I don’t feel qualified to say who is “good,” but I can tell you that one quality I appreciate in a person is the ability to enjoy dessert.
“I don’t like sweets.”
“Sugar is bad.”
“I’ve never even tried hot fudge.”
“Those are just empty calories.”
And the worst one of all:
“No birthday cake for me.”
Diabetics get a pass, but generally these are the types of statements that have me looking over your shoulder for someone else to talk to. Enjoy your marathon training or whatever. Imma go talk to the happy laughing people on the porch eating cake.
It took quite a while, but I finally turned my husband into a true dessert guy. He’s disappointed if we don’t have anything homemade on hand for dessert.
Yesterday, he spotted a 3-ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe in the NYT and then just whipped them up — all by himself. I now feel I have succeeded in life. I will not grow old eating dessert all alone, with another person sitting right there.
The three ingredients are: one egg, one cup peanut butter, and half a cup of sugar.
It only makes 9-10 cookies, but they’re big and pretty fudgy.The recipe says you can flatten or not flatten. He flattened them a bit and baked for 15 minutes. They puffed up just a bit.Verdict: GOOD, especially warm with milk
Maybe…baking? Or blogging? Or painting watercolors? Or singing?
Nah.
Nobody would pay me money for any of my hobbies, which is fine. I’m no longer an earner. I’ve accepted that. According to my last Social Security Statement, I had reportable income every year from 1980 to 2023. That’s 43 years of paid work. According to financial planners, my husband and I have saved and invested enough money to enjoy a comfortable retirement into our 90s, barring runaway inflation or a global financial meltdown—both of which seem highly likely in our current kakistocracy. I’m not really sure I believe the financial planners, but I’m going with it. However, we’re really trying to keep our spending down these days, which brings me back to baking at home.
We tried yet another recipe with our homegrown Bosc pears: America Test Kitchen’s Pear Crisp. I did that thing where I found the recipe on ATK but I didn’t want to pay for a subscription so I signed-up for a 7-day free trial, screenshotted the recipe, then cancelled the subscription before I got charged. Is that wrong?
AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN PEAR CRISP
Ingredients
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped nuts (3 ounces/85 grams) I’m allergic to nuts so I substituted 3/4 cup of oatmeal (it was a genius substitution, if I do say so myself 😉)
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2½ ounces/71 grams)
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (1¾ ounces/50 grams)
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Table salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Process nuts, flour, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in food processor until nuts are finely chopped, about nine 1-second pulses. Drizzle butter over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly wet sand, about five 1-second pulses, pausing halfway through to scrape down sides and bottom of workbowl. Set aside while preparing fruit.
Because I substituted oatmeal for nuts, there was no need to use a food processor. I used only a fork to make the topping.
2. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and pinch of salt together in large bowl. Peel pears, then halve and core. Cut each half into 4 wedges and then cut in half crosswise (pieces should be about 1 1/2 inches). Gently toss pears with sugar mixture and transfer to 8-inch-square baking dish.
Not gonna lie, this step was a pain in the neck. My husband bought a tool to scoop out cores of the peeled pears, but forgot he had it, so he did all this work with a paring knife.
3. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit, breaking up any large chunks. Bake until fruit is bubbling around edges and topping is deep golden brown, 27 to 32 minutes. Cool on wire rack until warm, at least 15 minutes, and serve.
This is the unbaked version. We ended up leaving it in the oven for the full 32 minutes and pears were perfect. Tender and sweet.
VERDICT: Good. 👍 The topping works well with the pears. I had it hot with ice cream for dessert (yum) and also cold for a snack that actually felt relatively “healthy” with all that fruit and oatmeal. It’s not as exciting as the Dutch Pear Pie or Pear Cobbler, but I would make it again.
How do you write what people actually want to read?
One of my recent posts was selected for “Freshly Pressed” on WordPress and I got some nice comments and a few new subscribers. It’s a post about baking a Dutch Pear Pie with fruit from the trees in our yard. So, welcome to anyone new here. I assume you love dessert like me.
I post about a variety of things, including baking, but mostly I just talk about whatever’s on my mind, including whatever the WordPress “daily prompt” elicits from me. I like the community here on WordPress. Most people are very kind and supportive.
We finally harvested some of the Bosc pears on our tree because a big Nor’easter (windy rainstorm) is expected this weekend.
Over 15 pounds of Bosc pears harvested and there are still many pears left on the tree.
The Bosc is the last of our fruit trees to ripen (we also have a Winesap apple and an Asian pear) and honestly, I think we should wait a bit longer to pick the rest of the pears. I don’t think the ones we picked are fully ripe yet, but that didn’t stop us from trying out another new recipe.
This recipe—for Pear Cobbler—is one I found on YouTube. I was able to screenshot the relevant information. (I’m sorry I lost track of the original creator.)
FRESH PEAR COBBLER
Pear Filling
• 4–5 cups diced pears
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Batter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
1. Combine the diced pears with the sugar, corn starch, water, and cinnamon.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk until combined.
3. Set the oven to 350°. Melt one stick of butter in a 9×13 baking dish.
4. Pour the batter over the melted butter (do not stir), then spoon the pear mixture on top.
5. Bake for 1 hour.
6. Serve with ice cream.
VERDICT: Very good. It think it’ll be even better next time with riper pears. We were wondering how this cobbler was going to “cobble together” since you don’t stir it, but it actually does. It’s definitely a bit of a pain to peel the pears, but you really have to with Boscs. We used a potato peeler.
I gotta say, this whole situation with the midterm election (and Trump’s plan to undermine it), the mess in the Middle East, inflation, AI coming for us…and on and on…is…STRESSFUL.
Baking with fruit from our own trees is a good counterbalance to the news.
A friend’s trip to Germany inspired me to try making apple strudel for the first time. My husband cut-up the last of our Winesap apples and we used a recipe I found online.
I have very little experience baking with puff pastry. It turns out the timing of when you take it out of the freezer is a key.
There were dots of butter under the top sheet of puff pastry, which I brushed with milk.
After 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven
Amazing. No ice cream needed.
The midterm elections have begun. VOTE like your life depends on it, because it does. VOTE early if you can.
I had a recipe for “Dutch Pear Pie” printed out in a 3-ring binder. I had scribbled “good” in pencil across the top—and so it is.
My husband did the hardest job of chopping up most of our remaining Asian pears. The rest is pretty easy. Something about a streusel-topped pie that’s just so delicious. And it’s really not that hard. No special equipment required. I just softened up the butter for about a minute in the microwave on 50% power and then made the streusel with a fork.
How do you like my “staging” of my pie in this photograph? I feel like I really nailed it. I’m getting a lot of compliments from my friends on Instagram. So many, that I’m reminded of a Josh Johnson comedy bit about how much white ladies LOVE autumn. (Oh they do, they really really do. I’m a summer lover, but my friends love fall.)
Side view of a slice 😋
This is one of the rare baked fruit pies that doesn’t require ice cream or whipped cream. (I mean, they won’t hurt, but they’re not needed.) It’s a complete dessert on its own. I think the sour cream in the filling fulfills the dairy role.
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Filling
1 cup sour cream
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, beaten
3+ cups coarsely chopped fresh pears (6-8 pears, or as many as will fit in your pie shell)
Crumb Topping
1 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
Instructions
Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using a 9-inch glass pie plate; do not prick crust. Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and side of pastry. Let foil extend over edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil; bake 2 to 4 minutes longer, or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with the back of a spoon.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients. Pour into the warm baked pie shell.
In a medium bowl, mix the crumb topping ingredients with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown. After 30 minutes of baking, cover the top of the pie with foil to prevent excessive browning. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
What’s a quote that perfectly describes your outlook on life?
This WordPress writing prompt is basically a repeat of two days ago, with different wording.
As it happens, a commenter on my posteat dessert first (Sambuca from Ontario) planted the idea of peach ice cream in my little brain and I could not stop thinking about how it’s a seasonal “featured” flavor at my local ice cream stand that I have never tried. So, last night, I rectified the situation.
I thought I was ordering the smallest size available (it’s called a “kiddie”) but now I know that I need to order a “mini” if I really only want a little bit.
Ice cream twice in one week. Someone had to do it.
I’m not sure who said this originally: Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first
But I will always attribute it to my dear friend’s late father. Last summer, at her daughter’s wedding, when I arrived at my seat for the reception, this was my place setting.
And in that spirit, here’s a photo of an amazing dessert I had last night. (I actually had it after dinner, but I was not too full and enjoyed every bite.)
The flavor is “vanilla blueberry crumble” and it is delicious. It’s vanilla with fresh blueberries and graham crackers from the locally famous Kimball Farm.
That’s a small! (I finished it, obvi)
I don’t know if other parts of the country have local ice cream stands that were originally dairy farms operated by hearty, entrepreneurial types who decided to expand into ice cream in the early part of the 20th century, but eastern Massachusetts has many great options. Many have been in continuous operation since before WW2 and the ice cream is amazing.
Like nearly every American of good conscience, I have mixed feelings this Fourth of July. The promise of America is faltering under the most corrupt and despicable administration in our 250 year history. The upcoming midterm elections will hopefully spark some sort of a course correction.
In the meantime, there are children and grandchildren; national parks and beaches; fresh cherries and watermelon to be thankful for.
I substituted Licor 43 (vanilla liqueur from Spain) for Kirsch (cherry brandy) in the recipe. And no I didn’t “scrape a vanilla bean” into the cherries—that step was a bit much!
If you could change the ending of any book, which one would it be?
I don’t really like this prompt.
To me, the most memorable ending of any book I’ve ever read was the final scene of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. I wouldn’t change a thing.
In the spirit of being grateful for FOOD, here’s a photo of a “Pasta alla Gricia” that my husband made last night. He used guanciale (pig’s jowl) that my thoughtful son got him from an Italian store for Father’s Day.
Did I tell you that my husband’s first name is Mario and he’s of 100% Italian ancestry?
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