21*52 Mango-Rhubarb-Crumble

Summer temperatures are nowhere near and it is very unfriendly outside.
So let's bring summer to our plates.  And comfort food.

Are you in? That's what I thought.

Summer + comfort food = Mango-Rhubarb-Crumble.

Mango-Rhubarb-Crumble

4 stalks rhubarb

1 mango

4 teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons raw sugar

100 g (3/4 cup) flour

50 g (1/2 cup) rolled oats

75 g (1/3 cup) butter, cold

• Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). 
• Wash rhubarb and cut it into slice. Peel mango and cut into small pieces. Put both fruit into a baking dish and sprinkle with 4 teaspoons of sugar.
• Knead the remaining ingredients with your hand until crumbly. Crumble over fruit. 
• Bake for about 35 minutes. Enjoy while still warm for comforting purposes (or cold for summer feeling).

My modifications:

I browsed through a lot of crumble recipes and this is what I combined of them so the whole recipe is my modification.

The taste:

So comforting and yet summery. I love it and could eat it every day. Honestly.

Next time, I wouldn't use the mango though. I felt sorry for it because the rhubarb was so dominant that you didn't even taste the mango unless that was all you had on your spoon. I feel like it's better enjoyed by itself. But rhubarb-strawberry is a famous combo. Or maybe rhubarb-apple? Or just rhubarb.

How do you comfort yourself right now (especially if you live somewhere where the temperatures are not quite measuring up to the season)?

20*52 Peach Tart

My grandma requested this cake.

Actually no, that's not true.

I asked her what cake I should make to bring when we visit her. She wanted Bienenstich (which means bee sting in English), a typical German cake. But Bienenstich has a filling of either whipped cream or a pudding-like vanilla cream and both are not really suitable for a 3-4 hour drive in warmer weather. But that's how long we need to get to her. She couldn't think of an alternative but said: nothing dry, no cake.

Okaaaayyyy....

 

This made me think of something with fruit. So I flipped through the pages of my fruit cake book and came across the Peach Tart recipe.
And my grandma loved it. What more could you ask for.

Peach Tart

Adapted from Obstkuchen

1 big can of peaches (about 500 g net weight)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

200 g heavy cream

100 g sugar

1 tablespoon starch

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

75 g butter

250 g strudel, yufka or filo dough

• Drain the peaches and set aside.
• Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla, sugar, starch, and lemon peel.
• Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a tarte form (or quiche form or springform pan) with parchment paper.
• Melt the butter. Put two sheets of dough in form so that they hang over the sides. Brush with a bit of the melted butter. Put another sheet of dough on top. Continue until you used up all the dough. Put the peach halves on the last sheet of dough and pour egg mixture over it.
• Bake on the second lowest oven rack for about 40 minutes.

My modifications:

I used canned peaches instead of fresh ones. It saves time and I think that it is totally okay for baking.

The dough that was hanging over the edge of the form burned so I had to break it off but it still looked pretty enough so I probably wouldn't bother cutting it off before baking next time.

The taste:

Very peachy, juicy, summery. And so quick and easy. Definitely a keeper.

What was the last cake you baked upon someone's request?

19*52 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

I heard Joy and Tracy mention this cake in one of their podcasts. And I had to try it.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

Adapted from Shutterbean

225 g (8 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon water or bourbon

2 tablespoons flour

100 g (1 cup) rolled oats

114 g (1 stick) butter

2 eggs

160 g (3/4 cup) sugar

250 g (1 1/4 cups) brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

210 g (1 1/2 cups) flour

Frosting

55 g (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature

170 g (6 oz) cream cheese

125 g (1 cup) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• In a small bowl, mix chocolate chips with water (or bourbon) and 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside.
• Put oats and butter in a medium bowl and pour 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) boiling water over them. Stir and set aside for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F)
• In a big bowl, whisk together eggs, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon. Fold in oatmeal until well combined. Fold in flour and chocolate chips.
• Pour into prepared 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking pan. Bake 25-45 minutes (see comment below) until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
• For the frosting, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled cake. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes before serving. Store covered cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.

My modifications:

None. But I did use water (and not bourbon).

The original recipe says to bake the cake for 40-45 minutes. I did the toothpick test after 25 minutes because I already thought the top looked brown enough and it did come out clean so I took it out after 25 minutes. Just keep an eye on the cake and do the toothpick test when you feel it could be done. Adjust the baking time accordingly.

The taste:

It is good. But I have to say that the frosting is my favorite part. Maybe I will omit the cake next time. No, that's a bit too harsh. I guess I'm saying that I probably won't make the cake again but the frosting I definitely will.

Have you heard people talk about a recipe and then want to try it right afterwards?

18*52 Raspberry-Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Cookies

There's some real talk in order this week. It's about cookies. Ugly cookies.

How do you handle them? I'm serious - you will need to think about this before baking these cookies. Because they are ugly. But only from the outside.

After the first bite you will be completely hooked, despite their ugliness. They're irresistible.

So - without wanting to sound philosophical here - treat them well.
It's not their fault that they're ugly. Only judge what's inside. You get the idea...

Raspberry-Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Cookies

Adapted from Rumbly In My Tumbly

114 g (1 stick) butter, room temperature

65 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

60 g (1/4 cup) sour cream

390 g (2 1/2 cups) flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

50 g (1/3 cup) chocolate chips

50 g (1/3 cup) peanut butter chips 

100 g (1 1/2 cups) raspberries

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). 
• Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Add sour cream and combine well. 
• Fold in dry ingredients until just combined. Add chocolate and peanut butter chips. 
• Carefully add raspberries - don't mix them in too much because you will do that with your hands when forming the cookies anyway.
• Using your hands, form balls (about the size of a golf ball), put them on your prepared cookie sheet and flatten a bit (they won't 'run' but stay the size and height you made).
• Bake for 10-15 minutes.

 no, they're not pretty to make either...

My modifications:

I replaced white chocolate chips with peanut butter chips.

I used fresh raspberries instead of raspberry jam.

The taste:

Oh. My. As I said - ugly but divine. And definitely best on the day you bake them. Very dangerous if you're by yourself. And you haven't told anyone that you're making these. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Is there any food that does not look good but tastes heavenly? Let us know which one comes to your mind.