Peachberry Buckle

Cake:

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, or 57 grams) butter

3/4 cup (149 grams) sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups (241 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (113 grams) milk

Filling:

1 cup (142 to 170 grams) berries, chopped if large (e.g., strawberries)

1 cup (213 grams) sliced peaches or nectarines, peeled or not

Topping:

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, or 57 grams) butter

1/4 cup (53 grams) brown sugar

1/2 cup (57 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan.

To make the cake: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Stir in the baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

Add the flour in three additions, stirring it in alternately with the milk, and beginning and ending with the flour.  Set the batter aside while you make the topping.

To make the topping: Mix all of the ingredients until crumbly.  (Don't over-mix, or you'll get a smooth paste, rather than crumbs.)

To assemble the buckle: Spread half the batter in the prepared pan.  Layer with the peach slices.  Fold the blueberries into the remaining batter, and dollop it on top; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here.  Sprinkle the topping over the batter.

Bake the buckle for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the buckle from the oven, and cool it on a rack.  Serve warm, or at room temperature.  Store at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Makes 9 to 12 servings.

From King Arthur Flour, with very minor changes

Pesto Potato Pizza

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 pound pizza dough, at room temperature

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1/3 cup Arugula Pesto

1 medium potato, very thinly sliced

8 ounces burrata cheese or soft mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup fresh basil or or lemon basil leaves or 1 cup arugula leaves

Crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil, or sprinkle cast iron pizza pan with cornmeal.

In a small bowl, combine the oregano, sesame seeds, lemon zest, cumin, and generous pinches of salt and pepper.

On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle).  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet or pan.  Rub the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the seed mix, using as little or as much as you'd like.  Spread the dough with pesto and layer on the sliced potatoes, drizzling them lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the potatoes are crisp.  

Remove from the oven and top with lumps of burrata or mozzarella.  Allow the cheese to sit on the pizza and warm through, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle on the basil or arugula and crushed red pepper flakes.

Makes one 10-12 inch pizza.

From Half Baked Harvest blog

Arugula Pesto

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups (2 ounces/60 grams) packed arugula leaves

1/2 cup (2 ounces/60 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, garlic, arugula, Parmesan, and salt, and pulse to blend.  With the machine running, pour in the olive oil through the food tube in a slow, steady stream and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.

From This Is a Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life by Max Sussman and Eli Sussman, via Epicurious, with minor changes

Wild Violet Syrup

Wild violet blossoms

Water

Sugar

Lemon juice

How many violet blossoms you use is up to you. The recipe is a 1:1 ratio, so you can use as many or as few as you wish.

Once you have picked your violets, place them in a jar or glass and add enough boiling water to cover the flowers.  Let the flowers steep for an hour or two (until the water cools). Your violet water will look blue or green at this point; the violet color comes later when the lemon is added. 

Strain the flowers from the infused water and discard them.  Be sure infused water is clear of any debris.  Add equal parts violet-infused water and sugar to a saucepan.  Slowly add small amounts of lemon juice until desired color is reached.

Slowly bring the sugar water to a low boil for a minute or two. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.  Transfer your syrup to whatever (preferably clear) container you wish.

From KentuckyForager.com

Vanilla Biscotti

6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter

2/3 cup (135 grams) sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs

2 cups (241 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a biscotti pan or small baking sheet.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled.  Add the flour using the low speed of the mixer, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

Scoop the dough into the prepared pan, shaping it into a rough log and leaving about 3/4-inch bare around the edges of the pan.  The dough should be mounded in the center.

Bake the dough for 25 to 30 minutes, until it is golden brown all over.  Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.  Remove from the pan.  Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top.  Wait 5 minutes before slicing; softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier. Use a serrated knife to cut diagonal 1/2" to 3/4" slices.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Set the biscotti on edge on a large baking sheet; there's no need to grease the pan.  Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, till they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden.  They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the center, if you break one in half, but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.  Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

Makes about 18 biscotti, depending on size.

From King Arthur Flour website

Note:

Can add up to 1 1/2 cups nuts, dried fruit or berries, or chocolate chips to the dough, along with the flour.  Adjust the flavoring to suit the add-in, if desired; reduce the sugar slightly if add-in is sweet.

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter

1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 3/4 cups (326 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (170 grams) raspberry jam (or other fruit or berry jam)

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, lemon rind, vanilla, and salt until very light.  Beat in the egg.  Add the flour, stirring until well blended. 

Use a teaspoon cookie scoop (about 2 measuring teaspoons) or tablespoon cookie scoop (about 4 measuring teaspoons) of dough for each cookie.  Scoop cookies onto the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them.  Use your fingertip (for smaller cookies) or thumb (for larger cookies) to put an indentation into the center of each.

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes.  Remove them from the oven.  Fill each indentation with jam, using about 1/4 teaspoon for each teaspoon-scoop cookie or 1/2 teaspoon for each tablespoon-scoop cookie.  Return to the oven for about 5 more minutes, until the cookies are slightly golden-brown.

Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes to firm up, then move them to a rack to finish cooling.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen to 5 dozen cookies, depending on size.

From King Arthur Flour website

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken

1/3 cup minced onion

1/3 cup breadcrumbs or panko

1-2 tablespoons pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula, until all ingredients are evenly combined.  Form 4 patties.

Cook on a grill or in a pan over medium heat until cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes per side or until inside reaches 165 F on an instant-read thermometer.

Makes 4 burgers.

From WillCookForSmiles blog with minor changes