Argentinian Giants in Full Bloom

Old-fashioned Cherry Apricot Bars

Old-fashioned Cherry Apricot Bars

1--1/2 CUBES Sweet butter, cut into chunks

1 TBL All-purpose flour, for topping

1/2 C Dried cherries, minced

1/2 C Dried apricots, un-sulfured, minced

2/3 C Fresh-squeezed orange juice

1/2 TSP Sugar

PINCH Cinnamon

Crust:

1/2 C Slivered almonds

1/2 C Fresh grated coconut

1-1/4 C All-purpose flour

3/4 C Old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 C Dark brown sugar, packed firm

PINCH Cinnamon

1/2 TSP Kosher salt

1.pre heat oven to 150°f.

2. Meanwhile, bring the apricots, cherries, orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer, on low, until fruit is soft. Remove from heat. Mash fruit in juice until mixture thickens. Allow to cool.

3. Toast nuts and coconut in oven on a cookie sheet until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase temperature to 350°f. In the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (do not use a food processor for this recipe) combine the almonds, coconut, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well, then add butter. Mix, on medium, until crumb mixture is formed, about 1 minute.

4. Set aside 1C of crumb mixture for topping. Firmly press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of 8"x8" baking dish. Spoon fruit filling on to crumbs and spread out but do not allow fruit to touch sides of baking dish( leave about 1/8" border.) Mix 1TBL flour with remaining crumb mixture. Sprinkle over fruit filling. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

Serves: 8

1 LB Semi sweet chocolate

1 LB Butter

6 OZ Water

2 OZ  cognac or brandy

1 TBL Espresso powder

1 C Sugar

8  Eggs

1. Melt butter and chocolate in double boiler.  Then stir in espresso powder.

2. Beat eggs. Mix sugar and eggs together then stir Tequila and water.

3. Slowly stir in chocolate mixture.  Pour batter in an oiled 9 inch baking pan.

4. Bake at 335 degrees for 1 hour in a warm water bath.

5. Allow to cool before serving.

Fruited Dessert Chimis with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup

Fruited Dessert Chimis

I make these with all kinds of fresh fruit in combination with different nuts.  Banana Pecan or Peach Macadamia or  Strawberry almond… mix them all up on a platter and top with the warm syrup and a dash of powered sugar.  Add a cup of good hot coffee and it’s simply heaven!

1 Fresh peach or 1-cup fresh strawberries or whatever fruit is fresh

(If using a banana you don’t need to add the sugar)

1 Tbl. Granulated sugar

1/4 C Macadamia nuts, crushed

2 Tbl. Brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

8  Egg-roll wrappers

1  Egg white mixed with ½ cup water

  Oil for frying

     

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup;

1 C Brown sugar

1 C Water

1  Cinnamon stick

    Rolls

1. Peel the peach, remove the pit and chop into 1/4 inch cubes.  Mix the chopped peach with the granulated sugar.

2. Set aside for 20 minutes.  Mix together the nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Lay one egg-roll wrapper on a clean surface.

3. Make a line 1 inch up from the bottom that stops 1 inch in from both sides with 2 Tbl. of the nut mixture.

4. Do the same with 2 Tbl. of the chopped peaches.  Brush a line up the sides of the wrapper and fold a 1-inch flap in covering some of the filling on both sides.

5. Now brush a 2-inch line across the top of the wrapper and starting at the bottom of the wrapper roll up the filling creating a little fruit egg roll.

6. Deep-fry the rolls in 375º oil until deep brown.  Drain on paper towel.

7. Serve with brown sugar cinnamon syrup and dust with powered sugar.

    Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup

1. In a small sauce pan dissolve the brown sugar in the water, add the cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over medium heat a, reduce until thick.

Argentinean Giant Cereus Blooms Red!

This is the time of years when we see all the colors that this beautiful Sonoran desert has to offer. Below is a picture of an Argentinean Giant Cereus but it has an unusual color of bloom.

Most often this prolific cactus offers giant white blossoms that smell like jasmine flowers. A few years ago Kathy and I were driving down Scottsdale road and saw a few of these in bloom in 5-gallon containers.

I had never seen one of these in this red color and so we turned around and I bought one. I have about 120 different kinds of cactus that I’ve been collecting for the last 35 years. This one didn’t bloom for the first few years and I was worried that it would just come out white. But a few days ago I saw that it was ready to pop. This morning as I was putting together our new solar hot water system I noticed that it was in fact red and so when it popped I grabbed the camera and here it is. Another unusual fact is, that it is pollinated by a giant white moth that comes at night. My friend Ed has waited for it to come, as he flowers only set for a few nights a year. He waited on his patio with his camera. He said that the night it came the moon was full and it sounded like a big humming bird and was quite a bit larger. He got a few shots but has not sent them to me. If he sends them I’ll share them.