Almond meal chocolate drop cookies

These cookies are extremely hydrophilic, to the point of being rather delicate, crumbly, and chewy.  To make them crisper, reduce the almond meal (sub one for one with flour), or sub the brown sugar for white.  I like them crumbly, but they make break apart and do not store well.  They have a deep chocolate, cocoa taste.  They can be made with any cocoa, but a Dutch processed one is rather nice.  I've never added chips or nuts because of the texture, but go ahead and see how it works out!

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup European-style butter, softened to room temperature, preferably softened overnight

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  I suggest a stand mixer.

Add eggs and vanilla, beat 2 minutes.

Sift together remaining ingredients.

Add in thirds, beating well each time.

Drop in rounded tablespoons on two prepared baking sheets.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until the cookie is set.

Cool slightly, transfer to wire racks and continue cooling.

Yields 24 large cookies.

Blueberry Nectarine Crumble

I'm allergic to peaches.  This is a problem in the summer in the mid-Atlantic, as everyone tends to, well, eat a lot of peaches.  When I was a kid I could at least eat cooked peaches - it's technically a blossom allergy and not a food allergy according to my allergist.  As I get older I am less able to deal with peaches of any kind.  Somehow, I have no problem whatsoever with nectarines.  Or, for that matter, blueberries.  So I decided to make nectarine and blueberry crumble.  The kid ate raw fruit but still hasn't accepted the idea that you would cook fruit.  Truth be told I can't say that I disagree with him - raw fruit is almost always better when its fresh and in season.  But we had a glut of blueberries and nectarines, and my husband likes baked fruit desserts, so off to the kitchen.

Ingredients:
3 nectarines, washed, pits removed, sliced into 1/8 pieces
1 lb blueberries, washed, picked over, and stemmed
1/2 cup sugar, depending on sweetness of fruit you can increase or not
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cold, diced into pieces
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Cold water

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Toss together fruit and 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Place fruit mixture in oven safe casserole dish or baking dish.
Cut butter, flour, remaining sugar, and remaining salt together until it resembles pebbles.
Splash in cold water and continue to cut until it's just slightly a sticky dough that's loose and falls apart easily.
Place on top of fruit mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the fruit mixture is sizzling a bit through the cracks.
Cool.
Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or plain.

Tomato and corn casserole

My husband hates casseroles. Too bad. I like this one, and its one of the few ways to get him to eat fresh corn (he hates corn on the cob).

Tomato and corn casserole

Ingredients
5 ears corn, cut off the cobb
2 large tomatoes, cubed
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3 pieces whole wheat bread, torn
1 cup buttermilk
salt to taste
pepper to taste

optional - 2-3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Method
Toss corn, tomatoes, bread, and garlic together.
Salt and pepper,
Place in casserole dish.
Pour buttermilk over mixture.
If desired, cut butter into breadcrumbs and place on top for a crust.
Let sit at least 30 minutes in refrigerator (can be left overnight - 18 hours).
Bake at 400F for 45 minutes, covered, last 15 minutes uncovered if using crust.*

*Never put a cold dish in a hot oven. If you are placing the dish directly from the refrigerator, put it in a cold oven, then turn on.