Strawberry Semifreddo – Semi-Amazing

Strawberry Semifreddo – Semi-Amazing

Siti R on April 24, 2018

I used to tell my students to never try making classic desserts “healthier,” since your guests will always compare it to the unhealthy, and undoubtedly far superior original version. 

And yet that’s exactly what I’ve done with this strawberry semifreddo, although, in fairness, that happened accidentally while I was trying to make the recipe easier.

Traditionally, we’d make an egg custard for the base, as well as cook down our strawberry puree to concentrate the flavors; and while that does produce a fine, and much richer semifreddo, I wanted something simpler, that didn’t require any cooking. Besides saving time, and eggs, I think we also get a little cleaner, more distinct berry flavor.

However, the price we pay for those skipped steps, and the modest amount of sugar, is a less smooth and creamy texture. An extra rich, classically made semifreddo can be quite similar to ice cream, whereas this will be much firmer when frozen. That's why you really do need to let these warm up for at least 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

In the video, I described the texture as something in between strawberry ice cream and a strawberry popsicle, which reminds me, if you do have the molds, this mixture would be perfect frozen on a stick. Regardless of your delivery system, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 10 Ramekins (mine were 5.5 ounces each):

1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

zest from 1 lemon

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar, optional

1 3/4 cups cold heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons melted butter

For the garnish:

1 1/2 cup diced or sliced strawberries

2 or 3 tablespoons white sugar, or as needed

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Ben Franklin Breakfast Bowl – One Founding Father’s Alternative to Fast Food

Ben Franklin Breakfast Bowl – One Founding Father’s Alternative to Fast Food

Siti R on January 02, 2018

I much prefer teaching to preaching, but this time I’m attempting to do both, with the hope that you might introduce this delicious breakfast bowl into your morning routine. I’m not sure if an apple a day really does keep the doctor away, but I do know that being in the drive-thru line every morning, doesn’t.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which may or may not be true, but I’ve always found it to be the most difficult meal of the day.  There never seems to be enough time, and so it’s easy to get into a rut, resorting to questionable choices such as sugary cereal and milk, or fast-food breakfast sandwiches.

As far as specific ingredient choices go, I like to use chilled Honey Crisp, or Fuji apples, and, as I mentioned in the clip, sheep’s milk is my preferred yogurt. Some say it’s easier to digest, and it contains higher amounts of linoleic acid, which apparently helps with fat loss, but I simply prefer the taste. Just be sure to use a plain yogurt, since many flavored varieties contain a shocking amount of sugar.

So, whether you try this to help with that New Year’s resolution, or you’re just looking to add some variety into the morning routine, I really do hope you give this Ben Franklin breakfast bowl a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one portion:

1 cold, raw apple, cubed

6 ounces plain sheep’s milk yogurt

2 heaping tablespoons granola (click here for our recipe)

chopped nuts and/or additional seasonal fruit to garnish

Fresh Strawberry Tart – Now with 100% Less Tart Pan

Fresh Strawberry Tart – Now with 100% Less Tart Pan

Siti R on May 12, 2017

There shouldn’t be a lot of stress involved in making this free-form strawberry tart, since once it’s topped with fresh berries, and thickly glazed, it will look like something from a Paris pastry shop. And, I did say, “look like,” not “taste like,” but that’s not our fault. They have better cream cheese.

If you have a tart pan, go ahead and use it, but going free-form is always kind of fun, and even though we’re going to handle the dough a bit more, that’s not a problem with our almost foolproof buttercrust pastry. Just be sure to build up enough around the outside before you crimp, so that your tart is deep enough to hold the filling.

I joked about this being so beautiful that nobody will care what it tastes like, but of course, that’s ridiculous. Do not attempt this unless you can find some perfectly ripe, sweet strawberries. And when you do, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1/2 of our buttercrust pastry dough recipe

1 pound fresh strawberries

For the sweet cheese mixture:

8 ounces cream cheese or *fromage blanc

2 tablespoons crème fraiche

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, or to taste

For the glaze:

1/4 cup apricot jam (the clearer, the better), plus 2 teaspoons water, heated until brushable. Let cool a bit before applying.

*Note: my cream cheese was suspiciously thin, so your mixture will probably be thicker, and a little easier to work with.

- Bake tart shell at 375 F. for 20-25 minutes, until golden-brown, fill with cheese mixture, and finish baking for another 20 minutes, or until the pastry is browned, and the filling is set.

Fresh Strawberry Jam – Because Man Cannot Live on Clotted Cream Alone

Fresh Strawberry Jam – Because Man Cannot Live on Clotted Cream Alone

Siti R on April 07, 2017

Actually, I don’t think you can live on just clotted cream and fruit preserves either, but regardless, as promised, here’s my preferred method for making strawberry jam. While amazingly delicious, and quite satisfying to make, I’ll have to put this on the same list as homemade ketchup. This is fun to make once in a while, but due to the effort, and time involved, Smuckers has nothing to worry about.

This version features a lot less sugar than many recipes, which is kind of crazy, since we use over two cups, as well as a homemade pectin puree, to help tighten-up the texture. Feel free to use pectin powder or liquid instead, but I think I did a pretty good job explaining why I don’t in the video.

Strawberries should be sweet, and plentiful this time year, so if you’re looking for a fun project, especially if your last fun project was making clotted cream, I really hope you give this delicious, fresh strawberry jam a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 cups of Strawberry Jam:

For the pectin puree:

3 apples, chopped

1 lemon, chopped

1 cup water

For the jam:

3 pounds strawberries, rinsed, and trimmed

1 1/2 cups (or whatever you got) pectin puree

2 1/4 cups white sugar, added in two additions

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Please Note: To test without a thermometer, wait until the jam starts to reduce and thicken, and spoon some of the mixture on a plate, and place in the freezer for a few minutes, until the jam is cold. If it's jelled, you're done. If it's still runny, keep cooking, and testing.