Peach and Almond Crumble

Growing up, crumble was a fixture in my household. Crumble, cobbler, buckle. All variations on an incredibly delicious theme. Sweetened, cooked fruit tenderly tucked beneath some sort of crunchy, buttery topping. Whether more akin to a biscuit or an oaty granola, I never complained. I was just happy to scrape off the top, leaving the soft, sticky fruit for some other poor soul to gobble up. Not that they were complaining either, to be honest.

At about the age of 13, crumble took up a new, and rather hilarious, place in my mind. Thanks to hundreds of screenings of The Mighty Boosh's skit 'Old Gregg' in rapid succession, I could recite his lines, hand over heart, as confidently and proudly as I saluted my great nation every morning in Homeroom. Gregg was as preoccupied with tasty treats as he was with love games and winning the affection of visitors who came to his lair. 

He discussed the merits of Bailey's Irish cream sipped daintily from a shoe and displayed a range to rival Rembrandt's with his paintings of Bailey's. But, his most delicious reference was to the crumble he made in Home Economics, for which he received an A+. I mean, his teacher said his was the best one, for god's sake!

So, if you are looking to win someone over or simply want a vehicle for the season's best and brightest (these peaches were phenomenal, by the way), then please take Old Gregg's advice, and make this crumble.

Peach and Almond Crumble

Makes one large crumble, or three smaller ones

7 peaches, pitted and diced

2/3 cup caster sugar

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1 1/2 cups oat flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup Marcona almonds, roughly chopped

2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 375. Butter large baking dish, or line loaf pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss peaches with sugar, zest and juice of the lemon, cornstarch, almond extract, and spices. Set aside so peaches can macerate. In another large bowl, whisk together oat flour, rolled oats, almonds, brown sugar, coconut, and salt. Scatter cubed butter over dry ingredients, and, using a snapping motion, cut butter into dry ingredients until a shaggy dough forms, with no chunks of butter bigger than a pea. Distribute peach mixture between baking tins. Scatter oat mixture evenly over the top of the peaches. If using a large baking tin, bake for 50 minutes. If using three smaller loaf pans, bake for 30 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and peaches are bubbling. Let cool for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before serving with a generous scoop of coconut ice cream.

More Crumbles

Browned Butter, Caramel, and Coconut Apple Crumble

Carrot Crumble

Apple Crumble

Cherry Nectarine Tart

I think one of the most hysterical insults you can hurl at someone is 'tart.' Though isn't exactly a colloquialism, I would like to put it forth as your new barb of choice when you sit down to a session of slanderous gossip. I've had occasion to use the word tart quite a bit lately, and, let me tell you, I ain't even mad. It encapsulates my sentiments perfectly.

In addition to serving as glorious jibe, a tart just so happens to be one of my favorite ways to end a meal. I'm not particularly partial to cake, and I find pie a bit overwhelming. But a tart? Well, that's almost always exactly what I want. 

They're not too sweet. They have a nice balance of a crisp, crunchy crust and sweet, smooth filling. And the addition of ripe summer fruit both makes them pretty and rounds out the flavors. This particular tart is nice because you can use whatever fruit you have on hand, and it will still be delicious. Even if you don't happen to have almonds on hand for the filling, you could really substitute any kind of nut. This tart is quick and versatile and pretty wonderful.

Cherry Nectarine Tart

Makes one 9-inch tart 

For the pâte sucrée:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup caster sugar

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

For the almond filling:

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg white

1 teaspoon almond extract

For the tart:

2 nectarines, washed and cut into thin wedges

1/4 cup cherries, pitted and quartered

Turbinado sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. In three additions, beat in flour until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Once chilled, roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface until 1/4-inch thin. Drape over a 9-inch tart pan and press into pan. Pierce bottom lightly with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper over dough and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake tart for 15 minutes, until golden at the edges. Remove from oven to cool.

While the crust cools, make almond filling. In the bowl of a food processor pulse slivered almonds, powdered sugar, and butter until almonds are ground and mixture is smooth. Add egg white and almond extract and pulse until the mixture has thinned slightly and is smooth and spreadable. Dollop almond filling over tart crust and spread to cover the bottom. Arrange nectarine slices in concentric circles. Scatter quartered cherries over the tart and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, until fragrant and the nectarines and cherries have softened. Let cool completely.

More Summer Tarts

Brown Butter Raspberry Tarts

Blueberry Crisp Tart

Nectarine and Pistachio Tart

Pear and Almond Galette

For any of you that have been reading Baking the Book for any significant amount of time, you might remember my culinary enemy: the food processor. I know, I know. It makes so many laborious kitchen tasks a breeze. Even I will admit that I used a pastry that called for a food processor this morning, as I was feeling far too lazy to cut in butter by hand (I'll claim jetlag and use that as an excuse until the end of my days), but for some reason I just despise my Cuisinart.

 Every time I have to pull it out of the cupboard, it's like a Wild West standoff. I angrily wrench it out of the cabinets and set it up on the counter. The Cuisinart gives me the side eye, as I grab the butter out of the fridge. The feelings are mutual. It's truly a shared hatred.

 Beyond my displeasure at using the food processor, this recipe comes together in a snap. It's super adaptable, so you can really use any fruit you have on hand. And, if you're feeling particularly lazy, skip the almond base and just sprinkle sugar over the fruit. It'll do just fine.

  Pear and Almond Galette
Makes 1 tart

For the crust
1 1/2 cups pastry flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
9 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 large egg yolks

For the almond filling
2/3 cup blanched almonds
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large egg

For the galette
2 pears, cores removed and cut into thin slices
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Heavy cream
Turbinado sugar

To make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, powdered sugar, and salt until combined. Scatter butter over top and pulse until the butter is in pea-sized clumps. The mixture will have a texture similar to oatmeal. Add egg yolks and pulse until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make the almond filling: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse almonds and flour together until almonds are finely ground. Add sugar and pulse until combined. Add butter and blend until smooth. Add egg and pulse until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the tart: Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge. Flour the dough, the counter, and your rolling pin. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Spread almond filling over top of the dough. Layer pear slices to cover the tart. Sprinkle sliced almonds over pear slices. Fold the sides of the dough over the pears to form a rough tart. Brush the exposed crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, and the pears have softened. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

  More Winter Tarts
Cranberry Tart
Simplest Apple Tart
Quince Tart

Peach Buttermilk Ice Cream

One of the first things I remember making, apart from the occasional hand I lent in making Christmas cookies, is peach ice cream. When we lived in Chicago, our near nightly outing was to Homer's, an ice cream parlor and greasy diner-type restaurant in Wilmette. Without fail, I'd head straight for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or the Oreo Cookie.

My highly sophisticated palate only occasionally branched out to Peppermint Stick, which, to this day, remains my favorite ice cream in the whole world. I wanted nothing to do with Cappuccino Chip, I snobbily eschewed the Burgundy Cherry, and I balked at the mere thought of ordering Prairie Berry. Who in god's name would put fruit in ice cream? Ick.

After we moved away, I always found myself pining for a cone piled high with Homer's. My dad, though he claims to have escaped the curse of a sweet tooth, was clearly having withdrawal from his favorite flavor, Fresh Peach. Being the daddy's girl that I was (am?), I took matters into my own hands. After all, I couldn't leave my dad without dessert.

I rifled through my cabinets and pulled out the Ben & Jerry's cookbook that had been accumulating dust for years and found a recipe for peach ice cream. For a seven year old, I did a pretty damn good job. I didn't have the patience to let my custard thicken enough and surely haphazardly dumped in the peaches whenever it struck my fancy, but it did the trick.

Since my early days in the kitchen, I'd like to think I've honed my skills. I now wait for my cakes to cool before icing them, I don't beat my cookie dough into submission, and, if I do say so myself, I've been churning out (no pun intended, hehehe), some pretty stellar ice cream. And this bad boy is no exception.

  Peach Buttermilk Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
4 peaches, pitted and diced

In a small saucepan, heat buttermilk and sugar until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to touch. Gradually whisk some of buttermilk mixture into egg yolks. Scrape warmed egg yolks back into saucepan. Stir in vanilla extract. Stir mixture over low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, pour heavy cream into a large bowl. Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve into heavy cream. Stir together. Place bowl in fridge until mixture is completely cool. Once cool, freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold in diced peaches and freeze until ready to serve.

More Peach Recipes
Peach Cobbler Scones
Peach Mascarpone Pot Pie
Matcha and Peach Pate de Fruit Macarons

Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream

People have these things that remind them of being young. Whether that means childhood or middle school or being a teenager. There's always something. It's not even necessarily something that should only be relegated to youth. Like Lincoln Logs or chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs or even guzzling vodka-Crystal Light (the most glamorous of cocktails) out of an emptied out water bottle.

 Some things just seem to have a place and a time for people. And they can't get over it. It's different for everyone: a friend recently referred to Lynchburg Lemonades, a drink I'm particularly fond of, as the drink he used to order when he couldn't handle his alcohol. It's really too bad, though, because I know I certainly get a yen for a good game of the Sims or wistfully remember making rainbow beaded bracelets on the pooldeck at summer swim meets. I wish I could bring these things back, but it never really feels right.

 Thinking back, I remember mini blueberry muffins being quite the fixture in my life. Though my mom always made everything from scratch, from Snow White birthday cakes to B'stilla, there was one exception to the rule: Entemann's Little Bites Blueberry Muffins. Mostly I turned up my little nose at packaged baked goods- a regular food snob from childhood- but God, those muffins. I could inhale a pack in record time and not look back. I'd switch out the little baggies of pretzels she'd put in my lunch so that poor Beau or Riley had an unexpectedly savory meal with no dessert in sight, just so I could have a few more tiny muffins.

 Nowadays, I think I'd have a hard time justifying trotting into Harris Teeter to buy a box of Little Bites, though I certainly shoot them a longing glance every now and again when I pass them by on my way down the aisles. Blueberry muffins were seemingly a thing of the past for me. That is until I stumbled upon a recipe for blueberry muffin ice cream. Holy cow. How had I not thought of that before. So, while eating a blueberry muffin on its own will never really hold a candle to the good old days of packaged sweets, this ice cream certainly blows Entemann's out of the water.

  Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart

For the blueberry muffins:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole milk, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pint blueberries

For the brown sugar cinnamon ice cream:

6 egg yolks
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extra
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk

To make the muffins:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, mix rolled oats and 1/2 cup whole milk. Let sit. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cinnamon. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Beat in oat mixture. Add dry ingredients slowly and beat until just incorporated. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter between muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

To make the ice cream:
In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. In a medium saucepan, mix together heavy cream and whole milk. Heat until just simmering. Slowly pour milk mixture over egg mixture and whisk to combine. Pour back into saucepan and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour custard through a strainer into a bowl and place in fridge until cool to the touch. Once custard has cooled, freeze in an ice cream maker, according to instructions. Crumble six of the muffins. Fold crumbled muffins into ice cream and transfer to a container to freeze overnight. Remove from freezer 5 minutes before serving to soften a bit.

  More Blueberry Recipes
Little Blueberry Tarts
Blueberry Yogurt Cookies
Blueberry Tea Cake

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Banana bread seems to be sort of a thing. Do you know what I mean? It seems like every self-respecting person, most particularly those who gravitate toward yoga, granola, and Lululemon, feel like there is nothing better than a great, hulking slice of banana bread.

 I think it's the fact that bananas feature in the title of this breakfast (or afternoon, or evening, or anytime really) snack that makes it so popular. That fruit quotient makes banana bread consumers feel just virtuous enough to justify an extra slice or two (shall we call them slivers?) down the gullet.

To be perfectly honest, I never really got it. I felt that anything that included cooked bananas was, well, revolting. Throughout high school, so many of my friends brought in their moms' "famous banana bread." I was so thankful anytime a tin of it made its way through the doorway at Ashley Hall because I wasn't even remotely tempted. A tray of oatmeal cookies? A plate full of coffee cake? Forget it. I was a gonner.

 But banana bread? I turned my nose up every time. I thought everyone was crazy. Until a week ago. After one of my friends broke her thumb and had to have surgery in Scotland- God forbid- my flatmate, Arden whipped up a batch of banana bread as a little pick-me-up. She sweetly wrapped up half of the bread, and, quite devilishly, left the other half on the counter for Caitlin, Cokie, and I to devour.

I circled around the bread. Paced back and forth in front of it, eyeing it. I don't like banana bread, do I? I'd pretty much run out of food at this point, and it did smell awfully good. How bad could it be? So, I inched a little closer. I pinched off a corner. And. Oh. My. God. It was a divine revelation. I'd been missing out for years. Banana bread is delicious!

But of course, you knew that already, didn't you? So, while I'm painfully behind the times, I'm sure you have your own recipe for banana bread. But let me implore you to try this one. Because it is really, really good. I mean, knock your socks off good. What have you got to lose?

  Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Adapted from Orangette
Makes 1 loaf

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the topping:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, mash bananas well until only small chunks remain. Add eggs one at a time and whisk to combine. Whisk in vanilla extract.  Slowly stir in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Carefully fold in chocolate chips, but do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Stir together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle mixture over top of batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

  More Banana Recipes

Spiced Banana and Brown Sugar Ice Cream

Banana Layer Cake with Passionfruit Cream Cheese Icing

Banana Cream Cheesecakes

Easy Lemon Curd Ice Cream

Scotland can be sort of a funny place. Men wear skirts (though they'll surely tell you that it's a kilt), they're adamant that there's still a sea monster living in Loch Ness (I'm looking at you, Nessie), and, as soon as the weather creeps above 40 degrees and the sun peeks through the clouds, everyone, and I mean everyone, is outside.

And they're not just out strolling the streets, walking on the beach, bundled, but happy. Sweaters come off, shorts come out, and suddenly, it's summer? I told you they were crazy. And the strangest part about this premature "summer" is their fascination with ice cream. I don't know about you, but the last thing I want on what I'd call chilly, they'd call balmy, day is a cold, icy scoop of mint chocolate chip.

But hey. The heart wants what the heart wants, right? So, in the spirit of assimilation, I have a delicious- and shockingly easy- recipe for you. This ice cream is for those of you who, like me, don't have an ice cream maker tucked away in your cupboards. If I were home, I could've given you a much more complicated, much fancier recipe, but this is something I could work with. It's a cheat's ice cream, if you will. And it's super tasty.

  Easy Lemon Curd Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart

For the lemon curd:
2 whole eggs, and 2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
Zest and juice of 2 lemons

For the ice cream:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy cream

To make the lemon curd: In a saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until smooth. Place over low heat and add butter, zest, and juice and whisk continuously until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain lemon curd through a sieve into a sterilized jar and set aside. Though you only need 1 cup lemon curd to make ice cream, it will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

To make the ice cream: Pour sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl. In another large bowl, whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Carefully fold whipped cream into sweetened condensed milk. Put 1/4 of the cream mixture into a loaf pan. Dollop lemon curd on top and swirl into cream mixture with a knife. Repeat with cream mixture and lemon curd until you have used all of it. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Allow to sit out for 5-10 minutes before serving.

  More Ice Cream Recipes
Salted Caramel and Candied Bacon Ice Cream
Cereal Milk Ice Cream
Crumbled Cookie Ice Cream with Espresso Caramel

Apple Tea Cake with Oat-Pecan Streusel

Hey. How are ya? I'm going to skip right over the whole apologetic blogger thing, and get straight to the point. This tea cake? It's delicious. And if you make it, you'll think it's the second coming because your house will smell heavenly.

I have been baking quite a bit, after finally settling into my new flat, but seeing as the charming security agents in Kiev Borispol, which, let me tell you, is one hell of an airport, destroyed my camera lens, photographing the tasty things that paraded out of my oven proved problematic. There have been so many things that I wanted to tell you about- Toblerone cookies, toffee caramel chocolate chip cookies, and some seriously good blondies my flatmate Caitlin made. But I just didn't have any way to share them with you.

Luckily, I have my brother's camera on loan until I sort out my own camera. It's taking some getting used to, but hopefully I'll get the hang of it before too long. Though I can honestly say these are certainly not my finest photos, I do implore you to try this recipe. It's easy peasy and really couldn't be much tastier. I had all of the ingredients on hand, save the apple juice, and it came together in no time. And, it's so moist and so moreish, I think it'll be gone from my kitchen table before too long.

Apple Tea Cake with Oat-Pecan Streusel
Makes one 9-inch loaf

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup rapeseed (Canola) oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup cloudy apple juice
2 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates

For the streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together brown sugar and rapeseed oil. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with apple juice, and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in apples and dates. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet.
For the streusel: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, pecans and salt. Add butter and beat on medium speed until the mixture is in pea-sized lumps. Sprinkle over top of tea cake.
To bake: Slide filled loaf pan into the center rack of the oven. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack. Once cool, remove from baking tin and invert, streusel-side up, onto a cake plate or serving platter.

  More Tea Cakes
Sticky Ginger Spice Cake
Fig and Raspberry Tea Cake
Spiced Persimmon Tea Cake

Strawberry and Cream Biscuits

There is nothing more emblematic of summer than fresh, juicy strawberries. It is easy enough to enjoy them right out of the carton on the way home from the farmer's market, but sometimes putting in the tiniest bit of effort makes those lovely jewel-like berries shine even more than they would have on their own. Strawberry shortcake has been my go-to summer dessert for as long as I can remember.

 After drooling with envy over my little brother's asian-inspired strawberry shortcake a few nights ago, the switch was flipped. It hit me that it was strawberry shortcake season. Rather than going the more traditional route, I decided to try for something a little different. Lucky for me, there was a post on Smitten Kitchen not too long ago that I had filed away in my brain as a must-make for summer.

Having spent three months with Nathalie Dupree making biscuits five days a week, I'm always intrigued by biscuit recipes. As I've said before, I was never really into biscuits. I guess that's the non-Southerner in me talking. But after that fateful summer of biscuit, a good biscuit can really turn my head. And these? Well, these are good biscuits. They're probably more akin to a scone than a biscuit, but let's not split hairs here. Think of them as a portable strawberry shortcake- the perfect accessory to a summer brunch or breezy picnic.

  Strawberry and Cream Biscuits
Makes about 12
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing onto biscuits


Preheat the oven to 425. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter to dry ingredients, and, using a snapping motion, work butter into dry ingredients until butter is in pea-sized lumps. Toss strawberries in dry ingredients, coating. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in heavy cream. Stir in heavy cream using a figure-eight motion, careful not to over-mix, until dough is shaggy but cohesive. Dust your work surface with all-purpose flour and coat your hands. Fold the dough in half; pat it out into a 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick round, using a little additional flour only if needed. Fold the dough in half a second time. If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold a third time. Pat the dough out into a round 1/2-inch thick. Brush off any visible flour from the top. For each biscuit, dip a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter into the reserved 1/4 cup of flour; cut out the biscuits, pressing firmly, starting at the outside edge and cutting very close together, being careful not to twist the cutter. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet, each butting up against another. Brush with heavy cream. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the biscuits are a light, honey color. Turn the biscuits out upside-down onto a plate.

More Biscuit Recipes
Cream Cheese Biscuits
Black Pepper Biscuits
Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuits

Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream

Since it is now (unofficially) summer, I figured there was no better way to welcome the change of seasons, as well as the sweltering heat, than a cool, sweet batch of ice cream. After having enjoyed, or suffered depending upon how you look at things, 40 degree weather and sporadic bouts of drizzle in my last few weeks in St Andrews, stepping off of the plane in Charleston was a shock to say the least.

Tiny beads of sweat threatened to form on my forehead, and my hair was instantly transformed into a wild  mess that even Tina Turner might try to tame. I immediately regretted my choice of travel-wear, wishing I had gone for the Nike shorts and t-shirt that I always scorn in favor of something marginally more stylish but obviously less comfortable. A few days of wandering around in the dizzying warmth later, and I only had one thing on my mind- ice cream.

Now I will be the first to admit that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a good old pint of Ben & Jerry's. If we're being honest here, I probably enjoy a bowl or two more often than I should. But really, nothing compares to the luscious, creamy goodness of a scoop of homemade ice cream. I think it's because you can really taste the cream. And I mean really taste it. It tastes clean and bright, but it's still addictive and sweet.

I meant to make this to go along with a cake I made for my little brother's birthday, but, having forgotten to put the ice cream bowl in the freezer the day before, the cake had to fly solo. Because Riley is quite the, er, selective eater, I immediately ruled anything chocolate-y out along with a whole slew of other flavors I was itching to try. Riley is a vanilla man through and through, but I thought I'd put a little twist on his favorite flavor. Plus, a pink and white marbled ice cream is too pretty to resist, right? Anyway, this ice cream is delicious and refreshing and just plain perfect. Happy Summer!

Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream
Adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes
Serves 6-8

6 egg yolks
5/8 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean pod
6 oz raspberries, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup powdered sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale. Meanwhile, pour milk and heavy cream into a medium saucepan. Scrape beans out of vanilla pod into saucepan and toss pod into saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove bean pod. With mixer running, carefully pour milk mixture into egg mix. Transfer combined mixture back into saucepan and cook over low heat until custard coats the back of a spoon. Strain into a medium bowl. Chill bowl in refrigerator until completely cool. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Meanwhile, blend raspberries and powdered sugar in a food processor. Strain into a small bowl to remove seeds. Once ice cream has solidified, transfer 1/3 into a tupperware container. Drizzle 1/3 raspberry mixture over ice cream and swirl with knife. Repeat twice more until all ice cream and raspberry sauce has been used. Freeze until ready to serve.

More Summery Ice Creams
Buttermilk Ice Cream
Cherry Semifreddo
Honey Peach Ice Cream

Strawberry Sour Cream Upside-Down Cake

Do you ever feel like you need cake for breakfast? Not a whole cake, of course, but a slice. Or two. On a dreary morning, there's honestly nothing better than a warm, slightly sweet piece of cake. Especially when there's a beautiful, glossy layer of caramelized strawberries on top. Because who doesn't like a bit of pink in the morning?

The sour cream keeps this cake incredibly moist. Even after a stay in the freezer, it was delicious and tasted fresh, which is good news because I rarely have time to bake in the mornings. The brown sugar forms a sticky, golden crust and softens and sweetens the strawberries, making them almost candy-like. It makes a lovely everyday cake, but it is dressy enough to serve for a special occasion.

Strawberry Sour Cream Upside-Down Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker
Makes one 8-inch cake

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sliced strawberries

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the 2 tablespoons of butter in the cake pan, and place the pan in the oven. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven, tilting to coat the bottom. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and almond extract and beat for about a minute. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the sour cream. The batter will be quite thick. Spoon the batter over the strawberries and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake rest for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cake plate.

More Upside-Down Cakes
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Tomato Upside-Down Cake
Pumpkin, Fig, and Pomegranate Upside-Down Cake