Bonus! Blueberry-Peach Buckle

All the summer fruits, cake and streusel, all in one place.

As a thank-you to all my subscribers, new and old, I have a bonus recipe for you today, my take on the blueberry-peach buckle. This is all the good things in one place: delicate cake with caramelized, chewy edges, crunchy streusel, and so much ripe summer fruit that cooks into pools of pie-like filling.

Calvin considers his options.

This buckle recipe uses a wackadoo technique where butter is melted in the serving dish, which is then topped with a layer of batter, heaps of chopped peaches and blueberries, and crowned with heaps of streusel. It magically bakes into part cake, part gooey fruit. Served warm with ice cream it is truly the most lush of summer desserts.

Batter on top of the butter. Do not mix the two together.

Streusel, big and small on top of the butter, batter and fruit.

• I’ve cut the amount of sugar and butter found in most buckle recipes. My goal was to create a buckle that makes fruit the star.

• Many recipes call for cooking the fruit first in sugar. That’s a cruel and unnecessary fate for fruit—especially peak summer fruit. (That said, I’ve used frozen fruit and sugar isn’t needed then, either.)

• You know this, but you can use any combo of fruits your heart desires—or is now over-ripe on your counter.

• If you have buttermilk, use it. If you do not, use milk and add either 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes before using.

• Using just peaches? Consider adding a teaspoon of ground cardamom to the cake batter.

• Sure, you don’t need to add streusel. But what kind of attitude is that?

  

Peach-Blueberry Buckle

serves 4 people in my house; 8 in a normal home.

What You’ll Need

For the streusel:

• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter

• 1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat; all-purpose is fine too)

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

• optional: 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and/or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cake:

• 4 to 5 cups mixed blueberries and peaches chopped into 1- to 2-inch dice (I am a lazy heathen and leave the skin on the peaches. It’s tasty and adds a nice color to the finished cake.)

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter

• 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces)all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) white sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk: add 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and let sit for 10 minutes before using.

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Zest of one lemon, or to taste

What You’ll Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. While the oven is preheating, make the streusel. In a small bowl, blend the butter with the flour, brown sugar and spices, using two knives, a pastry blender, or the tips of your freshly washed fingers.

3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. When the oven has reached 350 degrees F., add the 6 tablespoons of butter to a rectangular oven-safe baking dish. Place the dish in the oven to allow the butter to melt. (I used a 7.5 x 10-inch pan; if you use a larger one, just cook for less time.) Remove the pan from the oven.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Fold in the buttermilk/milk, vanilla and lemon zest until just smooth and no lumps remain.

6. Pour the batter over the melted butter. Do not mix the two together. Ponder how this will actually produce cake. Re-read the recipe to make sure Marissa hasn’t lost her marbles entirely.

7. Pile the fruit on top of the batter. Then sprinkle large and small chunks of streusel over the fruit.

8. Bake for 40-60 minutes (ovens vary, pan materials vary, fruit moisture varies, etc. etc.), until the cake parts are golden and the center no longer jiggles like Jel-lo. It will still be soft and gooey in the center thanks to all the juicy fruit.

9. Eat while warm, with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.

Enjoy.

While I wanted you all to have this recipe yesterday, July 24…at the last minute, my family decided to go see Elton John on his farewell tour. If you have the chance, go! He was, no surprise, phenomenal. His voice, his piano skills and his showmanship were all at 150%. Now to watch “Rocketman” for the third time….

And once more: Welcome and thank you to all my new subscribers! Let me know what you’re in the mood for recipe-wise.