Pots de Crème with Strawberries

Is there anything that sounds quite so divine as Pots de Crème? Little pots of cream, and I can just go at them with a spoon? Vanilla custard, while still sounding pretty darn tasty, doesn't sound nearly as sophisticated. But vanilla custard is what it is, and it has the little specks of aromatic vanilla bean to prove it. This is basically a crème brûlée without the brûlée -- perfect for those of us unarmed with a propane torch.

Sarah and I had just taken the kids to a strawberry patch - my very first time. As we drove in to the little farmette, we were greeted with a sign that read "All Picked Out!" and we had to explain to the kids that there were no strawberries to be had. There were tears.

Just as we were about to leave, the owner of the farm came out and said that there were still some strawberries, but we had to really look for them. A strawberry scavenger hunt! This made our berry-picking adventure all the more exciting. Each little ripe red strawberry was a special treasure. The kids marched around holding their buckets with pride.

When we brought our berries home, we knew we wanted to resist the urge to inhale them all and instead incorporate them into something. But we wanted a dessert that would highlight their unadulterated perfection. No need to cook or puree. Pots de Crème were the answer, as these berries were simply the crowning glory to this sweet, creamy dessert.

Pot de Crème with Strawberries

adapted from The Art of Simple Food, Alice Waters

• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 of a vanilla bean
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced

1. Whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl and set aside. Place the heavy cream in a different medium bowl and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a small pot, adding the scraped out bean to the pot as well. Add the half-and-half and sugar, and stir over medium heat until it is just steaming and the sugar is dissolved. When it is warm, whisk into the bowl of egg yolks. Immediately strain this mixture through a fine colander into the cold cream, mixing well. Remove the vanilla bean from the colander and squeeze all the seeds back into the custard mix.

3. Pour the custard mixture into 4 ramekins, and place them into a baking dish filled with hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the top of the baking dish with foil, sealing the edges. Bake until the sides of the custards are set, but the center is still jiggly - about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the baking dish and let cool.

4. Before serving, top with freshly sliced strawberries.

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

I have been enjoying a long winter of citrus fruits. Every January, I get a little burst of lemon fever, and it carries me right into the springtime. Here we are, on the very first day of spring, and I have a bit of sweet citrusy heaven to share: Meyer lemon ice cream.

This was my first time ever buying a bag of Meyer lemons. I was mostly surprised by how orange in color they were. I kept reaching into my little bowl of lemons thinking I was going to grab a tangerine. While Meyer lemons are not quite as sour as regular lemons, you could easily substitute regular lemons into this recipe.

I adapted my favorite ice cream recipe to come up with this. It is a custard-based recipe, so it takes a little extra time but the creaminess is so worth it. This ice cream is lemony, but it isn't too tart. The perfect balance of flavors.

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream

• 3 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
• zest from two Meyer lemons
• 2 tbs sugar
• pinch of salt

Whisk the egg yolks briefly in a small bowl. Set a strainer over a heat-proof bowl. Heat the half-and-half and 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until sugar dissolves. When hot whisk a little of the hot half-and-half into the egg yolks and then whisk warm yolks into the hot mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and quickly strain. Add the heavy cream. Cover the mixture and chill.
Once chilled, stir in the lemon juice, zest, and the 2 tbs of sugar. Add salt. Freeze according to your ice-cream maker's instructions. 

Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Butter Sauce

This is simple recipe that’s incredibly fast and easy to pull together, but ends up looking beautiful and impressive. If you’ve got summer fresh peaches on your counter and a bottle of bourbon in the liquor cabinet, I’m willing to bet you have everything you need for this delicious dessert.  Whipped cream or ice cream are an added bonus that I’m a fan of, but not a requirement.

This would be perfect for an outdoor dinner party because the prep is minimal, and once you’ve gotten the grill hot for the main dish it’s easy to throw a couple of peach halves on there for dessert.  You don’t have to peel the peaches (but we thought it make them easier to eat), and you don’t even have to mess around with flipping them on the grill.  Just sear the flat side for 3 minutes and you’re done.  Resist the temptation to poke & peak at the roasting peach halves so that you don’t disturb the pretty grill marks that are in the making.

Melt four ingredients together (bourbon, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon) on the stovetop, then pass this rich spicy sauce around the table to top the warm sweet peaches.  It doesn’t get any better for summer desserts.

Recipe inspiration by The Church Cook

Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Butter Sauce

• 2 ripe peaches (optionally peeled)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• optional topping – whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Peel the peaches if you’d like, then cut each in half and remove the pit.  Put peaches aside on a dish to await grilling.
Combine butter, brown sugar, bourbon, and cinnamon on the stovetop over medium heat.  Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce is hot and bubbly.  Pour into a small pitcher to await serving.
Grill peaches on a hot oiled grill for approximately 3-4 minutes.  Remove from grill and serve with warm bourbon butter sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumble

This raspberry rhubarb crumble is so simple.  It’s a pie pan full of ripe fruit topped with a simple three-ingredient streusel like topping.  We sometimes add rolled oats or almonds for extra crunch, but that’s not necessary. In fact, that might transform this from a crumble to a crisp, according to here and here?  We're not sure...seems like an age old argument to us.  Call it what you will - this dessert bakes up crispy and buttery on top with sweet tart fruit on the bottom.

This is my new go-to summer dessert. It isn’t as pretty and orderly as other old standbys. But when it’s hot out and you have a boatload of fresh fruit that you want to whip into a delicious dessert – there is nothing easier.

This crisp is flexible too – just use any ripe fruit you’ve got on hand. Top it with some ice cream or crème fraiche and you are set! 

Rhubarb Raspberry Crumble

Topping:

• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white flour
• (optional) 1/2 cup oats
• (optional) 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients, cutting the cold cubed butter into the other dry ingredients until you have a coarse sand. Pop this in the fridge while you put everything else together. Chilling isn’t necessary, but some (like Nigella Lawson) think it makes for a more crispy crumbly bumpy topping!
Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups raspberries
• 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Pour the fresh fruit into a pie pan, sprinkle with the 2 Tbsp brown sugar. Get your bowl of Crumble Topping out of the fridge and sprinkle it evenly over the fruit filling.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Summer fresh blueberries brightened up with lemon zest & juice make these muffins a perfect summertime treat.  They’re made with a base of yogurt which makes them moist and tender without being oily or too cake-like.

The colors in these muffins are so beautiful – dark blue and bright purple berries complimented with a soft yellow lemony crumb.  We love these fresh simple flavor combinations for summer; you don’t need a complicated mish mash of flavors when it’s so hot and beautiful outside.  Just pure whole foods based goodness.

When you pull the muffins out of the oven you’ll see bubbling purple blueberry juice oozing around the edges.  Restrain yourself to prevent burns! It’s hard, I know.  The berries provide plenty of natural sweetness, and the muffin batter itself only contains 1/2 c sugar so these muffins are not overly sweet, which we prefer.

Pile the cooled muffins in a bowl and enjoy for breakfast, snacks, and dessert.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

• 1 cup plain yogurt (we used full fat Greek yogurt)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups fresh blueberries (although frozen would work just fine)
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep a 12 muffin pan with paper liners or an oil rub/spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg, oil, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients on top of the whisked wet ones: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Fold the wet & dry ingredients together until combined, but don’t overmix (that’ll create a tough muffin).  Gently fold in the 3/4 cup of blueberries.  Fill muffin cups, then bake for approx 25 minutes at 375.

Recipe inspiration from Baker Street

Popsicles with Roasted Strawberry & Coconut Milk

In search of something creamy and cool, with a seasonal fruit thrown in the mix, we came up with these popsicles.  With only three ingredients – coconut milk, roasted strawberries, and a spoonful of agave for sweetness - these are simple to make and easy to substitute in any seasonal fruit you’ve got on hand.  Not bad in terms of a reasonably healthy treat that makes toddlers literally squeal (loudly) with excitement!

We decided to see what would happen if we attempted to concentrate fresh strawberry flavors from fresh and light to rich and intense.  We love fresh strawberries, but their flavor sometimes seems too muted when you start using them as an ingredient (rather than eating them straight out of hand).  We did it simply by roasting the strawberries for 20 minutes. Sprinkled with a tablespoon of sugar, they develop bubbly brown edges and deep flavors.  Perfect for blending with coconut milk to create a creamy popsicle with lots of strawberry flavor.

To be honest, these popsicles came together as a result of leftovers. I had some coconut milk waiting in the fridge, and I was itching to use it in a summery dessert. We had leftover roasted strawberries from our latest cocktail over at our Whole Foods column, Locally Mixed.  A little agave for sweetness (chosen for its easy-to-stir-in consistency) and we had ourselves four sweet little popsicles! 

Popsicles with Roasted Strawberries & Coconut Milk

• 1/2 c. coconut milk
• 1/2 c. roasted strawberry puree (recipe below)
• 1 Tbsp. agave

Blend all three ingredients together, pour into popsicles molds, and freeze overnight.  Warning:  This recipe only makes about 4 small popsicles; feel free to double it!

 

Roasted Strawberry Puree

• 2 cups roughly chopped strawberries
• Sprinkled with 1 Tbsp sugar

Yield: 1 cup

Roast at 400 for approx 20 minutes or until edges are browning and the pan contains bubbling & caramelizing strawberry juice.  I highly recommend a rimmed baking sheet for this recipe!  Scoop roasted strawberries into a glass jar for storage and mash them with a fork until they fall apart into a rough “puree”.

If you’re looking for another excuse to make a batch of the Roasted Strawberry Puree, here’s one:  Roasted Strawberry, Gin, & Ginger Cocktail!

Strawberry Basil Sparkler

This sparkler is made with thinly sliced strawberries, torn basil leaves, a little vodka, and a lot of sparkling water.  Here's why we love this cocktail: it isn't sweet or sour or bitter. It's a whole new animal -- a fizzy collection of real ingredients, sliced thinly & torn roughly to give up the edge of their unique flavors, but not overwhelm the pureness of the vodka and sparkling water.

The combination of strawberries and basil is unexpected; basil isn't as sweet smelling as mint. We chose it for this reason specifically, because against the sweet strawberries, it elevates this drink's flavor profile to something sophisticated.

Strawberry Basil Sparkler

Visit our Whole Foods column, Locally Mixed, for the recipe. 

Strawberry Apple Torte

I can barely believe that I've waited this long to share this recipe on Two Tarts. I've made this recipe umpteen times, but it has never been the same recipe twice. It is titled in my favorite cookbook as a "seasonal fruit torte" and four seasonal variations are included. This isn't one of them. That is the brilliance of this kind of recipe: entirely adaptable to whatever is in season or rolling around your fridge.

Aside from the fruit, the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples. This has become the ultimate dessert for an impromptu get-together. Give me an hour head's up, and I'll have this torte at the ready. As it turns out, all you have to do is arrange fruit in a pretty pattern and people are extremely impressed. (But hey, it also doesn't hurt that this simple cake tastes really good.)

So, obviously the recipe here is for a strawberry and apple torte. But here are some other ideas: strawberry-mango torte, summer plum or peach torte, autumnal gingered pear, wintry cranberry-apple. Play around with some spices, depending on the fruit. Also, lime might make more sense than lemon, or try orange. (I've also omitted the citrus juice and zest altogether - still great!)

Strawberry Apple Torte

adapted from Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 8 tbs (1 stick butter), room temperature

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries

• 1 apple, peeled and sliced

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter and flour an 8-in cake pan; pour out any excess flour.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy (easiest with a mixer, but I've had good results by hand too). Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Blend in the vanilla and zest. Add the reserved dry ingredients and mix to form a smooth, thick batter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
4. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Arrange the topping decoratively over the batter, using just enough fruit to cover the batter in a single overlapping layer. Sprinkle with the last 1/2 tsp sugar, and bake in the middle of oven until lightly browned around the edges and just set in the middle, 30-35 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes.