Strawberry season!  It’s strawberry season!  Whoohoo!

Can you tell how excited I am?  I mean, amazingly sweet, luscious strawberries are at the market for $0.97 a basket.  WOWEEE!

We’ve been eating them on our pancakes, over yogurt, drizzled with vinegar in green salads, and neat.  And today, [...]]]>

Strawberry season!  It’s strawberry season!  Whoohoo!

Can you tell how excited I am?  I mean, amazingly sweet, luscious strawberries are at the market for $0.97 a basket.  WOWEEE!

We’ve been eating them on our pancakes, over yogurt, drizzled with vinegar in green salads, and neat.  And today, a strawberry pie was my goal.

Yes, I know that most people don’t cook up the strawberries when they make strawberry pies.  Most of the recipes I’ve seen have been 1) Strawberry-rhubarb pies, 2) fresh strawberries piled in a pie shell and glazed, 3) gelatinous globs of jello in a pie shell, or something else.  I couldn’t for the life of me find a straight-up, cooked strawberry pie from a reputable source.  I don’t know why that is.  I agree that fresh strawberries are fantastic, but they’re so hard to eat when you stick them in a pie shell and then try to cut the pie into slices.  And honestly, I’d rather eat fresh strawberries sans the cornstarch-laced glaze.  If I have to eat cornstarch, I’d like it in a gooey berry-full pie filling, please.

Plus, I’ll take any excuse to make a lattice crust.  Isn’t there just something about a lattice crust that makes you think…pink gingham aprons, ruffled curtains, open windows, and a vintage ice cream truck pulling over in front of the house?  Anyone?

So here’s my version of an old-fashioned, straight up strawberry pie.  No rhubarb.  No jello.  Just delicious buttery pastry and juicy strawberry filling.

I have to say, I outdid myself on the crust this time.  It’s really flaky and flavorful.  I left larger chunks of butter this time before bringing the dough together with a bit of water, which helped a lot.  My strawberries were pretty ripe, so just 3/4 cup of light brown sugar was enough to make them sweet, but not too sweet.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Pie

Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, chilled and cubed
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ice water (or more)

Filling
5 cups strawberries
3/4 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a bowl place the flour, sugar, salt and cubes of chilled butter. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, until largest pieces are about pea-sized. Add ice water little by little while mixing dough. When dough holds together when you squeeze it, it’s ready. Gather into a ball. Divide into two equal balls, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge while making filling.

Wash, halve, and hull the strawberries. Mix with rest of filling ingredients and place aside in a bowl.

Roll out the bottom crust and place it in a pie pan, trimming it about 1 inch over the edge. Place pie pan in freezer while you roll out the top crust.

Roll out the second ball of dough, and cut it into strips with a sharp knife. Remove the pie pan from freezer, and pour the strawberry filling into bottom crust. Place or weave the strips of dough into a lattice on top of the filling and trim strips 1/2 inch over edge. Fold bottom crust over lattice strips and crimp.

Bake 15 minutes at 400F, then lower oven temp to 350F for another hour, or until crust is browned and filling is bubbling. If crust is browning too fast, cover edges with strips of foil.

Let cool and serve!

Ever since Chris’ work schedule got more busy, he hasn’t been able to be my photo go-to guy.  Which is kind of a bummer for me, because now I have to learn all about taking my own pictures and stuff like that.  Fortunately he’s very [...]]]>

Ever since Chris’ work schedule got more busy, he hasn’t been able to be my photo go-to guy.  Which is kind of a bummer for me, because now I have to learn all about taking my own pictures and stuff like that.  Fortunately he’s very patient at teaching me all the technical things, but it’s still frustrating because my pictures never turn out as well as his.  So, you might have noticed that the past few posts, the pictures haven’t been very good.  I haven’t figured out how to light food properly yet, and I’m impatient so I don’t bother to put the camera on the tripod so the pictures are blurry, etc…  Plus we’re living in a new apartment, so I haven’t completely figured out the best place to take pictures yet.  I’m learning, slowly.

The pictures on this post were taken by me and Chris, so no, I haven’t suddenly gotten good at photography, it’s really all him =p.

On the plus side, have you noticed how I’ve been frenetic with my posts lately?  Working from home means I’m cooking a lot more, which means I’m posting a lot more.  I’m almost a little embarrassed to be posting almost a recipe a day, but…oh well.  Just don’t expect it to keep up at this pace =).

This tart was really beautiful, but sadly, a bit lacking in the flavor department.  Which was a little disappointing, because Norman apple tart was one of the things I LOVED when I lived in France.  I only got to eat it when my friends’ moms would bring it to parties, and usually I only got a tiny sliver, but I still remember how delicious and apple-y it tasted.  Now, maybe it’s my apples.  I got them from a local apple farm, and the girl swore to me that these apples would not fall apart when baked, and they certainly did NOT fall apart.  In fact, they barely softened even after 40 minutes in the oven. No I don’t remember what they were called.

The recipe has promise, though.  A good Gala apple I think would MAKE this.  I think I’ll save it and try it again at a later date.  I LOVE frangipane (the almond filling) so I’m really hoping this tart succeeds better someday.

Strangely, it tasted much better the next day, after the flavors had developed a little bit.

Norman Apple Tart
Recipe adapted from here

Tart Shell
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
1 stick cold butter, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Frangipane Filling
1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup almond flour

3 to 4 medium apples, sliced thin
apricot jelly, for serving

1.  Make the tart shell.  Mix dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, salt), and rub butter in with your fingertips.  Add egg gradually while stirring with a fork.  With your hands, press together to form a mass of dough.  If dough is too crumbly, add a teaspoon of ice water at a time.  Form into a disk and chill in refrigerator.

2.  Make filling.  Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until uniform, fluffy, and pale yellow.  Gradually mix in the egg and egg yolk.  Add almond extract.  Add almond flour gradually while mixing, until incorporated.  Put in the fridge until needed.

3.  If you haven’t sliced your apples, do so now.  You may need to add a teensy bit of lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

4.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Roll out the tart shell and place inside a tart pan, pressing up sides.  Alternatively, skip the rolling and just press the dough into a tart pan.  Spread the frangipane inside the shell.  Fan the apples out over the tart, overlapping them closely.  Sprinkle with a bit of extra sugar, if desired.

5.  Bake the tart at 400 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 20 minutes, until apples are tender and tart is slightly browned.

6.  Cool and glaze with apricot jelly for serving, if desired.

I went to Trader Joe’s the other day hoping to score some of their humongous chewy oatmeal cookies that make me feel all cozy and fuzzy and that all’s well with the world.  Lo and behold, as luck would have it, they were ALL GONE. [...]]]>

I went to Trader Joe’s the other day hoping to score some of their humongous chewy oatmeal cookies that make me feel all cozy and fuzzy and that all’s well with the world.  Lo and behold, as luck would have it, they were ALL GONE.  All that were left were those chocolate chip cookies that may all be well and good, but nowhere near as appealing as those chunky, chewy, fatty, oatmeal cookies.

I had no choice but to make my own.  And of course, I turned to the tried and true, Smitten Kitchen.  Now, friends, in this day and age when food blogs are a dime a dozen (yes I’m aware this probably includes mine), I turn back to Smitten Kitchen again and again.  She just has such an admirable repertoire in her archives, I can always find something yummy.  And unlike many blogs which are all pizazz and pretty pictures but pack no punch (whoa I did it again!  Again, totally unintended alliteration, my dears), her recipes are always good.  Now, I’m not affiliated with Smitten Kitchen in ANY way, and I’m aware that this gushiness is a tad unseemly, but I do love checking her website to see what’s new.

So back to the cookies.  They were good.  Not as decadent as the Trader Joe’s ones, of course, lacking all that palm oil and homogenizers and whatever they put in there, but more wholesome and still really yummy.  I did not feel, like I do with many cookies, that globs of butter were clogging up my arteries as I ate them.  In fact, since I used whole wheat flour, and since fiber and oatmeal are supposed to slow the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream, perhaps the combo of whole wheat and oatmeal canceled out the stick of butter in those cookies?  (I’m just kidding – they probably didn’t…)

I’ll redirect you to Smitten Kitchen’s site if you’d like to make these chewy oatmeal cookies, and just so you know, you can totally use whole wheat flour, and they turn out just as good.  Hardly tell the difference.  Oh, and please use good plump juicy raisins.  They DO make a difference.

Smitten Kitchen’s Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Hello loyal readers!  Thank you for being patient with us as we traveled through East Asia and went through a major move from China back to the United States!  We have been in a whirlwind of events in the last few weeks – spending two [...]]]>

Hello loyal readers!  Thank you for being patient with us as we traveled through East Asia and went through a major move from China back to the United States!  We have been in a whirlwind of events in the last few weeks – spending two weeks in Japan, then a week in Hong Kong, and finally flying back to Southern California.  We’re back here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future, so you can expect a lot more cooking in the future now that I’ll have access to a real kitchen.

A post detailing the highlights of our trip to Japan is coming soon.  In the meantime, the apple tree at my parents-in-law’s house is bearing clusters of delicious, slightly tart fruit, and I had to make an apple pie to celebrate the season.  Yes, apple trees do grow in Southern California, though only certain types are adapted to the warmer climate here.

I’m amazed by the sheer variety of fresh produce that is available in Southern California.  I mean, not only is the food industry’s transportation system amazing, but there is just so much available locally and seasonally.   My in-laws’ have grapefruit ripening slowly on the tree, loads of lemons, persimmons soon to be ripening, not to mention the large numbers of apples.  Now THAT is local!  Straight from your own backyard!  That is something that as a Canadian living in a big city, I did not have the opportunity to enjoy, especially during the frigid winter months.

The crust was a tried-and-true recipe from this cherry pie that I made earlier this year, and the filling was somewhat adapted from this apple pie at SimplyRecipes, and turned out really well.  It’s hard to go wrong with tart apples, a bit of cinnamon, sugar, and allspice, baked until bubbling and juicy.

Apple Pie

Crust
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, chilled and cubed
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup ice water (or more)

Pie
3 lbs apples (I used about 5 good sized ones)
3/4 cup white sugar (or a mixture of white and brown)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp flour

Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a bowl place the flour, sugar, salt and cubes of chilled butter.  Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, until largest pieces are about pea-sized.  Add ice water little by little while mixing dough.  When dough holds together when you squeeze it, it’s ready.  Gather into a ball.  Divide into two equal balls, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge while making filling.

Peel and cut apples into chunks (I cubed mine to see how it would turn out, which made my pie kind of lumpy looking, so you might want to just slice them about 1/3 inch thick).  Toss with sugar, cinnamon, allspice, flour and vanilla.  Let sit while you roll out dough.

Take out one ball of dough and roll out into a 12-inch circle.  Fit into pie plate.  Mound pie shell with filling.  Take out the other ball of dough and roll into a slightly smaller circle.  Place over pie.  Fold edges over and crimp to seal.  Make a few slits in the top crust to let steam out.

Mix egg yolk with milk and brush over top crust of pie, but not the crimped edges.

Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.  Then lower temperature to 350 F and bake for another 30-40 minutes.  Pie is done when juices are bubbling and crust is browned.

I like to always have a cake around.

It’s so nice to have a not-too-sweet, everyday cake stashed in the pantry, perfect for afternoon cake and coffee, or for breakfast, or for a not-too-decadent dessert.  And a slice or two is great for feeding a couple [...]]]>

I like to always have a cake around.

It’s so nice to have a not-too-sweet, everyday cake stashed in the pantry, perfect for afternoon cake and coffee, or for breakfast, or for a not-too-decadent dessert.  And a slice or two is great for feeding a couple of friends who happen to drop by.  I love how you can mix up the batter for one of these simple cakes in just a few minutes, slide it into the oven, and tadaa!  Magic happens.  On a lazy Saturday afternoon, I love to bake a cake.

Stone fruits are coming into season, and when baked into a humble everyday cake, their sugars caramelize, their juices make them deliciously soft and (for lack of a better word) plummy, their acidity mellows and melts on your tongue, and they are just…mmm!

This cake takes nectarines, smoothing out their slightly sharp sweetness, and turning them into a treat the sorts of which you can rarely find  in a commercial bakery.  It’s just too humble, too uncomplicated, too special to come out of anywhere but your own kitchen.  It evokes sunny afternoons on the patio sipping ice tea and talking about nothing in particular.  It is truly, a golden cake.

You can make this entire cake by hand, with a good whisk, if your butter is adequately softened.  No need to get out an electric mixer – do it the old-fashioned way.  It’s more satisfying that way.

Nectarine Golden Cake
Gourmet Sept 2009

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
generous 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 almond extract
2 nectarines, pitted and sliced into wedges
Confectioner’s sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar by mixing vigorously with a whisk, until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla and almond extracts. Gently mix in the flour mixture to form a stiff yellow batter.

Spread the batter into a buttered cake pan (I used an 8-inch). Scatter the nectarine wedges over top. Bake for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown and a knife inserted into cake comes out pretty much clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes, run a knife around edges, then invert and re-invert onto a plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired, cut into wedges and serve.

Ever since I got married, I started cooking all this American food. I mean, I grew up on Chinese food, stir-fries and rice every day, so pies ain’t exactly on my usual repertoire. Plus I’m Canadian. You know, we eat poutine and [...]]]>

Ever since I got married, I started cooking all this American food. I mean, I grew up on Chinese food, stir-fries and rice every day, so pies ain’t exactly on my usual repertoire. Plus I’m Canadian. You know, we eat poutine and Montreal Smoked Meat and Beavertails and maple syrup and whatnot. Sometimes I worry that I’m becoming co-opted by my country’s powerful neighbor, my husband’s country, and that I am losing my national identity. Just the other day, one of my Chinese oral English students came up to me and said, “You don’t sound Canadian; your accent is so American!” Er…uh…um…I don’t sound American, Americans just sound Canadian! So there!

Few things say American like cherry pie. Well, ‘cept maybe apple pie. But cherry pie is definitely high up there on the list of American symbols. At least, so I’ve been told. I don’t really care what it’s a symbol of – as long as the filling is sweet and tart and luscious, and the crust is flaky and buttery and addictive. And oh…this pie delivers on both counts. It is cherry season, folks, and a pie is the perfect vehicle for loads of those sweet succulent berries.

I have to tell you, I don’t like using cornstarch to thicken pie filling. I had to in this case because it was the only thing I had, but if I’d had any, I would have used instant tapioca, pulverized in a food processor, and you might want to as well. Other than that, this recipe is really simple and good. The crust, especially, is incredibly buttery and flaky. So buttery that it’s difficult to work with, and the edges of my pie practically fell off rather than got trimmed off (that’s why the edges are so “rustic” and uneven). You may have to put the dough in the fridge for a few minutes while rolling it out to ensure it doesn’t get too soft. I definitely had to chill the dough before cutting the strips for the lattice so they wouldn’t fall apart as I wove them.

Enjoy cherry season, and cherry pie, friends. And not that I would know anything about holidays south of the border, but methinks this might be a good pie to bring to a certain holiday coming up on the fourth of July? Or Canada Day on July 1st.  Eh?

Classic Cherry Pie
Adapted from Epicurious

The lemon juice in this recipe gives sweet cherries a nice tartness and complexity. If using tart cherries, reduce amount of lemon juice to one teaspoon.

Flaky Piecrust
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
5 tbsp ice water (or more)

Filling
5 cups pitted cherries (2lbs unpitted)
¾ cup sugar (use 1 cup if using tart cherries), plus extra for sprinkling
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp cornstarch or instant tapioca
3 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 tbsp milk

1. Prepare the crust. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter cubes and rub in with your fingertips until the biggest pieces are about pea-sized (or use a pastry cutter to do the same thing). Add a tablespoonful of ice water at a time, stirring the mixture with a fork. Dough should stick together if pressed. Gather the dough together to form two balls. Flatten them into discs and place in the refrigerator to chill for ½ hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425 F. For the filling, mix together the cornstarch/tapioca, sugar and salt. Stir into cherries along with lemon juice and extracts.

3. Assemble the pie. Roll out one of the dough discs into a 12-inch circle. Lay into the bottom of a pie plate and press gently into corners. Trim edges, leaving an overhang of ½ inch. Roll out the other disk into a 12-inch circle and cut into strips. Pour filling into pie shell and dot with butter. Place strips of dough over filling to form lattice, lifting up alternating strips to form a weave. Trim strips of dough to a ½ inch overhang as well. Fold up remaining dough on the edges, and crimp or flute the pie edge to seal. Brush the lattice with milk (but not the edges of the pie or they will brown too much).

4. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Then lower the heat to 375 F and bake for another hour, until crust is browned and filling is bubbling and thickened. If the pie is browning too quickly, place aluminum foil loosely over pie as it bakes.

5. When pie is done, let cool completely before serving.

I’ve never been a bread pudding girl. I still remember when I made one for the first time, when I was about 13 years old, from one of those spiral bound “My First Cookbook” type things. It was a plain bread pudding with [...]]]>

I’ve never been a bread pudding girl. I still remember when I made one for the first time, when I was about 13 years old, from one of those spiral bound “My First Cookbook” type things. It was a plain bread pudding with slices of white bread soaked in the eggy custard. And I remember being bitterly disappointed. For some reason, I had expected the custard to be loose and creamy, like those Jell-O puddings you buy in cups in the store! The slightly firm custard of the bread pudding didn’t seem like much of a pudding to me.

Since then, my tastes have grown up a little bit (thankfully!), but I’ve still never really been drawn to bread pudding. I guess in my mind, I thought, “Been there, done that.”

When finally this morning I was looking for something to use up my stock of dried cherries, and all the recipes on Epicurious that used dried cherries seemed to be bread puddings! So I choose what seemed a likely one, a cinnamon-raisin bread pudding with apples, added my dried cherries to the mix, and tadaa!

It was surprisingly good, actually. The apples are a nice counterpoint to the creamy custard, cutting the richness a little bit. Next time, I’ll add some cinnamon to give it more of a jolt. And I think the cherries work well with the apples, though next time I’ll be sure to use sour cherries instead of sweet to give a little more complexity to this sweet dish.

So, the bread pudding was a qualified success. The few little changes I mentioned might put it over the top and make it really delicious, but as is, it was pretty good.

Apple and Dried Cherry Bread Pudding
Adapted from Gourmet 2005

2 Gala apples, peeled and chopped
8 slices cinnamon raisin bread
½ cup dried unsweetened cherries
3 cups half-and-half (or 1 ½ cups each of milk and whipping cream)
½ cup and 3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 F and butter two pie plates or one 9×13” dish.

Toss the apples with the 3 tbsp sugar and cook in a saucepan over med-low heat until golden and just tender (10-15 min).

Cut bread into 1.5 inch squares and toast in oven until browned and crisp.

Mix together the half-and-half (or cream and milk), vanilla, eggs, ½ cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.

Toss together the bread and apples and arrange in the pie plates or baking dish. Sprinkle with dried cherries. Pour custard mixture over the bread mixture and let sit for 15-20 minutes, pressing on bread every so often to help submerge it.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until custard is set around sides but still a little jiggly in the middle. Let cool (custard will continue to set as it sits) and serve.

It’s been a while since I made this cake for Chris’ birthday about a month ago, and the pictures have been sitting around on the computer while I got busy with other things, such as cooking live shrimp and making this olive [...]]]>

It’s been a while since I made this cake for Chris’ birthday about a month ago, and the pictures have been sitting around on the computer while I got busy with other things, such as cooking live shrimp and making this olive bread.  But as it is pouring today and I have no excuse to procrastinate any longer, I thought I’d share my go-to chocolate cake recipe with you all.

This chocolate cake is simple, easy to make, and bakes into two delightfully moist, chocolatey layers that are not too sweet and quite possibly the best chocolate cake EVER!  And guess what?  It comes from the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa Powder box.  I kid you not.  But hey, that recipe has been on that box for ages, and you know why?  Cause it’s a classic, that’s why.

The secret to the dark moist chocolate layers is, in my opinion, “blooming” the cocoa powder in boiling water.  This seems to release the intense flavors of the chocolate and makes the texture of the cake silky and moist.  Basically, you mix together all the components of the cake, then stir in boiling water at the end and pour the runny batter into two 8-inch round cake pans.

I iced the cake with the accompanying “Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting”, which is an easy version of buttercream that uses melted butter, making it easy to mix by hand.  However, I found that the frosting hardened a little too quickly and I would have liked it to be creamier.  Next time I might make a ganache frosting with melted chocolate and heavy cream, like this one from David Lebovitz.

I pressed some chopped pistachios onto the sides of the cake after it was iced.

Click here to find the recipe for Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake and Frosting.

I was craving some cake the other day. I had a bunch of apples, so why not make apple cake? My usual cinnamon apple cake is really good, but I was in the mood for something new. I decided to try this [...]]]>

I was craving some cake the other day. I had a bunch of apples, so why not make apple cake? My usual cinnamon apple cake is really good, but I was in the mood for something new. I decided to try this “Swedish Apple Cake” recipe from Dorie Greenspan that I had been eyeing for a while.

First of all, this cake is incredibly easy. Yes, it uses a lot of butter, but there’s no creaming it with the sugar or any other elbow work that I try to avoid as much as possible since I don’t have an electric mixer (well, I do have one, but not here in China). You just melt the butter, beat it into the eggs and sugar, and then add a small amount of flour and baking powder. Then you can top it with whatever you like – I used apple slices, but you could drop some tart cherries on top, or some sliced almonds, and you could dust it with confectioner’s sugar, whatever!

The texture of this cake is really interesting. In fact, if I had to use a word to describe it, I would say it’s a bit like a gooey cookie. And not in a bad way at all. It’s buttery and a little crispy around the edges. Or you could say it’s a bit like a tart – the edges crisp up and brown, forming something like a crust, while the inner part with the apples in it stays moist and rich.

Either way, this is definitely a cake for afternoon tea or dessert, but probably not for breakfast. I mean, okay, I DID have it for breakfast, but it’s really too sweet and rich for you to eat a whole lot of. Not that that stopped me.

Dorie Greenspan’s Swedish Apple Cake
From Serious Eats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 extra-large egg or 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled (you should have about ½ cup of melted butter)
1 to 1 1/2 apples, peeled and sliced
Apple or apricot jam, for glazing the cake

Preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C (though I ended up reducing the heat by about 25F because my oven runs quite hot).

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

In another bowl, beat the egg, the vanilla and the sugar until pale and smooth. Add the cooled melted butter and beat until smooth and shiny. Add the flour mixture, and mix with a spatula until everything is well incorporated.

Scrape into a buttered 9-inch pie dish, cake pan, oven-proof skillet, or whatever. Top with apple slices.

Bake about 35-40 minutes until top is nice and browned and apples are tender.

Heat a bit of apple or apricot jam in a saucepan until liquid (if needed add a bit of water), and brush the glaze over the cake.

For best results, serve while warm.

Summer comes early in our little town in Southern China, and right now in early March it’s already strawberry season. One of the joys of living seasonally is anticipating the various fruit seasons, enjoying the fruit to the utmost while it’s in [...]]]>

Summer comes early in our little town in Southern China, and right now in early March it’s already strawberry season. One of the joys of living seasonally is anticipating the various fruit seasons, enjoying the fruit to the utmost while it’s in season (and perhaps canning some for the months to come), and then looking forward to the next seasonal fruit. Strawberries will only be around for about a month, and the brevity of this season makes them all the more delicious. No woody, grassy-tasting strawberries for me in November – no thanks – I’d rather have the best tasting, melt-in-your mouth berries for a few weeks than have less than the best all year.

This is the first time I’ve made strawberry shortcake, and I gotta tell ya – this recipe’s a keeper! Cobbled together from an Epicurious recipe and a few others from around the web, this dessert couples meltingly sweet, ripe strawberries with a lemony buttermilk biscuit and fluffy whipped cream. It’s got the perfect blend of crispness from the biscuit and lusciousness from the macerated strawberries. And I love, love, LOVE the contrast of the lemon zest and the strawberries.

PLEASE don’t use strawberries that are anything less than ripe. This recipe is basically a strawberry delivery system, and if the star ingredient isn’t up to par, it falls flat.

Lemony Strawberry Shortcakes
loosely adapted from Epicurious
Serves 6

Sweet Lemon Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
½ tsp salt
½ tbsp grated lemon zest
2/3 cup buttermilk, well shaken, plus extra

Strawberries
2 pounds ripe strawberries, washed and hulled
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Whipped Cream
1 cup chilled whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the lemon zest and buttermilk. Fold gently into dry ingredients until incorporated.

Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat (with floured hands) into a circle about 1.5 inches thick. Cut dough into 6 wedges and transfer to baking sheet.

Brush wedges with extra buttermilk and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into middle of biscuits comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cut the strawberries into quarters (or halves if they’re small), and mix with the sugar and lemon juice. Let macerate for about 15 minutes.

Beat the whipping cream with the sugar until it forms soft peaks.

When biscuits are done, let them cool about 5 minutes, then cut them in half. Pile with strawberries and whipped cream, and serve immediately.

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