Pear Rum & Raisin Cobbler Squares

Oh yum! Not too long ago I made a pretty delightful apple pie and then my husband requested pear cobbler! I thought that I would not like this dessert, but I must say that it is a close run to apple pie and the rum and raisins are so good mixed in. You do not have to cut these up into squares. You can simply spoon it out like any other cobbler. I just thought they were cute cut and could be wrapped in some cute napkins or decorative paper if serving at a party or office gathering.



Pear Rum & Raisin Cobbler Squares


For The Filling
4 - 5 pears, diced
¾ C. Brown Sugar
2 T. All Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 T. plus 1 tsp. Rum Extract
½ tsp. Vanilla
¼ C. Raisins
1 T. Butter, unsalted

For The Crust
2 C. Flour
½ tsp. Salt
¼ C. Sugar
2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, cold
1 Egg
2 T. Cold Water

Directions for Filling: Pour your raisins into a small bowl. Add 1 T. of your rum extract and 1 T. Butter and warm up in your microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, stir in and simmer your pears, brown sugar, cinnamon, remaining 1tsp. Of rum extract, vanilla, 2 T. flour, and raisin mixture until thick and bubbly. Set aside to let cool a bit.

Directions for Crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add in your cold butter, and using your hands combine your flour and butter until you achieve small crumbles. Now add your egg and water. Combine until dough sticks together and forms a ball. Add more flour or water if necessary. Shape your dough into 2 large disk and wrap each separately in sawran wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out first disk to fit the size of a 13 x 9 inch pan. Now spoon your pear and raisin mixture on top, roll out the remaining disk and cut into thick strips to make a lattice design for the top of your cobbler. Be sure to put strips along the edges as well to create a nice closure. Bake on 350 degrees until crust is a light and golden.

Let cool COMPLETELY before cutting into squares. Serve warm with vanilla or rum raisin ice cream.

Kiwi Berry Fruit Tart

I love a simple dessert, and I think that a sweet, fresh fruit tart is the perfect palette cleanser to a savory or light dessert! This recipe is more than simple, but you can most definitely add your own twist to it!
Kiwi Berry Fruit Tart

1 ½ C. All Purpose Flour
½ C. Confectioners Sugar
1 ½ Sticks of Butter
16oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 C. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Lemon Extract
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Fresh Strawberries, 5 whole & the rest sliced
Fresh Kiwi, peeled, and sliced
Fresh Blackberries
Honey


Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer mix: confectioners sugar, flour, and butter until your mixture comes together. In a 10 1/2” non stick spring form pan press your dough evenly into the bottom and onto the sides. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let Cool.

Now combine your cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon with you mixer until smooth. Evenly spread your filling into your cooled crust. Place a vignette of kiwi, whole strawberries with the flat end facing down and the pointed end facing upward, and blackberries, in the center of your tart. Now place some some of your strawberry slices vertically along the edges of your crust...inserting it into the cream cheese. Now layer your kiwi and strawberry slices alternately working your way from the edges towards the center.

With a pastry brush lightly brush your honey on top of your fruit. Place your tart in the fridge to set for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve chilled!

Peach Cobbler

I recently made this peach cobbler. I must say that it came out quite nicely. There are many different types of peach cobblers, and the one that I am most familiar with has more of a pie crust on the bottom and top. However, this is more of a dumpling, which I love! It gives it great texture and not overbearingly sweet...leaving that job to the peach filling.

Peach Cobbler

Peach Filling:
6 Fresh peaches, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp, Salt
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. Cornstarch (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring all of the above to a boil in a sauce pan and then simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Dumpling/Crust

3 C.Flour
1 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Double Acting Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 + 2/3 C. Milk (fyi: I used almond milk)
4 Tbsp. Butter

Directions: Combine your flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add 1/3 C. of milk and stir. Cut in butter and use your hands to incorporate butter in until well combined. It should have a sand like texture. Now stir in the remaining amount of milk.

Take half of your batter and spread it into the bottom of a non stick baking dish(spray with cooking spray if your dish is not non-stick).

Take the remaining batter and gradually add flour until a non-sticky ball forms. Roll out onto a floured surface and cut into strips.

Now spoon your peaches into the dish. Place your strips of dough on top of your peaches and bake for about 30-45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.