Cherry Vanilla Compote

Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day...even though I usually just grab an apple or something on my way out the door. I guess it would be more accurate to say breakfast food is my favorite. Ever. And any time of the day. I don't discriminate like that.

A friend suggested getting together for brunch a week or so ago and I've had sweet and savory breakfast combos floating through my mind pretty much every day. Let's just say, I need to start getting up earlier if I'm going to eat everything I'm planning on making!

And everyone knows that any good breakfast food...waffles, croissants, birthday cake...has to be accompanied by a flavorful syrup of sorts. I opted for a compote here, which is basically a syrup made even more amazing by packing it with chopped fruit. I think that means it's healthy. You can go ahead and quote me on that.

Cherry Vanilla Compote [click to print]
makes about 2-1/2 cups

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 T. cornstarch
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 3 c. dark cherries (pitted and halved; keep juice if using frozen!)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1) In large saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add water and lemon juice. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and continue heating about 2-3 minutes or between 170-180 F.

2) Stir in cherries and bring back to a boil. Continue boiling about 3 minutes or until cherries are just softened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Let cool and smother waffles, ice cream or test out a Dark Cherry Truffle Cake (coming soon)!

Source: Adapted from A World of Cake and Closet Cooking

Raspberry Almond Tart

Even though it's September and the roads are clogged with school-traffic and beaches are seemingly abandoned, I refuse to believe that Summer is over. And technically, it isn't. 

So this is my attempt at a slow transition into the rich, comforting desserts of Fall and Winter. I never made a baked tart...or at all---before L'Academie. And even though they look hard, as most pastries do, they aren't actually that difficult! Just whip up a batch of almond cream, spread in your pastry shell, add berries and bake. It really is that simple.

P.S. This is especially delicious served warm.

Raspberry Almond Tart [click to print]
makes about ten 4" tarts

For assembly

• 1 pkg. pastry dough, rolled about 1/8" thick or a little less
• 2-3 c. raspberries
• 3-4 T. apricot jam or apple jelly

For the custard

• 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 lb. sugar
• 1/2 lb. almond flour
• 5 eggs
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 T. lemon zest
• 1-1/2 oz. flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 F and generously coat tart pans (preferably with removable base) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Press pastry dough into 4" tart shells. (You can also use a larger tart shell or pie pan but baking time will be different.)

2) Beat butter in stand mixer until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until combined. 

3) Spoon in almond flour, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

4) Add four of the eggs, one at a time. Beat last egg with fork and add a little; add about half of all-purpose flour mixture then half of remaining egg. Beat in rest of flour, egg and salt. Add extracts and zest. Scrape sides as needed and mix until well combined. 

5) Spread almond cream into prepared tart shells, filling about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Arrange raspberries on top of cream. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until cream is puffed and golden. Use pastry brush to coat top of tart with warmed apricot jam and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from L'Academie de Cuisine

In Season: Plums

Growing up, my dad would come whistling into our bedrooms early on Saturday mornings and try to guilt us out of bed to weed-whack the yard (we didn't have much grass, okay?), make a grocery store run or do "something productive."

And now suddenly, the grass can wait and we have enough cereal but heaven forbid we don't get to the Farmer's Market early enough! It's like the weekend would cease to exist without a bear claw (or two) and more fresh fruit and vegetables than two or three people can possibly consume in seven days.

And guess what? Plums are in season right now, so dig on into a bushel of juicy sugar plums, red plums, italian plums, black diamonds...there's about a million different kinds! The best time of year to dig into plums is May through October. Craving more than a simple mouthful of plums? Check out these tasty recipes:

• Ginger Plum Skillet Cake
• Hungarian Plum Dumplings
• Plum and Blackberry Muesli Crumble
• Plum Raspberry Sorbet

In Season: Raspberries

I almost let Raspberry season pass me by without so much as a mention! That would have been no good.

If you can believe it, I used to not like Raspberries very much. They always seemed kind of mushy, and just a little sour, to me. But that's store-bought Raspberries. If you get some fresh from the Farmer's Market or, even better, straight from a thorny berry bush, you are in for a treat! They have a deep ruby color and a brighter flavor, if that makes sense. Each little berry is like a capsule of juicy flavor that just explodes in your mouth!

On the east coast (Beast Coast!), Raspberries are generally in season through September. But if you're going for fresh, wild berries, be sure to get picking soon before the birds gobble them all up without you!

Need some suggestions for a great Raspberry dessert? Give these a try:

• Raspberry Peach Crumb Cake
• Lemon Buttermilk Raspberry Tart
• Raspberry Almond Bundt Cake
• Pear and Raspberry Flan