comes together very quickly. Use your favourite pastry recipe or, if you like, purchased dough. Here's the recipe I used:

1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter (1/4 lb.)
3 tablespoons ICE water - the colder the better

I like to make pastry in the food processor. Pulse to combine the dry ingredients, then cut the stick of butter into cubes and dump those in.

Pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, then add the ice water while running on the lowest speed. Turn off as soon as water is added. It's okay if the dough doesn't come together.

Turn the wet dough crumbs out of the processor onto a flat baking sheet. (If you don't own a baking sheet, flip over any large baking pan and use the flat bottom.) Break up any big chunks with your fingers, then quickly and gently compress into a loose ball. You don't have to knead the dough; just push it together from the edges and top, using cupped hands (dust them with flour if necessary). With a dough scraper, turn the lump over and gently compress again until there aren't any crumbs falling off. Handle it as little as possible. This will keep the butter from melting and give you a flakier pastry.

Don't knead - just gently compress

All incorporated and ready to roll

Heat oven to 375º.

Roll out the dough, directly on the baking pan, into a rough circle about 1/8" thick, dusting with flour as necessary to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Remember, this is a rustic tart. The dough doesn't need to be perfectly round, and ragged edges are fine. Loosely cover and pop it into the refrigerator while you prep your fruit.

Next you'll need 2-4 cups of sliced fruit. I used 3 large peaches, sliced into 12 slices each, and about 16 large cherries, pitted and quartered (halved cherries would work too).

Toss 2 - 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and desired spices with the fruit. I added a bit of freshly grated nutmeg to mine.

Remove pan from refrigerator. Run a bench scraper or very thin flat spatula gently under and around the edges of dough to make sure they aren't stuck to the pan...

...then pile the fruit in the middle.

Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the fruit, overlapping as you go.

Fold away

I like to sprinkle a little raw sugar over the crust before baking. White sugar works too. Or you can leave it plain.

All ready for the oven

Bake for 10 minutes at 375º, then 40-45 minutes at 350º. (You can lower the temp to 325º if the crust starts getting too brown.) Fruit should be tender and easily pierced with a toothpick or cake tester.

Remove pan from oven and cool on rack. If you like, brush the filling with preserves to add a nice gloss. (I was out of preserves so I brushed mine with honey.)

Slice and serve, with or without ice cream. We voted for "with".

And the best part is - I can have leftover tart for breakfast. Life doesn't get much better than that.

Some other possible fruit combinations: nectarine and blackberry, plum and blueberry, apricot and cherry, and, in my opinion the most sublime flavour marriage imaginable: peach and raspberry.  But use any combination you like - I think all stone fruits mingle well and will work with most berries.

Happy baking!

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Daily Bread

I love to read about baking the way some people love to read about fashion.  (Offer me a Vogue magazine or a  King Arthur's catalogue, and I'll always choose King Art.)  Sometimes I daydream of baking my way (a la Julie and Julia) through some glutenous masterpiece like The Cake Bible or Crust & Crumb, garnering plaudits and praise from friends and family alike.  Alas, there are no little Micawbers to eat these creations, half my immediate family is gluten-intolerant, and the annual income does not support the regular production of Neo-Classic Buttercream or the construction of a wood-fired brick oven.  (Nor would our landlord appreciate the last.)  And the exigencies of everyday life can limit the time and ingredients available for tinkering in the kitchen.

So I save the specialty breads and spectactular cakes for rare and special occasions, and in the meantime fall back on tried-and-true recipes that I can put together easily--the blue jeans of baking, if you will.  Here's one of them.  It's our everyday, workhorse, basic bread recipe;  flexible, forgiving, and reliable.  It can be started the night before baking, or the morning of the day on which you'd like to eat it.  As with any really good bread recipe, the time from start to finish can seem long (6-24 hours), but the periods of active work are brief.  We love this bread, and I hope you will too.

Mrs. Micawber's Daily Bread - Makes 2 large or 3 medium loaves

Starter (if you have a stand mixer, make the starter in the mixer bowl)
Dissolve 3/4 teaspoon yeast in 3/4 cup warm water
Stir in 1-1/2 cups unbleached flour

Cover and let sit for 3-24 hours. It will get nice and bubbly, like this:

Dough
To starter, add:
3 teaspoons active dry yeast (for the quickest rise; 1-1/2 teaspoons if you're not in a hurry)
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons oil (optional)
1 tablespoon brown sugar or 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Stir the above a few times, then add:
600 grams* flour of your choice**
2 teaspoons salt

*I'm sorry I can't give volume measurements here - weighing the flour is the most reliable way to keep the integrity of the recipe. If you take your breadbaking seriously and plan to do it regularly, a little kitchen scale is worth the investment. I got mine about 15 years ago for around $11 on sale and it has been invaluable. Check Target, Amazon, or your local kitchen store and you should be able to find a good deal.  If you live on a Micawber-like income and just can't afford one, ask for it as a birthday or Christmas gift.

**I usually use about 300-400 grams whole-wheat flour and 100-200 grams unbleached flour or semolina flour. Sometimes I include old-fashioned oatmeal as one of the "flours". You can use whatever combination you like, as long as the total weight is 600 grams, at least half of which should be gluten-containing flour. The dough in these pictures was made with whole-wheat and semolina flours.

If desired, add some seeds at this point. Suggestions include:

Sunflower seeds
Flax seeds
Sesame seeds
Millet

I don't measure the seeds - I just put in a handful or two of whatever's handy. Today it was flax seed (DH had eaten all the sesame and sunflower seeds and neglected to tell me we were out).

Knead for 7-8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic, with tiny bubbles under the surface. It will still be slightly moist and tacky, but that's okay. As the Italians say, the wetter the dough, the better the bread.

After kneading (and removing the dough hook), cover the bowl and leave the dough alone until it doubles in size. This may take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut into 2 or 3 portions.  I use my handy-dandy bench scraper for this (it goes by the charming name of Bash'N'Chop and works wonders for cutting dough, flipping pie crust, and cleaning sticky countertops).

Shape 1 portion at a time into a round or oblong loaf. I like James Beard's method (from Beard on Bread) for shaping the dough: Instead of rolling it out with a rolling pin, you just roll it into a ball, turn it 90 degrees, then roll again, about 6-8 times. Then pinch shut any open areas. If you want a round loaf, you can stop here, flip it over, and place it on the baking pan. If you like an oblong loaf, as I do, then gently roll it from the long side, pinch, roll again, pinch again, occasionally tucking the ends up and in, until it reaches the length you like. Then flip it over and put it on your pan.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I've included a little video to demonstrate this method (this is a silent movie, so no need to turn up the volume):

Unfortunately my memory card filled up and the camera stopped  before I could finish the process.  But you get the general idea.

Place dough on greased baking sheet.  If you have a silicone mat, by all means use it (no need for greasing in that case).  You can also use parchment paper, although it will crinkle up a bit under the dough during baking.

Newly formed loaves

Cover the dough.  (I like to use 2 plastic grocery bags, sliding one over each end of the pan, so they overlap in the middle.)  Place pan in warm spot until loaves have doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.  When your loaves have been rising for about 25 minutes, turn the oven on to 400º, and get 6-8 ice cubes ready in a bowl in your freezer.

Doubled and ready to bake

Ice cubes ready to go

When oven is hot and dough has doubled, remove the plastic bags and slash the tops of the loaves about 3/4 - 1" deep (I use my bread knife for this).

Put the pan near the oven.  Get your bowl of ice cubes out of the freezer and throw them in the oven, then put the pan in and shut the door quickly to keep in the steam.

Bake loaves for 30 minutes at 400º, then 10 minutes at 375º.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  Try to wait 20 minutes before cutting into one.  Then enjoy your fresh home-baked bread!

P.S.  I store my bread in leftover plastic produce bags from the supermarket.  I put the bagged extra loaves in a regular plastic grocery bag and freeze them.  To thaw, remove loaf from produce bag.  Turn produce bag inside-out so any moisture can evaporate (this helps avoid mold when you re-bag your thawed bread).  Thaw bread on countertop for an hour or two.

Velvety Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Brownies

A brownie is a little chocolate square of love. I like to kid myself that these are healthy brownies - the whole wheat flour salves my dietary conscience, and the brown sugar gives them a slight molasses-y edge. But really, they're just plain good. Especially if you have the iron self-control to let them sit overnight.

Makes 16

Heat oven to 350.  Butter 8"x8" pan.

In small saucepan, melt:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Remove from heat and with fork or whisk stir in, one at a time:
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons boiling water OR hot coffee
1 cup packed brown sugar (I could stop here and just eat the batter, but I don't)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

When smooth, stir in:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (optional, for a cakier brownie)

Pour into buttered pan.  If desired, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Cool completely.

Frost if desired and enjoy!

Lemon Oatmeal Scones

Start your morning with the sunny tang of lemon and some whole-grain goodness.

Makes 8

Preheat oven to 425.

Zest half of one lemon. (Save the other half for glaze.) Squeeze juice from lemon half into measuring cup and add milk, cream or rice milk to equal 3/4 cup.

In food processor or bowl, combine:
1 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oats
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
Lemon zest from above

Cut in:
1 stick butter

Slowly add milk/lemon juice mixture until combined. Scoop out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently until it comes together into a ball.

Pat dough into 8" circle. Cut with pizza cutter or bench knife into 8 equal triangles. Place on greased baking sheet about 1" apart.  (I bake mine on a pizza stone;  no need to grease.)

In bowl, lightly beat 1 egg with fork. Brush scones with beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool slightly on rack.

While scones are baking, make glaze in small bowl:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter
Add zest from other half of lemon
Squeeze some of the juice from leftover lemon half

Stir in 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Add lemon juice/powdered sugar as needed to make a good spreading consistency.

When scones have cooled slightly, spread with glaze. Enjoy!

Tuesday Tips: Baby Steps to Healthier Living

I'm married to a carb fiend. If DH doesn't get some kind of floury, slightly sugary bit of food with his mid-morning coffee, he just isn't a happy camper.

I, on the other hand, love to bake. A marriage made in heaven? Yes, and I'd like it to last a while. So in the interests of satisfying DH's bakery cravings AND keeping him around, I add whole-grain flours to all my baked goods. I've found I can replace at least half of the all-purpose flour in any recipe with whole-wheat—and it actually improves the taste and texture. We've both become so fond of the nutty taste and pleasant tooth of things baked with whole-wheat flour, that anything made from all-white flour tastes pasty and bland (although that doesn't stop DH from buying dreadful shortening-soaked commercial doughnuts at the corner gas station when nothing else is on offer).

If you're already baking with whole-grain flours, try mixing up the blend. Add old-fashioned oatmeal to muffins and scones for a nice chewy texture. For richer, velvety waffles, replace some of the regular flour with buckwheat. And if you like to pan-fry fish or chicken nuggets, rice flour and cornmeal make wonderful coatings. They fry up crispy and light, and don't soak up oil the way wheat flour does.

P.S. If you're baking something like muffins, cakes, scones or bread with regular wheat flour, don't replace more than 1/4 with non-wheat flour or your baked good might fall apart. The gluten in wheat flour is what holds the dough together. Gluten-free baking requires a good gluten-free flour blend with some xanthan gum to act as a binder.

Happy, healthier baking!

Oven-Baked Vegetable Fritters (gluten free, too)

If you find yourself craving onion rings but can't justify the frying, try these baked fritters instead. (Okay, so you can't call them fritters if they're not fried.  But "fritter" sounds so much more appealing than, say, "vegetable patties".  'Nuff said.)

Makes 8-12

Preheat oven to 425. In large bowl, stir together:
2 Tbsp. garbanzo flour
2 Tbsp. rice flour
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Toss with:
1 small onion, finely chopped or thinly sliced
1 small red pepper, ditto
Chopped fresh or frozen parsley in desired quantity

Stir in:
2 Tbsp. oil (extra virgin olive for me)

Let sit for 10-20 minutes so the veggies can give up a little juice. Try scooping up some of the mixture--if it will hold together, proceed to the next step. If not, drizzle a tablespoon or two of water over it and stir again. (Don't be discouraged if it looks like a bowl of chopped veggies with a bit of flour clinging to them. It will work, I promise you.)

Scoop out balls of mixture onto cookie sheet covered with silicone mat or parchment (I use a 2" spring scoop). Gently flatten with fingers. Drizzle or spray a bit of oil over the tops. This is what mine look like at this point:

Bake for 15 minutes, then gently flip over and bake for another 10 minutes or so. Remove from oven and enjoy!

We eat them plain, but they'd also be great with tzatziki. Experiment with other veggies and herbs and let me know what you come up with.

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls (Really!)

Makes 9-12

Preheat oven to 425. Start warming 3/4 cup milk or rice milk.

In bowl, whisk together:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
1 cup unbleached flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk in warm milk, then:

1 egg
2 tablespoons oil (extra virgin olive in my house)

Cover with a plate and let sit in warm place for 15 minutes. It should get nice and bubbly.

Then add:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Unbleached flour as necessary

Knead for 3 minutes, adding unbleached flour as necessary until dough is no longer sticky.

Let rest for 5 minutes. (Longer is better, but if you're shooting for the 1-hour mark, 5 minutes is enough.) While dough is resting:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter.

Roll out dough into a 9"x12" rectangle.  Spread with melted butter.  Sprinkle with:

Cinnamon to taste (I just shake it all over the dough)
Brown sugar (again to taste; let's call it 1/4 cup)
Other fillings as desired (see below for suggestions)

With the 12" side facing you, roll up dough.  Cut into 9-12 rolls, depending on how many/how tall you'd like your rolls to be.  I usually cut 12.

Place rolls in 11" round baking pan.  If you made 9 rolls, they'll fit in a 9"x9" pan.

Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. While rolls are baking, make frosting or glaze, if desired. Remove from oven and frost as you like! See below for toppings/variations.

Buttercream:
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Dash salt
Few drops vanilla or almond
1 cup powdered sugar
Milk, rice milk, or cream (1 Tbsp. to start)

Whip together, adding more powdered sugar or liquid to achieve desired consistency. I make it fluffy, as for a cake, then put dollops on the rolls and let them melt. If you like your rolls saturated with glaze, make it thinner.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Use Buttercream recipe above. Reduce butter to 1 Tbsp. Substitute 2 Tbsp. room-temperature cream cheese for milk. Thin with milk or cream if needed.

Caramel Glaze:
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Dash salt

Bring to boil in small pan, stirring constantly. Pour over baked rolls. Nuts may be added for extra decadence!

Orange Topping:
Add zest of 1/2 orange to either of the above

Apple Rolls
While dough is resting, core and dice 1 apple. Sprinkle over dough with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Pear/Cardamom Rolls
Follow directions for apple rolls above, but use 1 pear. Instead of cinnamon, use cardamom and nutmeg. Glaze with thin almond-flavoured buttercream.

Cranberry/Walnut with Orange Glaze:
Sprinkle chopped fresh or frozen cranberries and walnuts over dough with brown sugar. Use nutmeg and very little cinnamon. Glaze with thin orange-flavoured buttercream.