Cherry Crumb Bars

It’s impossible to even imagine late spring or early summer without cherries.  As soon as they start appearing piled high at the market or roadside stand, they call for immediate devouring.  And every now and then, we glance at the pile of pits and stems in amazement that we were able to consume so many so quickly.  But our red-stained fingertips are a sure clue.

I’m a big fan of bar cookies with fruit filling, which are really in many ways more like luscious little bites of a fruit tart.  There’s a bottom crust, a gooey fruit layer and then some sort of crumble mixture on top.  There’s no rolling of crust or scooping of cookie dough or much of any fuss or muss, so they’re relatively easy to prepare.  And they are invariably chewy and delicious morsels.

These Cherry Crumb Bars are chubby little things.  There’s a thick layer of bottom crust because I like the texture contrast with the fruit in the same way that I love pie crust.  The cherries this season are very sweet and juicy and beautiful, so I really wanted to test them in this format.  And if you’ve ever had a piece of New York style Crumb Cake, you know how crazy delicious lots of buttery baked crumbs can be on top of anything.   

If you love cherry pies or cherry shortcakes, you will probably love these bars.  They’re full of fruit and flavor.  The aromatic spice in the cherries and the salt in the dough and crumb topping pique our taste buds and remind us once again of all the goodness of June and July.   Cherries!!

Bench notes:

- I happen to really like cherries with cinnamon and star anise but leave them out if you wish or subtitute your own favorite flavoring.

- The bars will be easier to cut once they are completely cool and the filling has a chance to firm up.  I use a serrated knife. 

- I left the pitted cherries whole but chop them just a bit if you’d like the bars to slice more neatly.

Cherry Crumb Bars
Makes 9 bar cookies

Cherries

1 1/2 lbs cherries, pitted

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 star anise

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Crumb Topping

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) flour

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 oz (8 tablespoons) butter, melted

Cookie Base

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) flour

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

zest of 1 lemon

4 oz (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons (1 oz) milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Lightly grease an 8” square pan and line with a piece of parchment paper large enough to form an overhang along two sides of the pan.

Place the pitted cherries and sugar in a saucepan.  Combine the cold water and cornstarch and add to the cherries.  Add cinnamon and star anise and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices thicken, about 10 minutes.  Take off the heat, remove star anise and add lemon juice and vanilla.  Set aside to cool.

For the crumb topping, combine the flour, both sugars and salt in a bowl.  Melt the butter and add.  Use a fork to stir until the mixture clumps and holds together when pressed.  Using your fingers, pinch the mixture to form bits and pieces.   Chill until ready to use.

For the bottom crust, combine the flour, both sugars, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until ingredients are combined.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add to the dry ingredients.  Process until it looks like coarse meal.  Combine the egg yolk, milk and vanilla and add.  Process just until the mixture starts to clump and holds together when pinched.  Press the dough clumps into the prepared pan to form an even bottom layer. 

Bake until puffed up and the surface looks dry and slightly browned, about 15 minutes.  Pour the simmered cherries on top and spread to within a 1/4” of the edges.  Top with the crumb mixture, making sure to distribute to the edges and the corners to form a border.

Bake until the fruit is bubbling vigorously and the crumb topping is lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  Run a thin knife around the edges and gently lift out of the pan using the parchment overhang to assist.  Cut into bars.

Apricot Almond Upside Down Cake

So now we’ve come around once again to my favorite part of the fresh fruit season.  Apricots and cherries have arrived and there’s the scent of peaches sure to follow.  And sometime soon we may be able to enjoy the heavenly vision of figs!  We are in the zone.

Apricots are looking very good right now.  My first purchase was for the pure pleasure of eating them plain and simple.  Wow, are they deliciously tart and sweet.  My second batch made it into this very simple upside down cake.  And, of course, there will be a third and a fourth batch, etc., etc.

Rather than the usual brown sugar and butter coating (which, by the way, is very delicious), I decided to float the apricot halves with their best buddies, honey scented with vanilla and cinnamon.  The cake is also enhanced with toasted almonds to give it only a very slight hint of texture and the flavor that goes so well with so many of the stone fruits of the season.  This would be a good dessert with a dollop of almond flavored whipped cream or served simply as a brunch cake on a sleepy weekend morning.

Apricots are notorious for keeping their beautiful visit short and sweet.  Get yourselves to the market and behold the best that nature has to offer!

Bench notes:

- I like to use sliced almonds rather than whole ones for this kind of cake because they grind with the flour to a finer crumb.

- Toast the sliced almonds in a single layer in a 350 degree oven for about 6 - 8 minutes. Watch them closely as they will burn very, very quickly.

- I use 3 tablespoons of honey for the topping as the cake bakes.  After the cake is baked and has been turned out of the pan, I use another 2 tablespoons of honey to glaze the top of the cake.  If I used all 5 tablespoons for the bottom of the pan, the cake would be pretty soggy.  Apricots become even more tart once baked so the cake does need the extra 2 tablespoons of honey glaze.

- Lining the bottom of the cake pan with parchment helps ensure your cake will turn out with the topping in tact.

- If you’re an apricot fan, try Cornmeal Cake with Apricots or Olive Oil Sponge Cake with Apricots.

Apricot Almond Upside Down Cake

Serves 8

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) honey

1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

6 – 8 apricots

2 – 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

1 cup (5 oz) flour

1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) toasted sliced almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 oz (8 tablespoons) butter @ room temperature

3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) sugar

2 large eggs @ room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup (4 oz) milk @ room temperature

2 tablespoons (1 oz) honey, for glazing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9” x 2 1/2” cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment.

For the cake topping, place the 3 tablespoons of honey, butter and cinnamon in a saucepan and heat until melted, whisking to combine.  Take off the heat and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour into the bottom of the cake pan, then lift the pan and swirl to distribute evenly.

Slice the apricots in half and place cut side down on top of the honey butter mixture.  Fill in the gaps with a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds.

For the cake batter, place the flour, 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the almonds are finely ground.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and almond extracts and blend.  Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and mixing thoroughly after each addition.

Add a third of the flour mixture alternately with half the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.  Spread the batter evenly over apricots.

Bake until a toothpick tests clean, about 42 – 45 minutes.  Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.  Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert the cake carefully and remove the parchment. 

Warm 2 tablespoons honey and brush on the surface of the cake to glaze and sweeten.  Cool completely.

Mocha Sherbet

In my neighborhood, you can’t walk more than a couple of blocks without finding a few bustling cafés.  A good cup of coffee is the morning and afternoon obsession for most people and this dessert is designed to fire all the same neurons.  If you love coffee and you love chocolate, Mocha Sherbet is the best of both worlds.  

As we all know, David Lebovitz is among the most talented of all ice cream recipe developers.  His recipes are superb and this one is no exception.  The jolt of coffee is matched with a depth charge of fudgy cocoa richness.  And although it has a measure of milk to keep it from being too icy, it’s still fairly slushy, in a good way.  It has a sort of fudgesicle vibe, which makes it perfect for a spring or summer cooling down treat. 

The preparation couldn’t be any easier.  Mix all but the milk in a saucepan, boil for 30 seconds, add the milk and there you have it.  Chill the mixture thoroughly and then let your ice cream machine do all the work.  It’s light and simple but so satisfying and so easy to make, I’m sure you’ll find a way to put it into your regular dessert rotation to serve to all your coffee aficionados. 

It’s fabulous all by itself but here I serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of spiced and toasted almonds, a super luxe combination.  I like the introduction of cinnamon to the mix and the crunchy almonds are perfect for the slushy chocolate.  If you start mixing now, you can have this delicious sherbet by the time the afternoon crowd is rushing toward your local café.

Bench notes:

- For maximum flavor, I recommend making the coffee very strong.  Use your very favorite coffee beans.  I went with a dark Peet’s French Roast.

- David gets 50 grams out of 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder.  My scaled cocoa comes to 31 grams.  I do fluff it up before measuring.  But cocoa is notoriously hard to scale consistently, so go with what you prefer.

- Bring the mixture to a full boil to cook out the chalkiness of the cocoa powder. 

- When you’ve churned the sherbet, it’s going to be pretty slushy but will firm up after a couple of hours in your freezer. 

- Always try to pack ice cream or sorbet tightly in an airtight container and press a piece of plastic into the surface to avoid air pockets where ice crystals will form.

- David also suggests a recipe for Mocha Freeze: for each serving put 2 scoops (4 oz) of Mocha Sherbet in a blender with 1/2 cup (4 oz) very strong coffee or espresso, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 3 ice cubes. Blend until almost smooth. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream.  Yikes.

 

Mocha Sherbet

adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Makes about 1 quart

2 1/4 cups (18 oz; 560 ml) strongly brewed coffee

3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz; 149 g) sugar

6 tablespoons (50 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder

pinch of salt

3/4 cup (6 oz; 180 ml) whole milk

Spiced Almonds

1 cup (3 oz) sliced almonds

2 tablespoons egg white

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

pinch salt

1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) sugar

whipped cream, for garnish

For the sherbet, whisk together the coffee, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the milk.  Taste and adjust for salt.  Pour into a container and cool.  Cover and chill thoroughly.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour into an airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap into the surface, cover and place in your freezer to firm up.

For the spiced almonds, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

Whisk the egg white until it’s frothy and opaque. Add spices and salt and whisk to combine. Toss in the sliced almonds and coat evenly. Sprinkle with sugar and toss to thoroughly coat the nuts.  Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Give them another light dusting of sugar. Toast for about 20 – 25 minutes or until they are dry and golden.

Serve a couple scoops of sherbet with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of almonds. 

 

Ricotta Cream Cake

At first glance, this cake seems innocent enough.  Nothing about it screams for attention.  But its plain appearance is somewhat deceptive.  The sleek minimalism doesn’t quite convey the quiet deliciousness that unfolds with each bite.

It all starts with a plain yogurt cake.  But this canvas of simplicity gets punched up with a light touch of Kahlua simple syrup to make it a little more interesting.  Then comes the filling and topping.  If you don’t care for buttercream or are interested in a momentary diversion from chocolate, this cream is one to try.  It’s a lovely combination of sweetened ricotta cheese, cream cheese and whipped cream punctuated with a little spot of rum and vanilla.  It’s creamy and flavorful without being overly heavy or too sweet.

Perfect for an initmate celebration, this cake has a sort of Italian flair that is rustic and luscious.  And if you’d like to liven up the platter, you can dress it up with some fresh cherries or berries for extra bling. 

Bench notes:

- Fresh ricotta in this is fabulous.  It doesn't take long to make and it's super delicious.

- If you use commercial ricotta, strain out any excess liquid, if necessary.  One of my favorite brands is Bellwether Farms.  They also make great creme fraiche.

- Start with softened cream cheese and beat it together with the ricotta just until it combines.  Mixing it for too long will cause it to become thin and runny.  It should look a bit gloppy rather than fluffy.

- The filling for this cake is from a recipe called Baby Shower Cake in Cocolat by Alice Medrich.

Ricotta Cream Cake

Serves 6 - 8

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz; 213 g) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder                                              

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                   

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (3 oz; 85 g) canola oil                                               

3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz; 149 g) sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup (6 oz) plain yogurt @ room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla                                                  

Kahlua Simple Syrup

2 tablespoons (1 oz) water

2 tablespoons (26 g) sugar                                             

2 tablespoons (1 oz) Kahlua                                                        

Ricotta Filling

adapted from Cocolat by Alice Medrich

1/2 cup (4 oz; 113 g) ricotta

3 oz (85 g) cream cheese @ room temperature

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream                          

1/2 cup (2 oz; 57 g ) powdered sugar                             

1 1/2 tablespoons rum

3/4 teaspoon vanilla                                                          

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9” x 9" x 2” square pan and line the bottom with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg and egg yolk and blend thoroughly.   Add the yogurt and vanilla.  Mix in the dry ingredients just until there are no streaks of flour.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the bottom of the pan on a work surface a few times to release the air bubbles.  

Bake the cake until it's a light golden brown and springs back when touched or a tester comes out clean, about 25 minutes.  Place on a wire rack to cool.

For the syrup, heat the water and sugar until dissolved.  Add the Kahlua and set aside.

Strain the ricotta and beat together with the room temperature cream cheese just until combined.   Do not over mix or it will become thin and runny.  Slowly add the heavy cream.  Then add the powdered sugar, rum and vanilla and beat until thickened like whipped cream. 

Lift the cake out of the pan and remove the parchment paper.  Using a serrated knife, trim all four edges of the cake, preserving its square shape.  Cut the cake in half and, using a pastry brush, imbibe each half with the Kahlua syrup.  Spread half the ricotta cream over one of the layers.  Invert the second layer on top and slather the remaining ricotta cream over the top surface. 

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Rolls

It’s a weekend morning and the coffee is brewing.  You’ve got plenty of reading material and there’s a relaxing quiet that surrounds the morning sunlight.  There’s also an incredibly intoxicating aroma wafting from the oven.  It’s freshly baked rolls and it’s enough to bring anyone out of their slumber to join you at the table. 

For something different and a bit more on the wholesome end of the spectrum for your brunch table, consider these rolls fresh from the oven.   They have a good ratio of whole wheat flour, some oatmeal and they’re just slightly sweetened with honey and a touch of molasses. Serve them with butter and honey or your favorite jam or fruit compote to add another element of bliss to your weekend.

On another note, I’m going to include metric weights in my recipes going forward for those who use scales and for my overseas readers.  I hope you find this useful.

Bench notes:

- I use old-fashioned oats rather than “quick” oats in this recipe.

- Ideal rise temperature for yeast dough is between 80° F - 90° F.

- This dough doesn’t exactly double in size during the first rise, so use the finger test to determine if it’s ready for the next process.  Just press your index finger about 1 1/2 " into the dough.  If the indentation stays, the dough has completed the first rise.

- After the first rise, the dough is “punched down” to release the carbon dioxide and even out the temperature.  But rather than punching, gently press the air out with your fingers. 

- To form a roll, take the portion of dough and tuck the ends under the smooth side.  Place seam side down in the pan.

- Whole wheat flour contains bran, which inhibits elasticity of the dough, so I like to mix it with a good portion of all-purpose flour to produce a lighter pastry.

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

1 pkg (1/4 oz; 7 g) active dry yeast

1/4 cup (2 oz; 57 g) lukewarm water

2 oz (4 tablespoons; 57 g) butter

1 cup (8 oz; 227 g) buttermilk

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (3 oz; 85 g) honey

2 tablespoons (1 1/8 oz; 32 g) molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                                                   

1 large egg @ room temperature

3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz; 66 g) old-fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz; 177 g) whole wheat flour                         

1 1/2 cups + 3 T (8 1/2 oz; 240 g) all-purpose flour                 

1 oz (2 tablespoons; 28 g) butter

2 teaspoons (10 g) honey

2 tablespoons (10g) oats

Sprinkle yeast into lukewarm water, whisk and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Melt the butter and whisk in the buttermilk, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon and the egg.  Whisk in the yeast mixture.  Using a fork, stir in the oats.  Add the whole wheat flour and stir to combine.  Add 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.  Keep adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is no longer sticky.   Place the dough on the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 – 8 minutes.

Smooth the dough into a round ball and place it in a bowl lightly greased with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.  To test if it’s ready, press your finger about 1 1/2" into the dough.  If it holds the indentation, it's ready.

Grease a 9” x 3” cake pan.  Gently press down the dough and place it on a work surface.  Using a bench scraper or a knife, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  Take each piece and form a ball.  Place 9 rolls around the perimeter of the pan and 3 rolls in the center.  Set in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F. 

Melt 1 oz of butter with 2 teaspoons of honey.  Brush half of it over the tops of the rolls and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of oats.  Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake until rolls are golden brown, about 25 - 28 minutes.  Remove from the pan and brush generously with remaining melted butter and honey mixture.  Cool on a rack.

Lemon Mousse Tartlets

If you happen to have the luck of a few extra lemons in your kitchen, I’m here to give you some ideas. One of my favorite things in the whole universe of fabulous desserts is lemon mousse.  It’s light and creamy and full of the tart pucker of lemon.  In my book, it’s among the best of luxurious indulgences.  It’s also pretty easy to prepare.  

Instead of serving lemon mousse on its own, I dollop it in a tart shell to introduce some texture.  The tart shell has a little taste of almond and the dough is one of those easy mixes done in a food processor and then pressed into the tart pans rather than rolled out. 

The lemon mousse for this tart is a simple lemon curd blended with a fairly equal portion of lightly whipped cream.  I usually also fold in whipped egg whites for an even lighter, more ethereal mousse when serving on its own.  But for this tart, I keep it basic and slightly more substantial.

If you love lemon and the combination of creamy and crumbly, this tart should fill the bill.  

Bench notes:

- Acidic ingredients like lemon are likely to pick up a metallic flavor and may also discolor if cooked in what's called "reactive" cookware. Aluminum, cast iron and copper are reactive metals.  Stainless steel and glass are nonreactive.  

- Lemon curd can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.  Store it in an airtight container.

- If you prefer a plain tart shell, elminate the sliced almonds and use a total of 1 1/4 cups flour.

- Freezing the formed tart shells for one hour before baking helps to eliminate shrinkage.

- If you’d like to make the lighter version of this mousse on its own, make the lemon curd in the recipe.  Then whip just 1/2 cup cream to soft peak.  Fold that into the lemon curd and refrigerate.  Whip 2 egg whites with 1 tablespoon of sugar to stiff peak.  Fold into the lemon curd and cream mixture, spoon into serving dishes and chill.  As always, exercise caution when using raw egg whites.  They should not be served to small children, pregnant women or individuals who are at risk due to compromised immune systems.

Lemon Mousse Tartlets

Makes five 4” tartlets

Tart Dough

1 C flour                                

1/4 C (3/4 oz) sliced almonds

3 T sugar

1/4 t salt

zest of 1/2 lemon

4 oz (8 T) cold butter          

1 egg yolk

Lemon Mousse

1/2 C lemon juice (about 3 – 4 lemons)

zest of 2 lemons

1/2 C sugar

2 egg yolks

1 egg

3 oz (6 T) butter

1 1/4 C heavy cream                                              

2 T sugar

1/4 t vanilla

pistachios or sliced almonds, finely chopped for garnish

                                                           

Lightly grease five 4” tartlet pans with removable bottoms.                

Place the flour, almond slices, sugar, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Cut the cold butter into 1/2” pieces and add.  Pulse until some of the butter is the size of oatmeal flakes.  Stir the yolk and add.  Process for about 10 - 15 seconds until the dough begins to form clumps.  It will not be a smooth dough.  Press the clumps evenly and smoothly into the bottom and sides of the tart pans.  Trim any excess from the top of the border.  Freeze the formed tart shells for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tart shells on a baking sheet.  Bake until they are a light golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

For the lemon curd, whisk the lemon juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a non-reactive heatproof bowl.  Place the bowl over a pan of low simmering water and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Pour through a strainer into a bowl.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add a few at a time, stirring to incorporate. Press a piece of plastic wrap into the surface and set aside to cool.  Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the tartlets.

To prepare the lemon mousse, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to soft peak.   Fold into the lemon curd and refrigerate.  When ready to serve, dollop the lemon mousse into the tart shells and garnish with finely chopped nuts.