Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

I found a roll of Kodak Gold film from who knows when in the bottom of a drawer and loaded it in my camera the other day. Expired film is so fun (and random!) to work with. I got about 20 shots of yellow, super-grainy photos and a couple of snaps like the one above. Perfectly, imperfect. I guess even old crappy film can't keep a pie this good looking down.

I can't believe I had never made a rhubarb and raspberry pie before this one. Sure I've made cute little rhubarb and raspberry galettes and I've mixed rhubarb with just about every other berry that exists, but this pie: THIS PIE. If I ever get invited to compete in a pie contest, this will be my entry and it will win every damn blue ribbon there is to win. Strawberry rhubarb, step aside because raspberry rhubarb is where it's at. I used an all purpose flour crust for this guy, but I imagine a rye crust would be mighty fine too.

For a peek into my pie making process, check out this video made by photographer and pal Jen Causey who came over last week and shot me making this beaut. It was so much fun and we ate pie for lunch! Thanks Jen!

Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

yield, 1 double crust pie

Crust

12 ounces all purpose flour 
1 teaspoons salt
9 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces ice cold water
1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water and make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

Filling

20 ounces rhubarb (about 5 stalks)
6 ounces raspberries (about 2 handfuls)
10 ounces sugar
2 ounces all purpose flour
zest and juice of 1/2 of a lemon
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod reserved for another use
egg and crunchy sugar for topping

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 425º


On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it into a' pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it in the fridge on a sheet pan to chill while you prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, rub the vanilla bean seeds and lemon zest into the sugar to evenly distribute. Remove the leaves from the rhubarb (if there are any) and chop it into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the rhubarb, raspberries, flour, lemon juice and salt into the large bowl with the sugar and gently toss to combine evenly. Be careful not to crush the raspberries too much. Fill the prepared pie shell with the rhubarb mixture and top with the second crust, crimp the edges and cut a few vents in the top. 

Alternately, you can top the pie with a lattice-style crust as I've done in the photos above. Here is a link to a great photo tutorial on Simply Recipes. When I make a lattice topped pie, I like to use nice thick strips of dough, so the ones pictured above are about 1-inch wide.

If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes before you bake it. When you are ready to bake, brush the top of the pie with a beaten egg and sprinkle with a healthy dose of coarse sugar.

Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 15min on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 400º and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown and the rhubarb juices bubble. Cool before serving.

Spring Things

Cameras have been cleaned, spring has sprung, and I'm back. With rhubarb! I didn't intend to be away from this space for so long, but the photo clinic took a little longer than anticipated to give my old pentaxes a spit shine. It was totally worth it, btw, and they are looking better than they have in years.

In the mean time, it has been a busy spring round these parts: full of lots of fun freelance projects (including a little something that was published in the NYT!) and a new addiction/obsession (it's a fine line isn't it?) with making pottery. But now it is time to get back to business and the business at hand today is pies: little portable pies filled with the pinkest rhubarb I've ever bought at Union Square and crunchy apples that are perfect for all of your memorial day picnicking. I know it is already strawberry season in many parts of the country, but I just couldn't let May sneak by without posting at least one rhubarb recipe. If you are hankering for more rhubarb find LOTS more rhubarb recipes in the archives of this blog: here.

A few little notes:

Tim from Lottie and Doof wrote an A+ post about #normcore and how it relates to food issues (and lots more). Check it out here. Seriously, I can't recommend it enough.

For my film loving friends, I had my cameras cleaned and repaired at Nippon Photo Clinic in Manhattan. I highly recommend their services.

Rhubarb and Apple Hand pies

yield about 24, 3-inch pies

Rhubarb can tend to break down quite a bit when it is cooked, so I added some chopped apples to these little pies for texture and flavor. The other flavorings are quite simple, just a bit of lemon and vanilla, to let the fruit shine. Cooking the filling a bit before baking will help ensure that the filling stays inside the pies, instead of oozing out all over your baking sheet. There are a lot of pie crust recipes and techniques on this site, but this simple one is a new favorite. Make sure to handle the dough as little as possible for the most tender and flaky hand pies.

Crust

24 ounces all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
18 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
6-8 ounces ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut in half of the butter until it is the size of peas, then cut in the other half until it is the size lima beans. Some of the butter will be completely worked into the flour, but you should have lots of visible pieces of butter in the dough too. Add the apple cider vinegar to the water and make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Use a gentle hand or wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour until just combined. If the dough seems very dry, add more water a couple of teaspoons at a time. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart. Press the dough together, then split it in half, form into discs and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using, or overnight.

Rhubarb and Apple Filling

1 pound rhubarb stalks
2 medium baking apples, mutsus work well here
1 vanilla bean
4-6 tablespoons sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
egg for egg wash
crunchy sugar such as turbinado or demerara for sprinkling

If your rhubarb has leaves attached remove them (they are inedible and poisonous) then chop the rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the apples and chop them into slightly larger pieces.

Add the chopped rhubarb, 4 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, butter, and vanilla bean seeds and pod to a large skillet. Cook until the rhubarb has released most of its juices and the juices have thickened, about 7-10 minutes. The rhubarb should become jammy in texture.

Cool the mixture to room temperature, remove the vanilla bean pod then add the chopped apples and flour and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and if it seems too tart add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.

To Assemble the pies: Preheat oven to 400ºF. One at a time, roll each piece of chilled dough roughly 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 3-inch circle cutter to cut as many circles as possible from the dough. Re-roll the scraps and cut more circles.

Put half of the circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly brush the edges of the dough with a beaten egg. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to each piece of dough, making sure that there is a small border of bare dough around the filling. Top each pie with another piece of dough and press the edges to seal well. Put the entire baking sheet in the freezer until the dough is firm, about 10 minutes.

Check to make sure all of the pies are well sealed. Brush the pies with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Persimmon and Ginger Upside-Down Cake

There are two type of persimmons that can be easily found around New York this time of year: fuyu and hachiya. This cake uses fuyu persimmons which are the short and squatty variety and unlike their hachiya cousins you don't have to wait until they are squishy-ripe to eat them. They have a sweet, honeyed flavor with a bit of vanilla and spice that makes them the perfect match for this spicy ginger cake. Make sure to have some unsweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche on hand to serve; a bit of something cool and creamy helps to balance the sweet persimmon slices and extra spicy cake.

I made another version of this cake a couple of years ago with poached quince. It's also great with pears or apples.

Persimmon and Ginger Upside-Down Cake 
adapted from the Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook

For the Topping

3 Tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt
4-5 firm, but ripe fuyu persimmons

For the Cake

1 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325º. Butter a 9 or 10-inch springform pan with high sides and line the bottom with an  circle of parchment paper.

For the Topping

Peel and slice the persimmon into 1/4-inch slices (a y-shaped peeler is great for this task).  In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the bottom of your lined pan, then arrange the fruit on top in a decorative pattern making sure that the bottom of the pan is covered. Put pan aside.

For the Cake

1. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, add the grated ginger and zests. Mix for 1 more minute.
2. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time. Then slowly pour in the molasses.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter, being careful not to overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate and gently peel away the parchment paper.

Eat warm with a dollop of whipped cream, crème fraîche  or a scoop of ice cream. This cake is best the day it's made.

Campfire Crisp

A few weeks ago, some friends gathered upstate on a perfect fall day for a pig roast. While the men folk manned the rotisserie I go to work on dessert, and inspired by Kelsey's camp cobbler, I decided to give dutch oven cooking a try. I still had a mess of apples left from my apple picking adventure and I knew a crisp would be just the thing to feed our crowd so I packed up all of the dry ingredients for my favorite crisp topping in a ziploc bag then mushed (technical term) the butter in when I was ready to bake. For the fruit portion of the equation, I chopped up the apples and tossed them in a buttered dutch oven with a lonely quince, a handful of concord grapes, and a bit of sugar and spice. I put the dutch oven over indirect heat, put some coals on top, and hoped for the best.

Campfire Apple, Concord & Quince Crisp

Make sure to not let the dutch oven sit directly on the fire and check it every 10 minutes or so to see if it needs to be rotated away from the flame, a set of heavy duty fire gloves works great for this. If you don't have quince or concord grapes, just use an extra apple or two.

5 pounds baking apples, about 10 - peeled (or not) and chopped into medium pieces
1 medium quince - peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 cup concord grapes cut in half and seeded
juice and zest of one lemon
juice and zest of half of an orange
1/2-2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Crisp Topping 

6 ounces soft butter
3.5 ounces rolled oats
2.25 ounces all purpose flour
2.25 ounces whole wheat flour
5 ounces brown sugar
1/4t baking soda
1/2t salt

Combine all of the filling ingredients in a dutch oven with a lid.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add in the butter and use your hands to work it into the mixture until it holds together in medium-sixed clumps. Sprinkle it evenly over the filling. Alternately, pack all of the dry ingredients in a ziploc bag, then when you are ready to bake, toss in the soft butter and mush it all around until it is evenly incorporated.

Place the dutch oven on a few rocks above the fire, then put about 5 (big) hot coals on the lid. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned, rotating every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooking.

And yes, that is the back end of a whole pig up there in that photo. Sorry if anyone is offended by that image.

Apple Yogurt Cake

I would put this cake in the "everyday" category and with a pretty equal ratio of fruit to cake, it makes an excellent breakfast alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea. It's also the perfect treat to throw together when you fall victim to the glorious beauty of an apple orchard on a fall day and pick far too many apples. If you've been apple picking I'm sure you know what I mean.

Apple Yogurt Cake
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
yield one, 8-inch cake

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 Tablespoons bourbon
1 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced or finely chopped tart apples such as ginger gold, mutsu, or jonagold
confectioner's sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350º and butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light yellow and fluffy. Beat in the orange zest, yogurt and bourbon.
3. Working in batches alternately add the sifted flour and olive oil. Gently fold in the apples and spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 55-65 minutes. Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 minutes then invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Concord Grape Jam and Concord Grape Handpies

I love that you can tell I took these three photos over the course of a day. Fresh grapes in the morning, grape jam by midday, and by evening there were grape hand pies fresh and warm. I've written about my love for concord grapes on this here blog a couple of times, but this year was the first time I went all of the way and made myself a proper batch of grape jam to (hopefully) last the year.

I preserved a lot less this summer than I have in years past. Partly because I was busier than usual and partly because I wanted to make sure that I was only putting up things I really wanted to eat later in the year. Judging by the fact that we ran through an entire pint of this jam in about a week I think I stumbled upon a winner.

Once you've put the jam together, the hand pies are really a cinch to put together. Just roll out a pie crust, cut it up, dot it with jam and bake until golden and crisp.

Concord Grape Jam
adapted from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook
yield, 5-6 half pints

4lbs stemmed Concord grapes
2 1/4 pounds sugar
3 ounces lemon juice
1 ounce orange juice

1. Separate the flesh of the grapes from the skins by gently pinching the flesh from each grape, being careful to catch all of the grape juices. Reserve the skins. Add the grape flesh to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the seeds start to separate from the flesh. Force as much of the grape pulp through a fine mesh sieve as possible and discard the seeds.
2. Add the grape pulp, skins, sugar, and juices to a large non-reactive pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the jam, stirring occasionally, until it comes to 220º or passes the wrinkle test, 20-30 minutes. Test the jam after 20 minutes to prevent overcooking. Ladle the finished jam into clean jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Concord Grape Hand Pies
yield 6 hand pies

One batch of your favorite double-crust pie dough: See my favorites here and here
3/4 cup concord grape jam
1 egg for egg wash
2 Tablespoons coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 400º

Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12 inches by 16 inches and 1/8''-1/4'' thick. Use a knife to cut the dough into even rectangles roughly 3 inches by 4 inches. Brush the edges of half of the rectangles with egg wash (these will be the bottom crusts) and top each rectangle with about 2 Tablespoons of jam. Top each pie with another piece of dough and crimp the edges with a fork. Move the pies to a baking sheet and refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm. When you are ready to bake the pies, brush each one with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar then cut a vent into the top. Bake the pies for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown.

 

For the Love of Pie

Hello there! I am a guest over at Nikole Herriott's beautiful and inspiring blog today, sharing a recipe for sweet cherry pie, a perfect August treat. The photos above are some fun, outtakes with a new film for me (portra 800) not sure if I love the film, but I sure do love pie! Hop over there to check out the recipe. I'll be back soon!

Mascarpone Cream Tart with Fresh Fruit

For all of its shortcomings (unbearable heat and humidity), summer is my very favorite time to be a baker. I am so inspired by the amazing variety of fruit available during the summer months, so when I was tasked with making some desserts for a photo shoot a few weeks ago, I knew that fresh fruit tarts would be just the thing. I used my favorite sweet tart shell from Dorie Greenspan filled with a luxurious mascarpone cream that I developed a few months ago when a friend tasked me to make her wedding desserts, then I topped it with heaps of the most beautiful berries I could find. I love recipes like this cream because they are a great, neutral base to showcase whatever fruit is in season. Now that we are later into the summer, I think some sliced stone fruit tossed in lemon juice or assorted cherries would be lovely. As always, use whatever is in season and beautiful at your local market.

Mascarpone Cream Tart with Fresh Fruit

Sweet Tart Dough
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
for 1, 9'' or 10'' tart

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons cold, cubed butter
1 egg yolk
2 Tablespoons water

1. In the bowl of a food processor or with a pastry blender, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the yolk and pulse then stream in the water and mix until the dough starts clump together.
2. Lightly butter your tart pan or pans and gently press the crumbly dough into the pan. Make sure to evenly coat the bottom and the sides while being careful to not compact the dough too much. Alternately, you can pat the dough into a circle, wrap it in plastic, and chill it for 2 hours. After 2 hours, roll the dough in between two lightly floured pieces of parchment paper into a 12'' circle and gently lay it into the pan, making sure to press the dough gently into the sides and bottom of the pan.  You may have a bit of extra dough, save it just in case you have to repair any cracks later on. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom and sides of the dough. Freeze the tart shell(s) for 30min.

3. Preheat your oven to 375º and bake the tart shell(s) on a baking sheet (no need for pie weights) until it is lightly golden 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil repair any cracks that may have formed with your leftover dough, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool the shell on a rack while you prepare the rest of the tart.

Mascarpone Cream
This cream is a heavenly combination of whipped pastry cream, whipped cream, and mascarpone cheese. I use the pastry cream recipe exactly as written on BraveTart.com so I have linked to it below instead of reposting the entire thing here.
yield, one 10'' tart

2 cups vanilla pastry cream, I used Stella aka Brave Tart's Pastry Cream
8 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cream

1. Prepare the pastry cream and chill thoroughly.
2. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the chilled pastry cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the mascarpone and whip until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream and chill the mixture until ready to use.

To Assemble
For the tarts above I used blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, currants, figs and gooseberries, but use whatever is fresh and beautiful in your market.

3-4 cups assorted fresh fruit
Prepared Tart Shell (recipe above)
Mascarpone Cream (recipe above)

Gently spread the mascarpone cream into the tart shell (you may have a bit extra) and top with fresh fruit. Serve immediately. This tart is best on the day that it is made, but it will last a day or two in the fridge if you don't mind a soggy crust.

Roasted Strawberry and Mascarpone Ice Cream

Phew! It has been a wild couple of weeks over here and I am just coming up for breath. Highlights include: a few days on my first TV set, a couple of trips out of town, shooting for some new clients (!), a trip to the impound lot (doh!), and some of spring's first (and finest) berries. It seems like it is shaping up to be a great year for strawberries around these parts. I only say so because I found quarts of them for a very reasonable price at the Greenmarket last week. I have tentative plans for a strawberry picking adventure in the next few days, which means you should keep your eyes peeled for lots and lots of strawberry recipes around these parts. Have a great weekend everyone, eat some ice cream if you can swing it!

Roasted Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream
adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
yield about 1 quart
I've made quite a few of Jeni's ice creams and they have all been killer. The recipe is a bit complicated and you will have to dirty quite a few dishes to put it together, but don't let that hold you back. You will be rewarded with smooth, creamy ice cream packed full of strawberry flavor.

For the Roasted Strawberries

1 pint strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375º

Stem and slice the strawberries, then combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in an 8'' baking pan. Roast for 8-10 minutes or until the strawberries are just softened and releasing their juices. Let the berries cool for a few minutes, then puree them in a blender or food processor. Measure 1/2 cup of puree that will be used in the ice cream and reserve the rest for another use.

For the Ice Cream Base

1 1/2 cups  plus 2 Tablespoons whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca starch
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1. Mix the 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone and salt until smooth.
2. Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar and corn syrup in a large saucepan (at least 4 quarts). Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
3. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk the hot mixture into the mascarpone and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in the reserved strawberry puree and buttermilk. Chill the mixture over an ice bath (or in the refrigerator for a few hours) until completely cold.
5. Pour the base into the canister and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Spoon the mixture into a storage container and dollop a few tablespoons of the reserved roasted blueberry puree on top. Gently swirl it into the base, cover the container with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Happy Birthday

 

I hope you all don't mind if I take a brief break from the rhubarb extravaganza today because today is P's birthday (mine too!) and I haven't yet added a rhubarb cake to my repertoire. We never make a big deal out of celebrating because frankly, being the center of attention in any circumstance makes me nervous, but I always like to dust off my turntable to make us a cake. This year, I think I am going to keep it simple with an angel food cake covered in the first strawberries of the season and billowy mounds of whipped coconut cream. I think I'll probably pick up some donuts too, for good measure. I'll make sure to report back if it's good.

Here are some cakes from the archives that would all make excellent birthday treats

A Chocolate Cake Fit For Celebrations: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Almond Cake with Cherry Filling and Ombre Frosting
Brown Sugar Buttermilk Cake with Roasted Strawberry Meringue Buttercream
Vanilla Poundcake with Vanilla Buttercream and Raspberries
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream

And a bonus tip:

Try adding crushed Oreos or Newman O's to vanilla buttercream for cookies and cream frosting or a hefty dose (4 tablespoons or so, dissolved in the milk) of instant espresso powder for coffee frosting. Better yet, add them both and call it Cappuccino Cookie Frosting, delish.

Buckwheat Shortcakes with Roasted Rhubarb

It took me about 5 years of owning Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert before I got around to making these buckwheat shortcakes. I somehow convinced myself that I didn't really like shortcakes of any varitey, but I think it's more that I didn't like the memory of spongy and dry store-bought "shortcakes" topped with bland berries and cream. I probably don't have to tell you that these are anything but bland and boring.



I've been itching to share this recipe for weeks now, but due to a few photographic mishaps I've had to be patient. I first made these shortcakes months ago for a photo shoot, but only took a couple of photos with black and white film (which simply wouldn't do), then I made them again when I had some lovely ladies over for lunch, but my camera was being fussy and it turns out I lost a whole roll of photos because of it. After that lunch, I received the generous gift of rhubarb (Camille, this is still yours!) and I decided to bake these shortcakes again and roast up my last few stalks of rosy-red rhubarb to tuck inside them. 



These shortcakes would pair well with just about any spring or summer fruit you like. So far, I've tried them with strawberries and rhubarb (separately, of course) and it is safe to say that "piled on top of a buckwheat shortcake" has been added to my list of favorite ways to consume fruit as dessert. I am already dreaming of the peach shortcakes I plan to make in a few months.

Buckwheat Shortcakes
yield 9 shortcakes
adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert

Not only are these litte shortcakes incredibly delicious but they are so, so easy to put together. They are a one-bowl affair that take all of 5 minutes to put together. You don't even have to bother with cutting in any butter, easy.

5 ounces all purpose flour
1 3/4 ounces buckwheat flour
1 3/4 ounces granulated sugar, plus a bit more for sprikling
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with a slipat or 2 layers of parchment paper. The double layer of paper is to prevent the bottoms from scorching.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the heavy cream.
2. Make a well and pour in the heavy cream. Stir gently to combine, making sure to not overmix.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times to make sure the dough is well mixed. Pat the dough into a 6'' square about 3/4'' thick, then cut it into 9 equal squares.
4. Put the shortcakes onto the prepared baking sheet about 1'' apart and brush the tops with the dregs of heavy cream left in the measuring cup. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of sugar and slide the baking sheet into the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden and the shortcakes are baked through. Cool before filling.

Roasted Rhubarb
This is more of a loose formula than a formal recipe, feel free to play with the flavors here.

1 lb rhubarb
2 ounces sugar (or more to taste)
2 strips of lemon zest
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
a tablespoon or so of water or orange juice

Preheat oven to 375º

Cut the rhubarb into 2'' lengths and in a glass baking dish, toss with the sugar, lemon zest, vanilla bean seeds and pod and the water or juice. Set it aside for about 5 minutes to macerate while the oven heats. Cover the dish with foil. Bake the rhubarb until it is soft and has begun to release its juices, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly and remove the vanilla bean pod and lemon zest before using.

To Assemble the Shortcakes

You'll need the shortcakes, roasted rhubarb, and a generous amount of whipped cream (creme fraiche would also be delicious here).

Slice the shortcakes in half, top with a generous spoonful of roasted rhubarb and top with whipped cream. Enjoy immediately.