Category: Fruit
Just Peachy Cream Scones

Just Peachy Cream Scones

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Ripe for the Picking

Peaches and nectarines are showing up at the farmer’s market in full force now. Summer is in full swing and the delicious scent of summer fruits-peaches, melons, and berries permeate the air. Even with my COVID mask on I catch whiffs of the heady aroma of vine-ripened fruit.  

I came home with way too many peaches and nectarines of course. After eating more than a couple out of hand I decided it was time to change it up.  I saw a recipe in the NYT for a peach loaf bread but that would mean having the oven on for a very long time, way too hot for that.  How about scones?  I can make Dorie’s Cream Scones and throw in peaches in place of currants and fortunately, they bake in a jiffy. 

Dorie’s Cream Scones is my go-to recipe, I have made it with dried cranberries and orange zest, dried blueberries and lemon, or freeze-dried strawberries.  It lends itself well to variations. But fresh fruit?  A little trickier.  I diced the skinned peach and placed it in the freezer while I made the dough.  I used one cup of diced peaches which is conveniently about 1 peach. 

Partially freezing the peaches (don’t use commercially frozen peaches, those have too much liquid), prevents the peaches from getting smooshed when you fold them into the dough.  I tossed them in when I added the liquid to the dry ingredients but it would be better to add the liquid, blend it to a shaggy mess, then add the peaches as you bring the dough together.

Pearls of Sconedom

Fresh fruit is less focused in sweetness and flavor than dried fruit.  I liked the peaches but they would benefit from a couple of “flavor amplifiers”.  Next time I will add a teaspoon of vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the dough.  I was lazy so I did not put a wash on the scones.  My bad, do not skip this. Brush an egg-wash or heavy cream on the scones before baking and sprinkle them generously with turbinado or sparkling sugar.  This adds both crunch and sweetness.  Another variation to jazz these scones up, finely diced candied or crystallized ginger would be ah-mazing, use about 2 tablespoons.  

Make these scones an hour or two before you serve them. I like them at room temperature, the flavor, and texture set up nicely.  They are often served warm too, just not my preference.  Scones are drier than biscuits which means they are perfect with a spoon of jam and dollop of clotted cream-scone heaven.  If you don’t have clotted cream, you can use creme fraiche, mascarpone, or butter.

Whaddya waiting for, go make some scones!

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Dorie Greenspan's Cream Scones

Dorie's classic cream scones with fresh peaches
Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Keyword Cream Scones, Dorie Greenspan, Scones
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter chilled & cut into small pieces

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1 large egg
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract optional

Adds:

  • 3/4-1 cup fresh fruit-peaches, nectarines, strawberries, berries larger fruit-diced and left to drain on a paper towel while making dough.

Egg wash:

  • 2 tbsp heavy cream or egg wash
  • turbinado or sparkling sugar

Accompaniments

  • jam or preserves serving
  • clotted cream substitute creme fraiche or mascarpone

Instructions

  • Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment
  • In a small bowl, stir the egg, cream and vanilla (if using) together.
  • Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
  • Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly.
  • Pour the egg, cream and currants over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, come together. Don't overdo it. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times.
  • You can also use a food processor. Place dry ingredients in bowl, pulse 1-2 twice to mix. Add butter and pulse 5-6 times until mixture looks like crumbs. Add egg/cream and pulse to dough just begins to clump. Do not overmix! Take mixture out of processor bowl, fold in peaches and shape dough into circles, proceed as below.
  • Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that's about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 wedges and place it on the baking sheet.
  • Brush scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar
  • Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes (start checking at 15 min) or until their tops are golden and firm. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for them to cool to room temperature.
  • The scones can be frozen on the baking sheet as the cut wedges, then wrapped airtight. Don't defrost before baking- just add about 2 minutes to the baking time.
  • Serve with jam and clotted cream or butter

Notes

Great combinations include:
Sub dried blueberries and lemon, add 1 tsp lemon zest
Sub dried cranberries and orange add 1-2 tsp orange zest
Sub fresh fruit for currants:
blueberries, strawberries
cut fruit-partially freeze diced fruit before adding to dough

Lemon Icing

  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
Cranberry Curd Tart (All the Colors of the Pie)

Cranberry Curd Tart (All the Colors of the Pie)

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The Perfect Potluck Event

Before going full force into Christmas mode, a recap of Thanksgiving is due.  Turkey Day was spent at my brother’s house in The City with aunties, uncles, cousins, and friends.  Potluck style, the spread is a mash-up of classic Thanksgiving dishes and Chinese dishes adapted for the holiday.

Our table would not be complete without sweet rice stuffing – Gnaw Mai Fan and Cousin Gary’s Sweet Potatoes (yep the classic copious amounts of butter and brown sugar, topped with mini-marshmallows). Our contribution to the annual feast was PIES and for forty-plus people.  That’s a whole lotta pie. Lucky for me Jamie was home. Yay.  Reinforcements.

It’s Pie Time

Have you ever noticed, Thanksgiving dinner is texturally (besides the turkey) a toothless delight-stuffing, yams, corn casserole, carrot pudding, overcooked green bean casserole…you know what I’m talking about.  The traditional desserts are a plethora of orangey-brown tones-pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and pecan pie. The only reprieve is a dollop of whipped cream on every slice.  Kinda monochromatic.

Well, we fixed that this year.  Not the soft foods just the dessert color palette problem.  We still made Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie but we then finished with a color flurry-Purple Sweet Potato Pie, Apple Tart (don’t peel your apples), and a Cranberry Curd Tart.  Splash!

For the Cranberry Curd Tart, two recipes stood out (ok, they were the first two after Googling).  David Tanis’s recipe in the New York Times and the Cranberry Curd Tart from the blog Blossom to Stem.  A flip of the coin, Blossom to Stem won.  It is a beautiful blog, craft cocktails, and delicious food, check it out.

Let’s Talk Crust, Crust, Baby

The crust, all butter, flour, powdered sugar, egg yolk, and orange zest.  The powdered sugar makes a tender crust by lowering the protein content of the dough.  Melted butter means no waiting for the butter to soften.  I am a believer in using melted butter for crusts.  I learned this from making Alice Medrich’s BOSS Lemon bar recipe.  Bake it until a nice golden brown. The finished crust is sweet, citrusy, and tender.  Love it.

The curd starts with cooking the cranberries in orange juice until they burst then passing the mixture through a food mill to remove the seeds and skin.  Don’t have a food mill? Make the curd and strain it. A little more elbow grease (ok, more than a little) without a food mill but doable.

Voila, a gorgeous ruby red cranberry curd-sweet, tart, and delicious.

The curd will thicken as it cools so make sure the crust is baked before finishing the curd. Quickly pour the curd into the crust and slide it into the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and cool the tart at room temp for an hour and then into the fridge it goes to set.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds or candied cranberries and serve with a ubiquitous dollop of whipped cream or if you like, a meringue (nope, not me).

Make this tart and bedazzle your family and friends this holiday season.

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Cranberry Curd Tart

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cranberry curd tart
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional time to prep curd and bake 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of one orange

For the cranberry curd

  • 12 ounces cranberries fresh or frozen
  • juice of one orange Approximately 1/2 cup
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier (optional)

Instructions

Make the crust

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the flour, powdered sugar, and salt to a small bowl and whisk together. Melt the butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave), add the vanilla extract and orange zest to the butter and stir, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir together until thoroughly moistened.
  • Press the dough evenly along the bottom and sides into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Make the cranberry curd

  • Heat the cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the cranberries split. Strain through a food mill or fine mesh sieve and discard the skins.
  • Return the strained cranberry mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, and orange liqueur (if using) to the pan and give everything a good stir. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers 170°F on an instant read thermometer (about 8-9 minutes). Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and pour into the prepared crust. Bake (still at 350°F) until the curd is set (it should jiggle but not slosh), about 10 minutes.
  • Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. Serve this chilled or at room temperature.
  • Serve with softly whipped cream
Gettin Figgy Wit It (Fig & Honey Tart)

Gettin Figgy Wit It (Fig & Honey Tart)

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I’m pretty jazzed, a friend is gifting me a fig tree!  She took a cutting, threw it in dirt and whaddya know, it grew into a full-fledged tree. I’m going to be really embarrassed if it doesn’t survive on my watch.  Farmer Deb is not a moniker associated with me.  

I am content to be the recipient of anyone else’s green thumb bounty.  This includes figs, which I adore. Until my little tree matures, I will happily take extra figs off your hands.  Put that right in the box, next to the “what am I going to do with all these” zucchinis and persimmons.  

Yep, bring it on.

Lucky for me, Snookies brought me a couple of generously filled baskets of green and purple figs.  After popping a couple of them into my mouth (yum), I got online to FIG-ure out delicious ways to use these little bad boys.

A Fig & Honey Tart from The Little Epicurean caught my eye instantly. The tart is as beautiful as it is delicious AND it is pretty darn easy to make.  Your friends and family will be SO impressed.  Word.

To start the crust is very easy to work with.  Don’t be intimidated by the whole pie crust thang.  The addition of almond flour and sugar creates a tender, cookie like crust that oozes with buttery goodness. A couple of interruptions had me taking the dough in and out of the fridge before finally fitting it into the tart pan and baking it off.  If the crust gets a little soft, toss it back in the fridge.  By the time I rolled out the dough and placed it in the pan, talked to Jamie on the phone for a bit,  it was getting pretty soft.  I ended up pressing pieces into the pan, worked like a charm.

The filling is stupid easy.  Combine cream cheese with honey and sugar, give it a good mix and that’s it.  I added a teaspoon of vanilla to add depth.  Quarter the figs and place in concentric circles on top of the filling.  Dust with raw or Demerara Sugar.  Go to the garage and grab your blow torch and caramelize the sugar.  Drizzle honey over tart and sprinkle chopped pistachios on top.  I used hazelnuts cuz that’s what I had on hand, Yums.

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FRESH FIG TART WITH HONEY AND PISTACHIOS

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword fig, honey, little epicurean, tart

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons, cold
  • 1 egg yolk cold

Filling

  • 8 oz package cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • green figs or purple figs quartered, as needed
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • Pistachios or toasted hazelnuts Chopped

Instructions

Crust

  • In a food process, combine flour, almond flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to mix.
  • Add cold butter. Pulse 4 times at 3 second intervals to lightly mix together the ingredients. Add egg yolk and pulse until dough begins to come together.
  • Dump the dough onto a clean working surface. Gather the dough together and push into a ball. Flatten dough to about 1-inch thickness.
  • Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until well chilled.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack to room temperature before filling with cream cheese.

Filling

  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and honey. Mix until combined. Spread cream cheese filling into cooled tart shell.
  • Arrange cut figs on top of cream cheese filling. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Before serving, sprinkle with Demerara Sugar and caramelize.
  • Drizzle honey over tart and sprinkle nuts on top
You Say Crisp, I say Crumble, Either Way, it’s Berry Delicious (Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble)

You Say Crisp, I say Crumble, Either Way, it’s Berry Delicious (Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble)

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On my recent foray to the Farmer’s Market I came home with not only strawberries and blueberries but rhubarb too.  I thought about making a pie but I wanted something a little easier and quicker to make but just as tasty.
Ideas started running through my head, how about a crisp or crumble?  The vision of a sea of lightly sweetened fruit capped by cresting waves of oatmeal, nuts, sugar and butter.  I dove in.

I could adapt my apple crisp, which is yummy-licious, but I did a quick digital walk online and found a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble on Epicurious.  It looked really tasty to me.  A crumble is essentially the British version of a crisp. Best of all, the recipe called for hazelnuts.  Lately I have found myself drawn to recipes that incorporate those tasty filberts.  They’re super crunchy and buttery with a unique flavor that is hard to describe. Pecans, my usual go-to nut, are milder and softer while hazelnuts are bold and assertive.  It doesn’t get swallowed up by other ingredients, but acts as a nice foil.  But that crunch, oooh, love it.

Though the recipe calls for strawberries and rhubarb, I threw in blueberries for good measure.  Rhubarb adds a nice tart punch to the berries. When you dig into the crisp, the berries will be sweet, the rhubarb-tart, and the crumble-buttery, and thanks to the hazelnuts-crunchy.  A nice contrast to the soft, juicy berries.  Want it less tart?  Add more berries and less rhubarb.  In a pinch, you could substitute pecans or walnuts.  BUT hazelnuts are so good.  I use to toast my own but that’s a lot of work.  I get toasted, skinned, hazelnuts from TJ.  It’s worth it.  Grab small handfuls of the crumble and squeeze it together before sprinkling it on the fruit.  The chunks of crumble help prevent it from sinking into the fruit.

Last but not least, don’t forget the vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, the perfect finishing touch.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (Crisp)

Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword rhubarb, Strawberry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • 7x11 rectangular baking dish or 2 quart dish, oval or round

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar for fruit You can substitute light brown sugar for the granulated sugar in the crumble.
  • Large pinch of salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup husked hazelnuts toasted , coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise
  • 1 pound strawberries hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
  • 12 ounces rhubarb preferably bright red, ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch- thick pieces
  • Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions

  • Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. DO AHEAD: Topping can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
  • Preheat oven to 375°Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish or any 2 quaert baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. I used 1 tsp. vanilla paste instead.
  • Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss well. Pour fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Compress oat topping in hand to form clumps and then sprinkle evenly over filling.
  • Bake crumble until filling bubbles and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

It's hard to chop hazelnuts without them rolling all around.  I throw them in a plastic bag and lightly roll over them with my rolling pin.
Really, too tart? Use more berries and less rhubarb.  But if you like a hit of tartness in random bites, keep all of the rhubarb in the recipe.
To make this Vegan, you can substitute coconut oil or a light mild olive oil for the butter in the crumble in a 1:1 ratio.  If you try this, I need a report back please!

 
Do You Mandango? Mango Sticky Rice

Do You Mandango? Mango Sticky Rice

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I recently posted a pic on Instagram of this luscious dessert I had up in San Francisco at U Dessert Story, Mango Sticky Rice Bingsoo.  A generous layer of fresh sweet mango precariously perched on a mound of superfine shave ice drenched in sweetened condensed milk, and finely shredded coconut.  This mega bowl of bingsoo is flanked by an array of sticky rice, housemade coconut crumble, more sweetened condensed milk, and fresh mango puree.  It was mind-bogglingly delicious.

mango sticky rice bingsoo
Cubes of fresh mango, powder-like ice, tender but chewy sticky rice and the crunchy crumble, a veritable smorgasbord of textures and flavors.

Since that day I have had mango on the brain.  I picked up a bunch of Manila mangos, because you can’t just buy one, because I had decided I had to make Mango Sticky Rice.  It’s sweet, filling, refreshing, and gluten-free.  A classic fixture at Thai restaurants, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make at home.

WARNING: Dissertation Ahead + The Ulitmate Rice Guide

The biggest hurdle is probably tracking down the ingredients.  Mango Sticky Rice calls for Sweet or Glutinous Rice.  This is not regular rice, it is not arborio or risotto rice, and it is not to be confused with sushi rice (short grain) which is stickier than long-grain rice but not actually sticky rice.  Sweet rice, also known as sticky rice or glutinous rice, is low in amylose, and high in amylopectin (starches) which allows it to absorb liquids and create that trademark stickiness.

To add to the confusion-sweet rice also comes as short grain or long grain.  Thai cuisine uses long-grain sticky rice, while Chinese and Japanese dishes generally use short grain.  I used short-grain sweet (glutinous) rice from Koda Farms (Sho-Chiku-Bai) which is a little easier to find (most Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets will carry this) and it’s what I have on hand.  I’ll be looking for Thai long grain Sticky rice the next time I’m at an Asian market.  I foresee an America’s Test Kitchen session soon.

Glutinous rice absorbs liquids well, so the traditional, easy method for cooking it is to soak the rice for a good couple of hours (2-8 hours) and then steam it.  You COULD buy a special bamboo steamer for sticky rice or you could improvise.  I lined my steamer with cheesecloth to spread the rice on.

sticky rice

The rice steams for approximately 25 minutes.  It will look translucent and should not be chalky in the center.  Pull out a couple of kernels and taste them.

While the rice is steaming, prepare the coconut milk that will be used in the rice and as a sauce alongside.  Warm coconut milk and add sugar, stir to dissolve.  Remove 1 1/4 cups to use in the rice.  Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoons of cold water, to the coconut milk remaining in the pot. Stir constantly until the sauce begins to thicken.  Set aside.

To cut mango, slice in half lengthwise, as close to the seed as possible. For cubes, score mango in grid pattern and scoop flesh away from skin. Or flip the mango inside out to expose flesh making it easy to cut it away from skin.

When the rice is done, pour it into a bowl, add the 1 1/4 cups of coconut milk and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes so the milk is absorbed by the rice.  Stir rice again, cover, and let it sit for a few more minutes.

mango sticky rice

Slice or cube mango and serve alongside a scoop of sticky rice.  Drizzle coconut sauce on rice and garnish with sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

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Mango Sticky Rice

Gluten-free delicious Thai dessert
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian
Keyword mango, sticky rice, Thai
Prep Time 6 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups Long-grain Sticky Rice (aka sweet or glutinous) can use short grain
  • 1 can coconut milk 13.5 ounces, like Chaokoh
  • 1/4 cup sugar + 2-4 Tablespoons
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 t cold water
  • 1 big ripe mango or 2 Manila mangoes peeled and sliced or cubed
  • Toasted sesame seeds for garnish black or white
  • fresh strawberries for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the sticky rice with tap water and use your hand to gently stir it. Drain the water to remove the excess starch. Repeat once, then add water to cover. Soak the sticky rice for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 8 hours. Rinse again and drain the water.
  • Transfer the rice to a heatproof bowl, add about 2 inches of water to your steamer (not into the rice), place the heatproof rice bowl on the steaming rack in the steamer, and cover the steamer. Turn to medium-high heat to bring the water to a boil. When the steam starts to come out of the pot, turn to medium heat. Steam for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked through, with no hard raw bits in the middle. Or use a steamer rack lined with cheesecloth. Spread rice evenly over cloth and steam as directed above.
  • While rice is steaming, add can of coconut milk, 1/4 cup + 2 T of sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot and the sugar is melted. Do not bring the coconut sauce to a boil. Taste for sweetness, if it needs more sugar, add another 1-2 tablespoons. Remove 1-1/4 cups sauce to be used with the rice.
  • Carefully remove the sticky rice bowl from the steamer with your oven mitts on. Pour the 1-1/4 cups of sauce over the bowl of rice. Stir to mix well. Allow to stand covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and stir the rice again. Allow mixture to sit another few minutes.
  • For the remaining sauce, combine the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl. Stir to completely dissolve the cornstarch. Over medium-low heat, remaining sauce to a small saucepan. Add half of the slurry to the sauce. Stir immediately to thicken the sauce. You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by slowly adding a bit more water or cornstarch slurry, if needed. The sauce shouldn’t be too thick, but should coat the back of a spoon.
  • Serve when the rice mixture and the sauce cool to room temperature. You can serve it or store the extra sauce and the sauce-rice mixture separately in the fridge until ready to serve, up to 3 days. The sauce will further thicken when cooled.
  • To serve, transfer the coconut rice into serving bowls or plates. Place the sliced mango on the side. Pour a few spoonfuls of the extra coconut sauce on top of the rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh sliced strawberries if desired.

Notes

  • If you use refrigerated sticky rice, you can gently heat it in the microwave to bring it to room temperature before serving, for a better texture. However, it’s highly recommended to serve the rice when it’s fresh, for best results. Do not freeze the sticky rice, as it will create a very tough texture.
  • Use a small ramekin to mold sticky rice and place on the plate.
Summer Strawberry Cake, Farmer’s Market: A Midsummer Day’s Dream

Summer Strawberry Cake, Farmer’s Market: A Midsummer Day’s Dream

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Get thee to a Farmer’s Market now. It is the perfect time to visit your local market, all things fruit and vegetable are at its peak.  You can hardly walk through the market without becoming intoxicated by the aroma of vine-ripened tomatoes, peaches, and strawberries.

At my local farmer’s market, we are lucky enough to have strawberries from P&K Farms, a family run farm in the Monterey area.  I can remember a couple of years ago when I first noticed their stand at the market.  Actually, it was hard not to notice, a line easily 10 people deep had formed in front of their kiosk.  Being a true skeptic, I thought, come on, are their berries really worth the wait?

Flash forward to this past weekend.  Like an idiot, I stopped for coffee BEFORE heading to the market which then meant waiting in the “way more than 10 people” line for my 3-pack of ruby perfection.  Yes, it is worth the wait.  Their strawberries are sweet, full of flavor, and remarkably hardy.

Let Them Eat Cake!…with Strawberries

I reserved part of my strawberry treasure trove for a friend’s July 4th BBQ.  I could take the easy way out and just throw them in a bowl, serve them straight up which would be perfectly fine, but what fun would that be?  Time to try that recipe from Smitten Kitchen for a cake that showcases strawberries.  A simple butter cake LOADED with berries.  The 9-inch cake calls for a pound of strawberries which means with every bite, you sink your teeth into sweet, oozy strawberries and really that’s what it is all about.

The original recipe is from Martha Stewart and tweaked by Smitten Kitchen.  The recipe calls for combining the egg, milk, and vanilla and then adding it to the creamed mixture.  Adding all the liquid at once made for a very curdled-looking mixture.  I added the dry ingredients and the batter came together.  I found a trick, when the batter looks like it is about to curdle as you are adding the milk, toss 1 tablespoon of the flour mix into the batter.  This small amount of flour prevents the curdling but won’t toughen the cake.  Voila’.  The hulled and halved strawberries are placed cut side down in the batter.

A sprinkling of sugar to finish and into the oven for about an hour.  Bake this cake in a deep dish pie plate or a cake pan lined with parchment.  It will overflow in a traditional 9-inch pyrex pie plate.  Smitten Kitchen recently adjusted the recipe to make a 9×13 cake (two pounds of strawberries!) because let’s face it, everyone is going to want seconds.

Serve this with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  Make it earlier in the day so the cake can sit. The strawberries will marry with the cake even more.  Sooo luscious.  Sooo good.

So what are you doing this weekend?  Yep, picking up strawberries at the Farmer’s Market, baking this cake, and looking appropriately sheepish as your friends and family shower you with compliments and RAVE about this cake.

Repeat after me, “Aww shucks. It was nothing.”

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Strawberry Summer Cake

An easy cake that screams summer is here. Loads of strawberries baked in a buttery sweet tender cake.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cake, strawberries, strawberry cake, Summer Cooler
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 9-inch cake pan or 9-inch deep dish pie plate
  • Mixer

Ingredients

Dry Stuff

  • 1 1/2 cups (188 gram) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt

Buttah & Sugar

  • 1 cup (200 gram) plus 2 tablespoons (25 gram) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85 gram)unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate

The Wet Stuff

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup 118 ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Top

  • 1 pound 450 grams strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Don't use a regular 9-inch pie plate which is too small.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine. Add milk and vanilla until just combined. The mixture may look a little curdled. It's okay, once you add dry ingredients it will come together* see post for tip. Add dry ingredients gradually, mixing until just smooth but well combined.
  • Pour into prepared cake pan. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer, don't be afraid to really squish them together. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.
  • Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.)
  • Let cool in pan on a rack.
  • Remove cake from pan by flipping it onto a plate and inverting it onto another. Thank goodness for parchment paper.
  • Serve with lightly whipped cream. Or Lemon Cream from another recipe, see note!

Notes

The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, loosely covered. It really won't last that long though.
Lemon Cream
 
Jest Jammin’ (Strawberry Lime Jam)

Jest Jammin’ (Strawberry Lime Jam)

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From my weekly trip to the Farmer’s Market I once again came home with way too many strawberries…I should have bought one basket but noooo…I went bonkers and bought a HALF FLAT of strawberries.  That’s 6 baskets of strawberries between the two of us.

Which means it’s JAM TIME.  I pulled up the recipe for STUPID EASY JAM I posted a couple months ago, grabbed the lime instead of the lemon sitting on the counter and less than an hour later I’m spreading homemade jam on toast to go with my coffee.  How easy is that? Yummos.  The lime is a nice change from lemon it gives it a tropical twist.

I think the best thing about regattas and long bike rides is guilt free carb loading. There is nothing better than a pb&j sandwich. I love the saltiness of the peanut butter and the sweetness of the jam smooshed between two slices of Wonder Bread.

Even though I didn’t row or ride today, a loaf of soft white bread reminiscent of Wonder Bread, a jar of just made jam and summer’s last hurrah heat wave was the perfect excuse for a pb&j sandwich and a tall glass of ice cold milk for dinner. Nothing like starting the day with jam on buttered toast and ending it with a pb&j.  Felt like a kid again.

So if you are like me and find yourself with too many strawberries.  Make some jam!
Strawberry Squared (Strawberry Bread)

Strawberry Squared (Strawberry Bread)

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The problem with going to the Farmer’s Markets is I end up with way more than we will be able to finish.  As I walk through the market everything looks so delicious and smells so good. The aroma of sun ripened fruit is intoxicating, the variety of greens and tomatoes are mind boggling, every where I turn I see or smell something that I just have to try.

The old adage “my eyes are too big for my stomach” fits me perfectly.  I return home from my market excursion, bag brimming with way too many things and in quantities that make me slap my forehead and wonder “what was I thinking”.  I don’t just have one basket of strawberries (the perfect amount for Wes and me) but a three pack (way too many).

By mid-week I am hunting for recipes that contain strawberries.

I came across this Strawberry Bread recipe in Saveur magazine.  A luscious quick bread that called for not only fresh strawberries but strawberry jam.  Strawberry squared!  It looked and sounded heavenly so I quickly pulled out my loaf pans, my baskets of strawberries and set to work making this bread.  In a wink I had the batter made (the beauty of quick breads) and I was sliding the pans into the oven.

I no longer have to worry about buying too many berries at the market.  This bread is delicious.  It is moist, slightly tart from the fresh berries, sweet from the jam that I swirled into the batter and bursting with strawberry flavor. The cinnamon adds just a hint of spice. I imagine this bread would lend itself well to other fruits. I have plans to try this with the nectarines currently sitting on my counter.

This bread is great warm just out of the oven but it’s also wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee, toasted and spread with a bit of butter.

Boy I love summer.

 

 

Print Pin

Strawberry Loaf Cake

Ingredients

  • MAKES 2 LOAVES
  • Ingredients
  • Unsalted butter for greasing pans
  • 3 cups flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 ⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1 ⁄4 cups canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups roughly chopped strawberries substitute peaches or nectarines
  • 1 ⁄2 cup strawberry jam optional or peach jam

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9" x 5" x 2¾") loaf pans with butter and dust with flour; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, and eggs.
  • Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
  • Stir in strawberries and pour batter into prepared pans. If using jam, spoon ¼ cup over each loaf and using a knife, swirl jam into batter.
  • Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaves comes out clean, about 1 hour.
  • Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Strawberry Fields Forever-Strawberry Pie Now

Strawberry Fields Forever-Strawberry Pie Now

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Tasked with dessert for Easter dinner at my brother’s this year, I pondered what to bring.  Inspiration hit at my local farmer’s market when I spied the baskets of luscious, red, ripe strawberries at the P&K Stand.

It’s PIE TIME, BABY

An image popped up in my head, fresh sweet ripe strawberries piled in a crispy buttery crust and topped with a dollop of whipped cream.   This perfectly describes Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Strawberry Pie recipe.  I own as many of her cookbooks as I do Dorie Greenspan’s and that’s saying a lot, both are baking gurus extraordinaire.  Rose’s recipes are organized, reliable, easy to follow, and delicious. First, the ingredients are listed by volume measurements and weights (ounces and grams, how great is that?) in all her books and then formatted in tables.  In addition, each recipe has pointers for success, helpful hints, and a Harold McGee/ Alton Brown-like blurb on understanding the recipe.  My favorites include Rose’s Christmas Cookies, Cake Bible, and her recent book  The Baking Bible.

Her Glazed Strawberry Pie recipe is from The Pie and Pastry Bible. In addition to being delish, it is super easy to make. The strawberries are the star of this pie so make sure your berries are ripe and sweet. Start by slicing the strawberries in half and then making the glaze.  The glaze calls for sugar, cornstarch as the thickener, and cranberry-raspberry frozen concentrate.  Yep, frozen fruit juice concentrate.  Finally, fold the strawberries in the glaze and pour them into a pre-baked crust.

It’s all about the crust and filling, uh-huh

Use your favorite pie crust recipe (or mine), fully pre-bake it, and as it cools, make the filling.  Keep in mind the pie will need to chill in the fridge for a good couple of hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream (totally worth the calorie splurge).

Take advantage of strawberry season and MAKE THIS PIE.  Your family will love you. Your friends will love you.  You could run for office (hint, hint) after making this pie.

Print

Glazed Strawberry Pie from Pie and Pastry Bible

No bake strawberry pie from Rose Levy Beranbaum! It's simple and delicious!
Course Dessert, Pie
Cuisine American
Keyword pie, Pie crust, strawberries, Strawberry Pie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Basic Flaky Pie Crust for a 9-inch pie See post for link to pie crust recipe
  • 1 tablespoon egg white lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup liquid cran/raspberry concentrate thawed, undiluted
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4-5 cups strawberries rinsed, hulled, dried, and halved

Instructions

For pie dough:

  • Favorite pie crust recipe, need only a single crust.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.
  • Roll dough 1/8 inch thick or less and about a 13-inch circle.
  • Transfer the dough to the pie pan. Fold under the excess and crimp the border using a fork or your fingers. Cover it loosely and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking.
  • Line the pastry shell with foil and fill with pie weights, rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift out the rice or beans with the foil. With a fork prick the bottom and sides and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until the crust is a golden. Check after 3 minutes and prick any bubbles that may have formed.
  • Cool the crust on a rack for 3 minutes, so it is no longer piping hot, then brush the bottom and sides with the egg white.

Make the filling:

  • In a 2-quart saucepan, mix together the sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in the cran/raspberry concentrate and water until smooth. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
  • Gently fold in the strawberries and spoon the filling into the baked pastry shell. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.
  • Serve with freshly whipped cream
  • Store:
  • Refrigerated up to 2 days.
  • The Pie and Pastry Bible

Notes

Press for time? Go ahead, use a commercial pie crust!  
My favorite pie crust is from Dorie Greenspan