Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

For the first time ever I completely lost a blog post that I had spent hours on. Ugh! Part of me wants to scream, part of me wants to weep uncontrollably, and yet another (superstitious) part of me wonders if any day with a 13 in it is an unlucky day. If you have ever put a significant amount of time, energy and what you believed was creativity into something, it can be more than a little disheartening to begin again. In what seems like one of life's rather insignificant miseries, I feel compelled to allow myself to have a certain amount of unhealthy wallowing. Sometimes a small amount of 'OMG, I can't believe this is happening' can be soul soothing and provide enough energy to help with 'getting over it', regrouping and starting all over again. Okay, one more 'Ugh'. 

Think I am now taking this blog posting in a completely different direction than the one that is seemingly lost in blog cyberspace. I just can't bring myself to trying to recreate what was probably one of the best blog postings ever to appear here (oh, the things one says when trying to recover from or remain in a state of denial over making a mistake). Am I am inferring my goal here is now to write something rather mediocre or just good enough? Maybe, maybe not. Remember I am coming from the place of a wounded bird (still wallowing) and am now filled with all sorts of self-doubt on my ability to construct anything having any clarity, coherence, or even a slight bit of cleverness. Maybe it was serendipitous I had made the Strawberry Buttermilk Cake this past weekend as there remains a sliver of a piece left in the refrigerator. Cake seems to have the magical powers of making one feel better. Under the weather, eat cake. Feeling sorry for yourself, eat cake. Having a bad day, eat cake. Being technically challenged, eat cake. Isn't this one of life's absolute truths? Or is it some invented rationale intended to ensure cake eating should always be a guilt-free pleasure? Invented or not, I am buying it. So before I allow myself the indulgence of and the euphoria that comes with eating a piece of cake, especially a piece of this Strawberry Buttermilk Cake, I feel compelled to first get the endorphin rush that comes with achieving a goal or two. Those goals being sharing an incredible cake recipe and successfully post to the blog today. I shall remain silent as to which of those is more important.

While it is technically not yet strawberry season, the strawberries at the grocery store this past weekend looked and tasted June ripened perfect.

Small and medium sized strawberries seem to have more flavor and taste sweeter to me, particularly early in the season. These lived up to that perception.

The recipe calls for one pound of strawberries, halved and hulled. I didn't use a full pound for this cake. Maybe because they were smaller and took up more space on top of the cake batter. But next time I make this cake (and there will be multiple next times), I will worry less about the finished look of the cake and squeeze as many of the strawberries on top as I can. Why? Because the slow and low baking of the strawberries makes them even sweeter and more delicious than you would think possible.

A batter made of unsalted butter, sugar, an egg, buttermilk, vanilla, sea salt, flour, and baking powder is made in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment.

The baking time for this cake may seem exceptionally long, but the end result is a moist, tender crumb, crispy edged cake. For the first 10 minutes the cake bakes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. The temperature is then reduced to 325 degrees and it continues to bake for an additional 50-60 minutes (mine baked for an additional 55 minutes) or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.

Cooled on a wire rack the cake is dusted with confectionary sugar. I didn't actually wait until the cake came to 'room temperature' before dusting it because I couldn't wait to taste it.

Having eaten this cake slightly warm, at room temperature, and chilled in the refrigerator, I have to honestly say I loved this cake warm and slightly chilled best. This Strawberry Buttermilk Cake may be one of the best strawberry cakes I have ever eaten. Seriously.

The dusting of the confectionary sugar is all this cake needs, but some freshly lightly sweetened whipped cream is a perfect compliment. Akin to adding pearls to simple black dress, the addition of whipped cream turns this kind of rusting looking cake into one dinner party worthy. Without it, the cake can also be served at breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Whether you are celebrating an event or accomplishment, trying to lift up someone's spirits, turn an unlucky day into a lucky day, or you don't really need a reason, make this Strawberry Buttermilk Cake. Simple never tasted so good. And of, if by chance any of you come across my original lost Strawberry Buttermilk Cake posting, the one where I shared with you what it felt like to again experience a momentary 'zen-like' state during a run this past weekend, to have all of the 'white noise' silenced in my head, and to no longer feel any angst about being the 'slow' runner in my group, well if you were on the brink of starting to or returning to run, it might just the push you need and another reason to eat cake.

Recipe
Strawberry Buttermilk Cake (recipe from the newly released cookbook Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love: More than 100 Recipes and Make it Yourself Projects to Create and Share by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved 
Confectionary sugar for dusting
Optional: Freshly whipped cream

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly butter a 9 inch deep dish pie plate and set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3-5 minutes).
4. Add egg, buttermilk and vanilla, blending until combined (mixture will seem curdled, but not to worry).
5. On low speed add the dry, sifted ingredients, mixing until fully blended. Mixture should be smooth, but do not over mix.
6. Scrape the batter (it will be thick), into the prepared pie plate. Smooth top with an offset spatula.
7. Place cut strawberries, cut side down, in concentric circles on top of the batter. Tap the entire dish lightly to remove any air bubbles.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees (F) and bake for additional 50-60 minutes (my bake time was 55 additional minutes) until golden on the edges and a cake tester comes out clean inserted into the center of the cake.
9. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.
10. Dust the slightly cooled or completely cooled cake with confectionary sugar and serve. 
Optional: Serve cake with freshly whipped cream and garnish with additional strawberries.
Note: Cake can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (if it lasts that long).

Baguettes

"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts." (James Beard) Not less than two weeks ago one of my friends suggested I make lobster roll buns for the blog. Catching me in one of those 'bread is not easy to make' moments of self-doubt, my reaction was less than enthusiastic. Since moving back from the east coast, life now means not having a lobster roll at least once a week (once you get spoiled with east coast lobster rolls, not having easy access to them is a genuine hardship). Actually it means hardly ever having a lobster roll (they are just not the same here). In spite of my bread making reticence and lobster roll remorse, the 'bread seed' was planted. And as fate would have it, I came across a recipe for baguettes several days later (one taking less than two hours from start to finish). Much to my surprise the baguettes looked relatively simple to make. Suddenly I went from being a bread making nay-sayer to eagerly jumping on the bread making bandwagon.

"The smell of good bread baking like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight." (M.F.K. Fischer) If the scent of bread baking in the oven isn't enough to help you overcome any of your founded or unfounded bread making fears, one taste of homemade warm bread should be enough to give you the confidence to take on the challenge. Scented candles or vases filled with lilacs are not anywhere near as intoxicating as the aroma of baking bread. Not to mention they aren't even edible.

The quality of ingredients always, always make a difference to a sweet or savory dish. Based on years of baking experience I have come to the self-appointed 'not all all-purpose flours are created equal' spokesperson. My current all-purpose flour favorite is made by King Arthur. The old adage 'you get what you pay for' is true more often than not. When making these baguettes, give this flour a try. If you aren't already using it, I promise you will not be disappointed.

The first key to successfully making bread is having yeast that actually activates when combined with warm (115 degrees F) water. If the mixture becomes bubbly and frothy your yeast is good. If not, the water wasn't warm enough or too warm or the yeast wasn't good. Should your yeast 'starter' not get off to a good start, you will need to start all over. For these baguettes, the yeast/water mixture also includes two tablespoons of honey. After waiting at least 5 minutes or up to 10 minutes, the all-purpose flour, olive oil, salt and additional water is added. Stirring or whipping the mixture together allows the gluten to develop. Once the mixed together, lightly knead the dough until smooth.

The second key step in the process is allowing the dough to rest and rise (the fermentation stage). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (placing a towel or cloth on top is optional) and put in a warm, draft free place. The dough should double in size in less than hour (about 40-45 minutes).

After the dough has risen, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 or 5 pieces. For longer baguettes cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll into your desired length. Remember, your baking sheet or bread pan will determine the length of your baguette. The rolled out, shaped baguettes need to rest (the proofing phase) for 25 minutes before baking. Note: Make several diagonal cuts on top of each baguette before allowing to proof.

At the time I made these baguettes, I did not have a baguette pan. Of course I felt compelled to buy one. My obsession for a baguette pan does not need to your obsession. As long as you have a heavy baking sheet, your baguettes should bake up beautifully. However, if making 5 smaller baguettes, divide the rolled baguettes between two baking sheets.

Before placing the baguettes in preheated 450 degree (F) oven, lightly spritz with water. In 18-20 minutes your baguettes should be golden brown and completely baked. Cool the baked bread on a wire rack (that is, if you can resist the urge to cut into one of the warm baguettes as soon as they come out of the oven).

Most bread recipes list preheating the oven as one of the steps in their directions. Have you ever wondered why no one has ever thought to add 'bring some really great butter to room temperature' to the directions? Think the time has come for someone to take care of that glaring omission? Okay, I will volunteer. 

In addition to butter, these baguettes are great for dipping into olive oil, for serving with cheese, for making crostini and topping with a creamy liver pate, for topping with cheese on a bowl of french onion soup, for making crostini, for making roasted red pepper and goat cheese sandwiches, for mopping up the sauce in a bowl of steamed mussels. In other words, baguettes have unlimited possibilities. As long as you have an oven, a bowl, some measuring cups and baking sheet, you can make them anywhere, anytime (and if you pack the ingredients in your suitcase, you can make them whether you are staying in a cabin in the woods or a house at the beach). These homemade baguettes will have you thinking twice about spending four or five dollars for single loaf. And the priceless satisfaction that comes with making your own bread will give you an adrenal rush as addictive as the aroma of homemade bread baking in the oven. 

Recipe

Baguette (recipe shared in the Spring (2015) issue of the Sweet Paul magazine)

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons dry active yeast

2 Tablespoons honey

1 1/2 cups warm water, divided

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (recommend King Arthur flour)

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Directions

1. Mix yeast, honey and 1/2 warm (115 degrees) water in a large bow. Let sit for 5 minutes or until mixture becomes frothy. If there is no frothiness, the yeast is inactive and you need to begin again.

2. Add remaining 1 cup warm water, flour, oil and salt. Mix until combined. Lightly knead until the dough is smooth.

3. Place dough back in bowl, cover with plastic and towel, put bowl in a warm place and allow to double in size (approximately 40 minutes).

4.Remove dough from bowl and place on a floured surface. Divide dough into 4 or 5 equal parts. Roll each part out into a long baguette.

5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Bring some good butter to room temperature.

6. Place rolled dough on either a lightly oiled baking pan or in a bread pan. Using a sharp knife, make several slits along the top of each baguette.

7. Let baguettes rest for 25 minutes.

8. Lightly spray each baguette with water before placing in the oven. Bake until golden, approximately 18-20 minutes. Note: Original recipe had a baking time of 15-18 minutes, however, mine were not fully baked until the 20 minute mark.

9. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

A sheep farm in northern Wisconsin.

Lemon Curd Mousse Tart in a Ginger Cookie Crust

After photographing the winter landscape for the past couple of months I was anxiously looking forward to capturing images of the early signs of spring with my camera. Optimistically and probably somewhat unrealistically, I headed up to northern Wisconsin in hopes of finding nature's early hidden treasures and gifts. Having not been up there at that time of year, my optimism was quickly met with a dose of north woods reality. Other than finding some early mosses, there was not an early spring flower or budding tree to be found. Instead, I came across beautiful shards of ice stacked up and lining the shores of the bay, glistening ice covered ponds and streams in the woods, perfectly freeze dried fruit still hanging from trees, and hundreds of wild turkeys roaming the soon to be tilled farm fields. Life was not giving me lemonade, it was giving me lemons. With camera in hand, I set out to explore places I had not yet been in order to capture as much of this 'first time seen, new to me' beauty as I could. And compared to the record setting bitter cold weather experienced on my last trip up there, temperatures in the low 40s and 50s felt downright balmy. Cold as one learns over time is all relative.

During what is considered the off-season, the state parks and nature areas are often rather desolate places in the winter and early spring. In the spirit of expressing concern for my safety one of friends asked if I watched shows like CSI. I don't was my answer, however, coming across a serial killer is far less of a concern than falling off the edge of a bluff while trying to get the 'perfect' photo.  Considering I can sometimes get lost in the moment, the fear of falling is much more likely to dominate my thinking on these wandering expeditions. With an already over-active imagination, it would probably be somewhat of challenge to focus on the landscape if I watched crime scene shows. I can't imagine photographing the signs of spring at nurseries or places like Home Depot would be very much fun. But in all seriousness, walking through the woods was probably a little less risky and slightly less dangerous than going out for ride on a one-speed, reverse the pedals to brake bicycle. How did we ride those bikes, uphill no less, as kids?

But Home Depot it was this past weekend! Not to take photos but to pick up some of the early spring pansies for planting as well as for decorating the Lemon Curd Mousse Tart in a Ginger Cookie Crust. Edible flowers and/or fresh fruit adorning any tart or cake makes for a most beautiful finishing touch. With all of the chocolate eggs and bunnies making an appearance for Easter, I decided to take a risk and make a lemony dessert, thinking it might be both a refreshing change and end to the meal. The inspiration for this tart came from Bon Appetit, however, the only similarities between their recipe and this one was the use of homemade lemon curd and heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks.

I have shared two different lemon curd recipes on the blog. Either one will work, but because of its' ease I decided to use the one from the Lemon Curd Mousse and Blueberry Parfait recipe. Lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, eggs and a pinch of sea salt makes the creamiest, tartest, most delicious curd. It is so easy to make it is almost foolproof.

Zest first, squeeze second. In order to get 2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice you will need 4 to 5 lemons, however, you will only use the zest from 4 of them.

After cooked and cooled slightly, the lemon curd should be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. It can be made early in the day or the day before. It needs to be chilled before assembling the tart.

A ginger cookie crust is the perfect compliment to a lemon curd mousse filling. A graham cracker crust is good but wouldn't deliver the same kind of taste experience this combination of flavors has.

Crushed ginger cookies, sugar and melted butter are mixed together and pressed firmly into a 9 inch removable bottom tart pan. After chilling the crust in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, it is baked in a preheated 325 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding the filling.

One and three quarters cup of the chilled curd is folded into one and a half cups of the whipped to stiff peaks heavy cream. The remaining curd will be used for the bottom and top layers of the tart.

After spreading a quarter cup of the lemon curd on the cooled to room temperature tart crust, the lemon curd whipped mixture is added. Use your imagination to decorate the top of the tart using the remaining lemon curd.

Unable to photograph any early spring flowers last week, I couldn't help but add them to the top of this Lemon Curd Mousse Tart in a Ginger Cookie Crust. Thankfully some spring flowers have finally arrived in the nurseries around here. I used (edible) pansies to decorate the top of the tart but you can use blueberries, blackberries or sugared lemon slices. Or you can leave it completely unadorned. The finished tart should be kept in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

This is one of those second helping kind of tarts (one slice doesn't seem to be enough). Once everyone tastes the lightness, creaminess, and tartness of the lemon filling along with the crunchy spicy ginger crust it will be one of those 'you will be forgiven for not making something chocolate' flavor combinations. And after having second helpings, no one here seemed to miss having a chocolate dessert brought to the table for Easter this year. Serving a lemony versus chocolate dessert turned out to not be such a risky decision after all.

Recipe
Lemon Curd Mousse Tart in a Ginger Cookie Crust

Ingredients
Lemon Curd
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from approximately 4 lemons)
Zest from four lemons
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter), room temperature soft
pinch of sea salt

Crust
9 ounces ginger cookies, crushed (recommend Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Cookie Thins)
1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Whipping cream
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Edible flowers or fresh fruit for garnishing

Directions
1. In a heavy bottom medium sized saucepan, beat eggs and sugar together.
2. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, and sea salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
3. On medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil (stir constantly). Note: Mixture should reach a temperature of 180 degrees (F).
4. Remove from heat, transfer to a heat proof bowl or jars. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top to prevent a crust from forming. Allow to cool before chilling in the refrigerator. (Note: Mixture will need to be well chilled before proceeding. Can make lemon curd early in the morning or the day before.)
5. Mix together the crushed ginger cookies, sugar and melted unsalted butter until well blended. Press firmly into a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
7. Bake chilled crust for 12-14 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Note: Cool completely before filling.
8. Whip cream until it holds firm peaks.
9. Fold whipped cream and 1 3/4 cup of lemon curd together until well blended. Set aside.
10. Spread 1/4 cup of lemon curd on the bottom of the cooled crust. Top with blended whipped cream and curd mixture.
11. Using a squeeze bottle or pastry bag, create a design with the lemon curd on top of the tart. 
12. Optional: Garnish with edible flowers or fresh fruit.
13. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Early spring images from northern Wisconsin.

Spinach Bacon Salad with Russian Dressing

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." (Mark Twain) There have been times in my life when some have said I don't look my age, usually a double-edged sword perception. And every once in a while someone will say I don't act my age which, let's just say, is more like a taking the sword experience. All of this obsession with age has resurfaced recently. It has less to do with the fact that I have a significant birthday looming ahead but rather more to do with my joining a 5K training group. Without knowing the ages of everyone in the group it would be safe to say I may be as old as or (gasp) older than their mothers. While it is not physically possible (at least for me) to keep up with those decades younger than I am, it hasn't stopped me from at least wanting to try to (at least for the first mile). I can't help but wonder if I had never abandoned running all those years (why are bad decisions so easy to see in retrospect?) if I would be experiencing a little less age-related angst. When I hear some say 'age is just a number', I think 'so is the 5k finishing time'. Considering this is where my head is currently at, you could probably guess there is no diminished angst.

With all of those head games taking up valuable space along with lamenting about being a much 'slower' runner, a memory of a story told to me by a friend years ago resurfaced. When her 'tall for his age' son was three-ish, most 'strangers' presumed he was five or even six-ish. Considering there is a world of difference in the language and social-emotional abilities of a three and that of a six year old, a brilliant three year old who physically resembles a six year old, well you can only imagine what 'strangers' thought when he was just acting his real age. And the only person feeling a little angst in those moments would have been none other than the mother of the three year old. If there were ever times in life where wearing (literally) one's age on your sleeve seems like a good idea, I can now think of two of them. Slow would most likely never be anyone's first or even second passing thoughts. Maybe the time has come for me to be 'Twain'-washed in my thinking about age.

With the impending return of spring-like weather (like my running it has been slow to arrive), my appetite for various foods has always been influenced by the change of seasons. While we are months away from having 'real' tomatoes available in the farmer's markets and grocery stores, I have been craving salads made with fresh vegetables a little more than usual lately. Like the seasons, the salads I like to make and eat also change. The Spinach Bacon Salad with Russian Dressing can certainly be made year round, but the addition of spring flowers turns into a salad you get to eat twice. First with your eyes, second with your taste buds. If there was ever a reason to create a garden of edible flowers, this salad would be one, but not the only one of them.

Baby spinach is more tender, sweeter, and flavorful than the grown version. Additionally, spinach happens to have a significantly higher nutritional value than lettuces.

Baby bellas or white button mushrooms sliced thinly, what is not to love? Pea shoots are beginning to show up in more places than in Asian cuisine. A perfect spring like vegetable, they hold the promise of the spring peas to come.

The love affair we all seem to have with bacon does not seem likely to come to an end anytime soon. While I have my reservations about bacon being infused in ice cream or chocolate (I may come to regret these perceptions), thick slices of smoked applewood bacon, cooked crisp and sliced into lardons completely ramp up the flavor of a salad, especially this salad. Buy the thickest smoked applewood bacon you can find. You will be happy you did. Thin might be considered a good thing in some contexts, bacon is not one of them.

To combat the (un)healthiness of bacon held by some, adding hard boiled eggs to a salad might help to neutralize it. If a reason was ever needed to continue the Easter tradition of making colored eggs, the Spinach Bacon Salad with Russian Dressing would be one of them. However, to limit the making of this salad or hard boiled eggs as pre or post- Easter holiday fare would be a shame, a terrible shame.

Allegedly Russian dressing was developed in the early 1900's in Nashua, New Hampshire, and not in Russia. Early versions of the dressing were said to have contained caviar, thus slightly contributing to its' name. This version of the dressing uses canola (or vegetable) oil instead of mayonnaise.

The Spinach Bacon Salad with Russian Dressing can be served as a side dish although it is substantial enough to be served as the main course. However you decide to serve it, serve the dressing on the side.

If the flavors, textures, and tastes in the Spinach Bacon Salad with Russian Dressing aren't enough to inspire you to want to make it, its' presentation at the table just might be what does. Beyond it's eye candy presentation, it is a really, really flavorful salad. A perfect salad to welcome spring, to serve year round. And for those you who really believe age or a number really doesn't matter, when your friends and family give this salad a five star rating, let me know if you make a paradigm shift in your thinking.

Recipe
Spinach Bacon Salad with Russian Dressing (salad and dressing inspired by a Julia Baker recipe)
Updated April 2021

Ingredients
Dressing
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large shallot grated or finely minced

Salad
6-8 hard boiled eggs, cut in half (highly recommend making jammy eggs)
12 ounces applewood smoked bacon, cooked crispy, cut into lardons (1/2 in slices)
1 cup pea shoots or fresh broccoli sprouts
7-8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin
7-8 cups baby spinach

2 purple radishes sliced paper thin

10-12 sugar snap peas cut lengthwise
Kosher salt and pepper
Optional: Edible Flowers (e.g., pansies, nasturtiums)

Directions
1. Combine the oil, brown sugar, ketchup, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and shallot in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until all ingredients are fully combined and dressing is smooth and slightly thickened. Transfer to a sauce boat or small pitcher. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Using a large platter, layer spinach, arrange hard boiled eggs around edges of platter, scatter mushrooms and bacon over top of spinach, finish with arranging pea shoots down center of the salad. Optional: Scatter edible flowers over the salad.
3. Serve salad with dressing on the side.

Notes: (1) The ingredients in this salad sometimes evolve depending on what is freshly available at the grocery store or Farmer's Market. I love the flavor and taste of purple radishes and sugar snap peas, so they are now regular staples in this salad. (2) As much as I love hard boiled eggs, I am deeply madly in love with jammy eggs. Look for organic, deep yellow or orange yolk eggs.