Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

in ,

For the biscuits, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  

-In a large bowl whisk 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 TBS baking powder and ½ tsp sea salt.  

-Grate 6 TBS cold or frozen unsalted butter, and then stir it into the flour mixture.  

-Whisk together 1 large egg and ½ cup cream and then add all at once to the flour/butter mixture.

-Mix with a rubber spatula until just combined, being careful not to over mix.  

-Transfer to a lightly floured surface and lightly pat into a ¾ inch thick circle. 

- Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or an inverted glass.

-Brush the tops with cream or milk and sprinkle with sugar.  

-Bake 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.

For the strawberry sauce, wash and hull 2 pints of strawberries.

-Crush ¼ of the berries, and slice the remaining. 

-Combine the berries then add ¼ cup sugar, and set aside.

Whip up; 1-cup organic heavy cream adding a few tsp powdered sugar, a little maple syrup or some honey and ½ tsp vanilla.

To assemble, cut open a biscuit, add a scoop of strawberries, shut the biscuit and top with a big dollop of whipped cream and more strawberries. Try not to eat too much!

 

Stone Fruit Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

in

For those of you with fruit shares…

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

-Score the skin of 4-5 apricots or 4-5 donut peaches with a few strokes of a knife.

-Then slice them in half and remove the pits.

-Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter in a large 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

-Add ½ cup packed brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and blends with the butter to forma caramel.

-Remove from heat and arrange the fruit halves on top of the caramel, cut side down.

To make the cake…

-Whisk together 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup fine cornmeal, 1½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda and ½ tsp fine sea salt in a bowl.

-Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer cream together ½ cup unsalted butter at room temp and 2/3 cup granulated sugar for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

-Add 2 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

-Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

-Measure ¾ cup of buttermilk. Set aside.

-Stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

-Spread the batter evenly over the fruit in the pan.

-Bake for about 45 minutes until the center of the cake springs back lightly when touched.

-The cake will need 20 minutes to cool until you flip it over.  

Santa Rosa Plum/Peach-Brandy Cobbler

in

-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

-Butter an 8-inch baking dish.

-Slice up about 5-8 peaches and 1 pound Santa Rosa plums.

-Toss the fruit with ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup brandy.

-Spread the peaches in the buttered baking dish.

-In the bowl of a food processor, combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt and pulse once or twice.

-Add 4 TBS cold butter cut into bits and ¼ cup sour cream or yogurt and process for 10 seconds.

-By hand, mix in 1 egg and ½ tsp vanilla.

-Drop this mixture on to the fruit by TBS, do not spread it out.

-Bake until golden yellow and just starting to brown, 35 and 45 minutes.

-Serve immediately with a dollop of whip cream or ice cream.

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

in ,

-Cut 1 pie pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.

-Roast at 350 face down in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes until very tender.

-Scoop out flesh and then stir well to blend.

-Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

-Butter or oil muffin pan if not nonstick.

-Meanwhile, whisk together the following in a large bowl:

1¼ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp salt

-In a separate bowl, whisk together the following:

1 stick melted butter

¾ brown sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

¼ cup Greek yogurt

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

-Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

-Stir in ½ cup cranberries and 1/4 cup TBS pumpkin seeds or walnuts.

-Divide batter among muffin cups.

-Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

-Cool slightly on a rack.

 

Pluot Tart with a Shortbread Crust

in ,

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

-For the shortbread crust:

-In a mixing bowl combine the following:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

2 TBS powdered sugar

-Mix until crumbly and with no pieces bigger than a pea.

-Press into a 9-inch pie pan or tart pan.

-Cut and halve about 1.5 pounds of pluots, removing pits.

-Arrange in the crust, cut side up, making slightly overlapping concentric circles starting at the outside.

-Fit as many pluots into the pan as possible.

-Mix together ½ cup sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Pour over the plums.

-Bake for 45 minutes until plums are soft and filling is boiling.

-Cool on a wire rack and serve with whipped cream.

Peach-Brandy Cobbler

in ,

-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

-Butter an 8-inch baking dish.

-Slice up about 5-8 peaches.

-Toss the fruit with ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup brandy.

-Spread the peaches in the buttered baking dish.

-In the bowl of a food processor, combine the following:

½ cup flour

½ cup sugar

½ tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

-Pulse once or twice.

-Add 4 TBS cold butter cut into bits and ¼ cup sour cream or yogurt and process for 10 seconds.

-By hand, mix in 1 egg and ½ tsp vanilla.

-Drop this mixture on to the fruit by TBS, do not spread it out.

-Bake until golden yellow and just starting to brown, 35 and 45 minutes.

-Serve immediately with a dollop of whip cream or ice cream.

 

Oly’s Swedish Apple Pie

in ,

Our dear friend Oly's special recipe, it is delicious and extra easy. This would also be fabulous made with Bartlett pears.

-Peel, core and slice 4-5 apples into a pie pan until the pan is a little over half full.

-Mix together the following:

-1 TBS sugar

-½ tsp cinnamon

-Some freshly ground nutmeg

-Sprinkle half over the apples and toss together. (Save the other half to sprinkle over the top of the pie.

-Melt 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan and then add the following:

-1 cup of flour

-The zest of 1 lemon

-¾ cup of white or brown sugar

-Gently mix together and then add 2 beaten eggs.

-Fold the mixture together and then pour it over the top of the apples.

-Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

 

Oatmeal, Almond, Pear and Blueberry Crisp

in ,

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-In a medium sized bowl, mix ½ cup oats, ½ brown sugar and 3 TBS flour.
-Add 2 TBS vegetable oil and mix with a fork until coarse crumbs form.
-Add 2 TBS slices almonds and mix in.
-Peel and slice up 3 comice pears and add 1 cup frozen blueberries.
-Sprinkle with 2 TBS sugar, 2 TBS maple syrup, a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of cinnamon and 1 TBS fresh lemon juice.
-Grease a 10-inch pie glass plate and add the fruit. Top with the oats. 
-Bake until fruit is tender and topping is brown, about 35 minutes.
-Cool and serve with vanilla ice cream or maple flavored whipped cream if desired.

Liberty Apple Crisp

in ,

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

-To make the topping, coarsely grate 6 TBS butter into a bowl.

-Add 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup rolled oats or chopped nuts, 1/4 tsp salt, some freshly grated nutmeg and 1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon rind.

-Work the above ingredients in with the butter until you have a coarse crumbly mixture. Set aside.

-Core and slice about 5 or 6 Liberty apples. (Enough to fill a large pie pan.)

-Toss with a little freshly grated nutmeg or ground cardamom and some maple syrup or honey.

-Add to greased pie pan and cover with topping.

-Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes in a 375-degree oven.
You can make this crisp with Asian pears too.