Sweet Tooth Haven

Feijoa - Pineapple Guava

Whenever I find feijoas (AKA pineapple guavas) in the markets around here they are priced $2 or $3 each.  Crazy.  They are delicious eaten raw, and baked into bread, but the price is just too high.  These fruit are supposed to be easy to grow in the southern California climate, so I finally decided to plant my own.  I placed a special order at a local nursery, but when it finally arrived months later, I found they had several at Lowe's for a lower price.

I picked a 19-inch plastic pot and drilled a few holes in the bottom to allow good drainage.  Then planted it with a mix of potting soil and soil for citrus trees that is supposed to be quick-draining.  I planted 3 nasturtium seedlings in the pot to keep it company.

I hope it blooms next spring so I can have some fruit in the fall!  If so, I might share my recipe for feijoa bread.

If you want to plant your own feijoa, look for a named variety that will bear fruit.  The common one around here is Coolidge.

Banana Bread Muffins

Which would you rather eat?

   

Me too.  Not much of a choice, is it?  I only like to eat bananas that are still a little bit green.  I know some people can eat them when they start to get really ripe with brown spots, not in my house.  Whenever we've got bananas that are too ripe for us to eat we let them get all brown and spotty then I turn them into banana bread.

This is a basic recipe without nuts or chocolate chips, but you can add some if you like! 

Ingredients:
3 large very ripe bananas
1 egg
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup sugar (decrease to 1/3 cup if you like)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
3/4 cups white whole wheat flower (or increase all purpose flour to 1 1/2 cups)

Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350-degrees and spray a muffin pan (or loaf pan) with cooking spray.
2.  Mash the bananas.
3.  Add the next 5 ingredients:  egg, oil, sugar, salt, and milk.  Stir after each addition.
4.  Mix in the baking soda and powder.
5.  Add the flours.  Stir gently just until combined.  DO NOT over-stir or you'll be sorry!
6.  Bake for 20-24 minutes for muffins, 45 minutes for bread.  Do the toothpick check.
7.  Let sit in pan for a couple minutes then move to rack. 

I like them when they are warm from the oven; the butter melts better!  These are also scrumptious with cream cheese.  Fancy them up with cream cheese icing.

Teeny Tiny, Itsy Bitsy Pears

I spied these miniature pears today while buying groceries at Trader Joe's.  They are just too cute;  the perfect size to pack in my lunch!

Raspberry Pancakes

Raspberries are a perfect addition to pancakes, the bit of tartness complements the super sweet maple syrup.  They even taste good without the syrup if you prefer.  Sometimes I make pancakes from scratch, but today I opted for pancake mix just to make things easier.  I used Trader Joe's Buttermilk pancake mix, but use Aunt Jemima, Bisquick or whatever you have on had.  If you have a favorite pancake recipe, use that.

Before making the batter, rinse your raspberries and let them dry.  It would probably be okay to use frozen berries, but if you've got ripe ones, use them.

Mix the batter according to directions, or your recipe and preheat your skillet.  If the berries are big, tear them in half to make the pancakes cook evenly.  Fold the berries into your batter.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter into greased skillet.  It will start to puff up, but it's not ready yet.

Don't flip them until bubbles form in the center.  Lots of bubbles.

Keep finished pancakes warm by placing them in a 150-degree oven.

This pancake has a window so you can see the surprise inside.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and pour on the syrup (real syrup please!).

Blackberry Cobbler (Crisp?)

What's the difference between a cobbler and a crisp anyway?  I'm not sure which this is, but I am sure it's tasty.  Ree at The Pioneer Woman Cooks  recently posted 2 different recipes for blackberry cobbler:  her favorite blackberry cobbler and a more traditional cobbler.  This is my version, and it's different than both of hers.  I'm not saying it's better because hers look darn good. 

Before I start, I must confess: I am not a fan of pie or cobbler.  Something about warm, mushy, cooked fruit just puts me off.  Yes, I realize I am a freak of nature, especially among my family.  I do love a good crust (or crisp) even with a bit of the juice.  Why am I making this cobbler?  Because I had these beautiful blackberries, and my boyfriend does like cobbler. With this in mind, I made individual cobblers:  mine with a tiny bit of fruit, and his with more. 

Double the recipe if you want to bake it in a pie dish.

What you need:
2 cups rinsed blackberries
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup and 2 TBS flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
350-degree oven
buttered baking dish (or dishes)

Directions:
1.  Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons flour over the blackberries and mix until  all the berries are coated.

2.  Place the sugared berries in a buttered oven proof dishes.  Notice how one dish has lots more berries? That's not for me.

3.  In another bowl, add 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons oats, pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup unsalted butter.  Mix together with a fork, pastry blender, or fingers until crumbly.  If you want a drier, crumblier crust add another tablespoon or two of oats.

4.  Scatter topping in chunks evenly around tops of berries.  If you want, sprinkle with some sugar crystals.

5.   Bake in 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until the juices are bubbling.  Can you see the juice?

6. Now for the best part.  Whipped cream!  I like fresh whipped cream and I like it thick.  Of course, if you have ice cream, that works too.

7.  I eat my cobbler hot from the oven, so the whipped cream melts.

Take a bite!  It looks so tasty, I'm even going to eat a cooked, mushy blackberry!

Strawberries and Cream

One of the best things about summer is fresh strawberries.  When you have fresh strawberries, you must have thick, creamy whipped cream.  I like mine so thick it's a few beats away from butter.  How do you like your strawberries?