Strawberry Matcha Cream Cheese Tart

It's certainly taken its own sweet time, but I think spring is *finally* here, just in time for the #strawberriesarethejam collaboration!  I mean, it might've snowed last week, and it's snowed on Mother's Day before, so I'm not ruling winter completely gone either, but I'm just happy to be finally seeing the trees outside starting to bloom!

This tart was inspired by the sakura matcha Kit Kats I saw in the Narita airport on my way home from Taiwan this month.  While I don't have access to sakura (cherry blossoms) as an ingredient, I thought these sliced strawberries would add a nice, springtime sweetness.

As a bonus, they can also be arranged into pretty flowers that remind me of sakura blossoms.  For this tart I used Dorie Greenspan's sweet tart dough with nuts, but her regular sweet tart dough would work as well.

Strawberry Matcha Cream Cheese Tart

makes 1 tart

Your favorite sweet tart crust, fully baked and cooled

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ceremonial grade matcha powder

Sliced strawberries

Chopped nuts (optional)

Use the paddle attachment in a stand up mixer or a hand mixer to combine the cream cheese, sugar, and matcha powder until smooth and creamy.  Spread into the tart shell and chill while you slice the strawberries.

Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the cream cheese in the shape of a flower.  Add a little sprinkle of chopped nuts in the center if you like.

Previously:  My Mom's Taiwanese Zongzi

Last Year:  Rhubarb Strawberry Coconut Cream Tart

Two Years Ago:  Sesame Soba Noodles with Avocado Rose

Three Years Ago:  Gordon Ramsay's Sublime Scrambled Eggs - Two Ways

Four Years Ago:  Nutella Mini Crepe Cakes

Eight Years Ago:  Lilikoi Malasadas

Nine Years Ago:  Moffles

Check out the rest of the bloggers that participated in the #strawberriesarethejam collaboration:

Square Meal Round Table’s Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Pavlova

The Cooking of Joy’s Strawberry Matcha Cream Cheese Tart

This Healthy Table’s Strawberry Tahini Shortcake

Flours in Your Hair’s Strawberry Milk Donuts

The Wood and Spoon’s Strawberry Icebox Pie

Smart in the Kitchen’s Rustic Strawberry Galette

The Herb and Spoon’s Strawberry-Jam Filled Brioche Donuts

Better with Biscuit’s Strawberry Cobbler

My Kitchen Love’s Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

Sift and Simmer’s Rose Strawberry Hibiscus Mille Crepe Cake

What Great Grandma Ate’s No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars (Paleo, Vegan)

A Modest Feast’s Greek Yogurt With Crispy Quinoa and Roasted Strawberries

Hola Jalapeno’s Strawberry Pink Peppercorn Margarita

Worthy Pause’s Strawberry-Basil Shrub Cocktail

Hot Dishing It Out’s Panna Cotta with Strawberry Jelly

Figs & Flour’s Shrimp Tacos with Strawberry Apricot Salsa

Pie Girl Bakes’ Strawberry Ginger Pie

Crumb Top Baking’s Strawberry Chia Jam Oat Bars

The Gourmandise School’s Strawberry Pistachio Salad

Tiny Kitchen Caper’s Strawberries and Cream Pound Cake

Cook Til Delicious’ Mini Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Ganache

Something New For Dinner’s Watermelon, Tomato and Strawberry Salad with Burrata

A Spicy Perspective’s Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Easy and Delish’s Strawberry Brigadeiros

Plays Well with Butter’s Strawberry Salad with Goat Cheese, Grilled Chicken, & Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Katherine in Brooklyn’s Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

Sugar Salt Magic’s Strawberry Mousse Tart

The Healthy Sins’ Coconut Flour Crepes Topped with Fresh Strawberries and Coconut Yogurt

Lemon Thyme and Ginger’s Strawberry Basil No Churn Ice Cream

Jessie Sheehan Bakes’ Strawberry Basil Turnovers

Bavette Meat & Provisions’ Pickled Green Strawberries

Rezel Kealoha’s Apple Cider Rose Poached Strawberries with Thyme Flowers

Made from Scratch’s Roasted Strawberry and Basil Ice Cream

Eat Cho Food’s Strawberry Basil Glazed Donuts

What’s Karen Cooking’s Strawberry Eton Mess

More Icing Than Cake’s Strawberry, Balsamic & Black Pepper Babka

Well Seasoned Studio’s Classic Vanilla Layer Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream and Fresh Strawberries

Farm & Coast Cookery’s Strawberry & Thyme Shortcake

Marianne Cooks’ Strawberry Madeleines

Clean Plate Club’s Mini Strawberry Bundt Cakes with Lemon Glaze

My Berkeley Kitchen’s Strawberry Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Cinnaman’s Rose Hibiscus Strawberry Icebox Pie

Prickly Fresh’s Strawberry Burrata Kale Salad with Pistachio & Lemon Vinaigrette

Maren Ellingboe’s Angel Food Cake with Whipped Cream & Strawberries

Baking the Goods’ Mini Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

Fufu’s Kitchen’s Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

What Annie’s Eating’s Vegan Strawberry + Basil Ice Cream

Katie Bird Bakes’ Strawberry Crumble Bars

Cosette’s Kitchen’s Strawberry Shortcake

Blossom to Stem’s Strawberry Pavlova with Mezcal and Lime

Babby Girl Yum’s Strawberry Spinach Almond Salad

It’s a Veg World After All’s Butter Lettuce Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Le Petite Eats’ Strawberry Orange Blossom Tartlets

Cooking with Cocktail Ring’s Basil Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake

Ful-Filled’s Lilac Sugar Strawberry Shortcakes with Greek Yogurt Whipped Cream

The College Housewife: Mixed Berry Whiskey Crisp

Frosting and Fettuccine’s Strawberry Basil Layer Cake with Strawberry Simple Syrup

Zestful Kitchen’s Strawberry & Pine Nut Brittle Salad

3-28 Slab Pie

Where were you when the Patriots came from behind and won Superbowl 51?  I was at my church, watching the game on the big screen.  By the time halftime rolled around, I knew the Patriots were in big trouble, and I called my mom, who has the gift of prayer (I have the gift of faith) to pray for them to win.  She didn't believe they could, but after I begged her to, she relented and agreed to pray for them.  So I guess you could say that what happened next was all because of me and my mom.

The idea for this pie had been brewing in my mind for a long time, but I wanted to wait until strawberries and blueberries were in season to make it.  I usually brush an egg wash on top of my pie dough before baking, but I decided I wanted to keep crust as pale as possible to make it look more similar to the infamous chyron.  If I had had more time, I might have made some royal icing to make the numbers and letters stand out even more, but I think it looks pretty good as is.  =)

3-28 Slab Pie
makes one 10" x 15" slab pie

For the pie crust:
3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup ice water, plus more as needed

For the filling:
3 cups fresh blueberries
3 cups fresh sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter has been cut into pea-sized pieces. Add the water and pulse to combine. Add more water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two pieces, one twice the size of the other, and wrap both with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least an hour or as long as overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Roll out the larger piece of dough to about a 13" x 18" rectangle.  Press into a 10" x 15" baking sheet and fold the excess dough underneath.  Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork and crimp the edges.  Chill while assembling the rest of the pie.

Roll out the smaller piece of dough and cut out the letters and numbers.  You'll also want to cut out a thin strip of dough about 10" long to use as a divider between the two fillings.  You should end up with a lot of leftover dough, which you can use to make a tart or galette.  Chill while you fix up the filling.

In a small mixing bowl, toss the blueberries with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.  Toss the sliced strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in another bowl.

Place the dividing strip of dough down the middle of the pie.  Fill the left side with the blueberries and the right side with the strawberries.  Carefully arrange the letters and numbers on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Next:  Greyscale Cream Puffs
Previously:  Rhubarb Strawberry Coconut Cream Tart
Last Year:  My Mom's Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Two Years Ago:  Pasta con le Sarde
Three Years Ago:  Cleveland Cassata Cake
Four Years Ago:  Zuni Cafe's Fried Eggs in Bread Crumbs
Seven Years Ago:  Coconut Lime Sorbet
Eight Years Ago:  Homemade Bulgogi Dumplings

Rhubarb Strawberry Coconut Cream Tart

Ever since I attempted the herringbone lattice pie crust a few months ago, I've been wanting another shot at getting it right.  So when I saw rhubarb being sold at my local grocery story, I figured I'd try to make a tart and top it with a herringbone lattice made of poached rhubarb strips!

When buying the rhubarb for this, try to get ones of equal width so the lattice will look nice and neat.  I pretty much followed the instructions for poaching the rhubarb from Baking a Moment's beautiful post on making a rhubarb tart with a (regular) lattice top.  Instead of using a mandolin, I used my vegetable peeler which, honestly, was a labor of love.  I probably had to ditch a third of my attempts at getting nice long thin ribbons.  Luckily, I bought a couple more rhubarbs that I thought I'd need exactly for this reason.

For the tart crust, I used the recipe for a sweet tart crust from Mark Bittman's How to Bake Everything.  I also followed his suggestion to use sweetened whipped coconut cream as the base.  I originally wasn't going to add the layer of strawberries, but my friends Celine and Alex were over this weekend and left me some beautiful strawberries.  I'm so glad I added them because they have a natural sweet-tartness which perfectly complements the flavor of the rhubarb.  The nice thing about this recipe is that if you use a vegan and/or gluten-free tart crust, the rest of the pie is also vegan and gluten-free!

Rhubarb Strawberry Coconut Cream Tart
makes a 9" tart

Your favorite 9" sweet tart crust, blind baked and cooled
14 oz. can of coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced strawberries
6-8 rhubarb stalks of equal width
1/2 cup sugar

Before you fit the tart dough into your tart pan, remove the bottom and trace it on a large piece of parchment paper.  Then proceed to line the pan with the dough, chill, and blind bake until golden brown all over.

Place the can of coconut milk, a large bowl, and the metal beaters of your electric beater in the fridge overnight.  The next morning, open the can and spoon out the solid white coconut cream into the chilled bowl.  You can discard the leftover liquid or save it to add to smoothies or overnight oats.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl and use the chilled beaters to beat the cream until it is light and fluffy.  Spread it evenly across the bottom of the tart crust and chill in the refrigerator while you wash and slice the strawberries.

Arrange the strawberries on top of the coconut cream in an even layer.  Cover and return to the fridge to chill while you prepare the rhubarb.

Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to peel long, thin strips from the rhubarb stalks.  Roughly chop any leftover red parts and add to a large pot along with any leftover strawberry pieces.  Add a cup of water and the sugar and bring to a simmer.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a couple layers of paper towels.  Poach the strips of rhubarb in batches for about a minute or so until softened.  Remove with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain.  Reserve the poaching liquid.

Use the parchment paper with the outline of the tart pan to lay out half the rhubarb strips vertically.  Then, fold the first strip halfway down, skip 3, then fold down the next 3, and skip the next 3, following this pattern until you reach the end.

Lay a long strip down horizontally across the middle, then, leaving the 1st vertical strip folded over, fold down the 2nd vertical strip over the horizontal strip you just laid down, skip the next 2, fold the 5th strip back up, leave the next 2 as is, and fold down the one after that, etc.  Lay another strip down horizontally above the first one you laid down.  Continue to repeat this pattern until you've covered the outlined 9" circle.  This post from Serious Eats is also a great resource (with pictures!) on how to create the herringbone lattice top.  You can also just do a plain checkered lattice crust which would still look very nice.

Remove the tart from the fridge and carefully flip the woven rhubarb lattice onto the tart (it will seem quite scary but because the strips are still wet, they will adhere to the parchment paper pretty well).  Peel the parchment paper away and re-adjust the lattice as needed.  Use a sharp pair of kitchen shears or paring knife to cut away any extra rhubarb.  Brush some of the poaching liquid on top, being careful not to disturb the herringbone pattern.  Chill until ready to serve.

Next:  3-28 Slab Pie
Previously:  Rainbow Crepe Cake
Last Year:  Will It Puffle?
Two Years Ago:  Gordon Ramsay's Sublime Scrambled Eggs - Two Ways
Three Years Ago:  Nutella Mini Crepe Cakes
Seven Years Ago:  The Best Scones in the World
Eight Years Ago:  Bacon and Egg Bunny Buns

Strawberry Pop Tart Slab Pie

 

Ever since I saw this post for a S'mores Pop Tart slab pie, I just knew I had to make my own version of a frosted strawberry Pop Tart!  Can you think of anything more fun and delightful than a huge slab pie filled with jammy fresh strawberries, glazed, and topped with rainbow sprinkles?  I didn't think so. 

One pro-tip for making this pie is to use parchment paper.  You can use it to figure out how large to roll the dough out to just by creasing the paper inside the baking pan first.  You can also use it to easily transport the rolled out dough to the refrigerator and into the baking pan.  Lastly, it makes it super easy to remove the pie from the pan and totally saves time on clean up!

I didn't use all the glaze because I didn't want the pie to be too sickeningly sweet, but it also meant I didn't get a nice opaque frosting on top, which would have looked more authentic.  To make it super authentic, I'd also glaze one of the shorter sides of the pie all the way to the edge since my Pop Tarts always seem to be unevenly frosted like that.

Strawberry Pop Tart Slab Pie
serves 10-12 (although I served it to a small group of 5, and we pretty much demolished it)

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cubed
1/4 cup ice water, more as needed

For the filling:
1 lb. fresh strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla or granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of kosher salt
Juice from 1/2 lemon

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Rainbow sprinkles!

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter has been cut into pea-sized pieces.  Add the water and pulse to combine.  Add more water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together.  Divide the dough in two, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Tear off two large pieces of parchment paper and tuck each into a 9" x 13" baking pan, creasing along the sides and corners so you know how large to roll the dough.  One at a time, roll out the two pieces of dough to about 10" x 14" on the parchment paper.  It's okay if it's not perfect since you'll be tucking the sides over and under.  You can cut off any excess pieces and patch up other corners or cracks if needed, too.  Transfer the rolled out dough on the parchment paper back to the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Wash, hull, and thinly slice the strawberries.  Toss with the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon juice.

Tuck one of the rolled out crusts with the parchment paper into the baking pan, making sure there is enough dough on all sides to form a rim.  Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the crust.  Top with the other rolled out pie crust.  Carefully crimp together the edges and fold the excess dough over and under the edge, lifting up the parchment paper underneath to help with this process.  If there was a lot of extra dough, you can trim it off, but you want to make sure the filling is sealed inside.

Use a fork to prick the top crust evenly all around.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Check to make sure that the holes you made are still open (sometimes they shrink and seal up), and if not, prick again with a fork.  Rotate and return to the oven for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Make the glaze in the meantime by mixing together the confectioner's sugar and milk.

Allow the pie to cool before using the parchment paper as a sling to remove it from the pan and onto a large cutting board.  Spread the glaze over the pie, leaving a 1/2" border.  Immediately top with the rainbow sprinkles.

The pie actually reminded me a little more of a Toaster Strudel than a Pop Tart, which isn't a bad thing.  Oooh, now to make a gigantic Toaster Strudel with puff pastry and cream cheese frosting....

Next:  Grace's Ginger Scallion Fish
Previously:  Ginger Beer Sherbet
Last Year:  Oven Fried Mac 'n' Cheese Pizza

Cleveland Cassata Cake (Bonus: In a Jar!)

Growing up in Cleveland, I knew this as "the really yummy cake with the fresh strawberries."  I was aware it had a name, but because I had only heard people say it and never saw it in writing, I always thought it was a "cascada" cake.  It was only after leaving Cleveland that I realized you can't get this cake everywhere, which is so, so sad for everyone else in the world.

Think of it as the strawberry shortcake of your dreams:  layers of light, moist chiffon filled with fresh strawberries and custard and frosted with whipped cream.  For me, it's the fresh strawberries that really make this cake; they're tossed with just a couple spoonfuls of sugar to release their juices but still stay firm and almost have a little crackle because of the seeds.

I pretty much followed this recipe from Sweet Amandine, except I decided to only make a two-layer cake with half the recipe and try to make three-layer cakes-in-a-jar with the other half (similar to my Happiness Cake in a Jar).  For the two-layer cake, I chose to put the strawberries on top of the custard only because I figured it would be easier spreading the strawberries over the custard than the other way around.  Since you're not really spreading around the fillings for the cakes-in-a-jar, and it actually looks nicer for the custard to be seeping into the strawberry layer, I flip flopped it for the jar version.  I also decided to use vanilla sugar in the custard since I like the subtle additional flavoring and confectioner's sugar in the whipped cream.

Cleveland Cassata Cake (adapted from Sweet Amandine)
makes one 4-layer cake or one 2-layer cake and ten small (8 oz.) jars or twenty small (8 oz.) jars

For the custard:
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup vanilla sugar (or regular sugar if you don't have vanilla sugar)
2 cups half and half
3 tablespoons cornstarch

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 and 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large egg yolks at room temperature
8 large egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the strawberries:
3 pounds strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar

For the whipped cream:
2 cups chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

Whisk together all of the custard ingredients in a saucepan.  Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until thickened.  Turn down the heat if it starts to simmer.  Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature.  Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottoms of two 9" round cake pans with lightly oiled parchment paper.  Sift or whisk together the flour, 1 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together the yolks, water, oil, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth. Stir into the flour mixture. In another large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high until the peaks are stiff but not dry.

Using a rubber spatula, fold about a quarter of the fluffy egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Then very gently fold in the remaining whites. As soon as the egg whites are no longer visible, stop folding. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans and spread evenly. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

In the meantime, hull and slice the strawberries thinly, reserving a few to garnish the top of the cake with.  Sprinkle with the sugar and stir. Allow the strawberries to macerate for 1 hour, giving them a stir every so often. Strain the berries, reserving the released juices.

Allow the cakes to cool in their pans on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a knife around the sides to release the cakes, cover each pan with a wax paper-lined plate, and flip. Gently lift the pans off of the cakes.

Carefully slice the cakes in half with a bread knife so you have four layers (or two, depending on how many cakes you made). Place each layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet or plate.

Whip the cream and sugar together until stiff, making sure not to overwhip (or else you'll be making butter!).

Place one cake layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with the reserved strawberry juice. Cover with a layer of custard, and then a layer of strawberries.

Repeat for the following layers if you are making more than a two-layer cake.

Plop the whipped cream on top of the cake.  Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream across the top and then over the sides of the cake.  Top with the reserved strawberries, if you remembered to save any (which I didn't).

To make the cakes in a jar, bake the batter in two lightly oiled parchment paper-lined 9"x13" cake pans.  Once the cakes are cooled, use the lid of the jar as a template to cut out 10 (I was able to get 11, but 10 is a nicer, round number) circles, making sure to cut slightly inside the outline so that the cake will fit inside the jar.

Tear the remaining cake scraps into large crumbs (you will use this for the middle layer of each jar). 

Slice each cake circle in half.  Place the bottom half in the bottom of a jar.  Top with a spoonful of the sliced strawberries (including some juices) and then a spoonful of custard.  Tap the jar a few times to make sure everything is settled.  Top with a layer of the cake crumbs and then another layer of the strawberries and custard.  Place the top half of the cake circle on top of the second layer of custard and top it all off with a dollop of whipped cream.

I'm not going to lie, making this cake is definitely a labor of love, but well worth it.  When I was finally done and took my first bite, I tasted exactly like childhood. ^_^

Next:  Homemade Choco Tacos
Previously:  Watermelon Agua Fresca and Popsicles
Last Year:  BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise

Overnight Oats in a Jar

I recently started a new job where I no longer work from home but have to go into an office every day when I'm not traveling.  Unfortunately, the office is too small to have a great cafeteria so I've had to figure out how to bring breakfast and lunch to work for pretty much the first time in my life.  (I know, I've been spoiled.)

Now that I'm not able to make myself candied bacon chocolate chip pancakes every morning (just kidding!), I was kind of lost with what to do until I remembered the wonder that is overnight oats.  Basically, you just soak dry oats in any kind of liquid overnight in the refrigerator.  For regular rolled oats, you can use a 1:1 ratio of oats to liquid.  For something thicker like steel cut oats, the ratio should be closer to 1:2 oats to liquid.  In the morning, the oats have softened enough to eat as is.  It sounds kind of boring, but the fun comes in customizing your oats!

To make what I call New England Morning Overnight Oats, I added real maple syrup and freeze-dried blueberries (available from Trader Joe's) to 1/3 cup of steel cut oats in a small Mason jar and filled it up to the top with vanilla soy milk.  Put the lid on, shake it up to make sure everything is mixed, and let it sit overnight in the fridge.  That's it!  The next morning, I just grab the jar on the way to work and eat the oats straight from the jar at my desk.

I've also made Almond Joy Overnight Oats (not pictured) by adding cocoa powder, sliced almonds, and shredded coconut to the oatmeal.  Other ideas for toppings include raisins, dried cranberries, sliced bananas, fruit purees or preserves, yogurt, other nuts, cinnamon, honey, and nut butters.  I prefer to use either soy, almond, or coconut milk for the liquid.

My current favorite combination is to use Trader Joe's Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats and add freeze-dried strawberries (also available from Trader Joe's), sliced almonds, shredded coconut, and chia seeds.  The quick cook steel cut oats are not as chewy as regular steel cut oats (sometimes my jaw would hurt from having to chew so much!) but not as mushy as regular rolled oats.  And the chia seeds give the overnight oats a thicker, more pudding-like consistency (they're also packed with omega-3s!).

It doesn't look very photogenic, but it's super yummy and only takes a minute to make the night before.  I've pretty much been packing this every day for breakfast whenever I have to go into the office, along with a travel mug full of magical cold brew coffee, which I also prepare the night before.  Just two less things to think about every morning!

Next:  Vegan Almond Joy Ice Cream and Bon Bons
Previously:  Homemade Ginger Beer
Last Year:  Rosemary Honey and Lemon Frozen Yogurt

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

I wanted to bring some homemade ice cream to Ely's birthday party so I asked him what his favorite ice cream flavor was. "Strawberry and chocolate chip cookie dough," he said. As tempted as I was to add chocolate chip cookie dough to strawberry ice cream, I resisted, and ended up making the best strawberry ice cream I've ever tasted.

I found the recipe on epicurious.com, and it was originally printed in the June 2001 issue of Gourmet magazine with the tagline, "Don't let the unexciting name of the recipe fool you—this ice cream is unusually good." I wondered what they meant by "unusually good", and I think they were referring to how the addition of a little citrus totally brings out the freshness of the strawberries, kind of like how cilantro brings out the freshness of savory dishes.

Compared to other frozen custard recipes I've made in the past, this one had a lot more cream (no milk at all) and used the whole egg instead of just the yolks. I was afraid with that much cream it would leave a greasy coating on the tongue, but that didn't happen at all. I did substitute lime zest and lime juice for the lemon since I had a lime but no lemon. And instead of pureeing the strawberries in a blender, I used an immersion blender to mash the strawberries so as to leave chunks of fruit in the final product. Since I wanted the chunks, I wasn't able to strain the strawberry mixture to remove the seeds, but I don't think it really mattered at the end.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream (based on the recipe from Gourmet June 2001)
makes about 1 quart

1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 (3- by 1-inch) strips fresh lime zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 lb strawberries (3 cups), trimmed and quartered
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine cream, zest, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and discard zest.

Whisk eggs with 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking. Pour back into saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F (do not let boil).

Immediately pour custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl, then cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, at least until cold, about 2 hours, and up to 1 day.

While custard is chilling, mash strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lime juice using an immersion. Stir strawberry mixture into custard.

Freeze in ice-cream maker, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.