I have been traveling around Minnesota giving talks at libraries. Fun to do, but this year have been much hindered by WEATHER! January, February, and March talks had to be cancelled. Yesterday I drove to Montgomery, Minnesota through windstorm, rainstorm and near tornado conditions. Many people didn’t make it to the library although those who traveled as far as an hour away did come. We had a great discussion about writing cookbooks, my Finnish Cookbook (now in its 38th printing) – first published in 1964!

Drove home to Duluth and arrived at 1:00 A.M. and was blocked by a tree that fell across our half-mile driveway!

Now that we’ve gotten the hackers taken care of I will post more often.
Thanks for being loyal friends!

Healthy updates to old favorite recipes have been on my mind lately. It is the time of year to figure out what to do with all that zucchini, and how to add in fresh herbs. Of course, I want to prepare healthy meals using ingredients in season with a minimum of time and effort, but they still have to be family friendly without leaving me wilted in the corner of the kitchen.

Satisfying and easy to serve, lasagna has been a family favorite dish – not just for everyday, but also for easy entertaining and shared potlucks. Lasagne itself is a wide, flat pasta, probably one of the oldest and best known. The word “lasagne” is in the plural form, meaning more than one piece of lasagna ribbon. But here, zucchini slices  stand in for the pasta. The “layers” are made of thin lengthwise slices of zucchini that need to be dried. To do that fifteen minutes in a 350°F. oven does the trick.  If you feel adventurous, you might add other fresh veggies to the ground turkey and tomato sauce, or handfuls of fresh herbs. I decided to use chopped artichoke hearts because I had them in the freezer, and they added and texture. Fresh garden carrots, shredded (about a cupful or two), or chopped fresh spinach, peas or string beans would be good, too. I just didn’t have anything like that yet in my wimpy, late-summer!

Zucchini Lasagna

To reduce the excess moisture, you roast the zucchini strips so actually, this is a no-lasagne lasagna making it a gluten –free casserole. Then, we flavor the tomato sauce with  fresh herbs. Low fat ricotta and Parmesan add to the creamy filling. Mushrooms and artichoke hearts raise the flavor level.

2 to  3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4″ thick lengthwise

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/4 pound package of ground turkey breast

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped, about 3/4 cup

One 15-ounce tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

15-ounce tub part-skim ricotta

1 large egg

1 package (9 ounces) artichoke hearts, cooked according to package directions, chopped (optional)

16 ounces part-skin mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the sliced zucchini strips on two cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes to remove dry out (they do not get crisp).

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil; add the turkey and cook about 5 minutes until no longer pink. Add the garlic and onions and cook 8 to 10 minutes until onions are softened. Add tomato sauce, basil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer on lowest for at least 30-40 minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.

In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg and artichoke hearts, if used.

Lightly grease a 9×12 casserole spread some of the turkey mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with half of the zucchini slices, spaced evenly. Then spread with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Finally, top with remaining turkey mixture and mozzarella, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and cover with foil so that the foil does not touch the food.

Bake 45 minutes covered, at 375°F. then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 – 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares to serve.

Makes 9 to 12 servings.

My new cookbook, published by Rodale will be available in stores in September!

Events already planned are:

1. The Duluth Women’s Club on Friday, October 11th at noon. Books will be available.

2. Saturday, Oct 12
12:30pm-1:30pm – Cooks at Crocus Hill, Edina Location – book signing
3925 West 50th Street, Edina, MN 55424
Contact day-of: Elisa – 952.285.1903
Parking – the parking ramp is just behind the store adjacent to Lunds Grocery

3:00pm-4:00pm – Cooks at Crocus Hill, St Paul Location – book signing
877 Grand Avenue, St Paul, MN 55105
Contact day-of: Todd – 651.228.1333
Parking – there is a parking lot right behind the store.

There will be a sampling from the book being served!

See you there!

Woman Today April-May. 2013

MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s day is coming up – it is always the second Sunday in May and that means this year it will be May 13th. “It’s not the gift as much as the thought that counts.” How many times have you heard that? But then, I’d recommend against something like a vacuum cleaner or a set of pots and pans – much as you’d think Mom needs them. A gift for Mom should be something personal rather than utilitarian. What could be more personal than a meal prepared by you? Or maybe a fabulous baked product – something you made yourself.

It just so happens that I have a lot of ideas! Twenty-nine Books worth of them…
But here I highlight just five of them:

1. Weeknight Desserts, published by Sellers in 2010. ($14.95) The idea is that there is always time for dessert. The chapters feature: One batch cookies and bars, make-ahead desserts, pies and cakes from ingredients you’d have on hand, quick to whip up soufflés, custards and puddings, quick fresh fruit treats, and last minute crowd pleasing goodies. Try the English Toffee Bars, page 17

2. Petite Sweets, also Sellers, published in 2009, ($18.95) – These are bite-sized desserts, the idea being that you can offer a variety of desserts, for the undecided guest who wants to taste everything! Look at the miniature Whoopie Pies on page 37.

3. The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever, by Chronicle Books, 2008. ($24.95) Featuring a whopping more than 500 recipes, with one whole chapter devoted to desserts in a casserole, another on casserole breads, and yet another on breakfast casseroles. There are nineteen chapters in all, and they feature recipes that use ingredients available everywhere. Try the Cranberry Pears, page 587, which can double as a breakfast dish, too.

4. The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, by the University of Minnesota Press, (1999) (was first published by Little Brown & Co. in 1988). This book features classic baked goods from all Scandinavian countries and won the James Beard Award in the Cookbook Hall of Fame. Choose the Danish Pastry Braid on page 220, or the heart shaped cream waffles, or Aebelskiver on page 259. Truly there are lots of irresistible treats here.

5. The Great Holiday Baking Book, by the University of Minnesota Press, 2001, (first published by Clarkson/Potter in 1994). This tome features more than 250 recipes for occasions throughout the year including Orange-Cappuccino Shortbread, page 63, Strawberry Layer Cake, page 64, and a yummy Honey Pecan Coffee Cake on page 72 plus three more ideas for “Mommy’s Day” treats.
All of my books are available at most bookstores – and if they don’t have them on hand they can be ordered. Otherwise, visit www.amazon.com and type in Beatrice Ojakangas and a whole list of my books will pop up.

Here are a couple of special treats for Mother’s Day the first is from my Weeknight Desserts. The second is from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book.

English Toffee Bars

So simple to make, this 5-ingredient wonder is a recipe that you can enlist little fingers to assist with the pressing of the basic dough into a baking pan. Pack them in a pretty box to make a personal gift.

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg, separated

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Coat a 15 by 10-inch rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the egg yolk and set aside the egg white in a small bowl. Mix the dough until smooth and blend in the flour to make a stiff cookie dough. With your fingers, press the dough into the prepared pan, to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. Beat the egg white until just frothy and brush the top of the dough using all of it, covering the dough evenly. Sprinkle with the almonds and press in lightly.
Bake for 1 hour until lightly golden and firm when touched. While still hot, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Let cool in the pan. Makes 6 dozen.

Applesauce Filled Aebelskiver

You need the special pancake pan to make these. Last year I came across an electric aebelskiver pan at Ingebretsen’s in Minneapolis. This has greatly simplified the making of these special pancakes. When we have kids around, it is really hard to keep up with the demand – as they’re eaten a fast as I can make them! Treat Mom to a Danish brunch and serve these, freshly made, with maybe a festive bubbly in champagne glasses like sparkling apple juice with fresh strawberries or tropical mimosas made with papaya juice and sparkling wine.

1 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

3 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Applesauce

Powdered sugar

Heat the milk to lukewarm and whisk in the butter, egg yolks, and sugar. Turn into a bowl and add the flour and baking powder, whisking until well blended and no lumps remain. Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture.

Heat the aebelskiver pan over medium-high heat until a drop of watr sizzles when dripped into the pan. Put about 1/2 teaspoon butter into each indentation. Spread it around. Spoon in 1 tablespoon of the batter and let it cook about 30 seconds. Drop 1 teaspoon applesauce into the center of each and top with enough aebelskiver batter to cover the applesauce. When the bottoms are browned, turn the cakes over and cook on that side until browned. Remove from the pan and place on serving plate. Dust with
Powdered sugar, makes about 20

Cardamom Apple Nut Cake

My late mother-in-law, Grace, loved to bake cakes. She didn’t like to make pies, even though she was really good at making beef pasties. She gave me two recipes for cakes, hand written on recipe cards that are now so floppy (from use) you’d think the cards were made of cloth rather than paper. My favorite of the two is her classic Apple Date Nut Cake.

With the nice, tart local apples in the market I’m inspired to dig out this old favorite cake recipe. Being a cardamom fancier, I thought I’d see what it does to the apple cake that already has sweet spices in it. The aroma of the combination of sweet spices, cardamom, and coffee makes me feel like I’m in a Scandinavian coffee shop.

Although you can use almost any kind of apple in the cake locally grown Honeycrisp or Northern Spy apples are wonderful. Of course, you can select Granny Smith, Jonathan or McIntosh. This goes for apple pie as well as apple cake.

Grace liked to bake her cake in a fancy tube-type pan and drizzle it with caramel frosting. Often, I simply bake it in a 13 x 9-inch pan and cut it into squares. Sometimes when I bake it in a rectangular pan I will double the amount of apples and the result is a moist apple pudding and instead of frosting the cake I serve squares of it with whipped cream.

Cardamom Apple Nut Cake

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons unsweetened dark cocoa

1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cold, strong coffee

4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, about 4 cups

1 cup chopped, pitted dates

1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Caramel frosting, recipe follows (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch fancy tube type pan or a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Stir the cocoa, cardamom, cinnamon, and soda into the flour.

4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture along with the coffee. Beat until batter is very smooth. Stir in the apples, dates, and nuts until evenly blended.

5. Turn into the greased pan. Bake 1 hour for the tube pan or 35 to 40 minutes for the 13 x 9-inch pan or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Cool the tube cake for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool the rectangular cake completely in its pan on a wire rack. Ice with the caramel frosting or dust with powdered sugar.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon dark corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar, if needed

1. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the cream and sugar.

2. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the syrup, salt, butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Mixture should be smooth.

3. If it seems too thin, sift powdered sugar and tir into the mixture until thickened. Spread or drizzle onto the cake while it is still warm.

“We had a fabulous time at my home on Monday June 18th at the CHUM Rhubarb Festival Fundraiser “”Artisan, Jams and Preserves!””  Thank you to all who attended and made this event such a fun and successful fundraiser.

Try out my new recipe for Rhubarb, Pineapple, Vanilla Jam.  It’s scrumptious on ice cream for a new summer treat.

BASIC RHUBARB JAM

4 cups (1 pound) chopped fresh rhubarb

2 cups your choice of berries or other fruit (see suggestions below)

2 cups sugar

1. In a heavy 4 or 5 quart (non aluminum), pot, combine all the ingredients.

2. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture becomes “juicy” about 5 minutes

3. Increase heat to medium and boil 20 to 25 minutes until the mixture is thick and jam-like.

4. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and top with lids and rings.

Makes about 4 cups

Rhubarb Pineapple Vanilla Jam

Use chopped fresh pineapple for the fruit and add 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and cut into 4 pieces. You’ll love the aroma of this jam cooking.

Download all of the recipes from this class:  Artisan Rhubarb JamsPreserves Class“

It’s been a long time since I entered anything here. Mainly, this is because I have been working on a new soup and bread cookbook that will be published by Rodale sometime in the next year. But now, I’m getting caught up and here’s a version of one of the recipes in the book.

I got the idea for this several years ago when at Panera. I had soup served in a bread bowl – well, they still do it. Then, last winter we had lunch in Osseo, Wisconsin at the Norske Nook. Fun place, if you ever end up around either Osseo or Rice Lake. Kinda Norwegian kitch.

Potato Chowder in a Bread Bowl

Bacon adds a nice, smoky flavor to this simple to make soup. If you wish, you can substitute butter.

Makes 4 servings
3 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 thick slices of bacon, diced or 3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons celery or bacon salt to taste
1 cup sour cream

1. Pour the water into a saucepan and add the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

2. While potatoes cook, cook the bacon in a heavy soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Measure 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat and discard the rest. Remove the bacon crisps and drain on paper towels.

3. Stir the flour into the bacon drippings (or butter if you prefer), and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the brownings from the bottom of the pan. Slowly whisk in the broth and milk and cook until it bubbles and thickens. Add the celery salt (or bacon salt) and the cooked potatoes, cooking liquid and all. Stir until hot throughout. Whisk in the sour cream. Garnish with the cooked bacon, green onion, and chopped parsley.

Reuben Potato Soup: Instead of bacon, add 1/2 cup shredded or diced corned beef, a cup of well drained sauerkraut, and a cup of shredded Swiss cheese to the soup. Garnish with green onion and chopped fresh parsley.

Onion Caraway Rye Bread Bowls
Bread bowls are great fun to make and to serve. Here’s one that holds any kind of soup you’d like. While you can use all-purpose flour here, you’ll find that bread flour makes the dough rise higher. You can make the bread bowls days ahead and freeze them if you wish. To thaw, simply remove from the freezer an hour or two before serving, or, you can reheat them in a 300*F. oven for about 10 minutes.

Makes four bread bowls.

1 package or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water 105 to 115*F.
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon minced dried onion
1/2 cup stone ground rye flour
3 cups bread flour

1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the molasses and set aside for 10 minutes until mixture is foamy.

2. Add salt, oil, caraway seeds, onion, rye flour, and 1 cup bread flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with mixer at medium speed after each addition.

3. When the dough has formed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

4. Punch dough down, and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until almost doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes. Brush loaves with water.

5. Preheat oven to 400*F. Place into the oven and spray or brush the loaves again with water. Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Cool on wire racks.

6. To make bowls: Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. (Use the interior of the loaves for another purpose.) If desired, toast the cut side of the bowl “lid” and brush with soft butter. Fill bread bowls with hot soup, top with the lid and serve.

German Christmas Cookies

It’s in late summer and early autumn when Lebkuchen, the traditional gingerbread cookie appears in the open markets of Germany, especially in Nürnburg. We were there recently as it was one of the city stops on our river cruise and I was so excited to find packages of these moist, soft, spice cookies being sold in the town square of Nürnburg. They’re not cheap! A stack of five 4-inch cookies in a cellophane wrap cost 5 Euros – about $7.50.

I recall a statement by a German friend who said that Lebkuchen is the official taste of autumn. Christmas is never complete without these cookies. “”Nürnberger Lebkuchen”” are just one of many types of German gingerbread. They have been baked in the city of Nürnberg since 1395 by the local monks. The spices had to be imported, so cities along river trading routes had an advantage over smaller, agricultural villages. Nürnberg also had good honey production, and this give them an edge over the commercial production of Lebkuchen, which began in the 14^th century. In 1643, the city even created the “League of Lebuchen Bakers”.

Two notes I would make:  1) the batter needs to refrigerated overnight, and 2) The cookies are baked on a thin, edible wafer called oblaten. Oblaten are crisp, white wheat wafers that are available in specialty food shops. If you do not have a specialty food shop that handles oblaten, check with a local religious supply house. Wafers used for communion come in various sizes, including 2 3/4 to 3-inch diameters, and can be used for lebkuchen. Or, check the Internet for “Back Oblaten” and several sources will pop up.

Lebkuchen

I am grateful to my friend Leonora Baeumler, who shared her recipe with me many years ago. I have altered it a little to use ingredients that are readily available today.

5 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups unblanched almonds, finely ground
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

42 to 48 round German baking wafers (oblaten) 2 3/4 to 3 inches in diameter

Icing and decoration:

Halved blanched almonds
1 cup powdered sugar
About 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer or in a large bowl, beat or whisk the egg with the sugar until light and fluffy. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat, whisking until the mixture is thick and very warm (about 130*F). Remove from the water bath and continue beating until the mixture is cool.

2. Combine the almonds, flour, orange zest, lemon zest, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger in another bowl. Stir the mixture into the beaten egg mixture.

3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Place the oblaten 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cookie dough on each oblaten, spreading to the edges of the wafers. Let cookies stand uncovered for 1 hour before baking so that the top will dry.

5. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are crusty on the upper surface, but still moist in the center. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

6. In a small bowl, stir the sugar and lemon juice together to make a thin glaze. Place the chocolate into a glass bowl and heat over hot water or in the microwave, stirring, until melted. Decorate with almonds. Frost half the cookies with the melted chocolate and half with the thin powdered sugar glaze.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

On the Viking Sky

I was looking forward to this trip; we have never been on a river cruise before. The flight to Budapest was long and tiring a full 32 hours of travel counting the layover times.

We were met at the airport by red-shirted Viking representatives. Until this time I had not much of an idea how many river cruise brands there are. Our little old Viking Sky turned out to be one of the older ships on the river. New boats are more and more “glitzy” looking more like the modern floating hotels on ocean cruises.

The staff on the Sky is friendly and helpful, and seem to quickly know the 150 or so passengers by name.

Of course, my main interest is the food of the various area we are visiting.

In further posts I hope to be able to download some of the photos I’ve taken and describe more fully the experience on a river cruise.”

COBBLERS, CLAFOUTI, CRISPS AND CRUMBLES

These are great old fashioned American desserts, especially perfect for late summer and early fall when the “soft fruits” are abundant, berries, peaches, plums, apricots and cherries. Admittedly, few of them are grown here in the Northland, but they do become available, often by the case.  Supermarket ads feature them, and we love eating them fresh, out of hand, and baked into our favorite desserts.

Because the different kinds of desserts hail from different parts of the country they can be totally confusing! Everybody understands the idea of “pies” but we are unfamiliar with some of the other traditional American desserts.

To try to define the difference between a cobbler, clafouti, a crisp and a crumble, you can have a lot of fun! Well, in a knock-down, drag-out argument we might as well discuss the whole category and it kind of breaks down to fruit that is baked with a topping.

A “Cobbler” is a spoon pie, more like a fruit stew topped with dumplings on top. The dish got its name because lumps of cooked dough resemble cobblestones. The topping usually has the consistency of baking powder biscuit dough which might be a soft dropped onto the fruit by the spoonful or a stiff dough that rolled out and cut into shapes, placed on top of the fruit before baking .

A “Clafouti” is a French cobbler, originally from the Limousin region of  France, and is made with fruit (usually cherries) on the bottom, a custard, and a soft batter-crust baked on top.

A “Crisp” is fruit placed into a deep dish and topped with a sweetened, butter-rich crumb or streusel topping before baking.

A “Crumble” is a British dessert in which raw fruit is topped with a crumbly pastry, sometimes made with bread or cake crumbs and baked.  A crumble may not be as rich as a crisp.

To add to the confusion, there is a “Betty” which is a baked pudding made of layers of spiced and sugared fruit, topped with buttered bread crumbs, while a “Grunt”  is a spoon pie, with biscuit dough on top of stewed fruit, that is steamed, not baked. “Pandowdy” is a one-crusted pie, with fruit on the bottom and a rolled crust on top, which after baking is broken up (or “dowdied”) to allow the juices to come through. A “Slump” is a spoon pie, including cooked or uncooked fruit topped with biscuit dough or piecrust, which can be either baked or steamed, and turned upside down before serving.

What all of these desserts have in common is that they start with the fresh fruits of late summer and are baked or steamed with a topping. They are all usually served with whipped cream or ice cream.

So here, I will offer a basic recipe that you can make into a Cobbler, Clafouti, Crisp or a Crumble by following the variations. I’ve tried to simplify the procedure as much as possible so that you can use any combination of fruits you desire as long as they are the “soft fruits of late summer.”

FALL FRUIT DESSERTS

Basic Fruit mixture:

3 cups peeled sliced fresh peaches or nectarines

1 cup blueberries

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. Mix the peaches and blueberries together. Melt the butter in a 1 to 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Mix the sugar an flour and sprinkle over the fruit.

2. Add the topping (see below) of your choice and bake according to the directions.

 

For Peach and Blueberry Cobbler:

Basic Fruit Mixture, see above

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup butter

1/4  cup milk

1. Mix the basic fruit mixture as given above and set aside. Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine the flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the butter and blend until a crumbly mixture results. Stir in the milk until a stiff dough results.

2. Turn out onto a work surface and sprinkle with flour.  Pat or roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Using a round biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or a straight edged knife, cut the dough into biscuits.  Place on the fruit mixture.

3.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and biscuits are lightly browned.

 

For Peach and Blueberry Clafouti:

Basic Fruit Mixture, see above

1/4 cup sugar (reserve 1 Tbsp. to dust baking dish)

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1. Mix the basic fruit mixture as given above and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350*F. In a blender, combine the sugar, milk, cream, eggs, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth and add the flour. Blend again, scraping the sides until the flour is all mixed in.

2. Butter a 9-inch pie pan or 1-1/2-quart casserole and dust with the reserved 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour in half the batter and arrange the fruit mixture on top. Pour the remaining batter over the top.

3. Bake until the top puffs and starts to turn golden-brown, about 45 minutes.

 

For a Peach and Blueberry Crisp

Basic Fruit Mixture, see above

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons soft butter

1. Mix the basic fruit mixture as given above and spread into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole. Preheat the oven to 350*F.

2.  In a bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, an butter.  Sprinkle over the fruit mixture.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and fruit I fork tender.

 

For a Peach and Blueberry Crumble

Basic Fruit Mixture, see above

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut up

1. Mix the basic fruit mixture a given above and spread mixture into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole or pie pan. Sprinkle with the grated lemon zest.

2. Preheat the oven to 350*F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until lightly browned, crisp, and juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.