Peach and Blueberry Pie

Yes, more blueberries and peaches! Can't get enough.  The thing with buying a big basket of peaches is you have to wait for days until they ripen, and then you can't eat them fast enough before they spoil.
Oh well - guess I have to make another pie!

This was probably my best pie crust ever....I'm not sure what I did differently this time....(or what I didn't do) or maybe practice makes perfect.

Peach and Blueberry Pie 

filling
1 pint fresh blueberries
5 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
juice from 1/2 lemon or 1 tbsp lemon juice

pastry
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
4-6 tbsp ice cold water

Rinse the blueberries and set aside.  To make the
pastry, sift 2 cups all purpose flour into a medium bowl, then add cubes of shortening.  Using a pastry cutter, combine flour and shortening together. Add 4 tbsp ice cold water, and continue to blend.  Add more water as necessary (1 -2 tbsp) to create the right consistency of dough.   It should be slightly sticky and crumbly at the same time.  Using your hands, gather dough into a ball, touching as little as possible (dough needs to stay cold). Separate dough into two halves, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.



When dough has chilled, take one half and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.   Flip into a pie plate and put into the fridge to chill.   Add the sugar, flour, and lemon juice to the blueberries and peach slices and mix gently until covered in the sugar/flour mixture.  Remove pie crust from fridge and pour fruit mixture into crust.  Remove the second half of pastry and roll out onto a lightly floured surface. Flip on top of pie and pinch together.  Brush lightly with an egg wash, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees for another 30 minutes or until nicely browned and fruit is bubbling out the sides. 

Blueberry Pie with Lattice Pie Crust

Blueberry Pie, Blueberry Pie, if I can't get some, I think I'm going to die....sorry Dennis,  I am sure that alligator is mighty tasty, but I will take blueberry every time.  Blueberry pie is my all-time favourite.  So how is it that I have never once tried to make it myself?  High time.

Blueberry Pie

filling
5 cups or 2 1/2 pints fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
juice from 1/2 lemon or 1 tbsp lemon juice

pastry
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
3/4 vegetable shortening
4-6 tbsp ice cold water

Rinse the blueberries and set aside.  To make the pastry, sift 2 cups all purpose flour into a medium bowl, then add cubes of shortening.  Using a pastry cutter, combine flour and shortening together. Add 4 tbsp ice cold water, and continue to blend.  Add more water as necessary (1 -2 tbsp) to create the right consistency of dough.   It should be slightly sticky and crumbly at the same time.  Using your hands, gather dough into a ball, touching as little as possible (dough needs to stay cold). Separate dough into 2/3 and 1/3 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.

When dough has chilled, take the 2/3 disc and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.   Flip into a pie plate and put into the freezer to chill.   Add the sugar, flour, and lemon juice to the blueberries and mix gently until blueberries are covered in the sugar/flour mixture.  Remove pie crust from freezer and pour blueberries into crust.

Roll out the 1/3 disc of pastry on a lightly floured surface.  To make a lattice top, cut the dough into strips using a pizza cutter.  Lay 5 strips of dough over the pie - longest in the middle, and shortest on the far sides. Roll back the 2nd and 4th strips, and place a shorter strip perpendicular.  Roll the 2nd and 4th strips back over the pie, and roll back the 1st, 3rd, and 5th strips.  Place the next horizontal strip on the pie and roll the 1st, 3rd, and 5th strips back, and so on, until the whole pie is covered.  This website is a great resource:  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_a_lattice_top_for_a_pie_crust/

Brush the pastry with egg wash before baking for a golden brown crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  Turn oven temperature down to 375 and bake for a further 30  minutes or until pie crust is evenly brown and blueberries are bubbling over the edges.  Don't forget to put a cookie sheet underneath to catch the drips!

Cool pie before serving if you want your pie to be less runny, otherwise, slightly cool and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Peach Blueberry Crisp

All kinds of fruit crisps are delicious, but Peach and Blueberry crisp is my all time favourite combination.  Especially in August - when both are in season in southern Ontario.  This also has to be one of the quickest and easiest summer desserts around...be sure to have vanilla ice cream on hand!

Peach Blueberry Crisp

2/3 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp flour*
1/3 cup cold cubed butter
5 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh

*Gluten free baking mix can be used instead, or omit the flour all together.

To peel the peaches
Boil 1 litre of water and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Cut a small x in the bottom of each peach  and immerse peaches in the boiling water for up to 5 minutes.  When you are ready to peel, dunk each peach in a bowl of cold water so it is cool enough to handle, and stops the peach flesh from cooking. The peel should literally fall away from the flesh with a gentle push. Tip - only use ripe peaches....it is NOT fun to try to peel the skin off unripe peaches. Boiling water does little to help.

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar in a medium bowl.   Add cold cubed butter and mix with your hands, breaking up the butter bits as you go.  The butter bits should end up the size of peas.

Slice peaches into a 8 or 9 inch pan.  Add blueberries evenly over top.  Take about 1/4 cup of the crisp topping and mix into the fruit.  Spread the rest evenly over top, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is crispy and fruit is bubbling out at the sides.

Crisp vs. Crumble....When is it a crisp? When is it a crumble?  I have no idea what the experts say, but in my humble opinion, if you have a hard, buttery crust on top - it is a crisp.  If you have a softer, lumpier, oatmeal and brown sugar streusel like topping - it is a crumble.

What do you think?

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins

It's here, it's finally here - blueberry season, what else?  So many blueberries, so little time.  First up, a recipe from the impossible to disappoint Joy the Baker.  I meant to try this one out last summer and never managed it.  And these need to be made with fresh berries.  These are easy, and so so good.  I don't know if it was the browned butter or the streusel topping but these are irresistible, and best fresh out of the oven.

I actually only had 1 cup berries left - so I tweaked the below recipe and made 8 muffins - and they are already all gone.  I left out the extra egg yolk (shhh!) and I also substituted the milk with half and half with a tidbit of water.  It's all good.  It's Saturday morning and we forgot to buy milk.

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Joy the Baker

7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg

1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

Streusel Topping
3 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until little brown specks appear in the pan. Watch it closely - seriously.  The butter will be crackling and sizzling, but this will subside and the butter will begin to brown. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

Combine milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl. Once butter has cooled a bit, add it and stir.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add the milk and butter mixture all at once and continue to stir.  Gently fold in the blueberries.  Divide the batter among muffin cups. Batter will be quite thick.

For the streusel topping combine butter, flour, and sugar and crumble with your fingers. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the cups.  Be generous. It's tasty.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes (or 25 if you bake it at 350 because you didn't read the recipe properly).  

Enjoy warm, with hot coffee, the paper, and a little dog snuggling on your lap. 

Pretty In Pink: Vanilla Ombre Birthday Cake

I was waiting for the perfect excuse to try out this beautiful cake...Happy Birthday Mom!

Pink Ombre Birthday Cake
recipe from Chatelaine, tips from Java Cupcake

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour                            
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

2/3 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
pink gel food colouring

Icing
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
pink gel food colouring

Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 3 8-in. round cake pans* and line bottoms with parchment.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a
separate bowl, cream softened butter together with granulated sugar using a hand mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.  Add one-third of flour mixture, then add half the milk. Repeat, ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter into 3 bowls (about 1 1/3 cup each). Set 1 portion aside (do not colour). Using a toothpick or cake tester, add a tiny amount of gel food colouring to one bowl, and slightly more to the third bowl.  Add more, bit by bit, until desired colours are reached.  Pour each into a cake pan. 

Bake in centre of oven until a cake tester inserted in centre of cakes comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes.  Cool in pans on a rack for 10 min, then turn cakes out onto rack. Remove parchment. Cool completely, about 30 min.

Icing

Cream 1 cup butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium.  Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup icing sugar. Beat for 1 min. Reduce speed and beat in remaining sugar in 3 parts, alternating with milk (in 2 parts) and ending with sugar. Beat on medium-high, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until fluffy and smooth, 1 to 2 min.

Assemble cake by setting the darkest pink layer on a cake stand.  Spread with 1/2 cup icing. Continue with remaining layers and icing, with white layer on top. Spread a thin layer of icing on sides and top of cake. This is called the crumb coat, and makes the ombre icing easier to apply.  Refrigerate until icing is firm, about 15 min.

Divide remaining icing into 3 bowls. Set 1 portion aside (do not colour). Using a toothpick or cake tester, add a tiny amount of gel food colouring to one bowl, and slightly more to the third bowl.  Add more, bit by bit, until desired colours are reached.  Spread the darkest pink icing around the bottom half of the cake. Spread the next-darkest shade of icing on the top half.  Spread white icing on top of the cake. With a spatula or icing knife, smooth the side of the cake, slightly merging the two colours of pink icing.  Smooth the top white icing over the edges, merging slightly with the lighter pink icing. 

*Original recipe calls for 4 round 6in pans, and 4 colours of cake and icing.  I couldn't find any 6in pans, so used 3 9 in pans.  If you are hoping for a big splashy sort of cake, I would recommend doubling the recipe as my cake layers came out quite thin. 

Doughnuts!

I have a weakness for sprinkle doughnuts......especially Hawaiian ones. You know, the vanilla yeast ones with white icing and the rainbow sprinkles.....apparently the addition of rainbow sprinkles makes anything Hawaiian.

I bought this doughnut pan a few weeks ago and finally got around to trying it out.

I googled some baked cake doughnut recipes - found one that sounded ok, made a few adjustments and hoped for the best.  I wasn't actually all that confident as I was spooning the batter into the pan, but.....These. Are. Amazing. Result is a light, fluffy cake doughnut with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg.

The sad fact of the matter is I didn't plan in advance to make doughnuts at 5pm on a Sunday so I didn't  have any rainbow sprinkles....gasp.  But I did have a multitude of other types of sugary sprinkley bits so pink and yellow it was, and they are darn pretty.  Next time, rainbow, next time.  And there will be a next time, these were so good.  I have to try chocolate ones next, and then pumpkin glazed, and then......

Doughnuts
slightly adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup and 2 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk or cream

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 tsp butter or margarine

Glaze

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp hot water 

Makes 6 doughnuts - simply double the recipe for a dozen. 

Grease a doughnut pan and preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir in milk or cream, egg, vanilla and butter or margarine.  If the batter is too thick, add 1-2 more tbsp of milk, or if using cream, 1-2 tbsp of cold water. 

Spoon equally into 6 doughnut cups - mixture will be thick and sticky.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until doughnut spring back when touched.  Cool for a few minutes before turning doughnuts out of pan onto a rack.                     

For glaze, mix together icing sugar and water until desired consistency is reached.  Once doughnuts are cool, dip in glaze and then into sprinkles or sugar. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

Happy July!  Whether you live in Canada or the United States, this is a week of summer festivities.  My parents traditionally host a Canada Day BBQ and this year I wanted to make something with strawberries.  I almost made a strawberry rhubarb crisp, but that kind of felt like cheating or slacking somehow.  Then I considered my Heavenly Strawberry Rhubarb pie, but some of the guests avoid dairy, so that wouldn't work. I settled on a crumble topped pie with a butter crust.  Never having attempted a butter crust before - no time like the present!

In the end, it turned out well (at least, my small sliver was tasty) and every last scrap was demolished. The consensus was that while this was delicious, the family favourite continues to be the Heavenly pie. The butter crust was different....I think I might have to try it out at least once more, but it was less fluffy and light than a crust made with shortening.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
slightly adapted from Joy the Baker

Butter Pastry Crust
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar

I was only able to snag this sad
picture of the last remaining sliver...

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup plus 1 to 2 tbsp cold buttermilk

Filling
2 cups rhubarb, sliced into small pieces
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt

Crumble Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup white sugar
large pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

Crust
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and, using your
fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture. Create a well in the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk. Mix together with a fork.  Add more buttermilk bit by bit as needed - the mixture should be moist but not wet.  Form a ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Roll out the pie crust on a well floured surface and place into a 9 inch pie pan.  Trim edges and make it all pretty.  Refrigerate for another 30-60 minutes. This is a good time to make the filling and topping.

Filling
Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, cornstarch and salt in a bowl and mix until the fruit is covered in the sugar and cornstarch mixture. It will start making its own juice.  (The original recipe calls for lemon juice, I didn't have any and didn't notice anything amiss).

Crumble Topping:
Combine flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter chunks and incorporate by hand, breaking down the chunks into smaller bits and pieces.   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Once the pie crust is chilled, mix a half cup of the crumble topping into the fruit mixture and fill the crust.  Top with the rest of the crumble topping.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown and pie juices are bubbling around the edges.
Make sure to place a baking sheet underneath the pie to catch the drips!

Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.  Store covered in the fridge.

Can you spot my dog's little feet?