Yes, I do like apples. As a matter of fact, I had a Honeycrisp at the store this afternoon. And it was delicious. The problem is, when the first apples start coming in, it's a harbinger of the end of summer fruits. Soon the berries will end. And the peaches. And plums. And my favorite, nectarines. Waaaaah!!!
Well, I'm just not ready yet. As I've said before, I'm not a baker but I'm trying to learn. And I've got a long checklist of things to make before the fruit is gone. Let me give you a peek at my list.
Cobblers
This is something I've been comfortable baking since, well, Cooking Merit Badge from eons ago. Cobbler is essentially pie filling with biscuits on top. There are options as to what kinds of biscuits, though. This one most closely resembles what we used to do at Scout Camp back in the day. This one has a sweeter biscuit that's really divine. Of course, any cobbler is much better when made in a cast iron Dutch oven with decades of seasoning on it, and baked in the embers of your campfire.
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| Photo via Epicurious |
Cobblers
This is something I've been comfortable baking since, well, Cooking Merit Badge from eons ago. Cobbler is essentially pie filling with biscuits on top. There are options as to what kinds of biscuits, though. This one most closely resembles what we used to do at Scout Camp back in the day. This one has a sweeter biscuit that's really divine. Of course, any cobbler is much better when made in a cast iron Dutch oven with decades of seasoning on it, and baked in the embers of your campfire.
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| Photo via Oprah.com |
I think what makes me shy from baking is the detailed decorating involved. And when some intricate design is required on a couple of dozen cupcakes or something, well, I guess I don't have the patience for it. But one level more difficult than cobbler would be rustic tarts, no fancy-pants decorating involved. Here's a simple fruit tart. It's just a simple pastry dough, formed into a rough circle-ish shape, with fruit piled on and the edges rolled up. Right up my alley. Here's another one with a slightly different crust.
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| Photo via Smitten Kitchen |
Now we have to go up to the level of a real cake. Uh-oh. I think bundt cakes are probably the easiest, as there's little to no decorating, or lining up layers straight. It's the one-pot stew of the cake world. Just remember to let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so prior to trying to invert it onto the plate. This one I've made before and it's really amazing. The buttermilk gives it such a rich flavor. This one is way yummy too. I know, you normally don't think of strawberries and carrots in the same, well, in the same anything. But trust me, you won't be able to argue with the results.
For-Real Cakes
Before we get super-serious, this pound cake sorta straddles the line between a bundt cake and a real layer cake. The lemon really highlights the blueberries, and the ricotta makes it SO rich. Speaking of ricotta, have you looked in the dairy case lately? You'll find local ricotta there now!
And lastly, that brings us to a layer cake. I haven't worked up the courage to try yet, but I've sworn to myself I'm going to try before the blueberries are gone. I'm thinking that the lemon-blueberry combo should be fantastic once again.
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| Photo via Sally's Baking Addiction |
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