PUFF PASTRY … MY ‘GO TO’

October 15, 2018Leave a comment

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but puff pastry is my absolute ‘go to’ when I want to make an impressive-looking dessert. Take a peek in my freezer and you’ll always find a couple of packages. All you need to do is take out a sheet or two, let it thaw in the refrigerator, and you’re only limited by your imagination. Regardless of what I’m making, the results always look as if I’ve spent far more time (and money) than I actually have.

For this recipe, I wanted an elegant-looking tart … flaky, buttery puff pastry, filled with vanilla creme (referred to as creme patissière on the Great British Baking show), and topped with fresh strawberries. I cut the pastry sheet into fancy envelope shapes for these. Perhaps a little more time consuming, but I think the results were well worth it. Let me know what you think.

(If you want to use packaged pudding mix for the pastry cream, go right ahead. I’ll never tell.)

VANILLA CREAM TARTS WITH STRAWBERRY
Preheat oven at 425° for 20 minutes prior to baking. Bake 18-20 minutes. How many you get will depend upon the size you make. Generally 12 from one sheet of pastry.
(This pastry cream recipe will make three cups and will keep up to three days. Enjoy it in this recipe, other recipes, or alone with a dollop of whipped cream.)

1 package frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed in refrigerator)
1 pint strawberries, washed, dried and hulled (or any other berry)

3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Make the pastry cream first to allow it to set in the refrigerator while you make the tart shells.

PASTRY CREAM
Sift together the flour and cornstarch and set aside. In a good-sized bowl, beat the eggs. Add the flour/cornstarch and continue to beat until a pale yellow color and thickened. Set it aside. Now its time to heat the milk and sugar. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the milk and sugar to a simmer (bubbles around the edge of the pan). Stir constantly to prevent scorching the milk.

When bubbles begin to form, take the milk off the heat and slowly pour about 1/4 of the heated milk into the beaten eggs. Continue to whisk. Do not add all the hot milk at once or the mixture will curdle and the eggs will cook. Once fully incorporated, pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk pan, and place it back on the heat, stirring constantly. It may sound difficult, but it really is not.

Lower the heat and continue to cook the custard until thick and lemony-colored. Scrape the sides and bottom of the pan continuously. After it has thickened, continue to cook for another minute. There’s nothing worse than that “flour” taste. Yuck!

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter. Stir til smooth.

Place a strainer on top of a clean bowl and strain the custard, pushing down to remove any lumps which may have formed. Then place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream. Place the cream in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. You can make this up to three days ahead.

TART SHELLS
Now its time for the tart shells. This shape is called an envelope and I’m sure there’s an easier way to get the fold, but this is the way I did it.

Take the thawed sheet of puff pastry dough from the frig and place it on a lightly floured board. With a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out just a bit to even it out, and square it off.
Measure and cut 3″ squares from the sheet.

Now it’s time to cut inside each individual square. Cut a 1/4″ border around each square except for two corners. Leave two corners intact. Take one cut corner and bring it over to the inside of the other side. Now do the same with the opposite corner. You should have a diamond pattern (or envelope). Press down slightly around the edges.

Place the shaped puff pastry on parchment-lined baking sheets and place the baking sheets. Square them off a bit and place the baking sheets into the refrigerator. Puff pastry puffs up much better when its very cold. This is when I preheat the oven.

Bake the pastry til golden brown, about 20 mins. Remove from oven. Now take a sharp knife and remove the center portion of each pastry, creating a pocket, or cavity for the pastry cream. Place each pastry on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Now its time to assemble. What could be easier … spoon (or pipe) a dollop of pastry cream into the center of each individual pastry. Place a sliced strawberry on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Arrange your pastries on a serving tray until ready to serve. Then show them off to all your guests and wait for the oohs and ahhs. You deserve it!

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STRAWBERRIES

July 26, 2018Leave a comment

I love strawberries and every year I buy a few strawberry plants and plant them in the garden. Yes, I know. Strawberries are perennials, which means the plant grows back every year … in the same place … generally bigger and stronger than the year before. But, not for me. Every spring I look to see where the strawberry plants should be and there’s nothing. Nothing I should say except the dead plants from the season before.

I realize I live in New England and our winters get pretty cold, but no one else has a problem growing strawberries. I mulch them heavily to make sure they stay as warm as can be over the winter. But, I have yet to have any plants survive. All the other perennials in the garden are fine. As soon as the weather and the soil warms up, the shoots start to pop up from the ground, the blooms burst open and all’s right with the world. Except, that is, for strawberries!

Strawberries are sweet, delicious and good for you (full of antioxidants and very low in calories). And they are so versatile. You can just pop them into your mouth or use them in salads, smoothies and all sorts of desserts from ice cream to shortcakes. You can make jams, jellies and spreads, or dip them into chocolate. They freeze easily, and for some people, they are easy to grow. I, however, have been relegated to a “pick-your-own-fruit” farm where I “pick-my-own-strawberries”. Now, armed with 10 lbs. of strawberries and a three-day window before they start to lose their appeal, it’s time to get cooking.

Strawberry jam is on the list as is Strawberry Cake Squares and Strawberry, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto Tart … but because this classic dessert is one of my favorites, the first thing I am making is Strawberry Shortcake. No, not the packaged sponge cakes which always appear next to the strawberries in the produce aisle of the grocery store. This recipe is more like a crisp, sweet scone. Split them in half, add the sliced, sweetened strawberries and top with whipped cream! Oh my, nothing better!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Depending upon the size you cut the biscuits, you can make as few as four really large ones to as many as twelve minis. Oven temperature 425°. Bake 12 to 15 minutes.

For the biscuits/scones:
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter, diced or grated
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg white, beaten

Mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar. Either by hand or in a food processor mix the cold, diced butter until the flour mixture resembles crumbs. Don’t over-mix in the butter. It needs to be a bit chunky. Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Quickly mix these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Again, don’t overmix.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured board and bring together into a round ball. Flatten the ball and gently roll it into an 10″ circle, about 3/4″ thick. To cut out the biscuits, you can use a knife and cut the dough into squares or use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. The size, again, is up to you. I like to make smaller ones … using two per serving.

Place the cakes onto a parchment lined baking sheet, brush with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Demerara sugar has larger crystals and adds a bit of color and crunch.

At this point, put the baking sheet into the refrigerator while you preheat the oven … 425°. This will ensure the butter is nice and cold. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Strawberry Filling:
1 lb. fresh strawberries
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Wash, hull and slice the strawberries. Put them into a bowl and sprinkle with sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let the strawberries mascerate for 30 minutes or more. When ready to serve, split the biscuits in half, spoon the strawberry filling inside, add the top and then slather on the whipped cream.

It’s hard to find a better, more delicious dessert … guaranteed to impress your toughest critics! Should you prefer to use other berries or fruits, please do. Or fill these biscuits with ice cream and top with hot fudge! Yum!!!

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Eton Mess??

July 15, 2015Leave a comment

The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world has just ended and Serena Williams from the U.S. and Novak Djokovic from Serbia are the official champions in the men’s and women’s singles. All of Great Britain, as well as quite a few other countries, are celebrating! And where there is celebrating, there is food! The classics will all be served ….. from cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches, to chicken and leek pies, bacon with brie quiches and, of course, Eton Mess ….. all washed down with a refreshing Pimm’s. Strawberries and cream are so classically English, Eton Mess is the perfect summer dessert for any Wimbledon celebration.

This pudding of crushed light-as-air meringue cookies mixed with luscious, seasonal strawberries and rich, sweetened cream is thought to have originated from the famous school of the same name, Eton College. It seems this recipe was not, as legend says, the ‘accidental mess’ created by a dog said to have sat on a picnic basket containing the pavlova which was to be served after the cricket match. The dessert was actually created by the chef at the elite school in the 1930s to be this ‘messy’ sort of pudding. Bananas were the original fruit, but it is traditionally made with strawberries now (although any fruit would work beautifully).

This time of year, it’s all about the strawberries, so, let’s give it a go!

Eton Mess
Preparation for meringue cookies:
3 extra large eggs (whites only)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

You can buy meringue cookies at the supermarket which takes a lot of the work out of this recipe (but I just had to make them).

Preheat the oven to 250° and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, in a super clean bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating and then add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Don’t rush this – it should take about ten minutes. Add the vanilla. The egg whites should now be very stiff and glossy.

These meringue cookies are going to be broken up into pieces so there’s no need to be careful about spooning them onto the baking sheets. If you want to use a pastry bag and pipe them, feel free. Otherwise, using two spoons drop mounds onto the parchment paper. They won’t spread out, so you can fit quite a few onto one sheet. Makes approximately 18 cookies. Bake for 1-1/2 hours at 250°. Then turn OFF the oven and leave the meringues inside the oven to dry out – two hours or more.

For the pudding
2 lbs. washed, hulled strawberries
lemon juice
4 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1 pint heavy cream
4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

To prepare in advance, whip the cream and keep refrigerated. About an hour before serving, slice the strawberries and sprinkle with the sugar (more or less to taste) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let this mascerate while you whip the cream, if you haven’t already done so. Add the sugar and vanilla to the cream and whip until it mounds (but before it becomes butter).

To assemble
Take half the strawberries and mash up with a fork or potato masher and set aside. Squeeze in a little lemon juice. Break up the meringue cookies and add them to a large bowl. Add the whipped cream and the other half of strawberries . Fold it all together. You can serve this in one large serving bowl, individual bowls or fancy glasses. Spoon the mixture into the serving dishes and top with the mashed strawberries. Garnish and serve!

This recipe will easily make 8 to 12 servings, depending upon the size of each serving. The recipe can be cut in half. Experiment with different fruits if the strawberries are past season. Next time I’m going to try blueberries with white chocolate shavings and toasted almonds! Have fun with it!!

(Tip: don’t make meringue when the air is very humid. They’ll never dry out. I learned the hard way.)
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Resources: Epicurious, Just Like Mother Used to Make by Tom Norrington-Davies, The Kitchn

SUMMER PUDDING

June 25, 2015August 22, 2017Leave a comment

It’s June. My most favorite month of the year. It’s also our wedding anniversary and I wanted to make a very special British dessert. But when you think of British desserts, heavy, rich pastries, cakes and steamed puddings come to mind. So, what should it be? June is the month when strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are plentiful. Seems like the perfect time to attempt a Summer Pudding!

Of course, I can’t begin to make something without first doing a bit of research. All recipes, no matter the country or the culture, originated out of necessity …. using what was in season, as well as using up items that might already be in the kitchen (before they go bad). It seems to me this recipe originated for both those reasons. The ingredients are very simple, seasonal berries, bread and some sugar for sweetening.

This pudding (dessert) is not from Elizabethan England as I had thought. It was created in the early 1900s and originally called “Hydropathic Pudding”. “Hydropathic” because it contained a lot of water and was served to those who couldn’t tolerate the heavier, rich pastry desserts that Great Britain was serving at that time. Because it was deemed “healthy”, it was routinely served to patients in nursing homes and hospitals, as well as to those staying in “health spas” wanting to shed a few pounds. Is it healthier than other desserts? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

FIRST EDITION OF LIZZIE HERITAGE’S CASSELL’S NEW UNIVERSAL COOKERY BOOK, 1894,

The recipe seems to have first appeared as “Hydropathic Pudding” in 1894 in one of the essential Victorian cookbooks at the time, Lizzie Heritage’s Cassell’s New Universal Cookery Book. But apparently, the name “Hydropathic Pudding” didn’t make peoples’ mouth’s water. I don’t know who decided to change the name to “Summer Pudding” but it seems to have been established by 1904 when Miss E.S. Poynter, a missionary in of all places, India, used this name in her cookbook, “Cooking in India“.

The traditional recipe calls for a mixture of blackberries, raspberries and black currants. Unfortunately, this is NEW England and I can’t find black currants anywhere. So, it’s going to be cherries!

SUMMER PUDDING
³⁄₄ cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
5 cups of washed blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries (pitted and halved)
10 slices white bread (I used Pepperidge Farm), with crusts removed
to serve:
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
sprigs of fresh mint

The preparation time for this is about 10 to 15 minutes. It does, however, have to chill in the refrigerator preferably overnight, but at least 5 to 6 hours. So, if you are going to be serving this after dinner, be sure to get it in the frig first thing in the morning.

Wash and prepare all your fruit. You’ll need at least 5 to 6 cups. Put the fruit into a saucepan and add 3/4 cup of sugar and the juice of one lemon. I think the acidity from the lemon juice helps to cut the sweetness of the fruits.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for about two minutes – just until the sugar is dissolved. If you cook the fruit too long, it will turn into jam. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Find a bowl (glass, plastic, ceramic – it doesn’t matter) which will be the pudding’s mold. The first cut of bread you want to make is the one that will fit on the bottom of the bowl (which will become the top of the pudding). Put the bowl on top of the bread and use that as a template. Cut to fit.

Dip the trimmed bread into the pan to sop up the sweetened berry juice, then place it juice-side down (which will be facing out after you unmold it).

Continue dipping the bread into the pan to absorb the berry juice and line the bowl. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Squish the bread together so there aren’t any gaps. When finished, take a slotted spoon and take the berries out of the pan and put them into the bread-lined mold.

Then cover the top with more bread dipped in juice. Make sure the seal is tight.

Top the bowl with a plate that will fit inside. Then place a weight of some sort on the plate. You want to press the pudding together so that it will setup. Chill til firm – 6 hours or overnight.

It’s time for the unmolding ……. keeping fingers crossed!

Run a knife around the edge of the bowl, when ready to serve. Place a plate on and flip. It should unmold without any difficulty. Garnish with whipped cream and enjoy! Serves 4 to 6 easily.

So light, fruity and refreshing. This is a dessert which will have your family and friends wondering how you did it. Absolutely delicious!!

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References: Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson, Household Books, BBC.UK/recipes
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Tea, Toast and Travel

Exploring the World of British Foods and Traditions

Tag: Strawberries

PUFF PASTRY … MY ‘GO TO’

STRAWBERRIES

Eton Mess??

SUMMER PUDDING