An Oven Berry Pancake makes an impressive brunch dish or dessert. One giant pancake with a lovely golden brown crust that is bursting with lightly sweetened berries. How enticing it looks when the sides of the pancake are folded up and over the berries and the finishing touches are placed on top: a dusting of confectioners sugar, dollops of softly whipped cream and even more berries. A more casual way to eat this pancake is to simply smear the entire surface of the pancake with your favorite jam and then roll it up like an omelet. For breakfast I like it with maple syrup or with yogurt and berries. No matter which way you serve this pancake it is delicious and sure to please.

Oven pancakes are a little different from the ones cooked on our stovetop. While both batters are made with a mixture of egg, milk, butter, and flour, an oven pancake’s batter is thinner and is made by simply whizzing all the ingredients in your blender or food processor. Stove top pancakes, on the other hand, are made with a batter that is simply stirred together in a large bowl. For this pancake, once the batter is made, it is poured into a large heatproof skillet and placed in the oven. As the pancake bakes the top becomes slightly puffed and set, yet remains light in color. This is different from the bottom of the pancake which becomes wonderfully golden brown with crisp edges. This pancake is best served hot from the oven.

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If you are trying to eat healthier, adding more fiber to your diet and reducing total fat is a good place to start. These moist and flavorful Blueberry Bran Muffins do both of these things, as they contain whole wheat flour and bran and to reduce the fat we add just two tablespoons of canola oil. This excellent recipe is adapted from Bonnie Stern’s “More Heart Smart Cooking with Bonnie Stern” which is written in conjunction with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Although we could use just whole wheat flour in these Blueberry Bran Muffins, this recipe combines whole wheat and white all purpose, which gives the muffins a lighter texture with more rise than if we had used just whole wheat flour. These bran muffins also differ from most in that we are using unprocessed wheat bran instead of a commercially made bran cereal. I do this because unprocessed wheat bran is so much cheaper than commercial bran cereals and it is now readily available in most grocery stores (often in the organic food section) or else in health food stores

Normally, when you bite into a bran muffin you find raisins. Bonnie Stern made a nice change by adding blueberries. Blueberries are what we now call a ’super’ food. Leanne Kitchen in “The Produce Bible” tells us these sweet deep indigo blue berries contain “cholesterol lowering compounds, antioxidants, Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and dietary fiber. It is even thought that their consumption can have anti-aging effects.” In this recipe you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. If using fresh, look for blueberries that are firm, plump, fragrant, and are covered with a dusty white bloom. The white bloom is the blueberry’s natural protection against the sun and is a sign of freshness. And be sure to check the underside of the container for any wet spots or staining. If using frozen, do not thaw before adding them to the batter. Fold the blueberries gently into the batter so they do not crush and end up staining the whole batter blue.

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Date Walnut bread is a very nice tea bread bursting with the flavor of sweet dates and crunchy walnuts. Jean Anderson states in her book ‘The American Century Cookbook’ that the first recipes for this bread began to appear in the 1920s, and it was so popular in the 1930s that it was used to make tea sandwiches. In fact, these tea sandwiches are so lovely you may want to try them; take two thinly sliced pieces of the bread, sandwich them together with a layer of cream cheese or butter, and then cut them into fingers, squares or triangles.

The name ‘date’ comes from the Greek “daktulos” which means “finger” and refers to its shape. Dates are the sweet fruit of the palm tree and they grow in large bunches, with each date measuring between 1 – 3 inches (2.5 – 7.5 cm) long. A large part of the date crop is dried which increases its already high sugar concentration and keeps the dates from spoiling. When dates are dried they become sticky, soft and plump, and the skin of the date seems to disappear as it cannot be distinguished from the flesh. For this recipe we are using dried pitted dates. If the dates you buy still have their pits, you will need to remove them. Just cut a slit down the length of the date with a sharp knife and then slide out the small smooth pit. Dried dates can be found in the produce section of your grocery store. I usually buy the ones that are packed in 10 ounce (283 gram) plastic tubs. Always check the dates for any signs of mold.

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Aaah, Blueberry Buckle. Summer would not be the same without this old fashioned homey dessert. Who can resist soft and sweet blueberries sandwiched between a crunchy streusel and a buttery white cake? Growing up my mother would make blueberry buckle (recipe here) every summer with the blueberries we would pick during camping trips. She always made it in a square baking pan, cutting the buckle into small squares. Over the years I followed her lead and never thought to make it any other way. That was until I saw individual servings of blueberry buckle in Oprah’s cookbook “The Oprah Magazine Cookbook”. What a great idea. Everyone gets their own individual ramekin.

Of course, blueberry buckle is absolutely delicious warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. However, if there are any leftovers, just refrigerate them and you might like to try eating the buckle cold when the streusel has turned wonderfully hard and crunchy. If blueberries are out of season you can also make a buckle with other berries, like raspberries and blackberries.

Have you ever wondered why this dessert is called a Buckle? I have, so I decided to look up “buckle” in the dictionary. The first definition given was for the clasp on your belt. No help there. But upon further reading, ‘buckle’ was also defined as “to bend, warp, bulge, or collapse” which, when you think about it, is exactly what happens to a blueberry buckle as it bakes. That is because, during baking, the baking powder in the cake causes the buckle to rise. But with all those blueberries and streusel on top of the cake batter, the cake rises unevenly, thereby giving it that ‘buckled’ look.

Blueberries are native to North America which means if you live in the right place you may be able to pick your own. For the rest of us there are cultivated berries which are much larger in size and lighter in color. Both types are wonderfully sweet with just a touch of tartness. If taste isn’t enough to get you to eat these berries, their health benefits will; rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, high in potassium, and low in sodium. When buying blueberries, look for firm, plump, fragrant, dark blue berries with a dusty white bloom. The white bloom is the blueberry’s natural protection against the sun and is a sign of freshness. Always check the underside of the container for any wet spots or staining. Discard any soft, moldy, or crushed berries.

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When blackberries are at their best, try making this delicious Blackberry Pie. It has two layers of buttery crisp pastry with a generous helping of lightly sweetened blackberries in between. I love the look of this pie, with its bumpy circles of golden brown pastry that give you just a peek of the glistening fruit underneath. And while the blackberries keep their shape after baking, they are soft and tender with their garnet colored juices all thick and syrupy. Absolutely perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pie makers tend to have definite opinions on what is the best type of pastry to use for making pies. My choice for fruit pies and tarts is always this Pate Brisee (a short crust pastry). I love its buttery flavor and crisp and crumbly texture. It is easily made in the food processor, just remember that the butter and the water need to be very cold. Once made, the pastry must be chilled until firm. The tricky part is rolling out the pastry. In order for it to roll out smoothly, without it sticking to the counter or tearing, it has to be at the right temperature. Too cold (it will tear), too warm (it will stick). This “feel” for the dough will come with practice, so don’t get discouraged if you have some trouble at first. If the rolled out pastry tears a little as you put it into the pie plate, just patch it. Now, for the top crust of this Blackberry Pie you simply cut the rolled out pastry into circles. This gives the pie a nice look but, more importantly, it serves the purpose of allowing the bubbling fruit juices underneath the crust to evaporate. This is particularly good when using a fruit like blackberries.

Lastly, this is your basic recipe for a fruit pie filling. It combines fresh berries (use could use a combination of blackberries and blueberries) with a little lemon juice to perk up the fruit’s flavor, some sugar for sweetness, a pinch of ground cinnamon for flavor, and cornstarch for thickening. The filling is placed in your pastry lined pie plate, dotted with butter, and topped with the circles of pastry. Final touch is to brush the pastry with cream and to sprinkle on a little sugar. Bake in a preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. If you see the pastry browning a little too much, cover with a pie shield or aluminum foil.

Once the pie comes out of the oven there is always the temptation to cut into it right away. Resist if you can. Fruit pies need several hours to set so that when you cut into them the fruit is juicy but these juices do not run. Excellent plain but even better with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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The beauty of making your own ice cream is that you can make your own flavor combinations. Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream is one great example; where you take homemade vanilla ice cream, that has a nice sweet vanilla flavor and creamy smooth texture, and layer it with a tart and tangy flavored raspberry sauce. When you place a frozen scoop in your bowl, you will see lovely swirls of ruby red sauce running through the vanilla ice cream.

This ice cream has a custard base. The four main ingredients in a custard are cream, sugar, eggs, and flavoring. It is important to get the right mix of these ingredients so the ice cream will have that smooth texture and rich flavor we so desire. The amount of cream used and its butterfat content gives ice cream its rich and creamy taste. However, too much fat can cause a heavy product and smalls lumps of “butter” can form which produces that grainy texture which is often found in homemade ice creams. Sugar gives the ice cream its smoothness but too much sugar will prevent the ice cream from freezing. Eggs are necessary for smoothness and also gives the ice cream its nice color. Making the custard the night before so it has time to chill sufficiently allows the ice cream to freeze before the churn gets too warm and gives the ice cream its smooth texture.

The custard should only fill your ice cream machine about half to two thirds full. This is so the custard has enough room to expand while it freezes so you end up with an ice cream with a light texture and no graininess. Once the vanilla ice cream is made, it is layered in your container with the raspberry sauce. Place about one third of the ice cream in the bottom of a container and then pour in about half the raspberry sauce. Next, place another third of the ice cream on top of the raspberry sauce. Top with the remaining sauce and then the rest of the ice cream. Cover and place in the freezer for several hours or until firm.

As this recipe only uses egg yolks, there is always the question of what to do with the leftover egg whites. Meringues (Meringue Cookies, Meringue Hearts, Meringue Mushrooms, Pavlova) are always a good way to use egg whites as is the Chocolate Angel Food Cake.

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I have a real weakness for eating sweet things in the morning. I try to have my daily bowl of oat bran cereal but sometimes I treat myself to a slice of this lovely tea bread. The name ‘Lemon Blueberry Bread’ says it all. This bread is bursting with juicy sweet blueberries and brushing on a hot lemony glaze just as it comes out of the oven, not only infuses the bread with a nice citrus flavor but it also makes the bread tender and moist. It is very similar to a pound cake, which makes it perfect any time of the day. This is a recipe I have been making for years; ever since I cut it out of a 1991 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.

Lemons have the ability to bring out the best in any fruit they are paired with. A lot of recipes call for lemon zest (the outer yellow skin) as this is where the lemon hides most of its flavor. For this very reason I try to buy organic lemons for some commercially grown lemons are sprayed with insecticides. But, either way, it is good practice to always wash your lemons thoroughly, that means with soap and water, before using.

Wild blueberries are excellent in this quick bread as are their cultivated cousins. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, high in fiber, high in potassium, and low in sodium. Because blueberries are now sold in plastic containers, check the underside of the container for any wet spots or staining. I usually open the container to make sure that the blueberries are a nice dark blue color with a dusty white bloom, and that they are firm, plump, and fragrant. The white bloom is the blueberry’s natural protection against the sun and is a sign of freshness. When folding fresh blueberries into any batter use a light hand so they don’t crush and stain the whole batter blue. Also, if you use large blueberries, as I have done here, they will fall to the bottom of the bread while it bakes. Using small blueberries will prevent this from happening.

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Peaches need care in their growing, their storage, their transportation, and in their baking. Bakers may not be able to control how peaches are grown, stored, or transported, but they can control how they are cooked. One of my favorite ways to cook with peaches is this lovely Peach Pie where it combines two layers of pastry with fresh peaches. The other ingredients added to the peach filling are a little sugar for sweetness, a splash of lemon juice to keep the peaches from discoloring, a pinch of salt, a dab of butter, and a few tablespoons of tapioca to thicken the peach’s sweet juices. What could be more perfect on a warm summer’s night than a slice of this pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?

The two important components in fruit pies, are a crust with good flavor and texture, and excellent tasting fruit. For me, nothing beats Pate Brisee (a short crust pastry) that is made from a mixture of flour, sugar, salt, cold unsalted butter, and ice water. It has a high ratio of fat to flour which gives the pastry its crisp and crumbly texture and buttery flavor. It is easily made in your food processor and is quite easy to handle. Just be sure to flour both your work surface and rolling pin to prevent the pastry from sticking, and keep turning the pastry as you roll it out so it has uniform thickness.

As I said above, a fruit pie must also start with good quality fruit. The first thing you need to know is that there are two types of peaches, ‘Clingstone’ and ‘Freestone’, with many varieties within each classification. The names (Clingstone and Freestone) refer to how easily the flesh of the peach separates from its stone. The Clingstone (available in late spring/early summer), is exactly that, the flesh clings stubbornly to the central stone or pit. Freestones (available late summer) have a flesh that is easily separated from the stone, which makes it my personal preference. When buying peaches, smell and feel each peach. The peach should smell like a peach and feel firm, yet have a slight give when you press gently on its shoulders. Make sure there are no bruises, cuts, or soft patches on the peaches. The amount of red blush on a peach is a sign of its variety, not its ripeness. Peaches will not ripen or become sweeter after they are picked but they will soften and become juicier in a day or two if left at room temperature. Once ripe, they can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

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It seems that every time I open a food magazine or cookbook I am enticed by a new banana bread recipe. This time it was in a BBC Good Food magazine where their recipe for a Banana Streusel Bread contained so many flavorful ingredients that I just knew it was a winner.

The surprise ingredient in this Banana Streusel Bread is chunks of caramel. Now, we do not have to make the caramel, all we need to do is to cut up pieces of “Werther’s Original Caramels” which are found in the candy section of your grocery store. Some of the pieces of caramel are folded into the banana bread batter and some are mixed with pieces of pecans for a delicious streusel topping. I love the decadence of the pecan and caramel streusel topping. Now, when the bread first comes out of the oven the caramel pieces on top of the bread are hard and brittle, but as the bread cools, the caramel melts and becomes all soft and sticky and melds with the pecans. Absolutely delicious.

Note: Although this recipe calls for coffee flavored yogurt, which goes very well with the mashed bananas, caramel and pecans, you can substitute caramel, vanilla, or even plain yogurt with excellent results.

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When you see this Strawberry Bread, all puffed and brown, cooling on its rack, you could be fooled into thinking it is a yeast bread. Cut into it, though, and its taste and texture will tell you otherwise. This Strawberry Bread has the flavor of summer, full of juicy strawberries and chopped nuts. It is delicious cut into thick slices, with or without a slathering of butter.

Strawberry Bread is made a little differently than other quick breads that are just stirred together in one bowl. This bread is similar to a cake; that is, the butter is beaten with the sugar, the eggs are beaten in, and then the dry ingredients are added alternatively with the sour cream. Once it is put in the oven, it is baked until its crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Make sure that it feels firm, with none of those soft wet areas in the center.

Since fresh strawberries are available year round, you can make this bread any time of the year. For maximum flavor, though, use fresh strawberries with lots of flavor. Cut them into bite sized pieces and when adding them to the batter, make sure they are completely coated with flour. This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.

Peach Galettes look as good as they taste. They are a great way to showcase peaches at their prime. Each individual galette starts with a rectangle of puff pastry that is covered with a thin layer of sweet almond cream (frangipane) and slices of sweet and juicy peaches. Once they are baked in a hot oven until the puff pastry is golden brown, the finishing touch is to lightly dust the tops of the galettes with confectioners sugar and place them under the broiler until the tips of the peaches, and edges of the puff pastry, start to caramelize. You can serve these galettes warm, at room temperature, or even cold. They would make a fine addition to a breakfast or brunch buffet.

I have used frozen store bought puff pastry to make these Peach Galettes. (Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets is a popular brand that can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.) You do need to thaw the puff pastry (as per manufacturer’s directions) before you begin this dessert. Once thawed, each sheet of puff pastry is cut into thirds and then each third is cut in half. So altogether you will have 12 galettes. Each rectangle is covered with a thin layer of frangipane, which is a delicately flavored sweet almond cream made from sugar, butter, eggs, and almond meal. Almond meal (flour) is blanched almonds that are finely ground and can be found at health food stores and many large grocery stores.

If you cannot find it you can make your own by taking about 1/2 cup of blanched almonds (along with the flour in the recipe) and processing these two ingredients in your food processor until finely ground. Just make sure not to over process this mixture as it needs to be finely ground, not a paste. Once the frangipane is made and spread onto each pastry we then top each pastry with slices of lightly sweetened peaches. I like to peel the peaches and this is done by dipping the peaches into boiling water for about 30 – 60 seconds, depending on the ripeness of each peach. Then transfer the fruit to a large bowl of ice water (this stops the cooking process). The skins should now slip easily off the peaches. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones, and cut the fruit into slices. Mix the peach slices with a little sugar and then place on top of the almond cream. These galettes are then baked in a hot oven until the pastry is golden brown and the peaches are nice and tender.

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert invented in the 1960’s at the El Touga restaurant in Treviso, Italy. Literally translated Tiramisu means “pick me up” or “carry me up”, which probably refers to the jolt you get after eating espresso and alcohol laced ladyfingers. It is often called an ‘Italian Trifle” because, like any trifle, it has layers. In this case, ladyfingers are dipped in a mixture of coffee (espresso) and alcohol (rum or Marsala), and then they are layered with a custard that has been mixed with mascarpone cheese. Marsala wine actually comes from the Italian City of Marsala (Sicily) and is a fortified wine (like sherry and port) with a rich, smoky flavor that can be sweet or dry. Mascarpone, pronounced mas-kahr-POH-nay, is a soft unripened cheese that belongs to the cream cheese family.

It is a thick, buttery-rich, sweet and velvety, ivory-colored cheese, with a delicate and mild flavor, produced from cow’s milk that has the texture of clotted or sour cream. It is sold in plastic 8 ounce (227 grams) tubs and can be found in specialty food stores and in the deli section of many grocery stores.

The Tiramisu recipe I have included here deviates slightly from the classic Tiramisu. Instead of a Zabaglione, I have used an English style custard, although it does include all the necessary ingredients like eggs, sugar, and alcohol and, of course, mascarpone cheese. Ladyfingers form the base of this dessert, and these finger-shaped cookies that are about 3 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide (8 x 2.5 cm), are made with a sponge cake batter. They are called Savoiardi in Italy and are so named because they come from Savoy Italy.

For this dish I like to use store bought ladyfingers (a real time saver) because they are thicker and their texture, crisp yet very absorbent, keeps its shape even after being dipped in the coffee soaking syrup. You can garnish the top of the Tiramisu with a dusting of cocoa powder, and then with shaved or chopped semisweet chocolate and raspberries (if they are in season). It is a good idea to make this dessert the day before so it can become firm enough to slice and to allow the flavors to mingle. However, if you want a very firm Tiramisu, then place it in the freezer for about an hour before serving.

A glistening red Strawberry Sorbet is a perfect treat on a hot summer’s day. It has a wonderfully light and refreshing flavor and grainy consistency that belies the fact that it is simply a frozen blend of pureed strawberries and sugar. Sorbets became very popular in the 19th and early 20th century when they were served as a palate cleanser between courses (called Intermezzo which means “in between the work”).

Sorbets, also known as ices, have a softer consistency than sherbets (which contain milk or cream and sometimes eggs). Fruit sorbets are wonderfully light and refreshing, with a grainy consistency, and they only require mixing together and freezing fruit, water, sugar, and lemon juice. The water and sugar are combined to make a sugar syrup, which is chilled, and then added to pureed fruit. To save time you may want to make a large batch of sugar syrup and keep it on hand in the refrigerator. Either fresh or frozen strawberries can be used in this sorbet. Unfortunately, although the strawberries you buy at the local grocery store look beautiful, all shiny and red, they tend to lack sweetness and flavor. If you do not have access to a “you – pick” or farmer’s market, your best bet is to use frozen unsweetened strawberries

Note: Sugar or simple syrups are a combination of sugar and water that is cooked over low heat until the sugar dissolves (and liquid is clear) and then boiled for about 1 minute. The density can vary from heavy (one part sugar to one part water), medium (one part sugar to two parts water), to light (one part sugar to three parts water) depending on how the sugar syrup is to be used. Sugar syrups are used to soak cakes and pastries (called a “soaking syrup” and a flavoring can be added such as extracts, juices or liqueurs), added to fondants to dilute them, used to poach fruit, as a glaze, added to frostings and sorbets, and used in confectionery.

This Chocolate Banana Bread combines the sweet flavor of ripe bananas with chocolate. I have always liked the pairing of chocolate and bananas, but in the past I have been content with just adding some chocolate chips to a regular banana bread batter. That was until I saw a recipe for a ‘Cocoa Banana Loaf’ in Lisa Yockelson’s Baking by Flavor cookbook. It sounded so good that I decided to take my Banana Bread recipe and add some Dutch processed cocoa powder to it.

The results were excellent; a bread with a mild chocolate flavor yet still retaining the sweetness and moistness that has always made banana bread popular. You will also notice the addition of white chocolate chips to the batter. This not only adds more chocolate flavor, but it also gives a nice color contrast to the dark brown color of the loaf. The finishing touch, if you have some Turbinado or Demerara sugar in the house, is to sprinkle a little over the batter before you pop it in the oven. This gives the crust a nice sugary crunch with a touch of sparkle. Serve this bread in the afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee, but I am not against having a slice for breakfast either.

There are many types of bananas, but most of us are familiar with that long and curved bright yellow variety sold in bunches. Arriving at our shores over a hundred years ago, this tropical dessert fruit has many virtues; available year round, reasonably priced, of consistent quality, easy to peel, but most importantly, we know by the color of its skin how firm its flesh will be and how sweet it will taste. When you think about it, not many fruits can tell us so much just by looking at them. Bananas are picked while still green which means its flesh will be hard with little flavor. As time passes and the banana ripens its skin begins to turn yellow and with that its flesh softens and flavor sweetens. Further aging causes the skin to brown and its flesh to become very soft and sweet. At this stage some people throw these bananas in the garbage thinking they have gone bad, not realizing how delicious they will be when mashed and baked in a bread or cake.

If you are like me almost every time I buy bananas a few (not enough though to make this bread) will turn brown before I get around to eating them. Instead of throwing them away simply slip them into a plastic bag and place them into the freezer until you have enough for baking. You can also peel and mash them, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice for each banana, and freeze in an airtight container or bag. They will keep about six months in the freezer.

These Fruit and Nut Bars are decidedly different from the other bars and squares on the site. Crisp and chewy in texture, they are full of dried fruits (cherries, dates, and apricots) and nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts), that are held together with a batter that contains no butter or oil, just one beaten egg. These make a healthy to-go breakfast, a great snack to pack in lunchboxes, or they would be perfect to take along on your next picnic or hike. The added bonus is that they will keep for several weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

This Fruit and Nut Bar recipe calls for dried cherries, dates, and apricots. Now, don’t feel you have to follow this recipe exactly, as you can vary the dried fruit and even the nuts as per your own preferences. Just keep the amounts the same; that is, 3 cups of dried fruits and 1 1/2 cups of nuts. Dried fruits have come a long way in recent years in both availability and quality. We are no longer limited to just dried dates and raisins. Today we are offered apricots, apples, pears, cherries, cranberries, strawberries, and even blueberries and raspberries. But there are a few things to keep in mind when buying dried fruits.

First, try to buy in bulk from a grocery store or natural food store that has a high turnover. Not only will the fruit be fresher, but you can see, smell, feel, and often taste the fruit to make sure it is fresh and of high quality. Pre-packaged fruit can also be excellent but it is harder to tell the quality of the fruit through the plastic bag. Make sure to check the expiration date on the bag. Always look for dried fruit that is plump, moist, and has good color. Never buy fruit that is dried out or moldy. There is a debate about whether to buy ’sulphured’ or ‘unsulphured’ dried fruits. Some like to buy ’sulphured’ which means that it has been treated with a sulphur dioxide solution.

This preserves the fruit’s bright color and makes the fruit very soft and moist. The downside is that some people can taste the preservative while others are allergic. Of course, ‘unsulphured’ means it has not been treated before it is dried and some say the flavor of untreated dried fruits is far superior. The downside is that the fruit’s color may be slightly faded looking, especially dried fruits (like apples, pears, and bananas) that oxidize quickly.