Apricot cobbler

Ohhh man, I know it's been a while since I've posted. Life here has been going at breakneck speed, and the amount of information on ingredient functions, costing, sustainability and sanitation that has been funneled into my brain in the past two weeks was almost enough to kill me dead. Almost.

Instead I'm coming down with a nice cold (I refuse to even entertain the possibility that it's the flu). But! Being on my deathbed (have I ever told you I'm a whiny sick person?) gives me a good excuse to lie around and catch up on my internets.

So after "pastry theory" comes "intro to baking," and I get to be back in the kitchen once again. So far we've made biscuits, scones, muffiny muffins, cakey muffins, and then on Friday these:


Rhubarb cherry crisps

Yaaaay rustic fruit desserts! I love fruit crisps, cobblers, whatevers...they are some of the most delicious things on the earth and yet all you have to do is slop some overripe fruit in a pie tin and add some stuff on top. Basically.

If you want more direction than that, I've posted the recipe for those little rhubarb and cherry guys up there on Dessert of the Month Club. DELISH.


Blackberry banana bread. I gave a CTA lady one of these because I didn't know what else to do with it. I am now the Santa Claus of quickbreads

Eat this cake on your porch with some pretty ladies in big hats.

Lemon Butter Cake
adapted from Sky High's marbled lemon-blueberry butter cake

for the cake
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
7 egg whites
3 cups cake flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk

for the frosting
2 pints strawberries
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
3 sticks (12 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment.
2 Cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract until light and fluffy. Add the egg whites a couple at a time, beating well between additions.
3 Combine the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Add to the batter, alternating with the milk, in 2-3 additions.
4 Beat on medium-high speed for about a minute to aerate the batter.
5 Divide among the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.

1 Cut up all the strawberries and place in a bowl with some of the sugar (if they're very ripe, you won't need much). Set aside to get saucy and delicious.
2 In a small (nonreactive) saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil without stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees). Remove from the heat.
3 In a mixer, beat the eggs briefly. As it's going, add the syrup in a thin stream. When it's all added, raise the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is fluffy and cooled to body temperature. (This can take a while.)
4 Reduce the speed to low and add the butter, a few tablespoons at a time. Beat in the lemon juice.