The recent heat waves have reminded us all that summer is in full swing. Summer means strawberries. There is no fruit more refreshing this time of year. I was looking over some culinary magazines from years past and came across this recipe in Bon Apppetit from 2007. I'm not much for baking and pastry, but this recipe is so easy that I had no trouble with it at all. I think the beauty is in its simplicity. Adding Grand Marnier, which is definitely an optional step, adds just enough flare to impress your friends. This is a wonderful dessert for a summer evening get together on the back porch.INGREDIENTSfor the biscuits1-1/4 C. Flour1/2 C. Cocoa Powder1/2 C. Sugar1 Tbsp. Baking Powder1/8 tsp. Salt1 C. Heavy Cream1/2 tsp. Vanillafor the strawberries2 lbs. Strawberries, hulled, quartered1/2 C. Powdered Sugar1/2 tsp. Orange Zest1/4 C. Orange Juice1/2 C. Heavy Cream2 Tbsp. Grand MarnierPreheat the oven to 400F. Using parchment paper, line a baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Combine the cream and the vanilla in a bowl and use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to beat the heavy cream mixture until stiff peaks arise.
Stir the cream mixture into the flour mixture until you begin to see clumps. Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough gently until it forms into a ball. You'll knead the dough approximately one dozen "turns". Press the completed dough down to about 1" thick. Use a 3# biscuit cutter to cut out little cakes. Continue to gather the dough and pat it back down so that you can continue to cut more cakes. You'll get a total of 6-8 cakes from one batch of dough, depending on the thickness. Place the cakes onto the baking sheet. Bake the cakes for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack.
Combine the strawberries, orange juice, orange zest, Grand Marnier, and 6 Tbsp. of the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Chill for 2 hours.
Use a mixer to beat the heavy cream and remaining 2 Tbsp. of powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Plate a shortcake with strawberries and juices on top, garnished with whipped cream.
The literal translation is "burnt cream", but despite its unappealing name, Creme Brulee is one of the most popular desserts in culinary history. When I hear the name, I immediately think about cracking the shell of my Creme Brulee with the back of a spoon [as per Amelie]. For those of you in the dark, Creme Brulee is essentially a custard that is then topped with granulated or brown sugar. This sugar is then burned using a blowtorch or the broiler setting of the oven until it has become solid, like edible glass. The smooth texture of the custard contrasts with the hard shell on top to create a wonderful, crunchy, creamy, vanilla dessert.
INGREDIENTS
2 Qt. Heavy Cream
2 C. Sugar
2 Vanilla Bean
14 Egg Yolks
2 Whole Egg
Cut open the vanilla bean and scrape down the insides of the bean to remove all the vanilla. Add the vanilla, cream, and sugar to a sauce pan. Whisk to incorporate and heat to simmer. Once the cream begins to simmer, remove from heat and let it steep for about 30 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together the whole egg and egg yolks. Strain the cream into the eggs and whisk to combine. Portion the custard evenly into serving bowls (makes about 12).
Bake for 90 minutes in a water bath (about 1/4"-1/2" deep) at 300 degrees. Chill for 24 hours. Sprinkle the tops of the custard with sugar and brulee them using a blowtorch until the sugar is caramelized. Garnish with fresh fruit and/or mint.
Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.
-William Butler
The strawberry is a member of the rose family. Fraises des bois, from the wilds of France, are among the best strawberries in the world, also known as the "queen of strawberries". Most common and hardy are the cross-bred strawberries of Virginia and Chile. Quick breads require no kneading or rising time which is why they are made in such a short period of time... and so aptly named. The leavener in these breads, rather than yeast, is baking soda or baking powder which begin to rise immediately when combined with moisture. Eggs can also be used to leaven quick breads, such as biscuits, muffins and popovers.With the recent batch of warm spring afternoons, I thought I'd pick up some fresh produce. The strawberries' aroma was incredibly fresh and inviting. My whole kitchen began to smell of fresh strawberries within minutes of baking.
INGREDIENTS
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Vegetable Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Flour, All Purpose
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt, Iodized
6-8 Strawberries
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Beat the eggs and then add the sugar, oil, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together. Combine the two batches of ingredients.
The strawberries can be either diced or mashed with a fork. I recommend tossing them in a little flour before folding them into the quick bread mixture. The flour will keep the strawberries from adding too much liquid to the "dough" and sinking to the bottom.
After the strawberries have been folded into the mixture, pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
I have to be completely honest. I'd never eaten, let alone made, a scone before I attempted this recipe. I thought it was about time to make some breakfast foods, and with the cold weather coming, this flavor combination seemed perfect. It kinda makes me wish I had a breakfast nook.
INGREDIENTS*
2 C. Flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Iodized Salt
8 Tbsp. Butter, diced
1/2 C. Heavy Cream
3 Eggs
1/4 lb. Sharp Cheddar, diced
2 Jalapeños, minced**
*It is important to keep your ingredients cold, so once you're done prepping the butter, for example, put it back in the cooler until you're ready to use it.
**When you're mincing your jalapeño, go ahead and mince up everything; the seeds, the veins, all of it. Jalapeños aren't overly spicy and I think you'll be disappointed if you take out the seeds. These aren't like habañeros, so don't be afraid.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven's heating up, saute your jalapeños in a small amount of butter for about 2 minutes. Transfer the jalapeños to a bowl to cool and toss them in 1 tablespoon of flour. The cooked butter and the flour are going to combine and make a roux which will keep the jalapeños from sinking to the bottom of the scones.
Combine your dry ingredients (the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt) in a separate bowl. You want to "cut" in the butter until the butter is in very small pieces. Using a knife or fork or hard spatula, make cutting motions to incorporate the butter and flour. Whisk 2 of the eggs and add the heavy cream to it. Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture and fold them both together. Add the cooled jalapeños and cheddar and incorporate.
Transfer the dough to a well floured surface and knead for about 1 minute, until it has a biscuit-like texture. Pat out the dough until the whole piece is about 1" thick, then cut into desired pieces. You can use a knife to cut 8 triangles, or use a biscuit cutter if you like circular scones. Align your scones on a well greased sheet tray or parchment lined tray and brush each one with an egg wash made from whisk your last egg with 1 tsp or so of water. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.
