Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

When it came time to bring a birthday snack to my daughter's preschool, I decided to forgo the usual cupcake and whip up some baked donuts. Baked donuts are really nothing like what you buy at the donut shop but are rather cakey and muffin-like. I have no complaints about that. And when you dip them in butter and roll them around in cinnamon and sugar, they taste like quite the indulgent treat.

Once I bought my donut pan, I started using it all the time. These are a nice basic baked donut recipe (perfect for those finicky preschoolers -- oh, and the rest of us). You can consider this your gateway baked donut.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

from Ina Garten
 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 TBs unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

cinnamon sugar topping:

• 8 TBs (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
2. Fill up your donut pan so that each donut is about 3/4 filled with batter. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, and then tap the donuts out.
3. For the topping: Melt the 8 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Dip each donut first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar. You can do either one side or both sides of each donut.

 

Blueberry Shortcake (and Modern Gingham Giveaway Winner!)

Hooray! We have a winner for our Modern Gingham preserves sampler! Let's give a round of applause to Sarah Houtler who was selected at random. She is the lucky recipient of four really awesome jams. Sarah, contact us via Facebook or at twotartsblog @ gmail.com to give us your mailing address.

 Now, here we are on the cusp of Independence Day. Are you still looking for something to whip up for dessert? We just made some blueberry shortcake, flavored with lemon and dolloped with whipped cream. Yeah, it was quite good. An alternative, aside from the obviously awesome choice of fresh strawberries, would be replacing the blueberries with strawberry rhubarb compote.

Blueberry Shortcake

adapted from Food Network

berry topping

• 2 cups blueberries
• zest from one lemon
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

In a bowl combine berries, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Let macerate and set aside.


shortcakes

• 2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup half and half
• melted butter to brush shortcakes
• whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1 TB sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter, and then mix in half and half. Drop by large spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
3. Cool and then top with blueberry mixture and whipped cream.

Lavender Simple Syrup

I was going to include the recipe for lavender simple syrup in our next cocktail post, the delicious strawberry lavender cocktail, but then I felt it is too tasty of a concoction - it needs to be the star of the show for at least a few minutes.

Simple syrups are so, well, simple. They allow flavor infusions with just a few minutes at the stovetop. No need to wait for booze infusions which can take weeks. Once you have made your simple syrup, refrigerate it, and it should last three to four weeks allowing ample time to experiment with new and exciting drinks! I already have a few up my sleeve.

Lavender Simple Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 3 TB dried lavender 

Place everything in a medium pot. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat, continuing to stir until all sugar is dissolved. When it is, remove the pot from the heat, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the lavender buds, and refrigerate. Makes 2 cups.

Vote for us! And, our 5 Favorite Two Tarts Recipes of All Time

We are excited to have been nominated in the category “Best Recipe Blog” for The 2013 Homies, over at The Kitchn. If you’re a fan of this blog, help us avoid looking wildly unpopular and head on over there to vote for us! We’re in good company as there are plenty of other wonderful food blogs to discover while you’re over there.  The categories for Food Photography & Healthy Food Blogs are worth checking out as well. Long Live the Homies!  And vote for us if you want to. You don’t have to, but you can if you want. Like, only if you like us and stuff.  You know…mumble mumble mumble.

Our 5 Favorite Recipes of All Time

To celebrate this nomination, we would like to share with you our top five favorite recipes from this blog.
These recipes are our tried-and-true favorites among the many we’ve posted here.  We’ve been talking about doing this for quite some time because when we ask each other “What are you having for dinner today?” or “What did you have for breakfast?” (and apparently we talk about what we’re going to eat or what we just ate A LOT!), we find ourselves mentioning a few favorites over and over.  So, without further ado, here they are:

Oven-Puffed Pancake with Berries

A weekend brunch favorite.  This recipe is a favorite because we pretty much always have the ingredients on hand, it’s very easy to whip up, and it looks impressively gorgeous.  An all around winner!  I even make this for dinner sometimes.  This horrifies Dulcie, but hey – who can say no to this pancake?

Spring Herb Quinoa Patties

These are a lunchtime staple for both Dulcie and I.  If you’ve got leftover quinoa and an egg, you’ve got the basics required to make these delicious crisp little patties.  They’re wholesome and filling, amenable to any herbs or cheese you have on hand, and are even a hit with the toddler crowd.

Homemade Granola

We both love this granola recipe because it’s the type of thing that is simple to make, lasts a long time in the pantry for whenever you’d like to snack on it, and the final result tastes so much better than anything you can buy.  Coconut oil & honey are the delicious base.  Add the nuts, seeds, and fruit that you love to make this perfectly customized for your tastes.  Dulcie has discovered that millet is a delicious crunchy addition.  I’m partial to a blend of sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds!

Ginger Gold Rush Cocktail

This cocktail is sweet and spicy, a perfect combination of bourbon, ginger liqueur, and lemon. Its simplicity lets the pure ingredients shine, which is something we always love in a recipe (cocktail or otherwise!).  This drink comes together easily enough to serve at dinner parties and we get compliments on it every time it is served. 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

This is a staple for any potluck or picnic style event.  It taste great warm or cold, transports easily, and is always a big hit.  This is a special quinoa salad because it’s packed with flavor thanks to all the fresh herbs (almost anything green and fresh will work its magic here) as well as the garlic, feta, and olives.  Oh and the cheese can be easily omitted for a vegan dish, which is sometimes required.  Especially here in Boulder, CO! 

Roasted Cauliflower, Olive, and Israeli Couscous Salad

I have a confession to make: I have been a food blogger for a couple years now, but until embarrassingly recently I just wasn't that into food blogs. My co-blogger was (and is). But I just gave her a blank stare when she would ask me if I read any number of really popular blogs. It is really only the past couple of months that I have jumped on board, and this may go hand in hand with the purchase of my iPad. Now I'm surfing away in the kitchen, and discovering new (or not so new) and fabulous food blogs making what I want to eat. (Wow, who would have thought? Yes, as I said... embarrassing.) This recipe for delicious warm cauliflower and Israeli couscous, which has become a staple in my kitchen, comes from one of the new-to-me blogs that I have been enjoying.

Oh My Veggies has earned its place on my meager reading list. It is a vegetarian food blog, and I am not vegetarian, but I have always eaten vegetarian more often than not. Kiersten, OMV blogger, is funny and personable, but better yet, her recipes are tasty and accessible - just what I'm after. This recipe uses mostly pantry staples (love that!), so when I grab a head of cauliflower at the market, I know that I can whip this up. The thing that makes this priceless is that my preschooler eats it too. That guarantees a repeat recipe in this household.

I highly recommend bolstering this dish with a little side of harissa (here is our tasty homemade version). It gives the dish a spicy kick-in-the-pants that makes me happy.

Roasted Cauliflower, Olive, and Israeli Couscous Salad

adapted from Oh My Veggies

• 3 tbs olive oil, divided
• 1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamatas, halved
• 1 cup Israeli couscous, uncooked
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Spread cauliflower over a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil (saving 2 remaining tablespoons oil for later) and stir to coat. Sprinkle with some salt. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

3. Meanwhile, add Israeli couscous and 1 1/2 cup water to pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. (Check the directions on your Israeli couscous -- they are often different.)

4. Combine couscous, roasted cauliflower, olives, and parsley in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tbs olive oil, lemon juice, and pressed garlic. Pour over the salad, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tangerine-Almond Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

In the summer, it is so easy to be inspired by fruits and vegetables. In the spring, anything new and green is a promise of all the deliciousness to come. And even in fall, pears and pumpkins feel cozy and fun. But in the winter, it can be hard to muster up that excitement that comes so easily throughout the rest of the year. 

But when I received a handful of juicy tangerines in my Door to Door Organics box, a few still holding onto their vibrant green leaves, I was both inspired and excited. A mad googling ensued, and being the tart-lover that I am, I came up with this delicious creation.

 Tangerines, almonds, and chocolate? I know, it is a trifecta of winter flavor. Better yet, this tart has a fabulous shortbread crust. The recipe that I am working from is from EatingWell. Their recipe called for a rather laborious crust involving whole wheat pastry flour and lots of kneading and rolling. No thanks! This shortbread crust takes fewer ingredients (that we all have), plus you just press it right into the pan.

I loved the way this tart turned out. The citrus and almond flavors were in perfect balance. The chocolate is, well, always a pleasure. If you don't have picture perfect tangerines on hand, oranges will absolutely do the trick.

The chocolate drizzle is something that I haven't done before, and you can see that my work is not so very beautiful. But even my amateurish job impressed my dinner mates. TIP: Spoon your melted chocolate into a sandwich bag, and then cut the tip of a corner off. Squeeze away.

Tangerine-Almond Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp grated tangerine or orange zest
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg yolk (save the white for the filling!)

Filling:

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup tangerine juice (about 3 tangerines) or orange juice
• zest of 3 tangerines (about 3 tsp)
• 3 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter the bottom of a 9.5-in two piece tart pan. In a food processor, process the flour 1/3 cup sugar, zest, and salt for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk (don't forget to save the white for the filling) and process just until it comes together in a ball. Pat the dough into the tart pan, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and then bake for 18-20 minutes. Set aside.

2. Turn oven down to 375. Clean out your food processor. Place almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool for a few minutes.

3. Place the almonds and 1/3 cup sugar into the food processor and process until almonds are ground. Add eggs, egg white, tangerine juice, and zest to the processor, and process until well blended. Scatter half of your chocolate chips over the crust. Pour the tangerine filling into the crust.

4. Bake the tart at 375 for about 25-30 minutes. The filling should be set. Melt your remaining chocolate chips in a double boiler (I used a small metal bowl placed over a pot of boiling water -- the bowl should be above and not touching the water), or you can use a microwave if you have one of those newfangled gadgets. Drizzle the chocolate decoratively over the tart (see my tip in the paragraph preceding the recipe!)

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is one that is in regular rotation in my kitchen. If I get a butternut squash in my CSA, I always have the other ingredients on hand to make this easy and satisfying soup. As a bonus, my toddler just loves it. You can try just about any winter squash in this soup, and I've had great success with acorn squash and kabocha squash.

Based on a recipe from my old favorite Joy of Cooking, this has been even further simplified from what was already a pretty easy rendition of butternut squash soup. The result is a soup that is smooth and creamy (but dairy-free), and it even has the potential of being vegan if you use oil and veggie stock. There is very little hands on time, and the bulk of cooking is just roasting the squash. Once that is out of the way, the soup comes together in very little time.

If you are feeling fancy, you can roast the butternut squash seeds (which are taste just like pumpkin seeds but are teeny and darling) and use them as a garnish. But let's be honest, this is just the perfect recipe when you aren't feeling fancy at all. And that is okay.

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 medium to large butternut squash, halved and seeded

• 3 tbs butter or vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, chopped roughly

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger 

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 tsp salt

• parsley or cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

1. Preheat your oven to 400. Place squash with the cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Roast for about an hour until it can be pierced easily with a fork. Once cool, remove and discard the skin, leaving only the pulp.

2. Heat butter or oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and the ginger, and cook, stirring, until tender (about 5 minutes).

3. Stir in the roasted squash and the stock. Simmer and cook, breaking up the squash a bit, for around 20 minutes.

4. Puree the soup until smooth. I use my immersion blender (which I adore!) because that involves the least amount of clean up. You could also use a blender or food processor. Add salt to taste, and reheat. Add your garnish, and serve!

Almond Biscotti

Around the time that temperatures begin to drop, I experience a craving for almonds. Almond butter, almond cake, even almond-scented dish soap. (Similarly, towards the end of winter, I experience an all-out lemon frenzy.) But here we are at the beginning of fall, and all I want is some almond biscotti to dunk into my morning coffee.

I already had a very favorite biscotti recipe which I've shared previously. But there are times, I hate to admit, when chocolate is a little too much early in the morning. My 3-year-old now wants to eat just what I'm eating, and I do not feel like parent-of-the-year when she's enjoying an 8am chocolate cookie. These almond biscotti are not exactly health food, but they aren't so bad for you either. Unlike our chocolate hazelnut biscotti, there is no butter (and no oil either).

This recipe combines both almond extract and a heaping pile of toasted chopped almonds to intensify that nutty flavor. And as all biscotti are, they are baked in long logs, sliced, and then baked again to get that crisp texture that just begs to be dipped into a piping hot cup of coffee or tea.

Almond Biscotti

adapted from joyofbaking.com

• 3/4 cup whole almonds

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Let cool, and then chop coarsely.

2. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs with the extracts.

4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the almonds, and then add the eggs and combine until a dough forms. (If it seems very dry, add just a few drops of water until dough comes together.) 

5. Divide the dough in half, and on a floured board, roll each half into a log about 7 inches long and 3 inches wide. Transfer logs to the parchment paper and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the logs to a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices onto the baking sheet, and bake for 12 more minutes. Then, flip slices over and bake for 12 more minutes, until very crisp. Remove from oven, let cool, and then store in an airtight container for up to several weeks. Makes 35-40 biscotti.

Olive & Tomato Quinoa Salad

Ripe red tomatoes, salty black olives, and fresh mozzarella are tossed with quinoa and a simple vinaigrette for an easy summertime meal.

 I’m an admirer of French cuisine (this and this are some of my cookbook staples) and I have a soft spot in my heart for summertime Provencal recipes. The kind of recipe that calls for fresh garden produce, lots of herbs, olive oil, and expensive cheese.  And of course - minimal cooking. I think this may be due to reading too many Peter Mayle novels. Is anyone with me?

Anyhow, this recipe fills the bill for summertime.  Quinoa cooks quickly so you don’t need to slave over a hot stove.  Everything else is fresh and delicious – requiring just a quick chop, then a stir into the warm quinoa. 
Don’t forget your glass of icy Pastis.

Olive & Tomato Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup dry quinoa (cooked)
  
• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  
• 1 cup chopped salty black olives
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella (we used bocconcini; the little balls)
  
• large handful chopped fresh basil
  
• scant 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• scant 1/3 cup olive oil

Cook quinoa as usual (add 2 cups water, simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed). 
Coarsely chop cherry tomatoes, olives, fresh mozzarella, and basil.  Set aside.
Whisk oil & vinegar together in liquid measuring cup or small bowl.  Drizzle over the hot cooked quinoa and stir to combine.  Wait until the quinoa is not too hot (you don’t want to melt the mozzarella), then stir in all the chopped veggies and herbs.  Top with a pretty cherry tomato & sprig of basil and serve.

Basic Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

Summer salads are a staple around here, and one of my favorite types of dressing is a basic vinaigrette.  I’ve always made them with olive oil, but this summer I’ve discovered walnut oil and the pleasant nutty flavor it brings to a simple vinaigrette.  This dressing is so simple to pull together – only 3 ingredients.  The subtle toasty walnut flavor here is a great complement to anything from spicy greens, quinoa based salads, and bean or lentil summer salads. 

Oh, and let me come clean on my level of general laziness:  one of the reasons I’m a big vinaigrette fan is the fact that they’re so fast to pull together.  I recently got this nifty little tool which means I can make a vinaigrette in my liquid measuring cup – only one dirty dish!  Speaking of time and busy-ness and ‘laziness’ as a virtue…have you read this article from the NY Times?  A very interesting read.

Anyhow, next time you want to make a simple dressing but are wanting something a little different, give this walnut oil based vinaigrette a try.  I have been loving it on brown lentil salads, if you’re into that kind of thing!

Basic Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

• 1/2 c walnut oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Put balsamic vinegar and mustard in a liquid measuring cup.  Whisk together well, then drizzle in walnut oil while continuing to whisk.  Dressing will emulsify as you add the oil.  Store in the fridge; will keep for at least a month.

Blueberry Hard Lemonade

It has been crazy hot here in Colorado. So hot that, well, much of our state is literally on fire. Thank goodness we are (so far) well out of harm's way, and there is cool weather and rain on the forecast for this weekend! ("Cool weather" now means 80s for us... yeah, it has been rough.) And during these hot, hot days, we've been wanting little else than to sip on cold, refreshing drinks like this one.

This is one of those drinks that my toddler just doesn't understand why she isn't allowed to drink. Lemonade, blueberries, and just a luscious pinky-purple color. Oh yeah, and there's that healthy helping of vodka that makes it strictly adults-only.

We used frozen blueberries in this cocktail because they are something I always have on hand. As a bonus, they help to keep this drink frosty on those 103+ degree days. Sigh. We also love the beautiful color that they provide as they start to melt.

It almost seems silly to provide a recipe because this is so flexible and easy. Feel free to use the proportions of lemonade to vodka to frozen blueberries that makes you happy! But as a guide, here is what we do.

Blueberry Hard Lemonade

• 2 tbs frozen blueberries

• 2 oz vodka

• lemonade (we like Santa Cruz Organic)

• ice

• lemon slice, for garnish

1. Place frozen blueberries into your glass.
2. Add vodka and ice.
3. Add lemonade to fill glass, stir, and garnish with lemon slice.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Sarah and I have been talking about doing homemade mayo for what feels like forever. Now we're experiencing summer temperatures in Colorado, and our thoughts are on picnic baskets, baguette sandwiches, and potato salads. I am not a huge mayo fan, and I have always used it sparingly on sandwiches, if at all. It was a great point of contention when I discovered that my husband's family dips their artichoke leaves in mayonnaise. (Melted butter, am I right?) But homemade mayo is a whole different creature than the supermarket stuff. Is anyone surprised?

I recently bought the gorgeous cookbook Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. I'm pretty sure that everyone else in the blogosphere (did I really use that word?) already owns this hefty tome, but I tend to be late to the party. When we decided to finally make mayo, I thought Dorie was just the woman to turn to. Of course, I did not read the recipe from start to finish beforehand, and I flubbed it on my first go. (Note to self: read the damn thing first.)

So take it from me, when the recipe says to go slow and literally add the oil drop by drop, it truly means literally. It isn't to say that it takes very long to make mayo (unless you have to start all over again). It actually doesn't take long at all. You just need to do it right. Drop by drop.

Also, I tried it in my food processor which has a gracious 14-cup capacity (love that thing), but it didn't work for this because it was just too big. I switched over to my handy stick blender, and finally things started happening. So if you have a large food processor, use the small bowl attachment, or try another mixing method.

Homemade Mayonnaise

• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

• 2 tsp white wine vinegar

• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2-1 cup oil, mild (such as grapeseed or canola) or more flavorful (we used olive), or a combination

Put the yolk, vinegar, and the mustard in a bowl, blender, or food processor. Whisk or whir to blend. Drop by drop (literally!! don't go to fast here...) start adding the oil, mixing all the while. When you've got about 1/4 cup oil beaten in and the mix is starting to look like mayonnaise (around 4 minutes or so), you can add the remaining oil more steadily, but still slowly. Use at least 1/2 cup oil, and up to about 1 cup to get the consistency you want. We only used the minimum 1/2 cup oil, and we liked how thick and flavorful the result was.

Strawberry Apple Torte

I can barely believe that I've waited this long to share this recipe on Two Tarts. I've made this recipe umpteen times, but it has never been the same recipe twice. It is titled in my favorite cookbook as a "seasonal fruit torte" and four seasonal variations are included. This isn't one of them. That is the brilliance of this kind of recipe: entirely adaptable to whatever is in season or rolling around your fridge.

Aside from the fruit, the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples. This has become the ultimate dessert for an impromptu get-together. Give me an hour head's up, and I'll have this torte at the ready. As it turns out, all you have to do is arrange fruit in a pretty pattern and people are extremely impressed. (But hey, it also doesn't hurt that this simple cake tastes really good.)

So, obviously the recipe here is for a strawberry and apple torte. But here are some other ideas: strawberry-mango torte, summer plum or peach torte, autumnal gingered pear, wintry cranberry-apple. Play around with some spices, depending on the fruit. Also, lime might make more sense than lemon, or try orange. (I've also omitted the citrus juice and zest altogether - still great!)

Strawberry Apple Torte

adapted from Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 8 tbs (1 stick butter), room temperature

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries

• 1 apple, peeled and sliced

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter and flour an 8-in cake pan; pour out any excess flour.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy (easiest with a mixer, but I've had good results by hand too). Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Blend in the vanilla and zest. Add the reserved dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth, thick batter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
4. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Arrange the topping decoratively over the batter, using just enough fruit to cover the batter in a single overlapping layer. Sprinkle with the last 1/2 tsp sugar, and bake in the middle of oven until lightly browned around the edges and just set in the middle, 30-35 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes.