August | 2013 | Is this a keeper?

For our second recipe of the month we were given the option of baking the Raspberry Fig Crostata and/or the Johnnycake Cobbler. I chose to bake both but there was a moment I almost did not bake the crostata and it had nothing to do with two recipes or being busy. I saw FIG and thought no way…

We are having a problem with raccoons coming into our yard after they feast on our neighbors FIG tree. I am not really liking raccoons or FIGs right now so it was funny this was the recipe picked. I couldn’t bring myself to pick those figs hanging over the fence knowing those raccoons have been all over them. 😦 Off to the store I went…

This crostata had an interesting crust that ended up being the deciding factor on whether my tasters liked this dessert. Everyone liked the raspberry/fig filling but this almond/sesame crust, not so much. Half the people loved this and the other half thought the crust was too dry. Everyone said it would have tasted great with a scoop of ice cream on top.

I found the dough hard to work with. Even after chilling the dough, the butter warmed very quickly. I even resorted to briefly freezing my strips to make the lattice because I couldn’t get them off the parchment paper.

It said to add sanding sugar on top…I only had the colorful variety. 🙂

I personally didn’t try this recipe…surprise, surprise…but I can’t see making this one again. Although everyone either liked it or loved it, no one thought it was bad, I think there are better recipes I have made…and easier dough to work with. Not a keeper for me.

I was thankful the Johnnycake Cobbler seemed to be a much easier recipe. With the exception of heavy cream, all the ingredients I would normally have on hand. I like recipes like that! I think the next time I would make this one, I would try substituting my FF milk in place of the cream and see if it makes a difference.

This recipe called for nectarines and plums for the filling but all I had to see was “feel free to experiment with the fruit and spices”. Those who have followed my blog know that usually means I will be using apples, which is what I did. I used a variety: granny, gala, and golden delicious. I also added cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixture. This recipe was so easy to whip up. Sautee the filling and mix together the biscuit topping.

I was pleasantly surprised with the “cornbread” topping! It went well with the sugar and cinnamon apples. Everyone loved this recipe!! This one is a keeper and so easy which is even better! 🙂

This was my kind of recipe…lots of firsts:

first time to taste or cook with lamb
first time to taste or cook with shallots
first time to cook pita bread
first time to have the butcher grind up what you need…I had no idea they would so kindly do that for you!

I have to say even though I was not sure we would like these, I was excited to try all the new things this recipe presented. The lamb was a stretch for us but the allspice and cinnamon seemed to put it over the edge for me….weird combo!

I started my pita bread sponge early in the morning since the recipe suggested it is best to let it sit as close to 8 hours as possible. Mine sat for about 7 hours. I could actually hear it fermenting on the countertop!

After the waiting time, I added the remaining flour and ingredients. I went ahead and made the full recipe since I figured it was more likely that we would eat the plain pita bread than the pizza anyway. This needed to rest another 2 to 3 hours.

The dough was ready…onto the topping!

I sauteed the ingredients and then got started on making my pitas. I rolled out the dough and topped it with the lamb mixture. The recipe said to bake these in a 450 degree oven.

I did not get too much color out of these being cooked in the oven. I read on the pita page if you were doing individual pitas to cook them on a griddle…much the same way you do pancakes. I liked this method much better…and got MUCH better results. If I was to ever make these again, I would cook them on the griddle and then top them and serve.

Here are my cooking pitas…

…and look at the inside!!

They look a lot like flat bread…like a “big fat chicken taco” at Del Taco to be exact!! The verdict on these…the combination on the pizza was strange. I am glad I can say I have tried lamb now, but can’t say I really enjoyed it. It was just ok…not a keeper in our family…BUT the plain pitas were a keeper for sure!! So tasty and fresh!! I think they were pretty easy to make too! 🙂