berry baking

so recently, i have been getting into the world of food. not in the sense that i am just now beginning my love affair with great tasting foods, i mean, ive always known i have been blessed with amazingly alert taste buds, but more in the "life application of food".

in doing this, i have been battling between cooking and baking. because, yes, virginia, there is a difference. to start, i have to state that i am not yet going to claim a love for one over the other, but have instead been struggling with my inner self on which i have a better calling for.

cooking, you see, is more of the fresh, on the stove variety. this seems to fall more along the lines of, you know, a greek style zucchini salad or spanikopida. these are obviously all wonderfully delicious options, but seem to take a lot of care and attention throughout the entire cooking experience.

on the other hand, you have baking. and to me, (and please remember this is no professional opinion) the world of baking includes more “dry” ingredients and more time is spent in the oven than actually monitoring the process via grill, stove, skillet, etc. these also tend to make sweeter foods when i "bake"...

my mother has always been more of the baker. and im starting to think i fall more in her footsteps. but im keeping my options open. i like the idea of cooking and am still working on those skills – but things you bake tend to turn out better for me. or at least capture my attention a little better.

a few weeks ago we discussed flexitarianism and the world of trying new foods to “make” (see how i intentionally did not use “cooking” or “baking” here to put myself in a box?) since then, i have been following my taste buds to a variety of food blogs (thanks, sonja!) this has thus inspired me to attempt a new “phase” for the blog – which entails attempting a new recipe each sunday, with of course a monday photo and recipe post.

and with that, i post this past weekend’s project: baking a mixed berry buckle. what i learned?

• i like to bake.
• i had most of the ingredients already in my kitchen, surprisingly enough.
• i like berries.
• i like desserts.
• i still prefer desserts with chocolate incorporated.
• my husband did not yet try what i baked.
• this next week i want to try something to put in my yet-to-be-used cake stand.

mixed berry buckle

what you will need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
1 cup granulated sugar3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups mixed berries, such as raspberries, strawberries (halved or quartered) and raspberries
vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine. Add vanilla and beat to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; with mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.
Spread batter in baking dish. Scatter raspberries on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. With a large spoon, scoop out onto serving plates; serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

here are more details: http://www.blogger.com/thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2009/06/29/bust-wide-open/#more-5703