What's For Dessert: The Best Strawberry Milkshake

A warm Spring day (finally!!) calls for a cool treat for dessert. With fresh organic strawberries finally popping into the market, I couldn't help but buy several pints. And the best way I know to use up strawberries (aside from eating them as-is, of course!) is to make them into a milkshake.

I've always been a strawberry milkshake fan -- I'll order a milkshake with fresh berries over chocolate or vanilla any day. Perhaps I'm just tricking myself into thinking that a milkshake made with fresh fruit must be the healthier option, but strawberry milkshakes are pretty darn delicious regardless.

This recipe calls for the addition of malted milk powder or powered milk to add additional creaminess to the shake. I was a little skeptical, but I definitely detected some extra creaminess in the final product, which was great given that I used lower-fat milk products (skim milk and frozen yogurt) to give my milkshakes a slightly healthier spin.

The Best Strawberry Milkshake (printer-friendly version)
makes 2 large milkshakes

1/2 pound fresh strawberries, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup organic skim milk
1 tablespoon organic non-fat powdered milk (or malted milk powder)
2 cups high-quality vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream (look for brands with the fewest ingredients, I'm a big fan of Blue Bunny, Breyer's, and Häagen-Daz)

1. Rinse, hull, and slice the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a shallow dish and sprinkle with sugar and stir in the vanilla extract. Place the strawberries into the freezer and chill until nearly frozen, about one hour. (Note: you can also let the strawberries freeze for several days, just let them thaw for about 10-15 minutes before using.)
2. Place two pint glasses into the freezer to chill.
3. Add the strawberries and their juices into the blender with 3/4 cup milk. Blend until the strawberries are completely pureed. No large chunks should remain.
4. Add in the powdered milk and blend to combine.
5. Add in the frozen yogurt (or ice cream) and use a rubber spatula to incorporate it by hand into the strawberry and milk mixture.
6. Then blend completely. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add in additional milk as necessary. Pour the milkshake into the chilled glasses and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this recipe from The Kitchn)

What's For Dessert: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Nothing says "summer" better than a strawberry-rhubarb crumble warm from the oven.

The combination of strawberry and rhubarb is a quintessential flavor of summer. And when that strawberry and rhubarb gets covered in a delicious sugary and buttery crumble? All the better in my book.

A couple of weeks ago, Dustin and I went strawberry picking at JP's Berries and Pumpkin Patch, a local farm located nearby in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. In less than 30 minutes, we picked around 9 pounds of berries.

Upon arrival home, I prepped the majority of the berries for the freezer. (I highly recommend using the straw trick to quickly hull the berries ... just poke a drinking straw through the bottom of the berry, and out pops the hull and leaves!)

Two quarts were set aside to eat fresh, and the remaining strawberries were destined for dessert. We also picked up a couple of pounds of freshly-harvested rhubarb at the farm, so the decision to make a strawberry-rhubarb crumble was basically a no-brainer.

I love a good crumble-to-fruit ratio, and this recipe delivers. The strawberry-rhubarb crumble can be served warm from the oven, at room temperature, or even chilled from the fridge. Just add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped cream and dessert is ready to be served.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble (printer-friendly version)

makes 8+ servings

For the topping:

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1. Stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, sugars, cinnamon, and lemon zest.

2. Melt the butter over low heat. Add the melted butter to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Continue stirring until small to medium-sized crumbles form.

3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the filling:

2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/2" slices) 

4 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon

pinch of fine sea salt

1. Combine the sliced rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in the cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and salt.

2. Let the fruit mixture sit for at least 15 minutes before putting together the whole dish.

To make the crumble:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Pour the fruit mixture into the bottom of an 9" x 13" baking dish. Make sure to spoon in any juices remaining in the bowl.

3. Top with the crumble mixture; be sure to cover the fruit mixture evenly with the crumbles.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

5. Allow to cool before serving. Serve with a small (or large!) scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream.

(adapted from this Smitten Kitchen recipe)

This post was originally posted on June 10, 2010. The post has been updated with new content and photos.

What's For Dessert: Vanilla Bean No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits

No need to turn on the oven to make these simple–but delicious–vanilla bean no-bake cheesecake parfaits.

Happy Fourth of July! I've been on a bit of a berry kick lately, and currently have a fridge full of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. I might need an intervention.

And while I've been eating most of these berries in one of my daily Greek yogurt parfaits, I figured since it's a holiday, it wouldn't be a terrible idea to make a more decadent treat to highlight the fruits of summer.

Enter these vanilla bean no-bake cheesecake parfaits. They are simple to make and don't require you to turn on your oven (which is kind of key on a hot summer's day, particularly if you're like me and your house lacks central air conditioning). Even better, they are delicious and light in flavor, making for a perfect summertime dessert.

I would've photographed all three, but, um, I might have eaten one last night. Which, you know, is important so that I can tell you all about how delicious it is. Which it is. And was. And I'm totally looking forward to enjoying another one later today! Or maybe for lunch, whichever happens first...

Vanilla Bean No-Bake Cheesecake Parfaits (printer-friendly version)
makes three servings

1 package (8 ounces) neufchâtel or plain cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (about half of a 14-ounce can)
caviar from one 4-inch vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 sheets graham crackers, crushed
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

1. Place a layer of crushed graham crackers into the bottom of three glasses or jars (about two tablespoons each). Set aside.
2. Add the neufchâtel cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla bean caviar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of an electric mixer with the whip attached. Whip at high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the filling to an icing bag or zippered quart size bag. If using a zippered bag, snip off a corner and then pipe about 2-3 tablespoons of filling on top of the graham cracker layer in each glass. Top with a layer of strawberries and another sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. Repeat the layering with one more layer of cheesecake filling and top with fresh strawberries. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

What I'm Drinking: Strawberry-Basil Moscow Mule

Summer is not over yet! Let's toast to the remaining days of warm weather with this refreshing
Strawberry-Basil Moscow Mule.

The upcoming Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of Summer, and while I am not sad about settling into the fall season and unboxing my sweaters and scarves, we do have a few things left on our Summer Bucket List to cross off before autumn really settles in.

At the top of that list is going kayaking at one of our local lakes before the season is out. Given that the wild rice season starts soon, we may have to also add a canoeing excursion to our list, as harvesting rice is really a two-person job. We still have some wild rice on hand from a harvest a few years ago, but our supply is quickly dwindling. Plus harvesting our own rice is kind of a fun perk of living in the Northwoods.

And after a long day on the lake (or, okay, more likely just a few hours), what better refreshment is there to be had than a Strawberry-Basil Moscow Mule made with the season's freshest berries and herbs straight from the garden?

This recipe for a Strawberry-Basil Moscow Mule was inspired by a drink I had this summer at a local restaurant. The sweetness of the strawberries and the peppery flavor of the basil leaves make for an excellent pair with the ginger and lime flavors of a Moscow Mule.

Strawbery-Basil Moscow Mule
makes one cocktail

3 strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (about 3 leaves)
1 ounce fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 ounces vodka
ice
ginger beer
lime slice or whole strawberry, for garnish [optional]

Add the strawberries and chopped to the bottom of a copper mug. Use a muddler to release the juices. Add the lime juice and vodka to the mug, then fill with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime slice or strawberry if desired before serving.

How to Make: Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb

Roasting strawberries and rhubarb together in a little pure maple adds a deeper flavor to this sweet and tart classic combination and can be used as a simple topping for vanilla ice cream or in a healthy yogurt parfait. 

The real harbinger of spring (and early summer) is the arrival of rhubarb in the marketplace. I absolutely love the combination of tart rhubarb with sweet strawberries, as exhibited by these recipes for strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, strawberry-rhubarb crisp bars, strawberry-rhubarb pancakes, strawberry-rhubarb crumble muffins, strawberry-rhubarb cream cheese bars, strawberry-rhubarb pie, strawberry-rhubarb bread, strawberry-rhubarb streusel cake, and of course, refreshing (and boozy) strawberry-rhubarb smashes. (Holy cow I've made a lot of strawberry-rhubarb recipes!)

For this year's iteration of the strawberry-rhubarb flavor combination, I opted to roast the two together in a little maple syrup to really bring out their flavor.

The resulting roasted strawberry and rhubarb is absolutely delicious served warm over a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream. Or if you're looking for a healthier treat, it pairs just as wonderfully with vanilla yogurt layered in a parfait topped with granola.

Hey there, delicious (and nutritious!) breakfast!

What is your favorite way to pair strawberries and rhubarb?

Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb (printer-friendly version)
makes about 3 cups

1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pound rhubarb, chopped into 1/4"-1/2" pieces
1/3 cup maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place the quartered strawberries and chopped rhubarb in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the maple syrup and stir to coat. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the strawberry and rhubarb mixture onto the prepped baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
4. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the juices have thickened and the fruit has softened.
5. Let cool for 5 minutes and then spoon both the fruit and their juices into a bowl. Serve warm with ice cream or cover and chill in the refrigerator to make yogurt parfaits. The roasted strawberry and rhubarb mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days.

What's For Dessert: Fresh Berry and Coconut Whipped Cream Parfait

Yesterday I showed you how easy it is to make coconut whipped cream. So today I thought I'd share with you a simple (yet so tasty) dessert you can make with that freshly whipped coconut cream – fresh berry and coconut whipped cream parfaits.

These little parfaits are the perfect way to celebrate the last of the summer season's berries. (Oh man, I am so not ready for the end of summer produce. But I suppose the first day of fall is literally right around the corner.)

The fresh berry and coconut whipped cream parfaits come together in an instant – each parfait takes about a quarter-cup of coconut whipped cream and a cup of berries. Add some berries to the bottom of your individual serving dish (I used a stemless wine glass) and then add a layer (about two tablespoons' worth) of coconut whipped cream. Then repeat the layers, ending with a layer of fresh berries. It seriously couldn't be simpler.

Berry and Coconut Whipped Cream Parfait
makes 2 parfaits

1/2 cup coconut whipped cream
2 cups fresh berries (I used a mix of raspberries, blackberries, and chopped strawberries)

1. Place about a tablespoon of fresh berries in the bottom of a parfait dish or round glass.
2. Add about 2 tablespoons of coconut whipped cream. Repeat for two or more layers, ending with a layer of fresh berries on top. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

What I'm Drinking: Strawberry Bourbon Smash

When it's hot out, I love to cool down with a bourbon smash. You can go about a million different ways with a bourbon smash -- the "smash" refers to muddling fresh fruits such as berry or citrus, typically with mint leaves, to give a fresh fruit flavor to the cocktail.

Strawberries are abundant in the marketplace these days, so I chose to feature this sweet berry in today's bourbon smash. Garnish with a couple of blueberries, and you've got a cocktail fit for celebrating the 4th of July.

Strawberry Bourbon Smash
makes one cocktail

3 strawberries, leaves removed and quartered
4 fresh mint leaves
1 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces bourbon
ice cubes

To garnish:
1 strawberry
1 blueberry
mint sprig

1. Muddle the quartered strawberries and mint leaves with the simple syrup in the bottom of a bar glass or cocktail glass. Add the bourbon and shake with ice.
2. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes.
3. Garnish with a strawberry, blueberry, and mint sprig.

What's For Breakfast: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pancakes

Looking for a sweet and tangy way to start your day? Look no further than these mouthwatering strawberry-rhubarb pancakes. 

Those ruby-red stalks have finally found their way into the marketplace up here in the Northwoods. And while I typically reach for a dessert recipe when it comes to this tart ingredient, this time around I was in the mood for a breakfast treat.

Enter these strawberry-rhubarb pancakes with strawberry-rhubarb sauce (I'm all in when it comes to the strawberry-rhubarb flavor combination). The base of this recipe is my standard buttermilk pancake recipe. To each round of pancake batter on the skillet I added a teaspoon each of chopped strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Then, right before serving, everything gets slathered in a scrumptious strawberry-rhubarb sauce, still warm from the stove.

What is your favorite way to use rhubarb?

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pancakes (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 pancakes

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the skillet
1/2 cup finely chopped rhubarb, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries, divided

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and whisk until just combined. Then stir in the melted butter. Do not over stir!
4. Melt the butter in an electric skillet heated to 350 degrees. Add about 1/3 cup of batter in rounds to the skillet. Top each pancake with about 1 teaspoon each of the chopped strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Flip when the pancakes when bubbles form and the batter looks matte in appearance. Cook for an additional minute or two. Serve immediately with warm strawberry-rhubarb sauce (recipe below) or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce (printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Add the rhubarb, water, and sugar to a small sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Continue simmering for five minutes.
2. Add the strawberries and continue cooking over medium-low heat for another five minutes, or until the strawberries are tender. Lightly mash the strawberries and rhubarb with the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla. Keep warm until ready to serve.

What's Baking: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Muffins

Did you think I'd fallen off the strawberry-rhubarb train already? ... I mean, it has been a week since my last rhubarb post ... But, I am most-assuredly still in the love-love phase with rhubarb.

This week I've been enjoying strawberry-rhubarb crumble muffins as breakfast or a late-afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea. These muffins are chockfull of strawberry and rhubarb and you really can't go wrong with a muffin that is topped with a generous amount of crumble.

I find that the trick to getting a really good muffin top (admittedly, my favorite part of the muffin) is to increase the baking temperature by 25 degrees for the first five minutes of baking.

It also helps to fill the muffin cups nearly full with batter. A big ol' mound of crumble mix on top ensures that these muffins will have an impressive crown.

But, don't worry, the muffin stumps taste pretty good, too.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 muffins

For the crumble:
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon chopped pecans
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the muffins:
1 large egg
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup diced rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup diced strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the flours, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and pecans. Stir in the maple syrup and brown sugar. Then stir in the melted butter until crumbles form. Set aside until ready to use.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Stir in the vanilla. Whisk in the cooled melted butter and yogurt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture until the batter just comes together. Fold in the rhubarb and strawberries.
6. Divide the batter (it will be fairly dry/sticky) evenly among the 12 muffin cups. (I find a small ice cream scoop works well for this task.) The muffin cups will be nearly completely full. Top with the crumble mixture, pressing lightly to adhere the crumble to the batter.
7. Bake the muffins in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the tin for two minutes, then remove them from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

(adapted from this Smitten Kitchen recipe)

What's For Dessert: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Bars

I'm pretty sure rhubarb season has been in full force (or perhaps already just a sweet (tart?) memory) for quite awhile in most places, but it has just started to make its presence known up here in the Northwoods. The first time I saw the ruby red stalks at my favorite grocery store in town, I couldn't help but pick up two pounds of the stuff.

In the past I've made strawberry-rhubarb cobbler, strawberry-rhubarb cream cheese crumble bars, rhubarb bread, strawberry-rhubarb crumble, strawberry-rhubarb streusel cake ... the list goes on and on. (Honestly, I never realized how many rhubarb recipes I've made here on the blog!)

We had a guest over for dinner last night, so I wanted to make something simple for dessert that wasn't too fussy. Deb of Smitten Kitchen recently posted a recipe for strawberry-rhubarb crisp bars, and with a quart of strawberries in the fridge, I quickly settled on trying out her recipe. Of course, I couldn't help but make a couple tweaks here and there, including browning the butter rather than just melting it in order to get a slightly deeper flavor.

These bars are quite easy to make (Deb's instructions make it a one-bowl recipe, though I've done things differently here) and they taste absolutely delicious. Chilling the bars in the fridge gives them a firmer, more crisp texture; they will be more tender if you keep them at room temperature. And of course, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side is never a bad idea.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Bars (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 large or 16 small bars

1 cup small-diced rhubarb 

1 cup small-diced strawberries

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch 

1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (and browned, if desired)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees if using a metal dish). Line an 8x8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the diced rhubarb, diced strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir in the melted butter until small clumps form. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepped baking dish.
4. Evenly top the crust with the fruit mixture. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over top the fruit layer.
5. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chill in the fridge for slightly crisper bars. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.

(lightly adapted from this Smitten Kitchen recipe)

What's Baking: Baked Strawberry Donuts

It's Valentine's Day! Or as I like to call it, "How many conversation hearts can I eat in one sitting?" Day. But, before putting myself into a Valentine's-candy induced sugar coma later today, I thought I'd start the morning by baking up a batch of strawberry donuts. I love the sweet flavor the strawberries lend to the donuts and a bit of strawberry puree in the glaze gives it a lovely pink hue. Topped with festive sprinkles, these baked donuts make an excellent -- and not terribly bad for you -- holiday treat.

Baked Strawberry Donuts (printer-friendly version)
makes six donuts

For the donuts:
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup finely chopped strawberries (about 3 medium-large strawberries)
2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 egg
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the strawberry glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons pureed strawberries (about 3-4 medium strawberries), strained to remove most seeds
2-3 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. Add in the chopped strawberries, yogurt, buttermilk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
4. Carefully spoon the donut batter into the prepared baking pan. Fill each cavity about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the donuts just spring back when touched.
6. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then remove the donuts from the pan and let cool completely.
7. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, milk, and vanilla extract. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth.
8. Use the glaze immediately to coat the top of each donut.
9. Serve (or deliver to friends) immediately.

What's Baking: Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cheese Crumble Bars

Oooh, another dessert recipe! What are the odds? Turns out the odds are pretty high 'round these parts. Now that all kinds of fresh fruits are appearing in the local grocery stores, I am ready to embrace all sorts of summertime crumbles, crisps, and cobblers. Recently, Brenda at a farmgirl's dabbles posted a recipe for her Mom's Rhubarb Cream Cheese Bars, which inspired me to make a strawberry-rhubarb version.

I am still on a strawberry kick and constantly have at least a pint on hand in the refrigerator. When we were in Northern Michigan over the Memorial Day weekend, I harvested several stalks of rhubarb from a neighbor's garden (at his encouragement, of course!). Rhubarb has only just now started to show up in our local natural foods store, though most of the stalks I've seen thus far have been pretty green. (When choosing rhubarb, I look for stalks that are bright red in color and firm to the touch.)

Though the name might be a handful, these strawberry-rhubarb cream cheese crumble bars are actually quite simple to make. To lighten them (slightly), I used neufchatel rather than cream cheese, which has a slightly lower fat content than regular cream cheese. I am a ginger fiend, so I added ground ginger into the pastry dough and candied ginger into the crumble topping -- if you are not as big a fan of ginger flavor, you can omit these additions, or use a different spice of your choice.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cream Cheese Crumble Bars (printer-friendly version)
makes 16 bars

For the dough and crumble topping:
1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-2" pieces.
2 teaspoons candied ginger pieces [optional]

For the rhubarb and cream cheese filling:
8 oz. neufchatel cheese, softened [if you prefer, you can use cream cheese]
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped rhubarb [about 2-3 medium size stalks)
1 cup chopped strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper (making sure that it overhangs two opposite sides) and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and ginger. Use a pastry blender to cut in the softened butter until the dough resembles pea-sized crumbles. Press half of the dough mixture into the bottom of the prepped baking dish. Stir the candied ginger (if using) into the remaining dough crumbles  and set aside.
3. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until just combined. With the use of a rubber spatula, fold in the rhubarb and strawberries until just combined.
4. Spread the filling over top the crust. Top evenly with the remaining crumble mixture. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Chill in the refrigerator to make cutting the crumble into individual bars easier. Store any remaining crumble bars in the fridge.

(adapted from this a farmgirl's dabbles recipe)

What I'm Drinking: Strawberry-Basil Rum Soda

Let's ignore the fact that when I woke up this morning, there was a layer of sleet on the ground. Let's also ignore the fact that the temperatures hovered somewhere in the mid-30s all day long. Was it really 82 degrees on Tuesday? I must've been dreaming.

However, though the weather may not be complying with my springtime wishes, I am still sticking to the flavors of spring. For this afternoon's cocktail hour, I made a strawberry-basil simple syrup, and paired it with some dark rum and club soda. Try as you might, you can't bring me down, May snow showers!

Strawberry-Basil Simple Syrup (printer-friendly version)
makes about one cup

1 lb fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup granulated sugar

1. Put the strawberries through a juicer. (Alternately, you could puree the strawberries in a blender and strain out the solids.) Pour the juice into a measuring cup and add water if necessary to reach 1 cup of liquid.
2. Add the strawberry juice, lemon juice, fresh basil leaves, and granulated sugar to a medium sauce pot. Heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from the heat and let the basil steep in the strawberry syrup for at least one hour.
4. Strain out the solids and pour the remaining syrup into a container with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

(from The Kitchn)

Strawberry-Basil Rum Soda (printer-friendly version)
makes one cocktail

2 tablespoons strawberry-basil syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
club soda

1. Fill an 8-oz glass with ice.
2. Add the strawberry-basil syrup and rum. Top with club soda, give it a quick stir, and serve.

What's For Dessert: Strawberry Hand Pies

I know you'll find this news shocking (ha ha), but I'm still on a fresh strawberry kick. The last time I was at our local natural foods store, they were having a sale on strawberry pies. And as they were also baking more pies while I was browsing the aisles, the place smelled fantastic. Somehow, I managed to not exit the store with a fresh pie in hand (though I deeply, deeply considered it), and when I got home with my latest pile of strawberry pints, I figured baking was the way to go to use them up.

In lieu of baking a whole pie, I opted to go the hand pie route. As luck would have it, I recently purchased a "pocket pie" crimper (when I purchased mine last week, it was less than $6 on Amazon) -- meaning my hand pies would have lovely uniform crimps. You could just as easily use a large round cookie cutter and pinch the ends closed by hand if you'd rather not clutter up your kitchen with more gadgets. (I would be first to admit that I have a kitchen-gadget collecting problem...)

These hand pies turned out rather deliciously -- and I'm already imagining all sorts of yummy flavor combinations I could put together to make sweet and savory hand pies in the future.

Strawberry Hand Pies (printer-friendly version)
makes four pies

For the strawberry filling:
1 1/2 cups organic strawberries, hulled and sliced into quarters
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the pastry dough:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into small cubes and frozen
1/8 to 1/4 cup filtered ice water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the quartered strawberries, sugar, and corn starch. Set aside.

3. Add the flour, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor with the pastry blade attached. Add in the frozen butter cubes and process until the mixture looks like small pebbles, about 10-20 seconds.

4. Slowly add in the ice water until the dough just begins to come together. You can check this by pressing a small amount of dough between your fingers -- if it sticks together it's good to go; if it is still crumbly, you need to add a bit more water.

5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into two portions. Pat each portion into a small round and cover with plastic wrap. Chill the dough rounds for at least one hour.

6. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out one of the dough rounds until it is about 1/8" thick. Cut out a 5- or 6-inch circle. 

7. Add 2-3 tablespoons of strawberries to one half of the dough circle (being careful to allow room at the edge). Brush the edges of the round with the beaten egg, then carefully fold the round in half, crimping the edges tightly closed. Repeat with the rest of the dough until you have four hand pies.

8. Brush each pie with the beaten egg. Cut a few small slits into the top of each pie and sprinkle with sanding sugar. 

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool before serving.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)

What I'm Drinking: Strawberry-Rosemary Ginger Ale

It is super-gloomy outside and in addition to the grey clouds, it has been raining most of the day. However, since this rain will help the snow still on the ground (there is literally a two-foot drift still outside our basement door) -- I can't complain too much. And just because it is grey and gloomy outside doesn't mean I can't have a splash of springtime inside.

As a special treat this afternoon, I put together a strawberry-rosemary ginger ale to drink. I'm still on a strawberry kick, and Golden Harvest has been my go-to supplier for inexpensive organic strawberries, which makes me very happy indeed. While my initial thought was to just add some strawberry juice to my ginger ale, I figured I might as well try a little bit harder, and so I made a rosemary simple syrup to infuse an additional fresh herbal flavor into the drink. The resulting iced drink is springtime-pink, refreshing, and full of flavor.

Strawberry-Rosemary Ginger Ale (printer-friendly version)
makes one drink

1 cup strawberries, rinsed and hulled
several ice cubes

12 oz ginger ale (I used Reed's Premium Ginger Brew Ginger Ale)

2 teaspoons rosemary simple syrup (see below for recipe)

fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish

1. Puree the strawberries in a blender until completely liquified.
2. Add the strawberry juice to the bottom of a tall glass.
3. Fill the glass with ice.
4. Top with the ginger ale. Stir in the rosemary syrup.
5. Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary and serve.

Rosemary Simple Syrup (printer-friendly version)
makes about one cup

1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Add the water, sugar, and rosemary to a small sauce pot. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves in the water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, remove from the heat and let the rosemary steep for at least one hour.
2. Pour the syrup into a container with a tight lid, straining out the rosemary. Store in the refrigerator.  

What's For Dessert: Simple Strawberry Shortcake

One of my favorite signs of spring is the arrival of fresh strawberries in the marketplace. Up until now, there have been organic strawberries on sale at our local natural foods store -- but at nearly $6/quart, a little too expensive for my taste. Last weekend D and I were in California for my grandmother's 90th birthday, and had the chance to walk through the Sunnyvale farmers market on Saturday morning with my friend Sheri. The amount of fresh produce for sale was overwhelming to my snow-weary eyes. As we walked along, I tasted some of the fresh produce -- I was so in love with the flavor of strawberries for sale that I couldn't resist buying a pint.

{strawberries on sale at the Sunnyvale farmers market}

Fast forward to this past weekend, and while shopping at Golden Harvest I was delighted to find strawberries on sale for less than $2/quart at Golden Harvest. I bought two pints, but I think I may have to go back to buy a flat -- I foresee some jam-making in my future.

In the meantime, I couldn't wait to try out the strawberries. Though not quite as amazing as the ones I tasted in Sunnyvale, to my fresh produce-starved tastebuds they tasted quite delicious. And with a touch of sugar, the strawberries would be the ideal component in a strawberry shortcake recipe. I wanted to make something super simple and didn't want to fuss around with a lot of ingredients. A quick Google search resulted in finding a recipe I could work with; I made a few substitutions based on the ingredients I had on hand, and of course I couldn't help but add in a splash of vanilla, too. For a simple recipe, the shortcake turned out quite well and perfectly complemented the sweetness of the fresh strawberries. Add a healthy dollop of fresh whipped cream on top, and dessert is ready to be served.

Simple Strawberry Shortcake (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups organic half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced and slightly mashed [stir in some sugar if desired]
1 cup fresh whipped cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper (leave excess on either end so that you can use it as handles to remove the shortcake from the pan once baked) and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Stir in the half-and-half and vanilla until just combined.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the shortcake is golden brown.
4. Remove the shortcake from the baking dish and set it on a wire rack to cool.
5. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out a shortcake into your desired shape. Cut the shortcake in half.
5. Top one half of the shortcake with strawberries and whipped cream. Place the remaining shortcake half on top and serve immediately.

(adapted from this Food Network recipe)

Made From Scratch: Small-Batch Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam

D and I took Leroy to the Headhouse Farmers Market on Sunday morning, and I could not resist the fresh strawberries on offer from one of the vendors, so I bought a quart ($6.75, but oh my gawd, given the berries' taste, so worth it). Once home, I decided it would be a good idea to make up a quick batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam, since I had a couple stalks of rhubarb still on hand in the produce drawer in the fridge.

Small-Batch Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam (printer-friendly version)
makes one pint

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
1/2 cup rhubarb, chopped (some of my rhubarb had not fared as well as I thought, hence the relatively low amount)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (use more to sweeten the jam if necessary)
juice from 1/2 lemon

1. Add the strawberries and rhubarb to a medium-sized pot.
2. Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
3. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Stirring constantly, add in the lemon juice.
5. Continue stirring and boiling the mixture for an additional 10-20 minutes.
6. Skim off the foam.
7. Test the readiness of the jam by observing how it runs off the back of a metal spoon. If it drips off in a sheet, it is ready. If it drips off the spoon in individual drops, continue to boil for several minutes more.
8. Once thickened, carefully pour the jam into a pint jar.
9. Fresh jam can be kept in the fridge and does not require further processing if you plan to use up in a relatively quick manner.  

What's For Dessert: Strawberry-Lime Sorbet

We still have several bags of frozen fruit in our freezer, so they are next on the clear-it-out list. What better way to use up some frozen fruit than by making up a batch of sorbet? I've been intrigued by the idea of making a sorbet with our Vitamix, so last night I gave it a whirl. Long story short, it was super easy, and the resulting sorbet was really delicious. I think there might be a lot more sorbets in our future this summer.

Strawberry-Lime Sorbet (printer-friendly version)
makes six servings

1 lb frozen whole strawberries
1/2 lime, peeled
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
fresh mint [optional]

1. Add the ingredients to a Vitamix blender.
2. Start the blender on low, variable 1. Quickly switch to high, and turn up to variable 10.
3. Use the plunger to press the ingredients into the blades. Blend for 30-45 seconds, or until four mounds form. Don't overblend, or you'll end up with not-so-frozen sorbet.
4. Serve immediately. Add a mint garnish if you're feeling particularly fancy.

(adapted from the Vitamix Whole Food Recipes cookbook)

What's For Dessert: Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler

As I mentioned yesterday, at the Headhouse farmers' market this past Sunday I spied a pile of ruby-red rhubarb for sale by Culton Organics, and I just couldn't resist buying a half-pound of the stuff. Since I have used most of the rhubarb I've had on hand this spring in bread recipes (see here, here, and here), I decided this time around I'd head back to dessert territory. I wasn't in the mood to fuss with a crust, so pies and tarts were out. I already posted a crumble recipe on the blog, and crisps aren't that much different, so I opted to try my hand at a cobbler recipe. I scoured the web for a recipe to use, and ended up cobbling (ha ha!) together the following recipe using this strawberry-rhubarb crumble recipe I posted last year and this "best berry cobbler" recipe from Martha Stewart, along with a few additional tweaks here and there.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler (printer-friendly version)

makes 9 servings

For the filling:

6 stalks rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 1/2" slices

2 C organic strawberries, rinsed, hulled, halved, and quartered

2 T cornstarch

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t lavender vanilla bean sugar [optional]

1/2 C sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 t lemon zest

1. Combine the sliced rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in the cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, and salt.

2. Let the fruit mixture sit for at least 15 minutes before putting together the whole dish.

For the cobbler biscuit topping:

3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 C cold organic half and half, plus more for brushing

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1. Add the flours, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined.

2. Add in the small pieces of cold unsalted butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

3. Dump the contents of the food processor into a large bowl.

4. Pour in the cold half and half while stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until the dough begins to come together.

5. Form the dough into a large ball. Make nine small dough balls out of the large dough ball. Set the dough balls aside.

To make the cobbler:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Pour the fruit mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 glass baking dish. Make sure to spoon in any juices remaining in the bowl.

3. Place the dough balls onto the fruit mixture, spacing them evenly.

4. Brush each dough ball with half and half. Then sprinkle each ball with turbinado sugar.

5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. (In order to prevent a potential mess in your oven, place the baking dish on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil to catch any spillage.)

6. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

7. Serve with a small (or large!) scoop of homemade or high-quality vanilla ice cream.