Brown Sugar Buttermilk Cake with Roasted Strawberry Frosting

I guess you could say I made this cake out of necessity, but I didn't have a birthday to celebrate or a party to take it to. The truth is, I picked up a pound of less than perfect fruit, deceptively red and plump but severely lacking in the flavor department. So to save those berries from themselves I gave them a honey bath and tossed them in the oven. See you later, bland berries!



As I was daydreaming about the best way to use the little jewels roasting away in the oven, the scent of caramelizing fruit began to waft through the apartment. The scent of roasting strawberries is the sweet essence of strawberry, almost artificial in it's intensity.



I was in the mood to bake something tall and towering so I set to work making a tried and true vanilla buttermilk cake, only I swapped out the white sugar for brown to echo the caramel notes in the berry frosting I planned to make. The slow meditation of softening butter, separating eggs and sifting flour gave me time to consider my frosting options. Cream cheese? Buttercream? 7-minute? Swiss meringue, that's the ticket!



I whipped up a batch of my favorite (not too sweet) Swiss meringue buttercream and enriched it with a scraped vanilla bean and a healthy amount of strawberry puree and watched as the frosting turned the loveliest pale pink. Maybe try whipping this up for your Mom this weekend, I hear Moms love pink cake.

In unrelated news, you can stream the entire new Beach House record on NPR here. It's 35 minutes of fun, mellow summertime tunes that will start your week right.

Brown Sugar Buttermilk Cake
adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes
yield 1, 8'' cake

4 eggs
2 egg yolks (save the whites for the buttercream)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
2 cups dark brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8oz softened butter

Preheat your oven to 350º and grease and flour 3, 8'' cake pans. For safety's sake, I lined mine with parchment too.

1. Sift the cake flour, baking soda and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Break up the brown sugar with your hands and whisk it into the flour mixture .
2. Cut the softened butter into chunks and add it into the flour mixture. Mix on low until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture looks like crumbs. It is helpful to stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl during this process.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, buttermilk and vanilla extract. With the stand mixer running, add the milk mixture in three additions. Mix for 30 seconds after each addition, then stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle making sure to get down to the bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is well mixed.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap them gently on the counter to release air bubbles. Slide the pans into the oven and bake the layers for 28-30min or until a cake tester comes out completely. Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.


Roasted Strawberries

1lb strawberries, cut in halves or quarters if they are large
2T honey
1T neutral flavored oil (canola or grapeseed)

Toss the strawberries with honey and oil. Spread out in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400º for 15-20min or until the berries have released some of their juices and caramelized slightly.


Roasted Strawberry Meringue Buttercream 
yield, enough frosting for an 8'' or 9'' cake (plus a little extra)

5 egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1lb butter, room temp
pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup roasted strawberry puree (room temperature)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch, 5-7min.
2. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 10min.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to low and add the salt then add butter a few tablespoons at a time and beat the frosting until smooth. During this step it is very likely that the frosting will "break" and you will think you messed up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks sometimes too. All you have to do is turn up the speed on your mixer for a few seconds and the frosting comes back together. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated then add in the vanilla bean seeds and very slowly stream in the roasted strawberry puree.

To Assemble the Cake

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and trim the cakes so the tops are flat. Place one layer onto a serving platter or pedestal and spread 1/2c-3/4c of the frosting onto the cake in an even layer. Place the second layer on top and repeat. Finish by placing the last layer on top, trimmed side down so the top of the cake will be nice and flat and crumb free. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) and refrigerate for about 30min. Pull the cake out of the fridge and add a second, heavier coat of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with sliced strawberries. Serve at room temperature. Store any extra frosting in an airtight container in the freezer where it will keep for a few weeks.

Four Hour Baguettes and Roasted Radish Toasts

Every Spring my parents reserved a corner of their garden for me. It was totally thrilling to my seven year old self to to tag along to the nursery and flip through the little seed packets and choose a few things to put into my tiny plot of land. Heck it would probably still thrill me, but living in the city makes gardening just a hair tougher.



I remember taking my planting decisions very seriously. Thumbelina carrots or the ghost white ones? Red radishes or purple? The fate of our salads depended on me! The pride I felt when their little green shoots popped up was unbeatable, but when it was time to pull them from the ground and enjoy the fruits of my labor I don't think I ever ate the radishes. I always ended up picking out varieties that were too spicy for my kid palate.

I do remember my dad eating those radishes though. He took them sliced up and sprinkled with salt and as an adult, when I discovered how much I enjoyed their spicy bite I ate them the same way. Then, like a lot of other folks, I discovered how adding a little butter to the equation made them extra special. These toasts are a riff on that idea, pumped up with some fresh herbs, toasty bread, and perfect for a little snack with drinks.

The baguette recipe is from Saveur Magazine's most recent bread-filled issue and for a "quick" baguette they are still really flavorful with a nice crispy crust, a perfect weekend project if you ask me.

Four Hour Baguettes
yield, 3 baguettes
from Saveur Magazine

12 oz warm tap water (115ºF)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
14 2/3 oz all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
sesame seeds and poppy seeds for sprinkling (optional)

1. Whisk the water and yeast together in a large bowl and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in the flour and mix with a fork until all of the flour is absorbed, let sit for 20 minutes to let the flour hydrate then add the salt.
2. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. I should note here that I ended up adding quite a bit of flour to my work surface (maybe about 1/2c) because the dough was unbelievably sticky, more like paste than dough really. Transfer the dough to a clean, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
3. Transfer the risen dough to a floured work surface and shape into an 8''x6'' rectangle. Fold the long sides of the dough toward the center, then fold the short sides of the dough towards the center. Return the folded dough to the oiled bowl, seam side down. Cover and let rise until it has doubled in size again, about 1 hour.
4. Place a cast iron skillet on the bottom rack of the oven. Place a baking stone on the rack above the cast iron pan. You will put ice cubes in the cast iron skillet to create steam while the bread is baking. This will help a nice crunchy crust form.
5. Heat oven to 475º and transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide it into three equal parts. Shape each piece into a 14'' long rope. Flour a sheet of parchment paper and arrange the three ropes on the paper with space in between them. Gently pull up the paper between the loaves and slide in tightly rolled dishtowels to support the loaves. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the loaves rise until they are doubled in size, about 50 min.
6. Uncover the loaves and remove the dishtowel supports. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, slash the tops of the loaves 4 times. For the seeded loaf pictured above, I lightly brushed one of the loaves with water and sprinkled it with 2t sesame seeds and 2t poppy seeds before slashing. I highly recommend it.
7. Using the parchment paper as a guide, carefully slide the loaves (still on the paper) onto the baking stone. Place 1/2c ice cubes in the hot cast iron skillet below and bake the baguettes until darkly browned and crisp. This only took about 25 minutes in my oven, but the original recipe said it would take 30, so use your good judgement here. When you start to smell toasty bread smell, I would take a little peek in the oven to see what's going on. Cool before serving.

Roasted Radishes

1 bunch radishes, any type
2T olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 400º

Trim the greens from the radishes and toss with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast until light golden, 20-25 minutes.

Herbed Butter

4T unsalted butter, softened
2T mixed chopped soft herbs, I like chives, tarragon and parsley so that is what I used here.
pinch salt

Whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined.

To assemble the Toasts

Slice 1/2 of a baguette into 1/4-1/2'' slices and brush lightly with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 45-60 seconds per side until the toasts are golden.
Spread a bit of the herbed butter on each toast and top with a warm, sliced roasted radish. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired.

Other options

Top the toasts with herbed goat cheese or ricotta instead of butter and toss a leaf of arugula into the mix, delish.
If you don't feel like roasting, fresh radishes with herbed butter would be great too.

Strawberry Lime Tart with Apricot Glaze

Last Friday morning, news hit the wire that strawberries and rhubarb had been spotted at the Union Square Greenmarket. New Yorkers swooped in and scooped up those sweet signs of Spring with the kind of fan fervor usually reserved for pop musicians and I think they were all gone by noon. I have to admit, I didn't drop everything to get to the market that day, but I cheered from the sidelines and hearing about it sure got my wheels turning about all of the good things to come.



I have a bit of a ritual when it comes to enjoying my first local berries. I will eat the first of them fresh and unadorned, probably before I even get home. Then, I'll slice them up for a simple tart like this one, maybe with vanilla bean pastry cream in lieu of the lime, and slowly I'll start baking them into scones and churning them into ice cream. When they are at their peak I am going to convince someone to drive upstate with me to pick strawberries for my favorite jam. Who wants to come with?

Creamy Lime Tart with Strawberries

I have to admit, I made this tart a couple of weeks ago and the strawberries I used for were from California, patience is not one of my virtues. In my defense,  they were organic and still pretty flavorful after their trip across the country. The addition of a light coating of apricot jam made them all the better.

For the Crust

1 cup almond meal
1 cup spelt flour
5 Tablespoon melted butter
4 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325º

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Press the crust into a 9'' or 10'' removable bottom tart pan, making sure it goes all of the way up the sides of the pan.
2. Slide into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 15min. While the crust is baking, prepare the lime filling

For the Lime Filling
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

4 egg yolks
4 teaspoon lime zest

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (from 3-4 limes)

1, 14 oz can evaporated milk

1. Whisk zest and egg yolks together until the yolks are light in color and the zest has tinted the mixture light green, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the juice and evaporated milk and set aside to thicken while the crust bakes and cools, about 20 min.
2. Pour the thickened mixture into the baked and cooled tart shell, slide back into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the filling is set, but still wiggly in the center. Note: If you use a 10'' tart pan the lime cream won't fill the shell all of the way, no big deal, you'll just have more room for the strawberries.
3. Remove from the oven and let the tart cool to room temperature then place it in the fridge for a few hours to chill completely before finishing with the strawberries.

To Finish the Tart

1 pint of the sweetest strawberries you can find, sliced in 1/8'' slices (these don't have to be perfect)
4T of apricot or any other light colored fruit preserves, warmed and blended until smooth. This will become a glaze for the top of the tart. I used the last of my Apricot Jam with Saffron and Rose and it was superb.
1c heavy cream whipped to soft peaks to serve (optional)

When the tart has chilled completely, layer the sliced strawberries on top of the tart in a decorative pattern, I like concentric circles. Then gently brush the top of the strawberries with the warmed jam.
Store in the fridge until you are ready to serve, then slice it up and top it with a snowy white dollop of whipped cream.

Spring Firsts and a Rhubarb Pie

I love these first days of Spring when we all start to shake off the chill of winter and stretch our limbs towards the sun. Every week more flowers pop open, trees get their leaves back after months of naked branches, and I watch as my lucky neighbors sweep off their patios and start replanting their tiny city gardens. One of the things that surprises me most about living on the East Coast is how much I have grown to enjoy the seasons and the transitions that come with them.



This weekend marked a lot of Spring firsts. My first bbq of the season, my first rooftop cocktails, my first subway ride home when I smelled charcoal smoke in my hair and on my skin. I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone when I say that the first pie of the season tops my list of favorites.



While I made this pie last Sunday, I practically vibrated with excitement at the thought of eating it outside with the sun shining on my face. Add to that the novelty of trying out a new mixing technique in my quest to improve my pie crust and my favorite vegetable disguised as fruit and you've got my dream day all wrapped up.



I am happy to report that this pie was as revolutionary as I hoped it would be. It was so tart and flaky and lightly vanilla scented that alternate titles I considered for this post included: We Don't Need no Stinking Strawberries, I am a Pie Ninja, and Holy Shit, This Is The Best Pie I've Ever Made. That last one was the exact phrase that popped out of my mouth when I pulled the bubbling beaut out of the oven. I didn't even have to taste it to know.



I wrapped it up in a big cloth tied at the top and proudly carried it  on the train to its rightful resting place: a rooftop picnic table full of friends in the sunshine, with a view of the city in the distance.

For the Crust

This crust comes to you from Brandi Henderson of I made that! and The Pantry at Delancey where she teaches a class called "How to be a Pie Ninja" and she is not messing around. Brandi uses a technique called fraisage which creates long sheets of buttery flakes throughout the dough instead of little pockets of butter. Delightful!

12 oz pastry flour
8 oz cold butter
4 oz ice water
1/2t salt

1. Mix the flour and salt together, then pour the whole lot on a large cutting board or countertop.
2. With a bench scraper, cut in half of the butter until it is the size of lima beans, then cut in the other half of the butter until it is the size of quarters.
3. Using your fingers, flick the water on to the butter flour mixture and gently fold it in with your bench scraper. You have added enough water when you can pick up a handful of the dough and squeeze it together without it falling apart.
4. Then, get this, you smear the butter into the dough. With the heel of your hand push a section of the dough down and away from you. Congratulations, you have just created a sheet of butter which is going to turn delicious flaky crust. Scrape your sheet off of the board and place it in a bowl to the side. Repeat until you have worked through all of the dough, pushing it down and away from you in sections. Once you've gone through all of the dough gently remove it from the bowl, press it together, then split it in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and form into a disk. Chill the dough for at least one hour before using. I chilled mine overnight.

If this sounds confusing, check out the link above for a really helpful photo tutorial.

For the Filling

20 oz of rhubarb (about 5 slightly heaping cups), chopped into 1/2'' pieces (if your rhubarb is tough or stringy, remove the strings by pulling them down the stalk)
11.5 oz sugar
2.25 oz flour
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1t orange zest
big pinch salt

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few tablespoons of coarse sugar like turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 450º

1. 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 9'' pie pan. Place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the pie.
2. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12'' circle about 1/8'' thick and place it in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large bowl, rub the vanilla bean seeds and orange zest into the sugar to evenly distribute. Add in the rhubarb, vanilla/zesty sugar, flour, and salt and toss to combine evenly. Fill the prepared pie shell with the rhubarb mixture and top with the second crust, crimp the edges and cut a few vents. 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 one's pictured above are about 1'' wide.
4. If the crust seems soft or warm, slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min 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.
5. 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 350º and bake for 40-50min or until the crust is deep golden brown and the rhubarb juices bubble. Cool at least 2 hours before serving.




Thanks to Shawn for the shot of me holding the pie and to Ellie for the Holga shot on the bottom left.

Rhubarb Syrup, Rhubarb Soda, and a Rhubarb Mule

As soon as rhubarb season rolls in I like to have a bottle of this shocking pink syrup on hand for all sorts of delicious cocktails and spritzers. It's dead easy to make and if someone invites you to a dinner party or barbecue this spring you can bring the makings to impress your friends with a refreshing drink instead of a boring six-pack of beer. My favorite way to enjoy it is over ice with a big slice of fresh ginger (surprise, surprise) and a splash of seltzer, but it's also a great addition to crisp white wine or in a moscow mule style cocktail with vodka and some citrus. I know when temps get into the high 90s later this week I will be parked firmly in front of my air conditioner with a pretty pink drink in one hand and a scoop of passionfruit sorbet in the other.


Rhubarb Syrupmakes about 2 cups

1 lb rhubarb, chopped
1c sugar
1c water

1. Simmer the rhubarb, sugar and water in a non reactive saucepan until the rhubarb is soft and a bit mushy, about 15 min.
2. Pour the whole mess into a strainer (lined with cheesecloth if you have it) set over a bowl with a spout or measuring cup, for easy pouring. Let the syrup slowly strain undisturbed then pour into a jar or bottle and store in the fridge.

Make sure to keep the pulp! I like eating it on top of yogurt or you can blend it, call it rhubarb sauce and eat it on its own.

Rhubarb Soda
1 part rhubarb syrup
3 parts seltzer

Stir together and serve over ice, add a sprig of mint or a squeeze of citrus for a little extra punch.

Rhubarb Mulenot the kind you can ride, the kind you can drink

2 oz chilled vodka
2T rhubarb syrup
squeeze of lime or lemon
4-6 oz ginger beer
sliced fresh ginger to garnish

Fill a glass with ice, squeeze a wedge of lemon or lime onto the glass, then add the vodka and rhubarb syrup, top with ginger beer and garnish with a slice of fresh ginger. Prepare to be refreshed all spring long.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this syrup would also be great with something a little bitter, maybe aperol? Try it and let me know!

Individual Rhubarb Raspberry Galettes

These days I can't seem to walk by a pile of rhubarb at the market without tossing some rosy stalks into my basket. Maybe it's because I have a faint memory of an out of control rhubarb plant in the side yard of my childhood home, maybe because it has a short growing season, or maybe it's because I think it is just so damn tasty. These rustic little galettes were a perfect way to use up some of my stash and the addition of tart raspberries really makes the rhubarb shine. The original recipe calls for a traditional pate brise, but since I knew I was going to have to roll out eight, individual galettes I went ahead and used my favorite cream cheese dough because it's a bit more forgiving and easier to work with. I also added a bit of lemon zest and ginger because the flavors worked together so well in the rhubarb curd from a few weeks ago. Next I think I'll whip up some rhubarb syrup to make rhubarb sangria or champagne cocktails for my birthday this weekend!

Cream Cheese Pie Dough
adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts 
makes 8 galettes

2T cold water
2t cold cider vinegar
3c flour
2t sugar
pinch salt
1c cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8oz cold cream cheese, cut into cubes

1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the butter and cream cheese, then pulse until there are lima bean sized lumps of cream cheese and butter.
3. Mix the water and vinegar together, then add to the butter flour mixture in a slow, steady stream while pulsing. Pulse until the mixture just begins to hold together. If your dough seems really dry, add a teaspoon or two more water.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap, then use the wrap to gather the dough into a ball. Seal it up and press firmly into a disk. Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling.

Rhubarb Raspberry Filling

1 1/2lbs rhubarb, cut into 1/4'' pieces
8oz raspberries
1/4c cornstarch
2c granulated sugar
zest of one lemon (optional)
1/2t grated fresh ginger (optional)
demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

To assemble

1. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 7'' round, 1/8'' thick. Transfer the rounds to two large, lined sheet pans, a few inches apart. Store in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
2. In a large bowl combine the rhubarb, raspberries, cornstarch, granulated sugar, lemon and ginger. Prepare an egg wash by beating an egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water.
3. Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide the dough evenly between the 8 disks, leaving a 1'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the rhubarb filling and gently brush the wash between the folds to seal. Chill the formed tarts until they are firm, 30-40min.
4. While the tarts are chilling, preheat your oven to 400. When the tarts are nice and cold, remove them from the fridge, gently brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
5. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake until the juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown. Let cool completely before serving.

Pavlova with Gingered Rhubarb Curd and Strawberries

At long last, spring has sprung. It is finally warming up around these parts and you know what that means: rhubarb. Well, at least that's what I get excited about when the sun starts shining again after a long winter. I'm sorry to say that the barb I used for this recipe wasn't local, but I just could not wait any longer. As soon as I saw these greenhouse specimens at my favorite little produce stand I pounced. Then I sliced and simmered and enriched it with egg yolks and butter and was left with the dreamiest tangerine colored curd you ever did meet. I decided to use it to put my own spin on the Aussie classic, pavlova, so I lightened my curd with a bit of whipped cream before pouring it into a pillowy meringue shell and topping it with fresh, sliced strawberries. The end result is light and delicious and a wonderful way to welcome the season. If you don't feel like going the distance and making the whole pavlova do try to make this rhubarb curd at least once this spring, it is really fantastic and unlike any curd I've ever tried.

For the Meringue 
adapted from Gourmet

1c superfine granulated sugar
1T cornstarch
3 large egg whites at room temperature
3T cold water
1t distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 300 with rack in middle. Trace an approximately 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn parchment over and put on a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
3. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add water (whites will loosen) and beat until whites again hold soft peaks.
4. Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 Tbsp at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more.
5. Add vinegar and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer).
6. Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the “crater” is for curd and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like).
Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven 1 hour.

For the Gingered Rhubarb Curd

3/4 pounds rhubarb (about 6 stalks)
1 inch piece of peeled ginger
1/4c water
1/4c sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2c sugar
zest from one lemon
2t lemon juice
3T butter, cut into chunks

1. Wash rhubarb and trim as little off the ends as possible. Cut rhubarb and ginger into 1-inch chunks.
2. In a small saucepan, heat rhubarb, ginger, 1/4c sugar, and water. Cook on medium heat until the rhubarb falls apart and there are no whole pieces left, adding water by the tablespoon if rhubarb sticks to the bottom of the pan.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture, then put through a fine mesh sieve over a clean bowl
4. Put egg yolks, butter, remaining sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the bowl of a double boiler and whisk to combine. When the sugar has dissolved, add the rhubarb puree by the spoonful, to temper the eggs. Continue stirring the mixture with a rubber spatula over the double boiler until it thickens, about 5 min.
5. Remove from heat and strain the curd to remove any lumps. Cover the curd with plastic wrap and chill completely before using.

yield about 2 cups, you may want to make extra because it is crazy good

To Assemble the Pavlova

1lb washed, hulled and sliced strawberries
1 c heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

1. Fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the rhubarb curd, then fill the meringue with the mixture and top with sliced strawberries. Serve additional whipped cream on the side.

Carrot Cake

I've never really felt one way or another about carrot cake. I mean, I recognize it as a classic and all but I wouldn't really say that it was in my repertoire until I was challenged to a carrot cake cook off over a game of cards last spring. Well friends, I love a good competition and I really love hanging out with other folks who like to bake so I immediately accepted and imagined a big blue ribbon pinned to my chest. When the time came I tested and labored and fretted over the cake then over the frosting. I settled on a dairy and egg free cake (wacky I know) that was the moist, slightly spicy cake of my dreams. For the frosting, I knew that I wanted to go a little non-traditional because I've never really been a fan of the extreme sweetness of traditional cream cheese frosting. I turned to my favorite swiss buttercream with hopes that it's smooth texture and subtle sweetness would lend itself to the addition of cream cheese. I whipped up a batch and enriched it with some tangy cream cheese and the tiniest bit of lemon zest and my goodness. I had created a buttercream that tasted like fluffy whipped cheesecake, victory was mine! The day of the Carrot Caketacular came and I packed up my prize winner in a wicker basket, hopped on the subway and hoped for the best. Five cakes were offered up to the masses, votes were cast, fingers were crossed and no one was more shocked than me when my cake fetched second place. What?! Second Place?! It was a pretty narrow margin between me and #1, so I blame the raisins. I was the only one who used 'em and I guess there were a lot of raisin haters there that day. Not even my revolutionary frosting could save me.

You see that last photo up there? The hosts lovingly tied a frilly topped carrot to their buzzer to mark the spot, so cute!

Vegan Carrot Cake (Don't knock it til you try it)

2 1/4c flour
1c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1t ginger
1/2t freshly ground nutmeg
3/4t salt
1 1/2t baking soda
1/2t baking powder
1c plus 2T orange juice (room temp)
1/2c canola oil
1 1/2T apple cider vinegar
1T vanilla extract
1/2c golden raisins (or not, if you don't like em)
1c toasted and chopped pecans
2c peeled, grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350, grease and line 2 9'' pans with parchment paper

1. Add raisins to room temperature orange juice to soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the pecans
3. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Then stir in the orange juice with raisins, and carrots
4. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture all at once and fold gently to combine.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 20-25min or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert on a rack to cool completely before assembly.


Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream (not vegan)
makes about 4 cups (enough for your cake, plus a little extra)

5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
8oz unsalted butter, room temp
8oz cream cheese, room temp
1T vanilla extract
1/2t lemon zest

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain, then blend in the vanilla and lemon zest.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (5-7min).
3. Using your whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture has cooled completely (up to 10ish minutes). If you get ansty and don't let the mixture cool completely you will end up with frosting soup and no one wants that. Don't get antsy.
4. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter/cream cheese mixture about 1/4c at a time and beat until smooth.

During this last step it is VERY possible that your frosting will 'break" and you will think you messed something up. Good news! You didn't! Mine breaks almost every time I make it too. All you have to do is turn up the speed on your mixer for a moment, until the mixture comes back together and then keep adding the butter mixture until your buttercream is smooth and creamy.

Did I mention that this frosting requires patience? It does, I really mean it, but most really good things require a little patience.

For a more traditional cream cheese frosting (that requires less patience), try this or for maple cream cheese frosting, check here. You really can't lose, anyway you shake it, cream cheese frosting is delicious.

To assemble the cake:

Peel the parchment paper from the layers and place one onto your serving platter or pedestal, domed side down. Scoop about 1 cup of frosting onto the cake layer and spread evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up for a more homestyle look, domed side down for a cleaner look. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (a crumbcoat) and refrigerate for about 30 min. Pull the cake out and spread another, thicker layer of frosting on the top and sides. Put it back into the fridge if the frosting is really soft, but make sure to serve the cake at room temperature.

Lemon Meringue Pie

A few weeks ago, totally out of the blue, an old friend contacted me with a very exciting proposition. She was planning a quick trip to New York and had magically procured tickets to a taping The Martha Show (!) and was wondering if I was free to join her. It took me about .5 seconds to draft a reply that included many, many yeses, thank yous, and exclamation points. I was more than a little excited to see Martha in person and when we arrived and found out the theme of the show that day was Pies and Tarts, I just about died. Martha's new Pies and Tarts book was about to be released and Martha and her crew spent the whole hour demoing recipes, like coffee cream pie and raspberry rhubarb gallettes, but the best part was when the show generously gave everyone in the audience a copy of the book, along with some other goodies (thanks Martha). On my train ride home, I immediately tore open the book and started dog-earing pages, I dog-eared a lot of pages. Even though the temps today are in the 30's I am hopeful for a Spring and Summer full of raspberry slab pies and lemon poppy-seed curd tarts of tomato basil pies and panna cotta tartlets, and this lemon meringue beauty that I will definitely be making again.

Lemon Meringue Pie
adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts

For the Crust (makes 2 crusts)

2 1/2c all purpose flour
1t salt
1t sugar
1c cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4-1/2c ice water
1t apple cider vinegar

1. Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor.
2. Add butter and pulse until the butter is the size of large peas.
3. Combine the ice water and vinegar in a measuring cup and while pulsing, slowly drizzle the liquid down the feed tube. Pulse until the dough starts to hold together a bit, there should still be visible hunks of butter in the dough
4. Dump the contents of the food processor onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to press the dough together. Separate dough into 2 pieces, form into disks, and chill for at least 30min before rolling.
5. For one pie, remove one dough disk from the fridge and roll out to a 13'' circle. Place the dough in a 9'' pie dish, then fold and crimp the edges to form a decorative rim. Freeze the formed crust for 30min before baking.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the frozen shell with parchment paper and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake the crust for 15 min, remove the paper and weights, then bake until the crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.


For the Filling

1/4c cornstarch
1c sugar
1 1/2t finely grated lemon zest plus 1/2c fresh lemon juice (organic or unsprayed if you can swing it)
1/4t salt
2c water
4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue topping)
4T unsalted butter, room temp

1. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar, zest and salt. Whisk in the water. Cook over medium hear, stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick. About 7 min (2 min after it comes to a boil).
2. In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks, then pour the hot cornstarch mixture in a slow steady stream. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes back up to a boil, 1-2 min.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, then add butter 1T at a time. Let the custard cool for about 10 min.
4. Pour custard into prepared crust and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate until custard is firm (6 hours or overnight).
5. When you are ready to serve, prepare meringue filling below.

For the Meringue Topping, double for a Mile High topping

4 large egg whites
1/8t cream of tartar
6T sugar
1/4t vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
2. Gradually add sugar, increase speed to high and whisk until glossy and forms stiff peaks, stir in the vanilla.
3. Spoon meringue onto the surface of the pie until it reaches the crust, then use a spatula to create a swirly, peaked pattern.
4. Gently brown the topping under your broiler, or with one of those fun kitchen torches. Be Careful! It only needs to be under the broiler for about 45 seconds so keep an eye on it the whole time.