Today I completed a module and turned in my very first assignment for my program. My first reaction to actually starting class was "How anticlimactic." I had built this day up so much in my mind that now it's here and I'm able to say "Hmmm...that's not so bad."
It was an interesting morning. The online interface that the program uses is not hard to get through, for which I'm eternally grateful to the designer of said program. I exchanged forum posts with the class's mentor, another grad student who is almost done with her program, and she put the seed of an idea in my head.
A couple weekends ago, I spent a Saturday evening with my mom and my sister watching "Julie and Juila." I didn't make it through the movie (I don't last very late into the night anymore), but I really liked what I was able to stay up for. And with that in the back of my head, my class mentor asked if I deliver sweets (in response to my saying that I like to cook desserts). So now that has me thinking. What if I included recipes in my blog every so often (aka on the weekends)? I have a few favorites that I would be more than willing to share, and I've come across many that I've tried and loved as well. The cooking could be a "reward" for keeping up on my studies, and I know it's a reward my boyfriend and family would be perfectly on board with. After all, they could help reap the benefits!
So today, I will post the recipe I used this last weekend. I found this one online while browsing around. For any size of a group of people (or just for you and a friend) this is a good, easy recipe. I was eating it right out of the baking dish not long after it came out of the oven, it was so good!
Here is what you'll need:
Filling:
2 baskets of strawberries
1 basket of blackberries
4 nectarines
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
Batter:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
Here's what to do:
1. Wash all the fruit. Cut up the strawberries into quarters, and peel and cut the nectarines into chunks. The blackberries can stay whole. Place fruit into a large bowl, add the sugar and cornstarch, and mix until sugar and cornstarch have been thoroughly moistened. Let it sit while you work on the batter.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. In another smaller bowl, mix the milk, eggs, and vanilla together until the mixture is even. Then add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Next, add the melted butter and stir until you get an even batter. The batter may be a little thin.
3. Put the fruit into a 13 x 9 in baking dish and spread it around until the fruit forms an even layer on the bottom. Next, spoon the batter (don't pour it!) over the fruit around the dish until all the batter has been used. Put into the oven and bake for 45 minutes. The cake should be golden brown on top when it's finished.
I don't remember the exact website I first found it on, but the original recipe can be found here (credit where credit is due): http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mixed-berry-spoon-cake. I changed a few things, like eliminating the lemon zest. I don't think the cake really needs it, but that's probably a matter of taste. Also, I used regular butter instead of the unsalted, which is why I didn't add any extra salt into the batter. Another difference was the time it cooked. Mine only needed 45 min, when the recipe called for 1 hour. This could have something to do with the size of my oven (which is very small).
Spoon it up when it's done and enjoy! It's really good warm or cold (which I found out the second day after it had been sitting in the fridge).
With a spoon cake to fortify me, I'm ready for the week ahead.
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