Plum Cake

This delicious dish could be called a cake, pie or cobbler. I'm sure this is a dessert my grandmother made, it is old fashioned goodness. It is simple, it is ordinary, it is perfect.

It comes from Dorie Greenspan's, Baking From My Home to Yours (my all time favorite cookbook). 

Jess requests this for her birthday every year. It really needs to be enjoyed more than once a year!

Plum Cake

2 pounds ripe but firm plums, pitted

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 stick butter cut in 4 pieces

Heat oven to 350.

Cut each plum into 6-8 pieces and toss into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger and coriander. Stir to combine. Let sit while you prepare the batter. The plums will give up a bit of juice and form a syrup.

Put the remaining 1 cup sugar in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add the milk and extracts and whisk till you have a smooth batter.

Put the butter in a 9x13 Pyrex or Stoneware baking dish. Put in oven and let  the butter melt--about 5 minutes. Remove hot pan from oven, whisk batter one more time and pour over melted butter. It will probably set around the edges. Scatter the plums evenly over the batter and drizzle any remaining syrup. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 minutes, or let cool to room temperature. Serve with vanilla ice cream. This dessert is best if eaten the day it is prepared--but I must say that a leftover piece tasted very good for breakfast. I just look at it as fruit and milk. Perfect way to start a day!
Printable Recipe

Salsa Verde

 

This salsa is so tasty that I would feel guilty if I didn't share it. I also don't want to forget about it--that is why it appears on my blog. Here is how my life goes. It is time to make menus, I really do this. It is empowering to walk in a grocery store and actually know what you want.  Anyway as I ponder food somewhere in the back of my mind I remember making a delicious salsa, the main ingredient being tomatillos. First I look on my blog, then my Pinterest boards--I spend way to much time looking. I start checking my favorite blogs looking for this familiar recipe. It comes back to me--it is on Kevin's Closet Cooking, he has about 50 salsa recipes (all look enticing). I scroll through them and finally find what I am looking for. Looking for a recipe can be quite the journey. Long story short, keeping a blog is the best way for me to keep track of the recipes I make and love. I also love sharing recipes that have proven to be winners in my book. My blog contains only recipes that I really make and share with others. Enjoy! Please excuse the bold italics (I really am not shouting at you). Sometimes blogger has a mind of its own--I'm not smart enough to fix it! 

Wow, that was quite the ramble for a salsa that is simply delicious! roasting the ingredients really adds flavor. This beautiful bright salsa is good with chips, on tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, etc. Mix it with equal parts chicken broth and a bit of cumin and you create the best tomatillo sauce--perfect in green enchiladas. I don't have photos of this but trust me they are delicious. Sometimes one is hungry--there is no time for photos!

 

Salsa Verde

1 pound tomatillos-husks removed and cut in half

1 small onion cut into wedges

2 jalapenos, seeded and cut in half (wear gloves when working with peppers)

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup cilantro

1 lime, zest and juice 

salt and pepper
Put tomatillos, onion and jalapenos cut sides down on cookie sheet. Put under broiler until the skins blackened. You may have to remove the peppers first--it is easy to take the skins off the jalapenos. don't worry about the tomatillos. Put all the veggies in the food processor, give it a ride until everything is chopped up nice. Add lime zest and juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
Excellent served with chips--it is also an excellent sauce on tacos, enchiladas, fajitas.
Printable Recipe
From Kevin's Closet Cooking
 

S 'more Bars

When my kids visit I like to make their favorite meals, treats or goodies. Chersten said this was a Harris Family favorite. I'm glad she recommended it because now I have another favorite treat. It is good to have options!
Summer is winding down, soon roasting marshmallows will be replaced with pumpkin cookies and hot chocolate. Now this is not a bad thing but if you begin to crave a S'more these bars will fit the bill. Like I said--it is good to have options.

S'more Bars
2 cups flour
2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking power
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups Marshmallow Fluff or Crème (7 ounce jar)
2 cups chocolate chips--I like a combination of milk and semi-sweet chips
Combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Combine softened butter and sugar, mix for 2 minutes until light. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture until just combined. Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough in a 9x13 pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with Pam. Press to flatten. Put dollops of the marshmallow crème on top of the cookie base and gently spread. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Scatter the remaining dough over the top. Don't be too concerned here, the marshmallow and chocolate chips should just peek through. Bake the bars until golden brown 30 minutes at 350. Cool completely. Remove from pan and cut in squares. Now you can enjoy a S'more without smelling like a campfire.
Printable Recipe
Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Café