A Life, Lived

Mixed Berry Galette

This mixed berry galette is loaded with fresh juicy fruit like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries! Paired with the most delicious crust, this is the perfect easy and delicious dessert!

We are smack dab in the middle of summer right now and while other stone fruits are coming into play (hey peaches, nectarines and plums) the berries are still going strong.

think of a Galette as a de-constructed, less high maintenance pie. It uses pie crust as the foundation, you add berries (thickened with cornstarch) in the middle and then you fold the pie crust around the berries. It’s much easier than a normal pie and it feels like you’ve made something fancy when in reality you saved time. Win win.

Enjoy

Mixed Berry Galette

2 cups fresh strawberries, diced into thirds
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 pre-made pie crust
3 tbsp turbinado sugar, divided
1 tbsp cornstarch
egg wash

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Dice your strawberries into thirds and add them into a bowl with the blackberries and blueberries. To the bowl, add 1 tbsp turbinado sugar and 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Mix very gently until combined!

Slightly roll out your refrigerated pie dough onto a baking sheet. Place the the berries (make sure not to add any berry juice) in the middle of the pie crust, leaving about 1.5-2 inches of pie dough to fold over the fruit. 

Take the pie dough and gently fold it over the fruit, pinching the seams each time you fold to make sure the berries are held inside. Gently beat an egg to make an egg wash. Brush the outside crust gently with egg wash and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of turbinado sugar. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely (about 20-30 minutes). Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds

Apparently raspberries respond well to 'surface of the sun' heat and 'Sahara desert' rainfall. They have been coming in tastier than I remember them. Raspberries are one of the few fruit that I can think of that taste better baked than when raw. The other being plums.

Bake them I did.

Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds is moist, fluffy and super easy to make! It’s perfect for dessert in the evening or with coffee in the morning.

NOTE: the recipe calls for frozen berries. I used fresh and it turned out well. If the berries are overripe it could be problematic and them might break apart in the thick batter. It would still taste good but it might look unsightly.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Almonds

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter - melted and cooled (½ cup)
1 heaping cup frozen raspberries - divided
>¼ cup sliced almonds

Place a rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven (NOT right in the center). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch diameter cake pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together eggs, ricotta and vanilla until smooth in another bowl then stir into dry ingredients.

Fold in the melted butter followed by ¾ cup of the frozen raspberries, being careful to not crush the berries.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Scatter remaining berries over the top followed by the almonds.

Bake 50 minutes or until light golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie

Strawberry-rhubarb slab pie is a summertime crowdpleaser, especially with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! Sweet strawberries combine amazingly with the tart flavor of rhubarb, and your favourite pie crust takes this incredible dessert to a whole new level of goodness.

Strawberry rhubarb is a classic summertime combo that just makes sense, especially since strawberries and rhubarb share the same peak season. Snag fresh stalks of rhubarb at your local farmer’s market (or plant your own if you’re in the right growing region) to enjoy this crisp and tart produce item all summer long!

A slab pie is nothing more than a large pie baked in a rectangular baking dish that is more shallow than a standard pie pan. If you have a baking sheet with a one-inch lip (I used a jelly roll pan), you’re good to go! Since slab pies serve more people than a regular pie dish, slab pie recipes are perfect for feeding a crowd. Think summer barbecues, family gatherings, holiday weekends… If you’ve never made one, a slab pie is definitely in order.

Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie

1 double crust pie crust

For the Filling:
3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb
5 cups strawberries, sliced
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch (heaping)

For the Streusel Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter

Roll out dough to 19 by 14 inches and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Crimp the edges and refrigerate until ready to fill.

For the filling, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss until combined.

For the streusel topping, pulse the flower, brown sugar, and butter together in a food processor until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs.

To assemble the pie, spread the filling evenly over the pie crust. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel topping. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the crust is browned and the juices are bubbly. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

Way back before COVID  hit (the before times) Paul and I used to always stop into the American grocery store Wegmans on our cross-border shopping trips. In the fall Wegmans sells an amazing pumpkin roll cake - something we had never seen of heard of back home. Moist pumpkin cake filled with a light cream cheese filling. Picking up a cake was something we always did.

Now that our cross-border shopping trips have been stymied I've been craving one of this cake. It is one of the few times that I have been disappointed that Canada doesn't go gaga over pumpkin flavoured things as much as the US does.

When I started searching for recipes online I discovered that the pumpkin cream cheese roil is a well-loved American treat and there are a bazillion recipes for it. YouTube is chock full of videos showing me how to roll the cake just so to prevent the disastrous crack. With options that complex I went to King Arthur Flour and printed a recipe off of their site.

The first thing I discovered was that I needed a new jelly roll pan - 10x15 inches. Apparently I had double jelly roll pans. Who knew?

Amazon came through and I was good to go.

But I put it off - intimidated by the process.

Yesterday I was determined to tackle this challenge. Turns out it was a lot easier than i was expecting.

This classic pumpkin roll recipe is made with a moist pumpkin sponge cake, rolled up with a fluffy cream cheese filling. We both loved it.

Now that I have had some success with rolled cakes I am thinking of tacking a Bouche de Noel at Christmas!

Enjoy.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

3/4 cup (90g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (hard to find in Canada but I discovered that 'regular' AP flour works as well)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of cloves, ginger, and allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (198g) sugar
2/3 cup (177g) pumpkin purée

Filling

one 8-ounce package (227g) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons (85g) butter, softened
1 cup (113g) confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease and line a standard 10" x 15" or 9 1/2" x 14" jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick, fluffy, and light in color. Beat in the pumpkin.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

Bake the cake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.

Loosen the edges with a knife or spatula. Lightly spray a second piece of parchment with non-stick vegetable oil spray and invert the cake onto the prepared second piece of parchment.

Using the two pieces of parchment, roll the cake up from the short end. Allow it to cool completely, wrapped in the parchment.

To make the filling: Mix the cream cheese and butter until well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake: Carefully unroll the cake and spread it with the filling.

Re-roll the filled cake with the filling inside, and place it seam-side down on a serving plate. Trim the ends for a clean appearance.

Dust with confectioners' sugar right before slicing and serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a classic coffee-flavoured Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts.

This recipe is one of those adaptations. Strawberry Tiramisu, a fast and easy no bake Dessert. Made with fresh strawberries, cream and mascarpone. This is one of those desserts that you won't make all year - you want the freshest, juiciest, local strawberries for maximum flavour. The best part of it is strawberry season coincides with hot weather usually when turning the oven on is not an option. You won't need the oven to whip this together.

You will need to be prepared for all of the praise you'll receive from those you serve it to!

The recipe calls for a homemade strawberry juice made with fresh strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and water. Any leftover juice will be perfect over ice cream or why not add some ice and a little sparkling water and enjoy a delicious refreshing cold drink. We discovered that this strawberry juice is a key ingredient to any number of cocktails so explore away. :-)

Strawberry Tiramisu

2 cups chopped strawberries (332 grams)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup cold water (118 grams)
1 pasteurized egg*
1 cup mascarpone (225 grams)
1 cup whole cream (220 grams)
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar (sifted)
30 Italian Lady finger cookies (approximately)
1 cup sliced strawberries (166 grams)

To make the strawberry juice: Clean and chop the strawberries into small pieces sprinkle with sugar, place strawberries, lemon juice and water in a blender, blend until smooth, pour into a bowl and set aside.

To make the cream mixture: In a medium bowl beat the egg (if using) for approximately 30 seconds then add the sugar, mascarpone and cream, beat on medium until thickened. (approximately 5-10 minutes, you don't want it to be too thick or too thin, nice and creamy )

Putting it all together: Lady Finger Cookies (approximately 30 or more if needed) 1 baking dish (I used  10 x 7 inch / 26 x 17 cm).

In a small bowl add half the strawberry juice to start,(you may have left over strawberry juice, which is great over ice cream or even add a little more sugar and it makes a great drink) dip the lady finger cookies in the juice (turning to coat all the cookie with juice, but don't leave them submerged in the juice) then arrange cookies on bottom of baking dish and cover with half the cream mixture, cover with the sliced strawberries, repeat cookies for another layer and cover with remaining cream mixture.

Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours or even over night. Top with fresh strawberries before serving.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

I'm a bit late in posting this. It would be hard to find rhubarb at this point in the growing season however if you're like me you would have had bits and pieces that you tossed in the freezer to use later. Pick up some ever bearing strawberries (which actually taste decent this year)  and you are set.

I do not often turn the oven on during the summer but when I do it is usually for some sort of dessert. Cobblers are perfect - you can toss in whatever fruit is in season and you are off. With this version the rhubarb, which is very tart, is combined with strawberries to mellow out the flavour.

The most classic combination of strawberries and rhubarb is seen in the traditional strawberry-rhubarb pie. But, when I don’t have the time or patience to deal with pie dough…I make a deliciously simple crumble. You can mix this crumble together, bake it and eat it in about an hour.

This recipe is by Bobby Flay.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar aka Sugar in the Raw)
Zest of one lemon
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 quart strawberries plus a few extras, hulled, quartered
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt

Heat oven to 375°F. Prepare topping: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugars and lemon zest and add the melted butter. Mix until small and large clumps form. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and a pinch of salt in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or 9-inch square glass baking dish. Let sit 10 minutes.

Remove topping from refrigerator and cover fruit thickly and evenly with topping. Place plate or dish on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake on the middle rack until crumble topping is golden brown in places and fruit is bubbling beneath, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let the crumble rest for at least 15 minutes then serve warm with vanilla ice cream, freshly whipped cream or Greek yogurt.

Apple Crisp

Apple crisp is a classic fall dessert consisting of baked chopped apples, topped with a crisp streusel crust. Ingredients usually include cooked apples, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and often oats and brown sugar, ginger, and/or nutmeg. Comfort in a bowl!

I do not normally follow a recipe when I make apple crisp - it is one of those tried and true things that I just whip together but I did last Sunday. I found this recipe on the Ricardo website and thought that it looked good. I actually followed the recipe which is rare for something like this. The result was delicious.

We served it warm with some vanilla ice cream. MMMMM

Apple Crisp

1/4 cup (60 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
1/3 cup (75 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cinnamon
3 Cortland apples, peeled and sliced
3 McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

With the rack in the lowest position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).

In a bowl, combine the oats, flour, and brown sugar. Add the butter and stir to combine. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the apples and lemon juice and stir to combine.

Spoon into a 20-cm (8-inch) square baking dish. Cover with the topping. Bake for about 50 minutes. Let cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with vanilla ice cream.

Italian Grape Cake

Studded with juicy grapes with hints of vanilla and citrus, this is a simple and lovely Italian-style cake — perfect for breakfast, brunch or tea but also delicious topped with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream for dessert. It’s called a “harvest cake” because it’s traditionally made during the grape harvest season to use up the small grapes not going for pressing. More practically, it’s a great way to use up any grapes that are less than perfect (e.g. soft or tough-skinned).

It was perfect for my purposes - I had a lot of grapes from our CSA that I wanted to use up before we leave for Poland and Germany. I have no clue what kind of grapes these are - they are small, purple, seedless, and have an intense flavour. So intense, in fact, you almost think it must be artificial.

The cake is prepared with half butter and half olive oil, producing an unusually light and moist cake. I used some of the tangerine infused olive oil that I brought home from California - it riffed nicely off of the citrus zest in the cake.

This was easy to make and delicious - an important combination in my books.

Italian Grape Cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off, plus more for flouring the pan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/3 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
2 teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest, from one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups seedless grapes, divided

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place about 2 tablespoons of flour in the pan. Turn and shake the pan so that the flour covers all greased surfaces. Turn the pan upside down over the sink and tap lightly with your hand to remove excess flour. (If you don't have a springform pan, it's fine to use a 9-inch nonstick cake pan. For extra insurance that the cake will release, butter the pan, then place a 9-inch round of parchment paper on the bottom, butter the paper, then flour the whole pan as directed above.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs with 2/3 cup of the sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about a minute. Add the milk, olive oil, melted butter, lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 1-1/2 cups of the grapes. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Scatter the remaining grapes evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over top. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool the cake for about 15 minutes on a rack.

Slide a butter knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Unfasten the latch on the side of the pan and gently ease the side of the pan off of the cake. Slide a wide metal spatula between the bottom of the cake and the pan, lift the cake off the base and transfer to a serving plate. (If you used a regular nonstick cake pan, simply invert the cake onto a plate and flip over.)

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

This is a classic southern recipe - different than the cobblers more familiar in the north with a sort of biscuit-like topping. It is also one of the easiest dessert recipes I have every made.

I LOVE easy.

You require three ingredients for the crust – self-rising flour, sugar, and either milk or buttermilk. For the filling you can simply use a can of pie filling. Oh, and you need a stick of butter. See it is southern.

Now I mix it up - I always use some combination of fresh fruit. I generally add some spice to the fruit - in this case I added some cinnamon. I also add some vanilla to the batter (because everything is better with a splash of vanilla).

The nice thing about this recipe is you whip it together just before you sit down for dinner and by the time you are done eating you have an amazing dessert waiting.

Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

1 stick butter
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups fruit
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place butter in an 8X8 square baking dish. Place dish in oven until butter is melted.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar. Mix well, then stir in milk and vanilla. Pour the mixture into baking dish, on top of the melted butter.

Place the fruit on top of the batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until peaches are bubbly and crust is lightly browned.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

When I was act the farm last week to buy flowers i spotted a sign saying that the last of the rhubarb was on sale. I bought two bunches. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I didn't want to miss it!

Later that same day I was at the grocery store and saw a display of the first Ontario strawberries of the season.

Now I had a plan since strawberry rhubarb (something) is a wonderful combination.

I ended up making a cobbler from a recipe I found on the Simply Recipes blog.

I like cobblers - a delicious fruit filling with a biscuit topping far more than a pie. It is a heck of a lot easier to make as well. I'll admit it, with work being so hectic I am a big fan of easy. :-)

Try serving this version warm with vanilla ice cream. MMMMM

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

4 1/2 cups rhubarb stalks (about 1 1/4 pounds or 560 g)  cut into 1-inch pieces (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
1 1/2 cups strawberries (1/2 pound or 225 g), stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more if you want the cobbler filling sweeter)
2 Tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon of grated orange peel
1 cup (130 g) all purpose flour
2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp, 57 g) butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Toss the rhubarb and strawberries with sugar, tapioca, zest, let rest: In a bowl, mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, and orange zest.

Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Make the biscuit topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, the baking powder and salt.

Use your (clean) hands to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with pieces of butter no bigger than a pea.

Stir in the milk and egg until just moistened (do not over-mix!).

Put fruit in casserole, top with biscuit dough: Pour the strawberry rhubarb mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Drop the biscuit dough on top of the fruit, like cobblestones.

Bake: Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 35 minutes until cobbler crust is golden brown.