Yesterday was a perfect fall day, made even lovelier for the bit of madness it held around the edges. Distinctly, I felt an urgency from everyone I passed by that it was a last temperate set of days for the year. The cold is edging in. The scarves and boots are coming out. The heater is on. Then on again.
It was a busy day, too. I pulled the garden apart yesterday, hoarded the last bag of not-ripe tomatoes into a warm corner to ripen, and purged the garage of some stuff so that I could store the tomato cages and other supplies. Mr. Sweetcakes valiantly tiled our tiny downstairs bathroom and I painted it. (Pictures to follow once the job is complete.)
After we prepped our last house for selling, and basked in its finished-ness, we vowed to keep our next place in a nearer-to-perfection state. We’re working on that. We’re working on that. It’s on old house, built in 1929, so not as easy as a newer house to maintain. It’s also in some ways, sturdier than a newer house, so there’s that.
If I post a recipe from the depths of mid-summer, will it make the warm days last just a little bit longer?
Blackberry and Peach Clafoutis
2 teaspoons butter
1 ½ cups sliced fresh peaches
1 ½ cup blackberries, rinsed
½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 ¼ cup whole milk
3 eggs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chopped candied ginger
½ teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
powdered sugar, for dusting
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a two-quart baking dish.
Place the peach and blackberries evenly distributed into the dish.
Sprinkle the candied ginger and half of the cinnamon over the top of the fruit.
Stir the flour, sugar, milk, eggs, the other half of the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl until it forms a light, thin batter.
Pour the mixture over the peaches and blackberries.
Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and puffy at the edges. Make sure the center is set.
Dust powedered sugar over the top and cool to warm or room temperature before serving.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.