there's a reason it's a classic

Have you ever eaten clafouti? It's delectable and ridiculously easy. You pretty much mix up this crepe-like batter, pour it over fruit and bake it. The classic recipe calls for cherries, but because they have such a short season, Ina recommends pear. I've made it her way a few times and she's right, pear is wonderful. But since we are smack in the middle of cherry season, I decided to give them a go. Oh, they are perfection. The batter is rich, like custard so little bursts of cherry cut it nicely.

Cherry Clafouti, from Ina Garten, ever so slightly adapted
3 eggs
6 T flour
1 1/2 c heavy cream
2 t vanilla extract
1 t lemon zest
1/4 t salt
2 T kirsch
1/2 lb cherries, pitted and sliced in half

Pre-heat the oven to 375

Butter a 10" round dish and sprinkle with sugar
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy
On slow speed, add the flour, cream, vanilla, lemon, salt and kirsch. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Place the cherries into the bottom of the pan, and pour the batter over them. Bake for 35-40 minutes until set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

toffee recipe

This month I made 12 batches of toffee. It was a huge success at Renegade and I think it's only fair to share the recipe. 'Tis the season after all.

The recipe originally came from Paula Dean. I suggest reading through the instructions once or twice before making. It's not hard, but it requires some exactness and forethought.

In a medium heavy bottom pot melt together 3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (that's 28 tablespoons), 2 cups white sugar and 4 T cold water over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the butter has melted completely and the mixture begins to boil.


Allow the mixture to boil, without stirring (!!!) until it has turned a deep golden color (300 to 310 on a candy thermometer). For me this takes about 10 minutes. The second it reaches 310 turn off the heat.


Pour in 1 c roughly chopped (and toasted if you like) pecans, 2 t vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir it all together and pour into a well buttered sheet pan. (My small pan is 10"x15" and is the ideal size.)


Allow the toffee to cool until it has set slightly but is still warm (8 minutes seems to be right) then pour 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top. Using a rubber spatula slowly spread them out over the entire pan of toffee, it will take a few minutes for the chocolate to melt. Paula uses significantly more chocolate than I do so feel free to do so.



Now let the whole pan sit for a few hours. Do not place in the fridge to speed things up you'll just have to be patient here.

Use your hands to break the toffee into bite sized pieces. Store in an airtight container or it gets gooey quickly. Happy holidays!

the life of a chocolate cake

I know 5 people who share today as their birthday. But only 1 of them came over for dinner and a cake. Not just any cake though, this is by far the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. It's become the cake that everyone asks for and I like that tradition.

dessert

Was anyone else totally inspired to cook after reading this month's Bon Appetit? We went for dinner at our friend's house last night and I brought dessert; poached figs and maple mascarpone served on shortcakes. The recipe calls for buttermilk ice cream which sounds delicious, but I don't have an ice cream maker. Cowgirl Creamery makes mascarpone straight from heaven, so really the ice cream wasn't missed at all.

dessert

A few weeks ago, one of the blogs I regularly read mentioned a craving for Concord grape ice cream and was asking if any readers had a recipe. I suggested she try granita, and since then have had a craving of my own. At the farmer's market yesterday, I picked up some Concord and Muscat grapes, and this morning I made granita. I'm debating whether I should finish writing this before or after I go and help myself to another serving. It's sweet and refreshing, one of the best flavors I've made yet.
Making granita is more of a method than a recipe. The key is to use liquid that is a little stronger and sweeter than you would want juice for drinking.

I smashed the grapes with a muddler, then pushed them through a sieve with a wooden spoon. I kept the pulp and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then smashed it through the sieve again. A few more tablespoons of juice came out, so it seems worth the wait. I had about a pound (or 2 cups) of each variety.

To the juice, I added 1/4 cup of simple syrup and then poured each one into a glass baking dish and placed then in the freezer. An hour later, I used a fork to stir in the crystals that formed around the edge, and then placed the dishes back in the freezer for the rest of the day.



To serve, use a fork to scrape the granita and a spoon to scoop it in to the serving dish.

easy peasy

There must be a harder way to make macaroons. But why look for it when this insanely simple recipe is also insanely good? I whipped up a batch for my friend's birthday late last night. Recipe comes from Ina Garten.

Preheat oven to 325F
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 bag (14 0z) sweetened coconut
2 egg whites at room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla and salt.
In the bowl of your mixer whip the egg whites until medium stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
Using 2 spoons, scoop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper (this is a must!) leavning a small amount of space in between. Bake for 25-30 minutes (usually 25 is right for me).
Makes 25-30