My kitchen is finally in a stone fruit frenzy. It started slowly for me this summer, but I am now baking something practically every day with plums, nectarines, cherries, or peaches. I made this Peach Galette yesterday when we invited friends at the last minute for dinner. Our weather the past few days in the Twin Cities has been more than spectacular... blue skies with comfortable temps and low dew points. Perfect. And with baskets and bowls of garden produce everywhere in my kitchen, alfresco meals with friends and family need to be enjoyed as often as possible. Soon enough, it will be over... This galette is a variation of one I posted several years ago and it has been my favorite so far this summer. I am considering making it again this week for a dinner-on-the-patio I've been invited to attend. And happily... this galette was dessert one night, breakfast the next morning! Just the way we like it. • Although ice cream or whipped cream would be good along side this galette, I highly recommend serving it with sweetened sour cream. If you do that, this dessert will be pretty perfect. • Tart dough (recipe HERE) • 4 tablespoons ground almonds (or use almond flour) • 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar • 2 pounds ripe but firm peaches, pitted and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder • 1 egg, lightly beaten • Handful of fresh blueberries • 1/4 cup turbinado sugar for sprinkling • 1 cup (full fat) sour cream • 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar 1. In a medium bowl, gently combine the peach wedges, brown sugar, vanilla, and arrowroot powder. 2. On a sheet of lightly-floured parchment paper, roll the tart dough into a large round. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges slightly to make a perfect round; reserve any trimmings. Carefully slide the parchment sheet with dough onto a large sheet pan. In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds and cane sugar; sprinkle evenly over the rolled tart dough, leaving a 2-inch border. 3. Mound the peaches onto the center of the dough, leaving, again, a 2-inch border. Using a thin metal spatula, carefully lift the 2-inch border of dough over the peaches, pleating the dough as you go around. If the dough has warmed at this point and is becoming difficult to work with, refrigerate briefly. If necessary, use trimmings to patch any little cracks or holes in the pleated dough to reduce leakage of juices. Take the blueberries and scatter them in between peach slices. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle the turbinado sugar liberally over the egg wash. 4. Refrigerate the galette for 30 minutes and preheat oven to 425˚F. 5. Transfer the galette to middle rack of oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the crust is a golden brown. Let the galette rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Combine the sour cream and sugar. Serve with slices of the peach galette. ENJOY! TAKE a LOOK:
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Hard to believe... August begins next week and this is the first purchase I've made of summer nectarines. I finally just loaded up on peaches, plums, and the nectarines in this dessert. To make this, I used the recipe for Apple Crisp (recipe HERE) from my mother, substituting 5 large nectarines and a good amount of blueberries (1 cup plus). Slice the nectarines and place in a bowl with the blueberries. Add 2 teaspoons arrowroot and toss gently. This will help thicken the juices you get when baking nectarines. Optional... Lightly toast chopped walnuts or slivered almonds, about 1/2 cup, and fold into the crisp topping before spooning onto the fruit. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, Ice Milk, or a good drizzling of heavy cream. And of course, if there is any Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp left the next morning, eat it for breakfast! TAKE a LOOK: It's mid-July. My garden, my French Bulldog, and my family have been keeping me busy. What's ready in the garden?... beans, zucchini, beets, cucumbers, eggplant and jalapeños. And, of course, all of my herbs. My first Early Girl tomato (that and my Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes are the only hybrid tomatoes I grow) will be ready for picking tomorrow; that is, unless a squirrel gets to it before I do. Lettuces, except for the potted ones in the wheelbarrow above, have been pulled due to bitterness. My peas are also done for. Too many 90 degree days this summer. Today I'm dealing with 3 pounds of zucchini. Some of it has gone into baking Chocolate-Zucchini Bread; a nice little treat with our cappuccinos tomorrow morning. The rest, most likely, will be pan fried in olive oil and finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano... a favorite of mine, or possibly stuffed. There will be many more to pick in the next few days. Three zucchini plants give me an endless supply. We took our annual July trip "up north" last week, where my husband, daughter and her boyfriend picked 20 pounds of strawberries! And, as usual, I made fresh Strawberry Shortcake for dessert one night. Is there anything better? (my favorite recipe HERE) The remaining strawberries were brought home and frozen, used in spinach and strawberry salads, and made into freezer strawberry jam. I also made a Blueberry Galette during our stay in the north woods. When I'm up there and making tart crusts (or shortcake), butter is cut into the flour with dinner knives and dough is rolled with a wine bottle. A rustic galette is the perfect dessert when you have limited resources. I served the finished Blueberry Galette with whipped cream, but had I been at home, I probably would have mixed up Vanilla Ice Milk to serve alongside the blueberry wedges. + BLUEBERRY GALETTE • Pastry dough... your favorite, or my recipe HERE • 4 cups fresh blueberries • 1/3 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling • Grated zest of one large lemon • 1 egg, whisked 1. Preheat oven to 400˚F 2. On a large sheet of lightly-floured parchment paper, roll the dough into a round approximately 13-inches in diameter. Slide the parchment and pastry dough onto a baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator if the dough becomes too warm. 3. In a bowl, combine the sugar and the lemon zest. Add the blueberries. Using a thin rubber spatula, gently combine until the sugar/lemon zest is evenly distributed. 4. Scoop the sugared blueberries onto the center of the rolled pastry leaving a 2-inch border. Gently lift the pastry border and begin pleating the dough over and around the blueberries. Using a pastry brush, glaze the top of the dough and underneath the pleats of dough with the beaten egg. Brushing egg underneath the pleats will keep them from sliding during baking. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional sugar. If you have Turbinado sugar, use that. 5. Place the baking sheet on middle rack of oven and bake for approximately 35 - 40 minutes, or until the the crust is golden. Bisous will be turning 8 months on Saturday and weighed in yesterday at 24 pounds. I have no idea what I should even expect his full-grown weight to be. I am thinking he has now reached his height and his length and will begin to increase his width and head size... but what do I know?? Frenchies grow for 18 months. Also... to all of you who are trying to access recipes from Living Tastefully on your cellphones, I apologize. I never go that route, but I have been told that it's impossible to pull up recipes on a phone. Last year I changed my URL from livingtastefully.weebly.com to livingtastefully.com, and that is what created the problem with cellphone access. It's a multi-step process to change the URLs. I'm working on it, but it is slow going. There are hundreds of recipes ;-( I have also been asked recently why I am not posting as often onto LivingTastefully's Passions to Pastry. Life is keeping me busy, but I am posting many photos on Instagram. I'm really having fun with it. Most of the photos are taken with my iPhone and I've met some wonderful, creative people. If you're interested in checking me out on Instagram, click HERE. TAKE a LOOK: This is the first time since strawberries were planted in our garden, that I have actually had enough to do something with. They were originally planted in one of the brick-edged garden beds; not a good idea because, of course, strawberry plants like to spread. Plus, they seemed to languish there, barely producing more than a handful of fruit each season. So last spring, I dug them up and moved them to the back of our yard along the fence. They are very happy there. The strawberries are thriving and giving me a bowlful daily! When I ran across this recipe for Strawberry Crème Fraîche Biscuits by Abigail Quinn, I knew that some of my garden strawberries would be baked into biscuits. Both the biscuits and the strawberry whipped cream are full of tangy crème fraîche; a taste that always seems, for me, to conjure up thoughts of France. Another plus for this strawberry biscuit -- it was still delicious the second day. Usually, baked goods such as this are best eaten the day they are baked (and I would still suggest that.). But with the recipe making 12 strawberry biscuits and a good amount of the whipped crème fraîche, they've been around a while. We are now into day 3 of eating the Strawberry Crème Fraîche Biscuits for dessert and breakfast, and I can't say that they are no longer good. The biscuits still have a nice, tender crumb. I'm very impressed! The only thing I did differently with this recipe, was to sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with turbinado sugar before baking. Not necessary, but I really like that little crisp crunch. Serves 12 • adapted recipe of Abigail Quinn STRAWBERRY SWIRL • 1 cup diced strawberries • 2 tablespoons sugar • 2 teaspoons lemon juice BISCUITS • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 5 tablespoons sugar • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 1/2 cup crème fraîche, homemade (recipe HERE), or purchased • 1 large egg • 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1 cup diced strawberries • Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling, optional WHIPPED CREME FRAICHE • 3/4 cup crème fraîche • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 2 tablespoons sugar • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1. Make the Strawberry Swirl: In a small saucepan cook the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice over moderate heat until the berries break down and the juices thicken, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely. 2. Make the Biscuits: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the crème fraîche with the egg, buttermilk and vanilla; set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse until the butter is pea-size pieces. Pour the dry ingredients into the reserved wet ingredients and using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until a dough just comes together. Fold in the diced strawberries, being careful not to overmix. 3. Scoop twelve 1/4-cup mounds of the biscuit dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops of biscuit mounds with turbinado sugar. Bake the biscuits for about 30 minutes, until browned; shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the biscuits to a rack and let cool slightly. 4. Make the Whipped Crème Fraîche: Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the crème fraîche with the cream, sugar, vanilla and salt at moderate speed until medium peaks form. Fold in the cooled strawberry swirl until just combined. Serve with the warm biscuits. MAKE AHEAD: The strawberry swirl can be refrigerated for 3 days. Fold into the whipped crème fraîche before serving. TAKE a LOOK: The women in our family all have their birthdays in the spring. My youngest daughter, Claire, celebrated her birthday in April (birthday cake #1). My daughter Whitney's birthday is coming up the end of May (birthday cake #3). I was told I will be hearing from her soon about the cake. It sounds to me like there's some serious thought going into my baking assignment. And that leaves birthday cake #2, which was mine. There seems to be a flavor trend in the first two cakes -- lemon and raspberry. My cake layers contained Greek yogurt and fresh raspberries and were frosted with lemon-cream cheese icing. A perfect spring cake! Cake #1 (Claire's) had lemon cake layers with raspberry curd (recipe HERE). I expect Whitney's cake to be nothing like the first two. I actually preferred my cake the next day, when I finished off the last two (generous) slices. Yes... I devoured everything that was left on the cake plate the next day. I tend to like cakes and cookies on the dry, day-old side, but that's just me. Recipe for Raspberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting HERE. And that leaves cake #3... Yesterday, we celebrated my daughter Whitney's birthday with a Peanut Butter Cheesecake topped with Swiss Meringue. Yes... it was as good as it looks! Not only peanut butter in the cheesecake filling, but the crust is peanut butter, also, made from ground peanut butter cookies (recipe HERE; made without the chocolate chips). + Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Swiss Merignue + • recipe via how sweet it is CRUST • 2 cups crushed peanut butter cookies • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted CHEESECAKE • 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened • 1 cup peanut butter • 1 cup sugar • 2 large eggs • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract SWISS MERINGUE • 4 large egg whites • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • freshly sliced bananas for serving 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Mix together peanut butter cookie crumbs and melted butter; press into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for approximately 6 minutes, until slightly set. Allow to cool completely. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the peanut butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl when necessary. Add the vanilla extract, then beat in eggs one at a time until just combined. Pour the mixture into the crust and smooth the top. Place pan on a baking sheet in center of oven. Bake cheesecake for approximately 55 minutes, or until the center is almost set. Remove and cool completely. Cover lightly with a sheet of plastic and refrigerate overnight. 3. Make the Swiss Meringue... Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Place over the top of a double-boiler that contains simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are slightly warm. Immediately remove the bowl, and using the whisk attachment of the mixer, begin beating at slow speed. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat for about 6-7 minutes, or until glossy and thick. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute. 4. Either pile the meringue onto the cheesecake or pipe (using a 1/2-inch tip).. Serve with sliced bananas! TAKE a LOOK: It's a good thing everyone in my family loves rhubarb because lately, it seems that is all that has been coming out of my kitchen. It might be time to change LivingTastefully to The Rhubarb Blog (?)... at least during the spring months. I am very happy to pass this recipe for Rhubarb Galette onto you. For me, galettes have such a wonderful rustic appeal and they are easy to assemble. With a galette, you avoid lining a tart tin with pastry, then lining that with foil and dried beans or rice for a pre-bake (commonly done before filling the shell with custard... or, pastry cream). With a galette, most likely just fruit, mound everything into the center, fold and pleat the edges of the dough, and bake. Easy! There's nothing wrong with syrupy juices bleeding from the crust while baking. In fact, it's somewhat expected. One of my favorite toppings for a fruit galette or tart is organic sour cream with some cane sugar mixed it; tangy and very similar to crème fraîche. Again, easy and so good! I also thought you might enjoy some early photos of the garden. Most of it has been planted. All of the tomatoes, as of today, are in; something I usually don't do until Memorial Day weekend. But long range forecasts look warm and with rain on the way this week, it will be perfect conditions for the vegetables and herbs. The strawberries surrounding the Adirondack chairs are going crazy! Finally! This is a photo of my west garden beds. The east side is a mirror image. The chives that we grow were in my mother's garden in Amana, Iowa, where I grew up. I just passed some onto my daughter and her husband for their first garden. In the front raised bed with the newly constructed tuteur, French breakfast radishes edge the outside and nasturtiums will eventually be climbing the frame. Our University of Minnesota Edelweiss Grapes, along the side of our garage. They also run the length of the backyard fence. Climbing English peas, purple beans, red onions and French lettuce in the east bed. I have two large urns with rosemary in the center and alyssum alternating with either English thyme or mint around the edges. This is the mint, or mojito urn, as I call it. , Our clematis are just starting to bloom. They surround a cast iron, rectangular urn with a bronze water tap that my husband and I assembled for our fountain. One of the best things about summer, for me at least, is hearing the water in the fountain when outdoors... or, through the window of our bedroom at night. I really miss that once we have to close up the patio in the fall. I have a weakness for plants/blooms that lean toward black. Does that have anything to do with the way I dress? If I were starting from scratch, I could see an entire property in black, white (and green, of course), with a deep red-pink thrown in here or there. Last year I had the most beautiful begonia with black leaves and just a touch of that deep red-pink. I loved that plant and lost it when we were traveling late summer . My fault. And I cannot find it anywhere this year... I'll continue to look. And that brings me to Bisous... he's been growing into a big, healthy, and dare I say, handsome, young man... which hasn't been easy! He has a penchant for eating anything and everything that can be harmful to a dog. And he does so with a lightening speed determination. We take him on many, many walks during the day. He would prefer being out running in the garden with me, rather than watching from inside. But the times he has been loose out back, it resulted in a (costly) call to poison control after he ate entire marigold plants. After that, gazanias. Throw in the occasional stone, or whirly-birds from the maple tree that showers our yard, patio and deck, and it's constant monitoring of what Bisous will try to devour next. I remember a somewhat similar challenge with Pipi, our previous Frenchie, but any dangerous behavior by her now seems almost nonexistent compared to Mr. B. Bisous is now over 6 months and over 19 pounds. A big boy! And of course, still growing. He's a sweetie and VERY, VERY active. • adapted from Bon Appetit | April 2010 CRUST: • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tablespoon sugar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes • 2 tablespoons (or more) ice water TOPPING: • 1 pound trimmed rhubarb, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick matchstick-size strips • 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces • 1 large egg yolk • 1 to 2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar • 8-ounce container organic, full-fat sour cream • 2 tablespoons sugar 1. Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in food processor to blend. Add butter and pulse until it resembles large crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until dough clumps together, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic; chill at least 2 hours. 2. Meanwhile, combine rhubarb and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl; let stand at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350˚F. Place a large sheet of parchment on work surface; sprinkle parchment with flour. Roll out dough on parchment to a 12-inch round. Transfer dough on parchment to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Drain the rhubarb and mound onto the center of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border at edge. Gently fold dough border up over outer edge of rhubarb topping. folding and crimping dough to create pleats. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over rhubarb; dot with butter. Brush dough edges with beaten egg yolk. Sprinkle edges with 1 to 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar. 3. Bake the galette until rhubarb is tender and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Cool galette at least 30 minutes. 4. Mix the sour cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Serve the galette warm or at room temperature with the sweetened sour cream. ENJOY! TAKE a LOOK: Does this loaf bread look familiar? I've shared this recipe before. I didn't make this quick bread with the intention of photographing it and posting the recipe again. But I walked past it after my husband sliced off a couple of pieces and thought, what a nice looking Pear and Poppy Seed Loaf! So, here it is again. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. It's been a while since I've had a bread like this to eat along with my cappuccino. +PEAR and POPPY SEED LOAF + + recipe from Cooking Light • 2 1/4 cup unbleached flour • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup chopped, peeled ripe pear • 1 cup buttermilk • 2/3 cup sugar • 1/4 cup honey • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 1 large egg • cooking spray 1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. 2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in pear; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8-inch-by-4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. 3. Bake at 350˚ approximately one hour. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. TAKE a LOOK: I don't think I've ever purchased plums in April, but I just couldn't wait any longer. I am so very ready to start baking like it's mid-summer! This did the trick. The original recipe calls for a crust of puff pastry, but I substituted a short crust which I usually always do when puff pastry is used as the tart shell.. Leftovers were very good with morning cappuccinos! • adapted from a Food & Wine recipe by Mitchelle Dy... CRUST • 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt • 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed • 1 large egg • Ice water, if needed FILLING • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened • 5 tablespoons packed light brown sugar • 1/4 cup Chambord (I used Crème de Framboise) • 5 ripe plums, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges • 1/2 cup slivered almonds • 1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour • 1 large egg • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla • Toasted sliced almonds for sprinkling, optional To make the crust: 1. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. 2. Toss in the cold butter and pulse until the size of small peas. Add the whole egg and pulse until the dough just begins to come together. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add ice water little by little until dough is moistened enough to come together. 3. Place flour mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour. To make the filling: 1. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter with 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar over medium heat until ingredients are thoroughly melted and combined, about 1 minute. Add the Chambord or Crème de Framboise and bring to a simmer. Add the plums and cook, occasionally stirring gently until the edges begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the plums to a large shallow bowl to cool. Reserve the juice in the skillet. 2. In a food processor, grind the almonds until very fine. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir in the ground almonds and the 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Add the egg and vanilla; stir until fully incorporated. 3. Dust a work surface with flour and roll the pastry to fit a 9-inch square tart pan or any other shape pan you would like to substitute. Fill the tart pan with the pastry and trim edges. Spread the almond mixture over the base of the pastry. Arrange the plums on the almond filling, adding any additional juices to those reserved in the skillet. Chill the tart in the refrigerator while preheating the oven to 375˚ F. 4. Bake the tart on the center rack of the oven for approximately 50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Remove and let cool briefly. Rewarm the Chambord juices and brush the thick liquid over the plums. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature. TAKE a LOOK: This past week was the beginning of the spring birthday season at our house. My birthday, along with both of my daughters' birthdays, fall in the months of April and May. And since my youngest daughter had a destination birthday this year, we weren't able to celebrate until two days later with a Sunday dinner. The post birthday meal was built around Mac & Cheese, and included Turkey Meatloaf layered with Spinach and Prosciutto, a salad of greens with apples and caramelized walnuts, and the most important course... dessert; spongy lemon layers with raspberry curd cream between. As Claire said... the cake tasted like spring. I almost went with chocolate. That may or may not have been a mistake. I don't know if chocolate can ever be called a mistake. I also made the lemon cakes twice. I am never going to use 9-inch cake pans again when called for in a recipe. The results are always disappointing... short layers. Eight inch pans are usually the way to go, at least for me. ... above, the mac & cheese before baking The original cake recipe called for 3 cups of heavy cream to layer and frost the cake, but I didn't need close to that amount. I'll do my best to explain the amounts I mixed together for frosting. Lemon Cake with Raspberry Curd and Whipped Cream• recipe from Epicurious, adapted CAKE LAYERS • Vegetable or coconut oil spray, for the pans • 4 large eggs • 2 large egg yolks • 3/4 cup whole milk • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel • 2 cups cake flour • 1 1/2 cups sugar • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 cup vegetable or expeller pressed canola oil • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled FILLING • 1 6-ounce basket fresh raspberries, plus additional raspberries for garnish • 1 1/4 cups sugar • 2 large eggs • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter • 1/8 teaspoon salt • 3 cups chilled whipping cream FOR THE CAKE: 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick vegetable or coconut oil spray. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. 2. Whisk eggs, yolks, milk, lemon juice, and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Whisk oil and butter into flour mixture. Add egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool cakes on racks 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Cool completely. (Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic. Let stand at room temperature.) FOR FILLING: 1. Stir the 6-ounce basket of raspberries, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, lemon juice, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until thickened and beginning to bubble at edges, about 5 minutes. Using a mesh strainer, strain raspberry curd into a medium bowl, pressing on solids to release all liquid. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours, but preferably up to 1 day. See NOTE below. 2. Whip cream and 1/2 cup sugar until peaks form. Fold 1 1/2 cups whipped cream into raspberry curd. Reserve remaining whipped cream 3. Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side down, on platter. Spread a thick layer or raspberry filling over. Repeat with 2 more cake layers and filling. Top with remaining cake layer. 4. I had approximately 1/4 cup raspberry curd remaining and folded all but about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the curd. Spread this over top and sides of cake. You can use the remaining whipped cream (totally optional) by placing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and to pipe design around bottom edge of cake. Decorate cake, if desired, with additional raspberries. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated.) NOTE: If you would like more raspberry curd in the frosting for the cake, double the recipe for the curd and add to whipped cream before frosting. TAKE a LOOK: I wanted to do something that felt like spring... since, it is spring. Even though it snowed most of yesterday, we are finally, officially past winter, and heading in the right direction. Chives and rhubarb are off to a good start in my garden. Soon enough, I'll be preparing meals made with produce from my potager. These Lemon - Cornmeal Cookies with a drizzle of Lemon Icing, are so good and I don't bake them often enough. This time, I used medium, stone-ground,cornmeal. If you like coarseness and a little hard crunch in your cookies, go this route. If not, stick with the regular, finely ground cornmeal. This is a nice little cookie to have on hand for Easter. A sprinkling of rainbow sugar over the lemon icing goes nicely with colored Easter eggs and jelly beans! • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour • 1 cup yellow cornmeal • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar • 3/4 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature • 1 large egg • 1 egg yolk • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest • Confectioners' sugar • Fresh lemon juice • Colored, decorative sugar In the bowl of a food processor, combine the first 5 ingredients and pulse several times. Cut up the butter and add to the ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add whole egg, the yolk, vanilla and lemon zest. Knead, in the bowl, several times or until just blended. Wrap dough in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool on racks. In a small bowl, fill with Confectioners' sugar. Add fresh lemon juice, while mixing, until drizzling consistancy. Using a small spoon, scoop up a little icing and hold above the center of a cookie, allowing the icing to drizzle down onto the cookie. Sprinkle with colored sugar and place on a plate or rack until icing is dry. TAKE a LOOK: |
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