Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

This past weekend was perfect for strolling through Evergreen Brick Works Farmer’s Market.  An early start meant lots of parking and first pick of the goods.  It was my first successful visit; my original failed attempt was due to the psychotic parking situation which had me vowing to get there before 11 to avoid the near fistfights in the parking lot.  The covered market was full of amazing local/organic produce, awesome eats, a greenhouse, and a few artisan crafts.

It’s the first farmer’s market I’ve been to where there was a variety of gluten-free options from multiple vendors.  My standout GF snacks were: a vegan chocolate cupcake and sweet potato beignets from LPK Culinary Groove , JKKitchen‘s organic fries with cilantro aioli, and Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa and artisan corn tortilla chips by The Mad Mexican. Definitely a recommended Saturday morning excursion – thanks to StylinMommy for posting about Brickworks.

lemon zest tools

Besides the snacks, the trip also yielded a massive haul of produce including a boatload of Ontario peaches, baby eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, GF focaccia with poppyseed & onion, sweet potatoes, kale, and fancy mushrooms.  The peaches were by far the best score – about 2 dozen peaches for $8 – but what do you do with that many peaches?  I peeled and sliced up a few and froze them for future use and will give some away.

These crumbles were a great way to chip away at three or four of them.  I feel like fruit desserts are as healthy as a dessert can be while still satisfying your sweet tooth, especially if they are homemade, vegan, and gluten-free.  This recipe is an adaptation of Ina Garten’s recipe in Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook.  I have a signed copy of the book – I met Ina after standing in line for about 2 hours to get her autograph at Chapters.  She is as lovely and likable in person as she is on her cooking show.

boiling peaches
fruit mix lemon

The easiest way to peel a bunch of peaches is to immerse them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately dunk them in cold water.  After this, the peach skin peels off very quickly and easily.  I remember when my mom would can peaches and skinned bushels of peaches so we would enjoy her canned peaches throughout the winter.

brown + white sugar
eb vegan butter in cubes

The gluten-free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance’s Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge).  You can make this for your gluten-eating friends and they won’t be able to tell that it’s vegan and gluten-free.  Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd.  It’s both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.

Crumble topping ready to bake
crumbles birds eye view
Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

PEACH AND BLUEBERRY CRUMBLES

The gluten-free crumble is mainly a blend of brown and white sugar, Earth Balance's Vegan Buttery Sticks, and Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour (all staples in my pantry/fridge). You can make this for your gluten-eating friends and they won't be able to tell that it's vegan and gluten-free. Also, this recipe can easily be multiplied for a crowd. It's both a satisfying way to end a meal and say goodbye to summer as we head into fall.
Course: Dessert
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: barefoot contessa, berries, Bob's Red Mill, butter, corn-free, dairy-free, Earth Balance, egg-free, fruits, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, yeast-free
Servings: 4
Author: ness

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

  • Four 6 ounce ramekins (mine are from Crate and Barrel - for $2.50 a pop they're a steal)

INGREDIENTS

Fruit

  • 1 lb peaches (about 3 or 4)
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest (preferably pesticide free)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
  • 2/3 cup blueberries (I used wild blueberries frozen)

Topping

  • 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 Tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (diced into cubes)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot of boiling water, dunk the peaches in for about 30 seconds. Remove and immediately dunk in a bowl of cold water and remove after 30 seconds. Peel the skin off (it should slide off in large pieces very easily). Cut into 1" wedges.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and flour. Add the peaches to the mixture and stir to combine. Add the blueberries and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl for a stand mixer, combine the ingredients for the topping and using the paddle attachment, blend on low speed until mixture resembles small peas. Using a fork, break up any large pieces. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a pastry cutter instead.
  • Place the ramekins on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon the fruit mixture into the ramekins in an even layer. Spoon the crumble mixture on top of the fruit, one table at a time, until the fruit is evenly covered. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature, scoop of vanilla ice cream is optional.
Blue Corn Pancakes with Mixed Berry Syrup

Blue Corn Pancakes with Mixed Berry Syrup

Fact: I am a seriously low-functioning individual when I wake up.  To put it mildly, I am not a morning person (more like a morning monster). Everyone who has ever lived with me (parents, sister, hubby, and roomies) knows that not only am I a hot mess leaving trails of clothes, makeup and other random items strewn around, I’m waaaay grumpy for having to be awake and at times, hostile (sorry to you all… you are saints).  I love my sleep, even more than royal weddings cuz I didn’t even consider being awake for it (sorry Kate & Will… ps Kate I love your dress choice!  Well done!).

So for these blue corn beauties to happen, I used mind over matter, strong coffee, and peppy tunes to snap me out of my usual AM sluggishness.  And the results were worth it.  After I ate these pancakes, my grouchiness was gone and I spent the rest of the morning swooning over how good they were.

blue corn pancake mixes bobs

I first had blue corn waffles in the spa cafe at The Enchantment resort in Sedona AZ – they were sooo good.  As soon as I ate these light and flavourful waffles, I wanted to recreate a gluten-free pancake version when I got home.  The resort has a recipe for blue corn pancakes on their website from their cookbook which I modified (major GF change: I replaced the flour with Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour).

egg replacer up close blue corn
blue corn pancake mix batter

I used my usual egg replacer too, and dairy-free yogurt and milk so this recipe is vegan too.  When you mix all the ingredients together, the batter will be quite thick.  Don’t worry.  As long as all the ingredients are well incorporated, you will have fluffy and tasty pancakes.

two blue corn pancakes in pan
finished blue corn pancakes in dish

With normal gluten pancakes, you know when to flip the pancakes when you see those little bubbles appearing on the panckes surface.  This batter is thick and those little bubbles are a no-show here.  So after 2 to 3 minutes, see if the edges of the pancakes are starting to firm up (not so liquidy anymore) and then flip.  They should be slightly golden brown.

frozen berries and lemon
berry syrup cooking

Making your own berry syrup is amazingly easy and delicious – my fave combination.  I first made this syrup using a recipe from an old issue of Fine Cooking Magazine.  This was one of the first cooking magazines I’ve ever purchased and I’m still a loyal reader now.  They have really clear directions and mouth-watering recipes that almost always turn out great.  Low-functioning morning monster like me?  Make this syrup the night before and reheat before serving.  Also, great using frozen cherries, or any other berry really.

blue corn pancakes half eaten on plate

I had to be fast to get this pic of D's plate of panckes, he was starving while patiently waiting for me to make these.

blue corn pancake empty plate w fork

How do I know if what I made is actually good? The plate looks like this after D is done eating. Success!

 

Low Fat Blue Corn Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

So for these blue corn beauties to happen, I used mind over matter, strong coffee, and peppy tunes to snap me out of my usual AM sluggishness. And the results were worth it. After I ate these pancakes, my grouchiness was gone and I spent the rest of the morning swooning over how good they were.
Course: Breakfast
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: berries, Bob's Red Mill, cake, corn, cupcakes, dairy-free, egg-free, fruits, gluten-free, nut-free, pancakes, sauces & dips, yeast-free
Servings: 4
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup blue corn meal
  • 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups dairy-free milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)
  • 1/3 cup dairy-free plain yogurt (I used plain coconut yogurt)
  • 1 egg replacer
  • Non-stick cooking spray

Mixed Berry Syrup

  • 2 cups frozen mixed berries
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar (I like using organic cane sugar)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix. Add milk, yogurt, and egg replacer and mix until well combined. Batter will be thick. Set aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the mixed berry syrup (see below).
  • Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until edges start to firm up and are no longer liquidy. Flip the pancakes and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until pancakes are firm when pressed down with back of spatula/pancake flipper. Both sides should be lightly golden brown. Re-spray pan between batches. Keep warm until ready to serve. Makes eight 6" pancakes.

Mixed Berry Syrup

  • Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat on low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to high until mixture just starts to boil, then remove from heat immediately. Serve warm. You can make this ahead and gently reheat.
Strawberry Tea Cake

Strawberry Tea Cake

I love lots of things, but my shortlist includes my hubby, family/friends/dog Pucci, shoes, animal prints, and cake.  Seriously, there are few cakes I have encountered in my life that I have not devoured and loved.  Frozen Sarah Lee cakes as a kid, mom’s homemade apple cake, fancy restaurant chocolate cake… you get it.  So now that I’m gluten-free, my cake eating is limited to basically cake I make myself.  And too much cake = too much muffin top.  Since summer is around the corner (actually it’s here already in Scottsdale), I better make a figure-friendly cake without fatty oils and butters like this strawberry cake.  With this cake, I get to indulge in its berry cakey goodness without the guilt of say a cake from anywhere else.

sliced strawberries on cutting board

This recipe is adapted from the muffin recipe on the back of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix bag and is super easy to make.  Important note: do not over mix the batter or you will end up with strawberry bricks.  Be really delicate with the batter and only stir until ingredients are just combined.

pamelas mix in bowl
strawberry cake batter in pan

I layered the strawberries between the batter but if you don’t feel like it, you can just mix the berries in the with batter and bake in the pan – it’s equally delicious and cuts down the prep time.  And you can make this cake with any berries you like or even throw in some nuts for a little protein and crunch.

strawberry batter in tins
stawberry cakes on rack
plated strawberry cake

Strawberry Tea Cake (egg-free)

This recipe is adapted from the muffin recipe on the back of Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix bag and is super easy to make. Important note: do not over mix the batter or you will end up with strawberry bricks. Be really delicate with the batter and only stir until ingredients are just combined.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: berries, cake, corn-free, egg-free, fruits, gluten-free, muffin, Pamela GF Mix, soy-free, yeast-free
Servings: 2 mini cakes
Author: ness

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

  • Two 2"x5" mini loaf pans (store bought disposables are great too)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 cup Pamela's Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix*
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg replacer (I use Ener-G brand)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup sliced organic strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the ingredients except strawberries. Gently mix together until just combined. Line loaf pans with parchment paper. Scoop one quarter of the batter into each of the tins and smooth to cover bottom. Place a single layer of sliced berries over batter. Divide remaining batter between cakes and smooth. Place a layer of berries down the middle. Bake for 30 - 32 minutes. Place on racks to cool.
*Note about Pamela's Gluten Free Baking & Pancake Mix: this product contains cultured buttermilk and almond meal. so not dairy or nut-free. This stuff is also kind of amazing for whipping up just about anything and it's my go to pantry item.

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