Not one to feel abashed about wearing a thickly-settled mustache of cinnamon-sugar? Read along here……
Yes, I have sat in Harry’s Bar in Venice and sipped the most famous Bellinis in the world – and with my two kids which made it totally special! I’ve savored every single second of that magical place. When returned stateside, I have re-created my own, sadly, never to have quite the same essence and dreamy feeling that sitting at that bar and with those surroundings wrapping around you, that are so completely incomparable. However, one must adapt and move on, no matter how wistful you may feel……….
Summertime calls to me in so many ways. I got to thinking the other day about Dirt Bombs, the quintessential “French Donut” of fame from The Cottage Street Bakery, so sought after when you’re in and about Orleans, Ma. I’ve made a couple of other iterations of this yummy treat before – Banana-Hazelnut and Pumpkin. You can find the posts for those on this blog.
Today I’m busy making a Bellini Dirt Bomb. While the peaches are coming in, for the season which began in California a few months back and is now rolling across the country, I feel totally obligated to try as many a recipe that celebrates them as I possibly can. This couldn’t be more apropos. Make sure to use the most fragrant peaches you can find! This is essential!
THE BELLINI DIRT BOMB – makes about 12-13
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder (always use fresh baking powder)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 tsp almond extract
fresh puree of 3 white (or yellow) peaches yielding about a scant 3/4 cups (add a few drops of lemon juice to thin)
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
cinnamon sugar – about a cup and a half
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12-14 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and light brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Don’t worry if the mixture appears curdled.
In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, peach puree and almond extract. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternating with the wet, beginning and ending with the dry as follows: 1/3, 1/2, 1/3, 1/2, 1/3. Mix just until the flour has disappeared. Take the bowl off the mixer and finish with a rubber spatula. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan with an ice cream scoop, filling each cup to slightly over the brim.
Bake for 20 minutes, turning the pan(s) half-way through. The Dirt Bombs are done when they are well-puffed and firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove papers and brush each dirt bomb with the melted butter with a pastry brush. Roll immediately in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat if desired. Enjoy!
