Apricot Crumble

I realized that there is only about a month left of the summer, so here is another fresh fruit summery dessert for you! Gotta use all that fresh fruit that the summer brings! This apricot crumble is quick and easy, and only requires five ingredients! Hope you all enjoy the remainder of the summer! Here's my recipe...

APRICOT CRUMBLE

YOU WILL NEED:

2 lbs apricots, halved and pitted

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup plus 1 tbs unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

4 tbs confectioners' sugar

Ice cream to serve

DIRECTIONS

1. First, wash the apricots, cut them in half and take out the pits. In a large bowl, add 2 tbs of sugar to the apricots, and let them sit for a couple of minutes.

2. Prepare your baking pan (9 inch pie dish works well) by greasing it with 1 tbs of butter, then preheat your oven to 350 F.

3. Next, in your electric mixer, prepare your topping by combining flour, oats, butter and the remaining 2 tbs of sugar. Mix until mixture resembles coarse meal, don't mix too long otherwise it will turn into a dough.

4. Arrange the apricot halves on the bottom of your dish evenly, then spread the topping on them.

5. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until the juices on the bottom are bubbling and the topping is golden and crisp. Let cool for 15 minutes, then serve with your choice of ice cream!

Have a great weekend, Everyone! Happy Baking!

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A Czech Holiday

We are back in Prague for a little while, so I thought I would show you some pictures from our time here so far!

We celebrated our Second Wedding Anniversary - we got married in Prague, so it was nice to be back for our anniversary, and visit the church where we got married, and the gardens where we had our pictures taken! Here we are in the gardens.

And here we were on our wedding day two years ago!

We went up to a castle called Konopiste, not too far from Prague, with my parents for the day. It's one of my favorite castles, it has beautiful gardens, and you can tour the inside, which has beautifully decorated rooms.

Walking up to the castle...

A beautiful peacock in the castle gardens. I love the colors!

My mom and I at the castle gardens

On the way back down from the castle, we stopped at the Old Hunters' Lodge Restaurant, where we had an amazing lunch - Venison in a sweet rose hip and rosemary sauce with special dumplings - DELICIOUS!

My mom's beautiful garden

I love the lavender!

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer, whether you at home or traveling!

From Zipper to Flower...

I'm convinced that pretty much anything can become "crafting material" if you use it in the right way. The most unlikely objects can suddenly become beautiful, because you use them in a special way. This is one of those cases... and all you need are some zippers and a few other embellishments of your choice and viola! A cute pin! Here is just one sample, lots more to come!

Happy Crafting, Everyone!

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Plum Crisp

There is one movie that I will always connect with my childhood, and that's Anne of Green Gables. My mom first introduced me to it when I was a little girl, and it quickly became one of my favorites, and one that we've been watching together over and over through the years.

I used to love it because of all the funny things Anne did and said, and because I had a big imagination too when I was a child, and loved seeing a character like that in a movie. Today, I love the importance the story places on imagination, friendship and kindred spirits, and how witty it is. And whenever Anne was "in the depths of despair", what did Marilla offer her.... something baked, of course! Like in the following passage...

"Well, never mind. This day's done and there's a new one coming tomorrow, with no mistakes in it yet, as you used to say yourself. Just come downstairs and have your supper. You'll see if a good cup of tea and those plum puffs I made today won't hearten you up." And Anne replied, "Plum puffs won't minister to a mind diseased." *So funny!*

Well, this may not be Marilla's Plum Puffs, but I guarantee you this Plum Crisp will minister to your mind! It's ridiculously good! Tangy and rich in flavor, it's one of the most comforting desserts you could ever make! You will love it, I promise! Here goes my recipe...

PLUM CRISP

YOU WILL NEED:

2 lbs plums, halved and pitted

1/2 cup plus 1 tbs flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tbs sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:

1. First, prepare your plums. Wash them thoroughly, cut each in half and take out the pit. Once that's done, put them in a large bowl, and add 2 tbs sugar and 1 tbs flour, and let them rest for about 10 minutes. This will create a nice sauce for the plums once they are baking.

2. Next, prepare your topping. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and butter, until they stick together but are still crumbly. You don't want the mixture to turn into a dough, it needs to be crumbly enough so you can sprinkle it over the plums. (*Note* you could double the ingredients and have a thicker topping if you prefer that!)

3. Butter your dish (I used a 9inch pie dish) and spread your plums out on the bottom. Sprinkle the topping on them, and place the dish on a baking sheet, just incase the plum juices bubble over.

4. Preheat your oven to 375 F and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until the plums are bubbling and the topping is nicely golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes, serve warm with some ice cream!

Hope you all have a great week! Happy Baking, Everyone!

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Peach Clafouti

So, my husband and I are on vacation, and it took about five days and I was done relaxing and just had to bake something! Not just anything, though. Peach Clafouti. Amazing. This is one of THE easiest desserts you could ever make! And let me tell you, it's delicious! Light and fluffy, it's a perfect summer dessert too. You could substitute pretty much anything for the peaches - cherries, plums, raspberries, apricots... whatever you enjoy in your dessert! Give it a try one of these summer nights, you will love it!

PEACH CLAFOUTI

YOU WILL NEED:

2 cans of peaches (16oz each) or 8 fresh peaches (peeled)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 flour

1 cup milk

Pinch of salt

2 tbs syrup from peaches

3 eggs

To serve: vanilla ice cream, fresh mint for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. First, butter your dish (a glass dish works best, you can use a 9-inch pie pan, or something similar). Then, halve your peaches, and slice each half into four slices, and layer inside your buttered dish.

2. Next, using an electric mixer (on low speed), mix together your eggs and sugar. Add a pinch of salt, and a cup of milk, then slowly begin adding the flour. Once everything is well mixed, pour the mixture over your peaches.

3. Preheat your oven to 375 F, and place your dish on a baking sheet (the liquid may bubble over and you don't want it to make your oven dirty!). Bake for 40 - 50 minutes (it may be longer, depending on your oven), until the edges are nice and golden brown, you want a little bit of a crust, that's the good part!

4. Let the clafouti cool a little bit before serving. Traditionally it is served with powdered sugar sprinkled on top, but some vanilla ice cream over the warm clafouti is also a great combination!

Have a great weekend, Everyone!!! Happy Baking!!!

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Breakfast Bundt Cake

It feels like on lazy summer days, breakfast often turns into brunch, and the following recipe is a great addition to your summer brunch table! Light, and not too sweet, it will taste great when paired with any jam, or marmalade, although homemade always tastes best! Hope you like this sweet treat, whether it's for breakfast, or a little later on in the day!

MY MOM'S BREAKFAST BUNDT CAKE

YOU WILL NEED:

500g all-purpose flour

100g unsalted butter, room temperature

100g sugar

2-3 egg yolks

30g dry yeast

Pinch of salt

250ml milk

Pinch of lemon zest

40g raisins

50g almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together your dry ingredients until well combined. Slowly, begin adding milk, eggs and butter.

2. When well combined, add raisins and almonds. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place, until it doubles in size.

3. Once doubled in size, preheat your oven to 350degF, and grease your bundt cake form. Pour your dough into the greased cake form, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clear when inserted into it.

Quick and easy, it's a great addition to the sweet side of your brunch table! Hope you are all enjoying your summer, and have a great week! Happy Baking, Everyone!

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