Grill Season's BACK!

Happy Hump day everyone! So you know I just L-O-V-E LOVE to grill, and desserts are no different. I'm bringing back three new dessert recipes to try this year, while you're out on the grill. Enjoy!

Classic...reinvented...and grilled...
Grilled Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream
Kelsey Nixon

Ingredients
Lemon Cream:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Shortcake and Glaze:

• 16 large strawberries, from a 1-pound package, hulled
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 store-bought pound cake, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
• Special Equipment: 4 metal skewers

Directions

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
2. For the lemon cream: Beat the cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sour cream and then hand whisk until slightly more thickened. Place in a 1-gallon resealable bag, chill and set aside. This can be made ahead of time and kept well chilled until ready to use.
3. For the shortcake and glaze: Slide 4 strawberries onto each skewer. Mix together the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
4. Grill the cake slices using tongs until grill marks appear, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Follow by grilling the strawberries, flipping once, until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Transfer thestrawberries to a cutting board and slice in half. Coat the strawberries in the glaze or brush on.
5. Build the sandwiches by putting lemon cream on one side of the cake, followed by 4 strawberry halves. Add another layer of lemon cream and top with the remaining cake slice.
6. Cook's Notes: The gallon bag used to hold your lemon cream can be easily turned into a pastry bag that allows for easy piping. Simply pull up on one of the bottom corners to the top of the resealable bag and twist making a cone shape into the opposite corner which you will snip with your scissors. Then apply light pressure moving from the top to the bottom of the bag and you now have a pastry bag! Wrap sandwiches in parchment paper and serve.
7. If you are traveling from a prep area to another grilling destination, pack an On the Go Grilling bag. Some suggested items to make the cooking cleaner and easier is to include things like heat-resistant gloves, matches, mini cutting board, salt, pepper towels, tongs, disposable gloves, paper towels, knife, trash bags, newspaper and kitchen shears or scissors.

Lizzy Bee's Note: While the recipe says "Store bought" cake, if you have your own favorite pound cake, use that! Takes more time, but it makes it your own. If you're in a hurry, there are some great brands of store bought in the supermarket.

From the grill master...

Grilled Banana and Nutella Panini

Bobby Flay

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, sliced
• 12 slices whole-wheat bread
• 1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Place the bananas in a bowl and mash until smooth. 
2. Place the slices of bread on a flat surface and spread each slice with some of the hazelnut spread. Spread the mashed banana over 6 of the slices and combine the slices to make 6 sandwiches. 
3. Heat the grill to medium-high. 
4. Spread 1 side of each sandwich with some of the butter and place on the grill, buttered-side down. Grill until golden brown. Spread the remaining butter on the bread facing up, flip over and continue grilling until golden brown. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Eat immediately.

Fire it up!

Fire-Roasted Berry Crostini with Honey Creme Fraiche

Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Three 1/2-inch-thick slices of country bread, halved crosswise
• Softened unsalted butter, for brushing
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 4 cups mixed fresh berries
• Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

1. Light a hardwood charcoal fire. In a bowl, whisk the crème fraîche with the honey.
2. Brush both sides of the bread slices with butter and generously sprinkle with sugar. Grill the bread over moderately high heat, turning once, until crisp and caramelized, 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the berries with the 1/4 cup of sugar and the salt. Spread the berries on a perforated grill sheet or in a grill basket and grill over moderately high heat, tossing, until starting to burst, 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
4. Spoon the berries on the crostini and top with dollops of the honey crème fraîche.

Happy baking (and grilling)!