Tag: #strawberries
Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries (The Comeback Cake)

Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries (The Comeback Cake)

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When my oldest was a tyke his favorite cake was the Barefoot Contessa’s Strawberry Country Cake.  This was his cake of choice for his birthday for quite a few years… Then Along Came Daddy (his Carrot Cake actually) that put the kibosh on the strawberry cake, so sad.  After I shoved my ego aside, I was FINE with Wes’s Carrot Cake becoming the birthday cake of choice.  It is pretty damn tasty.

The other birthday tradition we have, which thankfully has stayed the same, is going to a Giants game.  His birthday is in June, right about the time baseball is in full swing and school is out for the summer.  This year was no exception, we planned the perfect day for his b-day.

Giants versus the Cubbies plus SF Giants Pride Jerseys for the first 20K fans, dinner at our favorite neighborhood Chinese Restaurant, Gourmet Carousel (which recently re-opened with the OG owners-yay), and to round out the day, birthday cake at home.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Every year around this time, when the weather warms up, the days are longer, this thought pops into my head, “Hey, shouldn’t P&K Farms Strawberries and Triple Delight Blueberries be showing up soon?”.  As luck would have it, both P&K and Triple Delight were at the Farmer’s Market the week of his birthday.  I made a command decision…Ina’s Country Cake with Strawberries for his birthday this year, NOT Carrot Cake.  He’s a big boy, he can handle it.

It Was A Hit, He Loved It

This version of Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries is from a long-ago issue of Food & Wine.  If you Google Ina Garten’s Strawberry Country Cake you will find multiple sites that have published her recipe.  Why Food & Wine’s version?  First, I had a subscription to F&W back in the day and that’s where I found the recipe.  Second, the recipe makes a single-layer cake that you split into two layers.  Finally, the recipe calls for large eggs. Barefoot Contessa fans know she often uses extra-large eggs in her recipes (which I rarely buy). So this version is my go-to.  I baked another one and ended up freezing it.  We pulled it out of the freezer on Father’s Day and left it on the counter to thaw.   It was delicious, so feel free to use one of the double recipes and freeze the second layer for another day!

I adore this cake, it is buttery, has a nice crumb, and is not too sweet.  Classic prep, cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, and then the sour cream and zest.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the batter is well combined and homogenous looking but do not overbeat.  The addition of lemon and orange zest adds a refreshing citrus hint that is terrific with berries.  Sour cream adds a hint of tang and moisture to the cake.  Spread batter into an 8-inch round cake pan that has been buttered and floured or sprayed.  The batter is fairly thick, not pourable, and will need an offset spatula to spread evenly in the cake pan.

I would increase the amount of whipping cream to 1-1/2 cups, and decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons, especially if your berries are sweet.  Your whipped cream fans will be happy.

Split the cake into two layers.  The easiest way I know how to do this is with a serrated bread knife.  Place knife level to at the midline of your cake and slice through to the middle only, keeping your knife level.  Rotate the cake and continue to slice from the outside to the middle.  The first cut acts as your knife’s guide for an even cake.  Easy peasy.

Whip It, Whip It Good

Start with heavy whipping cream, preferably pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized, which is heated to a higher temperature and does not whip as well.  Heavy whipping cream has a higher percentage of butterfat than whipping cream (36% vs 30%) and heck, it’s dessert, so we are going for the gusto. Chill your heavy whipping cream, bowl, and whisk attachment before whipping.  This kickstarts the process and results in the lightest whipped cream possible. Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl and whisk at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  You want peaks that will stand up but the tip will slowly fold over.  Don’t overdo it, if the cream looks a bit grainy, or curdled that’s too far.  If you go too far, add a bit of heavy cream and fold it in with a spatula.  This will loosen the whipped cream and smooth it out again.

This is what your whipped cream should look like.

Plop a generous amount of cream on the bottom layer of your split cake. Spread to the edge leaving a small border.  Arrange your berries on the cream.  If you like, dice the strawberries for this layer, so you can maximize the number of berries.  Top with the second split layer cut side down and top with the remaining cream.  Arrange halved strawberries in a cool pattern, and place blueberries and raspberries, if using, in the center of the cake or scatter blueberries in the crevices between the strawberries.  Serve to oohs and ahhs from the cake gallery.

 

Add this cake to your Bake It Bucket List.  Now.

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Country Cake With Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Like a family sized Shortcake, Ina Garten's iconic Strawberry Country Cake
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword barefoot contessa, cake, ina garten, shortcake, strawberries, whipped cream
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 37 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 8-inch cake pan

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Creamed Mixture

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

  • 1 cup heavy cream I use`1.5 cups of heavey whipping cream!
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar adjust sugar to taste, I use 1.5 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pint strawberries or berry medley hulled and sliced, blueberries and raspberries left whole

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
  • In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the 3/4 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the sour cream, the orange and lemon zests and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat until blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until smooth.
  • Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes before turning it out onto the rack to cool completely.
  • Beat the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until soft peaks form.
  • Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread most of the whipped cream over the cut side of the bottom cake half. Layer most of the sliced strawberries on top. Replace the top half of the cake and garnish with the remaining whipped cream and strawberries. make ahead .

Notes

The cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Let it cool completely before wrapping in plastic and then foil. The assembled cake can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead.

…

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That’s the Way the Strawberry Cake Crumb-les

That’s the Way the Strawberry Cake Crumb-les

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My weekly trip to the farmer’s market starts with lining up at the P&K Strawberry stand 30 minutes before the market even opens.  Yep, the strawberries from this family farm in Moss Landing are THAT good.  Even though they are freakin’ delicious out of hand, I love trying recipes that highlight the ruby-colored gems.

This Strawberry Crumb Cake from Cambrea Bakes landed on my “Definitely making this” list the first time I saw it.  Three delectable layers, starting with a finely crumbed cake reminiscent of buttery pound cake topped with a layer of berries, bound by a squeeze of lemon juice, and a bit of flour and sugar.  The cake is then finished with a generous, buttery crumb topping.  It’s gorgeous and yummy.

Keys to Success

The crumb topping is classic flour, butter, and sugar.  Combine the ingredients until it looks like a mish-mash of clumps, spread it on a small plate, and put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or however long it takes to assemble the remaining ingredients.  Chilling the crumb topping ensures it won’t melt during baking so you end up with a nice crunchy, buttery top.  If you are nuts about nuts, throw a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumb.

Dice the berries and add the sugar and flour.  Use fresh berries, not frozen, which have too much liquid.   I added blueberries to the mix just for a little color pop and because I had some.  My tweak would be to add a little more fruit (I love berries), I would scale up to 2 cups of fruit, I’ll let you know how it goes, it may throw off baking time and cake. *Instead of adding more fresh strawberries add 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry jam to bump up the berry flavor.

Sift together the dry ingredients for the cake and set aside.  Sifting allows for an even distribution of the baking powder and salt in the flour.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  This adds air that contributes to the rise and tenderness of the cake.

Bring eggs to room temperature before using.  This helps prevent the batter from breaking (where your batter looks curdled and lumpy) when you add eggs or a liquid to the creamed mixture.  A trick to help prevent this is to add the eggs slowly (roughly an egg at a time) and mix until each egg is absorbed into the batter before adding more.

No Curdle Zone

When it starts to look like it is curdling (usually when adding the last egg), add a couple of tablespoons of your flour mixture with the remaining egg mixture.  The flour is the mediator preventing the break. That little bit helps keep your batter smooth without making the cake tough.

Add remaining flour in two parts alternating with the room temp buttermilk.  The batter will be thick, not pourable.  Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly in a prepared pan.  Layer the berries and then crumb topping.  I like putting the topping in the freezer and then chipping it into pieces to scatter on the fruit.

Crumb Fans Rejoice 😋

Finally, bake the cake.  The first time I made this cake, it was a wee bit overbaked.  I didn’t trust my thermometer.  How goofy is that?  My advice, invest in a good thermometer.  Cakes should be about 205+/- 5 degrees with an instant thermometer.  If you don’t have a thermometer, use a bamboo skewer or toothpick over a metal cake tester. (Nothing sticks to a metal pick unless it is super underbaked).  With fruit and crumb impeding the tester, it’s just hard to get an accurate read.

That rosy pink layer of fruit on top of the buttery yellow cake, this cake is a beauty.  Bake it, bake it now.

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Strawberry Crumb Cake

Delicious Crumb cake with a fine crumb and a layer of fresh berries with a buttery, crunchy crumble topping from Cambrea Bakes.
Course Breakfast, Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword crumb cake, strawberries
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar

Strawberry Field Forever

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries or a mix of blueberries and strawberries
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

Da Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large whole eggs at room temperature whisked together
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract overflowing, you can never have enough vanilla!
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk room temperature

Instructions

  • Butter or lightly spray with cooking spray a square 8x8 baking pan. L ine it with parchment paper on all sides. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.

The Crumb

  • In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, flour, sugar, and brown sugar until crumbly. Spread on a plate and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes or for as long as it takes to make the strawberries and cake.

Da Strawberries

  • In a medium bowl, combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice until combined. Set aside.

Da Cake

  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
  • Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium to medium-high speed.
  • Scrape down the bowl. Slowly add in the whisked eggs and vanilla, mixing very well after each addition. Do not do this too quickly or the mixture will curdle.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until almost combined. Add buttermilk and mix until combined, add remainder of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. The batter will be quite thick.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan, then spread the strawberries evenly over the top. Break up the crumbs and sprinkle for an even layer over the strawberries.
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The berry layer may make it difficult to test leaving residual moisture on tester, try not to overbake.
  • Cool cake for 20 minutes on a wire cooling rack, then remove from the pan and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

I
Strawberries Fields for…Cake (Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Cream)

Strawberries Fields for…Cake (Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Cream)

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The Life of a Strawberryholic

Since strawberries returned to our local farmers market our Sunday mornings start with a run to the market.  As soon as we arrive home, the first couple of baskets of strawberries go into a colander, given a quick rinse, and placed on the counter for immediate consumption.  The rest of the berries are placed in paper towel-lined containers and enjoyed throughout the week.  Somewhere in the middle of the week, we start thinking of different ways to serve those little red gems.  Luckily, both the internet and cooking mags are filled with recipes that highlight berries.  While thumbing through the latest issue Baking from Scratch, Jamie came across a mouthwatering recipe for a Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Cream.  She immediately set upon making it.

Another Strawberry Cake, Deb?  Why?

I had previously posted a recipe just for that “save me from all the strawberries I bought” moment, Summer Strawberry Cake from Smitten Kitchen.   A delish, jam-packed full of strawberries cake. So why another strawberry cake recipe?  This one is easy to make and pretty darn delicious too, but the smile, fist bump the guy next to you moment is the Lemon Cream. Sure, a simple dusting of powdered sugar would be fine, BUT, oh, that Lemon Cream takes it over the top. It is creamy, sweet with a lemony zing, and adds the wow factor.  Do not skip it.

To make the cake batter, cream softened butter with sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients mixture alternating with the buttermilk always starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Jamie baked it in a regular cake pan although the recipe calls for either a cast iron pan or cake pan.  I imagine a cast iron pan would result in crispy edges. I leave it to you to decide what pan to use.

The cake is not quite as dense as a coffee cake and has a nice crumb. The strawberries provide the flavor punch and the sprinkle of Turbinado Sugar adds a nice finishing crunch.

The next time you go to your local farmer’s market, pick up an additional pint or two of strawberries, and make this cake. It’s berry delicious and don’t skip the Lemon Cream!

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5 from 1 vote

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

From Bake from Scratch, a delicious buttery cake topped with strawberries and a killer lemon cream!
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword buttermilk, lemon cream, Strawberry
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Creamed Mixture

  • 6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Dry Stuff

  • 1⅔ cups (209 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt

Finish

  • ½ cup whole buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounce fresh strawberries, halved
  • 2 tablespoons (24 grams) turbinado sugar

Lemon Cream

  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup (80 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.75 gram) kosher salt

Instructions

The Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or cake pan with baking spray with flour.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan, using an offset spatula to smooth top. Top with strawberries, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  • Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm with Lemon Cream.

Lemon Cream

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and confectioners’ sugar at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt, beating to combine. Makes about 3 cups
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!

 
Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Day 4 Holiday Cookies

Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Day 4 Holiday Cookies

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Day 4 of the 12 Days of Cookies is a keeper.

I LOVE shortbread, it is hands down my all-time favorite cookie.  During the holidays I usually bake a batch of classic Scottish Shortbread.  This year, I am adding Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Cookies from Use Real Butter to the rotation. Sweet strawberries and a hefty dose of vanilla add a one-two punch to a buttery, tender cookie. I made a batch and the fam scarfed them down in no time flat.

I almost didn’t try this recipe. The first part of Jen’s post is a how-to on drying strawberries.  It’s winter, where am I going to find fresh sweet strawberries to dry?  Not happening in my house, even if it’s the height of strawberry season, I’m way too lazy.  Luckily, at the very end of the instructions, she adds “If this is too much of a pain…you can always grab a bag of freeze-dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s.  Bingo, I am all over that idea.

I should have cut the strawberry pieces smaller for better distribution.  I used vanilla paste in place of the pods and part of the extract.  Once the dough is made, place it in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and roll the dough flat using the Ziploc border to create a square.  You can also shape the dough into a log for slice and bake cookies.

I used a fluted cookie cutter, chilled the dough to help keep its shape.  It was a little tough cutting through the bits of strawberries but still doable.

This is an absolutely delicious cookie.  If you like buttery, sweet-tart strawberry, and vanilla, bake this cookie.

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Strawberry Vanilla Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup 3.5 oz. or 100g powdered sugar
  • 2 vanilla beans split and seeds scraped
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp of vanilla paste can be subbed for the pods and reduce extract to 1/2 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
  • 2 cups 9 oz. or 260g all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup 4 oz. or 115g chopped dried strawberries (recipe below) or 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

  • Beat the butter with a paddle attachment until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar to butter and beat on medium speed until blended.
  • Add the vanilla bean seeds (use the pods for something else) or vanilla paste, vanilla extract, and Grand Marnier to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
  • Mix the flour and salt into the butter mixture until the flour is absorbed and no dry flour remains.
  • Stir the chopped strawberries into the dough. Scrape the dough into a gallon-size ziploc bag and roll flat with a rolling pin until the dough fills the bag in an even layer.
  • Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. When the dough is chilled, peel off the plastic and slice the dough into desired shapes or use a cookie cutter (circles show the least deformation) and re-roll scraps to use again.
  • Arrange your raw cookies 1.5 inches from each other on the baking sheet and dock them (prick them) with a fork three times across each cookie.
  • Bake 16-20 minutes (18 minutes worked well for me) until the bottoms are golden. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

Makes about 36 2-inch round cookies or 42 1.5-inch square cookies.

 

 

 
Strawberry & Cream Cookies Forever

Strawberry & Cream Cookies Forever

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I ventured to Omnivore Cookbooks in San Francisco a while ago to see Stella Parks, author of the fabulous Bravetart, (a fabulous baking book) that remakes iconic American treats like Oreos and Mother’s Oatmeal Cookies.  Moderating her talk was local cookbook author and blogger Irvin Lin, who coincidentally, also has a book out, Marbled, Swirled and Layered. I couldn’t resist so I picked up an autographed copy of his book also.  I am such a cookbook groupie.

The Yin and Yang of Desserts

Think of Irvin Lin as a food artist.  He layers flavors, colors, and textures in his desserts.  Gorgeous cakes, cookies, and flavors I would never think of putting together.  We are talking big WOW factor. But the flip side is this also makes his recipes a little daunting. Every recipe calls for 2 different doughs or batters and multiple steps in the process.  Luckily, if these cookies are any indication, it is well worth the trouble.  The book languished on my shelf until Jamie came home, got in one of her baking moods, cracked open the book, and found this recipe for Strawberries and Cream cookies. They are DELICIOUS.

Strawberry and Cream Cookies

Chewy with a crispy edge and great fruit flavor, the fam gave them the BIG thumbs up.

Use good quality white chocolate.  Jamie used white chocolate chips that in hindsight may have caused the dough to be a bit dry and a little difficult to work with.  I had inadvertently picked up dried raspberries instead of strawberries which worked out great. The raspberry’s purple tinge and tartness worked well in the cookie’s taste and color.  Both freeze-dried berries are available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

The doughs are made separately and then squished together to create the yin and yang effect.  Pretty nifty eh?  The dough for the cream cookie was a bit dry so we added a tablespoon of water which I don’t think will be necessary if you use white chocolate.  (I love El Rey white chocolate, use your favorite).

When baking WATCH the cookies like a hawk.  They turn brown very quickly.  Jamie’s cookies were slightly smaller so her baking time was closer to 12-15 minutes. Check the cookies early to determine how long they need to bake.

For the strawberry version, Irvin adds 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and a couple of drops of red food coloring.  Since we used raspberries we decided to forego the vinegar since raspberries have a bit of natural tartness.

This is a showstopper, so pull it out when you want to impress or score big cookie points.  Irvin also includes a Corn and Lime version of this cookie that I can’t wait to try.

And now…Here’s Jamie!

Hey guys, it’s Jamie!  My mom wrote this blog post for me because I took too long to write my post.  I was busy being a couch potato watching TV (shoutout to The Americans) and playing with Sammy all day.  Whenever I come home from school, I always get the baking bug. Who wouldn’t, though? My mom has 2 of every kitchen gadget you could ever possibly want, AND she has all the ingredients (major game-changer right there ppl).  Seriously, she has 2 ice cream makers and is currently shopping for a third she just has to have.

I will say that these cookies cured the baking bug. THEY ARE SO MUCH WORK.  You have to make two different cookie doughs, roll them into balls (a lot harder than it looks because the dough kept crumbling), mush them together, and roll them in sugar.  Finally, flatten them out onto 4 cookie sheets. LABOR INTENSIVE. I worked harder making these cookies than I did all of last semester (shout out to being a part-time student due to AP credits, lol).

They’re pretty worth it, though. Everyone loved them!  WATCH them while they’re baking because you REALLY don’t want to overbake these bad boys. The recipe also made like 100 dozen cookies, so I would half it or freeze some of the dough before baking off so they don’t get stale.

This concludes the blog post. Next time y’all hear from me, I’ll be blogging about how cold it is in Minneapolis!!!!

Strawberry and Cream Cookies

Enjoy!

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Strawberry Cookies Forever

Ingredients

Cream Cookie Dough

  • 1-1/4 cups of butter unsalted
  • 1-1/4 cup 250gm granulated sugar
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 3/4 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1-3/4 cup 245gm all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup 4 ounces or 115gm white chocolate, melted
  • 3/4 cup 90gm powdered milk

Strawberry Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup 34 gm freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries crushed into a powder (food processor or rolling pin-the old fashioned way
  • 10 T unsalted butter at room temp
  • 1-1/4 cup 250gm granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t kosher salt
  • 1-3/4 cup 245gm all purpose flour
  • Additional granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. LIne baking sheets with parchment or Silpats
  • Melt white chocolate in double boiler or carefully in microwave and set aside to cool.

Cream Dough

  • Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and place in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment.
  • Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed until mixture is lighter in color approximately 1 minute.
  • Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the egg, beat until incorporated and then add white chocolate. Beat until incorporated.
  • Add flour and milk powder and mix on low until dough forms. Do not overbeat.
  • Transfer to a clean bowl.

Strawberry Dough

  • Break egg into a small bowl and add crushed strawberry powder to bowl. Blend mixture, set aside.
  • Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and place in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment.
  • Add sugar and beat at medium speed until mixture is lighter in color approximately 1 minute.
  • Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the egg and strawberry mixture and beat until incorporated about 30 seconds.
  • Add flour and mix on low until dough forms. Do not overbeat.

To form cookies:

  • Pinch off a chunk of each dough roughly the size of a walnut of each (35gm) and roll each into a ball. Press the two doughs together and roll into a single ball
  • Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart and flatten each ball, with the palm of your hand, into a disk approximately 2 inches in diameter. Leave room a they will spread when baked.
  • Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 15-18 minutes.
  • Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

HeY cLaIrE aNd MrS. wEdDlE!!!!
EmBOSSed Grahams

EmBOSSed Grahams

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I love graham crackers and recently shared the recipe to make homemade grammies.  Easy and infinitely better than the blue box of cookies that shall not be named.  Well, I got my embossed rolling pin. Check out my fancy-schmancy graham crackers.  Takes these bad boys to a whole new level.

I found embossed rolling pins on both Etsy and Amazon.  I like geometrics but there are a bazillion designs available including cartoon characters, flowers, hearts, just about anything you can imagine.

My pin is approximately 6 inches in width.  My method is to roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, chill for a couple of minutes and then use the embossed pin for the last roll.  Cut the dough into 6 inches strips or the approximate width of the pin.  Press firm enough to create the embossed pattern and roll just once. STAMPTASTIC!

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Strawberries and Lemon Ricotta Tarts- Smitten Kitchen

Up your graham cracker game! Homemade graham crackers topped with ricotta and strawberries, the bomb!
Course cookies, desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword graham crackers, ricotta cheese, strawberries
Prep Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Perfect way to showcase your graham crackers. Use cracker as base, top with lemon ricotta cheese and sliced strawberries. Easy Peasy!

  • 3/4 pound strawberries thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups ricotta 10 ounces, fresh if you can find it, a full-fat store bought if you cannot
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

Strawberry-Ricotta Graham Tartlets

  • Adapted — barely, as the recipe was just about perfect — from Food & Wine
  • Make toppings: In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the lemon juice. Let stand until syrupy, 20 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, confectioners’ sugar and lemon zest.
  • Assemble tartlets: Spread about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on each graham. Arrange the strawberries over the ricotta, drizzle with the syrup and serve.
  • The strawberries are also delicious over ice cream or yogurt.
Strawberry Trio- Shortcake, dipped in Kahlua Chocolate Sauce and Strawberry Lemon Ricotta Tarts. You can never have too many strawberry desserts!

 

Grams eating grahams! Giving them the “stamp” of approval!
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.