I am determined this year to use all of the pears from our pear tree.  I struggle with this each year.  We have a Conference Pear Tree, (Bosc Pears) and they are not the best pears for eating. (Lesson learnt.)  They are however great pears for cooking with, so bring on your crumbles, cakes and pies! 

 

Our landlord brought us a big bag of cooking apples yesterday and I looked at the pears that Todd had picked and the apples and thought, crumble . . .  and then I thought why not add blackberries.  But I had only a handful of blackberries, so threw in some frozen cranberries I had to make up the difference.  But you can use either all blackberries or all cranberries if you wish.

 

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love a crumble . . .  not quite a pie, not a cake . . . fruity and sweet and topped with a nutty/buttery/crispy/crumbly topping.

 

I love to make crumbles. There is no faffing about with rolling out crusts or beating together batters . . . you just prepare your fruit, pop it into a baking dish . . .

 

Rub together a few ingredients . . .  flour, butter, sugar, oats, nuts, etc.  . . .  scatter them over top and then bake! 

 

Until the fruit is soft and jammy . . .

 

And the topping is golden brown. If you find your topping browning before your fruit is ready, cover it lightly with some aluminium foil. 

 

Let it sit for a bit . . .  you don't want anyone burning their mouth, and then spoon it out into bowls for eating  . . .

 

There is rather a lot with this one, so make sure you have plenty of people around to help you heat it, either that or prepare it in two bakes, and freeze one for later. (Without baking it, just wrap well and pop it into the freeze. Thaw completely prior to baking as below.)

 

Todd loves cream or custard poured over his  . . .  I prefer ice cream  . . .

 

Although cream is also very, very good  . . .

 

and what is ice cream, but  . . .  frozen custard.

 

Todd managed to scarf down two bowls of this on the day  . . .  and another big bowl the day after. 

  

In fact, I think he would have it for breakfast if he could . . .

 

 

Crumbles speak Autumn to me  . . .  not quite there yet, I know  . . .  but only a few more days to go. This is a lovely one. Bon Appetit!

 

I used to make Panna Cotta sometimes for Luncheons and Dinner Parties when I worked at the Manor down South but it has always been a dessert I shied away from making here at home.  I'm not really sure why.  Its not really a difficult dessert to make actually, but I used to always hold my breath when I unmolded the dishes . . . I would make extra just in case . . .  nothing would be worse than having one stick to the dish or break when unmolding.  Not something you really want at a social function. I guess it was always accompanied with nervous anticipation for me, which had more to do with the presentation than the actual creation of it.

 

The idea of actually serving it in simple drinking or pretty glasses had never occurred to me, and I seriously doubt that my boss would have agreed with that idea anyways.  If something was simple to her, then it probably wasn't good enough.  She wanted complicated, difficult and "pushing out the boat" dishes for all the courses being served, which certainly was instrumental in affording me with the opportunity to stretch beyond what I ever thought myself capable of!  In that respect, the experience was really good.  I never had a failure, whew!!!   

 

The down side of it all was that, after all that complication at work, I opted for simple at home.  I did not want drama at home. That was my time for relaxing, and I have to confess I still feel the same.  There is nothing like having to pull out the stops for five or six silver service courses (and all on your own wit no sous chef's etc. to help out)  to cure you of ever wanting that in your life.

 

So essentially I had never made Panna Cotta for us here at home . . .  until this weekend, when it dawned on me that I could just pour it into a small and pretty glass and leave it there, garnishing it with some lovely berries.  DUH!  Why had I never thought of this before!!

 

This is the perfect light dessert . . .  for when you are entertaining or even when you are not entertaining.  It is as simple as heating milk and cream with some sugar (not much) and flavouring, adding some gelatin and pouring it into glasses.  Set in the fridge for a few hours  and BANG!  Dessert is ready.

 

Simple, creamy, light and DEE-licious!

 

I chose to top it with a simple mix of berries that I macerated with some lime zest and a bit of sugar.

 

You could also use honey . . . liquid honey. I used a mix of fresh Scottish raspberries and strawberries, and what was left of the blueberries in our garden.

 

They went beautifully.  Diced peaches along with a splash of an amond liqueur and some chopped toasted almonds . . .  poached apple slices with some cinnamon and nutmeg . . .

 

Sauteed cinnamon bananas, pineapple and coconut . . . let your imagination flow!

 

 

 

 

Rhubarb Pudding Cake.  One dessert I need to make every rhubarb season is this delicious Rhubarb Pudding Cake. It is a recipe I have been making for years and years and years.

When it comes right down to it, I think one of my absolute favorite fruits has to be rhubarb. This goes right back to my childhood.  I can remember my mother giving us sticks of rhubarb along with a small bowl of sugar when I was a child  . . . as a treat.  

We would stick the cut end of the rhubarb into the sugar and then chew on it . . .  oh but the tartness of it would make our cheeks ache!! This was part of the pleasure I am sure. 

 

Another favourite way to enjoy it was simply stewed and spooned warm, over ice cream.  Over here in the UK, they enjoy it stewed with custard.  

On both sides of the pond it is enjoyed in crumbles/crisps and in pies!  And of course a favourite partner is the humble strawberry!

 

Rhubarb Pudding Cake is an old fashioned dessert that goes back a very long way.  

I am sure there is a version of this, handwritten on paper and tucked into just about every family recipe box, having pleased family after family down through the generations!

 

Its a very simple dessert.  Rhubarb is first cooked/stewed on top of the stove until tender.

You then let it cool just a tiny bit . . . while you make a cake batter.

  

The cake batter is poured into a buttered baking tin and then the rhubarb is spooned over top . . .

 

Something magical happens when it is cooking  . . .  the cake bubbles up through the rhubarb and some of the rhubarb sinks . . . 

What you end up with is a moist cake filled with small rivulets and puddles of stewed rhubarb . . . little sweet/tart caverns . . . sticky . . .  moreish  . . . 

 

Deliciously perfect little crevices that are wonderful to hold things like warm custard, or pouring cream  . . .

 

Or, my favourite . . .  ice cream.  I prefer vanilla, but on this day I had only strawberry ripple, which was very good also.

 

Served warm  . . .  the ice cream melts down into those tasty little rhubarb dimples  . . .  collecting in sweet little cool pools of deliciousness  . . . 

 

It is no surprise that this is one of our favourite family desserts.  I am sure if it isn't already, it is bound to become one of yours also!   

 

 

 

With all of the lovely warm and sunny weather we have had recently all of the berries in our garden seem to be ripening at once.  I'm not complaining!  

I just wish they lasted longer!  Our strawberries are pretty much finished now, but the blueberries and raspberries are just beginning, so we will have them to enjoy for a few weeks yet!!

  

This recipe today makes a beautiful use of all the ripe berries in the garden.  

Fresh Berry Crostini.  Beautiful crisp toasts topped with creamy rich mascarpone cheese, and then sprinkled with fresh berries and some sweet honey!

  

The hardest part is toasting the bread, literally . . .  these are such a simple doddle to make!!!

 

They are delicious for breakfast if that's how you wish to serve them . . .  or for a brunch occasion.

 

Perhaps as a simple dessert for all of those Al Fresco happenings in your little corner of the world . . .

 

Or maybe you are having the gals over for  a tea party.  In that case I would do them on smaller toasted slices of baguette, two bite sized . . .  cute!