Strawberry Pie. Strawberry Tart.

In coming up with something interesting and new to do with my locally grown strawberries, I found that the strawberry pie recipe really is quite boring. Crust, strawberries, pack of gelatin...done. BORING!

So I combined some elements of desserts I like, and hopefully I've made the mundane strawberry icebox pie of old into something a bit more exciting. This particular recipe is a bit involved, but there are areas where you could take shortcuts, which I will note as I go. I like to call this recipe:

Southern Strawberry Lemonade Pie
Crust:
2 C. pecan shortbread cookie crumbs
approx. 1/2 C. melted butter
1/4 C. sugar

Lemon Curd:
1 C. sugar
1 C. fresh lemon juice (meyer lemons preferred)
zest of 3 lemons
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 C. butter

Strawberry Filling:
1/4 C. sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 C. frozen strawberry daiquiri concentrate
3/4 C. water
4 C. strawberries

 For crust, run about half a package of pecan shortbread cookies through a food processor, until you get a fine crumb. Pour into pie pan and add sugar, combine evenly. Add enough melted butter to make ingredients wet but not soggy. I used all but a few tablespoons of the butter. Combine with a fork until all is consistently moist. Press to the bottom and sides of the pan with fingertips.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, until slightly browned. Allow to cool completely before adding fillings.

*cheat - there are prepared shortbread crusts at your local grocery. no pecans...but hey, it works as a timesaver*

 For lemon curd, combine cold butter, lemon zest and juice into microwave safe container. In separate bowl, combine eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until light yellow in color. Add to butter mixture. Microwave at 30 second intervals, wisking briskly between sessions, until the curd thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon. Process takes about 5 minutes depending on microwave. The fun part is making sure your eggs don't scramble. If you work in small batches of time, and stir it well each time, the egg should be fine for the most part. It is recommended that you strain the mixture through a fine sieve after it is cooked, to remove excess zest and the small egg white particles that sometimes happen. I did this, and it produced a very creamy and velvety curd. Quite yummy. This recipe actually makes a little more than is needed, so feel free to add it all for extra lemony goodness, or save in your fridge for other endeavors. Spread like pizza sauce into the bottom of your prepared crust. Chill in the fridge till your ready to add berries.

*cheat - you guessed it...there are plenty of jars of pre-made lemon curd at your grocery store. pick your favorite, lazy bones.*

 For the strawberry filling, you will be combining all ingredients except berries into a nonstick saucepan, starting with the cornstarch and water. Mix those two together well, then over medium heat, add in the concentrate and sugar. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute, or until the pink mixture turns a more red color, with a gel like consistency. THIS MIXTURE MUST COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE ADDING BERRIES.

Hull and slice berries in half. You should use about 4 cups of berries, though a little more is also fine. Add to your cooled filling mixture, and fold in until all berries are covered. Spoon mixture on top of your lemon curd. Allow 2-4 hours to set up in the refridgerator before cutting and serving with a dollop of your favorite whipped cream.

Pie is good for a few days only, please keep cold. I hope you enjoy this twist on a boring old icebox strawberry pie. Whether you bake your heart out like a foodie, or cheat and just want the yummy payoff, I promise it will wake up your taste buds, and get you in the mood for summer.

R.

What's the Story, Morning Glory?

 When I started shopping at my local southern grocery store about 6 months ago, I bought from their bakery a half dozen of Morning Glory muffins. I had never heard of them before, so I thought I'd try them. The idle thought became an addiction, that had me racing back to the corner store pretty often for a half dozen of the lovely things. Carrots, raisins, and walnuts in a pleasingly moist muffin batter. Yum, yum..and yum.

Shortly after the new year, the store raised their price on the muffins by about 40 cents.

Oh,...well I'll still get them.

Then a week ago, they raised them 40 more cents, and they are suspiciously skinner...

Crap.

It became very apparent that I needed to learn how to make these little treats, and fast. With as many as I and my family can eat in a sitting, we'll be bankrupt by the end of October if I keep buying them from the store bakery.

I did some research, as I usually do, and came up with what I hope and think is an awesome recipe for these glorious muffins. Now, don't get me wrong, this recipe could include more and other ingredients. It could be healthier, sure...but for now, I just want the moist, raisiny payoff. And I don't want to pay $4.89 for six of them.

Morning Glory Muffins

1 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour

1/2 C. Wheat Flour

1 1/4 C. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. shredded carrot

1 C. raisins

1/2 C. apple butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 C. vegetable oil

1/2 C. walnut pieces

2 eggs

Oven at 350 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together with wire wisk, eggs and sugar until light yellow in color.

**I like to plump my raisins, by adding them to a cup and a half of warm apple juice for about 10 minutes.**

 Next add the apple butter, vanilla, and veg. oil to your egg mixture and wisk until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold together until just incorporated. Then add carrots, plumped raisins, and walnuts. DO NOT OVER STIR!!

 Place batter into your favorite muffin tin, pan, or baking cup. Just make sure to grease whatever you use well with oil or spray. I used my mini loaf pans! 

Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, depending on oven and personal preference.

 These are so moist, and really, even better the next day...as long as you wrap them up well the night before. I'm seriously considering making several batches of these at a time. I think I have a problem....correction, I know I have a problem, but look at this much more economical and tasty solution to feeding my habit! 

Now, to get going on that strawberry pie....

Work Cupcakes

If you were curious as to what I've been doing for the last year or so....thinking that I maybe threw in the towel or slowed down...just know:

I was sucked into the evil world of the Cupcake Boom.

Yes, I know....I should have known that it would end perilously bad....such a 2 dimensional dessert, worked over and over in a midwestern town....

but I really gave it my all.

Freakin' cupcake boom.....

A Work Post

It's been quite some time since I've waxed on about my life as a baker, and being that I can't get cupcakes out of my head this evening, I thought I would share some recent ideas. Some events upcoming, and just generally muse on about my passion/profession.

So, I have been generating a list of cupcake flavors that I would like to try. Things that I find interesting or very tasty. Or just things that I think would sell nicely, as they are in fashion in the food world.

Some things I'm going to try soon include a tea infused line consisting of earl grey, chai, and green tea flavored cupcakes. Not sure on icing combinations to go with these yet, but after I'm able to test run the batters, I'm sure some sort of bright idea will surface. These are my current goal for new yummies.

Next is a line of dessert inspired cupcakes. Bananas Foster, Tiramisu, and Creme Brulee are on the short list, though I do need one more to round out both this category and the tea set. The creme brulee cake may have to wait until I can convince my boss to let me have a small blow torch. :-D

I also want to get a few more staple flavors implemented, like coconut and lemon. We have chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, and strawberry currently on the menu almost every day in some sort of combination or variation. I really think having those flavors in addition will help us cover all bases. Also, we absolutely must come up with a coffee flavored cake. Either in the batter or the icing. Espresso, cappuccino, hell I don't know. Something.

Other fun thing that's going on right now and will hopefully be prototyped by this week's end is the Mango Cupcake that I've been brainstorming on for a week or so. Honey and cardamom in the batter, with a sweet mango puree for either a filling or to incorporate into buttercream, and dried mango slices on top. I am so jazzed to try this one out. Hopefully a little hint of India, and again, hopefully by the end of the week.

Valentine's Day is coming up, and we're trying to convince the boss man that it is IMPERATIVE that we have examples of our v-day fair well before the day comes, so that customers will have us in mind while buying useless goodies to woo their love interests. Ideas include wafer paper and chocolate transfer accents, "talking heart" mini cakes, and possibly roses. Also, we're preparing to unveil our first filled cupcake for the year. Excited? You should be.

In personal business news, I'm preparing for my second cake order here in Indy, another wedding, coming up on February 20th. It's a sizable order, which should yield a reasonable profit, and hopefully not kill me in the process. I go tomorrow to meet with the bride about details. Wish me lots of luck, as she says she has pictures and "sparkle sprinkles" questions. O boy.

Newest Cake!

Just wanted to share my latest creation. It was for a friend who was giving it as a baby shower gift type deal. It was my very first time doing gumpaste flowers. I watched a tutorial on youtube, by this spanish lady with a fantastic accent and a lot of makeup. The steps to create the flowers are actually pretty easy. If you want to watch the tutorial it's in four parts. I'll share the link for those who are curious.

Calla Lily Tutorial! 


Her tutorials are pretty good. But anyways, I had a lot of fun making the gumpaste flowers. It's a skill I plan on building up, so that I can be more versatile in the sugar art world. Hooray! I also highly recommend it for people who like doing hands on intricate work, as it has a great pay off at the end. They last for ever and a day, and make even a plain cake look extraordinary.

Okay, I'll stop sounding like a cake blog, and move on. I also put a stucco or "tuscan" finish on the cake. People that are familiar with the old fashioned way of icing a cake with a textured look will see that this is a very similar effect. The beauty part of it is that you don't have to labor over it to smooth it. I find though, if you do want to use this finish, all the other elements of the cake have to be spot on or else you run the risk of the cake just looking poorly done...rather than having a textured funky finish. This technique is also sometimes referred to as an antique look or canvas. I like tuscan...makes people think rustic and inviting. I like that visual. 

It's just two single layers, with raspberry filling in each. Yellow cake. Oh, and the icing was a key lime flavor by request. I went with an ivory tone to offset the romantic texture and flowers. So...yeah. Fun to make! 

Blueberry Heaven

So I've had this pint of blueberries sitting in the fridge for a week calling my name. And night before last I whipped up a batch of shortbread dough, so I had the idea tonight to combine the two into something quite yummy. :-)



 

these little tasties were made with real blueberries and lemon juice/zest. the filling is sandwiched between the Lavender infused Lemon Poppy Seed shortbread I made the other night, and baked for 40 minutes until golden brown. These little guys are best served chilled. Or with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. :-)

Hooray!

BAD day...good night!

Yesterday was 


interesting.

I had a cake order due, and ended up running hellishly late getting it to the womans house because streets were absolutely not marked much of the way there. Making mapquest directions useless...mostly.

Pictures sometimes say a thousand words...so here goes.

Cake before delivery:


a lovely DISASTER!!!




But...the evening went okay...