Wednesday Desserts
Today's desserts are a little of this, a little of that, and a lot of yum. Check out the Strawberry Spoon Cake, the Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie, and the rest of today's yummy desserts. Enjoy!
ORANGE SAFFRON BREAD PUDDING [VEGAN]
This is from Elaine Skiadas at One Green Planet. The recipe begins, "The flavors in this bread pudding are so special and unique that it’s one of my all-time favorite desserts. Almost like a sweet stuffing, leftover bread soaks up a saffron-spiked coconut custard laced with orange zest, vanilla and warming spices. Every bite is soft and gooey with a little crunch from the golden-brown top. Perfect for the holidays or another special occasion where you’re aiming to impress. If possible, use a loaf of high-quality vegan white sandwich bread that’s free of any preservatives and hasn’t been presliced. A local bakery or the bakery section of a grocery store is your best bet. Credit: Reprinted with permission from Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook by Elaine Skiadas. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Elaine Skiadas."
Serves 6
To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/orange-saffron-bread-pudding-vegan/.
Ingredients
2 (13.5-oz) cans full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
10 saffron threads
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 loaf day-old vegan bread, cut into 1" cubes (see Tip)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup melted vegan butter, divided
Whipped coconut cream, for serving
Orange marmalade for serving (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk and sugar over medium heat. Once the coconut milk has melted, whisk in the almond flour until smooth. Bring to a simmer, then take the pot off the heat.
Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and use the back of a spoon to crush them into a fine powder. You can also use a mortar and pestle if you have it. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the warm coconut milk and set the saffron aside to steep until it turns bright yellow.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the saffron mixture into the saucepan (get every last drop!) along with the orange zest and juice, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until smooth.
Place the cubed bread and raisins in a casserole dish or Dutch oven and pour the liquid on top. Gently toss until all the bread is soaked through, then press everything into a packed, even layer. Drizzle with the melted vegan butter, reserving 1 tablespoon for serving.
Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and warm to the touch. Remove from the oven, pour the remaining vegan butter over all and let cool for 15 minutes before serving with dollops of whipped cream and orange marmalade, if desired.
Notes
Tip: To ensure the bread absorbs as much avor as possible, I like to spread out the cubes on a sheet pan and leave them to dry out on the counter for several hours or overnight.
APRICOT KOLACHE
This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).
Yield: 24 kolaches
Ingredients
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 envelopes FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs, large
Apricot Filling (recipe follows)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat water, sour cream and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 24 equal pieces; shape each into a ball. Cover; let rest 15 minutes. Place balls on greased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Make a deep and wide indentation on each ball by pushing outward toward edge, leaving 1/2-inch ridge around outside. Fill with 1-1/2 tablespoons Apricot Filling. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.
Apricot Filling:
In a small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups apricot preserves, 1-1/2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut and 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts. Stir to blend.
SKILLET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Samantha wrote, "Skillet cookies are perfect for lazy nights when everyone wants something sweet, but no one wants to work that hard for it. The batter comes together in one bowl, and it’s baked in a big skillet so there is no portioning dough, no baking in batches and very little time spent overall. It is important to use an oven-safe skillet. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is perfect but a basic skillet or an enameled version works well, too. Just be sure to avoid anything with wooden or plastic handles. Serve big scoops of warm cookie in bowls topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Or, serve cooled slices like you would any cookie."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024224-skillet-chocolate-chip-cookie. While you're there, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, you really should. You won't regret it.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup whole walnut halves or walnut pieces
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on medium, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the chocolate and the walnut halves.
Spread the batter evenly in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. It will be thin. Bake until golden brown and set but still slightly gooey in the center, 20 to 22 minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature. The cookie is best the day it’s made, but leftovers will last, well-wrapped, up to 3 days at room temperature.
STRAWBERRY SPOON CAKE
This is from Jerrelle Guy at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Jerrelle wrote, "This unfussy cake with a top layer of jammy strawberries is so gooey it’s best to serve the whole thing with a spoon. The batter comes together quickly with minimal effort, using basic pantry ingredients and a small handful of berries — frozen or fresh. If you’re using frozen, be sure to defrost them in the microwave first. Extract as much juice as possible from the fruit by macerating and mashing it, so that it lends the cake additional moisture while baking. Add a dash of freshly ground cardamom or ground ginger on top before baking it off, if you like, or some ribbons of fresh basil once it’s hot out of the oven. Whatever embellishments you decide on, burrowing warm spoonfuls of this cake beside scoops of vanilla ice cream is the most important thing."
Time: 30 minutes; plus cooling; Makes 4 servings
This was featured in "Sweet, Tender and Studded With Strawberries," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021174-strawberry-spoon-cake.
Note: I highly recommend reading the article (link above); interesting reading, with links to a few more yummy recipes. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, you might seriously consider doing so. Lots of good food...
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing
5 ounces frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.
Using your hands or the back of a fork, mash the berries to release all their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter (it’s not much) to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners.
Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream.
RHUBARB CRISP
This is from Holly in her wonderful site, Spend with Pennies. This recipe begins, "Rhubarb Crisp is a delicious and easy dessert that takes just minutes to prep! With the perfect balance between sweet and tart, everyone loves this easy recipe.
"While I love to make Apple Crisp in the fall, rhubarb crisp (or Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler) are my summertime go-tos! A saucy fruit filling topped with our favorite buttery crumble baked until golden and bubbly."
Holly also wrote, "Keep in mind, you can eat the green stalk however the leaves are poisonous to eat so discard them (for humans and animals alike)."
Prep Time: 10 minuteses; Co Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.spendwithpennies.com/strawberry-rhubarb-crisp/.
Ingredients
6 cups rhubarb
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup coconut shredded, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Wash and rinse rhubarb and cut into 1/2" pieces.
Toss rhubarb with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Place in a 2 qt baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.
Bake for 35 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and topping is golden.
Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream or cream.
Notes
To make strawberry rhubarb crisp:
Use 3 cups strawberries and 3 cups rhubarb. Increase flour in the filling to 1/3 cup.
EXTRA-LEMONY MERINGUE PIE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yummy recipe begins, "Made with a buttery lemon curd and topped with swirls of lemon zest-infused meringue, this pie is tangier and creamier than many others of its kind. It features a soft, spoonable curd that’s softer than other lemon meringue pie fillings. You can make it with regular or Meyer lemons: The regular ones will be sharper and brighter; the Meyers, a little softer and fruitier. This pie is best served the day it’s baked, though you can make the dough and filling up to five days in advance. The meringue, however, needs to be whipped up just before the pie is baked. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature. (Watch the video of Melissa Clark making extra-lemony meringue pie here.)"
Time: About 2 hours; Yield: 8 servings
This was featured in "The Magic of Meringues", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022949-extra-lemony-meringue-pie. While you're at it, read the entire article ("The Magic of Meringues"). I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did. (Hint: There are a couple of other recipes at the end of the article, too.)
Note: Also, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter already, please do so. Lots of good recipes, hints, and just all 'round yumminess. (Yes, yumminess is the unofficial technical term.)
Ingredients
For the Crust
All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie
For the Lemon Filling
4 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/5 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 6 regular or Meyer lemons)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the Meringue
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 3 to 4 lemons), plus more for garnish
Preparation
Prepare the crust: On a lightly floured surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); fold the edges over and crimp them together. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill in freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. (Cover with plastic if freezing for longer than a few hours. Well wrapped, it will last in the freezer for up to a month.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried rice, then bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until pale golden, 10 to 16 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. (Leave the oven on if baking the pie immediately.)
In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. Stir in lemon juice, zest and salt. Add pieces of butter and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7 to 9 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees. Inspect the filling: If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Pour filling into pie crust and return to the oven to bake until filling is set (it should jiggle only slightly in the center), about 18 to 40 minutes. (Pies prepared in glass and ceramic dishes can take much longer to bake than those prepared in metal dishes. Don't give up: The curd will eventually set; note that it continues to firm up after it is thoroughly chilled. It will still look liquidy in the center even when it's done. If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is set, reduce heat to 325 degrees.) Remove pie from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for baking the meringue.
As the filling bakes, make the meringue: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using a large metal bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot above the water, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (160 degrees on an instant thermometer) and has thickened and lightened in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed and gradually increase speed to high, until mixture is thick and fluffy, and stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in lemon zest. Mix with care to not deflate meringue: A few strokes should do it. Spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust. Using a knife or spatula, swirl in a design, if you like, and bake until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes.
Allow to cool completely and top with more lemon zest before serving.
ORANGE SAFFRON BREAD PUDDING [VEGAN]
This is from Elaine Skiadas at One Green Planet. The recipe begins, "The flavors in this bread pudding are so special and unique that it’s one of my all-time favorite desserts. Almost like a sweet stuffing, leftover bread soaks up a saffron-spiked coconut custard laced with orange zest, vanilla and warming spices. Every bite is soft and gooey with a little crunch from the golden-brown top. Perfect for the holidays or another special occasion where you’re aiming to impress. If possible, use a loaf of high-quality vegan white sandwich bread that’s free of any preservatives and hasn’t been presliced. A local bakery or the bakery section of a grocery store is your best bet. Credit: Reprinted with permission from Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook by Elaine Skiadas. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Elaine Skiadas."
Serves 6
To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/orange-saffron-bread-pudding-vegan/.
Ingredients
2 (13.5-oz) cans full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
10 saffron threads
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 loaf day-old vegan bread, cut into 1" cubes (see Tip)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup melted vegan butter, divided
Whipped coconut cream, for serving
Orange marmalade for serving (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk and sugar over medium heat. Once the coconut milk has melted, whisk in the almond flour until smooth. Bring to a simmer, then take the pot off the heat.
Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and use the back of a spoon to crush them into a fine powder. You can also use a mortar and pestle if you have it. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the warm coconut milk and set the saffron aside to steep until it turns bright yellow.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the saffron mixture into the saucepan (get every last drop!) along with the orange zest and juice, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until smooth.
Place the cubed bread and raisins in a casserole dish or Dutch oven and pour the liquid on top. Gently toss until all the bread is soaked through, then press everything into a packed, even layer. Drizzle with the melted vegan butter, reserving 1 tablespoon for serving.
Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and warm to the touch. Remove from the oven, pour the remaining vegan butter over all and let cool for 15 minutes before serving with dollops of whipped cream and orange marmalade, if desired.
Notes
Tip: To ensure the bread absorbs as much avor as possible, I like to spread out the cubes on a sheet pan and leave them to dry out on the counter for several hours or overnight.
APRICOT KOLACHE
This was from Fr. Dominic Garramone (aka The Bread Monk). I first ran across his show, Breaking Bread with Fr. Dominic, years ago on PBS. The show has since left television (at least, as far as I can tell), but you can still check out his recipes and books on his website (above).
Yield: 24 kolaches
Ingredients
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 envelopes FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs, large
Apricot Filling (recipe follows)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt. Heat water, sour cream and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 24 equal pieces; shape each into a ball. Cover; let rest 15 minutes. Place balls on greased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Make a deep and wide indentation on each ball by pushing outward toward edge, leaving 1/2-inch ridge around outside. Fill with 1-1/2 tablespoons Apricot Filling. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.
Apricot Filling:
In a small bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups apricot preserves, 1-1/2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut and 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts. Stir to blend.
SKILLET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Samantha wrote, "Skillet cookies are perfect for lazy nights when everyone wants something sweet, but no one wants to work that hard for it. The batter comes together in one bowl, and it’s baked in a big skillet so there is no portioning dough, no baking in batches and very little time spent overall. It is important to use an oven-safe skillet. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is perfect but a basic skillet or an enameled version works well, too. Just be sure to avoid anything with wooden or plastic handles. Serve big scoops of warm cookie in bowls topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Or, serve cooled slices like you would any cookie."
Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024224-skillet-chocolate-chip-cookie. While you're there, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, you really should. You won't regret it.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup whole walnut halves or walnut pieces
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on medium, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the chocolate and the walnut halves.
Spread the batter evenly in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. It will be thin. Bake until golden brown and set but still slightly gooey in the center, 20 to 22 minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature. The cookie is best the day it’s made, but leftovers will last, well-wrapped, up to 3 days at room temperature.
STRAWBERRY SPOON CAKE
This is from Jerrelle Guy at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Jerrelle wrote, "This unfussy cake with a top layer of jammy strawberries is so gooey it’s best to serve the whole thing with a spoon. The batter comes together quickly with minimal effort, using basic pantry ingredients and a small handful of berries — frozen or fresh. If you’re using frozen, be sure to defrost them in the microwave first. Extract as much juice as possible from the fruit by macerating and mashing it, so that it lends the cake additional moisture while baking. Add a dash of freshly ground cardamom or ground ginger on top before baking it off, if you like, or some ribbons of fresh basil once it’s hot out of the oven. Whatever embellishments you decide on, burrowing warm spoonfuls of this cake beside scoops of vanilla ice cream is the most important thing."
Time: 30 minutes; plus cooling; Makes 4 servings
This was featured in "Sweet, Tender and Studded With Strawberries," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021174-strawberry-spoon-cake.
Note: I highly recommend reading the article (link above); interesting reading, with links to a few more yummy recipes. While you're at it, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, you might seriously consider doing so. Lots of good food...
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing
5 ounces frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.
Using your hands or the back of a fork, mash the berries to release all their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter (it’s not much) to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners.
Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream.
RHUBARB CRISP
This is from Holly in her wonderful site, Spend with Pennies. This recipe begins, "Rhubarb Crisp is a delicious and easy dessert that takes just minutes to prep! With the perfect balance between sweet and tart, everyone loves this easy recipe.
"While I love to make Apple Crisp in the fall, rhubarb crisp (or Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler) are my summertime go-tos! A saucy fruit filling topped with our favorite buttery crumble baked until golden and bubbly."
Holly also wrote, "Keep in mind, you can eat the green stalk however the leaves are poisonous to eat so discard them (for humans and animals alike)."
Prep Time: 10 minuteses; Co Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.spendwithpennies.com/strawberry-rhubarb-crisp/.
Ingredients
6 cups rhubarb
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar packed
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup coconut shredded, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Wash and rinse rhubarb and cut into 1/2" pieces.
Toss rhubarb with sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Place in a 2 qt baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture.
Bake for 35 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and topping is golden.
Cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream or cream.
Notes
To make strawberry rhubarb crisp:
Use 3 cups strawberries and 3 cups rhubarb. Increase flour in the filling to 1/3 cup.
EXTRA-LEMONY MERINGUE PIE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. This yummy recipe begins, "Made with a buttery lemon curd and topped with swirls of lemon zest-infused meringue, this pie is tangier and creamier than many others of its kind. It features a soft, spoonable curd that’s softer than other lemon meringue pie fillings. You can make it with regular or Meyer lemons: The regular ones will be sharper and brighter; the Meyers, a little softer and fruitier. This pie is best served the day it’s baked, though you can make the dough and filling up to five days in advance. The meringue, however, needs to be whipped up just before the pie is baked. Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature. (Watch the video of Melissa Clark making extra-lemony meringue pie here.)"
Time: About 2 hours; Yield: 8 servings
This was featured in "The Magic of Meringues", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022949-extra-lemony-meringue-pie. While you're at it, read the entire article ("The Magic of Meringues"). I hope you'll find it as interesting as I did. (Hint: There are a couple of other recipes at the end of the article, too.)
Note: Also, if you haven't signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter already, please do so. Lots of good recipes, hints, and just all 'round yumminess. (Yes, yumminess is the unofficial technical term.)
Ingredients
For the Crust
All-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie
For the Lemon Filling
4 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/5 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 to 6 regular or Meyer lemons)
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
For the Meringue
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 3 to 4 lemons), plus more for garnish
Preparation
Prepare the crust: On a lightly floured surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); fold the edges over and crimp them together. Prick crust all over with a fork and chill in freezer for 30 minutes until frozen. (Cover with plastic if freezing for longer than a few hours. Well wrapped, it will last in the freezer for up to a month.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line chilled crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried rice, then bake for 12 minutes. Remove foil, lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until pale golden, 10 to 16 minutes longer. Transfer to a rack to cool while you prepare the filling. (Leave the oven on if baking the pie immediately.)
In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. Stir in lemon juice, zest and salt. Add pieces of butter and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 7 to 9 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees. Inspect the filling: If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Pour filling into pie crust and return to the oven to bake until filling is set (it should jiggle only slightly in the center), about 18 to 40 minutes. (Pies prepared in glass and ceramic dishes can take much longer to bake than those prepared in metal dishes. Don't give up: The curd will eventually set; note that it continues to firm up after it is thoroughly chilled. It will still look liquidy in the center even when it's done. If the crust starts to brown too much before the filling is set, reduce heat to 325 degrees.) Remove pie from oven and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees for baking the meringue.
As the filling bakes, make the meringue: Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Using a large metal bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot above the water, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (160 degrees on an instant thermometer) and has thickened and lightened in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-low speed and gradually increase speed to high, until mixture is thick and fluffy, and stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in lemon zest. Mix with care to not deflate meringue: A few strokes should do it. Spread the meringue over the hot filling, making sure it meets the edges of the crust. Using a knife or spatula, swirl in a design, if you like, and bake until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes.
Allow to cool completely and top with more lemon zest before serving.
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