Author Archives: baxterandmain

strawberry tartlets

Posted in dessert, fruit, gluten free by

Sadly, strawberry season is over in these parts, though fortunately I picked enough strawberries a few weekends ago that I will have plenty to bake with in the coming months.  Thank goodness for freezers!

strawberries

Months ago I purchase some adorable little tartlet pans but had not yet used them for anything so I decided to amend the situation this past weekend.  I also have been meaning to experiment more with gluten-free baking since it intrigues me and I have many gluten-free flours in my pantry, so when I found a pate sucre (sweet crust) recipe from my La Tartine Gourmande cookbook I was inspired to marry it with some freshly picked strawberries in said tartlet pans.

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 The recipe called for sweet white rice flour which I have plenty of but also quinoa flour which I did not have.  I found it in a local health food store but it was crazy expensive but since I always have actual quinoa in my pantry I decided to go DIY and grind it into flour myself.  Many websites advised toasting the quinoa before grinding it into flour I ignored that and just ground it down using my coffee grinder.  I was a bit nervous how it would turn out because quinoa can sometimes be a little bitter but in this particular recipe there was enough else going on (namely confectioners’ sugar) that it turned out fine.  Next time I may try to toast the quinoa before grinding, however, and I will let you know if it’s worth it or not.

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This dough had to be refrigerated for a few hours and then brought to room temperature before being rolled out.  Upon rolling the dough out I used a biscuit cutter to get it into shapes that fit neatly into the tartlet pans but neatness is definitely not required here.  You could pat the dough into the pans in any manner you choose and it will still turn out fine, I was just being fancy.  I pre-baked the tartlet crusts so put parchment paper into each tartlet pan and then weighted that with dried beans.  Apparently you can buy pie weights but I don’t see the point since dried beans or rice work just as well and I always have them on hand.  (Save them and use them as intended, just let them cool after their stint as pie weights and put them back with the rest of the beans or rice.)

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I did research for the strawberry filling but wound up shooting from the hip since a lot of what I was finding seemed more complicated than it needed to be.  I wanted to keep it simple with strawberries as the main star.  The one (simple but) slightly fancy thing I did was to use the seeds from half of a vanilla bean pod to scent/flavor the sugar I used to macerate the strawberries.  It’s so easy to do but makes the dish more luxurious.

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Sprinkle the vanilla-infused sugar on top of sliced strawberries and let the berries macerate for about an hour.

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Then pour the berries into the pre-baked tartlet shells and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more in the oven to let the strawberries roast a little bit.

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The tartlets are best served warm from the oven, and if you wanted to serve them with a little ice cream, whipped cream, or even a dollop of mascarpone cheese I would say that you and I should be friends.

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Strawberry Tartlets

Pate Sucre (Sweet Crust) (from “La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for an Inspired Life” by Beatrice Peltre)

  • ½ cup white rice flour
  • 1/3 cup quinoa flour
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced
  • 1 small egg

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle blade, combine the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, and confectioners’ sugar.  Work on medium speed to obtain a fine mixture.  Add the butter and work again until crumbles form.  Add the egg and work until the dough detaches from the bowl and forms a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.  Bring to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes, when the crust doesn’t feel hard).

Using gluten-free dough, generously dust work surface and rolling pin.  Roll out room-temperature dough to circle slightly larger than 10-inch tart pan.  If you are using tartlet pans as I did, the shape of the rolled-out dough doesn’t matter so much as you will be fitting it into smaller pans.  I used a floured biscuit cutter to portion out dough for the tartlet pans but use whatever method you feel is best.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Once you have rolled out the dough and pressed it into the tart mold(s), cover it with a piece of parchment paper, and top it with pie weights (dry rice or beans work too).  Bake the crust for 10 or 15 minutes, until light brown.

Strawberry Filling:

  • 3 cups washed, hulled, and sliced strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ vanilla bean pod

Slice vanilla bean pod in half and set half away for use at a later time.  Scrape the seeds out of the half you are using into a small bowl.  Pour sugar into the same bowl and use clean fingers to rub the vanilla seeds into the sugar.

Place sliced strawberries into medium-sized bowl.  Sprinkle vanilla sugar mixture over the top and let berries macerate for about an hour.

After berries have macerated, pour into pre-baked tart shells and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes in preheated 350 degree F oven.  Enjoy tartlets warm with a dollop of ice cream, whip cream, or mascarpone cheese.

strawberry ice cream

Posted in dessert, ice cream by

I went strawberry picking!  It was humid and sticky and then I got rained on in the midst of it, but I managed to pick 6 pounds of beautiful berries two Sundays ago.

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It’s so nice to see strawberries that are the shape and size strawberries are supposed to be, not those giant things you sometimes find in the grocery store.  I’m going to make it my mission to pick as much fresh fruit in-season this summer as I possibly can.  Next up: raspberries.  But until then, here is THE BEST strawberry ice cream recipe I have ever tasted.

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I’ve been on an ice-cream-making kick lately so it didn’t take me long to decide what I wanted to do with some of the berries when I got home.  This recipe from the Humphry Slocombe guys is especially easy as it does not involved egg yolks and therefore does not need to be cooked over the stove to thicken the batter before mixing in your ice cream mixer.  You simply puree up some strawberries and then mix the puree with heavy cream, sweetened condense milk, a little sugar, a little salt, and a touch of balsamic vinegar.  (Trust me, it works.)

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It makes the creamiest ice cream you ever did have.  If you don’t have an ice cream maker, I highly suggest you run out to purchase one right now and then make this the first thing you create in it.  So simple and so delicious.

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Here’s Your Damn Strawberry Ice Cream (adapted slightly from “Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book” by Jake Godby, Sean Vahey, and Paolo Lucchesi)

  • 1 pint fresh ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Put the strawberries in a blender and process to a smooth puree.  Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds or leave unstrained (I did not strain).  Transfer the strawberry puree to a large bowl; add the cream, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, salt, and vinegar; and whisk it all together until the sugar is dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and spin according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Eat immediately, or transfer to an airtight container, cover, and freeze for up to 1 week.

crunchy curried chickpeas

Posted in appetizer, vegan by

My go to snack is usually tortilla chips and salsa or chocolate chips blended with a few raisins to make myself feel better about it, but I’m trying to clean up my act a little bit and try healthier snacks.  This recipe for crunchy curried chickpeas appealed to me since it involved ingredients I always have on hand and was very quick and easy to make.

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You start by rubbing the chickpeas (you can either use canned [make sure to rinse them first] or prepare your own from dried form) to get the skins off of them.  It doesn’t take very long to do and is almost therapeutic in its monotony.

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Then you blend the skinless, dried chickpeas with a little olive oil, curry powder, freshly grated ginger, and dried thyme.  Simple!  Then they get baked in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes until crunchy.

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Once they come out of the oven you sprinkle them with a little sea salt or garlic salt, your choice, and enjoy.  They are a little sweet from the curry powder, savory from the thyme, and of course a little salty.  Great snack, and without the guilt of my chocolate chip/raisin routine…

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Crunchy Curried Chickpeas (from “The Sprouted Kitchen: a Tastier Take on Whole Foods” by Sara Forte)

  • 3 1/4 cups of cooked chickpeas (about two 15-ounce cans)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sweet curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • sea salt or garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chickpeas and drain completely.  Lay them on a dish towel and gently rub them to remove any remaining skins, making sure that they are totally dry  In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, curry powder, thyme, and ginger.  Add the chickpeas to the bowl and toss to coat.  Spread the chickpeas on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the chickpeas, tossing them occasionally, until they are light brown and crisped, 40 to 45 minutes.  As soon as you remove them from the oven, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt.  Taste and add more salt if you like.  Let them cool completely (this will make them crunchier), then serve.  These are best eaten the day they are made.

rhubarb, lemon, and vanilla pie

Posted in pie by

This time of year I’m usually gifted with large bags of rhubarb by assorted friends and family.  I love the stuff but sometimes feel like I’m running out of things to do with it.  Not so.  Though I’ve made several different kinds of rhubarb pie seen here and here and here, I still managed to find another rhubarb pie recipe that intrigued me.

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Lemon zest and juice and vanilla extract along with a bit of freshly grated nutmeg get added to the otherwise typical rhubarb filling.  Genius!  So simple, but so good.  Next time I may actually add a little fresh vanilla bean along with the extract just to deepen the vanilla flavor.

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I had big plan for doing a fancy lattice top to this pie but was short on time so did what my mom calls a “flopover” pie.  You simply fold the edges of the crust over the top of the filling.  I’ve brought this style of pie to dinner parties before and people are always impressed and refer to it as a galette, which sounds much nicer than flopover.  Those French and their fancy words.

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The lemon zest and juice pair so nicely with the rhubarb and the vanilla adds a little extra sweetness.  And it would’ve been so great with the mascarpone ice cream I made last week!  If only there were any left by the time I made the pie…

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Rhubarb, Lemon, and Vanilla “Flopover” Pie (filling recipe from “A Year of Pies” by Ashley English)

  • 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb (4 1/2 cups), trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425.

Place the chopped rhubarb, sugar, arrowroot or cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, vanilla extract, and nutmeg in a medium-size bowl.  Stir together with a large spoon until well combined.

Pour the rhubarb filling into the prepared crust (see below).  Fold crust over the top of the pie.  Cover crust with aluminum foil to prevent it from browning too quickly.  Remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.  Bake for about an hour, until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling in the center of the pie.

One Crust Pie Pastry (from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook)

  • 1 cup all-purpose or unbleached flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl.  Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas.  Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball.  Shape into flattened round.  If desired, wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes to firm up the shortening slightly, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky and lets the water absorb evenly throughout the dough.

Roll pastry on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 3 inches larger than upside-down pie plate.  Fold pastry into fourths and place in pie plate; or roll pastry loosely around rolling pin and transfer to pie plate.  Unfold or unroll pastry and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked.

mascarpone gelato, like vanilla, only creamier

Posted in ice cream by

It’s been in the upper 80’s for the past few days which prompted me to bust out my ice cream maker– hot weather = ice cream time. So many flavors to choose from, so many mix-in options, but I was wanting something simple and straightforward, something that might go well with pie. I found a recipe I had cut out from a 1994 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine (apparently even as a young teen I was a Martha fan) for mascarpone gelato. Winner!

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Mascarpone is a soft Italian style cheese that is similar to cream cheese, though smoother and more fresh tasting. The rest of the ingredients for the custard base were exactly what they would be for vanilla gelato (vanilla bean, whole milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, and sugar) and the mascarpone is added at the very end when you chill the custard to prepare it for your ice cream maker.

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The resulting gelato tastes like the best vanilla ice cream you’ve ever had, except creamier and richer. Ah-mazing. Will definitely pair nicely with the rhubarb pie I’m planning to make this weekend!

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Mascarpone Gelato (from 1994 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine)

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup mascarpone

In a medium saucepan, heat milk and vanilla bean and scrapings. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Steep for 30 minutes.

Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a simmer.

Remove vanilla bean. Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture and whisk until blended. Stir into remaining milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in cream. Pass mixture through a strainer into a medium bowl set over an ice bath to chill. Whisk in mascarpone until completely blended, then freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Store in a plastic container.