Plum Torte

Every year, around the end of August, I will get a basketful of Italian prune plum from a dear friend.  This year would be the last time I get the tree-ripened plums because she won't have access to the tree anymore.  A little sad, yes, because these plums are the best. I love their firm texture and sweet flavor.  I'm saving the rest of the plums that didn't make to the cake in the freezer.

This plum cake is very simple to make but it tastes superb.  The plums turned soft when baked but retained its shaped well.  I don't eat dried prune at all unless it's in a cake but the fresh ones, I will hoard them.  When I bite into a slice, I'm hit with tender crumb surrounding the plums; but the best part was the edges.  They're perfectly crunchy!

I baked this in an 9-inch pan so it was on a thinner side but it didn't affect its appearance.  I enjoy baking a cake like this when it's uncomplicated, can be done in a few hours--just in time of after dinner dessert, and tasty to boot.  This cake has become one of my favorite recipes to bake again and again.

Plum Torte

Serves 8

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
10 to 12 Italian prune plums, pitted and halved lengthwise
Turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld beaters, cream the sugar and butter until very light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the dry ingredients and the eggs all at once and the almond extract, if using, and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice.

Spread the batter into an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan.  Arrange the plum halves, skin side up, on top of the batter in concentric circles.  Sprinkle the batter and fruit lightly with turbinado sugar and cinnamon.

Bake the torte for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes, and then release the spring and let it finish cooling just on the base.  Once it's cool, serve as soon as possible.  Or, you can double-wrap the torte in foil, put it in a sealed plastic bag and freeze (for up to one year).

Note:  to serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost it completely and then reheat it for 5 to 10 minutes in a 300 degrees F oven.


Source:  adapted from Food52

Butternut Squash Bread with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts

Last year when my parents traveled to Indonesia, I had to take care of their house and yard.  I didn't have to do much with the yard though but I had to make sure the plants were watered well and picked a few handful of produce from their vegetable garden.  One day, as I was looking out the window from their living room, I noticed there's a vine that's growing over and around the short hedges lining up the front pathway.  It seemed like a squash plant tried to grow.  My parents and I love kabocha squash very much and there was a talk in the past of planting one or two plants in the vegetable garden.  We just love the sweet and smooth texture of this squash that when it's in season, my mom would buy one or two.  She then would slice it thin, dredged it in tempura batter, and deep-fried it.  That was our afternoon snack, and between us, we could probably eat the whole squash ourselves.  My mom wouldn't choose an overly big one, but she smartly picked the small one.

That plant was growing like weed and there's also one in the backyard, but when I asked my dad about it, he said he actually didn't plant any in the front yard so that was a surprise.  As summer progressed, I watched it bore fruits; the one in the front bore green fruit and the one in the back bore bluish-colored fruit.  From the look of it, one must be blue kuri squash and the other one was kabocha squash.  When my parents came back home, we waited until the stems became corky and the shape went blocky.  My dad loves it plain, steamed, and would eat it with a spoon.  I baked my share until soft and divided the flesh into several freezer bags.  These can be frozen for 3 months.

And here's one way to use up the squash, I made a quick bread with dark chocolate chips, walnuts, and dried cranberries.  I adapted the original recipe by using all-purpose flour instead of wheat flour because that's what I had at home at the time.  This won't last long in my house, everyone would eat slice upon slice with a drink of their choice!

Butternut Squash Bread with Dark Chocolate and Walnuts

Yield 1-9x5 inch loaf


2 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
7.5 ounces peeled, seeded, steamed and pureed kabocha squash
2/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purposed flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 generous teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, plus extra for decorating top
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350 F.  Coat a bread loaf pan with coconut oil or butter, or spray with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugars, cooked/pureed kabocha squash flesh, and oil until smooth.  In a second bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.  Fold in chocolate chips, walnuts, and cranberries.

Fill the prepared loaf pan about three-quarters full with batter.  Gently tap the bottom of the filled pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.  Sprinkle additional walnuts over loaf, using your hand to gently press them into the batter.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing into thick chunks.


Source:  adapted from Breadtopia

Peach Custard Pie

For the last 2 weeks or so we've been eating lots of peaches at home.  We eat them mostly fresh and in smoothie, but of course I have to make them into a dessert.  I've also felt like making pie all summer long, so naturally I looked for pie recipes. 

I have a book called Pie by Ken Haedrich, which is one of my favorite baking books, where I've made several pies previously.  His recipe for basic pie crust uses vegetable shortening which I don't mind at all, but if all-butter crust is preferred, I've made one for my Marionberry pie.  Even though it's for a double crust, one half dough could simply be freeze for up to a month.  The book is pretty extensive in all kinds of pies and has chapters on what to bake with corresponding fruits for each season.

What I think about this pie is that it satisfies both my likes, custard and fresh fruit.  The peaches need to be peeled for this pie which I grumbly did but appreciated when I bit a slice.  The crumb topping gives it a wonderful crunch, without a doubt this is all I want from a summer pie!

Peach Custard Pie

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 recipe Basic Flaky Pie Pastry, Single Crust or store-bought pie crust

Filling:

1 cup full-fat sour cream

3/4 cup sugar

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and thickly sliced

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

If you haven't already, prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin.  Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan, center and peel off the paper.  Tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolks, flour, and vanilla until smooth.  Set aside.  Arrange the peach slices in the chilled pie shell in tight, concentric circles.  You don't have to make it look perfect, just relatively neat.  Slowly and evenly pour the sour cream mixture over the peaches.  Gently shake the pan to help the mixture settle between the peaches.  Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the streusel topping.  Combine the flour, sugar, and butter in a large bowl, tossing to blend. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 400F.  Dump the streusel in the center of the pie, spreading it evenly over the top with your hands.  Tamp it down very gently.  Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward.  Continue to bake until the topping is golden brown, about 25 minutes.  If the top gets too dark, cover with loosely tented aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours.  This pie is supposed to be served cold, but also very good at room temperature or slightly warm.  Once the pie has cooled to room temperature, cover with loosely tented aluminum foil and refrigerate before serving.

Tips: 

• To judge whether the pie is done or not, stick a knife in the center of the pie.  If it comes out clean, the pie is done.
• Try serving it with vanilla ice cream and/or berry sauce.  I tried it with Marionberry sauce, it's very divine!

Source:  adapted from Pie by Ken Haedrich