Blueberry Oat Scones

How do you like your scones? I like mine sturdy, craggy, and a little bit chewy. They don't need eggs or cream, sugary glaze or extra adornment. I have, of course, found many great bakery made scones, but I love them best when I can mix them up on a morning's whim. That's exactly what I did today. 

Perhaps it is misguided of me to think that something freshly baked, sweetening the air as it rises and browns, could make the day more special. But, giving just a few extra minutes to pop them in the oven on a regular morning is a nice way to stray from the ordinary. My mornings don't usually reach a level of hectic. Considering it can take hours to convince, cajole and encourage Amos to pick out clothes and get dressed, I can get a few other things done.  If, for you, time is ever precious, these are ideal for a weekend or day off, too.

Blueberry Oat Scones

This is based on a recipe from the bakery where I used to work. There are many many variations and additions you could try (dried fruit or nuts instead of berries, buttermilk instead of regular milk etc). I used frozen wild blueberries but when the season comes these would be great with fresh berries, too. 

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup blueberries

3/4 cup milk or buttermilk plus more for glazing

Preheat the oven to 375'  Combine flour, oats, 1/3 cup sugar, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces, toss with flour mixture and use your finger tips to break up the butter and work it into the flour. Continue working until the butter and flour make small crumbs with a few larger chunks of butter. Add the blueberries and toss with a fork to distribute. Pour in the 3/4 cup of milk and toss again with a fork to evenly wet the flour. Knead in the bowl, folding over the dough several times. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lift up the mass of dough and dump any dry flour from the bottom of the bowl into the middle of the baking sheet. Place the mass of dough on top. Pat into a circle about 7 inches wide and an inch thick. If your hands are sticking, rinse them in cold water and, with wet hands, press the dough so it comes together and is mostly smooth on top. 

Use a knife to cut the circle into 6 even pieces and separate them onto the baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone with milk and sprinkle them with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown on top (this will insure that they are not underbaked on the inside). Let cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Because it is Fun

I've never actually eaten a pop tart. The trademarked toaster pastries that come packaged in shiny foil always looked dry and unappealing, but since I haven't eaten one I can't really say how good they are. While I may not have any interest in the mass produced version, how could I ignore a recipe for making them at home? Last year, when I finally picked up a copy of The Homemade Pantry, I was thrilled to have so many recipes for foods to make instead of buy. But I found the book really hard to resist with its photo of the irresistible looking pastries on the cover. Although I had never longed for toaster pastries before, now I had to make them.



I got to the pie crust first. The perfect flaky, buttery crust that will continue to be my favorite, go-to crust for some time, I'm sure. When I finally got to making the pastries, nearly a year later, I was partly inspired by a batch of homemade cream cheese (recipe coming soon!) which, mixed with a quick raspberry jam seemed like just the right filling for these sweet little pockets. I can assure you that the flaky pastry wrapped around a creamy fruit filling exceeded my long awaited expectations of this recipe.

There are all kinds of practical and logical reasons for making a homemade version of something usually mass produced. It tastes better, it is healthier, you can learn a new process and take part in the transformation that happens with cooking. Sometimes, though, it is best to set the practical reason aside and make a recipe because it is fun. Then, these toaster pastries are just the thing.



Toaster Pastries
Adapted from The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila. The options for fillings are limited only by your ingredients and imagination. Jam, nutella, cinnamon sugar, ricotta and spinach, cheese and sauce are just a few ideas. I've included the quick raspberry jam recipe that I used. As you can see in the photos, my filling oozed out a little in the cooking process. I used a little more filling than the recipe calls for and may not have pinched the edges shut as tightly as necessary.  

Quick Raspberry Jam
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar

Place raspberries and sugar in a wide, shallow pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the raspberries and juice have thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup cream cheese

Mix the cream cheese and jam together to completely combine.

For the Pastries:
1 Pie Crust Recipe 
additional flour for the counter
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
6 tablespoons filling of your choice

If baking right away, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the pie crust dough into two pieces. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out one piece of dough into a 9x12 inch rectangle, about 1/8 of an inch thick or a little thicker. Cut the rectangle into 6 equal pieces and place each one on the baking sheet. Repeat with the second half of the dough, taking care to make your six rectangles the same size and shape as the previous six. Brush each of the rectangles on the baking sheet with the beaten egg. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of the six rectangles. Carefully lay another rectangle of dough on top of each one with filling. Carefully seal the edges by pressing them with the tines of a fork. Paint the top of each pastry with the beaten egg and poke several holes in them with the fork. 

Now, you can freeze the pastries on the baking sheet and move to an airtight container when frozen solid. Or you can immediately bake the pastries for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before they are ready to serve.

English Muffins

When I think about my frequent compulsion and delight in make food from scratch, I always return to my interest in connection and transformation. I like taking an active role in knowing not only where my food comes from but being deeply involved in making it. And this making is a transformative process. I often think that, to some, I might appear a little crazy as I try to make more and more food in my own kitchen when it is so easily available in store bought form. This makes me think that I have to sell the idea, to convince you and others, by saying how it's actually really easy or it will save you money or it just tastes better. I'd love for you to try making more food from scratch, especially if you've never done it or if you do it a lot and want to try something new, but I'm actually not very good at a sales pitch.



Although I almost never buy them, English muffins are a wonderful breakfast treat. I've tried making them a few times in the past several years but they never seemed as good as the nook and cranny full ones I could buy. As much as I love the satisfaction of pulling it out of my own oven, sharing something I made by hand, there are times when homemade might fall short. Especially if you live with someone who nearly always prefers the grocery store versions that he grew up with, it might not matter that something homemade is healthier or more flavorful.



In the past month, I've tried a couple of different English muffin recipes and come to realize that there is another layer to the satisfaction of homemade. Instead of believing that just making it myself is enough, I realize that often it is worth it to pursue the best I can make. This may happen over years or over trying a few recipes, or stumbling right away on something so good. And that's another beauty to making it yourself: you can try it again and again. After the plates are emptied or the first batch gets eaten you have a blank slate to try another version, change the flavors, or find a new recipe that might get you closer to the results you want.

I am far from being a perfectionist but I'm realizing that I want to keep honing my skills. The goal is not to just try making English muffins because I've never done it but to enjoy really good English muffins if that's what I want to eat.




Homemade English Muffins
Adapted mostly from this recipe but also inspired by this one.
English muffins are often cooked on a skillet on top of the stove, but it can be easy to burn the outside while the inside stays uncooked. This recipe gives them a quick trip in the oven where they should be perfectly cooked. At first I avoided this recipe because of the extra potato step but it really helps the muffins get the perfect texture. Although this recipe seems long, there is not a lot of hands on time so don't let that keep you from great homemade English muffins.

1 medium yukon gold potato
1 1/3 cups water (11 ounces) at room temperature
8 ounces all purpose flour
8 ounces whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoon yeast (instant or active dry yeast -- both will work fine)
6 tablespoons water at room temperature

oil for the bowl and your hands
flour to keep the dough from sticking when shaping
coarse cornmeal for dusting the baking pans

Peel the potato, cut it into small pieces and boil in a pot for about 10 minutes. When the pieces of potato are soft, drain the water and mash the potato. You should have about 1/2 cup mashed potato. Let cool completely.

Once the potato is cool, place it in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Add the 1 1/3 cups water, all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, honey, salt and yeast. Mix on low speed for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and sticky. Turn off the mixer and let it rest for about 5 minutes. 

Start the mixer on low again. Let it mix for a minute or so and then begin adding the additional water, 2 tablespoons at a time. After each addition, mix until the water is evenly incorporated, scraping the dough from the hook and sides of the bowl as necessary. Once you have added all 6 tablespoons, continue mixing until the dough is even and smooth. It will be quite wet and stretchy.

Oil a bowl and scrape the dough into it. Cover it will a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise. After 30 minutes, it is time to turn the dough. Oil your hands to keep them from sticking. Uncover the bowl and reach your hand to the dough across from you picking up the dough on the far side of the bowl and folding it over to the side closest to you. Turn the bowl a quarter turn, pick up the dough on the far side of the bowl and fold it over again. Repeat this two more times until you have gone all the way around the bowl. Cover and leave the dough for another 30 minutes. Turn the dough again in the same way. Cover and let rest for one more hour. By now it should have increased in size and become inflated and bubbly.

Now, you can cover the dough so it is airtight and refrigerate it over night or continue making the English muffins. For the next step, generously flour your work surface. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust them with coarse cornmeal.  Oil or flour your hands since the dough is very sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. Set half the dough aside. Divide the other half of the dough into 6 equal pieces. Take one piece at a time and roll it between your hands to shape it into a round disk. Place it on the baking sheet. Repeat this with all six pieces of dough, placing them evenly apart on the baking sheet. Divide the second half of the dough into 6 pieces and do the same. Cover the baking sheets with tea towels and leave them to rise until they have doubled in size. This will take about 1 - 1 1/2 hours if the dough was not refrigerated and 2 - 2 1/2 hours if it was. 

About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake the muffins for 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, flip over each muffin and bake for 8 more minutes. Let the English muffins cool on a wire rack. Slice in half and toast or serve as you like. You can freeze the English muffins or keep them refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

It is Worth the Wait

Writing my newsletter this week got me thinking about the small changes that, over time, add up to something big. Searching for signs of spring among the snow and gray, I've noticed that the birds are singing as they always do this time of year. The much longer days, filled with birdsong, are signs that the spring is surely on its way even if it's hard for me to see. Sooner or later snow will melt, green shoots will poke out of the ground, leaves will sprout and slowly but surely the world will go from gray to green.

No matter what you are trying to accomplish, I think its important to remember the way that slowly, small things add up. A few minutes of writing each day won't immediately yield a novel, but this time is still an important part of the process. You have to take many mediocre photographs to get one good one. Like a garden growing from seeds, attention and care are required before you can harvest anything and reach the results that you want.



Bread baking, too, is a process of many small steps that gradually end up as a warm loaf pulled from the oven. Practice, a bit of patience, and sporadic attention eventually coax the flour, water, and yeast into something you can slice and eat. Of course, you could find instant gratification in a ready to eat loaf at many bakeries and grocery stores. But you will rarely get a fresh warm loaf like the one that you can make in your own kitchen. As I keep telling myself about the arrival of spring, it is worth the wait.

I haven't made a loaf of raisin bread in years but since I seem to be indulging most of my baking desires these days, when it crossed my mind, I knew I had to get some raisins.This cinnamon raisin bread has, perhaps, the nicest texture of any loaf I've made. It is soft yet very sturdy. Perfect for slicing for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, toasting and spreading with butter or enjoying as is. The recipe has several steps, but none of them take much time and, over the course of a day, you will make two incredible loaves of bread.



Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum (This book is a great resource if you want to learn more about bread baking and has tons of information. I tried to slightly simplify the instructions here)

There are a few options when making these loaves: you can use all white flour instead of white and whole wheat but as usual I love the flavor and texture with whole wheat flour added. You can omit the cinnamon sugar swirl and just add raisins though the swirl is not overly sweet and tastes so good. I definitely recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe since it is much easier to measure the flour accurately by weight. The recipe uses instant yeast which does not need to be proofed in water. Since I bought a large bag of instant yeast I have been using that in all recipes requiring yeast and it works really well. You can make this recipe in one day or over a couple of days, depending on whether you refrigerate the sponge overnight.

For the sponge:
12 ounces (2 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) unbleached white flour
14.3 ounces (scant 1 3/4 cups) water
1.5 ounces (2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) honey or sugar
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast 

For the flour mixture:
11 ounces (2 cups plus 3 tablespoons) whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Make the sponge: combine flour, water, honey or sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir until smooth.
Mix the whole wheat flour and yeast and dump that on top of the sponge to cover it, but do not mix it in. Cover the bowl and let rise for 1-4 hours at room temperature or cover with plastic or an airtight lid and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When you have reached your desired rising time, stir the flour into the sponge to create a shaggy dough. Then add:

4.5 ounces (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 teaspoons salt

Using a spoon or your hands, stir the butter and salt into the dough. When it is mostly combined, begin to knead the dough until it comes together. If there is extra flour that cannot be incorporated, sprinkle that onto the counter and knead the dough on the counter for about 5 minutes. It will be sticky but should become much smoother as you knead. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes so that it will become less sticky and be easier to work with.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes more, until it is very smooth and stretchy. If it is still very sticky you can add a little more flour. Let the dough rest for a few minutes then add:

5 ounces (1 cup) raisins

Knead in the raisins as much as you can but know that they will become more evenly distributed after the first rise. Return the dough to the bowl (lightly oiling the bowl if you wish), cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.

After the dough has risen, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Gently press the dough to form a rectangle. Fold each short end of the rectangle toward the middle (like a business letter) and and then form the dough back into a ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before rolling and shaping.

For the cinnamon sugar spiral:
2.6 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten

While the dough is chilling, grease two loaf pans and stir the sugar and cinnamon together. After the dough has chilled, place it on the counter and cut it in half. Gently press or use a rolling pin to make one half of the dough into a rectangle about 7 1/2 inches wide, 14 inches long, and 1/4 inch thick. Brush the surface of the rectangle with the egg and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar evenly over the egg wash, leaving a half inch margin around the edges. Beginning with a short end of the rectangle, roll the dough in a tight spiral. Pinch the ends and side together so that the edges are completely sealed. Tuck the loaf into the prepared pan, squishing a little if necessary to get it to fit. Repeat the spiral with the other loaf.

Cover the loaves and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours or until the dough is close to the top of the pan or slightly above it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. When the dough has risen and the oven is ready, place the loaves in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. The loaves should be golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread should be about 211 degrees F when checked with thermometer.

Remove the loaves from the pans and let cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing. The bread will keep for a few days on the counter or can be frozen for eating later.

Chocolate Chip, Walnut and Cranberry Cookies

In February I changed the phrase between a rock and a hard place to reflect the weather that month: between a giant puddle and a sheet of ice. Now in mid-April I'm saying, when life gives you snowstorms, bake cookies (or bake anything, really). I know I've complained about mentioned the weather too many times this week but I promise I'm trying to make the best of it and hoping for sunnier days ahead.



Just as this extended winter has given me extra time for staying inside and stitching, I have been indulging in more baking projects to fill some of these gray afternoons with satisfying warmth. These cookies were, at first, inspired by this recipe but strayed in a different direction and evolved from a few favorite cookie recipes (and much further scribbling on that scrap paper above). They are the kind of cookie you can whip up on any afternoon, regardless of the weather. I couldn't resist loading them with chocolate, walnuts and cranberries as well as a couple of different flours for flavor and texture.

What have you been doing to enjoy spring (or make the best of an extended winter)?  Are cookies or picnics part of your plan?



 

Chocolate Chip, Walnut, Cranberry Cookies
If you are a purist you could use regular all purpose flour here and the cookies would be great. I have made several versions of these using a mix of gluten free flours which would also work well. The combinations of flours will each have their subtle differences, but don't be afraid to try something different if you want to.

8 ounces (2 sticks/1 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup almond meal (or almond flour)
1/2 cup ground flax seed (flax meal)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350'. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth. Dump in the whole wheat flour, almond meal, and flax seed meal. Add the salt and baking powder and mix to combine into a dough. Add the chocolate chips, walnuts, and cranberries and stir to incorporate evenly. 

Spoon the dough onto a baking sheet into two-tablespoon sized balls. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. 

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Ricotta Muffins

In my long term creative goals, I dream of inspiring more people to cook. I still haven't figured out whether I will do this by growing food and teaching classes, sewing colorful items for the kitchen, or getting better at writing and photography centered around food. Still, I imagine someone who rarely makes food from scratch realizing that they are ready to learn to enjoy food by cooking it. They might not feel completely at home in front of the stove, but they are ready to try. In my dream world, it doesn't take much more than a well made apron and a simple recipe to inspire someone to try home cooking.

I would also invite this person to plant or harvest vegetables from my big, lush, someday garden full of an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Once they tasted a salad brightened with leaves of fresh basil and learned to mix up their own vinaigrette, I might suggest some simple baking. I've always loved how little effort it takes to mix up pancake batter or a batch of muffins even on a busy day. I suspect that most of you reading this you are no stranger to home baking (but I'm afraid I don't know you that well so I could be wrong), but I'd like to introduce everyone to the delights of simple baked goods coming out of your own oven.

I know that many muffin recipes have appeared here before, but I had some leftover ricotta and decided to make these which are fluffy and not over the top with chocolate. They do walk a thin line between muffin and cupcake so you can choose to eat them for breakfast or dessert (cream cheese frosting anyone?) but there is no fuss involved in making them and frosting is certainly not necessary.

Chocolate Ricotta Muffins
Adapted from Sunlight Cafe by Mollie Katzen

2 1/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 rounded tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups mik
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven 400' Whisk together the four, salt, baking powder, cocoa, sugar and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients and the melted butter into the dry ingredients. Stir until the wet ingredients are incorporated, a few lumps are okay. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Place muffins in the oven and reduce the heat to 350' Bake for about 20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean or the muffin springs back when lightly pressed in the middle. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from muffin tin for further cooling. Makes about 12 muffins.



 

Blueberry Muffins

Do you ever have those mornings where you had planned to accomplish four things before 8 am and and when the time comes, your bed is too warm and wonderful? Then, of course, when I do get up I wish I had been up for an hour already and gotten some of those things out of the way. Oh well. I'm glad that right now almost all of my deadlines and projects are self imposed so if I let things slide a little, I can get caught up later.

One thing I have no trouble making time for in the morning is a batch of muffins. On the days when my morning needs a little extra love, I stir together flours and melt butter and in almost no time at all muffins are baking in the oven. I already have three muffin recipes on this blog so there isn't much more I can say about muffins. My favorites, which I haven't shared here yet, are bursting with blueberries. My muffins are usually small and a little homely, but what they lack in looks, they make up for in flavor. They are easily portable and great for sharing which keeps me from eating all of them in one sitting.



Blueberry Muffins
I've tried many many muffin recipes and I've discovered that one of my favorites uses plain yogurt for the liquid. It makes a slightly crisp exterior and a lovely texture, but you could also use milk or buttermilk instead. I let the blueberries provide most of the sweetness, but you can add more maple syrup to yours if you want. I love using spelt flour for muffins, but again feel free to use the flours you like. This recipe was inspired by Melissa Clark's Maple Blueberry Tea Cake in Cook This Now.

1 1/4 cups whole spelt flour
1/4 corn meal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted.
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Preheat the oven to 400' and butter 8 muffin cups (or fill them with paper liners). Whisk together the flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a two cup measuring cup, measure the yogurt and maple syrup. Add the egg and beat briefly to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter into the dry ingredients. Stir just to combine. Add the blueberries and stir to distribute them throughout the batter. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before eating.

Sunday and Any Day

I didn't enjoy Sundays when I was in school. The day felt gray and empty, like there was nothing to look forward to. I suppose it took a few more years of weeks and weekends to get over that. Once I had spent more time living and realized that weekends that different from the rest of the week I began to appreciate Sunday. For a long time it afforded a day of rest, a day of freedom from obligatory work, a day for projects and adventures.

For the past year I have worked brunch most Sundays, which is why I once declared Monday to be the new Sunday. But my Sunday still has a lot of its Sunday-ness about it. Sometimes that means that when I get home from work, famished and tired from rushing food to tables, I scrounge up some left overs for dinner. Or we indulge and order a pizza. If I have something in mind, I'll actually cook dinner and maybe make dessert. The last evening of the weekend winds down in our living room where we sit absorbed in books or, just as often, find something we want to watch.

When I'm making dinner, I don't mind having some company. Usually that means NPR, but on Sundays Ray is home, too, and I try to coerce him to join me in the kitchen. Yesterday he read The Hunger Games while I stirred black beans, let sugar and fruit bubble on the stove and crumbled together butter, flour, oats and walnuts. There was nothing extraordinary about it, but I do try to appreciate these moments, Sunday and any day.

The dessert I made was a crisp with some frozen blueberries and peaches. As the peaches cooked, I was momentarily transported to summer by their unmistakeable aroma. The crisp is a simple dessert which made our meal a little more special. Just what my Sunday called for.



Frozen Fruit Crisp
You don't have to use frozen fruit, but if you have fruit in the freezer you can eat crisp any time of year. You don't really need a recipe to make it, but here is my rough outline. 

2- 3 cups frozen berries
1/3 cup sugar (or more depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
1-2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flour (I used whole spelt)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (or cinnamon, nutmeg, etc)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces (about 4 tablespoons) cold butter

Put the fruit in a pot on the stove over low heat. Once it has thawed and gotten juicy, stir in the sugar and the cornstarch. Let it simmer until the fruit is hot and the juice has thickened slightly. Then remove the fruit from the heat and set aside.

Mix the oats, walnuts, flour, sugar, spices and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it into the flour with your fingers or a fork, working it into the dry ingredients so that it is blended, yet crumbly, like a pie or cookie dough. Pour the fruit and juice into the dish (or dishes) you plan to use. Spread the crumbly dough evenly over the fruit. Bake at 350' for 25 minutes or until the top is browned and crisp. Serve warm as is or topped with ice cream, whipped cream or whatever you like.