em + the kitchen - raspberry peach galette.

Ya'll.
This is a big day in my household. It's the first day since coming home from the hospital that I've felt like baking or really even being in the kitchen. My diet for the past few days has been primarily Trix cereal and Ben & Jerry's. Don't judge me!

So, when I finally started getting the itch to actually start making, I jumped on the chance. I didn't know how long it would last!
And your mouths are going to thank me, I promise. I currently have Sour Cream Chicken Poblano Enchiladas going in the oven -- that's for another day, another post.

Today, however.
Today I made a summer fruit galette. Maybe it's cheating a bit in terms of "getting back in the kitchen" because it's so so simple. But it looks and tastes like I spent more time in the kitchen than I did, so it totally still counts.

If you've never made a galette, you are missing out. Instead of blind baking crusts or crimping the edges just so, you simply lay the pie crust on a flat surface, heap the center with your filling, and fold the edges over. See? Totally easy. And delicious. Win/win.

Raspberry Peach Galette

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (either homemade or store-bought)
3 peaches
1 4oz container raspberries
2 tbsp sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 425*.
Peel peaches and cut into eighths. Mix with raspberries, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Set aside to let juices start to release for about 5-10 minutes.
Roll the pie crust out onto a flat surface - either a cookie sheet, jelly roll pan, or pizza pan.
Heap fruit mixture onto center of pie crust, leaving about a 2-3 inch border. Try not to pour all of the juice when heaping the fruit. You want some, but not all or the crust may become soggy while baking.
Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, gently pressing together where necessary.
Brush the egg wash over the exposed edges and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges have become golden brown.
Cut as you would a pie and enjoy!

The beauty of this recipe is that it works with lots of different fruits. I've made one before with pears and cinnamon and it was delicious. Let your imagination run wild!
What's your favorite fruit combo?
-e.

em + the kitchen - butterscotch blueberry oaties.

I promised, didn't I? Well, now I'm delivering.

On New Year's Day, some friends and I went to Jonathan's in Oak Cliff for their to-die-for chicken and waffles. It was packed inside, of course, so we sat at the bar -- the only available seats at the time. As we waited to order, we found ourselves face-to-face with the most scrumptious looking muffins I've ever seen. We tried to avert our eyes, but then someone ordered one and the dome was taken off the cake stand and we got a whiff of their true deliciousness.
We all ordered one and scarfed them down. It was a flavor combination I'd never seen before or since, so when I found this recipe for blueberry oatmeal cookies, I knew I wanted to add a twist to make it my own and to mimic that muffin I shoved into my mouth just a few months prior.

Blueberries and butterscotch may not sound like the most appealing flavor profile, but I promise you it is awesome. The sweetness of the butterscotch balances out the tartness that the blueberries carry.
These cookies are perfectly soft and remain so even days after baking them. They do tend to get a bit soggy after a few days, which is all the more reason to eat them quickly!

Butterscotch Blueberry Oaties
(recipe inspired from here)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 & 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh - either will work)
1/2 heaping cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 365* and prepare two cookie sheets. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until it begins to brown. (Here is a great article for how to properly brown butter!) Pour into a bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Add the sugars to the butter and beat until well combined.
Next, mix in the egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients that you've already whisked together, beating until just combined.
Fold the oats and butterscotch chips into the mixture until everything is evenly coated. Then, fold in the blueberries, being careful not to smash them if you're using fresh berries.

Scoop cookies into about 1&1/2 tbsp balls and set them an inch apart on the cookie sheet. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 12-13 minutes until edges are set, but cookies still remain soft.
Let cool on the cookie sheets for a while, as they'll be difficult to remove straight out of the oven.

Keep these cookies uncovered. The blueberries will make them soggy if you put them in an airtight container.

Have you ever been so influenced by something you just had to make it at home?
That seems to be happening to me quite a bit lately!
-e.