At the farmer’s market last weekend, I came across these really small plums. They are only about the size of a walnut ball, maybe even a little smaller. They were too enticing not to buy. Plum cakes are actually very common in Germany and parts of Eastern Europe, so I thought that minimum, I would make one of my standard plum cakes before I came up with the idea of making an upside down cake. Turned out lovely. All the caramel and toffee bits you see in the photos is where the butter and brown sugar leaked out of my spring form pan (advice : don’t use a spring form pan!). If you can’t find mini-plums, regular ones will work just as well.
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desserts
Appetizers/Starters, General Reference/Tutorial, Savory Snacks, Sweet Snacks
Cardamom Fig Jam and Orange Fig Jam
One of the great things about late summer and early autumn in my foodie world is figs. I get giddy for those figgies! And, to make them last longer, I often make jam out of figs, which can be used for both sweet or savory things, added to stews or even stir fries, but don’t count out making Fig Newtons! This year, I’ve made two sorts: Cardamom Fig and Orange Fig. Distinctly different but equally lovely.
It’s been a “bad” month for creating things. Work has been crazy busy and I have been off on some mini-adventures, which has left the cooking and baking at the margins, which I hate. Mostly because cooking and baking are my self-reliever, and when I just don’t have the time or the energy, I feel badly. That said, last night I did make these Apricot and Dried Cranberry Pinwheel Cookies. They aren’t the prettiest cookies that I have ever made (I let the butter get too soft, which in turn make the dough crumbly which in turn made it hard to roll out, and then roll together). They do taste quite lovely though.
As we march from Spring through early Summer to now the “dog days” of Summer, we move more towards stone fruits — apricots, peaches, plums and the like — which make great jam which is also the important part of my super easy to make crumble bars. There must be about 5 different versions here on the site. They are great to add to lunches or to pack into picnics!
Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies … I’ve made similar cookies before, but tried something new this time, instead of using butter, I made them with coconut oil with the thought that they would stay a little more chewy than crunchy. The trick though is that you absolutely have to let them chill completely after forming and before making, otherwise you will have a complete mess on your hands. Turned out pretty yummy, if I do say so myself!