Super Simple Strawberry Tart

Of all the spring and summer fruit, I find that strawberries need the least amount of adornment; especially this time of year, when the berries at the farmer's market are juicy, ripe, and red all of the way through. I prefer to eat them fresh or sliced up and tossed with just a sprinkle sugar. I think strawberries lose something when cooked so when I want to have them for dessert, I don't bake them into pie or cake, but I love to use them fresh. This tart is a perfect example of a super fresh and super easy strawberry dessert.

This is maybe the easiest tart I've ever made, the only thing that requires effort is making a batch of pie dough and I'm guessing most of you guys have done that before. Heck, you might even have a batch in your freezer, just waiting to be thawed and rolled out. If that's the case, you can make this impressive treat in about 45 minutes. Make sure you assemble the tart right before you want to eat it. No one likes a soggy tart.

Happy Solstice, all!

Super Simple Strawberry Tart
serves 8-10

The combination of buttery crust and sweetened mascarpone would be delicious with just about any fruit you can imagine: blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines or plums would all be totally delicious. I would caution against blueberries, only because they might roll right off of the crust. Assemble the tart right before you serve it, to prevent sogginess.

one recipe of your favorite single crust pie dough (all purpose version, rye version)
1 egg for egg wash
1 pound strawberries
8 ounces mascarpone
3 tablespoons sugar
small handful organic rose petals (optional)

Preheat oven to 400ºF

Roll out the pie crust to an oval, 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick. Trim any rough edges and move the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Dock the crust with a fork to prevent the dough from puffing up too much and brush the dough with a beaten egg. Bake the dough until it is deep, deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Cool the pastry completely.

While the pastry is cooling, combine the mascarpone and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Spread the mascarpone over the cooled pastry, top with sliced strawberries arranged in a decorative pattern. If you are using the rose petals, gently tuck them between the strawberries. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, slice and serve immediately.

 

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.

Fresh Currant Oat Scones

I used to bake hundereds of scones every day. Hundreds. Every morning, before the city woke up I poured myself the biggest cup of coffee I could find, and fired up two commercial ovens. Then I measured, mixed, cut, measured, mixed, cut, on repeat, for hours. I emptied 25 pound sacks of flour and 50 pound sacks of sugar into bins. I used butter by the case, buttermilk and cream by the gallon. I got strong and fast and efficient and I learned what happened when you over-mixed and under-baked pastries (bad stuff).

I liked the quiet mornings and the methodical work because once I got good at it, my mind had plenty of time to wander. I dreamt up all kinds of flavors (some more well received than others) and I loved the freedom to create, but after a few years of those mornings the thought of actually eating a scone was so incredibly unappealing that it took me nearly 7 months to even think about baking scones at home. Then it took another month for me to actually get around to it, but an extra lovely batch of red currants gave me the courage I needed to get back to sconing.

Be warned, the fresh currants make these scones quite tart, but they are excellent with a bit of butter and jam if you find them sour. I imagine they would also be delicious with a bit of lemon or orange glaze too. You can make citrus glaze by whisking about a cup of confectioner's sugar with a few tablespoons of lemon or orange juice until smooth. A bit of finely grated zest would also be a nice addition to the glaze.

Currant Oat Scones
yield, 8 scones
This recipe calls for buttermilk and heavy cream, but if you'd like to only use one type of liquid you can also 100% heavy cream. The scones may be a bit more dense and rich, but that is definitely not a bad thing.

10 ounces all purpose flour
1.5 ounces rolled oats (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)
1.5 ounces sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
3 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces buttermilk
4 ounces, plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces red currants or other berries

Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, salt, baking powder and orange zest. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Alternately, you can mix the dough for this step in a food processor.
2. Add the currants to the mixture and toss gently to combine. Make a well in the center of mixture and pour in the buttermilk, vanilla and the 4 ounces of heavy cream. Stir gently until just combined. The mixture should be soft and a little sticky, if it seems dry, add a few more tablespoons of buttermilk or heavy cream.
3. Working quickly, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle about 1.5 inches high. Cut the circle into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream, then sprinkle the scones with the extra oats and sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are deep golden. Serve warm. The baked and cooled scones can also be stored in the freezer (wrapped tightly) for a few weeks. Warm in the oven before serving.

Simple Stone Fruit Tartlets

Take a trip to the market and pick up the most luscious stone fruit you can find, but let it sit on your counter in a bowl for a few days, admire it, arrange it, enjoy its sweet smell. Then, when it is ripe and juicy and in danger of bruising, slice it up and make a tart.




Heck, make a whole bunch of little tarts to share with your friends. Pretend you're Swedish and invite everyone over for fika. I don't know about you, but sharing a cup of coffee and a few bites of something sweet and buttery sounds like a perfect little break in the day to me, but it's summertime so let's keep it nice and easy. Less than 5 ingredients easy.




Roll out some pastry, maybe homemade (maybe not) make sure that it is made from butter and only butter (til death do us part). Cut it into little squares or rectangles or circles if you want, just make sure the pieces are large enough to cradle half of an apricot or a few slices of fuzzy peach. Sprinkle the whole mess with sugar, bake until golden, and enjoy the simple goodness of fresh fruit in a buttery crust.



If you've never tried making your own puff pastry, give it a go with rough puff pastry. It takes a little time, but it's not too difficult and the final product will make you feel like a pastry genius. Plus, when your freezer is stocked with a few sheets of the good stuff, it makes recipes like this a cinch to pull together on the fly. The recipe below makes quite a bit and just think how fancy you'll feel when you tell your pals you made it yourself.

What you'll find below is more formula than recipe, easily adaptable to stone fruit in the summer and apples and pears in the fall and winter. Add some spices or serve these tarts with whipped cream, they're good any way you slice it (pun intended).

Simple Stone Fruit Tartlets
inspired by Not Without Salt
yield 18-20 tartlets (depending on size)

It's super important that you make these tarts with very cold pastry and a very hot oven. I've made them a few times now and had the greatest success baking the pastry when it was just shy of frozen. The ones pictured above were baked in an oven that wasn't quite hot enough and while they were delicious, the next batch was quite a bit flakier.

1/2 recipe rough puff pastry (recipe and photo tutorial here) OR 1 sheet store bought puff pastry (all butter please!)
Assorted stone fruit, a pound or so
 - 1 apricot will yield 2 tartlets
 - 1 small peach will yield 3 tartlets
 - 1 small nectarine will yield 3 tartlets
about 1/3c crunchy sugar: turbinado sugar works great, as does organic cane sugar which is generally a bit coarser than granulated sugar, vanilla sugar works well here if you have it
1 egg or 2T milk, cream or even water
Confectioner's sugar to finish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400º

1.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 1/4'' thickness. With a knife or pastry cutter, cut the pastry into 2 1/2''-3'' squares or circles (they don't have to be perfect, this is supposed to be easy!). You want them large enough to fit half of an apricot or about 1/3 of a piece of stone fruit. Place the cut squares on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer for at least 20min while you prepare the fruit.
2. For apricots: gently tear them in half. For peaches and nectarines: remove the pits and thinly slice the fruit into 1/8'' slices. Try to keep the halves together while you are slicing them, it will make it easier to fan the slices on top of the tarts.
3. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and brush with a beaten egg (or milk or cream or water in a pinch), sprinkle with sugar, and place the the apricot halves or fanned slices of peaches or nectarines on top. Finish the fruit with another light sprinkle of sugar (if desired) and slide the pan into the oven. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown and the fruit has softened, 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Bonus watermelon smile. Because it's summertime.

Rhubarb Lime Granita

Granitas are a favorite in my arsenal of summer treats because they are such a cinch to put together; take some fruit, add water and sweetener, spice it up if you feel like it, then throw it in the freezer. Done. This one does require you to turn on the stovetop, but only for a few minutes. I hope you don't mind. You will be rewarded with a frozen treat that is bright and tart and the prettiest share of pink and is absolutely delicious with a splash of prosecco on top or maybe with some tequila and a sprinkle of salt? I've heard rhubarbaritas are mighty fine.  

Rhubarb Lime Granita

12 ounces water
1 pound rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1/2'' pieces
3.75 ounces sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
zest and juice of one lime
pinch salt

1. Add the water, rhubarb, sugar and vanilla bean seeds and pod to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the rhubarb is very soft and begins to fall apart.
2. Strain the mixture through a medium sieve into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, pressing gently to extract as much juice as possible. Remove the vanilla bean and save for another use, save the rhubarb solids too. They are great over yogurt. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the salt. Taste the mixture and if you find it to be too tart, add in a bit more sugar and stir to dissolve. Cover the dish with plastic.
3. Slide the dish into the freezer and chill for 1hr. Remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the granita with a fork to break up the mixture, cover and place back in the freezer. Scrape the granita every 30min or so until it is frozen and crystals have formed. To serve: Spoon the granita into small dishes and top with a squeeze of lime and a splash of tequila, champagne, cava or prosecco if you are feeling festive.

Michelada Brunch: Austin, TX

A few weeks ago I made my way down to Austin, TX for the second time in as many years. My last trip was to celebrate the marriage of two of my favorite folks and bake them a wedding cake, on a ranch no less! This go-round was a more urban adventure because I was lucky enough to tag along with my boyfriend when he went down to work at SXSW.



He and his crew had lots of work to do recording bands during the day, so I busied myself listening to music, eating tacos and bbq and drinking Micheladas wherever I went. I also dutifully stood by the gear while the guys went to get the van and occasionally fed the parking meter, you know, to earn my keep.

Instead of a hotel, we all stayed together in a little cabin compound with cool modern furniture, outdoor showers for the adventurous and a white fluffy rug whose fibers I am still finding stuck to my clothes, like sand from a beach vacation. Tough life, I know.



After a long week of work, those guys earned themselves a boozy, bacon filled breakfast and since we were staying in a house with a full kitchen and I love cooking a morning meal for a crowd,  I was happy to oblige. It's always a little disorienting cooking in someone else's space so I decided to keep it simple: soft scrambled eggs, a heap of crispy bacon, my favorite fluffy buttermilk biscuits, some Texas citrus, and lots of coffee and Micheladas. Have you ever had a Michelada? They are spicy beer cocktails that I've had a pretty serious love affair with since the last time we visited Texas.

I spent the rest of our trip falling so in love with a man named Sam, some Moonpies, the White Horse and beer koozies that I'll forgive Austin for what it's humidity did to my curly hair. Can't wait to see you again, Austin.



Bonus dog photo! You can call him Dude, or maybe His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. Special thanks to Shawn, Pete and Ellie for taking some of these photos while I was cooking for the crew.

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from Alton Brown
yield 1 dozen

2c flour (White Lily brand if you can find it)
4t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
3/4t salt
2T butter, chilled
2T non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter), chilled
1c buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450º

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. With your fingers, or a pastry cutter, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk, mix until just combined. The dough should be sticky.
4. Dump the dough out onto a well floured surface and gently fold the dough over itself five or six times. Pat the dough out 1'' thick and cut with a 2-3'', floured biscuit cutter.
5. Place biscuits, barely touching, on a sheet pan and bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Michelada (Beer Cocktail)
Serves 1

This isn't really a recipe, but this is how I like to make them.

Take a chilled pint glass and rim it with salt (lime salt would be great here if you have it), if you have something larger than a pint, even better. Fill the glass half full of ice cubes and add a few tablespoons of tomato juice, the juice of a lime, a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, as many shakes of hot sauce as you can stand (I like Cholula or Tapatio), a few grinds of fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt. Top with a 12oz Mexican beer (I like Modelo Especial) and half of one of the limes you squeezed for their juice, give it a gentle stir and enjoy. You won't be able to fit the whole beer in a pint glass, so if you use one just add the rest of the beer in as you drink the cocktail. I've also heard a few shakes of Maggi Seasoning are a delicious addition, but haven't been able to find it.

Quick Pickles

Happy Friday everyone! I am planning on spending my weekend searching for tart cherries to make a jar or two of preserves and maybe if I am lucky I can find someone to drive me upstate to pick some raspberries. I'm also going to make some veggie spring rolls using these quick Vietnamese pickles I've been making lately thanks to my newfound obsession with Vietnamese flavors and Not Without Salt's bahn mi recipe. These pickles are simple to make and so tasty in all kinds of dishes from salads to sandwiches and they would make an excellent contribution to a picnic spread this weekend. What are you all up to?

Vietnamese Pickles
adapted from Simply Recipes

1lb carrots peeled and cut into 1/4'' matchsticks
1 lb daikon radishes peeled and cut into 1/4'' matchsticks
1 jalapeno without seeds or ribs, cut into thin matchsticks (optional)
1/2c plus 2t sugar
1t salt
1 1/4c rice vinegar
1 c warm water (warm enough to easily dissolve sugar)
About 3 pint jars

1. Place the carrots, daikon, 2t sugar and 1t salt in a large bowl. With your hands, massage the sugar and salt into the veggies until they are soft and pliable, about 3min. Transfer them to a colander, rinse with cold water and drain well.

2. In another bowl mix the remaining sugar, vinegar and warm water until the sugar dissolves.

3. Pack the carrots and daikon (and jalapeno if you'd like some heat) into clean sterilized jars and pour in the brine to cover the veggies. Refrigerate and let sit overnight before eating.

These pickles are not shelf stable and should be stored in the fridge where they will last 4 to 6 weeks.

For another easy pickling method, check out this great post from Food in Jars, my go-to for all things jar related. I used her method for the jar pictured with peppercorns, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. They are mighty tasty too.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Walnut Muffins

Just in time for the weekend, I would like to present you this incredibly versatile and forgiving muffin recipe. The only catch is, you need a kitchen scale. I'm sure you lovers of baked good out there have and use your scales all of the time, but if you don't have one it is totally worth the dollar bills. I have a Salter model that cost about $30 at Macy's and it has survived in my kitchen for years despite many spills and drops and other various kitchen disasters that stem from having about 18 square inches of counter space. Don't even get me started on my barbie sized oven. Someday I will post some photos of my tiny New York kitchen so you can all feel bad for me. I kid, I kid, let's get back to the muffins. These wholesome treats can be adapted to use any flours, fat or milk you have on hand. I went with equal parts of whole wheat and all purpose flours, olive oil, almond milk and tossed in some frozen raspberries for color, walnuts for richness and crunch and a bit of orange zest for some citrusy zip. As long as you substitute the ingredients in equal weight you can go crazy, I am going to try a blueberry buckwheat version next.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Walnut Muffins
adapted from Gluten Free Girl, who adapted from Shuna Fish Lydon

350 grams flour (I used 175 grams whole wheat and 175 grams all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
180 grams brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
300 grams milk
100 grams olive oil
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
zest of 1/2 an orange

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a muffin tin thoroughly or if you prefer, line with muffin cups.

1. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. Whisk together the sugar, zest eggs, milk, and olive oil until they are combined well. Add them to the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until the batter is almost fully combined. Add the frozen berries and walnuts, careful to not break up the berries too much.

3. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned with a bit of a crunch and a knife goes through cleanly, about 25 minutes to 35 minutes.

If you try these please share your variations in the comments, I'd love to hear your creative ideas.

Happy Friday!