In my family, one of the ways we express our love for one another is through food. The recipes in this chapter really epitomize that sentiment for me.
Included in this chapter are desserts that will warm up you and your loved ones from the inside out. I love serving
Apple Crisp,
Bread Pudding, or
Old-Fashioned Baked Rice Pudding to my husband and son, Dakota, on chilly fall nights. For me, providing these warm dishes and filling the house with comforting aromas in the process is just another way of saying, “I love you.”
Even though there’s no need to warm up in the summertime, for me, the more fruit-based recipes in this chapter are the summer equivalent of comfort foods.
Peach-Blueberry Cobbler and
Strawberry Shortcake share that same special homegrown quality that makes the warmer recipes in this chapter so appealing.
I am a firm believer that food should not only taste good—it should make you and those you love feel good, too. There’s no doubt that the lovin’ spoonfuls in this chapter do exactly that.
My grandmother’s dear friend Della shared her family’s apple crisp recipe with my grandmother many, many years ago. Since then, it’s become my family’s go- to apple crisp recipe as well. This version of apple crisp is simple but perfect, incorporating just the right amount of spices and heft to make this classic treat sing. Apple crisp is best when served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Makes one 9 × 9-inch pan of crisp; approximately 8 servings
Level: Easy
Filling
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
8 to 10 Cortland, Granny Smith, or Crispin apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
Topping
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, slightly softened
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 × 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
To prepare the filling, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg,
and flour. Place the apples in a large bowl and pour the dry ingredients over them.
Toss the apples to evenly coat. Spoon the apples into the prepared baking dish.
To prepare the topping, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is the size of peas. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple filling.
Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and put the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake the crisp for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking for about another 30 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and crisp and the apples are tender when tested with a knife.
Allow the apple crisp to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Apple Crisp can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days when covered tightly with plastic wrap.
Blueberry-Blackberry Turnovers
Although most of us automatically associate turnovers with apples, there’s no need to limit them to this single fruit. Great for either breakfast or dessert, not only are Blueberry-Blackberry Turnovers unique and easy to make, but you will also have the pleasure of seeing a look of delighted surprise cross the faces of your friends and family members when they bite into this turnover and find fresh berries. At the height of summer when blackberries and blueberries are abundant, just purchase some puff pastry from your local grocery store and you’re ready to go. This recipe also works well with apples, blueberries, or a combination of strawberries and rhubarb. To experiment, just use the recipe for your favorite fruit pie filling and divide it among the turnovers as explained here.
Makes 4 turnovers
Level: Easy
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
2 cups fresh blackberries, washed and dried
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
4 6 × 6-inch puff pastry squares, thawed
2 tablespoons salted butter, divided into 4 pieces
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To prepare the filling, in a medium bowl, whisk together ¾ cup of the sugar, the
flour, and the cinnamon. Add the blueberries and blackberries and gently toss them with the dry ingredients until the berries are completely coated.
To prepare the egg wash, crack the eggs into a small bowl, add the water, and whisk. Set the egg wash aside.
On the lined baking sheet, place the 4 puff pastry squares at least 2 inches apart. Spoon 1 cup of the berry mixture into the middle of each of the 4 puff pastry squares. Dot each batch of fruit filling with 1 of the butter pieces. Using a pastry brush, brush the 2 opposite corners of the puff pastry with the egg wash. Turn both corners inward so that they meet in the middle of the berries. Make sure that the 2 corners are pinched together well so they don’t come apart while baking. Brush the entire surface of the turnovers with the egg wash. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup sugar across the 4 turnovers.
Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the turnovers are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
Blueberry-Blackberry Turnovers are best served the same day or can be warmed in the oven for 5 minutes at 350°F before serving. I like to serve turnovers topped off with
Whipped Cream or vanilla ice cream.
Bread Pudding is one of those time-tested comfort foods that stirs up a sense of nostalgia. It’s a simple but satisfying treat that doesn’t require much more than basic ingredients you likely have on hand in your kitchen. It’s a great way to use up leftover bread, since day-old bread will absorb better than fresh bread will.
There are so many variations of bread pudding, but I’ve found that most of my customers favor a raisin medley with dried cranberries. You can easily substitute chopped apples or even pears for the raisins and cranberries. If you want your guests to think you slaved away for hours on this dessert, drizzle my vanilla sauce over the bread pudding before serving. I prefer my bread pudding slightly warmed with the vanilla sauce, but I know others who prefer it cold. If you run out of time, you can even serve this bread pudding warmed and drizzled with some heavy cream. That’s the beauty of this dish: Anything goes!
Makes 8 servings
Level: Easy
Bread Pudding
10 cups day-old bread cubes (I prefer challah, but any white bread or soft dinner roll will work)
5 cups whole milk, warmed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup raisin medley (a mixture of dark and golden raisins)
1 cup dried cranberries
8 large eggs, beaten
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter
¾ cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
Place the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Pour the warm milk over the bread and stir so that the bread absorbs the milk.
In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add the raisins and dried cranberries to the dry mixture and toss until they are evenly coated. Add the beaten eggs to the raisin mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the raisin mixture to the bread, folding it in so that it’s evenly combined throughout the baking dish.
To bake, place the baking dish in a water bath (see
Why Use a Water Bath?) on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the bread is slightly puffed and the top is dry to the touch. Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it set for at least 15 minutes before serving.
In the meantime, make the vanilla sauce if using. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir and heat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream until the butter is melted and all of the ingredients are combined. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn off the heat.
Serve the bread pudding in individual dishes or bowls garnished with the vanilla sauce.
Bread Pudding can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days when wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
If you love pie but want to try something a bit different, Peach-Blueberry Cobbler is the way to go. Like pies, cobblers are comprised of a fruit filling and top crust (in this case lattice-style); the difference is that the fruit filling in cobblers is inserted directly into the baking dish, without a pie shell. For me, peaches and blueberries perfectly capture the essence of summer, but this is another one of those recipes where you should feel free to mix it up and experiment. If you choose to do this, I recommend selecting whatever fruits happen to be the ripest and most flavorful at any given time: Perhaps you may want to give raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries a whirl. For an extra treat, serve this cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream.
Makes 8 servings
Level: Moderate
6 cups peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced into ½-inch slices (8 to 10 peaches)
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8 × 8-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, gently mix together the peaches and blueberries. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the fruit and gently mix again. Set the fruit aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the sugar, the tapioca, the cornstarch, the brown sugar, and the salt. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the peaches and blueberries and toss gently until the fruit is covered. Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish. Set the dish aside.
Lightly sprinkle a rolling surface with flour, making sure that the entire surface is covered. Roll out the pie dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a sharp knife or a pastry wheel, cut the dough into ¾-inch strips. Place the strips over the top of the fruit, lattice-style, so that the edges of the strips meet the edges of the baking dish. Ultimately, you want to create a checkerboard effect, with the lattice strips placed both vertically and horizontally across the fruit, weaving the dough strips in and out in an over-under pattern. Trim any edges of extra dough hanging over the baking dish so that the lattice strips are flush with the sides of the dish. Brush the lattice top with the heavy cream and sprinkle the remaining ⅛ cup of sugar over the top.
Place the cobbler on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Remove the cobbler from the oven and place the dish on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Peach-Blueberry Cobbler can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days or stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Old-Fashioned Baked Rice Pudding
My father-in-law, Doug, inspired this rice pudding recipe; both he and my husband, Kelly, swear that this is the only traditional way to make it. Before meeting the Stuarts, I always thought of rice pudding as a creamy stovetop treat, but they are adamant that it must be baked, which makes for a denser pudding. All it took was one taste of Doug’s baked rice pudding to sway me over to their camp. My family prefers rice pudding with raisins, which are included in this recipe. You can feel free to omit the raisins altogether or substitute them with your favorite dried fruit (I particularly like dried blueberries and dried cherries). I recommend using Arborio rice, as the shorter grain makes for a creamy texture. Rice pudding can be served either warm or cold, depending upon your preference. Garnish it with
Whipped Cream or heavy cream to add that extra special touch.
Makes 5 cups
Level: Moderate
3 cups rice (preferably Arborio rice)
3 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon salted butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins (optional)
4 eggs
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup half-and-half
To prepare the rice, follow the rice cooking directions, except you will omit the water and instead use the whole milk. Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, the butter, and the salt. Cook according to the directions, until the rice is tender.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Stir the nutmeg and cinnamon into the rice. If you are adding raisins, stir them in. Allow the rice to cool.
When the rice has cooled, in a large oven-safe bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of the sugar, the heavy cream, the half-and-half, and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Once all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined, add the seasoned rice to the bowl and stir until the rice is evenly coated.
To bake, place the bowl in a water bath on the middle rack of the oven and bake the rice pudding for 25 minutes. Remove the bowl from the oven and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of sugar over the top of the rice pudding. Continue to bake for about 25 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean.
Allow the rice pudding to cool before serving or storing it in the refrigerator.
Old-Fashioned Baked Rice Pudding can be refrigerated for 3 days when covered tightly in plastic wrap.
Why Use a Water Bath?Water baths are used to ensure delicate foods are not overcooked during the baking process. Creating a water bath is very simple: Just place the pan containing your baked good into a larger baking pan. Pour enough water into the larger pan to come about halfway up the sides of the smaller pan. Surrounding the smaller pan with water ensures that the temperature of the baked good is insulated, since the water temperature will not rise above 212°F. This means the sides of the smaller pan will not be exposed to high heat, yet the middle of the baked good will cook through. This ultimately provides a smooth, even texture and guards against any curdling.
Over the years I’ve found that I simply can’t stock enough strawberry shortcake to satisfy farmer’s market customers. At the height of summer, when fresh strawberries are at their sweetest, it seems there is an almost insatiable desire for this fresh, light treat comprised of strawberries, homemade biscuit, and whipped cream. In this version, the strawberries are macerated in Grand Marnier, a liqueur that carries hints of orange. Note that for best results Strawberry Shortcake should be served immediately.
Makes 7 strawberry shortcakes
Level: Moderate
¾ cup sugar
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
⅓ cup whole milk
1 egg
8 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, plus 7 strawberries (for garnish)
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or to taste)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To prepare the biscuits, in a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the sugar, the flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Using a pastry blender, cut the vegetable shortening into the dry mixture until the shortening is the size of peas. Add the
milk and egg and use your fingertips to gently and gradually form the dough into a ball. Separate the dough into ¼-cup sections and roll them into individual balls, then flatten them into a biscuit shape using your palm. Place them at least 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet, as the dough will expand in the oven.
To bake the biscuits, place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the biscuits turn golden brown and are firm in the middle. Allow the biscuits to cool completely (for about 20 minutes) before assembling the shortcake.
You can prepare the strawberries while the biscuits are baking. In a medium bowl, using a pastry blender, mash the strawberries with the remaining ½ cup sugar until the strawberries are in small pieces and there are lots of juices. Add the Grand Marnier and mix well. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow the strawberry mixture to sit while the biscuits bake and cool.
To assemble the shortcake, cut 1 biscuit in half. Place the bottom half of the biscuit on an individual serving dish or bowl and scoop ¾ cup of the strawberry mixture on top of the biscuit half. Place the second half of the biscuit on top of the strawberries. Top the biscuit with a large dollop of whipped cream. Garnish the whipped cream with a strawberry and serve immediately.
