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Strawberry Shortcake Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

partysugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:58:32 -0700

Making a quick fix strawberry shortcake is as simple as layering angel food cake (which they conveniently place next to the strawberries), strawberries, and cool whip to create a super easy, rapid dessert. However, if you have the time and patience, I highly recommend making your own homemade version. Doughy warm shortcakes with juicy strawberries and a fluffy whipped cream will instantly melt in your mouth for a show-stopping, unbelievably delicious dessert.

Whether it's semi-homemade or fresh from your oven, strawberry shortcake is an excellent springtime dessert. To encourage that everyone give this dessert a go, I've found 2 recipes: one for the beginning cook and one for the expert - you'll find both after the break. Make which one fits your needs best, read more

Beginner's Strawberry Shortcake
From Sandra Lee

1 can (16.3-ounce) biscuits (recommended: Pillsbury Grands Southern Style)
2 pints fresh strawberries, quartered
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Unroll biscuits, place on baking sheet and bake in the oven according to directions.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and half of the sugar. Let stand for 1 hour to meld flavors.
In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon.
Remove biscuits from oven; split the biscuits and dredge in cinnamon sugar; place on serving plate. Top biscuits with macerated strawberries.
Place whipped topping in a bowl and fold in the sour cream. Garnish shortcakes with a dollop of whipped topping mixture.

Serves 4-6.

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Strawberry Shortcake
From Bon Appetit magazine

White chocolate cream
2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream, divided
3 tablespoons sugar
Biscuits
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, chilled
1 cup whipping cream, plus additional for brushing biscuits
2 tablespoons raw sugar
Strawberries
4 cups halved hulled strawberries (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons dried lavender blossoms

For white chocolate cream: place white chocolate in medium bowl.
Place 1 tablespoon water in very small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
Bring 1/2 cup cream and 3 tablespoons sugar to simmer in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour gelatin mixture over white chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
Beat remaining 2 cups cream in large bowl until peaks form.
Fold 1/2 cup cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining cream in bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
For biscuits: combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Gradually add 1 cup cream, tossing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; shape into 8 1/2-inch round on parchment or foil. Chill 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut dough into eight 3-inch rounds, gathering scraps and reshaping as needed.
Place rounds on prepared sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven 5 minutes before using.)
For strawberries: combine strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and mint or lavender in medium bowl; toss to blend. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 hours.
Cut biscuits in half horizontally. Place 1 bottom on each of 8 plates and mound strawberries with syrup on each, dividing equally. Cover with white chocolate cream and biscuit tops.

Serves 8.

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What Fruit Are You Most Looking Forward To Eating?

partysugar — Tue, 01 May 2007 09:57:57 -0700

Springtime Side: Sauteed Asparagus

partysugar — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:13:28 -0700

I know it's still a few weekends away, but I'm a planner and not a procrastinator, and I've already got Easter dinner on my mind. Asparagus is an excellent, seasonal option to pair with grilled lamb, roast duck or any meat option. It works well as an appetizer, but I like to chop it up, lightly sauté it and serve it as a vegetable component to round out a meat and potatoes menu. The best thing about a side like this is that it can be ready in ten minutes with minimal chopping and cooking. If it's still not in season in your area, hold on to this recipe. When you find it at your local farmer's market, pack it up in a disposal plastic container for an alternative side to potato salad for a picnic. A good quality olive oil, lemon zest, and a tiny bit of Parmesan cheese highlight the vegetable's delectable flavor. For the recipe, read more

Sauteed Asparagus
From Simply Recipes

1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard.
Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.
Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil.
Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water.
While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Yummy Links: Springtime Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:25:51 -0800

C is for cookie and here are a bunch of adorable Spring cookie decorating ideas. Looks like I better go cookie-cutter shopping! - Kuidaore

52 Weeks of Baking: Springtime Lemonade Cupcakes

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 07:51:39 -0700

The other day I read about Julia's Easter Cake Bake challenge and decided that it would be a great theme for this week's baking project. I'd also been thinking about making a lemon cake using lemonade concentrate (like these cookies that PartySugar made a few weeks ago) and thought that lemonade and Easter seemed like a good match. So I headed to my kitchen and started brainstorming - I took a bunch of different cake recipes (along with some tips I've picked up along the way) and came up with a pretty decent lemonade cupcake (Julia's challenge originally said cake, but something about the bite size cupcakes seemed more fun). The cake itself was a bit too sweet and over crumbly, and I forgot to sift my powdered sugar so the frosting was a bit lumpy. However, the coconut "grass" hid the frosting, and the textures all seemed to work well together.

I'm excited to have created another original recipe that mostly worked, but I'm waaay excited about how the decorations turned out. Somehow I got it stuck in my mind that coconut dyed green would look really cute as grass, and (here I go: toot toot!) I think it is! To check out my recipe, and see more up close photos (I like the one of them all lined up in a row), read more

Easter Lemonade Cupcakes
From YumSugar

These cupcakes are really sweet, I would maybe cut out 1/4-1/2 cups of sugar, depending on how sweet the lemonade concentrate is. Also, the cake is quite crumbly, like a muffin - I would consider adding another egg to the mixture.

3 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp lemonade concentrate
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
lemonade frosting (see recipe below)
1 1/2 - 2 cups sweetened coconut flake
green food coloring
48 chocolate candy eggs

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 325F
Sift flour, salt, baking soda and powder together - set aside.
In mixer cream butter until smooth, add sugar, cream together.
Once creamed add in lemonade concentrate.
Slowly mix in one egg at a time.
Add in flour mixture 1/3 at a time.
When flour is thoroughly mixed, mix in milk. Batter will be slightly lumpy, but should be smooth (think pancake batter).
Divide batter evenly into lined muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
While cupcakes are cooling mix coconut with a few drops of food coloring until desired color is achieved.
Once cupcakes are cooled, frost with lemonade frosting, and coat with coconut. Place candy onto the cupcakes and top with bunny toothpicks (I got mine at safeway).

Lemonade Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp lemonade concentrate

In mixer cream butter, slowly add in sugar and mix until blended. Mix in lemonade concentrate. Add more powdered sugar as needed.

View 24 Photos ›

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In Season: English Peas

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:00:38 -0700

Although balmier weather and longer days clue me in to Spring, the season doesn't officially begun until the day I spot fresh garden peas at the farmers market. Although I take advantage of frozen peas to enjoy the legumes year-round, there's simply nothing that can replace the toothsome snap of a freshly-shelled English pea.

English peas - also known as shell peas and garden peas - enjoy a short-lived season during late Spring and early Summer, and are at their best in May. For peas that are sweet and crisp, start by looking for shiny, firm, brightly-colored pods that feel swollen and heavy. When cooking with English peas, buy much more than you think you will need, as one pound of peas will only equate to roughly one cup of shelled peas. While it's ideal to eat garden peas as soon as they're picked, they can keep for up to three days when wrapped tightly and placedin the coolest part of the refrigerator. For more pointers on preparing them, read more.

Unlike sugar snap peas or snow peas, the fibrous pods of English peas cannot be eaten (although they can be used to enhance the flavor of vegetable stock). Shell English peas immediately before they're to be cooked: Break off the stem and pull the fibrous string down the length of the pod. Press each pod between your thumbs and forefingers to open, pushing out the individual peas. Rinse and drain the peas, discarding pods, stems, and strings. Prepare them in a multitude of ways:

Boil peas in 1/4 inch of simmering water for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp and tender, then toss into your favorite warm pasta or pasta salad.
Add variety to a Springtime salad by tossing in just-boiled peas.
Simmer peas in boiling water alongside prosciutto and fresh herbs.
For a flavorful, light side dish, sauté shelled peas in olive oil with torn mint leaves.
Treat your family to spiced pea fritters.

Have you cooked with English peas before? What are your favorite ways to use them?

Monday's Leftovers: Fettuccine With Mint, Peas, & Ham

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:50:02 -0700

It's the week after a long weekend of Easter entertaining, and your refrigerator's jam-packed with everything from baked ham to frozen peas.

Put your springtime ingredients to good use with this fresh flavored combination of fettucine with mint, cream, peas, and ham that's as gratifying as it is effortless to make.

The best part about the dish? It won't take more than half an hour of your time. Get started on it when you read more.

Fettuccine with Mint, Peas, Ham, and Cream
From Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

2 leeks, (about 4 ounces), white parts only, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces cooked ham, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh or dried fettuccine
1 cup small mint leaves, or chopped large leaves

Directions

Place sliced leeks in a small bowl of cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes to rid them of dirt and sand. Lift sliced leeks out of water, leaving sand behind, and drain well. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and garlic, and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high. Add chicken stock, cream, ham, and peas; season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce cook until it is reduced by half, stirring frequently until it has thickened, about 6 minutes.
Salt the boiling water, add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes for fresh. Drain fettuccine, and return to pot. Add sauce to fettuccine, and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the mint, and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

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Happy Hour: Montes Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2008

partysugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:15:28 -0700

While some women prefer to drink red wine, in the springtime I constantly crave a chilled glass of my favorite white wine, Sauvignon Blanc. Last weekend I enjoyed an incredibly refreshing offering from Chilean winery Montes. With its crisp, bright flavor, peachy aroma, and grassy undertones, I was thoroughly impressed with the limited selection Sauvignon Blanc ($12). Although it's wonderfully easy to drink and affordable, this wine doesn't lack complexity or character. It's slightly minerally with a lovely acidity and smooth, lasting finish - basically everything you want in a Sauvignon Blanc. It paired perfectly with homemade shrimp pesto pizza, but the flavor is so fresh, this wine would be delightful on its own. Has anyone else sipped Montes?

Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:30:28 -0700

April's here, and we're so glad for it. Not only are we soaking up the noticeably warmer weather, but we're also already getting preparations together for Passover and Easter. Were you around to catch all the Springtime fun we had this week? Find out when you take our quiz.

Take the quiz

Noteworthy Nibbles - Mar. 3-9, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:28 -0800

Springtime is coming, as illustrated by the fact that the country is buzzing with fun food events this week. Whether you want to watch a coffee competition in Portland, OR, or attend a gastronomic gala in Charleston, SC, there's likely to be a fabulous food event near you.

Know of any goings-on that you see left off this list? If so, chime in below. Will you be at any of this week's events?

Plant City, FL: Florida Strawberry Festival - Feb. 26-Mar. 8
Chicago, IL: Chicago Restaurant Week - Mar. 3-6
New York, NY: NYC Restaurant Week - Mar. 3-20
Garden Grove, CA: Japanese Food and Sake Festival - Mar. 5
Fulton, TX: Oysterfest - Mar. 5-8
Charleston, SC: Charleston Food and Wine Festival - Mar. 5-8
Dare County, NC: Taste of the Beach - Mar. 5-8
Portland, OR: United States Barista Championship - Mar. 5-8

To see the rest, read more.

Dallas, TX: Savor Dallas - Mar. 6-7
Philadelphia, PA: Philly Beer Week - Mar. 6-15
Calistoga, CA: Mustard, Mud, and Music: Calistoga Jazz Festival - Mar. 7-8
Tempe, AZ: Great Arizona Beer Festival - Mar. 7-8
Sonoma County, CA: Annual Barrel Tasting - Mar. 7-8
New Orleans, LA: World Cocktail Week in the Big Easy - Mar. 8
San Francisco, CA: Slow Food Nation Eat-In - Mar. 8
New York, NY: Taste Napa Valley - Mar. 9-12

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