Tag Archives: cornstarch

Recipes - Desserts

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

First Scoop!

The best thing about a Rhubarb Crisp is adding fresh strawberries to the mix and today’s crisp proved no exception to this rule of thumb. You’re getting the sweet and the sour in each bite, guaranteeing satisfaction for all.  Tart and sweet, creamy and crumbly, this dish has it all.  I used my sister, Mamie’s, recipe, listed in her cookbook, “County Seat Deli & Delights” and altered it only by omitting the lemon juice in favor of orange zest and 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice as Ina Garten’s online recipe calls for. I also used my favorite Amish fruit thickener, Clear-jel by name, but you can certainly use cornstarch easily to thicken the filling also and I listed the cornstarch here. This is an awesome recipe, Mamie, and many thanks to you and Rosie!

The crisp topping I made exactly as listed as I never seem to have any luck using rolled oats in toppings. The butter, melted, is drizzled over the topping and not chunked up in the dough as most cobbler recipes instruct. This topping so deliciously delivers a great texture contrast to the soft fruit and it bakes up beautifully golden brown, rich with butter. The only difference in my book between cobblers, crisps, and crumbles is in the use of butter and whether you want a chewy topping or a biscuity one. The main thing you do with all of them is to sweeten, sometimes tarten, your fruit and make the topping that offers the best contrast and texture, and, geeze, what a great way to enjoy an abundance of summer fruit.

Of course you serve this dish with vanilla ice cream, preferably while the crisp is still warm. I guarantee you won’t find a more satisfying way to brighten any still hot September day. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

Combination of 6-7 cups rhubarb, cut 1″ pieces, and strawberries, stemmed and quartered

FILLING INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
3 T. cornstarch
4 T. water
2 t. orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice

TOPPING ingredients

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 sticks butter, melted

Directions Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Zest orange. Squeeze oranges to equal 1/s cup  juice.  I needed 2 oranges for this. Combine the rhubarb and the strawberries and orange zest in large bowl then place inside prepared baking dish. Set inside oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Prepare the filling ingredients by combining the sugar, cornstarch, water and orange juice in a medium saucepan, bringing just to boiling. Remove from heat and pour this mixture over the hot fruit. Return dish to oven.

Make the topping by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir to blend. Add the eggs and stir until clumps begin to form and mixture pulls away from the bowl; use a fork to further cut the eggs into the dough until you have clumps. Drop this mixture by spoonfuls over the fruit; I usually squeeze 2 tablespoons in my hands and add these heavier pieces first then scatter any smaller crumbs evenly over the top. Slowly drizzle the melted butter over all and bake for 45-50 minutes. DO serve this warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Recipes - Desserts

Blackberry Cobbler

My BFF down in Florida was mentioning blackberry cobbler a lot, at least three times last week, so when I spotted fresh blackberries at my local market yesterday, I knew we had to have our own cobbler, up here, and soon!  These were large beautiful blackberries just made for cobbler or blackberry pie and they did not disappoint. The photos above took as long to fuss with as the actual cobbler prep work did.  35 minutes and its in the oven! The larger photo is as served out of mama’s room tonight at Woodland Hills.  I have to say, “the cobbler thing” was a pleasure, from start to finish!

Do cook your blackberries to thicken, then cool the filling off the stove before adding the topping; cook it just long enough for the juices to coat a wooden spoon; 5 minutes.  The sugar, berries, and the whiff of cinnamon take a minute to boil, as the sugar must melt first.   The cornstarch-water mixture thickens the sauce perfectly.  Taste it as it cools because you might want a little more cinnamon.  The biscuity topping is a terrific complement to the berry filling.  I like to drop it willy-nilly over my berries as that  makes for easy serving.  It does taste like abiscuit, browned on top with a  cake-like texture, perfect for soaking up the ample juices from the berries.  Fresh blackberries, are, of course, a given for this recipe.  These berries were from my local market; youknow, the only “real” grocery store in town; they were beautiful to look at, big as large Bing cherries, and they held their shape nicely too, once cooked.

If you have 60 minutes total, and 3 cups of blackberries, you are in business my friend!  Half of that time is the cobbler baking and you cleaning up the kitchen quickly, right? Start to finish, there was nothing more pleasant to be doing with that hour, and the results were amazing!  Ahhh, the many flavors of Spring!  Dig Right In!

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients for berries

3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 T. cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1 T. butter

Biscuit Topping

1-1/2 cups flour
1 T. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup milk

Directions In a large saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into fruit mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Dot with butter.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until moistened. Drop by tablespoons onto hot berry mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream. Yield: 9 servings.

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Recipes - Side Dishes

Fried Apples & Raisins

Fried Apples & Raisins

When asked last week what she’d enjoy for a snack this week, mama just didn’t know, she just didn’t know, but when I suggested fried apples, she quickly said, “Oh, yes, that would be good!” True to form she clearly knows what hits the spot on a winter day.

This recipe from my cookbook collection is simple to prepare. Use a cast iron skillet and cook the apples until just tender. You want them to hold their form and be fork-tender, not mushy. Today I used Jonagold apples and dark raisins because I didn’t have the golden raisins I prefer and dark raisins work just as well really.  Don’t take too long sautéing the apples, 7-8 minutes is fine, in melted butter, over medium-high heat. I did add a teaspoon of bacon grease to my skillet today knowing it would add contrast to the sweet butter I used.  Flavor with brown sugar, thicken with cornstarch and water, and add just a splash of lemon juice before serving.   All pau!   Ready!

 

Fried Apples & Raisins

Ingredients

4 lg. tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4” thick
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tsp. lemon juice, to taste

Directions Prepare apples. Melt butter in large skillet; add apples. Cook and stir over medium heat 6-7 minutes or until almost tender. Dissolve cornstarch in water, add to skillet. Add brown sugar and raisins and bring to a low boil. Boil 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and season with the lemon juice to taste.

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