cook like james

This easy to make, rustic cake is an ideal way to showcase summer-ripe plums or apricots (or pluots, a plum-apricot hybrid) Try to choose ripe, medium plums that still have a little firmness as soft juicy fruits will make the center of the cake soggy. Italian prune plums are great, too; use the same weight. But since they are small, cut them into halves instead of quarters. Great on its own, or with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Download Austrian Summer Plum Cake (Zwetschgenkuchen) recipe

¾ cup (3.75 ounces/90 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

¼ cup (0.75 ounces/28grams) almond flour

½ cup (3.5 ounces/107 grams) white sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, room temperature

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1¼ pounds ripe but firm medium plums, quartered and pitted

Powdered sugar, to serve

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, then dust evenly with flour; tap out the excess.

2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, almond flour, 107 grams (½ cup) of the sugar, the baking powder and salt on low until combined, about 5 seconds. With the mixer running, add the softened butter 1 piece at a time and continue mixing just until the mixture resembles moist sand, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Increase to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed.

3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Arrange the plum quarters on top of the batter in 2 concentric circles, placing the pieces on their cut sides.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean, 1 to 1¼ hours.

5. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove the pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar.

I watched Milk Street’s resident baking expert Rose Hattabaugh make this tart on their Facebook page and knew that I had to try it. Super-fast and easy to throw together (thanks to the “press-in” tart crust) this is great for a last-minute dessert. They stress the importance of using the best quality jam for this recipe, so I chose Stonewall Kitchen jams. They have a great variety and work well with this recipe – I particularly like the Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, Strawberry Apple Rhubarb Jam, and the Peach Amaretto Jam.

Download Milk Street Kitchen Streusel Topped Jam Tart recipe

INGREDIENTS

⅓ cup white sugar

3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

⅓ cup fine yellow cornmeal

¼ teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1¼ cups fruit jam or preserves or marmalade

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lowest position. Mist a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, combine the sugar and 1½ teaspoons of the lemon zest. Process until fragrant and the sugar is moistened, about 15 seconds. Add the flour, cornmeal and salt; process until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 10 to 12 pulses. Add the egg and egg yolk, then process until the mixture is evenly moistened and begins to clump together, 20 to 30 seconds.

3. Transfer about 1 cup of the dough mixture to a small bowl; set aside for the topping. Transfer the remainder to the prepared pan, scattering it across the bottom. Using your hands, press the dough into an even layer into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the jam, remaining 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper. Spread the jam mixture in an even layer in the dough-lined pan. Form the reserved dough into rough, pebbly pieces by squeezing bits between your fingers, then scatter them evenly over the filling; it’s fine if they are not uniform. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling in spots, 40 to 45 minutes.

5.Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Remove the outer ring from the tart pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is a quick and easy way to cook chicken cutlets. As with most coatings, it helps to have everything lined up in order, to make the assembly quick and easy. You can easily do a salad version by adding some arugula to the cherry tomatoes.

Download Quick Crispy Parmesan Chicken Cutlets with Cherry Tomato Salad recipe

Cherry Tomato Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Crispy Parmesan Chicken

½ cup flour

2 eggs

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 thin cut boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)

Salt and pepper, as needed

6 tablespoons olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Toss cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2, Spread flour in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in a second shallow dish. Combine panko and Parmesan in a third shallow dish.

3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. One at time, dredge cutlets in the flour, then dip into beaten eggs, and then coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere.

4. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook 2 cutlets at a time, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side, Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Repeat with additional 3 tablespoons of olive oil and remaining 2 cutlets.

5. Transfer crispy chicken to individual plates and top with cherry tomato mixture. Serve

Pain d’épices is a French spice cake (or quick bread) that is well-known as a Christmas time pastry in the northeast of France, especially in the regions of Dijon, Alsace, and Reims. It’s a classic French recipe that’s easy to make and doesn’t require a mixer. The loaf keeps for a while, improving as the flavors meld and the cake gets denser thanks to the honey. Many traditional recipes use rye flour, but this one from Milk Street Kitchen uses a combination of all-purpose and almond flour which gives it great texture.  Raisins are optional but certainly are a welcomed addition if you use them.

Download French Honey Spice Cake (Pain d’épices pur miel)

228 grams (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground mace (or ¼ teaspoon allspice & ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)

¼ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted, plus more for pan

334 grams (1 cup) c honey

½ cup whole milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh gingerroot

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1 cup raisins (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the upper-middle position. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the cinnamon, baking soda, ground ginger, mace, salt and pepper; set aside.

3.In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and honey until smooth and creamy. Add the milk, eggs, crystallized ginger, fresh gingerroot, and orange zest (and raisins if using); whisk until thoroughly combined.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold only until no dry our remains. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, then bake until rm to the touch and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Sometimes a half dozen is just enough, and this recipe works well in my Breville Toaster oven. They come together quickly and ideal for using up overripe bananas. Perfectly domed because of the extra baking powder and higher than normal oven temperature, these muffins are moist and feature a crisp sugary crunch on top. (You can substitute thawed frozen bananas; be sure to add any juice that is released as the bananas thaw.

Download Small Batch Banana Walnut Muffins recipe 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon table salt

2-3 very ripe large bananas, peeled and mashed (1 cup)

6 tablespoons plus 1 additional tablespoon sugar, divided

1 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

Be sure to use bananas that are very heavily speckled or even black; less-ripe bananas will produce dry muffins with less flavor. We like the classic pairing of banana and walnuts here, but you can substitute chopped toasted pecans or omit the nuts altogether if you prefer. (Nut-free muffins will be slightly smaller.)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 6-cup muffin tin. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.

2. Whisk bananas, 6 tablespoons sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla in large bowl until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until fully combined. Stir in walnuts. Using portion scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups (about ½ cup batter per cup; cups will be very full). Sprinkle tops with remaining 1 tablespoons sugar.

3. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 14 to 18 minutes. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and let cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is an easy and delicious appetizer, especially when you can find the best authentic Greek feta. It's great with wedges of warm pita bread or slices of baguette. Even after the feta has been eaten, the remaining oil is great for dipping with bread.

Download Easy Marinated Feta Cheese with Lemon Zest and Shallots recipe

1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, sliced thin

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves (plus a sprig for garnish)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 ounces Greek feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook 1 cup of the oil, the shallot, oregano, lemon zest, and pepper flakes in a small saucepan over low heat until the shallot is softened, about 15-18 minutes.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gently stir in the feta. Cover and let sit until the mixture reaches room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup oil and serve. (The mixture can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Before serving, let sit at room temperature until the oil liquefies about 1 hour.)

QUICK EASY GREEN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS (VERDES)

This is a super-fast spicy, creamy, and cheesy short cut recipe that epitomizes comfort food. It can easily be doubled or even tripled depending on the number of people you are serving. This version generally serves 4 generous portions. Serve with rice and margaritas!

Download QUICK EASY GREEN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS (VERDES)

2 (10-ounce) cans green enchilada sauce (I used Hatch)

1 ¼ cups chopped fresh cilantro leaves, divided

1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)

2 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (see note)

¼ cup sour cream (optional - makes the sauce creamier)

Salt and pepper

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Puree enchilada sauce and 1 cup of the cilantro in blender. Combine 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, chicken, and 1½ cups Mexican cheese blend (and optional sour cream) in large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Wrap tortillas in damp clean kitchen towel and microwave until pliable, 30 to 90 seconds. Top each tortilla with ¼ cup chicken mixture and roll tightly. Arrange, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray, then top with additional 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

This cake is so delicious, always a hit with friends and no one can tell that it’s a reduced sugar recipe. It’s one of the many fantastic recipes found in from America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks called Naturally Sweet. Sucanat is not found in many grocery stores and can be ordered online.

Download Reduced Sugar Chocolate Layer Cake and Creamy Chocolate Frosting recipe

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup plus ⅓ cup Sucanat (6 ounces)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

⅔ cup (2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1½ cups hot brewed coffee

1½ cups (8¼ ounces) bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 recipe Reduced-Sugar Creamy Chocolate Frosting (see below)

*BEFORE YOU BEGIN

If you use natural cocoa powder for this recipe, the cake will be lighter in appearance and have a milder chocolate flavor. This cake was made with Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bar; other brands may contain different amounts of sugar. Do not skip grinding the Sucanat in step 1 or large air pockets will appear inside the cake and on the surface of the cake. If using dark colored cake pans, start checking the cakes for doneness 5 to 10 minutes earlier. You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. The flavor of Creamy Chocolate Frosting is terrific on this cake; however, a Vanilla Frosting will also work well.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Working in 4 batches, grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute.

2. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl, add hot coffee, and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate mixture until completely cool, about 20 minutes. In separate bowl, whisk ground Sucanat, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together.

3. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. Bake until cakes are set and center is just firm to touch, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discard parchment, and let cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour. (Cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

5. Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment to keep platter clean and place dab of frosting in center to anchor cake. Place 1 cake layer on platter and spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Spread remaining frosting evenly over sides of cake. To smooth frosting, run edge of offset spatula around cake sides and over top. Carefully remove parchment strips and serve.

Reduced-Sugar Creamy Chocolate Frosting

Makes 4 cups (TIME 50 minutes)

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons Sucanat (4⅔ ounces)

4 large egg whites

⅛ teaspoon salt

24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Microwave chocolate in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and let cool, about 10 minutes.

2. Combine Sucanat, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer and set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees, about 8 minutes.

3. Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment and whip warmed Sucanat mixture on medium speed until slightly cooled and has consistency of shaving cream, about 2 minutes. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.)

4. Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate mixture, and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until light, fluffy, and well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down whisk and bowl as needed. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To refresh, microwave until just slightly softened, about 15 seconds, then whip on medium-high speed in stand mixer until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.)

Galettes, also known as free form tarts, are less fussy that traditional fluted edge tarts. They can be sweet or savory, and the crust is crisp, butter, and rustic in appearance. I first saw this recipe in the April / May 2021 “Strawberry Celebration” issue of Cook’s Country and couldn’t wait to try it. You can prepare the dough in advance to save a little time, but otherwise it’s straightforward, just be careful not to overwork the pastry dough.

Download Fresh Strawberry Galette (Freeform tart)

Galette Dough

1 ½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes and chilled

6 tablespoons ice water

Strawberry Filling

1 ½ pounds strawberries, hulled, halved if small or quartered if large (about 5 cups)

¼ cup (1¾ ounces) plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

⅓ cup strawberry jam

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon table salt

NOTE:

Quarter any strawberries larger than 2 inches. Do not combine the macerated strawberries with the jam mixture until you're ready to form and bake the galette; they may release more juice and make it hard to shape the dough around the fruit. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

FOR THE DOUGH:

1. Process flour and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand and butter pieces are size of small peas, about 10 pulses. Add ice water to flour mixture and pulse until dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with your fingers, about 5 pulses.
2. Transfer mixture to lightly floured counter. Using bench scraper, gather dough into rough rectangular mound about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Starting at farthest end, use heel of your hand to smear small amount of dough against counter, pushing firmly down and away from you, to create separate pile of dough (flattened pieces of dough should look shaggy). Continue process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into rough 12 by 4-inch mound and repeat smearing process.
3. Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

FOR THE FILLING:

1. One hour before rolling out dough, toss strawberries with ¼ cup sugar in bowl. Set aside for 1 hour. Reserve 1 tablespoon strawberry juice. Drain strawberries in colander in sink. Leave strawberries in colander while rolling out dough.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter, then transfer to prepared sheet. Cover dough loosely with plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
3. Whisk jam, cornstarch, and salt in large bowl until combined. Add strawberries and toss gently to coat. Mound fruit in center of dough, leaving 2-inch border. Carefully grasp 1 edge of dough and fold up 2 inches over fruit. Repeat around circumference of galette, overlapping dough every 2 inches; firmly pinch pleated dough to secure, but do not press dough into fruit.
4. Brush top of dough with reserved strawberry juice and sprinkle dough and filling with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Bake until crust is deep golden brown, and fruit is bubbling, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Let galette cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using parchment, carefully slide galette onto wire rack. Remove parchment and let cool on rack until just warm, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Decadent Low Sugar Lemon Cream Pie

I’m always hesitant to try recipes that claim to be healthier versions of classic desserts, but this one is a winner. Perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a crisp graham cracker crust. It is from the cookbook Naturally Sweet, which has over a hundred recipes for classic baked goods and desserts using 30% to 50% less sugar. Traditional lemon pie has 64 grams of sugar per slice, and this recipe has reduced it to 26 grams without any compromise to flavor or texture. 

Download Decadent Low Sugar Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Pie

1 recipe Graham Cracker Pie Crust (Reduced Sugar, see below), baked and cooled

2 large eggs plus 7 large yolks

½ cup honey

¼ cup grated lemon zest plus ⅔ cup juice (about 4 lemons)

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Whipped Cream Topping

1½ cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

⅛ teaspoon salt

Make the Graham Cracker Crust:

9 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces and softened

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Process graham crackers in food processor to fine, even crumbs, 30 to 60 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resemble coarse sand, 15 to 20 pulses.
2. Sprinkle mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Using bottom of measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into even layer on bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating plate halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely, about 30 minutes.

For the pie:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs and yolks, honey, lemon zest and juice, and salt in medium saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture thickens slightly and registers 165 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Off heat, whisk in butter and cream until incorporated. Strain filling through fine-mesh strainer into cooled pie crust. Bake until filling is shiny and opaque and center jiggles slightly when shaken, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let pie cool completely, about 2 hours.

For the topping:

1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, honey, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream over pie and serve.