Just Desserts

Strawberry and White Peach Buttermilk-Maple Cobbler
There are so many delicious ingredients in the title of this recipe . . . I'm not quite sure where to start. Summer entertaining is hands-down awesome! An evening outdoors with good friends and grilling is one of the greatest pleasures in life. The only thing that can make those moments sweeter is just the right dessert. Right now we're in a produce transition from my favorite early summer strawberries into stone fruits and (lucky for me) the local co-op is brimming with both. Strawberries or white peaches? Which to choose? Well, duh . . . both. Cobblers are a fun way to take advantage of delicious summer fruits with an even easier-than-pie pastry topping. I found maple sugar at Trader Joe's and had to try it. The unique flavor of this sweetener hit a memorable note on my taste buds. Try it! You're definitely in for a treat.

Ingredients

- 1 pt. fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced lengthwise

- 4 white peaches, peeled and sliced

- 1/2 c. sugar

- 1/4 c. honey

- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

- 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger

- juice from 1 lemon

-  2 Tbsp. tapioca

- 2 Tbsp. corn starch

- 6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small peices

- About 1 c. buttermilk

- 2 c. flour

- 1 Tbsp. baking powder

- 1/2 c. maple sugar

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 Tbsp. large-grained sugar for sanding

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, peaches, 1/2 c. sugar, honey, cinnamon, fresh ginger, lemon, tapioca, and corn starch. Stir gently to combine thoroughly and set aside. Allow mixture to rest for 15-20 minutes for the fruit to soften while preparing the biscuit topping. 

Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together egg with enough buttermilk to make about a cup of liquid. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour with baking powder, salt, and maple sugar. Place pieces of cold butter into the flour mixture and work in together with a pastry blender until a coarse mixture forms.

Slowly pour buttermilk mixture and vanilla into the flour mixture and work with a pastry blender until a lumpy batter forms. If it is too dry, add a few extra splashes of buttermilk. The batter should be rather thick and lumpy with a silky sheen to it.

After the berries and peaches have softened, pour mixture into a 9" baking dish. Spoon tablespoons of the buttermilk biscuit mixture evenly over the berries. Sprinkle the topping with large-grained sanding sugar. Bake cobbler in oven for 25-30 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet until the berry juice begins to bubble and run out of the dish and the topping begins to brown. Serve with fresh whipped cream or your favorite gelato . . . great summer dessert!

  

Sweet n' Sour (But Mostly Sweet)

Strawberry and Balsamic Jam Tart with Almonds
I'm taking every opportunity to take advantage of these beautiful spring time strawberries on display in the local produce sections. Sweet and juicy . . . nothing tastes more like the season on my taste buds. My recent desserts had been shifting between pies and shortcakes, so I was looking for something just a little different. Strawberry and Balsamic vinegar make a great pairing and this dessert broke me out of a pasty rut!

Ingredients
- 1 9" buttery pastry crust (check out the crust I used for my Honey Vanilla Plum Tart)
- 1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. good quality Balsamic vinegar
- 1 c. sliced almonds

STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC JAM
To prepare the jam, place the strawberries, vinegar, and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for 15- 20 minutes. The strawberries will soften and the liquid will thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool at room temperature before using in the tart. (This can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. It's great spread on toast!)

TART
To prepare the tart, take the prepared pastry dough and press firmly into a 9" pastry pan with a removable bottom. Cover in plastic and cool in oven for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Heat the oven to 375˚F. Remove the plastic wrap from the chilled pastry and cover the top loosely with foil, fill with dried beans or pastry weights to keep the dough from puffing up. Bake for 20 minutes until it begins turning lightly browned. Remove foil and weights and allow to cool slightly before filling with prepared jam.

Spoon jam into the crust in a even layer and then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds. Bake in 375˚F oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling has thickened. Remove and cool completely before serving. It's great with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Fields Forever!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Walnut Streusel Topping
I was a latecomer in appreciating rhubarb, that strange bitter red plant that becomes inexplicably delicious when paired with ripe spring time strawberries. My grandfather used to scare my mother and aunts away from eating his share of rhubarb by exclaiming, "It'll put hair on your chest." When my mom told me this family story, I took her at her word and decided, "Well, I don't want a hairy chest." Conditioned by a childhood fear as real as the Boogie Man, I avoided rhubarb well into adulthood. My loss. My mom made my brother and I a strawberry rhubarb pie in my mid-twenties and I was instantly converted to deeply respecting the complexly tart flavor yielded by this crisp springtime stalk. I put this lovely pie together as a celebration of Spring's best bright red produce. The brown sugar streusel topping takes it to the next level. I suggest it as the perfect post barbecue dessert- served with fresh whipped cream or luscious vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
- 1 lb. fresh rhubarb, trimmed and diced into 1" pieces 
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/4 c. honey
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp. Tapioca 
- 1 Tbsp. corn starch
- salt
- 4 tsp. cinnamon, divided
- 1 c. rolled oats
- 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 9 1/2" pie crust (I used my perfect pie crust recipe halving the amount for this struesel topping.)

In a large bowl combine strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, honey, lemon juice, tapioca, corn starch, 1 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Stir gently to combine ingredients. Allow berry and rhubarb mixture to sit for about 20 minutes so that the fruit can soften and begin to yield their juices.

While the filling is sitting, preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a large baking sheet to foil. Set aside and prepare the struesel topping. In a medium bowl combine oats, remaining cinnamon, butter, walnuts, flour, and 1 tsp. of sugar. Using a pastry blender or folk, mash together and work ingredients into a crumbly, but well-combined consistency. Set aside and prepare pie crust.

Roll pie crust into a 9 1/2"pie pan and set pan onto the prepared baking sheet. Trim off any excess dough and crimp edges in a decorative pattern using fingers or with a fork. 

After the berries have sat and softened, pour into the prepared pie crust. Spread berries evenly through the shell.

Sprinkle an even layer of the streusel topping over the fruit later. Place pie in oven and bake 20 minutes at 425˚F. After first twenty minutes, turn the oven down to 350˚F and continue baking until the juices run out of the pie in a bubbly matter. Remove the pie from oven and cool on a wire rack. 

Cool pie completely before slicing and serving. Serve wedges with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a good dollop of fresh whipped cream. It's very, very yummy.

 

Chee's Cakes

Sour Cream Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Mascarpone Frosting

One of the greatest pleasures about cooking is sharing food with appreciative eaters and I can honestly say I have met the most appreciative eater on the planet. Chiaki (or Chee as she has been nicknamed) came to us from Japan to study in the theatre department for the 2009-2010 year. Back in November, I invited her to spend the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with me gorging herself on two very American hobbies: eating and shopping. Chee was definitely up to the task. Not only did we eat our way through a decadent traditional Thanksgiving feast (Chee met my Pumpkin Cheesecake with definite approval) but I enjoyed cooking her several other meals including flank steak stuffed breakfast burritos and french onion mac & cheese. But it didn't end there. I love bringing homemade snacks to work, rehearsals, and end-of-the-quarter class showcases. Without fail, Chee would meet these treats with a cry of glee: "Snacks for Chee!!!" So . . . here we are: spring quarter and the last of this year's acting showcases. Just for Chee (the World's Most Appreciative Eater) I put together this spring-themed cupcake recipe. I hope she enjoys them. And with this sweet, little, cupcake I will always remember the petite gal from Tokyo who ate her way into my heart.

Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. all purpose flour
- 3 tsp. vanilla, divided
- 1/4 c. strawberry jam
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- fresh strawberries, stems removed, and sliced lengthwise in half

Preheat oven to 325˚ F. Line a muffin tin with papers and set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together 1 stick butter, granulated sugar, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. With the machine running on low, add flour mixture to butter mixture in batches alternating with eggs, making sure ingredients are thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Add 2 tsp. vanilla.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each liner about halfway. Place in oven and bake about 20-25 minutes until cupcakes begin to turn light golden brown on top. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Recipe should yeild about 2 dozen cupcakes.

While cupcakes are baking cream together 1 stick butter, mascarpone, vanilla, powdered sugar, and strawberry jam to make frosting. Frost cupcakes when they have cooled completely and top each cupcake with a strawberry because it looks pretty!