Seasonal Crumble

I love crisps, crumbles and cobblers.  Combine that with my love of fresh berries and beautiful fruit picked at their peak and you get the perfect combination.  In this crumble recipe, the fruit is truly the star.  Small amounts of flour, sugar and butter keep this crumble on the healthy side - but believe me, no taste is given up.  This is truly the perfect summer recipe.

4 cups fresh fruit  (I used sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but feel free to use any fruit that is in season)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch fine salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the fruit with 1 tbsp flour and pour into a 9-inch pie pan.  Combine the rest of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Use your hands to form pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

Serve warm with ice cream. 

Summer Fruit Shortcake with Cream Cheese Filling

For cake

2/3 cup chilled buttermilk

1 large chilled egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For filling

3 medium plums, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large peaches, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2-pint basket raspberries
1/3 cup sugar

(feel free to substitute with whatever fruit looks freshest and tasty)


1 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Make cake:


Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl to blend; transfer 1 tablespoon mixture to small bowl and reserve for glaze.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl; add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 3 minutes. Add buttermilk mixture and blend just until soft moist dough forms.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, gather dough into ball and knead gently for 6 turns. Transfer dough to ungreased baking sheet. Shape dough into 8-inch round. Brush top with reserved 1 tablespoon buttermilk mixture.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool completely.



Make filling:


Toss fruitand 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Let stand 30 minutes.


Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Cut off top 1/3 of cake. Using small knife and leaving 1/2-inch border at edge, cut out enough of cake bottom to form 1/2-inch-deep indentation. Spread half of mascarpone cream in indentation. Using slotted spoon, remove fruit from bowl; mound onto cream. Reserve fruit juices in bowl. Spread remaining mascarpone cream over fruit. Cover with top of cake. Refrigerate cake and reserved juices separately, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.


Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Drizzle with reserved fruit juices and serve.

White Chocolate Mousse

1 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1 small box white chocolate instant pudding
1 cup water

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup red raspberries

Combine condensed milk, pudding mix and water in a mixing bowl.  Beat with electric mixer, set at medium speed, until smooth (about 1 minute).  Chill, covered, for 5 minutes.

Beat whipping cream in a chilled mixing bowl with electric mixer, on high, until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).

Fold whipped cream into pudding mixture.  Spoon into parfait glasses.  Chill covered until serving time.  Top each serving with raspberries.

Fudgy Mexican Brownies

2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 granulated sugar

1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
    (I used Penzey's Tung Hing Chinese Cinnamon)

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt 2 cups chocolate chips and butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir constantly.  Once melted, remove pan from heat and cool slightly.  Stir in chile powder and cinammon. Whisk in eggs, one at a time and vanilla.  Stir in flour, salt and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread in the pan and bake for 45 minutes. 

Kick'd Up Nectarine-Mango Crisp

5 nectarines, peeled and thinly sliced
2 mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons corn starch
2/3 cup brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup flour
dash salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a bowl, combine fruit, jalapeno, sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, orange juice and corn starch.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Meanwhile, Combine brown sugar, butter, rolled oats, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, flour, and salt in a medium bowl.  With hands, break butter apart into little peas by rubbing hands through the mixture.  Continue to do so until butter is worked through.  Stir in chopped walnuts. 

Spread fruit mixture in a lightly buttered 8-inch baking pan.  Crumble the topping over fruit mixture and bake until the topping is browned and the fruit are tender and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. 

Raspberry Peach Frozen Cake

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 13-ounce package almond shortbread cookies
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 large peaches (about 20 ounces), peeled, pitted, diced

2 tablespoons peach preserves
3 1/2-pint containers raspberries

2 tablespoons raspberry preserves
2 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
9 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons peach schnapps

Spray 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Finely grind shortbread cookies, almonds, and lemon peel in processor. Press half of mixture over bottom of prepared pan. 

Puree peaches in processor. Transfer puree and peach preserves to heavy deep-sided saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 10 minutes (color of puree will darken slightly). Transfer to bowl and chill in freezer until cool, about 15 minutes. 

Puree raspberries in processor. Strain through sieve set over medium bowl, pressing to extract as much fruit as possible. Heat raspberry preserves and add to puree. Chill. 

Whisk 1/4 cup cream, egg yolks, sugar, corn syrup, and butter in large metal bowl to combine. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until parfait base thickens and thermometer inserted into base registers 160°F, about 8 minutes.

Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat parfait base until billowy and completely cool, about 8 minutes. Divide between 2 medium bowls (about 1 cup parfait base in each bowl). Beat remaining 2 1/4 cups cream in large bowl until medium peaks form. Fold cool peach puree and schnapps into 1 parfait base, then fold in half of whipped cream. Spread peach parfait in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining macaroon mixture over. Place in freezer. 

Fold 1 cup of raspberry puree (reserve remaining puree for another use) into parfait base in second bowl. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Spread parfait over macaroon mixture in pan. Cover; freeze at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. 

To serve: use  heated knife, cut around parfait cake to loosen; remove pan sides and slice.

Chocolate Coffee Mousse with Orange Whipped Cream and Rasperries

6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp coffee, extra strong
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs, separated into whites and yolks
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
Whipped cream (recipe below)
Raspberries (for garnish)


Heat 1 inch of water in large skillet over low heat until bubbles form along bottom; adjust heat to maintain temperature.


Combine chocolate, butter and 2 tbsp coffee in large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in the water bath and stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the water and set aside.


Whisk the 3 egg yolks, 3 tbsp coffee and 3 tbsp sugar in another heatproof bowl. Whisk together. Set the bowl in the water bath and whisk constantly until thick and puffy, like marshmallow sauce. Remove from the water bath and whisk thoroughly into the melted chocolate. Let cool to room temperature.


Beat the egg whites in a stand mixer until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the peaks are stiff but not dry.


Using a large rubber spatula, stir one quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then gently fold in the remaining whites.


In stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup cold heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture.


Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.


Serve with Orange whipped cream and fresh raspberries.


Orange Whipped Cream
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp orange zest


Beat cold cream in chilled bowl with chilled beaters at high until thickened.


Add nectar, vanilla, juice and zest and beat until desired consistency.