Peach Buckle

This is one of those perfect summer desserts; not too sweet with a focus on the fruit. It is also a "rustic" dessert, similar to nantucket pies, cobblers, etc., which are my favorite to make during the super hot months because they aren't fussy and are very forgiving. When the thermometer hangs steady in the 90s and at times manages to reach over 100 F, my patience wains. But my need for dessert seems to be directly correlated with the heat - peach buckle to the rescue!

I admit that when I had my first slice, I wished it had been peachier. The only bites that had peach flavor were those with actual peach slices. However the next morning (when I can usually be found having another piece of whatever baked good had been made the day before), the flavors melded beautifully and the whole cake had a delightful peach flavor.

Peach Buckle (adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen)
Note: Make sure your pan is deep enough so when the peaches "buckle" into the batter, it does not over flow. After assembling, there should be space between the top layer and the edge of your pan.

Cake & Filling
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted & browned
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt pinch allspice
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs peaches, skin removed & sliced into wedges

Topping
1/4 cup melted butter (reserved from above)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a large glass baking pan with parchment paper and butter the sides.

2. Melt and brown your butter. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and allspice.

3. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup cooled brown butter, sugar, eggs, and milk. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Spread into your prepared pan.

4. Line the top of the batter with peach wedges. In a separate bowl, combine reserved melted butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon & salt for topping. Sprinkle the topping on top of the peaches.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until topping is browned. Let sit for about 20 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Galette

This is one of those recipes that you can likely make with stuff you already have in your house. Which is really handy when you're having a low-key dinner and want to throw together a tasty treat to make dessert a little more special. It's also great for when you are in New Jersey and don't have access to a car, but still want to make a dessert (as though there's a time I don't want to make a dessert ...)

I used blueberries, but you could just as easily use peaches, nectarines, plums, or really any fruit that's in season. The fruit is the star of the show though, so you should pick one that is at its best.

There are at least a million galette recipes online, but I just used my favorite pie crust recipe and made the blueberry mixture by feel. If you use a store-bought crust, or have an extra in your freezer from a previous batch, this really is the easiest recipe in the world. To make mine a little extra special, I made whipped cream and sprinkled a little lemon zest on top.

Blueberry Galette
Note: If you want to make my pie crust, the recipe is below. If you are using ready-made, you can start here

2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
scant 1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp cold, unsalted butter in small pieces
1 tsp turbanido sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. In a medium bowl, mix blueberries, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and sugar.

2. Transfer the blueberry mixture to the center of your pie crust. Leaving about 1 1/2 inch around the edges. Fold the crust toward the center. Repeat around the entire pie, pleating the crust as you work your way around (see 1st picture for a visual). Sprinkle small pieces of butter of the top of the blueberry center.

3. Brush outside of crust with egg wash and sprinkle with turbanido sugar. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Depending on your oven, you may want to rotate a few times during baking.


Pie Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 sticks, cold unsalted butter
1 cup ice water

1. Put a few ice cubes in your water and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.

2. Cut the butter into cubes and sprinkle over the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter work butter into flour until the dough starts to come together; don't over mix. Once larger clumps start to form, sprinkle a little bit of water over top, 1 tbsp at a time. Err on the dry side, too much water will ruin the dough. Use your hands to bring the dough together.

3. Slice the dough in 1/2 and place each half in plastic wrap. Place the one you want to use in the fridge for 2 hours. The other 1/2 can be frozen for future use.

4. After 2 hours. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Starting in the center of your dough roll away from you. Flour again and turn the dough a 1/4 turn. Repeat until the dough is a bit bigger than your pie pan. Transfer to your pie plate and return to the fridge.

Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding

Ok, this is pretty lame, but I won't be able to post pictures until I make this again, because I failed to bring my camera to New Jersey this past weekend. However (and I think this will help you to forgive me), I just couldn't wait to share this incredibly tasty and SUPER easy recipe.

For those of you who don't live a near Magnolia Bakery, I 1) feel bad for you, but 2) feel it necessary to explain the cult-like following of this banana pudding. Any weekend morning you will find a line out the door of people waiting to pick up their pre-ordered banana pudding. Yeah, it's that good.

So imagine my surprise when I bought the More From Magnolia cookbook and right there on page 113 is the recipe. And to make things even better, its a snap to make. So here you go my friends ... enjoy!

Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding (from More From Magnolia)

1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-o)
3 cups heavy cream
1 12-ounce box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (accept no substitutes)
4 cups sliced ripe bananas

1. In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate over night, or at least for 4 hours.

2. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. (be patient). Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

3. To assemble: select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5 quart capacity. Arrange 1/3 of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then 1/3 of the bananas, and 1/3 of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers on the top layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

I am lemon-obsessed. I've lost count of the number of times that I have passed off a Magnolia Bakery lemon zest muffin as breakfast and I baked this lemon olive oil cake last week just because I wanted a snack. Also, lemonade has pretty much replaced water and diet coke in my life.

This cake lasted less than a day in our house. Tom and I basically split it down the middle and before 24 hours had passed, we had taken care of our respective shares. (I ate more than 1/2 for those keep score at home).

It was so light, thanks to the gorgeous egg whites. And the crunchy bits of turbinado sugar on top are perfect. AND, there's no butter! This is usually a sin in my kitchen, because it typically means that shortening has been used (yuck), but here, the light olive oil is really a stunning compliment to the lemon. Be sure to use a light bodied olive oil, so the flavor doesn't overpower your lemons.


And to celebrate my birthday (which was yesterday), Tom got me yet another lemon treat from Magnolia. This time, a lemon layer cake with tart lemon cream filling and lemon meringue buttercream icing. Seriously, I may turn into a lemon by the end of the month.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake (from Epicurious)
1 cup cake flour
zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup light olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a round cake pan or spring-form pan. Cover the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper.

2. Mix together flour and lemon zest. Set aside.

3. Beat yolks and sugar on high for about 3 minutes; until very light and fluffy. Reduce speed and slowly add in olive oil and lemon juice. Using a spoon or spatula stir in flour/zest mixture until just combined.

4. Carefully wash and dry your beaters. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Slowly add in 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until soft peaks form; about 3 minutes.

5. Gently fold egg whites into batter. Pour into your prepared pan. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Blueberry & Peach Cobbler and Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad

Hanging out with good friends is truly enough for me to enjoy myself. But throw in an awesome wood-fire grill, fresh veggies from the garden, and a setting that is reminiscent of Jane Austen's England and I'm in heaven. Seriously. If I didn't have these pictures to prove it, I may have thought I dreamed the whole thing up.

Speaking of heaven, the Blueberry & Peach cobbler is one of those desserts that I will think about from time to time for the rest of my life. Another of these is the sour orange pie from Palo Santo. But this one may be better for the simple reason that I can make it any time I like. And even when I make the trek out to Brooklyn, there's no guarantee that the sour orange pie will be on the menu... in fact, it's only been on offer that one time and has subsequently become a holy-grail of sorts for me.
The true delight of the dessert is the dumpling topping. Crumbly, not too sweet, fall-apart and melt in your mouth, with just a bit of juices from the fruit soaked into the bottom of each one. Oh man, I might have to go make this again right now....

The roasted carrot and avocado really couldn't be easier, but you should be picky about your ingredients, since their flavors are left almost completely alone. The cobbler definitely benefits from ripe (delicious, juicy) peaches and blueberries. But you could use frozen just as easily.


Blueberry & Peach Cobbler Adapted (barely) from The Homesick Texan

For the topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup, plus 1 tbsp. heavy cream

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds peaches
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 9-inch cake pan.

2. Peel the peaches by cutting an X at both ends of each peach. Add them to a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, scoop out, rinse with cold water and then peel off the skin. Slice the peaches and remove the pits.

3. To make the topping, in a bowl mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon. With knives, work the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it’s crumbly. There isn't any real liquid at this point, so the mixture will still be quite dry. Stir in the heavy cream until all ingredients are combined. The dough will be pretty sticky, if it's not add another tablespoon of heavy cream.

4. Place the peaches and blueberries into the greased cake pan. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon the batter on top and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.


Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad from Smitten Kitchen

1 pound carrots, scrubbed or peeled and cut into two-inch, angled segments
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 an avocado, pitted and sliced
Juice of half a lemon

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the carrot chunks in a medium bowl with two tablespoons of the olive oil, cumin and a hearty helping of salt and pepper.

2. Spread the carrots on a roasting sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender and browned. Of course, roasting time will vary depending on the thickness of your carrots.

3. Once the carrots are roasted, place them on a serving platter with slices of avocado on top. Drizzle the salad with the last tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice and extra salt and pepper, if it needs it. Eat immediately.

Summery Orzo Salad with Shrimp & Easy Edamame Dip

"It's all part of the adventure" is something my mother always says when things don't go exactly as planned. Which is precisely what happened in the kitchen when she and I set out to make dinner on Friday night.

I was in Pennsylvania visiting my parents and it was hot. Very, very hot. So the thought of making anything on the "let's bake this" list that I had emailed a few days earlier was simply too ridiculous to entertain. We were sweating just sitting there sipping ice water, who could possibly turn the oven up to 350 for an extended period of time? So it was on to plan B. Except we didn't have one of those... oops.

As my mind wandered to what I wished I was eating, one of my favorite simple dishes from Kefi, a greek restaurant on the upper west side, popped into my head. Orzo, with some shrimp, feta cheese, a light tomato sauce and spinach. It's a perfect summer meal and I was determined. To supplement, we also decided to make this edamame dip that I've been dreaming about since eating it at my in-laws' 4th of July party.

At this point, with our newly minted plan, we went shopping. But quickly met more difficulties, when we realized that brown miso doesn't exist in Swarthmore, PA, nor apparently does chili paste. And when I discovered that the closest thing my mother has to a food processor is a food mill, I was basically ready to toss aside my apron and get a hamburger from Nifty Fifties.

But we persevered in the face of culinary adversity and were rewarded with a light, lemony and refreshing dinner and an evening cool enough to enjoy outside. This is a great summer meal with enough left over for lunch the next day. And as usual, my mother was right. "It's all part of the adventure."

Summery Orzo with Shrimp inspired by Kefi

1/2 lb Orzo
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs Shrimp
4 scallions, chopped
2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup spinach
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3/4 lb. feta cheese, crumbled

1. Cook the orzo to package instructions, about 9 to 11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Steam shrimp in a medium saucepan with the lid on until just pink. Do not overcook.

3. Meanwhile, add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

4. In a large bowl, combine orzo, dressing mixture, and shrimp. Mix to coat the pasta.

5. Gently steam spinach (about 3 minutes in a small pot with a lid), until just wilted.

6. Add the spinach, tomatoes, scallions, and feta to the pasta. Mix and set aside until cooled. Serve at room temperature.

Edamame Dip adapted (out of necessity) from Alton Brown

12 ounces shelled, cooked edamame
1/4 of a medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
5 tbsp. olive oil

1. Place edamame, onion, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. (Here we used a food mill with the largest-holed blade. If you have a food processor, do yourself a favor and use it.)

2. Process for a total of 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.

3. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once the oil has been added, scrape down the bowl and process for another 5 seconds.

4. Serve with toast points or crispy pita chips. Or do what I did and eat it with a spoon.

Curry Chicken Wraps

We have been in money saving mode for well over a year now. Tom and I just got married in April and as of August both of us will be in school, so it goes without saying that we have to be super smart with all of our purchases.

One of the upsides of this is that it necessitates planning out our meals for the week and shopping ahead of time. It has also inspired a lot of creativity, because while I am not going to spend a ton of money on any one dinner, I refuse to compromise on flavor.

I've been hearing every day for the last couple weeks at least that Tom is really craving Indian food, which is totally understandable in my book. I can eat shrimp vindaloo any night of the week. But going out is not part of our budget at the moment, so I was really excited when I found this super simple Ina Garten recipe for Curry Chicken Wraps.

I used the recipe almost verbatim, really just opting for boneless/skinless chicken breast and omitting a few ingredients because I always prefer simple sandwiches or wraps to those that have a ton of different flavors and textures going on.

A definite bonus of this recipe is that all of your work can be done before hand, so dinner was literally spooning the chicken mixture onto the tortillas and rolling it up. Any meal that elicits a "this is the best thing you've ever made" is a-ok in my book. Especially one that is this easy!


Curry Chicken Wraps adapted from Ina Garten
**Note, since posting, I have adapted the amount of "sauce" because it was really too much for the amount of chicken. The change is reflected below.

1 1/2 lbs skinless chicken breast
olive oil salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup mango chutney
3/4 cups light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsps. curry powder
1 tsps. coarse salt
2 scallions, chopped

1 cup whole salted-roasted cashews, chopped
6 tortillas

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place the chicken on the sheet pan and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Cook the chicken for 20 to 30 minutes, until just done. Set aside until cool enough to touch. Using a knife and fork, shred the chicken.

3. In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, chutney, curry powder, and coarse salt. Process until smooth.

4. Combine the chicken with the dressing. Add the scallions and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

5. Once ready to eat, add the cashews to the chicken mixture. Fill the center of each tortilla. Fold the 2 sides of the tortilla over the filling so that the sides overlap. Roll the tortilla from bottom to top, and cut in half diagonally.