Peach Cobbler

I must admit, that up until now I never made a peach cobbler. As first time peach cobblers go this was effortless and sweetly satisfying. I find cobblers are one of those comfort desserts that may be enjoy at any time of year; by simply changing the fruit.  

Peach Cobbler

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3 cans of slices or halves peaches, drained

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/3 cups self raising flour

1 teaspoon British mixed spice

1/3 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Butter a deep 2 inch baking dish.

Place the drained peach slices or halves into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and zest. 

In a large bowl stir together the butter and sugar. Mix for 4 to 5 minutes until creamy and resembles a sugary buttery paste. Add the oats, British mixed spice, and flour; stir into the buttery sugar mixture until the mixture resembles crumbly. Pour in the milk and stir , for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is moist and creamy, like a thick spreadable batter. 

Drop the batter by spoonfuls on top of the peaches. Spread the batter evenly over the surface over the peaches.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, approximately 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Notes: You can make your own self raising flour by mixing together in a bowl...  1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 

With just a drizzle of berry syrup to add a summery touch. 


Hope everyone had a great weekend. After all the hot temperatures, some rain is coming our way. - JD 

Seventh Heaven

Look to the heavens no further than with this refreshingly crisp cocktail; that will have you  floating amongst the stars with every delightful fruity sip.  

Seventh Heaven

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makes 1 cocktail

1 3/4 oz gin

1/2 oz maraschino liqueur

1/4 oz grapefruit juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint, if you wish. 

Bright, sunny and hot here in E-town. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Coconut Macaroons

With only two ingredients you can create these chewy sweet coconut macaroons without too much effort.  

Coconut Macaroons

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1 can sweetened condensed milk

400g shredded coconut*

*more shredded coconut may be needed if the mixture seems wet rather than sticky

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir, to combine the condensed milk and the shredded coconut together. The coconut mixture should be sticky but not too wet.  

Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to help mould the coconut mixture. Pressing the mixture firmly into spoon. Run a knife around the inside edge to help release the mixture. Place each generous mound on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are crisp around the edges and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the baking tray. Then transfer macaroons to a wire rack. Repeat until all the coconut mixture has been baked.

Once cooled you can dip the bottoms in melted chocolate or drizzle chocolate over the top of each macaroon. Allowing the chocolate to set. 

Notes: You want the coconut mixture to be firmly pressed together so that the macaroons do not spread. You may coat the tablespoon measuring spoon with oil or butter to help ease the mixture out or run a knife around the inside edge to remove, like I did. Again, if you find that the coconut mixture seems to be wet, add a bit more shredded coconut, adding a little at a time until the coconut mixture is more sticky then wet. 

Ovens vary so baking times may vary. Some coconut macaroon recipes do have the oven temperature set to 350ºF with a baking time of 7 to 10 minutes or 15 to 20 minutes. You may try baking the macaroons at 350ºF, just adjust the baking time. Although I found baking at a lower temperature of 325ºF was perfect! 

With a heavy drizzle of dark chocolate that cuts through the sweetness.       

Hope everyone had a lovely long weekend! We did! - JD 

Ste. Adele Lodge Blue Diver

This cloudy cocktail is sweet and creamy and finishes with a tangy bite. 

Ste. Adele Lodge Blue Diver

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makes 1 cocktail

3/4 oz dry Gin

1/4 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

1 oz Blue Curaçao

juice of 1/2 a lemon

dash Brandy

Cover bottom of glass shaker with simple syrup, add ingredients with cracked ice. Shake well, and strain into champagne glass. Add a green cherry, if you wish. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Crispy Bacon

I remember reading an article, a few months ago, on how to make bacon more crispy when cooking. The article state, that adding just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan while the bacon cooks would result in a more crisper slice of bacon. No complicated ingredient or specialized pan... just add a bit of water. Simple. 

So the next time I was cooking bacon I thought I would test this culinary tip and sure enough I got nice crispy bacon. Nothing blackened or burnt. I am glad I gave this tip a try and now I am passing it on to you, to try, if you wish.  

Hope everyone is having a lovely week. Plenty of sunshine here in E-town with temperatures on the rise.  - JD  

Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake

If you like lemon poppy seed cake, then you will thoroughly enjoy this cheesecake, as well. Tart with a creamy sweetness that pairs quite well with it's burst of lemon flavour.  

Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 pkgs. (250 grams each) Philadelphia brick cream cheese

3/4 cup of sugar

3 eggs

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

grated peel and juice from 2 lemons

whip cream, optional
1 lemon sliced, to decorate the top of the cheesecake with, if you wish  

Preheat oven to 350ºF, if using a silver 9-inch springform pan or if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan, set the oven temperature to 325ºF. 

Combine graham crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Stir in the poppyseed, lemon peel and 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Discard any remaining juice.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the centre is almost set. Run a knife or metal spatula around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake; cool before removing the rim of pan. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with lemon slices, if you wish and add a dollop of whip cream when serving. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator. 

The Jupiter

This cocktail supposedly dates back to the 1920's. It is slightly strong however an aromatic cocktail that is a smooth one.  

The Jupiter

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1 1/2 oz gin

3/4 oz dry vermouth

1 teaspoon Parfait Amour

1 teaspoon orange juice

Shake all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, strain into a cocktail or martini glass. 

With rainy Fall temperatures yesterday, today has resumed to it's sunny Spring self. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD