Pecan Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries (n): little red packages of plump joy that miraculously spring from the earth.

I have always been fascinated by growth. That a plant emerges from a discrete package of instructions that is a seed, and then that plant pulls through its roots and vasculature the elements needed to assemble something as lovely and complex as a strawberry - that is a marvel and a beautiful thing. This year's marvels are destined for shortcake, and maybe jam if I get out to the u-pick farm.

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 beaten egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tbsp finely shredded orange peel
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 6 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, chopped pecans, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg, then add milk, orange peel, and vanilla.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir gently just until moistened.
4. Form six cakes by dropping batter by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
5. Bake in a 450F oven for 13 minutes, or until the cakes are golden. Remove from the baking sheet immediately and cool on a wire rack.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and 1/4 cup of sugar. Let stand for at least 20 minutes to allow strawberry juice to seep from the berries.
7. In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla.
8. To assemble, cut the shortcakes in half horizontally. Layer each shortcake as shown in the photo. Makes 6.

Om nom nom! :D
5:00

West Country Apple Cake

Sunday morning sunshine is different from the sunshine of the other days of the week. It is softer and warmer and seems to linger a little longer when streaming through the window onto the kitchen table. This morning I woke before the sun and busied myself in my kitchen, peeling apples, sifting, combining, and stirring. After I had placed my cake in the oven, I watched the sunrise as I walked to the corner store to get the Sunday paper. The cold chill of wintery air forced me to pull my scarf up around my ears and shove my hands deep in my pockets. When I returned, my warm little house was filled with the aroma of baking apples and spices, and the sun was shining at low angles through my windows. It was lovely.

Make some country apple cake, have a good cup of coffee, do the Sunday crossword puzzle, and enjoy the sunshine. It is days like this that make life good, isn't it?

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 large apples (use an heirloom variety if you can find them)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• scant 1/4 tsp each ground allspice, cloves, nutmeg
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Method

1. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Peel and core the apples. Slice into wedges that are about 1/2" thick.
3. Sprinkle the apples with the lemon juice; stir to coat the apples.
4. Add to the apples the raisins, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Stir. Set aside.
5. In a small mixing bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter cubes into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
6. Stir the brown sugar into the flour mixture.
7. Add the egg and milk to the flour mixture and stir to make a sticky dough. There may be small lumps of butter in the dough, but that is ok. The texture of the dough should be like a veryyy soft, lumpy cookie dough; not like a smooth cake batter. Divide the dough into two equal parts.
8. Spread half of the dough evenly in the bottom of the cake pan. Cover this bottom layer of dough with the apple mixture. Use the remaining dough to cover the top of the apples. It is ok if there are apples peeking through the top layer of dough. It is often prettier if it isn't perfect!
9. Place cake in preheated oven. Bake for 55 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve warm with whipped cream.

Om nom nom!! :)

5:00