Some like it hot. I do, at least when it comes to the fruit that warm summer weather produces. Stone fruit is my favorite; just the thought of cherries, peaches and nectarines, as well as apricots and plums makes me grin. And summertime’s berries are a close second; their versatility is a delicious gift, their beauty reminiscent of a Cezanne still life painting.
I look forward all year to making desserts that showcase stone fruit teamed with berries. Their sweet-tart flavor profiles are delicious whether teamed in traditional dishes such as a cobbler or buckle, or in less conventional finales such as a cake made with layered crepes filled with whipped cream, mashed blackberries and mascarpone. Or a twist on an upside-down wonder with peaches or nectarines cut into wedges and arranged in a spiral at the bottom of the pan, and then topped with batter. The inverted cake looks as great as it tastes.
Often, economics and modern shipping demand that some growers pick their fruit before it’s ripe. Berries and cherries don’t ripen after they’re picked, but there is a trick for softening the texture of stone fruit, such as apricots, peaches and nectarines
Nectarines and peaches: They may look perfect but taste like a piece of cardboard. Go ahead, sniff. Buy the fruit with a rich whiff of true, fresh fruit. They should have a pronounced fragrance.
Look for peaches and nectarines with creamy or golden background color and smooth plump skin. A red blush is a varietal characteristic and not necessarily an indication of maturity. Avoid fruit with greenish tinges or bruises.
If you can’t find nectarines or peaches that are ripe, plan on some “ripening time,” a method that improves texture but probably won’t add sweetness. Place several in a paper bag; loosely close and check daily. The paper bag allows the air to circulate around the fruit and traps the natural gases given off by the fruit. Check for ripeness by pressing the “shoulder” next to stem. If it gives to light pressure, it’s ready. At this point, store in the fridge.
Berries: When buying berries (other than strawberries), look at the bottom of the container; if it is badly stained, the berries on the bottom may be squashed and moldy. Store them in the refrigerator and wash them just before use.
Happy baking!
Nectarine Upside-Down Cake
My grandmother made a luscious version of pineapple upside-down cake. She nested a maraschino into the center of each ring. I thought it was fancy, and so did she, even though she never garnished the sweet with the recommended whipped cream. This version uses nectarine slices, a big improvement over canned fruit.
The procedure is simple. Upside-down cake requires fruit, brown sugar, honey and butter on the bottom of the pan, with a simple butter cake batter poured on top. Once baked, the cake cools for a few minutes in the pan, then is flip-flopped onto a plate or platter to put the glamorous fruit in view.
Serve it warm for the very best flavor, but room temperature is good, too. A garnish of ice cream or whipped cream is essential to add a needed creaminess. A garnish of sweetened blackberries is optional (but delicious). End of intro
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
Topping:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided use
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
4 medium-sized, ripe unpeeled nectarines, pitted, cut into 3/8-inch wedges
Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, see cook’s notes
1/2 cup milk
Optional for serving: 2 cups fresh blackberries tossed with sugar to taste (toss in advance for sugar to dissolve)
For serving: lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream
Cook’s notes: If desired, you can also add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract along with the vanilla.
PROCEDURE
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and honey in heavy-bottomed, medium-sized saucepan over low heat. When the butter melts, whisk on low heat to blend in the sugar and honey; it should form a thick, smooth sauce. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Tilt pan to cover surface with the mixture. Arrange nectarine wedges in overlapping concentric circles atop sauce, starting next to the side of the pan.
2. With a whisk, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl.
3. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large bowl until light and smooth. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing just until blended. Spoon batter evenly over nectarines. (I think it is easiest to drop generous spoonfuls of batter in a single layer over fruit — then smooth it out with a dinner knife or metal frosting spatula — that way the fruit isn’t disturbed.)
4. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool in pan 30 minutes.
5. Using knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter atop cake pan. Using oven mitts or potholders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over. Let stand 5 minutes, then gently lift pan off cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you like, surround each serving with some sweetened blackberries. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Source: Adapted from Gourmet magazine
Blackberry and Mascarpone Crepe Cake
I took a shortcut on this crepe-layered “cake” by using store-bought crepes (see cook’s notes); neither appearance nor flavor is diminished. I love the character that the mascarpone lends to the whipped cream-based filling. If you have a small offset spatula it makes spreading the filling on the crepes a lot easier.
Yield: 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS
One 8-ounce container chilled mascarpone cheese
2 1/4 cups plus 1/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided use
1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided use
1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, divided use
Two 5-ounce packages prepared crepes, see cook’s notes
Optional garnish: sliced fresh peaches or nectarines
Cook’s notes: The Melissa’s brand offers packages of ten (9-inch) prepared crepes. For this cake, I usually use about one and a half packages, or about 15 to 16 crepes. They are often sold in the produce section of markets such as Bristol Farms, Gelson’s, Mother’s Markets or occasionally at Albertson’s. Call first to check for availability. They can also be purchased at melissas.com. Other brands of prepared crepes are sold on amazon.com, but I haven’t used them. Leftover crepes can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. And if you prefer, make 15 or 16 crepes from scratch — it can be fun to make crepes with children.
PROCEDURE
1. Prepare the mascarpone whipped cream: Combine mascarpone, 1/4 cup chilled cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, combine on low speed. Stop motor and add remaining cream; beat on medium speed, gradually adding another 1/4 cup powdered sugar, until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Mash 1 cup blackberries in a medium bowl (I use a fork to mash). Add a little more than half of mascarpone whipped cream and fold to combine.
3. Assemble: Place one crepe on cake platter or footed cake plate. A note here about separating store-bought crepes — it is easiest to separate if you grab a smooth edge, rather then a thin ragged edge. Using a small offset spatula, spread a thin layer of blackberry mixture on top, leaving a 1/4-inch border on edge empty. Repeat with remaining crepes and blackberry mixture using 15 to 16 crepes, leaving the top crepe without any topping. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate one to eight hours. Chill remaining mascarpone mixture.
4. To serve, spoon remaining mascarpone mixture on top of cake. Make a well in center with the back of a big spoon and fill with remaining blackberries. Slice with a serrated knife. If desired, serve with sliced fresh peaches or nectarines on the side.
Source: Adapted from “Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2020” (editors at Food & Wine Magazine, Food & Wine Books, $39.99)
Peach and Mixed Berry Cobbler
Blueberries or raspberries can be used in this simple cobbler, but my top choice is blackberries. The recipe is sourced from one of my favorite baking books, an award-winning tome by Regan Daley. For years I’ve been peeling peaches for my cobblers, but she suggests using them unpeeled and it works beautifully. If you want to blanch and peel you can, but it saves a lot of time and work to leave them au naturel.
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds ripe but not squishy peaches, about 8 medium or 6 very large
2 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch, depending one the juiciness of the fruit
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Biscuit Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup whole milk, cold
1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Additional butter for greasing dish
Additional 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
PROCEDURE
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter inside of shallow 2-quart, preferably ceramic, baking dish. Wash and pat dry peaches. Cut in half, discard stone, cut each half into 6 slices (8 slices if using really big peaches) and place in large bowl. Add berries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice; use large silicone spatula to gently toss ingredients together to evenly distribute sugar and cornstarch. Allow to sit while you prepare the biscuit mixture.
2. For biscuits: In a food processor, add all dry biscuit ingredients (flour, sugar, salt and baking powder). Pulse twice to blend. Add butter and pulse until largest lumps are the size of fat peas. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Give the fruit mixture a gentle stir and transfer to prepared baking dish, scraping the juices, sugar, and starch from bottom of the bowl and pour over fruit. Even out the fruit with a silicone spatula.
3. Combine milk, cream and vanilla and pour into the flour-butter mixture. Use a fork to stir for the first few strokes, then use your clean hands to gently rub the liquid into the crumble. The dough should be very wet and sticky. Pinch off egg-sized lumps of gooey dough and drop these dollops onto the fruit, eventually covering most of the surface of the dish. A few little cracks between the biscuits is what you want – so the fruit juices can bubble up. Sprinkle top with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
4. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until juices from the fruit are bubbling vigorously and the biscuits are puffed and golden. Cool on rack for at least 25 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The cobbler is best eaten within 3 or 4 hours, but can be refrigerated for 3 days.
Source: “In the Sweet Kitchen” by Regan Daley (Artisan, $35)
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Contact Cathy Thomas at cathythomascooks@gmail. com
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