MAKES ONE 8-INCH (20CM) SQUARE PAN; SERVES 8 TO 12
This dessert, bubbly and sweet and topped with a crust that’s more cookie than cobbler, has become a cult favorite at Food52, and we have former editor Marian Bull’s distant cousin Hasso Ewing’s mother to thank. She makes it every summer up in Sorrento, Maine, using wild blueberries, but this recipe also works well with stone fruits and other berries. Whatever way you make it, be sure to have some good vanilla ice cream on hand to serve alongside. We recommend baking a double batch in a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33cm) baking dish so you’ll have leftovers for breakfast the next morning.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 cups (about 600g) fresh blueberries, preferably wild
½ cup (100g) brown sugar
½ cup (110g) salted butter, at room temperature but not yet soft, cut into small pieces
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons (15g) of flour and the granulated sugar over the blueberries and stir gently until evenly coated. Transfer to an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan.
3. Put the brown sugar, butter, and remaining 1 cup (125g) of flour in a medium bowl and stir with a fork or mix with your fingers just until the ingredients come together and form lumps. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden, caramel brown and beginning to sink and melt into the bubbling filling below. Serve hot, and enjoy the leftovers either cold or gently reheated in the oven or microwave.
How to Make Brown Sugar at Home
If you’re halfway through a recipe that calls for brown sugar and you discover you don’t have any, don’t panic—you can make your own. Combine sugar and molasses in a food processor and process for a minute or two, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the molasses is evenly distributed. For light brown sugar, use 1 to 1½ tablespoons of molasses for every 1 cup (200g) of sugar; for darker brown sugar, use up to 4 tablespoons of molasses for every 1 cup (200g) of sugar.
SERVES 10
A slump is the most easygoing member of the family of fruit-and-dough desserts, which also includes buckles, brown betties, crumbles, and grunts. Thanks to the indulgent addition of mascarpone, this slump’s dough is extra fluffy. It’s barely held together with flour, making it more like a custardy comforter laid atop the fruit than a traditional dough topping. The slump will taste best when made with ripe, sweet, fragrant stone fruit, and try it with whatever variety looks most appealing: peaches, apricots, or even plums. Enjoy this dessert outside on a summer evening and you’ll find yourself slumping into relaxation.
About 1 ½ pounds (680g) ripe, sweet nectarines, pitted and quartered
1 cup (200g) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
½ cup (110g) salted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1⅓ cups (315ml) mascarpone
⅛ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Generously butter a large, shallow baking dish measuring about 9 by 13 inches (23 by 33cm).
2. Arrange the nectarines in the baking dish; they should cover the bottom of the pan but not be jammed in too snugly. Sprinkle lightly with about 1 teaspoon of sugar.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy and pale. Beat in the eggs, then the mascarpone and almond extract. Fold in the flour by hand, using a spatula. Spoon the mixture over the nectarines and spread it evenly until almost touching the edges of the pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the sides rise and the center is just set. Let cool before serving.
How to Pit Stone Fruits
To more easily pit stone fruit, stick a sharp knife into the top of the fruit, deep enough to feel the pit, and run the knife along the seam that goes from top to bottom to create two equal halves. Twist the halves in opposite directions, as you would an avocado or an Oreo. Use your thumb or a paring knife to pop the pit out of the flesh. For cherries, all you need is an empty bottle with a narrow mouth, such as a beer bottle or glass soda bottle, and a chopstick. Rest a cherry on the lip of the bottle and hold it gently. Press the chopstick through the cherry, pushing the pit out the other side and into the bottle below.
Apple Brown Betty with Gingersnap Crumbs
SERVES 8
You’d be hard-pressed to find an apple dessert that’s simpler (or more delicious) than a brown betty, which is made by simply layering buttery breadcrumbs with sweetened apples and baking until toasty and golden. This version improves upon the time-honored formula by replacing the breadcrumbs with gingersnap crumbs. As the betty bubbles in the oven, your whole kitchen will start to smell like autumn; when it’s finished, you’ll have the ideal mixture of soft, baked apples and crunchy, spiced cookie crumbs.
12 ounces (340g) gingersnaps (about 48 cookies)
½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into several large pieces
3 or 4 Granny Smith apples
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Put the gingersnaps in a food processor and grind them into small pieces. Add the butter and process until evenly combined.
3. Peel and core the apples, then slice them very thinly. Put them in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and stir gently until well combined. Add the lemon juice and zest and gently stir again until the apples are evenly coated.
4. Put one-third of the crumb mixture in a deep 9-inch (23cm) pie plate and spread it evenly over the bottom. Layer half of the apples on top of the crumbs. Scatter another one-third of the crumbs evenly over the apples, then arrange the remaining apples on top. Spread the remaining crumbs evenly over the apples so that they are completely covered.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the apples are soft and the crumb topping is crunchy. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Almond Butter and Oatmeal Crisp
SERVES 8 TO 10
Food52er Helen Conroy (aka AntoniaJames) had the brilliant idea to bake a nutty, chewy cookie until it’s barely done, break it up into chunks, and use it to top a spiced mixture of fall fruits. The result is the crunchiest, most wholesome crisp we’ve tasted yet.
Pears
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 to 4 tablespoons raw sugar, to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Small pinch of ground cloves
3 pounds (1.4 kg) ripe pears (7 or 10 medium pears)
⅓ cup (40g) dried cranberries
Topping
6 tablespoons (95g) almond butter
1 tablespoon raw sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon coconut oil or melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Scant ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Small pinch of sea salt
1 ¼ cups (115g) rolled oats
¾ cup almonds (105g) or walnuts or pecans (about 80g), toasted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup (60ml) cream (or almond milk whisked with 1 teaspoon cornstarch)
1. Put one shelf in the lower third of the oven and another shelf in the upper third. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Have a large, shallow baking pan on hand; 9 by 13 inches (23 by 33cm) works nicely.
2. To prepare the pear filling, stir together the cornstarch, sugar (the quantity depends on the sweetness of your pears), cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl.
3. Peel, core, and chop the pears into ½-inch (1.3cm) pieces, putting the chunks in the baking pan as you cut them. Sprinkle with the cornstarch-sugar-spice mixture, add the dried cranberries, and toss gently until the pears are evenly coated. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and set aside.
4. Next, make the topping. Line a baking sheet that’s larger than the baking dish with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut oil, vanilla and almond extracts, and salt. Stir in the rolled oats and nuts. Transfer the crumble to the baking sheet and pat it into an even layer about the size of the baking pan.
5. Put the baking sheet in the oven on the upper shelf and put the pears on the bottom shelf. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove both the cookie and the pears from the oven but leave the oven on. Use the edge of a spatula to break the giant cookie into uneven pieces about 2 inches (5cm) across. Uncover the pears, drizzle the cream over them, then cover them with the cookie pieces.
6. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes to make sure the topping isn’t getting too dark. If needed, cover with the foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
SERVES 8
This impressive dessert is like a blueberry pie emptied onto a cheesecake, while managing to be lighter and prettier than either. Calling it a torte is meant to make it seem fancy (it sounds a lot better than “no-bake cheesecake”), but it was originally a dinner party dessert that executive editor Kristen Miglore’s mother could throw together in 30 minutes. Her version called for canned blueberry pie filling and, when there wasn’t cream in the house, a packet of Dream Whip. Kristen updated the recipe so that even the blueberry layer is made from scratch. Though it may seem like this adds unnecessary hassle, it’s not always easy to find good-quality canned blueberry pie filling, so making your own might actually save you some work.
Blueberry Topping
4 cups (600g) blueberries
½ cup (120ml) water
¼ cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Crust
1 cup (85g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 graham cracker squares)
1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (100g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
Filling
8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups (185g) confectioners’ sugar
2 cups (475ml) heavy cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. To make the topping, put 2 cups (300g) of the blueberries in a small saucepan, selecting the softest, ripest berries of the bunch. Stir in the water and confectioners’ sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring and mashing the berries occasionally with a wooden spoon, until they break down completely and the juices thickly coat the back of the spoon, about 15 minutes.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing the mixture through with a silicone or rubber spatula and scraping the bottom of the strainer to get every last delicious drop. You should have about 1 cup (240ml) of blueberry sauce. Fold in the remaining 2 cups (300g) of blueberries. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and add more confectioners’ sugar or lemon juice if needed. Let cool completely (if you’re in a hurry, you can chill the topping in the freezer).
4. To make the crust, put the graham cracker crumbs and flour in a food processor. With the processor running, pour in the melted butter. Add the walnuts and pulse quickly a couple of times to combine, but be sure to leave the nuts a bit chunky. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom (not up the sides) of a 9- or 10-inch (23 or 25cm) round springform pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is dry and a shade darker. Let cool completely, about an hour (chill the crust in the freezer if you’re in a rush).
5. Meanwhile, make the filling. Using an electric mixer or creaming vigorously with a wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar until completely smooth.
6. Put the cream in a cold, clean bowl. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or whisking vigorously by hand, whip until stiff peaks form (see this page). Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
7. To assemble the torte, spread the filling carefully over the cooled crust, smoothing it out with a spatula. Spoon the cooled blueberry topping evenly over the filling; the topping will probably come right to the top of the pan. Refrigerate in the pan for at least 6 hours or up to 1 day.
8. To serve, set the pan on a serving platter. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the torte, then remove the outer ring. The blueberry topping will flow down over the edges of the torte—more so if the torte isn’t well chilled. Serve immediately, and refrigerate any leftovers.
How to Quickly Cool a Small Batch of Liquid
If you ever need to cool down a small batch of hot liquid fast—an ice cream base, custard, or even this blueberry sauce—use an ice bath. Pour the hot liquid into a metal Bundt pan that’s nested in a large bowl of ice water. The metal helps conduct the heat out (and the cold in) quickly, and the hole in the middle of the pan creates more surface area, which means more rapid chilling.
MAKES ONE 10-INCH (25CM) GALETTE; SERVES 6 TO 8
If pie is for people who wake up with the sun, ready to take on the world, then galette is for those of us who mosey out of bed at 10 a.m. As former editor Marian Bull puts it, “A galette is a lazy woman’s pie. A galette is a happy woman’s pie.” There’s no fussing over latticework or crimped edges. In fact, the less perfect your galette looks, the more beautifully rustic it will be. Plus, you can make this free-form fruit tart with whatever ripe fruit you have on hand; summer stone fruit works especially well. Learn this dough recipe by heart. It’s wholesome and savory enough to be the base for a vegetable galette too, as in the Savory Galette with Greens and Gruyère.
Crust
½ cup (110g) salted butter
½ cup (60g) whole wheat flour
¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Filling
2 pounds (900g) plums or other fruit, thinly sliced
⅓ cup (65g) sugar, preferably raw sugar
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated (optional)
Dash of vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
1 egg, beaten
Flaky salt, for sprinkling
Raw sugar, for sprinkling
1. To make the crust, cut the butter into ½-inch (1.3cm) pieces, put it on a plate, and freeze for 5 to 10 minutes, until the butter is firm but not overly hard.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flours and salt with a fork or whisk. Add half of the butter to the flour mixture and toss to coat; ideally, you want a flour barrier between your hands and the butter at all times. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or by hand, using a snapping motion with your fingers, until the mixture is crumbly. Add the remaining butter, toss to coat, and cut in again, this time pressing the butter into flat sheets, which will make the crust flakier. Stop when all of the butter is either in small pieces the size of peas or lima beans or in small, flat sheets.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons of the ice water with the vinegar, then sprinkle over the flour mixture a tablespoonful at a time, tossing lightly to distribute the liquid evenly through the flour. Stop when the ingredients just come together and a bit of dough holds together when you squeeze it. If it’s crumbly, add a bit more water, just a little at a time.
4. Form the dough into a ball, then pat it into a fat disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 12 hours (or freeze for up to 3 weeks). If freezing the dough, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out.
5. To make the filling, shortly before you plan to bake the galette, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss all the ingredients together until the plums are evenly coated. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then drain off the juices.
6. To assemble and bake the galette, put the dough on a floured work surface and flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin while the filling sits. Roll out the dough to form a rough circle about 14 inches (36cm) in diameter and ¼ inch (6mm) thick. Keep rotating the dough as you roll it out so it doesn’t stick to the work surface, and sprinkle the dough and work surface with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet by curling it around the rolling pin and then unfurling it. If it’s soft, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
8. Transfer the plums to fine-mesh sieve and give it a few assertive shakes to drain off any excess moisture. Pile the plums in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch (5cm) bare edge around the circumference. Fold small sections of the edges of the dough over the filling to seal your galette. If the dough is feeling particularly soft, stick the whole pan in the refrigerator or freezer to firm up, 10 to 20 minutes. Brush the egg evenly over the crust and then sprinkle the crust with flaky salt and raw sugar.
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown, with no pale areas, and feels dry and flaky. Let cool until the filling sets up before slicing and serving.
How to Cut in Butter
Cutting butter into flour ensures that the butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients in small, intact chunks that will melt and steam in the oven to create a flaky crust. When cutting in butter, make sure the butter is cold. It’s even helpful to cube the butter and put it in the freezer to chill, along with the bowl and any other tools you’re using. Dump the cold, cubed butter into the flour or other dry ingredients and use a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers to break it up into smaller pieces. If using your fingers, work quickly so the heat of your hands doesn’t warm the butter excessively. Toss the butter and flour together, pressing down on the butter and smashing any big chunks into smaller pieces. Stop when the flour is lumpy with lima bean–or pea-size pieces of butter.
MAKES ONE 11-INCH (28CM) TART; SERVES 8
Every cook needs a good dessert recipe that can be whipped up anywhere—especially when you’re away from your kitchen and its familiar gadgets. This is that recipe. To make it, all you need is a knife, a bowl, and some kind of pan—a tart pan, ideally. When you’re without a bowl, you can mix the dough right in the pan, and when you’re without peaches, you can substitute another ripe stone fruit. For added indulgence, top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream.
Crust
1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil or canola oil
¼ cup (60ml) mild olive oil
2 tablespoons whole milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
Filling
¾ cup (150g) sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
3 to 5 small, ripe peaches, or 5 ripe plums, pitted and sliced ½ inch (1.3cm) thick
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). To make the crust, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, milk, and almond extract. Pour into the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork, being careful to not overwork the dough.
3. Place the dough in the center of an 11-inch (28cm) tart pan. Pinch off small pieces and use them to cover the sides of the pan first, then press the rest of the mound of dough outward to the sides. Use the entire pads of your fingers, rather than just the tips, so the dough reaches the edges. It should be about ⅛ inch (3mm) thick all around. Trim and discard any excess dough.
4. To make the filling, combine the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour, the salt, and butter in a small bowl. (If the peaches are especially juicy, add another 1 tablespoon of flour.) Using your fingertips, pinch the butter into the sugar mixture until crumbly; the texture should include both fine granules and small pebbly bits.
5. Starting along the outside edge of the tart crust, arrange the peaches, slightly overlapping, in concentric circles. The peaches should fit snugly. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the peaches.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles begin enveloping the fruit and the crust is slightly brown. Put the pan on a rack and let cool at least briefly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
“Cuppa Cuppa Sticka” Peach and Blueberry Cobbler
SERVES 6 TO 8
Not a traditional two-layer cobbler with fruit on the bottom and a crumble or biscuit on the top, this summer treat is instead, in the words of Kate Williams, the freelance writer and personal chef who created this recipe, a “supremely buttery and moist cake studded with fruit.” Melting the butter directly in the pan instead of mixing it into the batter creates crisp, browned edges and a moist, custardy center—a dish that’s part buckle, part clafoutis, and 100 percent unique. And the name? It comes from the fact that “there’s a ‘cuppa’ self-rising flour, a ‘cuppa’ milk, a ‘cuppa’ sugar, and a ‘sticka’ butter in addition to the fruit and a little vanilla. (It should really have three ‘cuppas’ in the name).” While it’s a wonderful dessert, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you might also serve it at brunch alongside scrambled eggs and fresh juice.
1 cup (125g) self-rising flour
1 cup (200g) sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (110g) unsalted butter
4 peaches, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups/480ml)
¼ cup (40g) blueberries
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk gently until as smooth as possible (a couple of tiny lumps are okay).
3. Put the butter in a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33cm) baking pan and set it in the oven to melt. Once the butter has melted and is starting to bubble, remove the pan from the oven and rotate it to evenly coat the bottom and sides with the butter.
4. Pour the batter into the hot pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Butter will slosh over the sides of the batter; this is a good thing. Scatter the peaches and blueberries evenly over the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is just set and the edges are deep golden brown.
6. Serve the cobbler hot, warm, or at room temperature, or even cold from the fridge.
