Homemade Apple Cider Donuts

And just like that, Fall has arrived. This time of year makes me feel so happy and refreshed that I don't even care that everything in my kitchen is covered with a light slick of oil from making these donuts. 

Apple Cider Donuts
yield, 10-12 donuts and holes

The dough for these donuts is very soft and sticky, almost like cookie dough. I rolled my dough out on a generously floured piece of parchment paper so I could transfer it easily to the refrigerator if the dough got too soft while I worked with it. I highly recommend this method.

1 cup apple cider
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons non hydrogenated shortening or lard if you have it
1 egg plus one egg yolk
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 1/4'' and 1 1/4'' round cookie cutters

canola oil, for frying
1/2 cup sugar, for topping
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for topping

1. Bring the apple cider to a boil over high heat and cook it until it has reduced to 1/3 cup, 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the donuts.
2. Sift the cake flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the shortening and sugar together on medium speed until sandy. Add in the egg and egg yolk and mix on high until light and thickened, about 5 minutes.
4.  Mix the reduced apple cider and buttermilk together. Then add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk mixture to the mixer in three additions mixing until just combined. The dough will be soft and sticky much like cookie dough.
5. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or overnight.
6. When you are ready to roll and fry the donuts, heat a large pot or dutch oven with at least 2 inches of oil over medium heat until the oil reaches 370º on a candy thermometer. Gently roll the chilled dough out onto a generously floured board or piece of parchment paper into a circle about 1/2'' thick and about 8'' wide. Cut as many donuts and holes as possible, making sure to flour the cutters before each cut. Gently reroll the scraps and cut more holes. If at any time the dough becomes too soft to handle, just put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Place the cut donuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes until they are slightly firm and easier to handle. While the donuts are chilling, stir together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping in a shallow, wide bowl.
7. Brush off any excess flour and fry the donuts for about 1 minute per side, being careful not to crowd the pan. When the donuts are deep golden brown on each side, remove them from the oil, gently blot off excess oil and toss immediately in the cinnamon sugar.

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!

Tartine's Country Bread and a Couple of Links

I've been baking bread. A lot of it and it's because I finally opened the Tartine Bread book I got last Christmas and I am now totally obsessed with it's country loaf. I bake about two loaves a week (save for those crazy weeks of nearly 100º temps) and in order not to actually turn part bread, I always try to give one away to my neighbor. I take a quick photo of most loaves I make, noting differences based on time the dough spends resting, baking time and temperature. It has all been really fun and educational, I highly recommend it.

Chad Robertson's instructions are lengthy and specific so for that reason I am not printing the recipe here, and if you love to bake bread or if you would like to try it you should really spend some time with this book and the author's words, all eleven pages of them.

And a few things

I started writing a weekend baking column for Food52 and the first one is up now. I made a pie, shocking, I know.

Earlier this week I was a guest on Heritage Radio Network's The Food Seen with Michael Harlan Turkell. We chatted about food, photography, and the WWF. Yep, the World Wrestling Federation somehow made it into the conversation. You can listen to the episode HERE.

Last weekend I helped my pal Vanessa with a fun photo shoot.

Have a great weekend!

Berry Rhubarb Pie with Lard Crust

Last summer, I was obsessed with this crust. This summer, I have turned to this one instead, but just to make sure I had all of my crust bases covered I tried a leaf lard and butter combo crust which for some is the holy grail of pie dough. It was wonderfully tender and flaky with really nice flavor thanks to the butter, but to be perfectly honest, I thought the texture was very similar to crust made with shortening. I'd love to hear if any one else has made pie crust with lard and has a different opinion on the matter, please feel free to share your experience in the comments below!

For the filling, I went with a sweet-tart combination of rhubarb and dark berries. I find that blueberries and blackberries make fine accompaniments to rhubarb (much better than sticky-sweet strawberries) but a handful of raspberries or currants would also be wonderful addition to the mix if you have them around. These photos got lost in the shuffle, so I actually made this pie about a month ago during the height of rhubarb season, but I can still find rhubarb (although much less of it) in my local market and I hope you can too.

I've heard the super processed lard available in grocery stores can be unpleasantly "meaty" in flavor so if you'd like to attempt a lard crust of your own, check your local butcher shop or farmer's market for leaf lard. If you live in NYC you can find leaf lard at Flying Pigs Farm's stand at the Union Square or Grand Army Plaza Greenmarkets.

Berry Rhubarb Pie with Lard Crust
The lard in this dough makes for an exceptionally flaky and tender finished crust, substitute non-hydrogentated shortening for a vegetarian dough that is equally tender or substitute your favorite crust recipe. This is a no crust-judgement zone. Also, I found that this dough was soft and a bit tricky to work with, so I rolled it out between two pieces of parchment paper.

For the Crust
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

12.5 ounces all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 ounces cold leaf lard
1/2 cup ice water

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Use a fork or pastry blender to cut the cold lard into the mixture until it is well combined. Add the butter and cut in until there are pieces ranging from the size of peas to the size of lima beans. Make a well in the center and pour in the ice water. Using a rubber spatula, work quickly to distribute the ice water into the mixture without over mixing. If the dough seems dry or crumbly, add more water one tablespoon at a time. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into two pieces. Form each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour before rolling. I prefer to refrigerate my crusts overnight.

For the Filling

1 lb rhubarb, chopped into 1/4'' pieces
1.5 lbs mixed black and blueberries
7 ounces sugar (1 cup)
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 ounces flour (about 1/4 cup)

Combine the flour, sugar, spices and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the rhubarb, berries and lemon juice and toss gently to combine.

For the Topping

1 egg, beaten
A few teaspoons of coarse sugar such as turbinado or light demerara

To Assemble and Bake

Preheat oven to 400º

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 or 10 inch 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. Fill the prepared pie shell with the berry mixture and top with the second crust, crimp the edges and cut a few vents. OR If you've got some extra time and you'd like to make a scalloped crust like the one pictured, crimp the bottom crust before adding the filling, then use a 1 1/2'' round cutter to cut circles from the second pie crust. Starting from the outside, arrange the dough circles in slightly overlapping, concentric circles on top of the filling.
4. Slide the whole pie into the fridge or freezer for about 15min before you bake it to firm up the crust. When you are ready to bake, carefully and gently 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 15 minutes on the lowest rack of your oven, then lower the oven temp to 375º and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices bubble. Cool the pie completely before serving.

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.

Berry and Apricot Galettes with Saffron

 

    

Summer is time to keep it easy. Eat dinner outside on makeshift tables, hang with friends, and eat dessert off of paper towels instead of plates because who has time to do dishes when there are sunsets to watch and Campari and sodas to drink? Summer is even the time to not stress when your photos are all mysteriously crooked and the lab gets dust all over your scans, ahem...

I made these galettes a few weeks ago for just such an occasion and yes, I know, this recipe is cheating a little bit because I used the same rye pastry (I made a big batch and stored some in the freezer, which I highly recommend!) I used for these strawberry guys, but this time I filled the tarts with a combination of blueberries, blackberries, and rosy cheeked apricots dusted with just a bit of saffron. They were the perfect end to a summertime meal and the pastry was sturdy enough that we didn't even have to use plates to eat them, bonus.

Berry and Apricot Galettes with Saffron
adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
yield 2 medium tarts
I added a few saffron threads to these tarts which was a lovely and unexpected touch, but if you don't have access to saffron, the tarts are wonderful without it.

1 recipe rye dough, recipe below
1 1/2 pounds apricots
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup apricot jam
2-4 tablespoons sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
zest from one lemon
pinch salt

1 egg
4 tablespoons coarse sugar for sprinkling

To assemble

1. Divide the dough into  two pieces. Work with one piece at a time. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a roughly 15'' circle, 1/8'' thick. Transfer the rounds to two large, lined sheet pans. Store in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
2. Gently tear the apricots in half and discard the pits.
3. In a large bowl, rub the vanilla bean seeds, saffron threads and lemon zest into the sugar. The sugar should turn slightly yellow and smell wonderful at this point.
4. Add the fruit into the sugar mixture and toss gently to combine. Prepare an egg wash by beating an egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water.
5. Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread each one with about 4 tablespoons of jam, then divide the fruit evenly between the disks, leaving a 1 1/2'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling and gently brush the egg wash between the folds to seal. Chill the formed tarts until they are firm, 30-40min.
6. While the tarts are chilling, preheat your oven to 375º. When the tarts are nice and cold, remove them from the fridge, gently brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake until the fruit juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Rye Rough Puff Pastry
adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
yield, pastry for 1 large, 2 medium or  4-6 small tarts

I won't lie, the rye pastry takes a bit of work to put together but man is it good. It's my new favorite base for fruit desserts that I plan on using all summer long. Kim Boyce recommends "turing the dough"twice for this recipe, but I wanted a few more flakey layers so I gave it an extra turn. If you are going to use this dough to make a traditional pie, I suggest just doing the two turns.  Once you get the hang of making the dough, I suggest making a double or triple batch so you can have it at the ready for all of your summer pies, tarts, and galettes like these guys.

4.25 ounces rye flour
4.25 ounces all purpose flour
1/8 ounce salt
1/2 ounce sugar
6 ounces cold butter cut into chunks
4 ounces ice water (may need a little less or more than this)
1t apple cider vinegar

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt and sugar together. Add in the butter and quickly rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers. You want the butter to break up into small pieces the size of peas to lima beans.
2. Combine the water and apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup. Make a well in the flour/butter mixture and slowly stream the water into the dough while mixing gently. Mix until the water is evenly distributed and the dough holds together when you squeeze it. It will look dry, and that's okay, just as long as it holds together when you squeeze it. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.
3. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather the wrap tightly around the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour or overnight.
4. After it has chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a lightly floured board. Pat the dough into a rough square, then roll it into an 8'' x 11'' rectangle. The dough will be a bit rough and crumbly and that's okay! With the long side of the dough facing you, gently fold the dough into thirds. Then turn the dough so the seam is at the top and parallel to your body. Repeat this process 3 more times then wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before using.
If the rolling/turning sounds confusing, here is a great photo tutorial for making rough puff pastry on Food52.  Their method utilizes 6 "turns" of the dough, which isn't necessary for this recipe but it will give you a great idea of what the rolling process looks like.

Out of Town & Strawberry Rye Galettes

About a week ago I hopped in a car with two fine ladies and one fine pooch (also a lady) to head upstate to pick strawberries and search for a bit of summer adventure. We fortified ourselves with giant iced coffees and drove about two hours north to a little no-frills farm in the Hudson Valley where we picked berries to our hearts' content, then headed down the road to grab lunch from a burrito trailer. On the drive home we took a detour to pick wildflowers which unexpectedly led us to Bear Mountain where Mazie the dog had her first experience with open water (mixed reviews) and we saw some goslings taking a swim (thumbs up all around). All in all, a banner day.

I rode home in the front seat with a half-flat of warm fragrant berries on my lap and I dreamt up all of the ways I wanted to use them, which only took a few days once I got home. I made a few frozen treats (the first one was posted earlier this week), preserved some, and then baked the last pound of them into these little galettes. I usually don't really like strawberries in baked goods because I think they get a bit soggy, but because these tarts were baked without a lid in a nice hot oven the strawberries roasted and caramelized in such a lovely way. And this pastry, this pastry! I used it last year for a few rhubarb treats and I have no idea why I forgot about it until just now because it is such a perfect (and easy to work with) dough to wrap up all kinds of fruit. 

And in case anyone was wondering, Mazie the dog was an excellent road trip companion and hung out patiently in the shade chewing on sticks while we picked berries to our hearts' content.

Strawberry Galettes

1 large rustic tart or 4-6 small ones

1 recipe rye pastry (below)

1 lb strawberries, whole if they are tiny, cut in half if they are small, quarters if they are large

2 Tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
6 Tablespoons strawberry, rhubarb, or apricot jam

1 Tablespoon flour

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 egg

4 Tablespoons coarse sugar, for sprinkling

To assemble

1. Divide dough into 4-6 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 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 strawberries, flour, sugar, and lemon zest and juice. Prepare an egg wash by beating an egg in a bowl with a tablespoon of water.
3. Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread each one with about a tablespoon of jam, then divide the fruit evenly between the disks, leaving a 1'' border around the edges. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling and gently brush the egg 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 375º. 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 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake until the juices bubble and ooze and the pastry is a deep golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Rye Rough Puff Pastry
adapted from Kim Boyce's, Good to the Grain
yield, pastry for 1 large rustic tart 4-6 small ones

I won't lie, the rye pastry takes a bit of work to put together but man is it good. It's my new favorite base for fruit desserts that I plan on using all summer long. Kim Boyce recommends "turing the dough"twice for this recipe, but I wanted a few more flakey layers so I gave it an extra turn. If you are going to use this dough to make a traditional pie, I suggest just doing the two turns.  Once you get the hang of making the dough, I suggest making a double or triple batch so you can have it at the ready for all of your summer pies, tarts, and galettes like these guys.

4.25 ounces rye flour
4.25 ounces all purpose flour
1/8 ounce salt
1/2 ounce sugar
6 ounces cold butter cut into chunks
4 ounces ice water (may need a little less or more than this)
1t apple cider vinegar

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours, salt and sugar together. Add in the butter and quickly rub it into the flour mixture with your fingers. You want the butter to break up into small pieces the size of peas to lima beans.
2. Combine the water and apple cider vinegar in a measuring sup. Make a well in the flour/butter mixture and slowly stream the water into the dough while mixing gently. Mix until the water is evenly distributed and the dough holds together when you squeeze it. It will look dry, and that's okay, just as long as it holds together when you squeeze it. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.
3. Dump the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, gather the wrap tightly around the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour or overnight.
4. After it has chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a lightly floured board. Pat the dough into a rough square, then roll it into an 8'' x 11'' rectangle. The dough will be a bit rough and crumbly and that's okay! With the long side of the dough facing you, gently fold the dough into thirds. Then turn the dough so the seam is at the top and parallel to your body. Repeat this process 3 more times then wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before using.
If the rolling/turning sounds confusing, here is a great photo tutorial for making rough puff pastry on Food52.  Their method utilizes 6 "turns" of the dough, which isn't necessary for this recipe but it will give you a great idea of what the rolling process looks like.

Strawberry Ice Pops Two Ways

I went on a strawberry picking adventure last week and I am going to tell you all about it soon, but in light of the heat wave happening in NYC I thought I should share these super easy ice pops with you right away. This is a slapdash kind of recipe that only takes a few minutes to throw together and because the berries are never heated it truly preserves the fresh flavor of summer's finest. All you have to do is slice up some strawberries and throw them in a blender with some sweetener (any kind you like) and freeze. Then, once you've patiently waited a few hours you'll have the perfect treat to enjoy while sweating out the summer on your stoop or fire escape or back yard if you are really lucky.

More strawberry recipes soon!

Strawberry Vanilla Ice Pops
yield, about 6 depending on the size of your molds

This method would work with any berry that you have laying around so feel free to experiment. The only thing i wouldn't do is put whole pieces of fresh fruit in the pops. It looks pretty, but I find the icy chunks kind of unpleasant to eat.

1 pound strawberries washed and hulled
2-4 Tablespoons sweetener (honey, sugar, maple syrup, or agave) depending on the sweetness of your fruit
juice from 1/2 a lime
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
tiny pinch salt

Slice the strawberries and toss them with the sugar, lime, vanilla, and salt. Let the berries macerate for about 15 minutes then blend the mixture thoroughly. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness if necessary. Strain the mixture to remove the seeds if you like, I didn't bother. Pour into your ice pop molds and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Buttermilk Variation

Add 1/3 cup buttermilk to the blended strawberry mixture then freeze as desired. Alternately, add buttermilk to half of the strawberry mixture and make striped ice pops like these.

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.