CINNAMON-PECAN PEACH & NECTARINE CRISP

Happy (belated) Fourth of July! For the past couple of years, Alex and I have been celebrating America's Independence Day by taking a road trip to Scottsdale, Arizona and staying at my dad's boss's house. We try to visit Scottsdale at least twice a year because the house there is simply amazing and we have the best time when we're there. We relax and BBQ by the pool, go on beautiful hikes on Camelback Mountain when the weather permits it, and go out for dinner and drinks at our favorite restaurants that we don't have back at home (pizza from Pizzeria Bianco is a given). Sadly, we weren't able to venture to the desert this year for the Fourth, but instead we kept it easy in Orange County with family, tons of food, and frosé (not a bad alternative at all). 

Our main meal for the holiday was pretty normal by Fourth of July standards: we feasted on chips and guacamole, hamburger and hotdogs, and freshly cut french fries. It was perfect. As for the dessert, we were all too stuffed to even think about any more food, but I did make the recipe that I giving you today and it was AMAZING when we finally did have a chance to eat it.

I am a huge fan of all stone fruits (nectarines, plums, apricots, peaches, etc.) and just about any dish that involves them, I will happily eat and love. Since I've already given you a recipe for a galette and a cobbler, I thought I would switch it up and share my favorite stone fruit crisp recipe. 

A crisp is a dessert in which fresh fruit is topped with a buttery, streusel-like topping that is baked until browned and the fruit juices are bubbling. One main component of a crisp is that the "streusel" topping contains oats, and it is actually the oats that crisp up when it bakes, hence the name. Sidenote: These days, a crisp and a crumble are pretty much interchangeable when researching recipes, but the main difference is that a crisp has oats in the topping, whereas a crumble doesn't. 

This stone fruit crisp is perfect for any celebration with a crowd due to it's size (made in a 13x9 baking dish), how easy it is to transfer to a party, and how delicious it is when finished with melty vanilla ice cream. When it's hot outside and I'm wearing nothing more than a bathing suit, the last thing I would want to eat is a slice of a heavy chocolate cake... ripe peaches and nectarines sounds perfect to me. 

I chose to use yellow nectarines and yellow peaches for this recipe, but you can use whichever stone fruit looks best at your local grocery store. If you want to use only peaches, or only nectarines, or half apricots and half white peaches, or even add in some blueberries or blackberries - it's totally fine! Yellow peaches and nectarines are my forever favorites and this is why I will be using them today. As long as you get 5 pounds worth of fruit, you're good.

Cinnamon-Pecan Peach and Nectarine Crisp

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 5 lb. of medium peaches and nectarines, about 10 (or any other stone fruit of your choosing)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 2 tbsp. plus 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 4 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 cup unsalted pecans, chopped

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. To peel the peaches/nectarines: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the fruit for 30-60 seconds. Fish the fruit out with a strainer and immediately place them into an ice bath to stop the cooking. The skins should now come off easily by using your hands or a paring knife.

2. Cut each stone fruit into 1/2" thick slices and toss in a large bowl with the sugar and 2 tbsp. of the all-purpose flour. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and remaining 1 cup of all-purpose flour. On low speed, gradually add the small pieces of butter. When all has been added, increase speed to medium-high and mix until fully incorporated. You don't want there to be any dry ingredients left unmixed in the bowl. Stir in the chopped pecans.

4. Transfer the peaches and nectarines (and all the leftover juices) into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the oat/pecan topping over the fruit, and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the crisp is bubbling and the topping is a deep golden brown. Let the crisp cool on a wire rack for as long as your stomach will allow you to, or, at least 30 minutes (just don't burn your mouth please!).

5. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream, and dig in!

PALACINKY (CZECH CRÊPES)

I'm a bit sad today. Just a couple of hours ago, my mom and I dropped off my family member, Tereza, at the airport. After staying with my mom for two and a half weeks, Tereza's first trip to the West Coast/California is over, and she's heading back to Prague. Growing up, I always wanted to have girl (first) cousins - I only have four cousins (4 on my mom's side, 0 on my dad's), and they are all boys. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but I just always wished to have the relationship that my friends had with their girl cousins: not so much a sister, but more like a best friend. 

Hanging out with Tereza, who is technically my fourth cousin, for the past couple of weeks has been honestly so much fun. She is so sweet, so smart (her English is probably better than mine), and has the greatest sense of humor. I introduced her to margaritas, the film It Follows, s'mores, reality television (all of which she LOVED), as well as other random American things. She and I could talk for hours on end about anything and nothing, and still just genuinely enjoy each other's company. I am going to seriously miss this relationship that I've built with her, and I cannot wait until I visit her again in Prague, hopefully soon. 

So the recipe that I am bringing you today is one that has been in my and Tereza's family for over 75 years: palacinky. A very well-known dish throughout Central and Eastern Europe with different names depending on which country you are in, palacinky is something that not only I grew up eating, but my mother and her parents did as well. Like I've mentioned before, my mom's side of the family is fully Czech (both of my grandparents emigrated to the States in the 1950s) and with them, they brought a handful of dishes that I still crave and eat today (Řízek and goulash being my two favorites).

Palacinky, a crêpe-like dish that can be eaten at any time of day, is one of the recipes that my grandma and grandpa would make for me when I was little. But after they passed away when I was fairly young, I didn't even think about making them for myself until this past weekend when my aunt decided to make them for a dinner party we were attending. Tasting them again after all these years brought back a flood of memories, and so I immediately asked for the recipe and had my aunt show me how to make them (spoiler alert: it's super easy).

A big part of palacinky is the filling that you choose, which is traditionally some type of preserve or jam. I personally chose strawberry and apricot preserves that I found at my local Trader Joe's, and I also made some with Nutella which were insanely delicious. For the topping, it is common for palacinky to be sprinkled with powdered sugar, but I also made fresh whipped cream which I thought was a great addition. My aunt actually made her own preserves (nectarine and mixed berry) when she made the dish, so feel free to do this yourself with any fruit that is in season. If you wish to go the savory route which isn't as popular but still an option, just eliminate the sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest from the recipe. Then, you can fill it with whatever ingredients you'd like: ham, mushrooms, spinach, etc. Treat it as if you were choosing your favorite ingredients for an omelette. I want to add that my mom mentioned how growing up they would eat palacinky (the sweet way with jams and powdered sugar) for dinner, and this just makes me more proud to be Czech than ever before (who doesn't like eating sweets for dinner). 

Unlike crêpes, I feel like palacinky are much more forgiving: they aren't as thin as crêpes so flipping them in the pan is much easier, and if you tear a piece of the palacinky or brown a side too much, it can easily be covered up with toppings (whipped cream, powdered sugar, etc.).

A trick that my aunt taught me in making palacinky is to preheat your nonstick pan on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. This ensures that even your first crêpe will come out perfectly (this is also a useful tip for making pancakes, another scenario where the first batch is usually a 'throwaway'). 

Palacinky

Yields about 15 "crêpes", depending on size of pan

Recipe from my grandparents!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus 2-3 tbsp. more of melted butter for cooking
• 2 cups milk, preferably whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon zest (optional, but recommended)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Filling suggestions: fruit preserves/jam (strawberry, apricot, etc.), Nutella
• Topping suggestions: powdered sugar, whipped cream, fresh fruit 

Directions

1. In a blender, mix all ingredients (eggs, sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla, lemon zest) except for the flour. Add in the flour, in 1/2 cup increments, and blend until smooth. 
2. Let the batter sit for about 15 minutes. After this time, check the consistency of the batter: you are looking for a consistency similar to heavy cream - not thick like pancake batter, and not too runny. If it's too thick, add a splash of milk and mix. If it's too runny, add more flour, a tablespoon or two at a time, and mix. (Note: I followed the recipe as written, and the consistency was good enough for me to not add anything, in case you're worried).
3. Preheat a nonstick pan or skillet for about 5 minutes on medium heat. 
4. Using a basting brush, spread a layer of the additional melted butter over the pan. Ladle some batter into the bottom of the pan, while twirling the pan, making sure that the batter spreads evenly. How much batter you add at a time is up to the size of your pan, but it will be between 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup per crêpe.
5. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Using a thin spatula, flip the crêpe and cook the other side for about 2 minutes more. 
6. Continue steps 4 and 5 until all batter is used up (brush the pan with butter before each new addition of batter - trust me, it makes it taste much better!).
7. Spread your desired filling on one side of the crêpe, leaving about 1 inch of a border, then simply roll it up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and top with whipped cream and/or fresh fruit, if desired.
8. Palacinky can be stored in the refrigerator and/or freezer, just allow them to defrost and heat them up in the microwave before adding the filling. Enjoy!

ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM (WITH THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM EVER)

Hello boys, I'm backkkkkkk!!! After three weeks away from the blog, I am happy to report that my little "break" is over, and I can't wait to get back into the swing of things in my (vivid) kitchen.

In case you don't follow me on instagram (@shawnasellmeyer), I explained in a post that I wanted to focus all my time and energy into my sister's wedding, which happened this past Saturday! With family flying in from around the country for the big day and the fact that I was in charge of the desserts, I knew that in order to keep my sanity, I had to put The Vivid Kitchen on the back burner. Even though I was honestly pretty sad about not being able to blog, I think it was the best decision I could have made. The week leading up to the wedding was complete chaos with me, my mom and aunt prepping and baking for about 6 hours each day. 

In the end, we baked: 75 carrot cake cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting, 130 salted dark chocolate chip cookies, 50 tartlets with a sweetened cream cheese filling topped with a mixed berry sauce, and a four-layer homemade funfetti vanilla cake with a vanilla buttercream frosting. My sister and her husband (it's going to take a while to get used to calling him that) aren't the biggest fans of cake, so they luckily only wanted a small, one-tier cake for them to cut into. Additionally, my grandma baked Mexican wedding cookies as well as shortbread cookies. It was definitely all hands on deck when it came to the desserts.

Although there were a number of mishaps and accidents along the way, I think all of the hard work was well worth it. To say that I made the desserts for a 110-person wedding is an incredible feat, and something I will always be proud of. And to make matters BETTER, I was getting compliments all night long at the wedding at how delicious the desserts turned out. Now, would I ever do this again? Be in charge of the desserts for a wedding? Short answer: no. Long answer: no, definitely not. Just being honest! 

After the wedding was all said and done, my intention was to come back to the blog offering you one of the recipes I used for the wedding. But in all honesty, I am so bored with making those desserts that I needed to switch it up and I figured ice cream was the perfect route to take. But don't fret; I will share the recipes for everything served at the wedding eventually, if you all want them that is! Comment below and let me know which recipe you would want first.

Another big reason I wanted to make ice cream is because my (fourth) cousin, Tereza, from the Czech Republic is visiting! Little side fact about me: my mom's parents were both born and raised in the Czech Republic and emigrated to the United States back in 1956. They eventually made their way to Los Angeles, California where my mom was born, and the rest is history!

Growing up with Czech grandparents, it was always a dream of mine to someday visit their home country and meet all the family members that were still living there. This dream eventually became a priority when sadly both of my grandparents passed away by the time I was 12 years old. I finally made it out there in 2016 with Alex (it was part of the same trip when we went to Berlin, Germany) with the only goal of traveling to Nespeky, a small village just outside of Prague, where most of my family resides to this day. It was there that I met Tereza, who is just a few years younger than me and speaks perfect English. So when I heard she was visiting my family here in California, I was very excited to show her around my neck of the woods.

One thing that I quickly learned about Tereza is that she LOVES sweets, especially chocolate.  When my mom took Tereza to the grocery store to stock up on her favorite foods to have while visiting, Tereza made a beeline for the ice cream section and picked up a carton of rocky road ice cream. It was then that I knew I had to recreate this flavor of ice cream for Tereza at home, and show her how homemade ice cream is better than store-bought.  

Rocky road ice cream is simply chocolate ice cream mixed with fluffy, soft marshmallows and crunchy, toasted almonds - it is perfect. The ice cream I am giving you today begins with, quite frankly, the ONLY chocolate ice cream recipe you will ever need in your life. And to that, we will add the mini marshmallows and almonds, as well as chunks of dark chocolate thrown in for good measure. If you just want plain ole chocolate ice cream, which you might, due to nut allergies or because you like it plain, just leave out the additions. But I will say, those additions compliment the ice cream very well and will only make you happier. I promise. 

P.S. I want it to be known that Tereza LOVED the ice cream, and I know she wouldn't lie to me because when we took her to In-n-Out for her first time, she straight up said she didn't like it. The girl does not hold back!

Rocky Road Ice Cream / Chocolate Ice Cream

Yields about 1 quart of ice cream

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz (forever my go-to ice cream guy)

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

• 5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used a blend of both)

• 1 cup whole milk

• 3/4 cup sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

If making rocky road ice cream, add:

• 1 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

• 1 1/4 cup mini marshmallows

• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, warm one cup of the heavy cream with the cocoa powder, making sure to whisk thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the 5 oz. of chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth, and then add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream. Transfer the mixture, trying to not leave any remnants behind in the pan, into a large bowl set with a mesh strainer. Set this whole bowl in a prepared ice bath.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a clean saucepan over medium-low heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Just as the milk mixture is beginning to simmer, gradually add some of it to the bowl of egg yolks, whisking constantly as to not scramble the eggs (this is called tempering). Once the egg yolk mixture temperature has raised, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of your spatula or spoon.

3. Pour the custard over the strainer into the prepared bowl that has the chocolate mixture from earlier and stir the two together. Add the vanilla extract and allow the ice cream base to cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating until thoroughly chilled.

4. Churn the ice cream in your maker according to the manufacturer's instructions (mine took about 20 minutes to finish). The mixture will be a bit thick after chilling, so I suggest whisking it before pouring into the maker.

5. Transfer the finished ice cream into a bowl and stir in the marshmallows, almonds, and chocolate (if you are making rocky road ice cream). Freeze in an airtight container and enjoy!