-
Peach Upside-Down Cake
There is always a bit of magic in an upside-down cake, complete with a final reveal – the turned cake coming effortlessly out of the pan and showing its glossy, caramelized topping. For this cake, peaches or a combination of peaches and plums create a delicious top layer. Actually, that’s the bottom layer when you’re building this in your cake pan. All part of the magic. With the steps below, you’ll learn how to make that final flip reliable, so your fruit doesn’t stick, and make the cake even more delicious with some of my favorite batter additions. While stone fruit season is still here, try this recipe to hold…
-
Cranberry Linzer Torte
With a crust that rivals the best holiday cookie, this linzer torte features warm spices, ground nuts, and a vibrant, lightly sweet yet tart cranberry filling. Topped with a generous lattice that makes dessert gorgeous and rustic at the same time, consider this your invitation to bake up a bit of holiday magic. In place of traditional almonds or hazelnuts, I include pecans and/or walnuts in this recipe as they pair so well with cranberry, though you can customize using your favorite ground nuts if preferred. They make the crust incredibly flavorful and ensure this cranberry linzer torte will be the jewel of the dessert table – even more so…
-
Apple Loaf Cake
Each slice of this loaf cake has an irresistible quality that comes from a combination of baked apples and cider. Studded throughout the batter, the chopped pieces add fresh-from-the-orchard flavor while the reduced cider and warm spices give it depth. Buttermilk makes it tender and far from dry. Bake this at night then enjoy it for breakfast – or bake it when the sun comes up and enjoy it throughout the day. As morning fare, a snack, or dessert, it’s the ideal way to celebrate apple season If you’ve enjoyed my apple cider vinaigrette recipe, you already are familiar with the process of making a cider reduction. Concentrated apple flavor…
-
Skillet Cornbread Topped with Tomatoes and Rosemary
Skillet cornbread may be the best kind to serve, as it cooks up with a toasty bottom and tender middle. I love to top mine with garden tomatoes and chopped rosemary to hold onto every last bit of summer. Since corn is available through September, fold some into the batter for added texture and flavor using the recipe below. Recently I recommended this as the ultimate side to my summer Cobb salad, and with Labor Day weekend here, this is a crowd-pleasing addition to the menu. By the start of September, our vegetable gardens have become looser, more natural and sprawling, and our dishes follow suit. The actual amounts of…
-
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Bursting with molten blueberries, these muffins have bakery style tops with tender middles made even more delicious with the use of lemon sugar, granulated sugar rubbed with lemon zest. I love the way the citrus shines in each muffin but still allows the blueberry flavor to take center stage. For a bit of added texture on top, I sprinkle homemade blueberry muffins with turbinado sugar before baking though this step is optional. The flavored sugar is a step I would not skip when making lemon blueberry muffins, since it introduces a bright and complex flavor that is quite different from lemon juice. There are many ways to make a delicious…
