Strawberries — loved for their sweet taste and heart shape, have symbolized purity, perfection, love and passion throughout the ages. It is very common for us to give little thought to where our food comes from and the back breaking labor that it took to get it to our various parts of the country.
Travel can always be filed under the category ‘learning experience’. I find it so important to set oneself outside our ‘bubble’ to fully understand and not become complacent about the many things we take for granted.
Over the years, Brion and I have spent many holiday hours travelling along the Big Sur coast of California, USA. While there we would use Monterrey as our ‘home base’ and make little day trips to the surrounding area. Just inland from Monterrey is the agricultural jewel known as the Salinas Valley. This is one of the major valleys and most productive agricultural regions of California. Having a unique coastal environment with its western ocean exposure (less than 10 miles away) provides moderate temperatures year-round. Warm sunny days and cool foggy nights are the perfect combination for growing strawberries.
I find myself going back to those years I was raised on the farm when Brion & I were driving along looking at the fields of produce growing. I have often felt much appreciation and compassion for the farm workers standing, bent over in the heat of the blazing sun for hours tending these crops.
I have many memories of my own parents working long, hard hours to provide for us on our family farm. I am grateful to have learned to appreciate the efforts of others that make life good.
These strawberry mousse ‘domes’ celebrate those wonderful strawberries as well as satisfying the chocolate lover.
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse Domes
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Instructions
Brownie
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Lightly butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan & line with a 9-inch strip of parchment paper (the two short ends will be uncovered); lightly butter parchment.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat & add chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth (the residual heat from the pan should be plenty to melt the chocolate.)
Stir in sugar; mixture should be lukewarm, no longer hot to the touch. If it's still pretty warm, let it cool for a minute or two.
Whisk in eggs until batter is smooth & shiny.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chocolate mixture & fold with a spatula until just incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan & spread into an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes or until top is set & a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out with moist crumbs (not gooey batter). Set pan on a wire rack & let cool completely. The brownie layer can be made a day ahead of time; once cool, cover pan tightly and refrigerate overnight until ready to use.
Lift the cooled brownie out of the pan using the parchment overhang as handles. Cut off the edges, then cut into six 2-inch squares.
Strawberry Mousse
Place water in a small dish; sprinkle gelatin over top & set aside to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
Heat milk in a small saucepan set over low heat until it just starts to steam (try not to let it boil).
Mix together egg yolk & sugar in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Slowly spoon some of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly until the paste thins out a bit. Drizzle in the remaining milk & whisk until smooth.
Return mixture to the saucepan & return to low heat & cook, stirring & scraping the bottom of the pan consistently, until the mixture thickens slightly to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat & whisk in gelatin until smooth. Transfer to a medium-large bowl & set aside.
Meanwhile, purée strawberries & lemon juice in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1/2 cup purée, if you have more than that save the excess for another use). Whisk strawberry purée into lukewarm custard mixture, then place bowl in refrigerator while you whip the cream.
In a clean bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Add 1/3 of cream to the cooled strawberry mixture & fold to lighten, then add remaining cream & fold until fully incorporated & no white streaks or lumps remain.
To assemble your cakes, spoon or pipe the mousse into 5- (4 oz) silicone dome molds (they’re just over 3 inches in diameter), about 2/3 of the way full. Gently press a brownie square into the top of each mousse-filled mold. Scrape with an offset spatula to make the top perfectly level with the top of the mold. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight until completely firm.
Before you make the glaze, remove cakes from molds and place on a frozen cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Return to freezer until just before glazing.
Glaze
Place chopped chocolate in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl and set aside.
Heat cream & corn syrup in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble (do not let it boil).
Pour over chopped chocolate & let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk, starting in the center & moving in gentle concentric circles until an emulsion forms, then working your way out to the edges until the entire mixture is smooth & emulsified.
Remove cakes from freezer & place on a cookie sheet, elevated off the sheet using small jars or cookie cutters (ideally something smaller in diameter than the cake itself so the glaze can drip off). You may also want to cut out small rounds of parchment to place under each cake to make them easier to transfer.
Pour glaze generously over cakes, taking care to ensure there are no bare spots left. Gently scrape the edges to remove any remaining drops, then carefully transfer cakes using a small offset spatula to cardboard cake rounds or small pieces of cardboard for easy movement. Any leftover glaze can be scraped up & refrigerated in an airtight container for another use.
Glazed cakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Its hard to believe its already Easter Sunday. In North America, many of us like to enjoy or host an Easter brunch. Traditional favorites very often include glazed baked ham, quiche, frittata & French toast casseroles. Of course, there are the classic hard boiled eggs that have been dyed & decorated for the occasion. Many countries make their own signature Easter breads ands buns. The one thing that I always loved about Easter was it signified the coming of ‘Spring’ in our part of the world. Plants were coming to life in the garden, the birds were singing their cheery, little tunes & the stores were filled with beautiful pastel colored Easter ‘things’.
I wanted to come up with something unique for our Easter brunch this year. French toast is always good but I was thinking more along the savory line. Sweet potatoes seem to be one of those polarizing food items, people either love or hate. For most part, I think its the memory of the overly sweet casserole most of us remember from our childhoods. But have you ever thought about using them in a savory context?
I had seen an idea using grated sweet potato patties with avocado and poached eggs. The temptation to kick it up a notch and make a savory sweet potato ‘toast’ for a base become a wonderful Easter brunch for Brion & I.
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Savory Sweet Potato Toast w/ Avocado & Poached Egg
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Ingredients
Savory Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients
Savory Sweet Potato Bread
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Instructions
Bread
Pierce sweet potato several times, and wrap in a paper towel. Microwave the wrapped potato 4 - 6 minutes, or until it is soft to the touch & cooked through. Remove from oven, cool slightly, peel & mash. Measure correct amount needed for bread & reserve the rest for another use.
In a small bowl, combine water, milk, sugar & yeast . Allow to sit until yeast is frothy.
In another bowl, whisk together flour & salt.
In a large bowl, combine sweet potato, butter, black pepper, cumin, coriander, thyme & sage. Taste & adjust seasonings if desired. Add yeast & flour mixtures. Combine well but don't overmix.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead until dough is smooth & elastic. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, & set in a draft free place until doubled in bulk.
Turn the dough out onto a flat work surface lightly dusted with flour. Leave to rest about 10 minutes. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Flatten, shape into a loaf & set inside of pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap & set aside to rise.
Preheat oven to 375 F. When dough is about an inch over the top of pan, place in oven & bake about 45 minutes, rotating pan about half way through baking time. Remove from oven & allow to cool completely before slicing. It is a good idea to make bread the day before you want to serve it.
Additional Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place cherry tomatoes in an oven proof dish. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil & roast for about 15 minutes.
Cut avocados in half & peel off skin. Lay one half of the avocado, cut side down, & slice the avocado thinly. Fan out avocado slices so that they form a long line with the slices overlapping each other. Starting from one end, curl avocado slices toward center. Continue curling the avocado slices until you have a 'rose'. Repeat with remaining 3 halves.
Heat a griddle to 350 F. Slice sweet potato bread to your desired thickness. Lightly butter bread slices on both sides. When grill is heated, grill bread on both sides. Place on serving plates, cover & keep warm.
Bring some water to a boil then poach the eggs for about 2 minutes. Drain.
Top grilled savory bread with avocado roses, poached eggs & roasted cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
Recipe Notes
- This dough is very soft so it is a bit tricky to work with. I would imagine if you prefer it to be firmer you could you less yeast.
- When working with it , I used a buttered spatula.
Today’s Irish legends are thought to stem from stories of real people. As the story goes, in 5th century BC, Gaelic invaders discovered a pre-Celtic race. Being only about five feet tall, the invaders called them ‘little people’, a name which eventually morphed into ‘leprechaun’. Because the little people buried their dead with valuables, it was thought to be gold. Unable to find these buried treasures, people spun tales that grew into legends. It become widely reported that you could find the burial locations at the end of the rainbow. This theory, of course, gives the sense of ‘it’s just out of reach because its an impossible place’.
The rainbow, depicted in St. Patrick’s Day themes, has seven easily distinguishable colors. Both the rainbow and the number seven, are symbols considered to be good luck.
Although St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious feast holiday celebrating the life of St. Patrick, it has become kind of a mixture of non- religious celebrations steeped in Irish culture, folklore and superstition.
When I saw this dessert on the internet, it looked perfect for the occasion.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
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St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Parfaits
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Instructions
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Prepare instant pudding mix according to package directions. Separate pudding into 7 individual dishes.
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Place dishes in a line & add 2 drops of food coloring to each dish. The rainbow colors you need are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo & violet.
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Layer the pudding by adding about 2 Tbsp of each color to individual parfait glasses. Tap the bottom of the glass on the counter after each layer to make the layer flatten. Refrigerate until fully set. Top with a dollop of whip topping to represent a cloud.
In the winter of 2011, Brion and I spent a month travelling Turkey. While in Istanbul, we happened to be staying in a hotel next to a Starbucks coffee shop. By chance I tasted a ‘Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte’. That unique flavor left a lasting memory with me. Back at home, I wanted to recreate that flavor. The recipe today is what developed from that memory.
The word trifle comes from the old French term, ‘trufle’ and literally means something whimsical or of little consequence. In actual food terms, it’s anything but. A proper English trifle is made with real egg custard poured over sponge cake, soaked in fruit and sherry then topped with whipped cream.
Though a simple dessert to make, trifle looks gorgeous with its multiple layers, colors and textures. It is not only served as a dessert but used as a centerpiece on occasion.
Many puddings evolved as a way of using leftovers, thus trifle originating from stale cake. Some of the many cake choices are sponge, Genoise, ladyfingers, pound cake and macaroons. Alcohol used, often ranges greatly from sherry, white wine, rum, liqueurs and scotch as well as just using a fruit juice. In order for the flavors to marry properly, trifle needs about 8 hours of refrigeration time. In North America, trifle is synonymous with the festive Christmas season.
My blog picture is a PUMPKIN CHIA CHEESECAKE TRIFLE that I made for a Christmas event. If you like pumpkin and cheesecake this trifle is for you!
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Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake Trifle
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Instructions
Pound Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 9-inch square pan with baking spray.
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (through allspice). In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg white, milk, oil and pumpkin until thoroughly blended. Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring until just blended. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
Bake until lightly browned & a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack & allow to cool completely. With a wooden skewer, poke holes in cake about 2-inches apart. Slowly pour 1/2 cup Apricot Brandy over cake. Refrigerate overnight.
Pumpkin Filling
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese & pumpkin with a mixer until well blended. Add spices & dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Gradually blend in milk.
Creme Filling
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; blend well. Fold in thawed Cool Whip.
Topping
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, coarsely crush wafers; place in medium bowl. Add butter, nuts, sugar & 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Spread onto the bottom of a shallow pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. Break cooled, baked nut mixture into smaller pieces; store in airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
ASSEMBLY
Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes. Line bottom of a straight-sided trifle bowl with 1/3 of cake cubes, 1/3 pumpkin filling, 1/3 creme filling & 1/3 of the nut mixture. Repeat 2 more times. Decorate as desired. Drizzle with bottled Dulce de Leche Creme.
German-inspired yeasted coffee cake is a very popular type of cake all over Germany and Austria. It is very different from the typical butter cake associated with streusel coffee cake in North America. Whereas a butter cake is rich, sweet and fine grained, kuchen is light and slightly porous with a complexity of flavor that can only be found in yeast leavened baked goods. Of course, there are many different variations, but the important part is the streusel or crumbled topping, which consists of a combination of flour, sugar, butter and spices.
In the past, most German towns and cities had orchards planted all around them, on land that belonged to the community. Cows or sheep grazed underneath the trees and people were free to pick the fruits when they became ripe. Today most of those common lands have been turned into suburbs and the trees are gone. Destruction of the remnants of ancient orchards is ongoing, contributing to the loss of heirloom varieties. Even though the diversity of choice is decreasing, the apple is still by far the most popular fruit in Germany.
Here is my best adaptation of an APPLE STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE that I think you might enjoy to try.
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Apfel-Streuselkuchen - German Apple Coffee Cake
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Rating: 4.5
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Votes: 2
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Instructions
Coffee cake
In a large bowl, combine yeast, 1/8 cup sugar & lukewarm water; allow to dissolve. Stir in remaining 1/8 cup of sugar, salt, milk, sour cream, lemon juice & vanilla; mix well. Add egg & blend.
With fingertips, rapidly work the butter into 2 1/2 cups of the flour until coarse, meal-like consistency. Add to the yeast mixture & knead in bowl, adding more flour if necessary to make a smooth, elastic dough. Shape into a ball & place in a lightly buttered bowl. Cover tightly and let rise in a draft-free place until doubled in bulk.
Apple Filling
Peel & slice apples. In a small saucepan, combine all filling ingredients except pecans. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until apples are tender, & juice has evaporated. Stir in pecans; set aside to cool.
Streusel Topping
In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon & lemon zest. With fingertips, rub in butter until mixture is coarse & crumbly. Set aside.
When dough has doubled in size, turn out on a lightly floured piece of wax paper. Press out gently into a rectangle about 10 x 14-inches in size. Spread apple filling to within 1/4-inch of edges & very gently press into dough. Roll up from the wide end, jelly-roll fashion.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9-inch tube or bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel in pan. Carefully, (dough will be very soft) with the help of the wax paper, fit the roll into the pan so that the ends of the dough join. Pinch ends of together. Sprinkle cake with remaining streusel. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven & allow cake to cool before slicing.
Boston Cream Pie, a French inspired cake that dates back to the late 1800’s. Considered an American classic, Boston cream pie is typically credited to Chef Sanzian of the Parker House Hotel right in downtown Boston, USA. One of the theories as to why it was called ‘pie’ instead of cake is that at that time, pie and cake tins were often considered interchangeable, as were the words themselves.
The original Boston cream pie consists of rich butter sponge cake filled with a rum-infused pastry cream. The sides are coated with toasted sliced almonds and topping it all is a layer of chocolate fondant. A delicate ‘spider web’ of white fondant adds a touch of elegance.
Most women of my mother’s time would do there own version of this pie/cake even if it was just a simple jam-filled layer cake topped with powdered sugar. Definitely the ‘classic’ version was reserved for special occasions. Men generally loved this ‘pie in cakes clothing’. Over time, homemakers as well as the food industry have come up with numerous ideas to recreate this dessert in donuts, cake pops, cupcakes etc.
I’m forever in pursuit of saving time and calories but ending up with a memorable ‘creation’. These Boston Cream Cupcakes are a good example. Tender little cakes filled with vanilla pudding and topped with a chocolate glaze.
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Boston Cream Cupcakes
Tasty little mini cakes with a few shortcuts.
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Ingredients
Chocolate Glaze ( 2 versions,you chose)
Ingredients
Chocolate Glaze ( 2 versions,you chose)
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Instructions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper baking cups.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt & sugar with a wire whisk. Add butter & with a pastry blender combine until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add eggs, using a hand mixer on low, combine. Add milk & vanilla, increase to a medium speed & mix until batter is light & fluffy & free of lumps.
Fill lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Do not overfill. Bake about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack & cool completely.
Custard
Beat dry pudding mix & 1 cup milk with a whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in Cool Whip. Let stand 5 minutes before using.
Chocolate Glaze
For glaze #1... Microwave chocolate & butter in a microwave bowl on HIGH 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted. Add sugar & 2 Tbsp milk; mix well.
For glaze # 2 ... Microwave chocolate & 1 cup Cool Whip topping in a microwave bowl on HIGH for 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted & mixture is well blended
To Assemble: Insert a small knife at a 45 degree angle about 1/8-inch from the edge of each cupcake & cut all the way around, remove a cone of cake. Cut away all but the top 1/4-inch of the cone; leaving only a small disk of cake which will be used to top the cupcake.
Fill each cupcake with about 2 Tbsp of custard & top with the disk of cake. Carefully top each filled cupcake with 1-2 Tbsp of chocolate glaze. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
