Strawberry Shortcakes
July 11, 2012
Could there be a more classic summer dessert than a strawberry shortcake? Probably not. So when I finally got my hands on a lug of gorgeously fragrant, deep red strawberries from a local farm, all I could think of was making this simple dessert to showcase these berries.
Since there are only three simple components to a strawberry shortcake, it is essential that all three elements can sing on their own. Most recipes call for a cream scone, but I prefer a buttermilk biscuit not only because it reduces the overall fat in the recipe, but also for the lovely tang that the buttermilk provides. This recipe makes buttery, flaky, beautifully browned biscuits. Split them open and dollop them with cream which has been whipped into a soft, velvety mixture. (Do not pour in cream, turn on your mixer to whisk and then leave the room to mediate a sibling squabble, oh no, do not. You will make butter. Trust me.)
Last are the strawberries. This dish is best with fresh sweet summer berries. Pick ones that are small and red to the core, preferably from your local farmers market and not shipped to the supermarket in plastic boxes. There is a huge difference. Depending on the size of the strawberries, halve or quarter them and dust with a bit of sugar. As the strawberries sit they will gently weep and make a beautiful pink syrup. Scoop the berries and their syrup onto the pillow of whipped cream and top with the other half of the biscuit. Simple and delightful.
The last time we made these was the 4th of July, so we tossed in some blueberries as well to go with the red, white, and blue theme. My son insisted that the dessert would benefit from the option of Chocolate Pudding as well. He was right. We went with the self serve model, allowing each person to create their own shortcake dessert from bowls of whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, and chocolate pudding. For a more formal approach, serve the assembled shortcakes.
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Apricot Almond Bran Muffins
June 19, 2012
Muffins can solve many problems: a hungry house full of weekend guests, a last minute snack for preschool, quick and easy breakfasts through the week (from the freezer), or as I recently found myself, with double my usual number of hungry children running underfoot. While not all muffins hold well enough to serve after they have been left to cool, these muffins are still moist and flavorful hours after they have cooled or even reheated from the freezer.
Apricot Almond Bran Muffins are adapted from a recipe in Supernatural Everyday by Heidi Swanson that I have come to love. If you are seeking a super dense. chewy style of bran muffing, this is not the one. Though this recipe is whole grain with a healthy dose of bran, the texture is incredibly light and tender. The taste of butter is unmistakable. I added apricots to take advantage of the beautiful fruit found at the market. Almonds, always a friend of the apricot, flavor the muffin and add a crunch to the top. Make these for a crowd, or just for a few and freeze the rest. They reheat beautifully.
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Baked Chicken and Bean Flautas
April 17, 2012
Day by day, our children are taking over our lives with a force that eclipses their small stature. First was the living room, invading the space with a pulsing tide of toys and other detritus. Slowly their influence oozed into our music, favoring 90’s grunge rock for no explicable reason. The most recent conquest was the meal plan. Though they are both enthusiastic eaters of most dishes I serve, they now each direct the selection of one dinner a week. What seemed benign at first quickly spiraled into many successive nights of pesto pasta, hamburgers, and spaghetti and meatballs. My kids, who would eat anything, had a very short list of items they would actually request. Luckily with some gentle encouragement, they happily incorporated some new meal variations that keep them (and their parents) satisfied.
Baked Chicken Flautas are crispy, crunchy flour tortillas wrapped around a moist, mildly spiced bean and chicken filling. They hit on all of my children’s favorite notes: finger foods, beans, cheese. They are tasty enough to appeal to the adult set as well. Whip up some Chipotle Salsa for a dip to make these flutes really sing. Feel free to change the filling around. Not a fan of beans? Leave them out and increase the chicken. What to make them vegetarian? Omit the chicken and add crumbled tofu or corn to the mix. Really, anything you would throw in a taco can be rolled up in these tortillas and baked. We ate these for dinner, but they would be great as a party appetizer as well! So, how about you? What are the family pleasing meals that grace your table?
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Rye Bread (redeemed)
March 15, 2012
Last year in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day, I corned my first beef brisket. It was a smashing success, but the loaf of rye I made to sandwich the leftovers failed miserably. It took an entire year to return to this challenge, but when Caroline at Grow It , Cook It, Can It suggested baking bread for Cook It, 2012, I knew this was the loaf for me. So this year, with the beef corning in the fridge, I tried a new recipe for rye bread that turned out just as I hoped.
After scouring my many cookbooks, I settled on this recipe from the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. This bread is moist and chewy with a pronounced flavor of rye and caraway. It includes two types of flour in perfect proportion to achieve the signature flavor of the rye and all purpose flour to supply the required gluten and keep it light. My family loved these loaves so much that they were devoured before I had a chance to stick one in the freezer for this upcoming weekend. This weekend, when I bake another batch, I will roll the dough into shorter loaves to make larger slices more appropriate for sandwiches. I also plan to toss in a cup of minced onion to flavor the bread.
Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes
February 25, 2012
The birthday spirit lives on around here, but the cake does not. Given one more chance to sing a Happy Birthday, I whipped up a second birthday dessert, this one a bit brighter and lighter than the first (Caramel Cake). There have been a lot of posts about sweets and liquor lately, but to be honest, that pretty much sums up the month of February around here. I did mention the “birthday month“, did I not?
Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake is just the thing for a sweet wintery treat. A cross between a souffle and lemon curd, but so much easier to prepare. Prepare the batter and bake. As the cake bakes it separates into two delightful layers, a lemon pudding on top and an incredibly light and moist cake on the bottom. Serve with a gently sweetened berry sauce. I used ollalie berries from my parents bushes (thanks Mom!), but blackberries, raspberries, even blueberries would be delicious. This can be made one day in advance, making it a great dessert for guests.
My Pantry Shelf 