Triple-Berry Pie with Pecan Crumb Topping

When I went picking a couple of weeks ago, I saw that tayberries were still available and Marionberries were beginning to ripen.  I decided to pick just a few cups thinking that I'd make berry pies.  I had in mind a pie with crumb toppings after making a double-crust pie already.

So here's what I made with those berries, a triple-berry pie with blueberries, tayberries and Marionberries.  I fell in love with tayberries this summer.  The flavor is more delicate that the other blackberry variety; it's said to have a floral and aromatic flavor.  It's a little bit too late to make jam from tayberry this year but I vow to try it next year.  I'm already thinking of infusing the jam with tea.

My family loves this triple-berry pie because apparently the combo works!  The crumb topping has crunchy pecan and toothsome oats.  Often I have too much crumb topping but I usually put them in a bag and freeze them until I need them again.  Good thing I have a few 4-inch tart pans lined with leftover pie crusts that I stored in the freezer.  The blueberries got made into these little pans with lemon zest, the juice, a few teaspoons of cornstarch, some sprinkling of cinnamon and some sugar.  The tart baked quicker than the whole pie and it's equally as good!

The bottom picture is what my individual blueberry tart looks like.  They're gone in a couple of days!

My advice is to stock up with whipped cream or ice cream to eat these various pies/tarts in the summer!  No wonder I can't store anything else more important in my fridge! :D

Triple-Berry Pie with Pecan Crumb Topping

Serves 8 to 10


1 dough (makes single piecrust) from All-Butter Piecrust, refrigerated


For Filling:
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/4 cups fresh Marionberries
1 1/2 cups fresh tayberries
1/2 cup sugar--taste your berries, if they're particularly sour, add more sugar.  I personally like less sweet of filling
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

For Pecan Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats


Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.  Drape the dough onto the rolling pin and invert it into a 9-inch pie pan.  Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching in.  Trim the edges and fold under.  Crimp edges decoratively.  Place in the freezer while you're readying the filling and crumb topping.

Combine the berries in a large bowl.  Fold in sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.  Mix cornstarch, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl.  Pour into the filling and stir.  Set aside.

Blend flour, grown sugar and salt in a food processor.  Add butter; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles fine moist clumps.  Add pecans and oats.  Using on/off turns, do a few turn just until nuts and oats are combined.

Take the pie crust and fill it with berry mixture, smooth the mixture with a spoon.  Sprinkle pecan topping evenly over the fruits.  Mound it in the center a bit but do not overfill.  I like just enough crumbs to about 1/4-inch thick around the edges, perhaps.  Freeze the remaining crumbs for the next pie project.

Bake pie at bottom rack for 25-30 minutes.  If necessary, place an old baking pan on the oven floor to catch the juice overflowing from the pie.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F.  Continue baking until topping is brown and juices bubble thickly, about 30-40 minutes.  If necessary, tent the topping with foil if it browns too fast.  Cool pie on rack 1 hour.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Deep-Dish Blackberry-Peach Double-Crust Pie

I have a feeling time goes faster than I'd like it to be.  It's two more weeks until Labor Day weekend; after that school will start and I will go back to my regular work.  I really like summer time because there's time to be with family and go on an outing.  It'll be kind of sad when September rolls over.

For most of days, I've time to bake with what's available in season.  There are several recipes that I've tried but not all will make it to this blog.  There's a chocolate zucchini cake which was a disappointment, a fermented cassava cake which was still to be perfected, but most of the pies I did will be shared here though.  This is one of them, when the peaches were plenty and blackberries hung by a handful.

Each pie slice is a burst of juicy blackberries and sweet peaches and I love it when I can successfully cut a perfect pie slice--pat myself on the back.  We topped our pies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, hmmm...I wish I still had that slice.

Deep-Dish Blackberry-Peach Double-Crust Pie

Make 8 to 10 servings

Double Crust Pie Pastry:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:

6 to 8 small to medium-size ripe peaches
4 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Glaze:
Milk or light cream
Sugar


To make the double crust pastry:
In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt.  Add butter, pulse a few time.  Add shortening, pulse until the mixture forms into lima bean-size pieces.  Add half of the ice water, pulse again.  Then add the last half of ice water, pulse until the mixture starts to clump and look moist.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into two balls; one ball should be slightly larger than the other; this will be the bottom crust.  Flatten each into a disk with the heel of your hand.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated at least an hour or overnight before rolling.

Once ready, take out the bottom crust disk; allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Liberally flour the work surface and roll the pastry into a 13 1/2-inch circle.  Gently fold the pastry into the rolling pin and invert pastry over a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan.  Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and let the overhang drape over the edge.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

To make the filling:
Blanch, peel, and slice the peaches into a large measuring cup; you'll need 4 cups.  Combine the sliced peaches, blackberries, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl.  Toss well to combine and set aside for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar with the cornstarch.  Stir the mixture into the fruit along with the nutmeg, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.  Take out the smaller disk of pastry and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out the top crust pastry onto a floured surface to a 11 1/2-inch circle.  Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell.  Smooth the fruit with a spoon and dot with the butter.  Lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell.  Invert the top pastry over the filling.  Press the top and bottom pastries together along the dampened edge.  Trim the pastry with scissors or a paring knife, leaving an even 1/2-inch overhang all around, then sculpt the overhang into an upstanding ridge.  Slash the top of the pie with a knife to allow steam to escape.  Brush top crust all over with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for for 30 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degree F and rotate the pie 180 degrees.  Just in case, slide a large aluminum foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any drips.  Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly at the steam vents and the top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.  If the top starts to get too dark, cover it with loosely tented aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.


Source:  Pie by Ken Haedrich

Peaches and Cream Pie

I'm at my happiest when the peach is in season.  Here in Oregon, it is usually a short season and once it is picked tree-ripened, it will not last too long.  I get my peaches from a family friend and every year I will not want to miss their juicy and sweet peaches.  Every year in July, I will come home with at least 20 pounds of peaches.  A third will be freeze for making smoothie, another third will be for fresh consumption, and the last third will usually become dessert.

This is one the desserts that I chose to make when the first batch of peaches arrive.  I'm also a sucker for custard dessert so even if this type of pie isn't in trend anymore, I will still make it.  The creamy filling has the smooth peach puree, while the top is decorated with chopped fresh peaches.  And as an added decoration, lightly sweetened whipped cream frost the edges of the pie.  It is an optional item so I'll leave it up to you.

The hard thing to do with this pie is the waiting time.  It needs to set for at least 3 hours before we can eat it, so the anticipation is building up.  It doesn't disappoint, I promise.

Peaches and Cream Pie

Makes 8 servings


1 9-inch graham cracker crust pie shell

Filling:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
4 large ripe peaches
2 1/2 cups (approximately) light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Extra cream to make whipped cream, optional

In a medium non aluminum saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt; do not heat.  Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat well with a whisk.  Peel and slice 2 of the peaches, dropping them into a 2- to 4-cup measure.  Pour enough cream into the cup to get an even 2-cup measurement.  Pour the cream and peaches into a blender and puree.  Pour the puree into another non aluminum saucepan, add 1 more cup of the light cream and heat gently, just until hot to the touch.  Remove from the heat.

Whisk a ladleful of the heated mixture into the egg yolks.  Stir this into the saucepan with the dry ingredients and turn the heat on low.  Gradually add the rest of the liquid, stirring almost constantly and slowly increasing the heat to medium.

When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat down a little and cook, stirring, until quite thick, about 3 minutes; get your spoon into the bottom crease of the pan so it doesn't stick or burn there.  Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the vanilla and then the butter, several small pieces at a time, waiting until it melts to add more.  Press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the filling so it doesn't form a skin.  Cool for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, assemble the pie.  Peel and slice the remaining peaches, cut them into small cubes.  Ladle the filling into the pie shell, then drop cubed peaches on top, press lightly to submerged the fruits.  Let the pie cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover loosely with a foil tent; it should touch the pie's surface.  If desired, frost the pie's edges with sweetened whipped cream.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.


Source:  adapted from Country Baking by Ken Haedrich

Raspberry Mousse Pie

I hope it's not too late to post a raspberry related dessert?  I made this when my aunt and her friend were staying with us so we have a large group to help polish off the pie.  Both of them liked the pie very much and complimented me for choosing it to end the meal.  But I thanked Martha Stewart for providing us with the recipe.  The raspberries were very fresh because I U-picked them at the same week.  Big, juicy, local raspberries are the best!

Raspberry Mousse Pie

Serves 12


Nonstick cooking spray
7 graham crackers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
 21/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin (from one 1/4-ounce packet)
5 cups fresh raspberries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup plus 2 tabelspoons sugar
2 cups cold heavy cream


Lightly coat a 9-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.  Arrange graham crackers in an even layer in pan, breaking them to fit as necessary.  Place lemon juice in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelatin.  Let sit until gelatin softens, 3 minutes.  In a blender, puree 2 cups raspberries until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed.  Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, pressing on solids (you should have about 1 cup of puree); discard solids.

In a small saucepan, combine raspberry puree and 1/2 cup sugar over medium. Cook until bubbles form at edge.  Add gelatin mixture and cook, stirring constantly, just until gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute.  Transfer mixture to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature, 20 minutes.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream and 2 tablespoons sugar on medium-high until firm peaks form, about 4 minutes.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold in raspberry puree mixture until combined.  Pour over graham crackers.  Smooth top with an offset spatula and arrange 3 cups raspberries on top.  Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours (or up to overnight).

Using parchment, gently lift pie out of pan and place on a serving plate.  Peel away parchment from sides of pie; trim excess paper with scissors or a sharp knife.  Cut into 12 pieces to serve.


Source:  Martha Stewart

Tomato and Dijon Tart with Parmesan and Basil Crust

I think everyone agrees that this season's harvest is exceptional.  Summer produce is ripe at alarming rate and the sheer number of yields can be overwhelming.  What to do with hundreds of zucchinis, tomatoes, green beans?  Will there an end to cucumbers and peppers?  I like to tell people that for every garden, one can only have 1 zucchini plant!  But, really, seeing those wonderful produce is heartening and eating is naturally more enjoyable with the freshest local fruits and vegetables.

Here's a recipe to help you use the over abundant tomatoes.  It's a tart that with an addition of basil leaves and Parmesan emanates aromatic, sweet and cheesy.  The combo works well with tomatoes and savory custard filling.

Tomato and Dijon Tart with Parmesan and Basil Crust

Serves 6-8


For the dough:
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
10 basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg

For the filling:
3-4 ripe, medium tomatoes, all of similar size and shape, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2/3 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup creme fraiche
2 large eggs
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


To make the dough:  Process the flour, Parmesan, butter, basil leaves, and salt together in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine green bread crumbs.  Add the egg and 1 tablespoon cold water, and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.  Add a little extra water if needed.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to a large circle about 1/8-inch thick and use to line the tart pan, making sure it overlaps the sides.  Trim all but 1/2-inch of the overhanging dough.  Prick the bottom with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with baking beans.  Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until the dough is lightly cooked.  Remove the beans and paper, and bake for another 5 minutes to crisp.  Trim off any ragged edges while still warm.  Reduce the heat to 350F.

For the filling:  Place the tomatoes in an overlapping circle around the edge of the tart.  Fill the center with a smaller circle of tomato slices.  Scatter the chopped parsley over the tomatoes.  Whisk together the half-and-half, creme fraiche, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Place the tart back on a baking sheet and carefully pour the cream mixture over the tomatoes.  Scatter the grated Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden on top and the filling has just set.  Set the tart aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before eating warm or cold.  This is best eaten the day it is made.


Source:  adapted from Pies: Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton

Blackberry Kahlua Cream Tart

Ah...blackberries.  I hate them when they're growing on or near my property because they'll take over everything.  I hate them for having such sharp thorns that go deep into the skin when I cut the branches that come from the neighbor's property over my fence.

But, come summer, when the fruits are ripe and juicy and sweet, then I love them.  The fruits are deep black and so easy to pick.  And what's best is that they're free, as long as I have time to pick.  This tart was made because my husband suggested one day that we went and picked blackberries in the neighborhood.  Anytime I can spend time together with him, however short, will be a good time.  So we traipsed about in one walking trail not far from home; there's someone kindly enough to clear a path around the thick bushes making it easy for us to gather the fruits.  It took us about half an hour to gather about 4 cups of fruits and we came home happy.

I love the flavor and texture of this tart; cool and smooth seedless blackberry puree that sits on top of shortbread-like crust with billowy whipped cream topping.  What's not to like?

Blackberry Kahlua Cream Tart

Makes 10 servings

1 10-inch Tart Pastry shell, fully baked--recipe follows.  I used a rectangular tart pan instead of an 10-inch round tart pan

Blackberry Puree

4 cups fresh blackberries (save some for decorations on top of the tart)

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Kahlua Whipping Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons Kahlua

Cool the tart shell thoroughly on a rack.  Transfer the shell to a large, flat plate or platter, cover with foil, and refrigerate.

To make the blackberry puree, process the blackberries in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, working and pushing it with a spoon so you end up with as much seedless puree as possible; you should be left with close to 2 cups of puree.

Put the puree into a non-aluminum saucepan.  Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir it, along with the lemon zest, into the puree.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Hold it at a low boil for 1 minute, stirring, then scrape it into a glass casserole or pie pan and place it in the fridge to cool.  Once it has cooled, scrape it into the tart shell, evening it with a fork.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

When you are just about ready to assemble the tart, put the beaters and whipping cream bowl in the freezer.  Once they're chilled, beat the cream until it almost holds soft peaks, then add the sugar and Kahlua.  Beat until good and firm, but don't let it get grainy.  Spread the whipped cream over the puree and arrange a few blackberries here and there if you saved some out.  Slice and serve right away or hold in the fridge, covered for up to several hours.

Tart Pastry

Makes 1 10-inch tart shell

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons (approximately) cold water

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.  Add the butter and cut it in until the mixture resembles very small crumbs, with all the flour having been dampened by the fat; it should be actually be starting to clump together without the water.  At that point add the cold water, a teaspoon at a time, tossing and compacting the mixture with a fork until the dough coheres.

When the dough coheres, knead it once in the bowl to distribute the butter, then flatten it on a sheet of plastic wrap into a disk about 1/2 inch thick.  Wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before rolling.  

To roll the dough:  Put the dough on a sheet of lightly floured wax paper.  Lightly flour the top of the dough, then roll it into a circle 13 to 13 1/2 inches in diameter.  Carefully invert the dough over the pan and tuck the dough down into the pan without stretching it.  Trim the dough off flush with the top of the pan.  Cover and refrigerate until baking.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line the shell with foil and tuck in into the pastry.  Pour dried beans or pie weights into the foil.  Place the weighted shell in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully lift the foil out of the pan with the beans still in it.  Pierce the bottom of shell several times with a fork and put the shell back in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.  

Source: adapted from Country Baking by Ken Haedrich

Marionberry Pie

I'm back blogging after being absent for a while.  I was away on a vacation to California the last week of June and was back in town just before the 4th of July to enjoy it at home.  As usual, fireworks were being deployed in the front yard by a happy teen and the performance was highly encouraged by his parents and grandparents.  I'm glad to be back home again; the vacation was normally a satisfying break from daily grind because we got to spend time as a family together, saw friends and family member, and enjoyed unfamiliar scenery.  

Summer has been a gorgeous season here in Oregon.  While we're away the temperature stayed in the upper 90's to sometime 100's.  As a result the fruits have been bountiful and I got to enjoy plenty of Oregon berries.  I've canned strawberries and raspberries as jams and doled out a few jars to a friend and family member in California.  After I went back home I looked for farm that has U-pick Marionberry as I seldom pick these in the summer.  Weird, huh, because these are supposed to be the berry of Oregon, the native child of the state.  There's one farm out in Beaverton that has U-pick Marionberry, which my son and I went to last weekend, called Hoffman Farm.  It was bit of a drive but it was beautiful out in the country.  We got still plentiful of berries despite the long and thorny vines that we had to avoid.  We also picked some blackberries and raspberries though they're almost out mostly because the heat baked them on the vines.  

I managed to make jam from these beauty and still have leftover.  I then decided to try a pie using filling that's prepared with a different method.  I've used Clear Jel from making canned pie filling before and I decided to utilize it again this time.  Berry pie filling always has lots of water in it that by using Clear Jel I can avoid overly runny filling.  The crust is all-butter crust which smells yummy during baking time.  In the end, even if the filling is still a bit runny, the crust collapse here and there, it's still a delicious pie that's even better with whipped cream or ice cream.

So here is my hard-earned prize after a hard-worked day of picking berries!

Marionberry Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons ice water

Cut butter into 1" pieces.  Chill it while you measure other ingredients.  Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the butter and toss until coated.  Using your fingers and palms, work the butter into smaller, irregular pieces, moving quickly and aggressively, so it stays cold.  You want some pieces pressed flat and thin and others that are larger and chunkier.

Combine the vinegar and ice water in a small cup.  Drizzle the liquid over the flour mixture, running your fingers through the flour as go to evenly distribute.  Knead in the bowl until the dough starts to hold together.  It will still look a little dry, but resist the urge to add more water; excess liquid can lead to a tough dough.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface (no extra flour needed) and smash with the heels of your hands a few more times, working in any shaggy edges.  You should still see large-ish pieces of butter and maybe a dry spot here and there.

Cut dough in half.  Press each half into a 1"-inch thick disk and wrap in plastic.  Chill at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days) to firm up the butter and allow the dough to hydrate.

While the dough chills, make the filling.

Marionberry Pie Filling

Makes 4 cups

3 1/2 cups Marionberries

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Clear Jel

1 1/3 cups cold water

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place sugar and Clear Jel in a large saucepan, whisk to combine thoroughly.  Tip in the water and boil the mixture over medium high heat; stirring constantly.  Cook until the mixture begins to thicken.  It will turn from the milky white color to a clear color.  Once the mixture thickens, add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute; stirring constantly.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add in the berries.  Don't over stir, just fold them well.

Continue with making of the pie:  Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round (about 1/4" thick).  Slide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill while you roll out remaining dough to a rectangle, measuring 8" x 14" to make lattice top.  Cut this dough on the long side into strips, each strip measuring 2" x 14".  You want the strips to be a bit longer than the diameter of the pie round.  Any excess strip can be cut with scissors later.  Slide strips onto parchment-lined baking sheet and chill.

Transfer the round dough into a pie dish; lift up edges to allow dough to slump down into dish.  Scrape in the filling.  Beat in 1 large egg with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.  Brush outer edge of bottom dough with half of the egg wash; then weave lattice strips over filling.  Cut excess strips and press each strip to the edges.  Fold over the rest of the dough that's hanging out on the dish.  Brush pie with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons demerara or granulated sugar.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set pie dish on top.  Bake pie until crust is deep golden brown on top and bottom and juices are bubbling, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil loosely.  Let the pie cool at least 4 hours before slicing.

Sources adapted from:

Bon Appetit, June 2015 (Pie Crust)

The Creative Home, July 2011 (Pie Filling)

Blueberry-Coconut Crumb Bars

Here's another post about blueberries but don't look away because these bars are so good that you'll want to make it now, especially when the blueberries season will end soon.  

I sneaked in some coconut in the bar because I wanted to have extra texture in the crumb, and also because I had leftover coconut in the fridge.  I think I made the best decision to include coconut in the recipe.  The bars have a hint of coconut, sweet and lemony blueberry taste with buttery crunch top and bottom.  They are good warm, straight after baking, but also delicious cold.  Make sure to store bars in the refrigerator to keep the texture crisp.  They will keep for a few days.  

Blueberry-Coconut Crumb Bars

Makes 24

Bars:

3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

½ cup sweetened grated coconut

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for pan

1 large egg

Filling:

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 cups fresh blueberries (about 12 ounces)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, overhanging edges to serve as handles.  Lightly butter foil.

For bars:  In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and coconut until combined.  Add butter pieces and egg; pulse until dough resembles crumbly wet sand.  Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

For filling:  In a medium bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch.  Gently fold in berries and lemon juice.  Spread blueberry mixture evenly over crust, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges.  Crumble remaining dough over berries.

Bake for 40 minutes, until top is golden brown and crust is firm.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Use foil handles to lift bars from pan.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cover and store in refrigerator.

Source:  adapted from Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook

Peach Melba Shortcakes

I had a great day yesterday.  It's my birthday and I got to spend it with my favorite people in the world: my family.  I received two candles from my son, who obviously picked the gifts with his dad since dad knew about  it.  I didn't know how they pulled it off this year, bought gifts without my knowledge and completely surprised me.  Next year my son suggested that I give him a list of gifts I'd like to get so he'll know what to buy for me.  Great idea!

And I want to declare that I absolutely will have peaches every time my birthday comes around.  The peaches this year are plentiful, flavorful, and super juicy.  Twice I bought peaches from my son's friend's orchard.  His parents own a peach orchard in Canby and they grow great peaches.  Early in July I bought a handful which we ate and ate.  Just last weekend I bought some more, this time I poached some, froze some, and left a bunch in the fridge to eat fresh.  

I didn't intentionally make this shortcake for my birthday but it might as well be my birthday cake since I have plentiful left.  I made a genoise cake base instead of using biscuits for shortcakes.  I then poached the peaches using sugar water and vanilla bean to give it a flavor.  Honestly, it's a bit of work poaching peaches because I had to peel them first.  The lazier method will be to just cut the peaches and macerate them with peach schnapps.  But in the end, those poached peaches taste so good that I didn't mind doing it again if I have to.  The raspberry sauce is simple; it's simply done by crushing fresh raspberries, which then got strained to remove the seeds.  I made just enough sugar water to incorporate the crushed raspberries with it; a little lemon juice is added to it to give a nice finish.  

To serve these shortcakes in Mason jars, I grabbed a few small and different size jars.  The components were layered until full;  these were ready right away or could be stored in the fridge for a few hours.  Everybody got his/her own serving of shortcake and it's sooo good!

Don't they look adorable in the jar like that?  Pretty enough to be a birthday cake!    

Peach Melba Shortcakes

Makes one 9- x 13-inch cake

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for buttering the dish

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Poached peaches:

12 medium firm-ripe peaches

2 ⅔ cups sugar

4 cups water

1 piece vanilla bean

Raspberry sauce:

1 (12-oz.) package frozen raspberries (not in syrup), thawed

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the shortcake:  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Generously butter a 9- x 13-inch glass baking dish.  Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the milk until frothy.  Add the 1 ⅓ cups of granulated sugar; beat at high speed until the mixture is thick and pale, 7 minutes.

In a bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.  Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture; fold in the melted butter until incorporated.  Spread the batter in the prepared dish; bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until golden.  Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Make the poached peaches:  Cut a shallow X in bottom of each peach with a sharp paring knife and immerse fruit in a 6-quart heavy pot (preferably wide) of boiling water 30 seconds, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.  Transfer peaches to a cutting board and peel, starting with cut end, then cut in half, discarding pits.

Combined sugar and water in cleaned pot.  Halve vanilla bean lengthwise with a paring knife and scrape seeds into pot, then add pod and bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Add peaches, pitted sides down to sugar syrup, then reduce heat and poach, covered at a bare simmer 6 minutes.  Turn peaches over and continue to poach, covered, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes more.

Cool peaches in poaching liquid in pot, uncovered, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Make the raspberry sauce (while peaches are cooling):  Force raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids.

Combine sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan.  Cover pan (so condensation will wash any sugar crystals down side of pan) and bring to a boil, then remove lid and boil 2 minutes.

Immediately stir sugar syrup into raspberry puree and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.  Stir in lemon juice.

When ready to serve the shortcakes, whip the cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a bowl until firm.  

To serve shortcakes in jars:   I used some 8-oz. and 4-oz. jars, but you can also use a bigger jar.   You just have to add more layer into it.  Cut the cake into small squares, enough so they can fit into the jars.  Cut the peaches the same size as the cake squares.  Add these on top of the cake.  Drizzle some raspberry sauce.  Spoon some whipped cream onto the sauce.  Repeat the process until you reach the top of jar.  Ideally, you'll want the whipped cream to be on the top layer.  Garnish with some diced or sliced peaches and drizzle more raspberry sauce.  This recipe will make quite a bit shortcakes in jars; I didn't use all for it, instead we ate the rest like regular shortcakes.  Simply cut the cake into bigger squares and serve with sliced peaches, whipped cream, and raspberry sauce.

Fresh blueberries

My son and I picked two bowlful of blueberries from my parents' backyard. And today, we made pancakes for breakfast with the blueberries. Truly, happiness is picking blueberries.

Twice-Baked Sour Cherry Pie

Happy Independence Day!  I hope you all get to eat good food today ;)  I'm making this sour cherry pie because my son and I picked sour cherry and sweet cherry a few days ago.  We went to an orchard in Sherwood on a hot day which I kinda regret it but it's the only day of this week that I could go and I really wanted to make this pie for today.  Cherries are starting to show up in the market and anywhere; sour cherries have a short season so don't miss it while it's available.  We didn't end up with too much of cherries, but it's enough to munch, for pie filling, and for freezing.  I also put cherries in my smoothies, oh, it's so good!  

The technique in pre-baking the crust is slightly different than what I used to make.  The crust is baked all the way in the beginning and then it's baked again with the filling.  You just have to watch out the rims of the crust that it doesn't get too dark.  I normally place a pie shield once I notice it starting to go brown.  This crust stays crisp after baking, which I really like; the filling's sweetness level is just right and the flavor is good.  I also had fun making stars for the upper crust.  Since it's the 4th of July, it's only fitting that stars decorate my pie today :)

Twice-Baked Sour Cherry Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, more for rolling out dough

⅜ teaspoon kosher salt

15 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces

1 cup sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons instant tapioca

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 pounds sour cherries (about 6 cups), rinsed and pitted

1 tablespoon kirsch or brandy

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

To make dough:  In bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour and salt just to combine.  Add butter and pulse until chickpea-size pieces form.  Add 3 to 6 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until mixture just comes together.  Separate dough into 2 disks, one using ⅔ of dough, the other using the remaining.  Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days) before rolling out and baking.

Heat oven to 425F.  Place larger dough disk on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12-inch circle, about ⅜-inch thick.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.  Line dough with foil and weigh it down with pie weights.  Bake until crust is light golden brown, about 30 minutes.

While pie crust is baking, prepare filling.  In bowl of a food processor, combine sugar, tapioca, and cinnamon (use more tapioca if you prefer a thicker, more solid filling, and less if you like a looser, juicier filling).  Run the motor until tapioca is finely ground.  Place cherries in a bowl and add sugar and tapioca mixture.  Drizzle in kirsch or brandy and toss gently to combine.

When pie crust is ready, transfer it to a wire rack to cool slightly and reduce heat to 375F.  Remove foil and weights.  Scrape cherry filling to pie crust.

Place smaller disk of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it ⅜-inch thick.  Use a star cookie cutter (or several star cookie cutters of different sizes) to cut out stars of dough.  Arrange stars on top of cherry filling in a pattern of your choice.

Brush top crust with cream and sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar.  Bake until crust is dark golden brown and filling begins to bubble, 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours, allowing filling to set before serving.

 Source:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/dining/23apperex.html?ref=dining

Strawberry-Yogurt Panna Cotta

It's strawberry season here in Oregon and one thing that's has kept everyone waiting is the arrival of Hood strawberries. Hood is one of Oregon strawberry varieties that produces a deep red color and very sweet taste.  Its season is very short so time to pick or buy is right now.  Since it's highly perishable, the sooner you eat them the better.

I had a chance to go to Unger Farms in Cornelius last Saturday and picked quite a load of strawberries under the glorious summery sun.  Its size were ranging from quite small to large, but what's irresistible was the color and the taste.  It was deep red all the way through and smackingly sweet and juicy, and these batches from this farm are superb.  Right away I processed most of the berries for freezing because I want to have a steady supply until winter, and the rest were divided into jams and for eating.  My family loves having homemade strawberry jam at hand and I make sure those jams will last till next summer.  Some people like making freezer jam because it's much easier than doing regular jam, but sadly, I don't own an extra freestanding freezer.  My freezer in the fridge is always full of something else, possibly food.

It's been a while since I made panna cotta, and I thought this recipe fit what I wanted to make with the strawberries.  I wanted something cold but creamy and tasted like strawberries, yet I didn't want to make ice cream because there's not an inch spared in my freezer anymore.  I was captivated by the pinky hue of the panna cotta and you know panna cotta can feel luxurious in the mouth if made softer.  So here is the recipe, I'm hoping you'll be able to make it before the season is over.

Strawberry-Yogurt Panna Cotta

Makes 6 1/2-cup servings



4 cups roughly chopped fresh strawberries

2 1/4 teaspoons powdered gelatin

1 cup cream

1/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt

1/4 teaspoon rosewater

Pinch salt

Strawberry slices, to serve



Puree the strawberries in a blender of food processor and pour them through a fine-mesh sieve.  You should be left with approximately 1 1/2 cups liquid.  Sprinkle the gelatin over this strawberry juice in a wide, shallow bowl.  Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to soften.

Warm the cream and sugar in a 2-quart or larger saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn down the heat and whisk in the strawberry juice and gelatin.  Whisk thoroughly over low heat until the gelatin has completely dissolved.  Taste to check sweetness; if necessary, add more sugar.  Turn off the heat and whisk in the yogurt, rosewater; if using, and salt.

Divide this mixture among six ramekins or dessert glasses.  Cover the glasses lightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the panna cotta and let it set for at least 2 hours--but preferably overnight, especially if you plan to unmold it.  The panna cotta can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.  Serve garnished with strawberry slice.

Note:  To unmold panna cotta easily, grease the ramekins or dessert glasses very lightly with flavorless vegetable oil, then wipe most of the toil out with a clean paper towel.

Source:  Bakeless Sweet by Faith Durand