Tag Archives: June 2011

Peach Crumble

28 Jun

One thing I can’t resist in the summertime, besides lounging on the beach with a cold drink, is incorporating fruit into my baking. Fruit has a way of making every bite sweeter, more refreshing, and (in my mind) healthier!

My favorite fruits to bake with are apples and peaches. At this point in the year I’ve usually exhausted my excitement for apples after the numerous apple pies I make in the Fall for Thanksgiving, so I use the spring to enjoy baking with peaches. While perusing through several different recipes incorporating peaches, I can across a very simple Peach Crumble. There aren’t too many ingredients and all of them are household staples.

To learn  more about the types of peaches to buy, how to store them and tell if they’re ripe check out All You Need to Know… Peaches.

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 1/2 to 3 Pounds Fresh Peaches: Peeled, Pitted and Sliced
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Large Egg, beaten
  • 1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter, melted

To Prepare:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  • Butter an 11 x 7 inch baking dish

Directions:

If you recall the Peach Upside Down Cake from May 17, 2011, it be time-consuming to peel, slice and pit peaches so if you’d like feel free to purchased pre-sliced peaches from your supermarket. If you have a little extra time on your hands check out my Baking Tips for Peeling, Slicing and Pitting peaches for some helpful hints.

Once the peaches are sliced, combine them in a bowl with the brown sugar and blend well. Pour into the buttered 11 x 7 inch baking dish and set aside.


Combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Once blended, add the beaten egg. Stir lightly until it comes together in a crumb mixture.


Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the peaches and then drizzle with the melted butter.


Bake the peach crumble for about an hour and a half or until the crumble is lightly browned.


Once out of the oven, let sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It’s that simple!

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Truffles

1 Jun

I never thought that there was such a thing as clean and easy baking. I’ve always been the type to make everything from scratch, from cakes and frosting to puff pastry. These chocolate truffles however, are just as fabulous using boxed cake and canned frosting whipped up in an hour versus home-made cake and frosting that could take a couple of hours. It is also a much easier clean up using the box!

I came across this recipe about a year ago. It was one of those hot summer days spent on the beach and I was looking for a small and refreshing snack to cool down. With a frozen chocolate coating surrounding soft cake, these are the perfect truffles to snack on coming off the beach or out of the pool, and with the heat that we’ve had in NYC in the past week these are the perfect snack to cool down with.

What You’ll Need

  • 1 box of Moist Chocolate Cake (I used Betty Crocker, but any brand will work)
  • 1 can of Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 2 bags of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 bag of White Chocolate Chips (optional)
  • Crushed Oreos (Optional)
  • Sprinkles (Optional)

To Prepare:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  • Grease a 13″ x 9″ pan

Directions:

Mix and bake the cake per the directions on the box.

Once out of the oven, let the cake cool completely, a minimum 1 hour. After the cake is completely cool, crumple it into a large bowl and mix in the whole can of frosting. With a rubber spatula, mix the cake and frosting until fully combined. It may seem like the mixture will never come together, but keep folding the batter over itself and eventually the mixture will turn into a bit of a mush.

Scoop up roughly 1 tbs of the mixture, roll into a ball and place on an un-greased baking sheet. Continue until all of the mixture is rolled into mini-balls. Place the sheet(s) in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight.

Just before you’re about to take the chocolate balls out of the freezer, melt the semi-sweet chocolate over a double boiler. Dip each ball of chocolate in the melted chocolate and place back on the baking sheet.

This is where your creativity comes into play. Once dipped in chocolate, decorate with any topping you’d life. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the top or sprinkle with crushed Oreos or sprinkles. Use your imagination, nothing is out of the question when it comes to decorating chocolate truffles. One thing to keep in mind, if you are decorating with sprinkles or any kind of crushed candy, make sure to sprinkle them right after the truffle is dipped in chocolate so that the candies stick to the truffles, don’t let the chocolate dry.

The Truffles can be served at room temperature, but I find them most enjoyable right out of the freezer or fridge.

Enjoy!

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