August 7

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fruit in a bowl. Mix together 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the fresh fruit and place into a 9-inch-by-9-inch-by-1 3/4 -inch ovenproof bowl. Dot with butter.

In a bowl mix together the remaining 1 cup flour, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the oil, milk and egg. Stir with fork until blended. Drop by spoonfuls over fruit mixture.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes until topping is golden. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
--Carol House

Shields' Peach Cobbler

Serves 6

3 cups peeled and sliced ripe peaches

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar (divided use)

1 1/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (divided use)

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted

vanilla ice cream for accompaniment

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Toss the peaches with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Pour into the baking dish.

Sift together remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, pinch of salt and the baking powder in a bowl. Mix with remaining 1 cup sugar. Beat together the egg, milk and butter in a large bowl. Stir into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over the peaches.

Bake for 40 minutes. Serve the cobbler warm, topped with vanilla ice cream.

Margaritas

Makes 1 pitcher

1/2 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated till sugar dissolves)

3 cups fresh lime juice (see note)

9 ounces Herradura Silver Tequila

3 ounces triple sec or other orange liqueur

kosher salt

ice

Combine the simple syrup and lime juice. Add tequila and triple sec. Dampen a clean sponge with a splash of the mix, rub the rim of each glass, then dunk the rim into a small platter of salt. Fill each glass with ice and pour the margaritas.

Note: If limes are especially tart, increase the simple syrup, using up to 3/4 cup.
--Michael Marx

Aloha Quick Bread

Serves 12

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup mashed banana

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan or two small ones. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in banana, milk, orange rind and extracts. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients and mix just until moistened. Fold in coconut, nuts and pineapple. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (Start checking after 1 hour.)

Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "A twist on the classic banana quick bread, this has all the characteristic Hawaiian flavors. The bread is moist and flavorful, with the nuts and coconut providing a bit of textural contrast. It is delicious as a dessert (pair it with a scoop of coconut ice cream) or just sliced as a snack. Turn the warm loaf out onto a cooling rack, wrap carefully in plastic wrap and then in foil. It will last several days at room temperature wrapped like this."

Chicken Nuggets With Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

4 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 teaspoons Baby Bam (recipe follows)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups (4 ounces) cornflakes

Position oven rack in center and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cover a large baking sheet with alumnium foil and set aside.

Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large mixing bowl. Wash your hands, the knife and the cutting board well with warm, soapy water before proceeding.

Add the barbecue sauce, Baby Bam, garlic powder and salt to the bowl with the chicken and stir with a spoon to coat well. Pour the cornflakes into a large resealable plastic bag. Let as much air out of the bag as possible, then seal it. Place it on a counter top and crush the cornflakes into small pieces with your hands by pressing down hard.

Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the cornflakes. Reseal the bag and toss to coat. Arrange the coated chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until crispy and golden-brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Using oven mitts or potholders, remove the sheet from the oven and serve the chicken with the Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce.

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

Yields about 3/4 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons creole mustard or other hot whole-grain mustard

Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well with a spoon to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Baby Bam

Yield about 3/4 cup

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine, using a wooden spoon. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.