Stone Fruit and Blackberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

*Awkwardly clears throat...*

Oh goodness.  Where should we even begin?  Do we need to re-introduce ourselves?

I'm Emilie.  And I'm a blog neglecter, deserter, sideliner, shunner....It's horrible.  But true.

The first step is admittance right?

As some of you will know, I've been away from this sweet little blog for almost seven months now. Good lord.  As I counted the months (on my fingers) just then, I realized I've surpassed the 6 month mark.  And that's just no good.  But today is my birthday and I decided that finally publishing a post would be the best present I could give myself!

So let's catch up a little bit shall we?

Last you heard, I had made the (tearful) move out of Boston and was on my way to Nashville via a little trip to Missouri.  Fast forward half a year and I have fully settled into Nashville and I'm soaking up every wonderful moment of it.

I must admit, this move to Nashville has turned out to be more than I could've ever hoped for.  Upon arriving I was immediately surrounded by a community of amazing people.  I don't just mean cheerful hospitable southerners.  I mean a mind blowing community of artists, musicians, foodies...you name it Nashville has it.  And I know, I know.  Those people are everywhere.  But there is something about Nashville and its attitude to come together, collaborate, and create amazing things that has me reveling.

In the five short months of being here, quite a few wonderful things have happened with thanks to the aforementioned community.  1) I've landed a job at two fantastic restaurants. 2) We've created a house venue at our home called The Mad Valley Lodge (We're going to have to talk more about this later.  It's my shining star at the moment.  I'm so so proud of it's creation.)  3) I've built a garden, which I've been daydreaming about for nearly 3 years.  After that amount of time cooped up in a 450 square foot apartment my hands were dying to play in some dirt. 4) I've finally started to make some (preliminary) food truck plans.  (I'm sure we will also talk about this later.)  And most importantly 5) I've finally settled in and gotten my schedule under enough control that I can slowly immerse myself back into this whole blogging thing.

It's a huge relief.  This blog has been sitting at the back of my mind constantly poking and begging me to get back to it.

So here I am.  Here you are.  It's time to talk about food.

This past Sunday, after a bloody mary (or two) I decided I needed to bake.  After a few suggestions/requests shouted from the backseat, the first being cornbread and the second being cobbler, I decided a combination of the two would fit the bill.

And what a good decision I made.  After a failed attempt to find rhubarb, I set out for some peaches.  As I was grabbing a peach, my hands started darting around on their own and I ended up throwing a of couple apricots and plums into the bag.  And at that point I thought "Why stop now?"  So...I picked up some blackberries.  And thus the Stone Fruit and Blackberry Cobbler was created.

The combination of a sweet fruit cobbler under some big cornbread "biscuits" is just what you need.  It's basically a cure all.  Or a you're the new favorite at the BBQ type thing.

It's still a little early for mouth watering fruit...but if it was this good this early in the year?  I can only imagine the deliciousness that will come from this cobbler in the coming months.

I think I'll just make one every few weeks in order to test my hypothesis.

Oh, and remember when I was talking about collaboration?  Well, all of these beautiful pictures you see below are the work of a sweet friend.  She made this post possible and made me excited to finally do it.  So thank you Molly!  I hope you're content with food as payment.

























Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
for the fruit-
4 cups stone fruit (I used peaches, plums, and apricots) pitted and cut into slices
2 cups (1 pint) blackberries, rinsed and dried
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons minute tapioca
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, sliced thin

for the biscuit topping-
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.  Toss the stone fruit with the blackberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, tapioca, cinnamon and salt.  Pour into the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Spread 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced butter over the top of the fruit.
2. Make the biscuit couch by stirring together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut 6 tablespoons of the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers or a pastry blender.  Stir in buttermilk with a rubber spatula until a wet tacky dough comes together.
3. Drop spoonfuls of the biscuit dough over the filling until evenly covered.
4. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes or until the cobbler is bubbly and the biscuit tops are golden brown.
5. Scoop into bowls and serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Tequila Lime Cornmeal Cookies

Due to my ever growing obsession with Joanne Chang/her cookbooks/her restaurant/her bakeries I've had quite a few conversations with people regarding one if not all of those things, which happen (most often) at my work, Shake the Tree, where we sell both of Joanne's cookbooks.

As people are flipping through the pages of either Flour or Flour, Too I typically rave about all of her delicious recipes such as the homemade breads, the sticky sticky buns, the decadent cakes...and the overall excellence of the recipes included in her cookbooks.  That typically leads into some of the recipes I've made or a little chat about her restaurants.  However, there is one other little comment that has entered it's way into the conversation time and time again...

"Those lime cornmeal cookies."

People are constantly RAVING about these things.  And now I understand why.

As people would tell me about their obsession with these cookies I would always think about the very good chance that the cookies would be dry and almost grainy from the cornmeal.  The combination always sounded appealing, but the cookie itself did not.

And then I made them.  And tried them.  And my mind is forever changed.

Cornmeal in cookies is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  It creates a texture that I've never experienced in cookies.  Dryness is nowhere near an issue as the edges of the cookies are lightly brown and crisp but the center is soft and almost cake like.  And the heavenly glaze balances out the cornmeal in the greatest way possible.

I've adapted the recipe ever so slightly to include tequila and coconut (because tequila, lime, coconut...why not?) but if you're not a fan of either, leave them out and your cookies will still be equally delicious.



Adapted from the Flour Cookbook by Joanne Chang

Makes: 14-16 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 15-18 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes + 30 minutes cooling time

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon tequila (optional)
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
shredded coconut for sprinkling
for the lime glaze-
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1-1 1/2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon tequila (optional)

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°.
2. Using a mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Stop the mixer a few times and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute to release the lime flavor.  Add the eggs, tequila, and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.  Scrape the bowl again and make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until the flour is completely incorporated.
4. Drop the dough in scant 1/4 cup balls onto a baking sheet.  Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.
5. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are pale brown on the edges, still pale in the center, and just firm to the touch in the center.  Let cool onthe baking sheet on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool to room temperature or just a bit warmer before glazing.
6. While the cookies are cooling, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, water, lime juice, lime zest, and tequila in a small bowl until smooth.
7. Brush the cookies with a thin layer of the glaze and sprinkle the cookies with a small amount of shredded coconut.  Allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

Mango and Candied Ginger Sorbet

Oh come on.

You didn't actually think I was going to leave for three weeks without doing another blog post did you?  Oh...you think that sounds like a typical move of mine?  Well.  You're right.  But not this time!

It's one of those mornings that I totally have my priorities in line.  I should be packing and getting everything ready for the trip but instead I'm sitting in the leaving room, listening to the storm outside, and working on blog posts.  I'm going to be freaking out in a couple of hours but it's totally worth it.  There's nothing like blogging on rainy mornings.



A rainy and somewhat cold morning doesn't seem like the ideal time to be posting about a fruity summer sorbet.  However, I feel that sorbet is ideal at all times and therefore negates the whole issue.

I decided to go with mango in this recipe because I loved the idea of mango and ginger together.  But it would be divine with basically any other ripe fruit.  I say head to your garden, farmers market, or local grocery store and scope out the best looking fruit around.  If it's ripe and looks delicious you're sorbet will probably be even more delicious.  And if you come up with mind blowing flavor combinations I would love to hear about them!

It tastes like a treat, it looks like a treat, and it's super healthy.  What more can you ask for?  Go make some sorbet!

PS- I'll try to be as diligent as possible about posting while I'm on the road for the next three weeks!  I definitely have some stored up recipes and some guest bloggers to share so keep your eyes peeled!



Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta 

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 2 hours in the freezer + 10 minutes preparation
Cook Time: None!
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 1/2 bananas (about 1 cup), chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 cups ripe mango (or other fruit), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
zest of 1 lime
2-3 tablespoons minced candied ginger, or more to taste
edible flower to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Freeze fruit cubes on a sheet pan for several hours until they are solid.  Remove from freezer and let stand about 5 minutes.
2. Place the fruit in the bowl of a food processor with the orange and lime juice, the lime zest, and ginger.  Puree until creamy.
3. Add ginger, as needed, to taste.  Serve in chilled sorbet dishes, martini glasses, or bowls.  Garnish each serving with a flower or two.

Key Lime Pie

It's been a while hasn't it?

I would say sorry.  But that would be untrue.  How could I be sorry about spending a week lounging/eating/drinking with my parents in the sunny land of Naples, Florida and then jetting up to snowy Vermont to sit by the fire and enjoy the company of friends during my last Spring Break ever?  I couldn't.  Oh and did you catch that last word?  Last Spring Break...Ever.

It's been an unbelievable last hurrah but why can't the real world have Spring Breaks?  It only seems fair.

But I probably shouldn't hold my breath on that one.



As some of you may already know...it's Pi Day!  You know...the whole 3.14/March 14th thing...right?  So naturally I had to share a pie with you.  What kind of themed food lover would I be if I didn't give you a pie recipe today?



I also have to dedicate this pie to Miss Ashley from The Uniqueness of Being.  She has begged and begged and begged for me to make her a Key Lime Pie.  She even requested it as her birthday treat.  And like a good friend...I never made it for her.  Which I completely blame on the fact that key limes aren't exactly available during winter in New England.  And that she abandoned me for Missouri.  But either way...I owe this girl a pie.

And this is the one she will get.  One of these days.  It's go weak in the knees good.  Perfectly tart.  Matched by the sweetness of the cream.  A magical crust.  Seriously.  You can't go wrong here.  And guess what.  I have even better news.  After doing some research...I have found that "Key Limes" aren't necessary!  If you can't find a bag of those adorable little limes just use regular limes and it will still be delicious!

Promise.



Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes: One 9-inch pie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (active) + 4 hours (inactive)

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
for the filling-
4 teaspoons grated lime zest
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

for the graham cracker crust-
9 graham crackers, pulverized into crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the whipped cream-
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. To make the filling-Whisk the lime zest and egg yolks in a medium bowl for 2 minutes until frothy.  Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and the lime juice.  Set aside at room temperature to let it thicken while you prepare the crust.
3. To make the crust-In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar.  While stirring with a fork, slowly drizzle in melted butter.  Mix until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.  Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate and evenly press the crumbs in the bottom of the pan and up the sides.  Bake until the crust is fragrant, about 15-18 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
4. Once the crust has cooled to room temperature, pour the filling into the crust.  Bake until the center is set, yet slightly jiggly in the middle, about 15 minutes.  Return the pie to a wire rack; cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate until well-chilled, at least 3 hours.
5. To make the whipped cream-Using an electric mixer, whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing to whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Decorate the pie with whipped cream and garnish with lime slices.

Upside-Down Banana Cake

Oh um...it's Wednesday?  You mean I missed Meal Plan Monday?

Oops.  Super Bowl Sunday really threw off the beginning of my week.

Next week though...I could almost promise that there will be one.  And you can bet that it will have a certain lovey dovey theme to it.  I may not adore Valentine's Day but, I do adore themed food.

But that's next week.

So let's talk about this cake.



I spent hours trying to figure out what I would make with the disgusting looking bananas that were rotting away in my fruit bowl.  I was feeling a little more adventurous than just whipping up some banana bread.  But not adventurous to the point that I might have to venture outdoors in the horribly frigid weather to grab ingredients.

I was leaning toward Banana Cream Pie.  Because come on.  How good is Banana Cream Pie?

But Banana Cream Pie meant going outside.  And like I said...I wasn't feeling that adventurous.  So I decided to go with this Upside-Down cake.  I've seen plenty of upside-down cakes but never one with bananas.  And I like going for the unknown when baking.

I knew within the first five minutes that this was going to be gold.  I may have started drooling while I was melting the butter and brown sugar that quickly turned into caramely goodness.  And then pouring it over those super sweet and super ripe bananas.  The delicious cake on top was just a bonus.

But let me tell you a secret.  You'll want to know this when it comes out of the oven.

The outside "crust" is the best thing in the entire world.  So I highly suggest taking it out of the oven, cutting all the way around the cake, and saving the "crust" for yourself.  The caramel pushes up the sides when baking and forms this crunchy, caramely, heavenly, super delicious thing that should be kept entirely to yourself.

Unless you're one of those sharing types.



Adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Foodess

Makes: 1 10-inch cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 30-35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
3 large, ripe bananas, sliced
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Melt 1/3 cup butter in a large skillet.  Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons vanilla; stir briefly and then allow to bubble and caramelize for about 5 minutes, until it becomes golden brown in color.  Remove from heat.
2. Arrange sliced bananas in a 10-inch baking pan and pour toffee over bananas.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat 1/3 cup softened butter and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Add vanilla.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add one-third of the flour mixture, and then one half of the milk.  Repeat, ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
6. Pour over toffee and bananas and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

Pear Strudel with Brown Sugar Cream

These are possibly the ugliest things I've ever made.



I almost didn't share them with you.  But then I quickly came to my senses.  What was I thinking?  Not sharing because I wasn't happy with what they looked like?  Please.

That's the perfectionist in me.

Now, if they hadn't tasted good...that would have been an entirely different story.  But guess what?  They were um...incredible.  After seeing what they looked like I started judging immediately.  I hesitantly put a dollop of brown sugar cream on top, grabbed a fork with a defeated looking slouch, cut a less than mediocre sized slice, and put it to my lips.

My eyebrows raised, my eyes widened, I went for another bite.  I was blow away.  The fruit was soft, the phyllo was crispy and the cream sealed the deal.

And guess what?  It's pretty darn healthy too.  Fruit, a small amount of brown sugar, phyllo (instead of puff pastry), and a yogurt based cream?  Yep.  That goes down as healthy in my book.  And therefore you're in the clear with your healthy eating ways to go make this...right now.



-Adapted from the Rancho La Puerta Cookbook
 
Makes: 2 Strudel, 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar, divided
3 tablespoons skinned and ground hazelnuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 firm pears, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice - I used bosc
1/3 cup dried fruit - I used figs but any dried fruit will do!
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 package phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, the hazelnuts (which I ground with my makeshift mortar and pestle), and cinnamon.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the pears, dried fruit, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar.
4. Make sure and read the directions on the phyllo dough (because it can be tricky!) and then lay out 1 sheet of phyllo.  Make sure to cover the rest with a damp cloth or plastic wrap while you're working.
5. Brush the sheet of phyllo with melted butter, and evenly sprinkle a small amount of the ground nut mixture over the top.
6. Top with a second sheet of phyllo, squaring the edges.  Brush with butter and sprinkle again with the nut mixture.  Top with a third sheet.  Place half of the fruit mixture across the short end, leaving a 1-inch margin on the three outer edges.
7. Fold the phyllo over the fruit once, tuck in the ends, and continue to roll all the way up.  Set seam-side down on a baking sheet.
8. Repeat 4-7 for a second strudel.  (Any leftover phyllo should be rerolled in it's original plastic, wrapped in parchment or wax paper and then wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for later use.)
9. Bake the strudel for 40 minutes or until the filling is soft and the phyllo is crisp and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
10. Make the Brown Sugar Cream by combining 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and the yogurt, stirring until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
11. Cut the strudel into 1-inch-thick slices.  Dust with a little powdered sugar, if desired.  Serve the sauce on top or on the side.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm back.  Sort of.

How was your holiday?  Wonderful I hope.  How are your bellies?  Still stuffed with food I hope.  Because mine definitely is.  And I wouldn't want to be the only one.

I'm pretty sure the feast we prepared a few days ago for 10 people could have easily fed 50.  I'm not sure why I do that, but I find it completely necessary to go way over the top for all holiday meals.  If the meal doesn't require two solid days in the kitchen...I'm not satisfied and neither is my mother.  The Bell women won't have it any other way.

Maybe we should start inviting more guests.  So...um...would you like to join us next year?

Great.



I'm completely aware that cookies are probably the last thing you want to see right now...but I need you to know that these are a very solid exception.

As of now I've already whipped up three batches.  And my father, who literally never eats sweets, can't keep his paws off of them.  He's the reason I decided to make a few more batches.  If dad even goes in for round one, you know you've got something worth while.  But if he's going back for number twelve three days later...you know you've hit it out of the park.

Trust me on this one.  Make these things.  And take a few (but probably way more) to your New Years festivities.  Or stay home on New Years and eat the whole batch.



Makes: 2 dozen
Prep Time: 2 hours
Bake Time: 9 Minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 9 minutes
Adapted From: Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 jar Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until it beings to foam.  Continuously whisk until the butter begins to brown on the bottom of the saucepan, about 5-7 minutes.  As soon as the butter is brown and begins to give off a nutty aroma remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl to prevent from burning.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
3. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended.  Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined.  Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined.  Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
4. Chill the dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Measure out a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball.  Flatten the ball very thinly into the palm of your hand and then place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold the dough up and around it.  Gently roll into a ball (it doesn't have to be perfect!) and make sure the nutella isn't seeping out anywhere.  If it is, cover it up with more dough.
6. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten the tops ever so slightly with your fingers.
7. Bake the cookies 9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheets for several minutes.  Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  
8. Enjoy!