A successful event indeed
Blueberry Buttermilk Biscuit Cobbler
I know, it's summertime, too hot to bake but how am I supposed to resist all of this produce in its peak season? I also love to combine baking styles/dishes. There is nothing like a fruit crisp from France, buttermilk biscuits from the south and blueberries in the summer from the midwest or east coast. These three things come together to make a perfect dish. You won't regret the little bit of heat, there will be a reward waiting for you.
The filling is the easiest part, you only need three ingredients.
4 cups of blueberries
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, toss until incorporated. Then pour the contents into a 9 inch buttered baking dish.
My favorite buttermilk biscuit recipe comes from the wonderful Smitten Kitchen arsenal. She describes how to make the biscuits stand alone or drop form, follow the drop form for this recipe. They will turn out perfect.
Be sure to preheat your oven to 375º. Bake the cobbler for about 20-25 minutes, check to see if they've reached a golden color on top. Allow to cool for a 10-15 minutes then do yourself a favor and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Key Lime Pie Throwdown
Just like so many other wonderful discoveries, my ability to make the best Key Lime Pie was a complete surprise. I've lost count over the years of how many times I've made this dessert. I stumbled upon the original recipe from a goop(Gwyneth Paltrow's Lifestyle Site) newsletter. They had modified it from a Martha Stewart recipe by adding more fresh lime juice. I took it a step further and added more fresh lime zest. The general consensus?People like things tart, tangy, buttery and sweet.
I've thought about entering my recipe into a Blue Ribbon contest. I feel like I'd win and I'm not typically that bold about my recipes. This Independence Day I'm challenging a group of friends to a blind taste test of my version plus two other acclaimed pies. Who will win? I'll be the first to report!
Add this recipe to your summer life, you won't want to remember a time when you didn't have this delicious pie in your repertoire.
For your delight, I've attached three recipes for you to see and decide which one you'd like to use!
http://www.lexieruse.com/new-blog/2014/5/31/key-lime-pie?rq=Key%20lime
Too Hot To Bake
The long, cold and dreary winter has lifted from New York City only to go directly into summer (bye spring). This leaves me to struggle with dealing with baking in the summer. Technically speaking, you really can't bake with such humidity in the air. Cakes don't rise, frostings don't set, creating unnecessary stress. My solution? Ice box cakes to save the day. The term "ice box" is retro, referring to refrigerators or freezers. This delightful style of dessert lost popularity over the years but has been on a comeback tour. My guess is that they're here to stay.
This version requires a little baking for the crust which I can live with for the 10 minute preheat and the 12 minute bake time. When I was first getting into baking around the age of ten, I remember trying to bake chocolate chip cookies on a hot July night in Chicago. Both of my parents were into the idea of my baking for them but then an entire portion of our house turned into a sauna. I think I doubled the recipe which meant the oven stayed on for 2 hours. By the end of it everyone was sweating and not in the mood for cookies. My father quickly said no more baking in the summer and my mother modified the request by saying you have to bake before 7am. I probably starting tearing up and quipped, "I was only trying to do something nice." Which inevitably broke my parent's combined hearts, drama queen daughter for the win. They both were right in their comments, no baking in summer is a relief and if you need to bake, the earlier in the day the better.
This recipe is refreshing, light and smooth. I had all of the contents in my fridge. This Strawberry Ricotta & Cheese Torte is perfection. I had enough of each ingredient to complete the dish. I used a rectangular pan but you can easily use a circular tart pan with the same ingredient measurements.
For the crust;
1 1/2 cups ground graham crackers
2 tbsp of unsalted melted butter cooled
1 tsp of fine salt
Preheat oven to 350. Place a metal bowls and whisk attachment(s) in freezer.
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until you have a fine granulated texture. You can also break the cookies up by hand for a more textured crust. Combine with butter and salt. Press into the bottom of baking dish, going about 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
After the crust is cooled begin making the filling
1 cup whole Greek yogurt
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of raw honey
Remove beater(s) from freezer and begin to beat the heavy whipping cream on a low speed. After one minute add the honey and turn the speed up to a medium pace, beat for two minutes. Soft peaks should be forming, carefully watch the mixture to not over beat. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on high speed for 30-60 seconds until well combined.
Pour and smooth the contents over the cooled crust. Place in the refrigerator for at least four hours to properly set.
While the dessert sets, remove the stems and slice a handful of fresh strawberries. Place in a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of balsamic glaze. Garnish the Torte with strawberries right before you serve.
Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel
I stake claim to expertise in few genres, pie happens to be one of them. Name the filling, crust style, amount of time and you will likely get something always delicious. My overwhelming need to please took control this past week and I rendered my first strawberry rhubarb streusel/crumble out of necessity. In a matter on less than 90 minutes I was running out the door to a Manhattan bound train to share the fruits of my labor, having decided to go through with the plan 82 minutes prior.
The practices in my own kitchen home have been labeled a bit unorthodox to most of my enthusiasts. A friend will call me for advice during the twelfth hour of preparation for a gathering and I have to proceed with caution. I am a part of the NYC collective that has the makings for almost any impromptu occasion, making my suggestions seem out of reach to some of my nearest and dearest. The list would sound non-believable if I shared the meals I could prep at an almost last call moment. From my pantry of condiments, preservers, pickled items and cupboard staples you would never think I wasn’t always at a nearby farmers market. The truth is I haven’t been to a proper market in NYC for over a year (life). With all that being said, I still stop into my trusted grocers every week for the seasons best performers and make them guest stars in my rotating menu.
Let us get back to why I flexed my pie knowledge in such short notice; I felt a bit called out. The absence of something I could make by my own hands would be noticeable since this crew is always singing my praises. I discovered some part of me revels in the idea of championing for myself. I pieced together my knowledge of a base piecrust, a fruitful spring filling and a never before made topping to bring something that left my afternoon crew in awe.
There is plenty of good news for everyone reading, all you have to do is follow my already laid out recipe for strawberry rhubarb here, just make double the filling. The crust recipe I have documented will render you two amazing base crusts then follow this Ina Garten recipe for a streusel/crumble topping.
You need to make two of these beauties for backup because I served this to four of the most svelte people I know and they devoured this recipe in all of eight minutes. Moral lesson? There will never be a greater gift than the one you committed to make happen yourself. This includes store bought pie from a bakery since it’s still amazing pie and homemade by someone’s hands. #eatmorepie
Happy Weekend
Honey pecan sticky bun, an iced cappuccino and the Times, what weekends are made for!
