Mini Wild Blackberry Tarts

We have several Blackberry bushes in our backyard, and the berries are beginning to taking shape.  I created this  dish last year to enjoy the bounty. This is delicious! (Even if I do say so myself, and Oh so worth the efforts of your labor).

Pie Crust:

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter, Chilled & Cut in Pieces

1/4 Cup Ice Water

In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, combine flour, salt and sugar. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add ice water and process just until it starts to come together. (Do not over mix!!)  Scoop dough together with your hands to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Roll dough out to desired size. Bake at 375 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. (I like to use a 10 inch tart pan for this pie or individuals).

Pastry Cream:

from: Joy of Baking

1 1/4 Cups Milk

1/2 Vanilla Bean, split

3 Large Egg Yolks

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/8 Cup Flour

3 Scant Tbsp. Cornstarch

3/4 Tbsp. Liqueur (Grand Marnier, Brandy or Kirsch) (Optional)

Pastry Cream Directions:

In a medium sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together with a wooden spoon. (Do not let mixture sit too long, or you will get pieces of egg forming). Sift the flour and cornstarch together and add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan heat the milk and split vanilla bean on medium heat until boiling. (The milk will foam to the top of the pan when done, so watch carefully). Remove from heat and add slowly to the egg mixture whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (if you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer). Remove vanilla bean and scrape out seeds and add to the egg mixture.  Place the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until  boiling, whisking constantly. When mixture comes to a boil, whisking constantly, for another 30-60 seconds, until it becomes very thick and hard to stir. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in liqueur (if using). Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool. If not using right away, refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Beat before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.

Blackberries:

2 (10 oz.) Frozen Blackberries (or use fresh if available)

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

3 – 4 Tbsp. Cornstarch

1/3 Cup Cold Water

1 pkg. Fresh Blackberries

Blackberries Direction:

In a medium sauce pan combine blackberries with the sugar and cook on medium heat until boiling. Turn heat down and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain blackberries, reserving juice and process the blackberries left in the pan in a food processor. Combine the blackberry puree with the reserved juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water mixing thoroughly. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the berries, stirring constantly until it thickens into a smooth puree sauce. Cool mixture completely; set aside.

Assemble Tart. Garnish with fresh Blackberries.  Serves: 8-10

For this one, we added a little more pastry cream and just spooned the thickened puree over the tart and added some blackberry ice cream!! YUM!!

Blackberry Ice Cream

2 10 oz. pkgs. Blackberries

3/4 Cup Sugar

In a medium saucepan combine the blackberries and the sugar, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until nice and syrupy. Strain the berries, reserving the liquid putting the solids in a food processor and processing until you have a puree. Combine the liquid and the puree in a bowl and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat:

1 1/2 Cups Half & Half

1 Vanilla bean, split

1 Cup of sugar

Cook on medium heat until milk is hot. Meanwhile in a 2 cup glass measuring cup, place

6 Egg yolks

Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until light and slightly thickened.

Take 1 cup of the half and half mixture, and stirring constantly, slowly add to the egg yolks.  Add the egg yolk mixture back into the sauce pan, and continue cooking, stirring constantly until just about boiling. The mixture should just coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool. (Remove the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream mixture). Add 1 1/2 Cups of heavy whipping cream and the blackberry puree mixture.  Stir well and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Pour the mixture into your ice cream container, and follow manufactures directions.  Yield: 2 quarts.

Strawberry Fraisier

Recently I ran across several Strawberry Fraisier recipes. They looked so absolutely delicious, it was hard to choose. And then I ran across this site.  This is so visually beautiful and inspiring I just had to try it.  I ran into a few snags though. One, you should always check to make sure that your ring mold (or whatever your using) is the right size. (Yes, I do know better, but I did it anyways!)  I baked the cake part of it and then went and got my ring mold pan. Oh, how I was disappointed. I had baked the wrong size cake!  (It made it hard to put this together), but I forged on anyways.

Now, not only did I use the wrong size cake pan, but again, not listening to my inner self (lalala I can’t hear you) I could have salvaged the screwup that I made. Like I could have put it together and then put it in the freezer to let it firm up, and then unmold it. But no, I was pressed for time, and un-molded that cake before I should have. Alas, my filling wanted to spread out, and I had to scramble to save it from total collapse! And, guess what, I had to refrigerate it anyways for it to firm up!

Here is the results. obviously, not as pretty as made by Food Lover’s Odyssesy! But the taste! I believe I at least got the taste right because it was delicious!! I will make this again, only I will make sure that I have the right size mold to put it together with.

This was so good! All those that tasted it was full of Ohhh’s and Awww’s and WOW’S.

By: Food Lover’s Odyssesy

To make the Fraisier, you will need:

One 9-inch Meyer Lemon Génoise cake, sliced in half

About 1/2 cup Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup (recipe below)

About 3 cups Crème Mousseline (recipe below)

About 2 pounds (1 kg) fresh strawberries, stemmed and hulled

Fraisier with Meyer Lemon Genoise and Creme Mousseline

For the Meyer Lemon Génoise:

1 cup (125 g) cake flour

2 tablespoons (25 g) butter, melted

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (130 g) granulated sugar

3 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)

Preheat and oven to 350ºF, lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan

Sift the cake flour; set aside.  Melt the butter; set aside.

Heat eggs and sugar over a double boiler with simmering water.  Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 122ºF (50 C), about 7 minutes.  Once the mixture is heated beat the mixture to ribbons, preferably using a stand mixer. (You can use a handheld mixer or whisk by hand, but it will take a lot longer.)  The mixture is at the “ribbon stage” when you pull the batter up with the beater and it stays atop the rest of the mixture, forming a ribbon-like effect.  It will take about 8 minutes for the mixture to reach this stage using a stand mixer, about double the time using a handheld.

Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the melted butter to lighten the butter.  Add the lemon zest to the egg/butter mixture.  Fold the egg/butter mixture back into the rest of the egg mixture.  Sift 1/3 of the cake flour onto the egg mixture, then gently but quickly fold together.  Repeat in thirds until the flour has been incorporated.  Gently pour the batter into the cake pan and bake about 17 minutes, or until you insert a knife in the center, and it comes out with a few moist flakes of cake.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the cake pan.  Let cool completely.  (If a mound has formed on the top of the cake, slice it off to make an even and flat top.) Slice the cake into two halves.

*How you fold the mixture together is crucial to the success of a light and spongy génoise.  You want to evenly incorporate the flour into the egg mixture while not deflating the aerated eggs.  It’s important that you’re quick and gentle at the same time, cutting the spatula down toward the center, lifting the batter from the bottom of the bowl, and turning the bowl with your other hand towards the hand that’s folding.

Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup:

1/3 cup (70 g) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (70 ml) water

4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Bring to a boil the sugar and water.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Add the lemon juice and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

For the Crème Mousseline:

2 1/4 cups (600 ml) whole milk

6 (120 g) egg yolks

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, divided in half

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (50 g) cornstarch

1 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (300 g) butter, room temperature, divided in half

Scald the milk and half the sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium high heat.

While the milk and sugar are heating, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar and cornstarch until the mixture becomes pale in color.

Once the milk is scalded, bubbling at the edges, slowly pour about 1/4 of it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking until combined.  Continue adding the milk in fourths until all has been whisked together.  Check the bottom of your saucepan.  If there is any scorched milk or film, use another heavy bottom saucepan; otherwise, pour the mixture back into the pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring vigorously and constantly.  Once the mixture boils, continue stirring vigorously over the heat for about 30 seconds more.  Remove from the heat continuing to stir until the steam dissipates.  Press through a sieve for a smooth cream.  Dot the cream with half of the butter in tablespoon-sized chunks.  Let the butter melt, then stir in.  Cool over an ice bath for 10 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap.  The plastic should come in direct contact with the cream, so a film doesn’t develop.  Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.

With a spoon, mix the remaining butter until it’s a soft consistency.  Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator.  In a stand mixer, stir until it’s soft.  Add 1/4 of the softened butter at a time and combine before adding the next 1/4 of the butter.  Place in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip that is 1/2-inch in diameter.

Place one sliced half of the génoise cake into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.  Using a pastry brush, brush about half of the simple syrup onto the top of the cake. (You know you have enough syrup in the cake if you press down on the cake and hear a “squish,” like that of a full sponge.)

Slice 12-15 of the strawberries in half.  They should be the same height.  Place the strawberries on top of the cake in a ring with the sliced half of the strawberries against the side of the spring form pan.

Pipe a ring “escargot” of crème mousseline onto the top of the cake.  Pipe more crème mousseline in a line upwards between each strawberry.  Using a flat metal spatula, spread the crème out so that any air pockets are filled.

Quarter the remaining strawberries and place them on top of the layer of crème mousseline.  Fill it full with strawberries.

Pipe another ring in the form of an “escargot” on top of the strawberries.  Smooth out with a flat metal spatula.

Brush the remaining simple syrup onto the other sliced half of the génoise cake.  Place this slice on top of the crème mousseline layer in the spring form pan.  (Be careful because the cake is filled with the simple syrup and extra delicate.)  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and pipe a thin layer, about 1/4-inch thick, of crème mousseline on top of the Fraisier.  Decorate with strawberries.  Serve.

*The Fraisier will keep up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Tuxedo Cake

A three layer, chocolate cake. With a whipped Cream Frosting and a chocolate glaze you pour over the cake sending streaks of chocolate running down the side.  Yummm! Here’s how you make it!

Tuxedo Cake

From: The Baking Pan

Cake:

Small amount of vegetable shortening and flour for preparing pans

4 Cups Granulated Sugar

1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

4 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tbsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla

1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil

2 Cups Water

4 Large Eggs

Whipped Cream Filling & Frosting:

4 Cups Chilled Heavy Whipping Cream

1 1/4 Cup Confectioner’s (Powdered)  Sugar

1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla

Chocolate Glaze:

4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 Cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup

2 tsp. Pure Vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare three 9 inch round cake pans; line with parchment paper and lightly grease the pans with shortening, and dust with flour; tap excess flour out.   In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt; whisk  together to mix. Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla, set aside.  In a heavy saucepan combine butter, oil and water. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

Pour the butter mixture into the sugar mixture. Using an electric mixer on low speed, or a wire whisk, stir or whisk until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.  Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the eggs, and than add the eggs to the batter, stirring until thoroughly combined. Add the buttermilk mixture, stir until combined.   Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a long toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on wire cooling racks to cool for 10-15  minutes then remove the cakes from the pans and replace on the cooling racks to cool completely.  Cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Cream Filling & Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating until thick and stiff.  Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Using an offset spatula, thickly spread some of the whipped topping over the top. Repeat with remaining cake layers, coating the top of each with the whipped cream and then covering the top and sides. Spread the cream as smooth as possible over the tops and side.  Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour to stabilize the whipped cream before glazing.

Chocolate Glaze:

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium size bowl.  Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan, just until mixture hot and just starts to steam.  Remove from heat and pour over chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is completely  melted.   Add Lyle’s syrup and vanilla, stirring until well blended.  Pour the mixture into a liquid measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. Do not let the glaze set for longer than 10 minutes because it will thicken and become difficult to pour over the cake.

Slowly pour the glazed over the cake.   Cover the top of the cake entirely, letting some of the glaze dribble over the sides of the cake.  Refrigerate the cake until glaze is set.  Makes 8 – 10 servings.

Verdict:  Absoutely Delicious!! It will be requested over and over, and over and over!! It will become your favorite requested cake!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Bouquets for Mother’s Day

This weekend, my beautiful nieces came over on Saturday to create something for their Mother for Mother’s Day.  We baked, cooked, cut, shaped, molded, dipped, twisted, poured, split and built our Mother’s Day presents.   The Grand kids had a blast helping and making their mom a present too.  We all agreed that we would do this project again.  This was time consuming, and it was a trial by error, but the end results were worth all the fuss we made.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Vases

Materials needed:

Large Strawberries

Good Quality Chocolate

Wooden Skewers (Or heavy gauged Floral Wire Sticks)

Green Floral Tape

Red & Green Grapes

Plastic (or real) Greenery

Plastic (or real) Roses, assorted colors

1 Glass Vase

1 Roll of Ribbon, to tie around the vases and make a bow

Wash strawberries, and dry completely. (It is really important to make sure strawberries are completely dry. Any water on the strawberries will make the chocolate seize).  Thread Red and Green Grapes (We put 5 on each stick. Six if they were small grapes) on to the heavy floral sticks and refrigerate until needed.  Melt Chocolate (we used Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate) in the top of a double boiler, set over a pan of simmering water.  Add 2 Tbsp. (we used 36 oz. chocolate, dipping 48 strawberries for a dozen in each vase we made) of Vegetable Oil, and stir chocolate until chocolate is completely melted and the chocolate is smooth with no lumps remaining.  Thread Strawberries onto skewers and dip in chocolate. Swirl skewers to remove excess chocolate and stick the skewers into Styrofoam to set. (We used a salad spinner basket for this, using the slots in the basket of it to hold up the skewers, and it worked really well). In the meantime, while the strawberries are drying, put your greenery, roses (or any flowers you might like) in the vase.  If you were unable to find heavy duty floral sticks, you will need to wrap 2 skewers together (that’s what we had to do) with the green floral tape. Add the strawberries and grape sticks. Tie a ribbon around the vase, and their ready for gift giving.  Give to recipient as soon as possible. Strawberries need to be eaten within 48 hours. They will weep if they sit too long. My niece’s added a nice touch and added colored sand and colored glass stones to their vases.  We bought all supplies at Michaels Arts & Crafts.

The vases turned out beautiful and all Mom’s receiving these were very very happy.  I had a Great Mother’s Day. I hope you did too.  Happy Mother’s Day to All Mother’s I hope you all know just how much you are loved and appreciated.  Tomorrow, I will post the Tuxedo Cake we made for Mother’s Day for my sister. It’s a beautiful cake and tastes as good as it looks!

My O’ My Blackberry Pie!

This is my favorite fruit!  We have blackberry bushes in our backyard, but they’re going to be a few months longer! Last year, I picked every possible berry that I could, (less what I shared with the birds, and they were not happy when it was my turn to take some berries. They sat up in the trees and squawked at me the whole time I was out there. I had to dress to pick those berries, I’m sure the neighbors thought I had gone mad, out there in long sleeve sweatshirt and long pants, fully geared with socks, shoes and a big bowl  in the middle of  June/July picking those berries. They were worth every bit of discomfort I felt from the thorns and the heat of my endeavor. I picked enough to almost last us through the winter going out there every 3 days. I made sure I didn’t miss any too. I guess I really can’t blame those birds for squawking at me. This year, I plan on going berry picking at one of those u-pick farms.  I just can’t seem to get enough blackberries to sate my culinary obsession!    Anybody else out there have a berry obsession where you just can’t seem to get enough?  Maybe we can go to rehab together for wayward crazed blackberry pickers!

Now, I don’t recall ever having a blackberry pie when I was a kid, or an adult for that matter until now.  This pie was really good, and I had to send 1/2 of it over to my mother and father in law to keep me from eating the whole damn pie.  Will I make it again?  You bet!!

For the most flakiest, tastiest pie crust go here

Blackberry Pie

8 Cups Blackberries, rinsed and patted dry

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

2 Cups Sugar

5 Heaping Tablespoons Cornstarch

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Pinch of Nutmeg

Pinch of Salt

2 Tablespoons Butter, cut into little pieces

1 Tablespoon Milk

Coarse Sugar

Combine blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and let set while you make your pie crust.  Add remaining ingredients and stir gently till well mixed. Pour into pie shell.  Dot with butter. Cover with top crust.

With a pastry brush, paint the surface of pie with milk, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 375 degrees and bake for another 30-40 minutes.  Cover the top with foil if it begins to brown too much.  Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Notes: The pie crust I have the link to, is enough for a two crust pie.  With this many berries in the mixture, you’ll want a deep dish pie plate.