Raspberry Jam Bars

 

• ½ cup pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife (this could also be part almond flour)
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup raspberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil so that it overlaps the sides and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the pecans, flour, coconut, oats, salt, and baking powder. Blend until the mixture has a fine, sand-like texture. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, a few minutes. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Place ⅔ of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and spread it in an even layer. Spread the jam over the surface of the dough, leaving ¼-inch space between the jam and the sides of the baking dish so the bars won’t stick to the foil. Pinch off 1-inch clumps of the remaining dough and scatter evenly over top of the jam. The dough won’t cover the entire surface; that’s okay. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown.
4. Let the jam bars cool in the baking dish on a rack for about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and onto the countertop. Pull the foil away from the sides to prevent sticking, and then let sit until completely cool, a few hours. Cut into bars.

Clafoutis

We made plum clafoutis from this recipe. It puffs up like the beginnings of Yorkshire pudding, but the thick egg mixture forms a custard, with the add-ins baked in. We used plums we had gotten at the farmer's market 3 weeks before, in desperate need of being eaten (wrinkly but otherwise good), for this one.

Plums
3 T fruit liqueur- we used pomegranate schnapps - the recipe calls for Vieille Prune de Perigord
6 eggs
1 t salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 375. Quarter the plums, and soak in the liqueur. While they are soaking, blend the eggs to frothy, add the cream, salt, sugar, and then sift the flour in. Use an immersion blender or electric mixer on high to blend.

Butter and flour the pan (select a pan size which will allow you to spread your plums in a single layer on the bottom). I will admit that the Pam flour product works really well for this. I swear they sweeten it, and it gives a nice crisp underside rather than a floury one. Place the plums in the pan carefully so as not to disturb the butter and flour and pour the liqueur over them. Pour the batter over the top. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and the custard has set.

Serve with powdered sugar sifted on top if desired.

I've seen a lot of recipes use milk rather than cream, making a thinner custard. The recipe linked above has a lot of ideas for variations on this- different fruits, liqueurs, custard versus cake, etc.

Update: we've made this with apple, and it was good, but not as good. I tried a sweet dessert wine in one. The overripe plums gave an amazing flavor to the 1st round. I would think that ripe or overripe stone fruits of any sort or berries would be amazing.

Queque de Arándanos/ Blueberry Bundt Cake (Monica's grandmother)

Ingredients:

2 tazas de harina/ 2 cups of flour (white or half white and half whole wheat)
2 tazas de asúcar/ 2 cups of sugar
100 gr. de margarina/ 100 gr. of butter
1 taza de leche/ 1 cup of milk
2 cucharaditas de polvos de hornear/ 2 teaspoons of baking powder
Ralladura de limón/ Lemon zest
3 huevos/ 3 eggs
Canela en polvo/ ground cinnamon
1 yogurt/ 1 yogurt (opcional/optional)
Blueberries

Preparación/ Cooking Instructions:

Mezclar, con la batidora, la mantequilla y el azúcar hasta que quede cremoso, agregar los 3 huevos, mezclar, agregar la harina, los polvos de hornear, la ralladura de limón, la canela y los arándanos. Mezclar todo y agregar la leche. Hornear en horno precalentado a una temperatura de 350 por 1 hora aproximadamente.

Mix the butter and the sugar until it's smooth. Add the 3 eggs and mix. Add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon and blueberries. Mix everything and add the milk. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes, approximately.

Note 1: In order to mix the butter and the sugar easily, you can put them in a bowl and place it in the oven while you're preheating it. By the time you take it out, it will be all melted and ready to mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Note 2: Blueberries are just one option for what you can make the queque with. You can also make it with sliced strawberries, with cranberries...or basically you can try whatever fruit you want!

Note 3: Don't use just whole wheat flour, that would make the queque too hard.

Note 4: The measurements on this recipe are approximates. Personally, I use the "eye-meter" :) which means that you add however much looks right...nobody has complained yet!

Laurie's Spinach Salad

• 1 head of spinach or 1 bag pre-washed spinach
• Dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
• Candied pecans (Trader Joe’s), plain pecans, plain walnuts, or pine nuts
• Feta cheese (Trader Joe’s small container of crumbled goat cheese is particularly good with this)
• Raspberry vinaigrette dressing (Annie’s is good, if you want to splurge)

Chop nuts, combine all ingredients, toss with dressing, and serve.

Blueberry Scones

• 3 cups bisquick mix
• 2 T sugar
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 eggs

Glaze:

• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 T sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all scone ingredients in order listed, hand mix just as long as needed in order to create dough, crushing the blueberries as little as possible. Spread into a circle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the beaten egg on the dough, and sprinkle the sugar on. Bake at least 10-12 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Fruit Salad

• Sour cream
• Cinnamon
• Fruit such as apple, banana, orange, melon, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, other berries.

Wash and cut fruit. Combine sour cream and cinnamon. Toss with fruit.