Wordless Wednesday
Fresh Peach Crisp in the Oven. As good as apple crisp for sure. There were quite a few ripe peaches asking for someone to do something with them. E put plain yogurt on top of a warm serving but I was thinking vanilla ice cream would have been a prefect combination, too.
Monday- a beautiful summer evening in Ohio where I’ve come for a few days to help celebrate Michael’s birthday.
These fancy peach cookies, which are more like a full scale dessert item, were created by Rebecca. She’s going to be in her friend’s wedding and she’ll be baking six dozen peach cookies for the big day.
I met Rebecca while I was taking a Sunflower Granny Square Crochet Class, taught by Sarah at Yarns by Design in Oakmont. Rebecca brought a dozen of these peach cookies to share with the Knitters and crocheters. A trial baking run. The verdict was unanimous-excellent job, Rebecca! Delicious.
There are many steps to making these. Baking, hollowing out center to make room for cream. Peach Schnapps is involved. Big sparkly sugar, pastry cream, maraschino cherry for the center. She’ll add a tiny green stem and leaf to the ones she makes for the wedding.
This loaf was purchased at Weiland's Market in Clintonville Ohio Babka or Paksa. That's what's on the Reinecker's Bakery label.
“the Polish and Belarusian noun babka and the Belarusian,Ukrainian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Russian baba means “grandmother” or “old woman”, and as applied to the pastry probably refer to its shape, a tall cylinder, sometimes with corrugations resembling a skirt’s pleats.[1] “
“Paska breads are a traditional element in the easter holidays of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Romania, Moldova, Georgia and parts of Bulgaria”
“Paska is made with milk, butter, eggs, sugar, except in Romania, where the recipe most commonly includes sweet cream, cottage cheese and/or sour cream with eggs, sugar, raisins and rum. An egg and water mixture is used as a glaze.”
I can tell you that it tasted delicious. It is said to have a Brioche-like quality and there is a richness due to those moist golden raisins and the bread has just a hit of sweetness. Add a little butter. Mmmmm.
Here is a recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker for Paska Easter Bread and it has FIVE egg yolks.
Here is a recipe for Polish Babka Easter Bread from King Arthur’s Flour with three whole eggs.
“The King Cake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870.” Wikipedia
This King Cake created at the Party Cake Shop in Brookline on the Boulevard where I got the Paczki last Thursday.
Here is a Traditional New Orleans King Cake Recipe made with yeast .- a brioche like dough https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/traditional-new-orleans-king-cake/
A few days ago I posted Erika and two of the grandkids walking in the apple orchard.
Then Steve’s art on the mantel with the Granny Smith apple.
Just for fun I did a google search – Apple and rutheh. Quite a few photos of apples or some form of apples appeared in the results. Many apple photos over the years of blogging. Some other fruit appeared and even some tomatoes as I scrolled down. Here are a few examples of apple photos from previous posts.
There is the Before they Get to the Store post showing how Honey Crisps are grown in Washington.
An early blog post from August 2009 Anna is 15 now
Like a science experiment. Drastic temperature change. Anna (5) said “Get your camera and take a picture. You could win a prize!”
So this is what it looks like when “the bottom falls out”!
Cider making in North Carolina in the first photo and a Cider Press in Pennsylvania in second. 
Apple Butter Annie Oakley’s Kitchen Southside Farmer’s Market
https://rutheh.com/2013/11/08/half-apples-baked-in-balsamic-with-a-dot-of-butter/
Olive Oil Apple Juice and Tiki Torch Fuel
There is a guest blog from Wildflour Bakery in Alaska
My sister in law’s Apple Pie in Washington
Real fruit and Fake fruit in Hardy Virginia. 
https://rutheh.com/2017/09/09/apple-picking-and-farm-market-checkout-line/
Baking sweet potatoes in a cast iron skillet makes them extra delicious. These I cut in half as they were so big. A 400 degree oven. An hour or ’til fork inserted tells you otherwise.
The apples were added later. They were on my Wordless Wednesday this week and yes, that’s Irish butter in the center of each Granny Smith Half. No other seasoning.
Hungarian Nut Roll. A Pittsburgh Christmas tradition.
Hungarian Nut Roll video -Pittsburgh
Post from five years ago 2013
Today Jaclyn and her sister Shannon baked nut rolls together, carrying on family tradition.
Their mother, Theresa, passed last February. (2013) This post is to remember Theresa, those who knew and loved her and to send hugs to Jaclyn and Shannon as they are missing their mom, especially at Christmas time.
Theresa was one of the four sisters in this slideshow (baking the pizelles) showing the three sisters making nutroll in Pittsburgh- Linda, Georgeann and Theresa, while the fourth sister Marlene communicated via SKYPE in Virginia.
You might remember the previous post of the 15 greased nut roll pans where the retro recipe card is photographed in case you want to make them.
Marlene and I share grandchildren and her daughter Erika is married to my son Mark.
One of my favorite photos from long ago, taken by unknown photographer. Theresa, their mother Marion, Bride Linda, Marlene and Georgeann
https://rutheh.com/2013/03/01/a-mother-grandmother-sister-aunt-and-friend-remembering-theresa/
Happy Thanksgiving from Hardy Virginia. My son’s mother in law has the pumpkin pies in their new oven and the house smells delicious.
A good day to think about all for which I’m grateful.
Important to be patient. I’m not.
Melt chocolate slowly on the lowest heat, don’t scorch or burn. Ruin a lovely rich bar. Managed that step but………Oh no.
The cake stuck! Not sufficiently cooled when tried to extricate the cake from the pan. Even with buttered parchment paper. 
Cake tester broom below. 
Glued together. Frosting saves the day. Butter and chocolate. No one even knows repairs were necessary.
Delicious.
