Berry and Peach Cobbler

Berry and peach cobbler. 

Today I had fresh blueberries, fresh strawberries, fresh blackberries, and fresh peaches.  The perfect combination for a berry and peach cobbler.  I chose a recipe from one of my favorite dessert cookbooks, Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts by Alice Medrich.  Her recipes are just that, sinfully easy to make.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
6 cups of berries (one kind of berry or a medley of berries) plus I added some peaches not called for
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar

Ready for the oven to cook the fruit.  

For the topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal *
3 tablespoons sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used Trader Joe's

To make the filling: Mix the berries with the flour and sugar in the baking dish.  I dotted with a few bit of butter, although the recipe didn't call for this.  Place the dish in a 350 degree preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the mixture is bubbling at the edges.

Into the oven with the topping added. 

When the filling is ready, drop clumps of dough (each about a heaping tablespoon) all over the top of the fruit.  Turn the oven heat up to 400 degrees and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the filling is bubbling vigorously in the center and the topping is browned.  Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Out of the oven and the aroma is terrific. 

Ready to eat.  So good. 

* The cornmeal gives a great little crunch to the topping.  I'll have to remember that.

Virginia's Cookbooks: Rhubarb Pie

I've been going through the cookbooks that I inherited from my friend Virginia, and I found this very unusual recipe for rhubarb pie.  Rhubarb is a favorite of mine whether in a pie, a crisp, or a beverage.  This recipe seemed so simple, and frankly, I was a bit wary of it considering the few ingredients it contained.

I had only one slice.  A friend was here and I shared. 

It was so easy, and it was delicious.  However, next time, I shall use about two full cups of rhubarb, because I thought it was a tad too sweet and the extra rhubarb should add enough tartness to counteract the sweetness.  

Virginia's Cookbooks : Accidental Baklava

Virginia's Cookbooks

I recently inherited a number of my friend Virginia's cookbooks.  I had actually been purging some of my own cookbooks, but when I had an opportunity to become the proud owner of Virginia's cookbooks I immediately made room for hers on my bookcase.  What a fun time I am having reading through these.  I think I have mentioned that I actually like to read cookbooks and imagine all the wonderful dishes that can be made.  I'm planning on making one recipe from each of her cookbooks over the next few months.  

I'll make room for Virginia's cookbooks

Since I had some phyllo dough on hand, I perused her book Phyllo until I found just what I wanted to make.  The recipe I was trying to make were these Caramel-Pecan slice cookies.  Following the recipe, I brought 3/4 cup of honey, 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to boil until the mixture reached 240F on a candy thermometer (which I did not have) or until the mixture formed the softball stage when a small amount is poured into a cup of cold water. I thought it had reached that stage so I removed it and added 2 tsp of vanilla and 12 oz of pecans, coarsely chopped.  The mixture even after cooling never did firm up where you could form it into long ropes per the recipe.  But I thought this is about the consistency for making Baklava.  

Caramel-Pecan cookies. 

Boiling until mixture reaches softball stage. 

Add pecans and cool.  

Made Baklava instead.  

That's how I made my very first batch of Baklava.  It turned out really well if I do say so. But it was an accident because I didn't set out to make Baklava in the beginning.  But, all's well that ends well.