Strawberry Shortcake

Last week after getting a lot of gorgeous strawberries in the CSA share, I decided to try my hand at strawberry shortcake. As it happened, I had about four different recipes for shortcakes in four different cookbooks. Most were cornmeal-based, so I decided to go in that direction. I think they came out very well--an excellent dessert to showcase the fresh fruit!

Strawberry Shortcakes
-1 1/2 c. flour
-1/2 c. cornmeal
-3 T. sugar
-4 t. baking powder
-4 T. unsalted butter (cold)
-1 c. heavy cream

1. In a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Pulse.
2. Add cubes of cold butter and pulse again until it resembles a course meal. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and add the cream. Combine with a fork until the dough comes together.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead gently. Form it into a rectangle 1 - 1 1/4 inches thick.
4. Either cut the dough into squares with a knife, or use a 2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter to make rounds. The final count will vary depending on size. Work quickly, as the butter will begin to soften with repeated handling.
5. Bake on a greased or lined baking sheet for 12-15 minutes at 425* until golden.

Whipped Cream
-1 c. heavy cream
-1 T. powdered sugar
-1 t. vanilla

1. With the whisk attachment of a mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
2. Add in sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until combined.

Macerated Strawberries
-2 c. fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
-1 1/2 T. raw sugar
-1 T. marsala

1. In a large bowl combine berries, sugar, and wine. Stir, and let stand for at least an hour before serving.
2. Assemble as desired! (I split some of the cakes--as shown--and others just served as a base for the berry mixture; delicious either way!)

Thawing Cupcakes

I made a very large batch of red velvet cupcakes a few months ago--some to share, and others to hoard. Rather than eating all of mine at once (believe me, I was tempted), I decided to try freezing them to make the joy last a little longer. I wrapped them in plastic wrap, and then stored them in an airtight container in the freezer. When I was ready for them again (during finals week...), I took them out, unwrapped them, and left them to thaw on the counter. Within less than an hour, they were perfect and fresh, and exactly what I needed to keep my spirits up during the studying!

Not Baking

I considered in an earlier post the possibility of adding in documentation of my attempts at cooking actual food (I do try to eat things that aren't cake sometimes). My need to compartmentalize has led me to start a spin-off blog for non-baking recipes.

If you're interested, you can check the new site out here--if you're only into the baked goods, these posts will continue as usual!

An Order!

This week I put together a cupcake order for a friend throwing a bridal shower. It ended up being four dozen cupcakes--Devil's food and yellow cakes with buttercream or dark chocolate frosting. I was given the wedding invitation as inspiration--it was covered in blue flowers, so I tinted some fondant and tried to make some to match.

Apart from making a lot of consecutive little messes in my kitchen (that by the end had merged into one big one), it was fun to try something on a larger scale! And now I'll be ready for next time! A few photos of the finished products: