fruit

roasted cherry ice cream

08/30/2018 By bridget

In addition to all the other excitement around here, we found out the day that we closed on our new house that I’m pregnant. I’m so relieved that, at over four months along now, I’m past the stage of being tired all the time. One thing that hasn’t changed throughout this pregnancy? My desire for cold, creamy desserts.

Ice cream isn’t usually a craving of mine, so it’s been fun to take this opportunity to play with recipes that wouldn’t normally catch my eye. This one seemed worth the extra effort even back when dragging myself off the couch took all of my limited energy. But it certainly has some tedious steps. Even pulling all the stems out of 3½ pounds of cherries takes a while. Then you just throw the chreries in the oven with some sugar, and once they’re soft and squishy, you squeeze the pits out – which is faster than pitting fresh cherries even with a pitter, but still slow.

But the worst is pushing the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Based on the flecks of solid fruit in the picture on Serious Eats, compared to my smooth un-flecked custard, I believe my strainer is finer-mesh than Stella’s, which could be why straining was such an arduous, frustrating task. Next time I’ll just use my food mill on its finest setting – it’s not nearly as fine as my strainer, but it’ll be good enough, I expect.

I would say it was worth the effort in the end, because this ice cream is intensely cherry-y. It’s so fruity that it almost tastes more like sherbet than cream-filled ice cream. It was the perfect treat at the end of a work- and toddler-filled day, when I could sit down with a book, a mug of tea, and a scoop of ice cream and then not move for at least an hour.

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Roasted Cherry Ice Cream (rewritten but not adapted from Stella Parks at Serious Eats)

I used the leftover cherry solids in sweet rolls, substituting it for the cinnamon-sugar mixture in this recipe.

To get the amount of strained cherry juice required by the recipe, I had to return the cherry pulp to the saucepan, add water, heat it up, then strain again. And again. And again. Don’t use your finest-mesh strainer for this. I’ll try a food mill on its finest setting next time.

3½ pounds (56 ounces; about 10 cups) whole cherries, washed and stemmed but not pitted
¾ cup (5¼ ounces) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1¾ cups (14 ounces) heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the cherries and sugar in a 12-inch stainless-steel skillet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are wilted and soft, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then use your fingers to pull the cherries apart and remove the pits. Transfer the cherry pits to a medium saucepan. Transfer the pitted cherries to a food processor bowl. Leave the cherry juice in the skillet.

2. Add the heavy cream to the saucepan with the cherry pits. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to steep.

3. Pulse the cherries in the food processor until minced but not pureed. Transfer them back to the skillet with the juice. Heat the cherries and juice over medium heat; reduce the heat to retain a simmer and cook until jammy, about 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer (see note). You should have 20 ounces of cherry juice. Discard the cherry solids or reserve for another use (stored in the refrigerator, they can be kept for up to three weeks and used like jam).

4. Strain the cream into the same container as the cherry juice; discard the pits. Stir in the salt and the lemon juice. Chill the mixture until it is 40 degrees, either for several hours in the refrigerator or more quickly by setting the bowl of custard inside a larger bowl filled with ice water.

5. Churn the custard in a prepared ice cream maker until it’s the consistency of soft-serve ice cream, about 25 minutes. Immediately transfer to a chilled container. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Filed Under: custard, dessert, fruit, gluten free, summer

strawberry balsamic slab pie

06/16/2017 By bridget

After grabbing a slice from the office kitchen, one of my coworkers asked me why I decided to add balsamic vinegar to pie. My answer of “because the recipe called for it” surely did not impress him. However, it’s a great question: What does the vinegar add to this pie?

I was surprised that the recipe calls for strawberry juice to be drained off and discarded (we used it in place of the sugar syrup in daiquiris). I suppose the balsamic vinegar is replacing the strawberry juice. No one could taste the vinegar or the angostura bitters in the baked pie, but we all agreed that it was particularly delicious and intensely strawberry-y.

The changes I made from the original recipe weren’t intentional; I was basing my recipe off of a friend, who’d adjusted the thickener herself. As a result, the filling is more solid, which is perfect for a slab pie intended to be eaten out of hand instead of cut into slices and served plated. In the end, even if I can’t explain just what made it so good, there isn’t a thing I’d change about this pie, from the thickener to the straining of juices and nontraditional additions.

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Strawberry Balsamic Slab Pie (adapted from Emily Elson’s and Melissa Elson’s Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book via Apple a Day; crust rewritten from Serious Eats)

Crust:
3¾ cups (18 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon table salt)
30 tablespoons butter (3¾ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
9 tablespoons cold water

Filling and topping:
4½ tablespoons granulated sugar
3 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and quartered
1 large Granny Smith apple, grated
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons Minute tapioca
3 grinds fresh black pepper
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or ⅓ teaspoon table salt)
egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
demerara or other coarse sugar, or regular granulated sugar

1. For the crust: In a food processor, process approximately two-thirds of the flour, the sugar, and the salt just to combine, a few pulses. Add the butter; pulse until the dough is evenly combined and begins to form clumps. Add the remaining flour and pulse just until the flour is evenly distributed. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; sprinkle the water over the dough and use a rubber spatula to fold the dough until the water is absorbed. Divide the dough into two portions, with one portion slightly larger than the other. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

2. For the filling: In a large bowl, combine the strawberries and granulated sugar; set aside at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain the strawberries, discarding the liquid (or reserving it for another use). Return the strained strawberries to the bowl; add the apple, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, black pepper, and salt.

3. Arrange an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a 12-by-17-inch sheet of parchment paper, roll out the larger portion of the dough to the edges of the parchment paper. Transfer the dough, still on the parchment paper, to a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet. Roll the smaller portion of dough to a 10-by-15-inch rectangle. Leave it whole to top the slab pie, or cut strips or other shapes.

4. Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the dough in the pan. Top with the remaining dough. If you’ve left the top layer of dough whole, cut many 2-inch slashes into it. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with demerara or other sugar.

5. Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees; continue baking for an additional 35 minutes, until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling. Transfer to a cooling rack; cool to room temperature before serving.

Filed Under: dessert, fruit, pie, spring

apple cranberry pie

11/22/2016 By bridget

It’s not like me to be still tweaking my menu just a few days before Thanksgiving. I even had to rework my timeline as a result! But the change made my timeline simpler with more reasonable expectations of what I can fit in my oven at once (i.e., not four casseroles, rolls, and a tray of roasting vegetables).

If you, too, are still looking for recipes, this is one worth adding. It’s a nice variation from a strictly traditional apple pie, while still within the Thanksgiving theme of fall ingredients and, of course, pie. Plus, both of the fillings and the dough for the crust can be made a couple days before the holiday, which is always an advantage when you’re trying to serve a huge meal to a crowd.

Cranberries and apples, both sweet and tart, accented by flaky pastry, are a great combination. Hopefully you’re a step ahead and already have your turkey salting, your cranberry sauce in the refrigerator, and your pies chosen. If not, this one is a great addition to your holiday.

Apple-Cranberry Pie (from Cook’s Illustrated)

Makes one 9-inch pie

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon for top of pie
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3½ pounds sweet apples (6 to 7 medium), such as Golden Delicious or Braeburn, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
pie dough for double-crust pie
1 egg white, beaten lightly

1. Bring the cranberries, juice, ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the berries against the side of the pot, until the berries have completely broken down and the juices have thickened to a jamlike consistency (a wooden spoon scraped across the bottom should leave a clear trail that doesn’t fill in), 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in water, and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. (Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

2. Meanwhile, mix ½ cup sugar, the remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and the cornstarch in a large microwave-safe bowl; add the apples and toss to combine. Microwave on high power, stirring with a rubber spatula every 3 minutes, until the apples are just starting to turn translucent around the edges and the liquid is thick and glossy, 10 to 14 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. (Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

3. While the fillings cool, adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the oven rack, and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured work surface to a 12-inch circle about ⅛- inch thick. Roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unroll it into a pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang. Ease the dough into the plate by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand while pressing into the plate bottom with the other hand. Leave the dough that overhangs the plate in place; refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Transfer the cooled cranberry mixture to the dough-lined pie plate and spread into an even layer. Place the apple mixture on top of the cranberries, mounding slightly in the center; push down any sharp apple edges.

5. Roll the second disk of dough on a floured work surface to a 12-inch circle about ⅛-inch thick. Roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and unroll over the pie, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side.

6. Using kitchen shears, cut evenly through both layers of overhanging dough, leaving a ½-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself so that the edge of the fold is flush with the outer rim of the pie plate. Flute the edges using a thumb and forefinger or press with the tines of a fork to seal. Brush the top and edges of the pie with egg white and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon sugar. Using a sharp paring knife, cut four 1½-inch slits in the top of the dough in a cross pattern.

7. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake until the top is light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the baking sheet, and continue to bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool at least 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Filed Under: dessert, fall, fruit, pie, thanksgiving

blueberry and cream cookies

09/16/2016 By bridget

This is usually my view while baking lately. I like it, except for the constant challenge of keeping the baby from grabbing the spatula, or sticking her hands in the way of the mixer paddle, or kicking a bowl full of eggs. Also, I’ve been guilty of dripping batter on her head while grabbing a spoonful to taste.

It’s best if I just wait until nap time to put things in the oven or take them out, although in a pinch, I’ve found I can tilt her away from the oven and hold her limbs down when one hand while I grab a hot baking pan with the other. This recipe, then, is perhaps not the best choice for baking with the baby, since it has an extra oven step of making milk crumbs by toasting a combination of dried milk powder, sugar, flour, and butter.

After that, it’s mixed like a standard cookie, with the sugar creamed into the butter, the egg beaten in, and the dry ingredients added at the end. Then, the dough is scooped for baking, except you don’t bake it then. It needs to chill before baking to reduce how much the cookies spread. Then, when the baby is sleeping, or sitting on the floor putting things in her mouth, or jumping like a crazy person in her bouncer, you can finally put the cookies in the oven, and shortly afterward, enjoy a soft and sweet cookie, studded with tart bits of blueberries.

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Blueberry and Cream Cookies (adapted from Christina Tosi’s Momofuko Milk Bar via Bon Appetit)

I did not chill my dough overnight. I left it in the fridge for a couple hours, just until it was cold. It seemed fine.

Milk Crumbs:
6 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
¼ cup all purpose flour
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
⅓ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cookies:
2⅔ cups (12.8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups (5.25 ounces) sugar
¾ cups (5.25 ounces) brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 large egg
Milk crumbs
1 cup dried blueberries

1. For the milk crumbs: Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a small bowl, combine the milk powder, flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt; toss to mix evenly. Add the butter; stir with fork until clusters form. Spread the mixture evenly on the prepared sheet. Bake until the crumbs are dry and crumbly but still pale, about 10 minutes, stirring twice during baking. Cool completely on the sheet. (The crumbs can be made 1 week ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

2. For the cookies: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugars, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the corn syrup, then the egg, beating until the mixture is very pale, about 10 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Add the milk crumbs and blueberries; mix on low speed just until evenly combined. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Scoop the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 2 days.

3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are golden, 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Filed Under: cookies, dessert, fruit

peach-riesling sangria

08/31/2016 By bridget

This recipe is delicious, easy, light, summery, and goes well with a variety of foods. With that list of compliments, you can probably tell that it’s one of my favorite summer drinks, especially when I’m serving a crowd. I like it even more than traditional red wine-based sangria.

I love how, between the sliced peaches, peach liqueur, and cranberry peach juice, it actually tastes peachy. The raspberries are mostly for decoration, but they certainly are a pretty one. Plus, if you manage to fish them out of the steeped liquid without smooshing them, the boozy berries are a nice treat.

Other than slicing some fruit, you just mix a bunch of stuff in a pitcher, wait a day, and then you’ve got enough drinks for a group. However, I made a single recipe for six people to go along with afternoon cheese and crackers, and we all agreed that we wanted more. Fortunately, making another batch is no problem at all.

Peach-Riesling Sangria (slightly adapted from Bon Appetit via epicurious)

The original recipe also includes the seeds from a vanilla bean, but the black specks floating in the drink looked unappetizing and didn’t add noticeable flavor. I leave the vanilla out entirely, but a teaspoon of extract would be good too. I also cut the orange and lemon slices a little thinner, which I think looks nicer in a clear glass.

1 (750-ml) bottle dry Riesling
1½ cups white cranberry-peach drink
½ cup peach schnapps
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 ½-inch-thick lemon slices
2 ½-inch-thick orange slices
2 peaches, cut into wedges
10 fresh raspberries

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve over ice.

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Filed Under: alcohol, citrus, drinks, favorites, fruit, summer

raspberry cream cheese brownies

07/22/2016 By bridget

My mom has a new favorite dessert, and I am not surprised. The two of us have been big fans of the chocolate/cheesecake/raspberry combination since I was in high school and she was a teacher, and we took a day of our spring break to check out the new mall across town. My clearest memory from that day is sharing a slice of chocolate raspberry cheesecake. A few weeks later, I drove back out to that mall to pick up another slice to give her for Mother’s Day. When my mom developed her own chocolate raspberry cheesecake recipe, it became one of my most-requested birthday cakes.

So when I made these brownies, I was sure to save her a piece. It did not occur to me to also save my dad a piece, and since my mom was nice enough to share, she really only got a nibble. Fortunately, that nibble was enough to convince her to make them herself just a few days later.

The raspberry jam is both mixed into the chocolate portion and swirled into the cheesecake batter, so it isn’t just a pretty red swirl; the flavor stands out in every bite, vying for attention with the rich chocolate and tangy cheesecake. This is a well-deserved favorite.

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Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies (from Cook’s Illustrated’s Summer Entertaining via Pink Parsley)

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (1.75 ounces) sugar
1 egg yolk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownies:
⅔ cup (3.35 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup raspberry jam
1¼ cups (8.75 ounces) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil. leaving the excess hanging over the edges. Grease foil. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Set aside.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Microwave the chocolate and butter in a large bowl, stirring after every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Whisk in ¼ cup jam and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, and stir until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until just incorporated.

3. Microwave the remaining ¼ cup jam until warm, about 30 seconds, and stir until smooth. Scrape half the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish. Dollop the cream cheese by the spoonful over the batter, and spread into an even layer. Drop spoonfuls of warm jam over the cream cheese, and use the tip of a knife to swirl jam through the filling. Spread the remaining batter evenly over the filling.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few dry crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, lift the brownies from the pan and cut into squares.

Filed Under: chocolate, cookies, dessert, fruit

broiled salmon with marmalade-mustard glaze

05/13/2016 By bridget

While I nursed the four-day-old baby, my mother-in-law asked when we wanted to eat dinner. She said it would take fifteen minutes to cook, and I told her that I should be ready by then, not having yet figured that the baby likes to savor her meals and takes far longer than fifteen minutes to eat.

But I also didn’t believe my mother-in-law that she could make a full meal in someone else’s kitchen in fifteen minutes. However, it turns out that not everyone makes things as complicated as I do, and this easy dish served with instant rice and steamed broccoli was ready long before the baby was finished eating. It was the not the last time I’d eat my dinner lukewarm after the baby ate hers fresh.

It was also not the last time we’d eat this dish. A recipe that can be made in an unfamiliar kitchen in fifteen minutes is a good one to have around. The glaze has plenty of flavor to spread around the whole meal, so I often serve it over a simple quinoa pilaf with vegetables mixed in. As a bonus, it tastes almost as good lukewarm as it does hot from the oven.

Broiled Salmon with Marmalade-Mustard Glaze (slightly adapted from Cooking Light)

Serves 4

½ cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through a press, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

1. Adjust an oven rack to 6 inches below the broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the marmalade, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2. Arrange the salmon in a broiler-safe dish, skin-side down. Spread half of the marmalade mixture over the salmon.

3. Broil until the glaze is bubbling, about 6 minutes. Spread the remaining marmalade mixture over the salmon, and continue to broil until the salmon breaks into flakes or reads 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 additional minutes. Serve.

Filed Under: fruit, gluten free, seafood, weeknight meal

strawberry and chocolate cupcakes

04/04/2016 By bridget

There were probably better things I could have been doing with my time instead of making fancy cupcakes. Surely I should be focusing on easier, more straightforward treats right now. Even better, I had planned to get the flower garden ready for spring that Sunday afternoon. Or I could clean my house. Instead, I couldn’t resist the siren call of my mixer, plus butter, sugar, and flour.

It went about how most things do these days: I thought I’d have enough time to get the batters made and the cupcakes in the oven, but the baby woke up earlier than expected. Once she’d eaten and we gave her a bath and read a few books to her, I hurried back to finish the cupcakes while Dave took a turn trying to get her to sleep. Then he removed the cupcakes from the pan while I took my turn trying to get her to sleep.

Baking, frosting, and garnishing cupcakes all in one day is nearly impossible right now, at least if I want to do anything else with my time, like dress the baby up in silly outfits and take pictures. I packed the cupcakes away overnight, then got halfway through making the frosting the next morning when the baby woke up earlier than expected. (The baby almost always wakes up earlier than expected, unless she sleeps for hours longer than expected.)

Fortunately, I was able to finish the toppings when Dave came home for lunch. He took most of the cupcakes to share at work, and I stashed a couple away for a well-deserved treat for myself. I’ll work in the garden next week (unless I find another fun dessert to bake instead).

Strawberry Chocolate Cupcakes (cake recipes are both adapted from Alyssa Huntsman’s and Peter Wynne’s Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes via Smitten Kitchen; chocolate frosting is from Martha Stewart)

Makes 24 cupcakes

I’m years overdue for a thorough chocolate cupcake comparison, but right now, I’m really happy with this recipe. It’s chocolately, tender, and moist.

A friend gave me this fun cupcake batter divider, but I’m sure you can just simultaneously spoon both batters into the cups.

Strawberry cake:
1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup pureed frozen strawberries (from about 5 ounces of strawberries)
3 egg whites
3½ tablespoons milk
1 drop red food dye, optional

Chocolate cake:
1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
½ cup (1.5 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 egg
½ cup freshly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

Frosting and garnish:
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups (6 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
pinch salt
½ cup sour cream
12 strawberries, halved through the stem

1. To make the cupcakes, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.

2. For the strawberry cake: Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend, then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, and red food dye, if using. Add the egg white mixture to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Set aside.

4. For the chocolate cake: In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer on low speed, blend for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and buttermilk and blend on low until moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Whisk the eggs and coffee together, and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only until blended after each addition.

6. Simultaneously spoon the two batters into each cupcake well, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove them from the wells and cool completely on the rack.

7. For the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Set aside to cool until just barely warm.

8. In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Frost cupcakes immediately. Top each cupcake with a strawberry half.

Filed Under: cake, dessert, fruit, spring

rhubarb sour cream pound cake

03/15/2016 By bridget

The newborn stage hit all of us hard – including the baby, who apparently found life outside the womb to be unsatisfactory. I was grateful for a freezer full of dinners, although I did manage to do some simple baking – chocolate chip cookies, pound cake. My favorite recipes, made almost more for the comfort of going through the motions, of feeling like me, than to have a delicious dessert to share and enjoy.

I’m hesitant to put this in writing, but things are a little better now. We’ve figured out how to calm the baby’s cries (usually), she smiles and even sometimes coos, and we’ve learned to adapt to a routine where nothing is really routine. For example, I learned the hard way, when a pissed off hungry baby had to wait to eat until the cookies I’d just put in the oven were done baking, that I can’t bake unless Dave is home to take things out of the oven if necessary. Also, it’s best if I divide up the baking as much as possible; for one cake I made recently, I had the measured dry ingredients and the baking pan sitting by the mixer for almost a week until I finally got a chance to mix it all together.

This cake was slightly more impromptu, only because the days before I baked it had gone so fast I couldn’t make time to prepare the ingredients. Fortunately, the baby had a particularly sleepy day on the last day of the weekend, and I was able to mix and bake a cake. She woke up hungry when I was doing the final mixing of the dough, so Dave did his best to soothe her while I rushed to get the cake in the oven. I left myself a bit of batter in the mixing bowl to enjoy after the nursing session. After this last month, I definitely deserve a treat.

Rhubarb Sour Cream Pound Cake (rewritten and slightly adapted from Cook’s Country)

16 servings

The original recipe is for cranberries (fresh or frozen), but I’ve found that rhubarb and cranberries are interchangeable in baked recipes like this. I also doubled the recipe so I could bake it in a bundt pan instead of a loaf pan.

10 large eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3½ cups (17.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1½ plus ¼ teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅔ cup sour cream
½ cup milk
28 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2½ cups (17.5 ounces) granulated sugar
2 cups (8 ounces) finely diced rhubarb
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour (or spray with baking spray) a 12-cup bundt pan. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, 1½ teaspoons salt, and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and milk.

2. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the granulated sugar, then increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; gradually add the egg mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then continue to mix on medium speed until evenly mixed; the mixture will probably look curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream mixture, another third of the flour, the remaining sour cream, and the remaining flour. Mix until almost combined, with a few streaks of flour remaining.

3. Toss the rhubarb with the powdered sugar and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the rhubarb to the batter and use a large rubber spatula to fold it in until the rhubarb is evenly incorporated and the batter is thoroughly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 1½ to 2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack; cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack. Cool the cake completely, about two hours, before serving. Tightly wrapped, the cooled cake can be stored for up to three days.

Filed Under: cake, dessert, fruit, spring

passion fruit meringue tart

02/26/2016 By bridget

My original goal was to post this before Valentine’s Day – passion fruit, get it? But instead, I had a baby just a few days before that. And despite what everyone had told me about how difficult the newborn stage is, I’m surprised to find the newborn stage is, indeed, difficult. It seems like most of my days are spent bouncing on an exercise ball, as that’s the best way to keep this tiny creature from screaming in my ear.

Needless to say, I haven’t been doing much cooking. I’m thankful to JanuaryMe for providing a very well-stocked freezer, not to mention all the other people who have cooked meals for us. Dave and I take turns eating while the other bounces.

However, today, I baked a cake! A simple cake that I prepped as much as possible yesterday, but I still got to turn butter, sugar, and flour into a sweet treat. It was glorious.

Still, I think it’s going to be a while before I make a dessert that involves multiple components. This tart is back from my friend’s cancelled party. I took it to work instead, but not before setting aside a slice for myself. It was such a great combination of tart filling and sweet topping, creamy curd and crisp crust. I’m looking forward to stable days of getting back into more elaborate baking, but for now, I’m grateful for any quality time I get to spend with my mixer.

Passion Fruit Meringue Tart (crust recipe from Dorie Greenspan)

8-12 servings

I get passion fruit concentrate from amazon.

Crust:
1½ cups (7.2 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (2 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk

Passion fruit curd:
4 large eggs
3 egg yolks
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
¾ cup passion fruit concentrate
6 tablespoons cold butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt

Meringue:
4 large egg whites, room temperature
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. For the crust: Put the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut, with some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. Stir the yolk with a fork and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Process in long pulses until the dough forms clumps and curds; the sound of the machine working will change. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl to incorporate any unmixed dry ingredients.

2. Grease a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.

3. Center a rack in the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and fit the foil, oiled side down, tightly against the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for about 8 more minutes, or until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer the tart pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling.

4. For the curd: Heat the passion fruit juice in a double boiler until hot but not boiling. Whisk the eggs and yolks in a medium nonreactive bowl; gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot passion fruit juice into the eggs, then return the mixture to the double boiler and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to cling to a spoon, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cold butter until it’s incorporated; stir in the vanilla and salt, then pour the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium nonreactive bowl. Spread the curd evenly over the prepared crust.

5. For the meringue: Beat egg whites until frothy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; until sugar is incorporated and mixture forms soft peaks. Add vanilla and salt; continue to beat meringue to stiff peaks.

6. Pipe the meringue over the curd. Use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue. Serve immediately or chill for up 8 hours.

Filed Under: custard, dessert, fruit, tart