Cherry and Raspberry Clafoutis

Oh my god. I am so excited to share this recipe with you today. I was definitely skeptical when my mom first suggested I make a Clafoutis (pronounced klah-foo-tee) because she described it as a flan. Although I am not morally opposed to flan, I just don't particularly see the interest in them. I would SO much rather enjoy a chocolate mousse, or yogurt, or even Jell-O...and that's saying something! So basically flan? Not my thing.

And then......this BEAUTY came out!

The most difficult part of this super simple recipe was removing the pits from the cherries, although even that wasn't neuroscience. :) I love this recipe for the summer especially because it showcases the fruit so well. You could easily sub in peaches or blueberries or any number of fruits to switch it up. Another thing I liked was that there wasn't a lot of added sugar, because when you have organic fruits that are so fresh and delicious, why take away from that?
Cherry and Raspberry Clafoutis
-Kay at Kayotic Kitchen
half a lemon's zest
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons milk (I used skim)
1 vanilla pod (so expensive!! I used a teaspoon of vanilla extract)
6 oz fresh cherries
3 oza fresh raspberries
2 eggs

Directions
1. Preheat oven too 350 degrees F.
2. Wash and grate the zest of half a lemon.
3. Sprinkle a few pinches of sugar on bottom of baking dish. (I used a glass 8x8 pan)
4. Add flour, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest to a large bowl. Add eggs and milk and mix.
5. Place washed and dried fruit along bottom of baking dish and pour batter over it.
6. Bake calfoutis for 40 to 45 minutes until puffed, golden-brown and a knife stuck into the center comes out clean.

My family LOVED this dessert and it was devoured within 20 minutes of being finished. Do yourself a favor and try this one out. So easy, and super yummy. :)

Happy Baking!
Jessica

PB & J Bars

Today I knew it was time to tackle a dessert that had been teasing me since January when my friend Danielle's mom made them for our a cappella group. I remembered them being just the right amount of sweetness and delicious peanutty-ness (that's a word right?) that made me want to eat the whole pan. But let's establish something first. Peanut butter. It can be crunchy, creamy, organic, reduced fat and everything in between. But one thing I know? I LOVE IT. It's seriously a problem. I will eat it on anything and with anything, any time of day. If there's a jar in the house, no matter what kind, know that it won't make it through the week. Although I am partial to Trader Joe's organic crunchy salted variety, I do not judge. :-) So, when I found not one but TWO full jars of peanut butter in my house upon my return, I knew it was the perfect time to bake this yummy dessert.
Thank you Martha Stewart for satisfying my peanut butter addiction!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

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Ingredients

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (I only used 1/4 cup since peanut butter and jelly are both so sweet already)
1 egg
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I used a combination of smooth and crunchy, but don't use an organic variety because the PB will separate, Skippy and Jiff are good picks)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam (I used raspberry)
1/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8 x 8 in. pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together salt, baking powder and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dallop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts. (Make sure you alternate dalloping the dough and peanuts, or they'll fall off the bars after you bake them)
3. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes (for 1/3 recipe like I made). Transfer to wire rack to cool; cut into about 12 bars.

Happy Baking!

Jessica