Memorial Day Desserts

Happy Tuesday! Somewhere between moving to a bigger apartment, unpacking, finishing the school year - this blog was suddenly buried under the work! But now I'm back and ready for Memorial Day (if only the warm weather would stay for the pool openings)! I hope you've got your menu planned (or almost) and are ready to fire up the grill! Here are a few desserts to add to the end of your meal.

Twist on a classic summery dish...
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes
Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients
For the shortcakes:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Raw or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

For the toppings:

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large (about 3 cups) if large
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the shortcakes: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until sandy. Add the chocolate. Whisk 1 egg, the cream and vanilla in a glass measuring cup; stir into the flour mixture with a fork to make a shaggy dough (there will be some dry bits). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; pat flat until 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 6 rounds with a knife or cookie cutter, using the scraps for the last cake.
2. Place the rounds on the baking sheet; freeze for 20 minutes. Beat the remaining egg; brush onto the cakes and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until firm, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
3. Meanwhile, make the toppings: Toss half of the strawberries with half of the sugar in a bowl; set aside. Place the other half of each in a saucepan; cook over medium-low heat, mashing with a fork to make a thick puree, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Whip the cream with a mixer until medium peaks form; swirl in the strawberry puree.
4. Split the shortcakes in half. Layer some of the strawberry cream and reserved fruit on the bottoms; cover with the shortcake tops. Finish with more strawberry cream and the remaining berries.

To please the little ones...

Skewered Strawberry & Marshmallow S'mores

Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, The Gardener and the Grill

Ingredients

• 12 medium-sized strawberries
• 8 large marshmallows
• 8 slices French baguette
• Olive oil, for brushing
• One (4-ounce) bar dark chocolate, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt

Directions

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire on one side of your grill.
2. Thread the strawberries and marshmallows alternately on 4 skewers (if using wooden skewers, pre-soak them). Lightly brush the slices of bread with olive oil.
3. Place the skewers directly over the fire and grill for about 4 or 5 minutes until the marshmallows have browned.
4. At the same time, grill one side of the bread. Turn the slices over and move to the indirect side of the grill. Place a piece of chocolate on each slice and sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt. Remove from the grill when the chocolate is soft but still holds its shape.
5. Serve the skewers with the grilled bread for a grown-up version of s'mores.

Change em up...

Apricot Blondies

Daniel Orr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup dried apricot halves, chopped
• 1/2 cup white-chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup salted roasted almonds, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter an 8-inch square metal baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar and vanilla at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the egg until smooth. At low speed, beat in the apricots, chocolate chips and almonds, then beat in the dry ingredients.
3. Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it into an even layer. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool completely. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Happy baking!

Appreciating Mama on Her Day

Happy Tuesday! Mother's Day is fast approaching, and whether you're appreciating someone special or you are that Mama yourself, here are a few recipes to let her know how you feel.

Let her eat cake...
Walnut Cake with Apricot Preserves
Sarah Copeland

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour, for greasing and dusting the pan
• 3 1/2 cups walnuts (about 10 ounces)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting
• Whipped cream and sliced peaches, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts with a pinch of the sugar until very finely ground. Add the baking powder and pulse to combine.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar at medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. At low speed, beat in the walnuts, just to combine.
4. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining beaten whites in 2 batches, until no streaks remain.
5. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 40 minutes, until golden and springy. Transfer to a rack and let cool in the pan. Run the tip of a knife around the cake and unmold it.
6. Using a serrated knife, split the cake horizontally. Set the bottom layer on a cake plate and spread with the apricot preserves. Replace the top layer and dust with confectioners' sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream and sliced peaches.

Dessert for breakfast...

Dark Chocolate Waffles

Mast Brothers Chocolate

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao), finely chopped
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• Unsalted butter and warm pure maple syrup (for serving)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add egg yolks, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Blend with a fork, then gradually incorporate dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Working in 2 batches, fold egg whites into batter just until combined. Fold in chocolate.
3. Heat a waffle iron until very hot; lightly coat with nonstick spray. Working in batches, cook waffles until cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm in oven until ready to serve.
4. Serve waffles with butter and syrup.

DO AHEAD: Batter with egg whites can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

When she just wants an extra spoon...

Rhubarb Ice Cream with a Caramel Swirl

Melissa Clark

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 and 3/4 cup plus 6 tablespoonsgranulated sugar
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1 and 1/2 cups sour cream
• ¾ pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• ½ cup heavy cream

Directions

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, whisk together the milk, 3/4 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla bean seeds and its pod. Simmer gently until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes. Discard the vanilla pod and return mixture to a bare simmer.
2. Place the yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in hot milk mixture. Scrape the custard back into the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in sour cream. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.
3. In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb with 1 cup sugar. Simmer until rhubarb is just tender and has begun releasing its juices, but has not started to fall apart, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to a bowl. Continue to simmer the juices until syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes more. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb. Cool completely.
4. In a clean, dry and preferably nonstick skillet, sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over medium heat. When it begins to melt and lightly color, sprinkle in 2 more tablespoons and start swirling pan to help evenly distribute sugar. Add the final 2 tablespoons and cook, swirling pan until all the sugar has melted. Let cook, swirling occasionally, until the sugar syrup caramelizes and turns dark brown. Pour in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons water (stand back; it may splatter). Simmer, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula until smooth. Cool completely.
5. Pour the custard base into an ice cream machine and churn. Add rhubarb compote for the last minute of churning.
6. Scrape a quarter of the caramel into the bottom of a freezer-proof quart container. Top with a quarter of the ice cream. Repeat layering until all of the caramel and ice cream has been used, ending with the ice cream. Freeze until firm for at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.

Happy baking!