Peach cobbler.

Yours, your mom’s, Cracker Barrel’s, Hardee’s…

Which is “real?”

STOP RIGHT THERE. Put your spoon down, your hands at your sides, and listen.

The Recipe Police have left the building.

There are those who swear a true cobbler can only be topped with a rolled pie crust. Others say biscuit dough – rolled, or plopped – is “correct.”

Still other bakers claim cake batter poured over the fruit, so that fruit and cake become a cohesive whole as the cobbler bakes, is the “right” way to do it.

And I say – WHATEVER. As in, whatever makes you happy, tastes good, and floats your boat.

History tells us that cobbler was first mentioned in print – at least in this country – in the early 1800s. The crust of choice back then? A “thick paste.” Well, that’s revelatory.

Further research leads me to believe that one thing common to cobblers down the decades is the thickness of the crust on top. None of this delicate, flaky 1/4”-thick stuff; cobbler is topped with something substantial, either biscuit dough, or a thick pie crust.

The following recipe is made not with a thick pie or biscuit crust, but with a topping of cubed bread. It’s the fastest, EASIEST way to hot, bubbly peaches with crust on top.

But is it “peach cobbler?”

Well, uh, hmmm…

I plead the Fifth!

If you’re willing to cast aside long-held assumptions about what constitutes authentic cobbler, give this Too Easy Peach Cobbler recipe a try.

First, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Choose your pan: a 9” pie plate; or a 9” round cake pan, or 8” square pan.

The pie plate should be at least 1 1/2” deep; the cake or square pans, a minimum of 2” deep.

Let’s start with the peaches. You’ll need 6 to 7 medium-sized peaches (2 pounds), peeled and sliced, OR 2 large (1 pound, 15 ounce) cans sliced peaches, drained. Or two 1-pound bags of frozen peaches, thawed; which is what I’m using here.

These peach slices were super-large, so I pulsed them briefly in a food processor, to cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Add 1/4 cup Pie Filling Enhancer to the peaches. I love this enhancer for all kinds of fruit fillings. With starch for thickening, a bit of sugar for sweetness, and a touch of ascorbic acid for color and a flavor-boosting citrus note, it does wonders for pies and crisps featuring apples or pears, berries, or stone fruits.

Can you make this cobbler without Pie Filling Enhancer?

Sure. The filling will just be thinner. Feel free to use your own thickener (flour, tapioca, etc.), if desired.

Spoon the filling into your chosen pan.

Next – bread for the topping. Use a firm, moist, sandwich-type bread, for best results. King Arthur’s Classic White Bread is my go-to loaf.

You’ll need 3 to 5 slices of bread, depending on how tall your loaf is. Your goal is about 4 cups (5 ounces) bread cubes. No need to remove the crusts.

Pour the bread cubes onto the filling.

Distribute evenly, pressing down gently.

Next, the topping that brings this dish together.

Put the following in a bowl:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix to make a thick syrup.

Drizzle over the bread cubes.

Yes, there’s a lot, and it may run over a bit. That’s why I’ve set the pie plate on a piece of parchment.

Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon, if desired.

Bake the cobbler in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes…

…until it’s golden brown.

Remove it from the oven; the juices should be bubbling.

Serve it hot or warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Or with plain heavy cream. Ah, peaches & cream…

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Too Easy Peach Cobbler.

Ah, fast and easy – two of my favorite words!

Especially in the heart of summer, when there are a million things to do outside.

Like mow the lawn, take a bike ride, or simply sit on the deck with a cold drink and some homemade salsa and chips.

And then, there’s berry picking. This is the time of year when raspberries and blueberries and blackberries, some growing wild, some at the local farm, await my arrival, bowl in hand.

All I need is time – a limited commodity. In order to spend more time outdoors, I spend less in the kitchen – not an unhappy prospect, given the weeks of temperatures in the 90s we’ve experienced this summer.

Still, I can’t give up on dessert. “Sweet nothings” in my house have more to do with easy desserts, than with anything whispered in my ear.

And the fastest, easiest dessert I’ve come up with this summer is this simple Fast & Easy Blueberry Bread Pudding, cooked in the microwave.

MICROWAVE, you say? Absolutely. Read on…

Let’s start with a 1/2” slice of soft sandwich bread. Our Classic Sandwich Bread is, well… classic!

Butter the bread, and sprinkle it with cinnamon-sugar.

Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes – 1/2” to 3/4” is good.

Next, mix the following in a measuring cup or small bowl:

1 large egg
1/3 cup milk or half & half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons sugar; use the greater amount of sugar if your blueberries are tart

Layer the buttered bread with the berries in a microwave-safe bowl. Pick a bowl large enough to leave room for expansion.

Frankly, this bowl wasn’t QUITE big enough. You’ll see why in a minute.

Pour the milk mixture over the bread and berries.

Hmmm, looking kind of full. As you can see at the bottom, some of the milk has already overflowed.

Well, let’s see this through to the end.

Microwave the pudding for 2 minutes, uncovered. At what power? Not sure; our microwave only seems to have one level. But 2 minutes should be safe to start.

Whoops! Lucky I planned ahead and set the dish onto a plate to catch any spills.

Check and see if the pudding is still liquid. If it is, microwave in 30-second bursts, till pudding is cooked all the way to the center; the very center can still look a bit uncooked, but it shouldn’t be liquid.

Remove from the microwave. Yup, this dish was definitely too small.

This is what you call a “rustic” presentation. Rustic is a great all-purpose adjective for when things get a little messy.

Garnish with fresh berries, if desired. Serve warm; whipped cream or ice cream are always welcome.

Can you make this with raspberries and oatmeal bread? How about chopped peaches and whole wheat? Can you NOT spread the bread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar?

Yes, yes, and yes.

This recipe is nothing if not versatile – it’s as much technique and inspiration as anything else. Go wherever your imagination takes you…

A few comments: If you have time, pour the milk/egg over the bread and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes before microwaving. This will make a softer, “creamier” pudding.

Also, when you cook the berries in the pudding, they release their juice. Some testers liked this; some thought it looked messy. If you don’t want purple juice in your pudding, cook it without berries, then garnish with berries after it’s cooked.

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Fast & Easy Blueberry Bread Pudding.

WOW! Is this ridiculously decadent looking, or what?!

OK, it’s not chocolate. But at this time of year, with fresh raspberries and blueberries clustered in abundance on bushes, it’s time to bring berries into your baking repertoire.

Berries… and bread.

The classic summer pudding, a simple concoction of sweetened berries and bread, was devised by the English back in the 19th century, for people who wanted something that tasted richer than it actually was – aside from any fat in the bread, this dessert is fat-free. And it’s chilled, rather than baked – making it perfect for hot summer days.

The following recipe comes from our King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. Which – you read it here first! – is being issued in a special commemorative edition this fall, 20 years after it was first published.

What makes this new edition special? It’s in its ORIGINAL 3-ring binder format, for those of you who’ve always coveted this easy-to-use style of cookbook.

Plus, for Baker’s Catalogue customers only, we’ve added a 20-page, full-color booklet of some of our favorite recipes developed over the past 20 years, since the publication of the original book.

You’ll be able to pre-order this classic book online beginning next week.

OK, back to the kitchen. Let’s make Summer Pudding.

First, choose a 1 1/2-quart bowl. I chose one of our Wisconsin bowls – 7” diameter, 3 3/4” tall.

Start with about 6 to 8 slices of nice, firm white bread, about 1/2” thick. My favorite is King Arthur’s Classic White Bread, pictured here.

Cut the crusts off; a pair of scissors allows you to trim precisely, taking just the brown part, and leaving the white.

Can you leave the crusts on? Sure. They won’t soften as much and the pudding may have tough spots; up to you.

Next, you’re going to line your bowl with bread.

I used a big biscuit cutter to cut a circle for the bottom of the bowl.

Like this.

Set aside 1 slice to use as a lid. Use the other slices to cover as much of the inside of the bowl as possible, trimming the top so it’s flush.

Good enough. Don’t recycle the trimmings yet – you may need them for the top.

On to the filling.

Combine 2 pounds fresh or frozen unsweetened berries (about 6 1/2 to 7 cups) with 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Leave berries whole or, in the case of large strawberries, cut them in pieces. I’m using a combination of frozen raspberries and blueberries here, a 1-pound bag of each.

Heat the berries with the sugar over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the juice of the berries starts to flow.

Pour the fruit mixture into the bread-lined bowl.

It should come to within about 1/2” of the top.

Use the reserved slice of bread, and any trimmings, to cover the berries.

Cover with plastic wrap.

Place a small plate, one that’ll just fit inside the bowl rim, on top of the plastic wrap.

Weigh it down with something heavy (a can of beans, a jar filled with water) to force the juices up into the top layer of bread. Place in a pan to catch any potential spills, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.

The juices will seep into the bread, turning it a lovely color, and the fruit will set somewhat.

Just before serving, remove the plastic wrap, and turn the bowl over onto a serving plate.

Carefully remove the bowl.

Cut out wedges to serve.

Yes, it’ll be messy – and delicious. Top with whipped cream, or yogurt sweetened with a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar.

And there you have it – bread, berries, and a classic English summer pudding.

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Summer Pudding.

Doesn’t the mere mention of Baked Alaska make you think of tuxedos, gowns, lobster, and crystal flutes of champagne?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a baker say “Gee, it’s rainy and I’d love to whip up a warm batch of Baked Alaska” or ” The cookout is this weekend, I think I’ll bring Baked Alaska”. It just doesn’t mesh. UNTIL NOW!

True Baked Alaska is a special occasion treat, as the preparation is quite involved. You need to bake a sponge cake base and soak it with spirit-laden simple syrup. You then line a deep bowl with the cake, pack in the softened ice cream (usually two flavors), and finish with more cake. The cake is frozen for several hours, then topped with a meringue and broiled until the meringue is browned. Sometimes alcohol is poured over the whole Alaska flambé style, and lit for presentation tableside. No wonder so many people have never had this amazing dessert – it’s a labor of love for sure!

My fellow KAF bakers Susan Reid and Allison Furbish published a wonderful step-by-step recipe for traditional Baked Alaska  in the Summer 2010 issue of our newsletter, The Baking Sheet. So many times we all say “great minds think alike” and it’s too true in this case. Just around the same time, I had started thinking about an easy version of Baked Alaska to satisfy my craving for toasted meringue.

Enter the Baked Alaska Cookie! I knew I wanted a recipe for individual servings, more golden brown goodness per person. I knew too that a more solid base than cake was going to be needed to make the dessert portable. Brownies seemed too heavy, but sugar cookies hit just the right note. Sturdy, crunchy, and crisp would be a great counterpoint to the cold, creamy ice cream and the soft, warm meringue.

The best thing about the recipe? You can tailor it to your favorite flavors and recipes. I used our Holiday Butter Cookie recipe, and also used our Guaranteed Sugar Cookie recipe; both worked great. If you have a family favorite that makes a nice sturdy cookie, by all means, use it!

The ice cream can be homemade or store-bought depending on your tastes and timetable. I really wanted Neapolitan and Andrea delivered. You GO girl!

It’s important to make the meringue fresh the day you serve the Baked Alaska Cookies, but meringue is so quick and easy it won’t break the bank or your schedule.

So keep the ball gown in the closet, throw on your jammies and let’s make Baked Alaska Cookies.

Roll your chosen cookie dough out to between 1/4” and 3/8”. Too thin and your cookie will shatter when served, rather than breaking crisply.

Cookie size is up to you, depending on how many guests you need to serve. I found this 3” round cutter to be perfect for making a dozen individual Alaskas.

Remember to plan out the best way to arrange your shapes for a minimum of scraps. Chilling the scraps before re-rolling also lessens the chance of a tough cookie on the second round.

Leaving plenty of space between cookies ensures even air flow and even browning.

Bake the cookies until they just begin to brown around the edges. Again, overbaked cookies will tend to shatter instead of breaking nicely under the fork when served.

Don’t worry about a few bubbles; those will be covered with ice cream and meringue. I can’t wait!

While the cookies cool, let’s prepare the ice cream filling.

You’ll need a parchment-lined sheet or pan to put the ice cream scoops on in the freezer. Our freezer here is quite full at the moment, so I opted for a 9” x 13” pan. Set it on the parchment and trace with a pencil to get the correct size to line the bottom of the pan. Cut with your trusty safety scissors.

Using your flavor of choice, scoop the ice cream while it is slightly soft, about 10 minutes at room temperature. Use a straight firm tool, like a bench knife to level the bottom of the scoop. This will ensure that the scoop sits fairly evenly on the cookie.

You can leave the scoops plain or for an extra special treat, you can fill them with another ice cream flavor or in this case, fresh plump cherries (pitted, please).

Hollow out a depression in the scoop with a spoon or your thumb. No licking, please!

Add the cherry or other center, pressing down into the ice cream.

Spread a bit of extra ice cream over the filling, and smooth the bottom out again.

Place the scoops on your parchment-lined sheet and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to freeze solid.

I really love how the Neapolitan (or VanChocStraw if you’re Susan Reid’s brothers)  ice cream gives you so many different choices in one container. What a great surprise it will be for each person to see their own personal mix inside their dessert.

Baked Alaska just wouldn’t be Baked Alaska without the toasted meringue. Let’s get whippin’!

Our meringue powder makes the easiest, tastiest meringue* I’ve ever had. Even my husband David, who doesn’t like meringue, likes this.

To start, dissolve 3/4 cup sugar in 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir until dissolved.

The sugar water will be clear, but have a slight golden tinge to it.

Pour the sugar water into the bowl of your stand mixer and add 1/4 cup of meringue powder. Stir to moisten and dissolve the powder, then gradually increase the speed and whip the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes, until peaks form.

*This handy meringue recipe is printed right on the package of powder, so you’ll never lose it!

I like these medium-stiff peaks best. You get the nicely formed peaks, but also a bit of softness at the points that will toast up beautifully.

At this point, you can cover the meringue bowl with a damp cloth for up to an hour. Re-whip for 20-30 seconds or so to fluff up before using.

Cookies? Check. Ice cream? Check. Meringue? Check. Let’s assemble!

Top each cookie with a frozen ice cream scoop.

Holding the cookie, apply a generous amount of meringue and spread to cover the ice cream. Did I mention this time how much I use my nylon spreaders? They’re perfect for spreading anything.

Be sure that the meringue completely covers the ice cream and seals down to the edge of the cookie.

A creamy dreamy dome of goodness!

If you want to really be fancy-pants, you can pipe your meringue with a star tip or other design. Again be sure to pipe all the way down to the cookie and cover all of the ice cream.

So try stars…

…or swirls. This reminded me of vanilla soft serve, but will soon be much toastier.

Freeze the meringued Alaskas for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up the ice cream before you break out the fire.

I think a cook’s torch is one of those kitchen tools that definitely cross the line into kitchen toys.  Not toys you’d share with the little ones, but toys that bring a smile to your face when you know you get to use them in the kitchen. Come on now, who doesn’t like to play with a little bit of fire?

So, how do you use this bad boy?

On the back face, you’ll pull down the black switch under the red button with your thumb, locking it into place.

Push the red button with your thumb and poof, “Flame on!”

The nice safety features of the torch are that if you remove your thumb, it will instantly go out, and lock. You’ll need to repeat the whole process to get a flame again.

You can use the silver button on the side to get a continuous flame if needed, too.

To practice your toasting technique, chose one Alaska to sacrifice. Andrea and I decided this um, unattractive one would forfeit its snowy exterior to our mad toasting skills.

You’ll soon be able to gauge how close or far you need to be, and how fast or slow you need to move the flame to get the perfect golden brown color.

If you don’t have a cook’s torch you can borrow your spouse’s blowtorch from the basement (that’s actually what they use in most restaurants) or you can place a tray of Baked Alaskas under the broiler for about 3 minutes or until golden browned.

PJ’s photography is killer and she captured the blue flame perfectly as it toasted this swirly beauty.

To serve, you can simply give each guest their personal Baked Alaska on a plate, or you can cut a small section out first for an ohhh and ahhh factor. Using a sharp serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean really helps. Thanks, Sue Gray, for the tip.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Toasted meringue, warm on the outside and creamy on the inside covering cold, delicious ice cream; and finally the crisp snap of the cookie to melt in your mouth. A treasure of a cherry in the center and it’s truly a treat of Alaskan-sized flavor in a Vermont-sized package.

Just a gentle reminder, there’s no printable version for this technique. Use your favorite cookie, favorite ice cream, and meringue – then enjoy!

Macarons: the French confection that’s sweeping the nation.

Or, the right and left coasts, anyway. Maybe Chicago?

Actually, I’m not sure where else these colorful cookies have landed just yet. They certainly haven’t made it up to our neck of the woods. Last time I checked Lou’s Bakery, I didn’t see them nestled in among the mile-high apple pies and sugar crullers.

So if you want to try macarons, you might have to order them online.

One problem. The first two sites I checked selling macarons offered them at $8.00 for four, and $22.00 for 15, respectively – before shipping.

HELLO. Guess if I want macarons, I’d best make them myself!

And actually, they’re not hard. Yeah, they’re a bit fussy, with some sifting and whisking and filling required. And, with boiling sugar syrup involved, they’re absolutely not something you make with kids or dogs in the kitchen.

But they’re totally do-able. Just follow these directions, and you’ll be enjoying crisp/chewy macarons in no time at all.

And without shelling out big bucks.

Sound good? Let’s get started.

There are a couple of out-of-the-ordinary ingredients you’ll need for these cookies. Almond flour (finely ground blanched almonds) gives them body; without almond flour, these cookies would be simple meringues.

Can you make your own almond flour by grinding blanched almonds in a food processor? No; they need to be ground in a special way that prevents them from becoming oily.

Cream of tartar stabilizes beaten egg whites, allowing meringue to hold and keep its shape. Substitute Bakewell Cream (Bakewell Cream – NOT Bakewell Cream baking powder), if you have it.

First step: Measure out 1 1/2 cups almond flour by stirring, then gently sprinkling into a measuring cup. If you have a scale, this is easy: weigh out 4 ounces.

Pour into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add 1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar.

Process for 20 seconds.

Sift to remove any large pieces, and to aerate the mixture. Set it aside.

Put 3 large egg whites, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of cream of tartar in a large bowl. Set it aside.

Combine 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (1 5/8 ounces)  water and 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (4 3/8 ounces) granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a rapid boil.

Boil for 2 minutes.

The temperature of the syrup should reach between 235°F and 240°F. When it does, take the syrup off the heat.

Immediately start whipping the egg whites, using an electric mixer.

When they hold a soft peak on the end of the beater, stop, grab the pan of hot syrup, resume beating, and pour the syrup steadily into the whites as you beat.

Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl midway through.

Be sure to get as much of the syrup into the bowl of egg whites as possible. It’ll be sticky.

Continue beating until the meringue is smooth, glossy, and forms soft peaks. This is EXACTLY what a soft peak looks like.

Fold in the almond flour/sugar.

You can just pick up the whisk and fold the almond/sugar in by hand; it goes quickly.

Once everything is fully incorporated, stir with a spatula until the batter runs in ribbons that disappear back into the mass in 10 to 20 seconds. Test frequently, and stop stirring when you reach this point.

Use a teaspoon cookie scoop or a pastry bag to deposit a generous teaspoon-sized round blob of batter onto a parchment-covered baking sheet.

Don’t have parchment? Use your silicone baking mat. No baking mat? Use non-stick aluminum foil.

Don’t have any of the above? Don’t make these cookies – really.

The test cookie should flatten out, rather than remain in a tall blob. If it doesn’t spread, stir the batter some more; your goal is a disc-like, fairly flat cookie.

As you can see, the cookies above didn’t spread…

So I stirred the batter some more.

Pictured at left is how the cookies should look. At right, the batter is too firm; stir some more.

Want to tint some of your macarons in fun colors? Now’s your chance. The ones you may have seen in a fancy bakery are often tinted blue, pink, yellow, or green.

I chose a drop or so of extra-strong gel-paste color…

…to turn the batter a lovely pink.

See how nicely these are spreading? That’s your goal.

Allow to rest in a dry place with good air circulation (a counter top is fine) until you can gently touch the tops and come away with a clean finger, about 2 hours.

See how their shininess has dulled as they’ve rested?

Towards the end of the resting time, preheat the oven to 275°F.

Bake the cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, till firm on the top. They’ll develop a “fuzzy” ring around the center; that’s a good thing!

Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on sheet.

Use a thin spatula to carefully separate them from the parchment or foil.

Next, choose your filling. Jam, ganache, frosting, nut butter – anything your heart desires.

I thought ganache would be a suitable filling. After all, when is it not?!

Combine 6 ounces chocolate chips with 4 ounces heavy cream.

Microwave till the cream is very hot and starts to bubble around the edges.

Stir to combine. Keep stirring till smooth and shiny.

Plop a heaping teaspoonful onto half the cookies. Top with the remainder of the cookies.

Raspberry jam is a nice choice with pink cookies.

Easy!

And lovely.

Nutella, anyone?

Tower of macarons!

These cookies are best eaten within 24 hours; they don’t hold particularly well, so make them the day of your party.

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Macarons.

Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy, can she bake a cherry pie…

Sure.

But does she want to?

Not always.

I love pie as much as the next person. Possibly even more; pie might very well be my #1 dessert.

GOOD pie, that is. Pie with tender, buttery, flaky crust. One whose fruit filling is perfectly thickened – neither wet/watery, nor dry/stiff.

A pie whose flavor is the perfect marriage of sweet (though not too) and fruit, with perhaps a mere touch of spice.

Despite the number of years I’ve been baking, pie is still a challenge. Maybe my sights are set too high (see above). Or maybe I simply don’t have the touch.

I find pie-baking is like golf: every now and then you hit that great shot and think, “Ah-HA! I’ve got it!” Till you shank the next shot, 2 minutes later

Can I bake a GREAT cherry pie? Sometimes. Especially using sour cherries and my favorite recipe, Mr. Washington’s Cherry Pie.

But when Bing cherries are in season, and I want a fast, easy, non-challenging cherry dessert, I click right to Cherry Clafouti.

Oh, boy… nothing like a bowl of crisp, sweet of Bing cherries!

And here are two flavors that marry beautifully with cherry – vanilla, and almond.

Start with a pound of cherries.

How to pit a pound of cherries in under 2 minutes? It’s easy, when you have a cherry pitter.

It took me 1 minute, 38 seconds to pit this pound of cherries. No joke! I timed it. Pits go into the hopper; and about 3 to 3 1/2 cups of pitted cherries go into the bowl.

Beware, though – there’ll be some spattering. Wear an apron, for sure.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Lightly grease a 9” round cake pan, one that’s at least 2” deep.

Put the cherries into the pan; they should form a single layer that pretty much covers the bottom.

Put the following in a blender or food processor:

3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup (3 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Blend till frothy.

If you’re using a mixer, beat the liquid ingredients, then add the sugar and flour, quickly whisking to combine.

Pour the batter over the cherries in the pan.

It won’t cover them; that’s OK.

Bake the clafouti on a lower-middle rack of your oven for 20 minutes.

See why you need a pan that’s at least 2” deep?

Reduce the oven heat to 350°F. I have a bad habit of forgetting to turn the oven down in situations like this…

Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. The edges should be pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the oven.

See how the clafouti is pulling away from the edges of the pan?

Notice the garnish of sliced almonds. I added 1/4 cup of sliced almonds for the final 10 minutes of baking, expecting them to brown nicely; they didn’t. Next time, I’d toast the almonds first, then sprinkle them on just before serving.

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Cherry Clafouti.

As a food nation, we love to meet new people from different regions and introduce them to our local specialties. In my travels I’ve been introduced to grits and oysters  in Florida, guava jelly and surullitos in Puerto Rico, and  Joe-Joe potatoes in Rhode Island (I think that’s where we were that day; please correct me if I’m wrong).

My baking and cooking co-workers here at KAF have introduced  regional and cultural favorites such as Taylor ham, sweet chili sauce, white pizza, persimmons, and truffle oil. Some I’ve liked, some I’ve met with a big  “blechh,” and some are now standards in my own kitchen.

I’ve done my share, too, of introducing friends to local favorites. Are you old enough to remember when Ben and Jerry’s was a new thing, something you would buy when friends were coming to dinner, dessert designed to impress?  I sure am.

Here in New England, we love to introduce new friends to the (to us) quintessential lunchtime treat, the Fluffernutter. I know PJ and Susan and I have all probably waxed nostalgic about Fluffernutters on the blog before, but just in case you missed it let me tell you about it again.

A Fluffernutter is a sandwich of peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff served on squishy white bread. The salty peanut butter, the sweet and foamy Fluff and the bread all sticking to the roof of your mouth is a taste and texture sensation not to be missed. Packing a Fluffernutter for lunch always meant a plastic sandwich baggie with sticky Fluff in the corners as it escaped from the confines of the bread. Licking the creamy white sweetness from the bag was nearly as fun as eating the sandwich itself.

I would consider Fluffernutters on the list for DO NOT EAT on a first date, right up there with spaghetti and liver, but definitely on the list for a fourth or fifth date so see if you are suitably matched. Anyone who couldn’t get into the groove of licking fingers, possibly elbows, and enduring a bit of Fluff in their hair wouldn’t work out too well, in my opinion.

As much as I love Fluffernutters, I’ve never really craved one for dessert; but I do so love peanut butter pie. In the way that lots of our food conversations go here, we were talking about peanut butter pie and someone mentioned topping theirs with Fluff instead of whipped cream. OHH, I could feel a blog brewing here. Knowing how sticky Fluff is, though, I couldn’t imagine layering it easily; so I started thinking about mixing the PB and fluff together into a mousse-like filling. Now we were gettin’ somewhere!

A graham crust sounded like a delicious addition – but how about homemade instead of store-bought? Our whole wheat pastry flour is also known as graham flour, so a quick, easy pie crust using that flour quickly followed, and the Peanut Butter Marshmallow Pie was born. Let’s get to it!

This pie crust is very different from traditional pie crust. It’s more closely related to cookie dough in preparation. For those classical bakers out there, it’s quite similar to pâte sucreè, (paht sue-cray)  with butter, sugar, milk, and egg.

Begin with creaming the butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your mixer until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolk and beat until well combined.

Add 1 cup of the graham flour. At first the mixture will be quite sandy.

But it’ll soon come together to a smooth batter.

Have you been keeping an eye on that butter on the beater? Me too, I’d better scrape my bowl and beater more often.

Add the milk and the second cup of graham flour. Mix until a soft, slightly firm dough forms.

Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for 8 to 10 turns until the dough is smooth and cohesive. Divide into two even pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

(I did try this dough both with and without refrigeration. You can roll it right away, but you do get a nicer, crisper texture with the chilled dough. Less sticking, too!)

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3/8” thick. To aid in moving the dough to the pie pan, first fold the circle in half,

then in half again. You’ll have a fat, four-layer quarter circle.

Lift the dough and place the tip of the pointed wedge in the center of your pie pan. I’ve spritzed my pan with a light layer of cooking spray.

Unfold the layers until the crust is open again. Gently fit it to the pan without pulling or stretching, as this would cause the crust to shrink later. Fix any tears with your fingers.

This dough is very soft and tender – like cookie dough – and is a delight to handle. There were ooohhs and ahhhhs in the test kitchen from my fellow bakers as I worked with the dough, and everyone literally had to get a finger in as we took turns poking and pinching the dough.

Trim the crust with a paring knife or your handy-dandy safety scissors. This pretty pie pan has fluted edges build right in, so I didn’t have to do anything but trim.

Dock (prick) the dough all over with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming in the crust, and to allow steam to escape.

Add a pie crust shield to protect the tender edges, and into the oven she goes.

Mmmm, golden brown and delicious. As you can see, there was hardly any shrinkage to the crust too, leaving a nice deep space to fill with PBM goodness.

Set the crust aside to cool completely while we make the filling.

Here are some of the star players in this pie. Creamy peanut butter, sweet fluffy Marshmallow Fluff and Instant ClearJel blended with a touch of sugar.

You’ll need heavy cream and fat-free half & half, too.

In the bowl of your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and fat-free half & half until it begins to hold a trail.

You can certainly use all cream for the recipe, but taste testers really liked the lightness that the fat-free half & half brought to the party.

Add the sugar/Instant ClearJel mixture, the peanut butter, and the Fluff.

Whip on high speed until light, fluffy, and thickened.

Prepare the crust by spreading a little peanut butter in the bottom.

Pile in the PBM filling. It’s a very generous amount of filling, so really heap it in there.

Cover the pie with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

For another tasty version, try Matt’s PBMJ pie. Matt is the “new guy” here in customer service, and we just love him. He’s a great baker in his own right, and loves to talk food. He suggested the original pie would be even better with a big blob of jelly, so I decided to give him his wish.

Spread half of the PBM filling into the pie shell; make some swirls and depressions with your spoon.

Fill the holes with your favorite jam or jelly. I’m pretty partial to red raspberry.

Give the whole thing a good final swirl with the spatula and top with the second half of the filling. Cover and chill as directed above.

Whichever way you customize your Peanut Butter Marshmallow Pie, its gentle reminder of lunches in days gone by will please the palate and soothe the soul.

Please bake, rate, and review our recipe for Peanut Butter Marshmallow Pie.

And the word of the day is…

WISCONSIN!

Land of cows, corn, and cheeseheads.

And, most important, the Wisconsin State Fair – an event I vow I’m going to attend sometime before I lay down my whisk and go off to that Great Salad Bar in the Sky.

I mean, how can you be a foodie and resist this come-on, straight from the Fair’s Web site:

“Corn-on-the-cob basted in butter and lightly salted, a savory steak sandwich, a pork chop on a stick, an oozing grilled Wisconsin cheese sandwich fresh off the grill, deliciously sweet maple cotton candy, ginormous fried cheese curds, a tasty buffalo burrito, and, of course, the light, airy, creamy deliciousness of the Fair’s Cream Puffs created to perfection by the Wisconsin Baker’s Association…all of these delectable selections and hundreds more are served up over the best 11-days of summer at the Wisconsin State Fair.”

Delving deeper, and opening a copy of the Fair’s menu, I also found chocolate cow pops, apple pie on a stick, frozen bananas, and “deep-fried PB & J.”

I’m SO there.

At least, I wish I was. Vermont actually looks quite a bit like Wisconsin, albeit with steeper hills. So the ambiance is right; but Vermont’s state fair just doesn’t hold a candle to Wisconsin’s, food-wise.

The Vermont State Fair’s Web site doesn’t mention food AT ALL. And nosing around on a couple of travel sites offering customer reviews of the Fair, the main comment seemed to be “eat elsewhere.”

Although Roxy’s fries and the Mt. St. Joseph booth’s sausage and peppers did get a couple of good plugs.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Wisconsin native, but the Dairy State’s food just speaks to me. As does anything Wisconsin. I learned not only to pronounce, but to spell Oconomowoc REALLY FAST when I was about 7 years old. (Next best accomplishment: pronouncing and spelling Passagassawakeag, a river I used to cross frequently when I lived in Maine.)

So when we first started carrying “Wisconsin bowls,” years and years and YEARS ago, I had to buy a set. Made in Sheboygan – how could I resist?

These have become my mixing bowl of choice in the test kitchen. They’re sturdy, yet lightweight; who wants to lug a bowl that’s heavy even before you fill it with cookie dough? And unlike stoneware or glass, you don’t have to worry about dropping them. Which I do, frequently, on our rubberized linoleum floor

BOUNCE!

OK, I’ve gotten a little distracted here. Must be the heat… yes, it’s still in the high 80s, going on 3 weeks of wickedly hot weather. Thus my attraction to this cake recipe that doesn’t involve an oven.

Unbaked cake? Nope. Cake “baked” in an electric skillet, where a bottom layer of sugar, butter and fruit bubbles up over cake batter dolloped on top.

And guess where I got the idea for this recipe?

From the Norske Nook, a restaurant/coffee shop in Osseo, Wisconsin.

You can take the cheesehead out of the state, but…

So, on to the recipe. First, decide what kind of fruit you’re going to use. I chose a 16-ounce bag of frozen strawberries; raspberries, peaches, or blueberries would be equally good, if you’re harvesting your fruit from the frozen food aisle at the supermarket.

Can you use fresh fruit? Sure. I usually feel fresh berries are best eaten on cereal or out of hand, rather than baked – at least from a monetary point of view. But if you have an abundance of fresh berries, ripe peaches, or whatever, go for it.

Thaw the fruit, if it’s frozen. Chop it coarsely, and let it sit for awhile, to release its juices.

While the fruit is resting, prepare your skillet.

First, spray your 9” or 10” electric skillet with non-stick vegetable oil spray. We use Everbake in the test kitchen; it doesn’t leave sticky residue on your pans.

Preheat your skillet to 275°F. Note: This recipe requires that your skillet have a lid. If it doesn’t you’ll have to fashion a cover out of aluminum foil.

Also, don’t worry; eventually I realized this was at 225°F, not 275°F, and nudged it up.

Yes, this is an old skillet; I’ve probably had it for 25 years. It’s missing one leg, but I can’t bear to give it up. You know how it is with old kitchen friends…

Melt 1/4 cup butter in the skillet, and sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar.

Spread the sugar evenly over the butter.

Press it down with the back of a spoon to make an even layer, then turn the skillet to low.

Top with the fruit.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Pie Filling Enhancer, if desired.

Pie Filling Enhancer will make the syrup that bubbles up around the cake thicker.

Don’t have it? Not a deal-breaker. Continue with the recipe.

Next, we’ll make the cake batter.

Put 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a bowl.

Beat till well combined.

Add the following:

1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Beat till combined. The mixture will look slightly curdled; that’s OK.

Turn your skillet back on; we want it heated up to 275°F by the time the cake batter’s ready.

Gently beat in 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour…

…alternately with 3/4 cup milk.

The batter will be smooth and thick.

Dollop the cake batter atop the fruit, spreading it out as best you can. Don’t be too particular about making it perfectly smooth; the dessert will bake up unevenly anyway, so don’t fuss.

Put the lid on the skillet, and bake the dessert for 25 to 35 minutes, till the cake is set and the fruit is bubbly.

Check the cake frequently, to make sure the bottom isn’t burning; remove the lid, and use a spoon or spatula to poke through the cake to the skillet. Notice how the bottom was starting to get quite dark here; if it looks like this, lower the heat.

When the cake tests done — a toothpick or cake tester inserted into one of the pieces of cake comes out clean — turn off the skillet. You can also test by poking open one of the larger pieces of cake with the tip of a knife.

Use a large spoon or spatula to scoop servings into bowls.

Now admittedly, this isn’t the handsomest of desserts.

But warm cake with warm berries, prepared on the stovetop – no oven required? Works for me.

Serve warm, with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. Or with a drizzle of plain heavy cream, Wisconsin’s favorite all-purpose dessert sauce/glaze/topping.

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for Summertime Skillet Cake.

Spring and summer are seasons to renew the soul. The bright sunshine, long days, and cool nights help our bodies and minds rejuvenate; and the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies provide endless meals chock full of flavors and vitamins to invigorate us further.

We grow strawberries and blueberries in our backyard, and our front property is surrounded by dozens and dozens of blackberry bushes. It used to tickle me pink that the blackberries in the pancake photo online a couple of years ago were from my front yard. I love to bring heaping bowls full in to share with my co-workers. Berryfest!

Combine our homegrown fruits with the stunning array of produce offered at local farmstands, and we’ve got a world of flavor awaiting our imaginations.

As days get hotter I find I want a cooler, lighter breakfast than eggs or oatmeal. With 19 chickens, 3 dogs, and a cat to take care of in the morning, my time is often at a premium; and being able to take a nutritious and delicious grab-and-go breakfast is a real boon. Time to bring on the blender and make smoothies!

While you certainly can use store-bought yogurt to make smoothies, making fresh, homemade yogurt allows you to control the consistency and, most importantly, the ingredients to your taste. Know a local farmer who sells fresh milk? You’ve got it made. If not, check out local farmer’s markets and family-owned grocery stores for local products.

Let’s get started making the yogurt for our Homemade Yogurt Smoothies.

Here at King Arthur Flour, we  sell two different yogurt makers, and this little beauty is a real favorite. The small jars allow you to make individual portions that are totally portable; and the auto shutoff feature is a real hassle-saver.

To ensure that you’re growing only the bacteria that you want in your yogurt, the milk needs to be heated to kill off unwanted bacteria. Use a sturdy, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat.

You’ll need to heat the milk to a minimum of 180°F, or until it just begins to boil. Remember how we always say it’s hard to photograph with only two hands? This was reading 196°F when I picked up the camera, then rapidly…

Boiled up and over the stove. A classic case of do as I say, NOT as I do. Luckily this was just a matter of seconds, so the milk was off the heat quickly. You don’t want to boil the milk for a long period of time, as this can lead to a grainy texture in your finished yogurt.

If you like your yogurt on the thicker side, a bit of gelatin will help. Use 5 sheets of sheet gelatin, or 1 packet of powdered unflavored gelatin. Soften the gelatin in cool water for several minutes to make incorporating it into the starter easier. I snipped this sheet gelatin so help it along, but it’s not necessary.

Here’s how the gelatin looks as it softens and dissolves in the water. Give it the occasional stir to help it along.

Once the milk has cooled to room temperature, around 77°F or so, you can add the powdered yogurt starter (or 3 tablespoons of store-bought yogurt with live, active cultures) to about 1 cup of the cooled milk.

It’s very important to thoroughly mix the starter in with the milk.

I stir with a spatula. Stir, stir stir.

Then I pour the milk/starter into the rest of the milk.  Stir, stir, stir some more. Then I pour the whole thing back and forth between the bowl and the pitcher a few times, like making a Manhattan.

Use the pitcher to pour the yogurt into the clean, dry jars. I find it much easier to have the jars in the machine as I pour, rather than trying to transfer them from the counter.

Another great feature of this machine is our new top-tier add-on. You can make two batches at once by adding this second level and another set of jars. Think of the possibilities. Plain yogurt for savory recipes on the bottom, sweet vanilla or fruit yogurt on the top layer for smoothies and snackin’.

For today though, we’re just making a single layer.

Then it’s simply plug in, set the timer up to 15 hours, and push the little red button. Glow little button, glow.

In case you’re wondering, the lids weren’t forgotten, they don’t go on until after the yogurt is done incubating.

Just checkin’ in partway through the process. The condensation is normal, and everything looks good.

Once the machine shuts off, you’ll need to unplug it and remove the jars. Place the lids on and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight for the yogurt to cool and finish firming up. Like this!

Now that we’ve got some tangy fresh yogurt, let’s get to the smoothies. Add 6 to 8 ounces (3/4 to 1 cup) yogurt to your blender.

Add 1 cup or so of your favorite fruits. I wish I could say these luscious berries were from my plants, but my crop is pretty small this year. I did buy these  at our local farmstand just down the road.

So, for my Berry Blast, I’m using 3/4 strawberries and 1/4 maraschino cherries. NOT local, but such a favorite of mine I couldn’t resist. Yep, I’m evil to the core.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of ice cubes (about 6 regular cubes).

Cover the blender, plug it in and whir on high speed or ice crush for 30to 45 seconds. Stop, unplug, and adjust the milk or fruit to get the consistency you like.

If you like a boost of flavor or sweetness, now is a good time to add a bit of sugar, honey, or even a few drops of extra-strong flavoring.

Re-plug and blend for another 30 to 60 seconds.

**Some blenders will tell you to add the ice cubes after the first blending; be sure to check your manual.**

Pour your smoothie into a fun and frosty glass, add a straw for sipping, and enjoy.

This basic recipe can open up a whole world of possibilities for smoothies. Please share with us your favorite combinations and smoothie tricks.

Please make, rate, and review our recipe for Homemade Yogurt Smoothies.

WOW. It’s too hot to bake.

Not only that, it’s too hot to fuss.

But – what about our daily bread?

Fuss-free, no-knead, quick-baking focaccia to the rescue!

The East Coast has been blasted by a serious heat wave this week, and it’s reached all the way up here to northern New England. We’re experiencing Florida-like weather – without the AC. Temperatures have been in the mid- to high-90s since Monday, with suffocating humidity.

And, since this prolonged hot weather only happens once every few years, frugal New Englanders don’t buy air conditioners; they just wait it out. And talk about the weather.

My Web teammate Tracy says, “When it’s this hot, there’s NO cooler spot on your pillow.” Many of us have taken to sleeping in the cellar where, if we’re lucky, the temperature might be in the low 80s – as opposed to the stuffy 90s of most upstairs bedrooms.

Or my kitchen at home, which happens to be on the top floor where all the heat rises and collects. Sure, it’s nice and cozy in the winter, but right now? BLECHH.

Still, I have to have my bread…

…and my crunchy nibbles to enjoy with a glass of mint limeade, out on the deck at about 10 p.m., when it finally cools down to the upper 70s.

Relief is on the way; thunderstorms and cooler temperatures are predicted for tomorrow. So I’ll be back to my usual array of sandwich loaves and ciabatta.

But I won’t forget this easy flatbread. No-knead? No-fuss? No problem! Even when the world around you is melting…

Put the following ingredients in a bowl:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for drizzling into the pan)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 teaspoons Pizza Dough Flavor, optional

Beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds. This is what it’ll look like after about 15 seconds.

After 60 seconds, it should be nice and smooth.

And the gluten will be nicely developed. See the stretch? It’s this elasticity that captures and holds CO2 from the fermenting yeast, causing your bread to rise.

Next, prepare your filling. Peel some garlic cloves. How many? We used 8 here. Use fewer if you’re not a garlic fan. In fact, leave the garlic out entirely, if you like.

A pair of scissors does a good job chopping the garlic coarsely.

We like to leave the garlic in fairly large chunks.

Next, add 8 ounces of cheese, which you’ve cut in chunks. I used sharp cheddar here, but choose your own favorite.

Hot enough for you?

If you love spicy foods, try Cabot’s Hot Habanero cheese. For less heat, their Pepper Jack is a great choice.

Beat gently, just till the cheese and chopped garlic are distributed evenly throughout the dough.

Lightly grease a 9” x 13” pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom.

Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan.

Push it into the corners of the pan.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it’s become puffy.

Like this.

It looks like a big soft pillow, doesn’t it?

I’ve always wondered what would happen if you made a huge amount of dough and put it in a bathtub to rise. If you got in, would you rise with the dough? I think it’s a matter of weight and surface area, but I was never a great physics student…

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Sprinkle the risen dough with pizza seasoning.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes.

When it’s golden brown, it’s done.

Remove it from the oven.

After a minute or so, turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

See that layer of olive oil at the bottom? It makes the crust delightfully crunchy, like a Pizza Hut pizza.

And the melting cheese and chunks of garlic are just heavenly.

Now, once you’ve enjoyed your bread warm, you can take the leftovers and make them into crunchy bread sticks.

Cut the bread crosswise, into two 6 1/2”-wide pieces. Cut 1/2”-wide strips, and lay them on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven, anywhere from 350°F to 400°F, for 20 to 30 minutes or so, till the sticks are golden and crunchy.

Like this.

Great nibbles with drinks!

Parsley pesto is a lovely accompaniment.

And guess what? You can substitute King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour for the all-purpose, and make a wonderfully light 100% whole-grain loaf. Here I’ve used “Buffalo cheese” from our local supermarket’s deli counter.

No, not buffalo milk mozzarella. Buffalo, as in “buffalo chicken,” as in spicy.

So I figured it would be kinda spicy.

WOW. Was it EVER spicy!

Bread made from whole wheat on the bottom, and made from all-purpose flour on the top. Only the color is different; both rose equally. YEE-HAW!

Read, rate, and review (please) our recipe for No-Knead Garlic-Cheese Flatbread.