Sour Cherry Cornmeal Clafoutis

Cherry ClafoutisSometimes being a homeowner can feel like such a drag.  The furnace fails, guess who’s on the hook.  And when the walk needs to be shoveled, the lawn needs to be mowed, or the caulking around the shower starts to brown and peel?  Yep, my problems, no one else’s.

And then there are times when I’m reminded that having a house and a yard to call my own are major blessings.  This sort of thing is usually pretty easy to recognize on a mid-summer day when I realize I’ve got a tree full ripe cherries and I’m no choice but to make an impromptu dessert on a Tuesday.  Ah, the importance of perspective.

So for my impromptu weekday dessert, I chose to make clafoutis.  Clafoutis (or clafouti…) is a dessert with a fancy French name that couldn’t be simpler to make or more delicious to eat.  It’s a custardy little cake baked in a pie pan, packed full of cherries.  I snuck a bit of cornmeal into mine and a splash of amaretto to bring out the flavor of the cherries.  

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Strawberry-Pecan Oatmeal Muffins

Strawberry, Pecan, Oat MuffinsLet me start by telling you this: this is the third batch of these muffins that I’ve made in three weeks–that’s the sort of muffins we’re dealing with today.  They’re the kind of muffin that’s good not only in the warm, comforting morning treat way, but also the I-don’t-have-to-feel-remorseful-all-day-over-what-I-ate-for-breakfast kind of way.  And, to be completely honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if I whip up another batch as soon as this one is gone.

In other words, I’m pretty smitten with these muffins.  They’re hearty and full of oats, sweetened with a touch of brown sugar and lots of strawberries.  Yogurt keeps them moist and chopped pecans add a touch of crunch.  Also, they hold up ridiculously well so if you hide them from your kids/husband/girlfriend/counter-surfing dog, the batch you make on Monday will carry you all through a whole week’s worth of breakfasts.  

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Asparagus, Spinach & Chèvre Tart

Asparagus, Spinach & Chevre Tart 3I’ve been really into brunch the past few weeks.  Life has felt a bit frantic lately and carving out time for a leisurely morning meal on the weekends is a good way to make the day at least feel like it’s stretched out in front of you, even if the minute your plate is empty you’ve got to run off and go about other business.

This tart is the latest addition to my brunch repertoire.  It’s basically a compact quiche that’s heavy on green vegetables and goat cheese.  Spinach is whisked into an eggy custard, topped with spears of asparagus and rounds of chèvre, and baked in a flaky crust.  It’s a great thing to linger over with a second cup of coffee on a spring morning or, should the weather cooperate, perfect for a patio lunch with a salad and a glass of wine.

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Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

My grocery store has been doing a very good job of catering to my need to immerse myself in all things spring, stat.  I walked in a few days ago and was greeted by a huge tower of daffodils.  Behind them was an equally large tower of asparagus, and behind that, a sea of red strawberries.  Needless to say, I wound up leaving with a cheery bouquet of daffodils, a couple of bundles of asparagus, and more strawberries than I could ever (reasonably) eat fresh so I simply had to bake a treat.

I’d like to call this strawberry-lemon buttermilk bread, mainly because I’m eating a slice with my morning coffee as I write this, but it’s really more of a cake and I’ve got to say, it’s everything I wanted it to be: light, bright, optimistic, and tasting delightfully like spring.  The crumb of the cake is tender and moist, there’s a strawberry in nearly every bite, and the lemon glaze is a much-needed pop of sunshine.

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Cherry Marsala Olive Oil Cake

Cherry Marsala Olive Oil Cake

The way I see it, there are 2 species of cake. There are the fancy, celebration cakes with swirls of frosting, bells, whistles, and the whole bit. And then there are the everyday cakes. I’m talking about the cakes that are made at a moment’s notice when you need an afternoon pick-me-up or when eating a salad for dinner only seems like a viable option if you get to round out the meal with a little slice cake.

Today’s cake, if you hadn’t already guessed, falls firmly into the second category. It’s nothing fancy, just a good, solid anytime cake to have in your repertoire. It’s the kind of cake that can be made on a whim, mixed up in less time than the oven takes to heat. Olive oil gives it round, fruity flavor and a splash of Marsala gives it a subtle but haunting Italian flavor. 

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