Fresh Peach Cake (Barefoot Contessa)

Fresh Peach Cake

Hello! I know, it's been forever since my last blog post. I've been working, eating, catching Pokemon, listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, and hanging out with my friends and family. I have been baking, but most of the stuff are repeats or greatest hits (brownies, bundts, and cookies).

I'm now on Snapchat...so if you want to take a look at the mundane covered in stickers (isn't that what Snapchat is about?!), then I'm @foodlibrarian on Snapchat.

So, onto this cake! It's summer and that means hella stone fruit. However, I missed my weekly Farmer's Market run and had to pick up peaches at the supermarket. Oh, the sadness. These peaches were so boring and lacking in flavor. I thought about adding them to a smoothie...and baking with them. I figure adding some sugar and spice would liven these up!

As I type up this post, I realize I made this cake with nectarines and almonds in 2011, but totally forgot about that post. It's 2016 and 2011 was a long time ago! :)



On my Snapchat, I started at 4 am and took photos of the process. Making the batter, peeling peaches, layering the batter... and then I realize I'm using the wrong size pan. I had an 8" instead of 9" square. It was before 5 am and I had that wishful thinking moment of...let's bake it and just see what happens. Well, it was terrible because the center never cooked and the edges got dry. I was quite sad when I tossed that mess. (Remember, the difference between 8" and 9" square isn't just "an inch". 8x8=64" and 9x9=81" so that is 17" difference (yes, you should factor in the height, but for simplicity sake, I just want to say that using the right pan size is important!)).

But luckily (?), I had two more bad supermarket peaches and tried again after work! Here goes:


(Some of these photos are from the error 8" square pan, but you get the technique. Two layers of batter and peaches!)

Recipe:
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Peach Cake



1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I used 2 large eggs from the fridge, put in warm water for 5 minutes before use)
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced (her recipe calls for 3 large peaches but I used 2)

Topping:
1/2 cups (100 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. I created a parchment paper sling for easy removal.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. This is the topping. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of the KitchenAid with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy on medium speed (about 4 minutes). With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined.
6. Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.
7. The recipe says to bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. However, my cake took 60 minutes to bake (both times I made this cake, so don't be surprised if it take a little longer).

Fresh Peach Crisp for Two

Fresh Peach Crisp for Two

It's Sunday so that means I'm at my parent's house for #breakfastwithdad. My mom heads to church and I hang out with my Dad. We have breakfast, Dad walks with his walker, physical therapy exercises and then a whirl in the wheelchair with me pushing and Cidney the Girl Dog strolling with us through the 'hood.

This morning, I made a Peach Crisp for Two. My parent's kitchen lacks many baking supplies (probably because I took all of them when I moved out more than 20 years ago!) If I do bake at my folks, I often measure things out at my house and then assemble and bake at their house. But this morning I was tired and late so I made it at their house with a single measuring cup. So, the measurements aren't perfect!

This has Peach (Fruit) and Oatmeal (Fiber) so it's totallllly a breakfast food! :) I can eat crisps all day long.


I'm sad that summer is coming to an end. Fewer stone fruits in the Farmer's Market... so until the last peach is picked, make fresh peach crisps!

Peach Crisp for Two
Ingredients:

Fruit mixture:
2 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
Couple dashes of ground cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (I used old fashioned oatmeal)
1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together the fruit, sugar, flour and sugar in a small bowl. Place mixture in two ramekins.
3. Using your fingers or a fork, cut the butter into the topping ingredients until it is crumbly and holds together slightly when squeezed.
4. Divide topping on top of fruit mixture.
5. Bake for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of your ramekins), until the fruit is bubbling.

My dad and I split one of these for breakfast and I'll leave the other one for my mom and dad's dessert tonight!

Peach Buttermilk Cake

Peach Buttermilk Cake

When you have buttermilk...
When you have peaches or stone fruit...
Then make cake!

One morning (I wake up at 4 am if I'm going to bake...and there is very little planning or thought process at that time), I looked in the refrig with my iPad in hand and saw that I had buttermilk and some peaches on the counter. Some searches on what my father's calls the "magic machine," and I came across this buttermilk cake recipe on Bowen Appetit blog!

It's super simple - basic cake mixture topped with cut fruit. Yum! I brought this to a meeting at work and we ate the whole cake before 9 am. (Yes, my work and meeting start early!)

Make a basic flour, butter, and egg batter, and top with diced fruit. 

Hope you are having a good summer! I think Target put out the Back-to-School stuff on July 5th - what happened to summer vacay?! I must admit I get a bit jealous of all those new school supplies, lunch boxes, backpacks and erasers. I believe I somehow earned a trip for myself to Muji USA for my favorite supplies of paper and pencils!

Sorry for the sad photos - but I'm sure you get it. These photos from my Samsung 6 phone...My DSLR camera is very sad. One of my lenses stopped working...eeck!

Recipe adapted from Bowen Appetit Blog, June 28, 2011

Peach Buttermilk Cake
Be sure to read the original recipe for "Buttermilk Anything Cake" to see other ideas (different fruits, flavoring, and lots of good tips). Here is what I used and did:

Ingredients:
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced peaches
Sanding sugar or Raw sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare an 8" round cake pan (I use a parchment circle and spray with Bak-Klene baking spray).
2. In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy (a few minutes).
3. Add egg and mix to combine.
4. Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.
5. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
6. With the mixer on low speed, alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Don't overmix...you can blend the last of the flour with a rubber spatula if you wish.
7. Pour batter into pan. With an offset spatula, spread out the batter in the pan.
8. Top with your diced fruit.
9. Sprinkle with sanding sugar or raw sugar. (Original recipe calls for granulated sugar so you can use that too).
10. Bake for 20-35 minutes - It really depends on the type of fruit and size pan you are using. Start checking at 20 minutes and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes before removing onto a cooling rack.

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

It's stone fruit season. I'm in love. 

And I had a presentation to give at a meeting so I brought these. Know your audience :)

It's World Cup time! Looking forward to seeing all the games, the excitement of countries staying up to watch and cheer, lots of passionate tweets, and Cristiano Ronaldo. At work, we've been "researching" restaurants with the best TV placement for our lunches (looks like I'll be eating out for the next few weeks)!

I made this once before with nectarines. This time, I added more vanilla, used peaches (the original is for peaches) and still didn't get the consistency of the liquid ingredients that the recipe calls for - oh well, it all came together.

I love coffee cakes. Not very sweet, lovely topping and, in this case, a fruit surprise.

I used two yellow peaches in the cake (sliced thin) but you can use other stone fruit. I'd like to try some cherries and apricots!

I also used Vanilla Bean Paste because it is awesome. Have you used it? It gives you all the flecks of vanilla but it is less expensive than whole vanilla beans.

When I have a meeting at work, I either bring a half-sheet or quarter-sheet pan. I bought plastic covers for them at my local restaurant supply house (similar to these) and they are pretty awesome. My covers are low profile so you can stack about three of them in the refrigerator.

Enjoy the World Cup! Between matches, make this cake! :)

Recipe:
Nectarine Streusel Coffee Cake
Adapted from Williams Sonoma's Peach Streusel Coffee Cake and they adapted it from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Muffins, by Beth Hensperger (2003).

Streusel:
3/4 cup (105 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (65 grams)  firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Cake:
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, at room temperature
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Original recipe has 1 tsp. almond extract, but I did not include it
2 firm, ripe nectarines or peaches peeled, pitted and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper. (The original recipe calls for a  9-inch round springform pan.)

2. Make the streusel:  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown and granulated sugars and cinnamon. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Place in refrigerator or freezer while assembling the rest of the cake.

3. Prepare the fruit: Peel the peaches (blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove), pit and slice the fruit. I used two yellow peaches, but other stone fruits can be used.

4. Make the cake: Mix together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla and (almond extract, if using) until creamy, about 1 minute. (The recipe calls for "until creamy" but I beat the heck out of the mixture with a wire whisk and never got a "creamy" consistency - see above.) Add to the flour mixture and beat just until evenly moistened. There should be no lumps or dry spots. Do not overmix.

5. Spread batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly using an offset spatula. If using a springform pan, arrange the peach slices in concentric circles from the pan sides to the center. If using a square pan, arrange the slices in rows. Gently press the slices into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

6. Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Fresh Peach Muffins

Fresh Peach Muffins

(photo taken in my cubicle at work)

It's been really hot and muggy in Los Angeles. And houses where I live weren't built with air conditioning (350 days a year this isn't a problem because we get ocean breezes...but those few days of heat wave are killer). I sat in the backyard with Cidney the Girl Dog this weekend (thank you iPad) until 9 pm hoping the house would cool down (it didn't). So I haven't been baking much because it would be a crime against humanity to turn on the oven.

But last week I made some peach muffins for work early in the morning. I didn't have time to pull out the big camera and take photos. Also, as summer ends, I don't have any morning light anymore as I leave the house at 6 am for work. Sad times, yo. So, even though the photos aren't pretty, these muffins were good. They aren't sweet, and rely on the sweetness and tenderness of your summer fruit to carry the muffin. We only have a few weeks left of peaches, so make these soon.

Recipe:
Adapted from the Easy Morning Muffins in the Art & Soul of Baking, page 148 (find it in your library via WorldCat)

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 stick (3 ounces) butter
Zest of one lemon or orange (I used an orange)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temp
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 medium peaches, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups of peaches)
Sanding sugar or Sugar in the raw

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prep a muffin tin with liners or butter the tin. I got 14 muffins from this recipe (I put liners in individual ramekins and place them next to the muffin tin in the oven)
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into small bowl. Add the zest and buttermilk and let sit for a few minutes to cool off. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the butter/egg mixture and the chopped peaches (reserve a few pieces) into the dry ingredients and quickly fold together. Don't overmix. Don't worry if you have a few small lumps.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, dish batter in the muffin tins. If you wish, place a few of the peach pieces on top of the batter in an attractive fashion. Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of batter.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then remove muffins to let cool on a wire rack...or eat warm!

Read the book for more yummy recipes and variations!

Here is something else you can do with the last of this summer's fresh peaches - grill them and serve with Greek yogurt and muesli for a quick and delicious breakfast.

I threw white peaches and red plums in my cast iron pan for a few minutes...until warm and grilled. It really brings out the sweetness in the fruit and is sooo delicious. Of course, this is lovely after you use a real grill and serve with ice cream...for. the. win!

Peach Buckle - Martha Stewart

Peach Buckle

Fruit in baked goods. I'm home.

I picked up some peaches at the farmers market and peeled three large ones for this delicious buckle.

Easy peasy. Fruit, batter, and a topping of cinnamon sugar and sliced almonds. Since one of my co-workers doesn't eat nuts (but not allergic) I sprinkled the nuts over 1/2 the buckle.

This is a recipe from Martha Stewart...she makes it in a iron skillet. That makes are great presentation. However, I popped mine in a 9" square pan because it is easier to cut into squares to serve at the library.

Recipe:
Peach Buckle from Martha Stewart

Mad Men Grape Jello Mold with Peaches

Whoo Hoo! Mad Men Premiere is tonight!

As we did last year, Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet and I are cooking up a Mad Men inspired treat to welcome the new season of the best show on TV, Mad Men!

This is gonna be short and sweet because Don Draper is coming on in 34 minutes. I'm staying off Twitter so I don't hear about the first episode.

I believe this season's Mad Men is entering 1964. So, I made a gelatin mold. Sure, I could have made one I found in the issues of the 1964 New York Times, but that was the time when Jello went all savory and, in my humble opinion, kinda gross. I'm not that into shredded cheese, carrots, and avocado in my Jello mold. I mean, I have to eat this mold during the show! So, I opted for CANNED peaches (although fresh California peaches were sitting on my counter) and grape Jello. I think little blond Sally would enjoy it.

Ingredients: Large box of grape Jello, two packages of unflavored gelatin, canned peaches.

You can Mad Men Yourself on the Mad Men website! Give it a try!

Hope you enjoy the show. If you aren't a fan, you can still catch up! :)

Brioche Plum, Nectarine, Peach, and Apricot Tart (Tuesdays with Dorie)

Happy Bastille Day! I went to the Los Angeles Bastille Day festivities in Elysian Park on Sunday, and today Tuesdays with Dorie celebrates with brioche!

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Denise of Chez Us picked Brioche Plum Tart on pages 54 and 55of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

The tart is a brioche dough topped with fruit. Yes, a combination of buttery, rich bread and summer fruit. We were destined for success!

I missed the Farmer's Market this week (again!!) and picked up some nectarines, peaches, red plums and black velvet apricots at my local store. I've never had the black velvet apricot (pictured above)...but its skin is sorta velvety! The inside is like an apricot.

I made the dough last night and got up at 3:20 am to make this tart! If I fall asleep while answering reference questions later today, just feed me a piece of this and I'm sure I'll perk right up.

A layer of peach jam was spread on the brioche dough. Then my various stone fruits were placed on top.

And what happens when you make something before dawn? You "misread" the directions. I thought I was supposed to mix the fruit and sugar together (like a pie) and let things macerate for 30 minutes during the 1st rise in the pan cycle. However, when I reread the directions after the tart was in the oven (yes, this IS the best time to reread the directions!), it turned out the sugar was supposed to go on top of the fruit. Thus, I got no caramelization. Oh well, it's still yummy!

The Brioche Fruit Tart.
It's worth getting up early.

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers! I can't wait to see everyone's take on this - I'm sure there will be a whole farmer's market of fruit and jam!

Recipe:
Find the recipe on Denise's blog Chez Us or buy Dorie's great book, Baking: From My Home to Yours!

Donut Peach Galette for You Want Pies with That?

For this month's You Want Pies with That? challenge, Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake and Mary of Alpineberry came up with this month's theme: Taste of Summer Pie!

Summer to me is all about stone fruit. I love stone fruit. I grew up eating peaches from my parent's backyard. The house always had apricots, plums and nectarines from the store. I remember when I discovered the goodness that is the white peach and nectarine. And I jump for joy when I first see the mango-flavored nectarine at the Farmer's Market at the beginning of summer. And don't get me started about my special relationship with the pluot...

Have you tried the Donut or Saturn peach? It's a sweet, squat white peach that, well, looks like a donut or the rings of Saturn. (Yes, I bet that one was hard to figure out! :)

By the way, I've used this green platter in a few posts. It is a piece of Mary Law Pottery. She has a great studio in Berkeley, CA. I bought it when I got my bread platter by Gary Holt (see this post), and I forgot to showcase this one! Check out Mary Law's website...and visit her studio if you ever visit Northern California.

For this one, I wanted to keep the donut shape so I just rinsed it off and plopped the lovely fruit (with pit) on my completely misshapen pie crust. I had some frozen ginger spice cookies I made last week so I crumbed some of them underneath. And I dropped some butter and sugar on top. Bake and eat. Yum.

Be sure to check out the other You Want Pies with That? pies and delights!

Recipe:
Pie Crust: 1 1/4 c flour, dash of salt, 1 stick butter, 2 1/2 T ice water (a variation of Martha Stewart's Pie Crust)
Saturn or Donut Peach
Ginger Spice Cookie crumbs

Nectarine Buckle (Peach Buckle by Everyday Food)

Oh, I'm such a wild girl!

Not.

I've been a pretty boring chica lately. Sometimes, I think my excitement for the day is driving 7 miles over the speed limit (with two hands on the steering wheel...)

Yesterday, I engaged my lead foot and did something crazy in the kitchen.

I switched nectarines for the peach.

I know!! C R A Z Y.

I'm sure this'll be on the next DVD of Fruit Gone Wild.

I replaced the peaches with absolutely delicious mango flavored nectarines from Ken's Top Notch Produce at the farmer's market. This is breeding done right.

Peaches or Nectarines are folded into the batter. The topping is sugar, cinnamon and sliced almonds. I've also made a Peach and Blueberry Buckle - that's yum too.

And why did I pick the Peach Buckle?

I don't want to go all TMI on you, but my gums are pathetic. For some reason, one speck of plaque on my teeth cause much, much misery. I need to get my teeth cleaned four times a year. I see my hygienist more than my relatives. I'm supposed to floss twice a day, Sonicare after every meal, use a prescription toothpaste ($17 a tube!), Waterpik, Sulcabrush and not snack too much (that one I can't handle). I'm probably the only one in the library with an electric toothbrush on my desk (behind my monitor - not next to the reference books, thank you very much). But last month I had more dental issues and mega sensitivity on one of my molars. My dentist said they need to cover the exposed nerves with a "buckle."

And what did I think when I hear "buckle"? Novocaine? No...Fruit Buckle!!

However, I later learned that my dentist was probably talking about the buccal surface of the tooth...oh well, I'm calling this My Buckle for My Buccal!

Got peaches? Got nectarines? Got blueberries?
Got bad gums or need dental work?
Make this buckle! (and then brush and floss your teeth)

Recipe:
Peach Buckle
from Everyday Food

Honey-Peach Ice Cream with homemade waffle cone - Tuesdays with Dorie

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Tommi of Brown Interior selected Honey-Peach Ice Cream on page 437 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. I really like Rainbow Brown's blog - be sure to stop by her blog and give her encouragement about getting an apartment with an electric stove. Oh dear.

I got to use my new ice cream maker for the second time...and get sucked in by the glory of Target.

I went to Target yesterday and they are having a little summer appliance sale. My friend JustJenn has a bunch of great appliances like a Williams Sonoma Mini-Donut Maker they don't sell anymore! My newly adopted JustJenn motto when shopping: "When I see an appliance, I buy it."

So, when I saw the Rival Waffle Cone maker, it went straight into my red Target cart. And it's on sale for $19.99.

Sweetness, come to Momma.

I so so so love the waffle cone. I love the cone MORE than the ice cream that comes in it.

These cones aren't as thick as the ones at the ice cream shop...but it could be the recipe and my technique! But I am happy with the cones. I have plans for the summer...stay tuned!

As for the ice cream, my peaches weren't the ripest...so it was nice but I think it can be improved with better fruit. Must make again! :)

I picked up these cute ceramics at the Japanese store. Damn. I have been stimulating the economy lately...

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers! And find the recipe for Honey-Peach Ice Cream in Dorie's great book Baking: From My Home to Yours or on Tommi's blog, Brown Interior.