Characteristic: dessert

There are many apple confections that fall under this general title but I grew up with this particular one, a barely sweet apple tart really, and it will always have a special place in my heart and repertoire. It's wonderful for days and makes a fine breakfast, with or without whipped cream!   Feel free to halve the recipe but then you have to deal with splitting an egg–or make the full crust recipe and freeze half the crust for a future use. This most recent time I ran it under the broiler (for maybe 30 seconds too long, though I kind of liked the slightly burnt bites) for a little more caramelization. Watch it carefully if you do!  ... Read more »

This is a simple, rich tart. It’s sort of the Oregon version of a pecan pie but much less sweet and with a higher nut to custard ratio. You’ll need a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom.  ... Read more »

These are the quickest and one of the most satisfying cookies I know. I vary these each time I make them. Sometimes I use whole-wheat pastry flour, sometimes spelt or sometimes just all-purpose. Around the holidays I use golden raisins and candied orange peel but sometimes it’s dried cherries or apricots. I even vary the amounts of cocoa a bit. And sometimes I stir a few tablespoons of orange marmalade or other jam instead of the dried fruit.   So if you have 20 minutes (that includes the baking time!) and some cocoa on hand and a few other pantry basics you can have your chocolate/cookie fix or a gift in no time.  ... Read more »

Chocolate ice cream with cream, milk, yogurt & cocoa  ... Read more »

Ice cream made with boysenberry jam and yogurt and cream.   This ice cream requires no custard, no turning on the stove to even infuse the cream/milk/yogurt. I’ve been making jam lately and jam is an easy way to flavor ice cream–particularly if you want to reduce the number of steps and improve texture. Fresh fruit has lots of moisture and does not have as concentrated flavors.  ... Read more »

A bunch of leftover-sliced baguette, a bit of ricotta and a bowl of quince turned into this magic yesterday. This is a cook-with-what-you-have Ofenschlupfer, a German variation of bread pudding that I grew up eating in the fall made with apples. But quince! Quince, with all its tart, fragrant, wonder takes this to another level.   I tossed this together without referencing any Ofenschlupfer recipes but the basic combination of egg, milk, sugar, spices, bread, and fruit is pretty forgiving. But do be on the look-out for quince!  ... Read more »

Type of seeds, nuts, spices, nut/seed butters are all up to you. These are not very sweet and only a little crunchy around the edges though if you made them thinner and baked them a little longer they would be more so. I really like the chew and that they actually stick together . . . no trail of oats and bits following you around with these. You could add ground cinnamon or ginger or instant espresso powder.  ... Read more »

My mother has been making a version of this pie for decades, as did my grandmother. It’s not very sweet (only 1/3 cup sugar in the whole thing) and nice and chocolaty. It really does come together quickly and it’s always a favorite at the Thanksgiving table, and the day after!   You can also just make the pudding and skip the crust. In that case reduce the cornstarch by 2 teaspoons. ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_14055" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Meant to photograph the full dozen but realized I had almost devoured one before I managed to.[/caption] These are one of the reasons I freeze blueberries every summer. They are not very sweet and the lemon zest adds another dimension. You can use fresh blueberries of course too.... Read more »

A lightly sweet, chewy yet airy muffin packed full of carrots, rolled oats, yogurt and nutmeg that are perfect for (school) snacks or breakfast. I grate the carrots on the smaller holes of a box grater which gives these muffins a fine texture. ... Read more »

This preparation was a bit of a fluke. My husband and son don't love rhubarb but I do! I had roasted another pan of rhubarb with rosé, honey and vanilla (water and a squeeze of lemon juice works fine if you don't have wine) and wasn't going to be able to eat it all myself. I thought I'd purée it and freeze it but then drank this smoothie, of sorts, stirred it into yogurt and froze the rest.   I've also puréed some of this roasted rhubarb with some peaches that I had frozen the previous season. The combination is divine if you by chance have both on hand. And this makes a fantastic "bellini" of sorts which is typically peach purée with sparkling wine but the rhubarb adds both color and flavor that are just wonderful.... Read more »

  Making your own pumpkin puree is delicious but canned pumpkin will do just fine too. If you want to make your own you can use butternut squash or other squashes. I think butternut squash makes the silkiest "pumpkin" pie in fact. Pumpkin flesh can be a bit stringy so if you don’t have a food processor (in which to make the filling) and are using pumpkin you might want to mash the cooked pumpkin through a sieve for a nice smooth texture.   This is fairly classic pumpkin pie recipe, with the exception of the sour cream and optional rum.   I swear by the below crust (nothing but butter, flour and water but a slightly atypical technique). Give it a try or use your favorite recipe/technique.   Unlike many others I do not blind bake my crust for pumpkin pie. Instead I bake it on a pizza stone in a very hot oven (for the first 15 minutes) and then reduce the temperature. This way my crust doesn't burn and get brittle (which I find if I blind bake and then add the custard which needs a good 45 minutes to bake itself) and the bottom crust does just fine. You always get a little sogginess with a wet custard like this but I think it's just perfect.... Read more »

I'm a big fan of this classic dessert when made with good buttery and creamy home-made biscuits/shortcakes and peak season strawberries. ... Read more »

  --inspired by Smittenkitchen.com via Martha Stewart   This is a simple spring/summer cake with a hint of cardamom. I imagine it would be excellent with peaches, apricots, plums, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. ... Read more »

  Simple, elegant and fragrant, it's good on its own, with Greek yogurt, with cookies or pound cake and I'm sure many other ways. If you don't have a bottle of wine open or don't want to open one, you can use a combination of apple juice or cider and water or water mixed with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. You can also swap out a few strips of lemon or orange zest for the vanilla bean and/or some slices of fresh ginger.... Read more »

Rhubarb, spiced with a little cardamom makes for a luscious and beautiful cobbler. ... Read more »

  Feel free to experiment with the amount of sugar here based on your taste and how sweet your berries are. I often have frozen strawberries that need using up when rhubarb starts showing up so I make this. Later in the season it's delicious with raspberries as well. Apricots, peaches and plums are great as are apples, pears and quince. My husband and son don't like nuts in desserts so sometimes I grind the almonds I typically use here into almond meal in my cheese grater. It just takes a minute. It adds richness and depth to the crumble but does not reap furrowed brows from my family! You can also just skip the nuts. It's delicious with or without.  ... Read more »

Simple, delicious!  ... Read more »

I tend to make this right after my annual first u-pick blueberry outing though it's also delicious mid-winter made with frozen berries. It’s a lovely, quick cake, just barely sweet and packed with berries. Coffee cakes are always better the day they are made, and preferably within a couple hours of coming out of the oven.  ... Read more »