Starshine Salon

Summer Fruit Cobbler Recipe

With only two of us in the house, we seem to have trouble eating a whole pie or cobbler before it gets soggy.  And to be honest, sometimes making a pie just seems like too much trouble.  So I've been making pie or cobbler filling with in-season fruit, and then spooning it over biscuits or pound cake.  The biscuits and the fruit have a longer shelf-life when kept separate!

This is really easy.  You need 4 cups of nectarine and/or peach slices and 2 cups of blackberries (about 2 6 ounce packages).  You do not need to peel the fruit.  It adds texture; it’s good for you; and leaving it on makes things much easier. You can really use any combination of fruit; just make sure it’s about 6 cups.  Add 1 and 1/3 cups sugar and 2 tablespoons minute tapioca; stir everything together.  Let it sit for 15 minutes, then pour into a greased casserole dish or pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees F until the mixture is bubbling in the center (The time varies, but it usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes).  It will thicken as it cools.  While it is still warm, spoon it over biscuits, pound cake or ice cream.  The leftovers will heat up well in the microwave.  If you choose the biscuits or pound cake, it is extra yummy with cream, ice cream or whipped cream on top.

Actually, it’s okay if you don’t have 6 cups of fruit.  Just adjust the amounts of sugar and tapioca proportionally.  For example, if you have 3 cups of fruit, use 2/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon tapioca.  If you use less than 6 cups, it will come to the bubbling stage sooner.  If you have more than six cups, I suggest using two casseroles.  You don’t want to have to bake it so long that the fruit falls apart completely.

My favorite combination is 4 cups of nectarines and 2 cups of blackberries, but you can mix it up any way you like it. If your fruit is very sweet, you can add some lemon juice or reduce the sugar.  If your fruit is very tart, you can add sugar. This is really good with raspberries. Apricots are really good in this, too, but they seem to have less moisture than nectarines and peaches, so I reduce the tapioca a little when I use them.

When you mix the biscuit dough, you can add a little sugar, and cinnamon, if you like.

I am happy to try to answer any questions you might have about this method.  Feel free to comment here or email me!

Starshine Wishes,

Karen

 

Recipe Blog Party!

 

Posting this for the Bloggerette Sorority Recipe Blog Party.  This is the best cake, and easy, too!

Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake

Mix well:

White cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)

1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix

4 large eggs

½ cup oil

1 ½ cups Bailey’s Irish Cream

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F until a cake tester  inserted halfway between pan walls comes out clean.

While the cake is still hot, mix together ¼ cup Bailey’s and a few tablespoons of powdered sugar.  Pour that over the cake (this keeps the bottom of the cake moist). 

When the cake is cool, turn it out of the pan and glaze with 1/3 cup Bailey’s mixed with enough powdered sugar to make a pourable glaze.

Enjoy!

"Tray" Parisien

 

Today’s French Inspiration is a really simple project, but I love the results. I braved the heat to go to Mystic Paper on Saturday, because I had to have the new Wizard of Oz paper. While I was there, I also treated myself to a beautiful piece of pale pink Paris wrap paper (I think it is by Cavallini). While the colors are muted, the design itself is fairly busy, so I wanted to use the paper in a simple way that would highlight the paper itself. My muse must be hanging out in the garage, or in the recesses of my memory, because while pondering the possibilities, I remembered a tray I bought years ago but hadn’t used. I think these were originally designed for displaying needlework. In any case, all I had to do was clean up the tray, distress it a little with some sandpaper and a little Tim Holtz Tattered Rose Distress Ink (also from Mystic Paper) and cut the paper so that the part I wanted to see would show through the oval. Et voila un plateau parisien!

 

Here it is, already serving its intended purpose! I admit it; even in the summer I like hot coffee and tea (so long as I can stay in the air conditioning).

Starshine Wishes,

Karen