Blackberry Peach Buckle
Since I grew up in California I was never in fear of a time where the sun wouldn’t show its face, but as I got older I quickly realized that I took many of those warm sunny days for granted. I kind of regret that now because California, although sometimes a bit too hot for me, is really such a lovely and wonderful place to live. I really do miss it. Since moving back to Seattle I am fully aware of the fact that summer won’t last forever, so I am doing my best to enjoy every minute of it. There are so many wonderful things to do in this state, so John and I often find ourselves acting like tourists, trying to make the most of each day because we both don’t want to take one day of this gorgeous weather for granted. If we only have time for a short walk around the lake, we’ll do it. Or, if we need some time to relax and wind down from the day we try to head down to a waterfront bar were we can grab a drink and watch the sunset. We made a promise to each other to be outside as much as we can and we are going to try our best to do just that.
Another way I’ve been enjoying the Seattle summer is by eating all of the wonderful produce that’s in season! Berries, stone fruits, tomatoes, I swear everything I love is in season right at this very moment. With berries taking over my refrigerator as of late, I have been making my share of cobblers and crisps, but I wanted to try something different. I began searching for other ways to use my insane amount of fruit and I eventually found a few recipes like crumbles, grumps, and buckles. What the heck is a gump you ask? Well, check out The Huffington Post because they explain it all.
The one recipe that caught my eye was a berry buckle, which is a cake with a bunch of berries dumped right in the middle. Sounds amazing doesn’t it? There so many versions out there, some with a streusel topping, others with the berries mixed in as opposed to dumped in the middle. Of course I wanted to put my own spin on this classic treat so I made a batter using both all purpose flour and cornmeal. The added texture and flavor of the cornmeal really makes this a cake/cornbread hybrid, which I am really into. I would say that this recipe leans more towards the cake side than cornbread side in terms of flavor, so if you prefer more of a cornbread vibe then simply swap out 1 tablespoon of flour for cornmeal and you will be well on your way to a slice of comfort.
Feel free to use any berries you have on hand for this recipe; I am sure blueberries and raspberries would taste just as delicious. I hope you are all having a lovely summer!
SIMPLE STREUSEL TOPPING
1/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 Cup Spelt Flour
11/2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cold Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Equipment: 1 Medium Sized Bowl, fork, or whisk
METHOD
With a fork, or a whisk, combine all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Once thoroughly mixed, using your hands, rub the butter with you fingers until crumbly.
Place this into the fridge until ready to use.
BLACKBERRY AND PEACH BUCKLE
Yields one 8-inch Cake
·1/2 Cup , plus 1 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
·1/4, plus 2 Tablespoon Cornmeal
·1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
·1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
·1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
·1/4 Cup Sugar
·1 Large Egg
·3/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
·1/2 Cup Buttermilk
·1 Pint (6 oz) Blackberries
·1/2 a Peach, thinly sliced.
Equipment: 8” Inch skillet, like this one from FINEX, whisk, spatula, 3 medium bowls
METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 350 F° and lightly grease skillet or pan with butter and a light dusting of flour.
Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth. While whisking add the buttermilk until combined.
With a spatula, add the dry to the wet a gently mix until just combined. Fold in blackberries and pour batter evenly into the prepared pan. Arrange sliced peach over the top of the batter, and sprinkle with streusel topping.
Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!