Fraisier

This month I was lucky enough to be the Daring Bakers hostess for the challenge! As the host, it's a tad bit awkward to include the blog checking lines in a graceful way......so, as I have no grace I'll aim for my usual forwardness:

Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

If you've ever eaten at Tartine, seen their bread book or bakery book, you know full well why I would challenge everyone to their recipes! It is one of the best bakeries I have been to in the U.S. I was recently in San Francisco and actually got to pay a little visit to the shop after a long line that wrapped around the block that is! If you go, the two things you must absolutely try are the almond rochers and the banana cream tart. I know, banana cream tarts are "blah" when you think about it, but trust me when I say that it will blow your mind. Just last night Butchie returned from San Francisco with a box of their treats for me, and that rocher lasted all of ten seconds in my care. I don't know how they do it, but they do it well!

It's been so fun, and at times, nail biting to watch bloggers posting their completed masterpieces in our private viewing gallery. For some people the cream never set, for others the cake failed, but for most the recipe worked out splendidly. The more I make the chiffon cake recipe, the better I get at it and realize that what I thought was a great cake, gets even better.

I love creativity so when thinking up the rules I gave the bloggers a pretty liberal set of rules, allowing them to use their own flavor combinations. Though, as a side note: It is only truly a fraisier if there are strawberries. This is not negotiable. Our cakes kept in the spirit of the fraisiers even when not a true fraisier. But who could resist throwing in a few blueberries?

Some of my favorites were made by (from left to right): an adorable classic fraisier by  tarte pink, a double layer by you made that?, a grape-ier by taste of youth, mini fraisiers by my kitchen treasures, peach and blueberry-ier by the great cake company and a cherry-ier by brilhante glacear.

I'm so so so excited by how amazing everyone's cakes have turned out. Though the challenge was time consuming, I'm hoping that everyone enjoyed the process and was as enthused by the result as I was! If you have the time and inclination, try it out for yourself! It's a challenge, but the result is well worth the effort!

A mighty thanks to everyone who participated this month! Cheers!

Basic Chiffon Cake

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (270 ml) (5½ oz/155 gm) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (4 gm) baking powder
3/4 cups (180 ml) (6 oz /170 gm) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2½ ml) (1½ gm) salt, preferably kosher
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) vegetable oil
3 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (3.17 fl oz/95 ml) water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon (3¾ ml) (3 gm) lemon zest, grated
5 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1 gm) cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).
2. Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan. (some found it better to split the cake batter between two 8 inch pans. to each their own) 
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.
5. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.
6. Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.
7. Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
10. To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Variations to the Basic Chiffon Cake:

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Ingredient Alterations:
Reduce water to 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Add 1/8 cup (30 ml) lemon juice
Increase lemon zest to 1½ teaspoon (7½ ml) (5 gm)
Remove the vanilla from the recipe

Direction Alterations:
Follow the directions, same as above, adding the lemon juice and zest to the oil, egg yolks and water in step 4.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Ingredient Alterations:
Replace the full amount of water with orange juice
Replace lemon zest with the zest of one orange
Remove the vanilla from the recipe

Direction Alterations:
Follow the directions, same as above, adding the orange juice and zest to the oil, and egg yolks in step 4.

Coconut Chiffon Cake

Ingredient Alterations:
Add ¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1 gm) freshly ground nutmeg
Reduce oil to 1/8 cup (1 fl oz/30ml)
Reduce water to 1/8 cup (1 fl oz/30ml)
Add 1/3 cup (2 ⅔fl oz/80 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
Remove the vanilla from the recipe

Direction Alterations:
Follow the directions, same as above, adding the nutmeg to the flour mixture in step 3, and the coconut milk to the oil, water and egg yolks in step 4.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Ingredient Alterations:
Reduce all-purpose flour to ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (195 ml) (4 oz/110 g)
Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) (3/4 oz/20 g) cocoa powder

Direction Alterations:
Follow the directions, same as above, adding the cocoa to the flour mixture in step 3.

Pastry Cream Filling:

1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) whole milk
1/2 teaspoon (2½ ml) pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon (1/2 ml) (¼ gm) salt, preferably kosher
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (10 gm)cornstarch
1/4 cup (60 ml) (2 oz/55 gm) sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1 oz/30 gm) unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon (3¾ ml) (4 gm) gelatin
1/2 tablespoon (7½ ml) water
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) heavy cream

1. Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine
3. Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
4. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.
5. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.
7. Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.
8. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.
9. In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.
10. Put two inches (55 mm) of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
11. Measure 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 ml) of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.
12. Heat the cream until it is 120 F (48.8 °C). Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.
13. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Simple Syrup:

You may choose to flavor the syrup. One way is to use flavored sugar (for example: apple cider sugar,orange sugar, or vanilla sugar) or to stir in 1-2 teaspoons of flavored extract. You may also infuse with herbs or spices, if desired or add four tablespoons (60 ml) of fruit juice or liqueur while the syrup is cooling.

1/3 cup (2⅔ fl oz/80 ml) (2⅔ oz/75 gm) of sugar, flavored or white
1/3 cup (2⅔ fl oz/80 ml) of water

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Fraisier Assembly:

1 baked 8 inch (20 cm) chiffon cake
1 recipe pastry cream filling
⅓ cup (80 ml) simple syrup or flavored syrup
2 lbs (900 g) strawberries
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
½ cup (120 ml) (5 oz/140 gm) almond paste

1. Line the sides of a 8-inch (20 cm) spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.
2. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.
3. Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.
4. Hull and slice in half enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, point side up forming a ring.
5. Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.
6. Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake. Cover the strawberries and entirely with the all but 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of the pastry cream.
7. Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.
8. Lightly dust a work surface with confectioners' sugar and roll out the almond paste to a 10-inch (25 cm) round 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of pastry cream on the top of the cake and cover with the round of almond paste.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
10. To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
11. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

strawberry basil freezer jam

I have my reasons that I don't eat cooked strawberry jam. Actually, just one reason: cooked strawberries are gross. I don't like them one bit. Strawberries were meant to be fresh, juicy, sun ripened and enjoyed fresh from the plant.

Personally, I do nothing fancy for my strawberry jam. I buy a package of Sure-Jell and follow the freezer jam instructions. But, because of my vine ripened bias, I do change one crucial factor: I take my strawberries, hull them, and let them sit outside  in the hot sun for a few hours. Yep. I do that, and yes, my friends do find the awkward bowl of strawberries sitting on the front porch adds to their argument that I'm a bit crazy.  Little do they know strawberries are a funny plant which absorb water. I let them sit in the sun and meld out some of their excess. It adds a little something, a concentrated, sun-kissed quality. I find this especially important for store-bought berries, which never feel fully ripened and haven't seen the sun for ages. Then I follow the basic instructions. Is the sun kissing important? I think so, even if it appears a bit off.

This time around I got a bit more gutsy. I decided to try out strawberry basil freezer jam. I replaced a cup of regular sugar with a cup of basil sugar, and then added in some freshly sliced basil. The result is subtle, and adds a very earthy quality to the jam. It tastes rustic and the spice of the basil cuts the sweetness. You won't want to put it on a pb and j but for scones or bread and butter the jam is perfect. I ate mine on slices of champagne bread with butter and enjoyed some lazy time on the porch (sans random bowl of berries).

Strawberry Basil Freezer Jam
adapted from Kraft Recipes

2 cups crushed strawberries (roughly 1 quart fresh)

3 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

1 cup basil sugar

10 basil leaves

3/4 cup water

1 box fruit pectin

Allow strawberries to sit in a bowl in direct sunlight for a few hours.

Rinse 5 one cup plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Slice fresh basil and add to strawberries. Stir in sugars. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream

And I'm back. A mighty mighty thanks to everyone who has sent me information on DC housing laws. The landlord issue has been infuriating. On Saturday my roommate talked to him and he said that $1000 a room was normal, and totally reasonable. I think it's been too many years since he's set foot in the house. He forgets that the third bedroom is only a few feet larger than a walk in closet, that none of the shower fixtures have been updated in 15 years, or that every wall in the house is crooked to some degree. He also made comments about how he hopes we've gotten raises in the last few years....we have, but not the 30% increase he's asking for! 30%??? Great. Double my income and I can afford to stay living in my home of the last three and a half years. Insanity. 

We still have no answers. On Saturday the landlord said he'd talk it over with is wife and we'd continue this via email, so that all the roommates could be involved. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday....I've heard nothing. That must be one long conversation. Ideally, I would love to find a way to keep my house for another year at least. Give me time to make my peace and form an exit strategy...and hopefully a better economy. DC is one of the healthiest job markets in the country....finding a job in the South could be tough. I could bolster my savings, search apartments, look for jobs, research cities....a year would be good. 

I like the idea a few of you suggested: bribery via lemon mascarpone tart. I wish I had thought of that before I ate them all in my distress. So, perhaps I can bribe him with strawberry basil ice cream? Let's hope. It'd be great to not have this weighing on my mind much longer. 

Strawberry Basil Ice Cream 

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar plus additional for strawberries

2 cups half and half

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 tsp. lemon extract

2 handfuls basil 

Scald one cup of half and half along with ½ cup sugar and one handful of basil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. Remove from heat. Allow to sit for a few minutes before discarding the basil.

In a stand mixer whisk together the yolks and ¼ cup sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually pour the scalded half and half down the side of the bowl as the mixer is still going.

Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture has thickened and will coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Add in the remaining half and half and lemon extract. Chill the custard thoroughly. About two hours. 

Place strawberries in a bowl and dust lightly with sugar. Allow to sit for one hour. 

Puree the strawberries and push through a fine mesh sieve, and into the chilled custard. Puree the basil and add into the chilled custard. Stir gently to combine. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Rhubarb Berry Crumbles

This recipe gives your berry cobblers a fresh twist. With a grated pie crust as the topping, you get that light flaky taste of pie crust, and all the gooey goodness of a cobbler.

If you've got a moment PLEASE VOTE for my entry in the Twice Baked Potato Contest! You can vote once a day for the next week!

I have a sad announcement, well, sad for me. Butchie, my dear friend in brackets [hello! --B.], will be taking step back from our weekly baking night. She's going part-time and will be baking with me every other week instead of weekly. She has a big and scary project of her own she's got to devote more time to. So what do we girls do for our last regular girls' night? Make Butchie happy and make a rhubarb treat....along with a plain berry crumble for me. [We made everything as you see below, but before adding the rhubarb to the rest of the filling ingredients, we set aside one cobbler's worth of berry-only filling for J. Why can she not abide rhubarb? I don't know. Why do I take on insane projects with a high chance of failure that also prevent me from gorging on baked goods every Monday? See previous. --B.]

We first made these little crumbles last year, and with my little site redesign and the recipe index, I thought it would be a good time to redo some VERY poor photography done in the days of a point-and-shoot camera. It was a simpler time: taking pictures at night with pillowcases as a backdrops, no tripod, only 7 megapixels, bad lightening, wretched set ups...yes, it is time to weed out the weak. This recipe deserved a better picture than we'd originally given it. [Truth. These are delicious--not too sugary-sweet. --B.]

These rhubarb treats can be a little unsettling to make. Grating the “crust” is a little different if you aren’t used to the idea. It really does have the texture and look of cheese. But trust us! Even though it inspired Butchie to say “I feel like we’re making a lasagna,” the final product is worth it! I can’t wait to try out grated crusts on other pies! [I concur. --B]

Rhubarb Berry Crumbles
adapted from Tartelette

¾ cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, in small pieces
1/8 cup honey

3 cups rhubarb, fresh
2 cups mixed berries (we used frozen)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
juice and zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sugar

In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Add the butter and honey and start mixing everything together as you would a pie crust. Press together into a rough block, and freeze while you prepare the fruits.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel the rhubarb then cut it in small pieces.

In a large bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients with the rhubarb. Spray your ramekins or 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Gently pour in the fruit mixture. Don’t be afraid to pile the fruit high, it will cook down substantially.

Grate the cold crumble mixture right over the fruit. As Butchie said “Oh! That feels like cheese!”

Bake for a minimum of 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruits are bubbling.

Enjoy!

Strawberry and Black Pepper Ice Cream

Similar to my strawberry balsamic ice cream, black pepper accents enhance the strawberry flavor and add a subtle warmth to a cool ice cream dish. 

Happy day after Super Bowl!!! That is, unless you are a Steelers fan. In that case, take a mental health day and go back to bed. I know I want to, and I'm not even a big fan! ...probably just the Monday morning talking...or the busy weekend of cooking, shopping, and baking in preparation for the big game. Turns out I spend far too much time in German grocers reading syrup bottle labels, to be a productive member of society (read: good person who sleeps at night instead of bakes into the wee hours of the morning)...but finding Elderflower (light and dark) syrup is just a wee bit too interesting to pass over.

Also interesting......what to do when your friend asks for a batch of your strawberry balsamic ice cream, you are half way through making it, go to add the balsamic and it's not there. Not anywhere. I've been re-arranging my kitchen (continuously) and I'm sure I've mislaid it, but where? I honestly looked everywhere I could think of! Well? Strawberry Black Pepper is actually the first ice cream I made after getting an ice cream maker. I made it for the college football championship last year (when Alabama won, Roll Tide, Roll Tide, Roll), so for another championship game, out comes the strawberry black pepper. :) But make sure you really grind the pepper well, as it can be a tad bit jarring to suddenly get a large clump of pepper in your mouth all at once!

Strawberry and Black Pepper Ice Cream

2 eggs
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry jelly
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

In a stand mixer combine the eggs and sugar.  Beat for one minute until light and fluffy.

Gently mix in the cream, milk, strawberry jelly, and black pepper. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy! 

Strawberry Balsamic Buttercream

Strawberry balsamic buttercream? YEP! If you didn't believe me on the Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream, I hope you do now! It's an amazing flavor combination! And these high flying homemade cupcake wrappers are the perfect tribute to my Labor Day weekend at the Red Bull Flugtag in Philadelphia! If you don't care for Flugtag scroll down to the bottom for instructions on how to make homemade tulip cupcake wrapers and strawberry balsamic buttercream!  

What an inspiring weekend. Odd word choice, right? I used inspiring for a few reasons. Camden New Jersey inspires me in many ways: to run, to hide, to flee, to curse Google Maps for not having an "avoid ghetto" function, to call the cops, to avoid eye contact, and most specifically to ask "WHERE ARE WE?!?!?!"

What Red Bull Flugtag - Phila Edition failed to mention readily is that it's not actually in Phila. No. It's in Camden, New Jersey, which in 2009 had the highest violent crime rates in the United States! Hooray! Perfect place for a day trip, RIGHT? Neither of which I  knew until Brandon pulled into a parking lot across the street from what appeared to be a chop shop with a man sitting in a car. Staring at us. The. Entire. Time. To be fair I'm sure a car with four people frantically on smart phones parked in a deserted part of town looked odd. It took us just a little to long to find a better address to get us to the waterfront. Ironically, I wasn't physically assaulted until we were in a better section of town.

After a drive through town that scared us DC cityfolk, we made it just in time for all the awesome that just didn't quit!  From a spread eagle pair of legs in whitey tighteys, to Amish buggies, and the habitually uncreative Trojans, there was a lot to be seen....maybe a little too much of the whitey tighty plane! Either way the frightful drive in was forgotten easily enough.

So, let's talk about this assault. First, we had to climb over a fence, and some "lady" had stood up to let people through. Kind right? Well she decided she'd had enough kindness for one day right as my group of friends was cut in half, and mama hen starts yelling about her effing son. Rachel, decided that wasn't gonna fly (bad pun) and figures that any woman who calls them their effing son deserves to be taken down a notch or two. It looked like this five foot four, two hundred and fifty pound woman was gearing up for a fight. Sucks to be her because when she turned around to yell back at Rachel, she realized she'd be needing to yell UP about eight inches. The look of horror on her face when she realized she was threatening a six foot fiery red head was classic.

We all know how crowds can get at these things. You squeeze your way through every nook and cranny, trying to find a good spot, trying to keep your group together, occasionally loosing a person for an hour or so (sorry Yandary!) and just kinda go with the ebb and flow of the mass. We'd luckily made it into a very stagnant section. Not much traffic, mostly kind people, many with children, snacks and no intention of going anywhere near that "lady" and her effing son. Happily in the peace of the eye of the storm, I'm switching out to a zoom lense when this girl of five foot two, with a bad attitude (and bad hair, yeah I went there and quoted a country western redneck song...seems fitting),  asks me to move.

My simple polite response "Oh, can you wait just 5 seconds? I can't move right now."

Her simple reprehensible response "Oh, well then I'll just shove you!"

And commence the assault on me. Honestly! What person can't wait five seconds? It's not like I said "NO @#$&*! Go around @#$%" Bleep. Bleep. Bleep. Apparently, she doesn't speak nice as a second language.

Note: I might be five foot four, blonde, a buck twenty five and have been dressed like a yuppie by comparison, but that does NOT mean you can invade my personal space. Also remember my six foot tall fiery red head friend? I also forgot to mention her six foot tall boyfriend. Oh snap! Yeah, her little attempts shoving me were not well received.

But hey, the dregs of humanity aside, I got the camera lenses in, filled my quota of rude things to yell for the year, and was able to get a ton of great shots of flugtag!!!

Amish Aviation

I'm sorry that the picture collage is a so small! This in no way does justice to this crash, set the music of Weird Al's Amish Paradise. This next collage has so many teams and funny moments. Full shame to the team who made a flying cheesteak, in Phila, that didn't even make it down the runway!

top row: sock monkey, trojans, cheesesteak, and the island of misfit toys!
second row: flying dodo, and the amazing flugtag of the loom team!
third row: king kong, boring trojans, and bill and ted's bogus journey!
bottom row: flying saucers (it actually wound up and spun like a top!), astronauts, and a flying cuckoo clock

SUCH A FUN DAY! ...........okay, moving on to baking. No, actually, one last moment to say: WHO THE HECK SAYS OH I'LL SHOVE YOU?!?!?!?! WERE YOU RAISED BY WOLVES? No, just raised in Camden? Never mind. Okay, now I'm ready to move on. 

Red Bull gives you wings, so why not a cupcake with wings? I used these wrappers for my bacon chocolate cupcakes for the DC [we should be a] State Fair as well. I love them! They remind me of Baked & Wired. And bonus! They are super easy to make. 

Super Easy Tulip Cupcake Wrappers Instructions: 

1. Cut five inch by five inch squares of parchment paper. 
2. Spray the cupcake mold with cooking spray (to help the liners stick) 
3. Press the parchment paper into the molds. 

I will admit that pressing the parchment paper in, and getting it to bake as nicely is not as super easy as I made that sound. My advice would be to find a glass, or round cutter that will find into the cupcake mold and use it to hold down the paper while you make flatten the paper to the sides and make creases in it so it holds its shape better. Worth it! Bakes much better than a regular cupcake liner, and they don't spill over easily. You can make larger cupcakes with it too! You can't go wrong. More cupcake and less mess? PERFECT!

I hope you enjoy the buttercream as well! 


Strawberry Balsamic Buttercream:

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

a pinch of salt

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

strawberry jelly to taste (about ½ cup for me)

balsamic vinegar to taste (about 1-2 tablespoons)

Whip butter, salt, and vanilla till creamy then whip in powdered sugar in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Beat on a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add jam and vinegar and continue until incorporated.


Enjoy! 


And don't forget to please vote for Cherry Tea Cakes in the Express Night Out's Best of 2010 DC Food Blogs contest! Look under people and places! I am the underdog, and realize I stand no chance, but it's fun for a moment to pretend I do! :) 


Be sure to check out the other competitors at:

• Howetoeat.wordpress.com: a DC "unapologetic" food diary
• Iflipforfood.com: a hybrid of home cooking and DC restaurants
• Diningindc.net: a restaurant guide to DC
• Metrocurean.com: a great site if you want news on DC dining

Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

Balsamic Vinegar in Ice Cream? YEP! If you read my Kansas City post you know that that Glace Artisan Ice Cream makes this flavor and I couldn't help but try to make an easy copy cat recipe! The balsamic really accents the strawberries perfectly, enhancing the flavor ever just so.

I feel like lately I'm announcing more than the average amount of vacation's I'll be taking. I just went to Kansas, I'll be going to London and Edinburgh, and yes I have another vacation to announce! Well....vacation may be a strong word. I'm heading home to Good Ol' Gilbert, Arizona for a four day trip! Drum roll please: And bringing Stephen too! That poor dermatologist and all his sunscreen won't know what him! I'm not sure if he's even been in the desert for five hours...I'm actually not sure he's even been in the desert at all. Oh goodness, this could be very funny!

We're going soon too! Didn't really plan this ahead but two weeks from today we'll be flying out to Arizona. I can't wait to see his reaction to a "scor-pop." Not sure what your reaction should be? Picture a lollipop with a scorpion in it.....there ya go! That's the facial reaction I was looking for!!!! Oh, and then there's the Mexican food. Just keep in mind: everything is hotter in Arizona. It might be bigger in Texas, but it's hotter there!

What I'm REALLY excited about is that two weeks from tomorrow we're going to go spend a day in Sedona, Arizona AND GO ON A PINK JEEP TOUR! Okay, so it's probably not as fun as I think it is, but I hope it is! It's a rock climbing jeep tour that takes your out four wheeling in the desert. The tour I want to do takes us out to Indian cliff dwellings and rock walls full of hieroglyphics! Nerd alert: I think hieroglyphs are fun. We used to paint them in elementary school for class projects. But hey, even if you aren't into Native American dwellings, a rock climbing jeep tour? That's just awesome.

And now for my shameless segway: And with all that heat I bet I'll be dying for some good ice cream when we get back! Too bad Sedona won't have anything like this Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream. Yes. That was pretty awful. Just endure it. It's worth it. The ice cream is divine! One of my friends actually licked the bowl, and when a grown, well educated man licks the bowl that really says something!!!!

Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

2 eggs
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry jelly

In a stand mixer combine the eggs and sugar.  Beat for one minute until light and fluffy. 

Gently mix in the cream, milk strawberry jelly and balsamic vinegar. 

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy! 

Fraisier

A Fraisier is the perfect combination of some of moist cake and mousseline, a superbly buttery pastry cream, and of course, strawberries. My take on this classic tops the Fraisier with a fresh made layer of strawberry gelatin. The combination is divine.

Let me tell you straight out: If you do not have four hours of your life to spare, do not make this dessert. It is time intensive….AND WORTH IT! I came home from ballet class on Wednesday and rather frantically attempted to make my way through this dessert. Word of advice, spandex and sugar don’t mix.

I highly recommend having a very patient, kind, and wonderful (tall and attractive) helper for this recipe. I had Stephen (perfect fit!), and though he might have joked that I “definitely need a kitchen all to myself. In fact, [I] might need three” he was a wonderful helper, and much more patient with my panic attacks about time than I would have imagined anyone could be. He’s also very smart. I do need three kitchens all to myself. He's even so sweet, he bought me flowers during his second emergency trip to the grocery store that night. 

Because we were getting started an hour later than I’d planned, and I knew this cake was going to, once again, take much more time than I had, even with Stephen helping, we cut a few corners and enhanced a lemon cake mix into a beautifully moist pound cake. Even with cutting out the time to make a Genoise, Stephen (and my roommate Charlotte pitching in around midnight), the Fraisier still took nearly 4 hours to complete….and then it had to refrigerate for 4 hours….but again: WORTH IT!

Fraisier:

Lemon pound cake

Lemon Simple Syrup

Mousseline

2 lbs. strawberries

Strawberry Gelatin

Cake Mix Lemon Pound Cake

1 lemon cake mix

2 small packages lemon pudding mix

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a stand mixer, mix together the cake and pudding mixes. Add in the other ingredients separately and in order. Mix eggs in one at a time.

For the Frasier you’re going to only use part of this cake mix. Take a round 9 inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper. Pour roughly a half an inch of cake batter in the bottom of the pan. Use the remaining batter for other cakes, cupcakes, or cake balls. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bake cake for at least 20 minutes. Test with a toothpick and continue baking until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup first, then the mousseline.

Lemon Simple Syrup

1/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of water

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Once cooled, add the lemon juice and refrigerate.  

Mousseline

2 1/4 cups whole milk (I’ve made this with skim and it’s okay too)

6  egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar, divided in half

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided in half

Scald the milk and half the sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium high heat. 

While the milk and sugar are heating, in a stand mixer beat together the egg yolks, the remaining sugar and cornstarch until the mixture becomes pale in color. 

Once the milk is scalded, bubbling at the edges, slowly pour the mixture down the sides of the bowl while beat until combined.  If there isn’t any scorched milk or film on your original sauce pan, you can continue to use it; otherwise, pour the mixture back into a different pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring vigorously and constantly.  

While stirring, allow to boil for 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat continuing to stir until the steam dissipates (not entirely or else the custard will be too cold for the following steps).  Press through a sieve to ensure a smooth cream.  Dot the cream with half of the butter in tablespoon-sized chunks.  Let the butter melt, and then stir in.  Cool over an ice bath for 10 minutes. Press a layer of plastic wrap onto the surface of the mousseline to keep a crust from forming. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Keep the remaining butter sitting at room temperature. You’ll return to finish the mousseline after you assemble the Fraisier.

To assemble

By now your cake should be cooled. Level the 9 inch cake to your desired height preference. I recommend about one inch. Place the cake layer back into a washed and dried 9 inch spring form pan.

Using a pastry brush, generously brush the simple syrup onto the top of the cake. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough. (Personally I go a little light on the syrup compared to a puritan).

Hull and slice enough strawberries to arrange around the sides of the cake pan. Try to keep a uniform height, or for added drama, use two heights, and alternate. Place the cut side of the strawberry against the sides of the pan, until filled.

By now your mousseline should be ready to finish.

To finish the mousseline

With a spoon, mix the remaining butter until it’s a soft consistency. Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator.  In a stand mixer, stir until it’s soft.  Add 1/4 of the softened butter at a time and combine before adding the next 1/4 of the butter.  Place in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip that is 1/2-inch in diameter.

Pipe cream in-between strawberries and a thin layer across the top of the cake.

Hull and quarter your remaining strawberries and place them in the middle of the cake. Cover the strawberries and entirely with the remainder of the mousseline. If you have extra time (lucky you) refrigerate the cake for half an hour, gently run a knife around the sides of the pan, and use a lever to ensure a perfectly level cake. If you don’t have time (like me) eyeball it and try to flatten as best you can.

Place the cake in the refrigerator while you make the gelatin.

If you want to do a more traditional Frasier, at this point you would put another syrup soaked layer of cake atop the mousseline and then cover the top with a layer of almond paste. I however prefer the colorful accent of this simple home made gelatin.

Strawberry Gelatin

1/4 pounds strawberries

1.5 ounces sugar

1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 package (1/8 ounce) unflavored gelatin

Hull and quarter the strawberries; combine in a medium bowl with sugar and lemon juice. Set aside, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Place 1 cup cold water in a small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand at least 5 minutes to soften.

Working in batches, purée strawberry mixture in a blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve (no seeds!) into a large measuring cup after each batch (discard solids). Add enough water to strained juice to measure a total of 3 cups liquid. Set aside.

Heat softened gelatin over medium-high, just until it begins to bubble around the edges and gelatin has dissolved (do not boil), 2 to 3 minutes; stir into strawberry juice.

Pour over top of the fraisier and chill for four hours.

Enjoy