Chocolate Chip
Cookies are made with butter and a combination of white and brown
sugars which produces a rich and chewy cookie with caramelized edges.
more
This Pound Cake is
wonderfully rich and buttery with a lovely golden brown crust.
more
Peanut Butter Balls have a
lovely coating of chocolate with a smooth and creamy filling that is
almost fudge-like in texture. more
Spring
is the season we look forward to as we can't wait to shake
off the cold and dreariness of winter and start venturing
outside again. No wonder it is called the season of rebirth
as we only have to look outside our doors to see nature
coming back to life.
Spring may bring
changes in the weather but there are still times when we
don't know whether we should bake a Pudding or make Ice Cream? If the weather is
still a little cold than you will probably opt for a rich pudding;
whether that is a bread pudding
where chunks of flavorful bread are soaked in a rich custard
or the kid friendly
rice, banana, chocolate or
butterscotch pudding.
There are two fruits
that we attach to Spring; strawberries and
rhubarb. Strawberries
have long been associated with Spring and rebirth and this
is because they
are one of the first fruits of the season. Although they are
available year round, they are especially flavorful this
time of year when their color is deep ruby red and they have
no white shoulders.
When choosing strawberries look for fragrant, plump,
firm, uniformly sized, bright-red berries with no white or
green "shoulders" at the stem end. The green leaf-like cap
or hull should still be attached and not brown or wilted. There should be no soft spots, bruising or mildew. Always
check the underside of the container to make sure there are
no squashed berries or red juice (sign of overripe berries).
Field grown rhubarb is the other
fruit (although technically a vegetable) available this time of year
and its bright rosy red and green tinged stalks with green
leaves have a very pronounced tart flavor. When buying
rhubarb looks for crisp and firm stalks that have a nice bright color and are
free from blemishes and cuts. The leaves, if still attached, should be fresh
looking, not wilted. Rhubarb can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for a few
days before using. Stalks will become soft if stored too long. Remove
any tough and stringy fibers and brown spots before using.
Fruits that
have the same harvest time often go well together and this
rule applies for strawberries and rhubarb. The tartness of the rhubarb is balanced perfectly
by the sweetness of the strawberries. One recipe that
showcases this pairing so well is individual
Strawberry Rhubarb Tarts.
Also, check out the Strawberry Page
which has
many nice recipes you might want to try. If
the weather is warm, try the Pavlova
which is a combination of sweet meringue, cream, and fruit
or the Strawberry Meringue Cake
which is a blend of sponge cake, meringue, cream, and
strawberries. For breakfast, strawberries make a nice filling for the
Berry Pancake, and
are delicious in the
Strawberry Bread. Another favorite of mine is the
Strawberry
Banana Muffins which make a convenient on-the-go
breakfast food.
Ganache is a French term
referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream.
more
Everyone loves the
elegance of a fruit tart with its topping of beautiful fresh fruit.
Whether you use a single fruit (like strawberries) or a medley of
berries, sliced kiwi, plums, bananas, pineapple, and/or melon no one
can resist its beauty. more
Coconut Macaroons have a
wonderfully sweet coconut flavor with a crisp exterior and a soft and
chewy texture. more
Lemon curd is a thick,
soft and creamy, spreadable cream that has a wonderful tart yet
sweet flavor. Traditionally it was used as a spread for scones but
today we also use it to fill our tarts, pies, cakes, and as part of
a trifle. more
This meringue cake, with its
unusual soft sweet marshmallow center and crisp crust is produced by
folding a little vinegar and cornstarch into stiffly beaten egg whites. more
Cream Scones have a
lovely crisp crust with a rich buttery flavor and light and fluffy
texture. They are delicious cut in half and served with Devonshire
Cream and either jam or lemon curd. more
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