Raspberry Chocolate Shortcakes with Lavender Infused White Chocolate Cream

As much as I enjoy a lighter dessert, often a piece of fruit after dinner, I also find that a decadent treat with bites of chocolate, whipped cream and fresh berries is what I'm looking for at the end of a special meal.  Each component of my raspberry chocolate shortcakes with lavender infused white chocolate cream dessert can be made ahead and put together on the plate right before serving.  This time of year as fresh berries become abundant and less costly in the markets, a dessert featuring them makes sense on all our menus.  Both the chocolate cream shortcakes and the lavender infused white chocolate cream are quick to make earlier in the day.  The scones can also be baked right before serving dinner if you prefer them to be warm from the oven.  However, they need to rest several minutes after baking as they will crumble if they are cut in half while too hot.  It's still early in the season for fresh berries so expect more recipes featuring them here in the coming months, maybe a sorbet, ice cream or a dessert pizza.

I recently have started back hiking in the hilly open space surrounding our town a few mornings a week after taking a break that stretched into months of daily walks on the much easier streets of my neighborhood.  I think the warmer mornings inspired me to get up early and hit the trails with a good hiking partner and friend.
I didn't realize how much I missed our hikes and conversations. I found quality time spent with a close friend and regular doses of vigorous exercise in the great outdoors were things that I had been missing.  I find that it's too easy to let other things get in the way of regular exercise even if we enjoy it and are healthier as a result.  As I was driving home after setting up a time to meet for our hike next week I realized that I would be out of town on that date.  As soon as I got home I emailed my friend to reschedule and also sent a message that I want to keep this going, I don't want to let what I enjoy and what is important to my well being slip away again without a good reason.  I guess I'm lucky because even though I like to cook and eat, I like my exercise too.

Ingredients and Directions for Raspberry Chocolate Shortcakes with Lavender Infused White Chocolate Cream
Adapted from The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet

3 baskets (6 ounces) fresh raspberries
Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top of shortcakes
Fresh lavender flowers for garnish

For the Lavender Infused White Chocolate Cream Sauce

5 ounces good quality white chocolate, I used Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bar White Chocolate
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
1 cup heavy whipping cream, less 1 tablespoon reserved for brushing on scones

For the Chocolate Cream Shortcakes


1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon heavy cream and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar to brush on top of scones before baking

First make the lavender infused white cream sauce.  Create a double boiler by bringing 1 inch of water to boil in a medium saucepan with a stainless bowl set on top.  Turn off the heat and place the chocolate, water and lavender in the bowl over the steaming hot water.  Let the mixture rest for a minute until the chocolate has melted.  Remove from the heat and stir until smooth.  Strain out the lavender after 10 minutes.  Set aside until cool but still soft and fluid.

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer to soft peaks.  Slowly add the white chocolate and continue to whip until the mixture is thick and creamy looking.  Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Make, cut out and bake the chocolate cream shortcakes.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds until to blend.  Add the small cold butter cubes and pulse several times until the butter is cut into smaller pieces.  Pour in the cream and pulse until the dough holds together in clumps.
Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and pat into a circle about 1 inch thick.  Using a biscuit cutter cut out 8 circles from the dough.  Place the dough circles on the parchment lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.  Brush the tops with the reserved heavy cream and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake the shortcakes for 14-16 minutes and cool on a metal rack for at least 10 minutes or until they can be sliced in half without falling apart.  They are better served slightly warm but may be served at room temperature if you make them earlier in the day.

Assemble the Raspberry Chocolate Cream Shortcakes.  Split the shortcakes in half.  Place a spoonful of lavender infused white chocolate cream on each plate with the bottom half of the shortcake on top. Top with another, more generous spoonful of the white chocolate cream.  Divide the raspberries between the plates, placing some on top of the cream and some around the shortcakes.  Place the shortcake tops over the cream and raspberries.   Garnish with fresh lavender flowers over a spoonful of white chocolate cream, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Mixed Berry Tartlets Lightened up with Tillamook Light Fat Free Lemon Squeeze Yogurt

I received a generous sampling of light yogurts to review, a new product from Tillamook, the same people who make the cheddar cheese that I've enjoyed over the years.  I was thrilled to try their light yogurt flavors as I eat yogurt sprinkled with granola and berries almost everyday for breakfast.  I loved all the berry flavors of Tillamook light yogurts that I sampled and the count of 110 calories in each 6 ounce yogurt.  I had an idea to create light mixed berry tartlets using a basic recipe for light pastry cream further lightened by mixing in the light yogurt.  I tried both the Light Lemon Squeeze and the Light Oregon Strawberry flavors in my recipe.  The lemon was my favorite and the perfect compliment to the pastry cream with mixed berries on top of each tartlet.  I added an equal amount of the Light Lemon Squeeze yogurt to the pastry cream, cutting even more calories and fat from my original light pastry cream recipe without sacrificing one scrumptious bit of flavor.  Mixed berry tartlets are fun to make and can be enjoyed as a lower in fat, reduced calorie dessert.  I received a thumbs up from my loyal taste tester husband who describes these tartlets as "light, fruity and airy".  As for me I like to play with food in my kitchen and am a huge fan of pastry, yogurt and berries.  The edible flowers and mint leaves are from my garden.

Ingredients and Directions for Mixed Berry Tartlets
Makes 4- 4" tartlets

Pastry Dough

1 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cold water


Lightened Up Pastry Cream

1 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2- 6 ounce containers Tillamook Light Lemon Squeeze Fat Free Yogurt (there will be yogurt leftover to perform your own taste test)

Mixed Berries

4 half pints refrigerated mixed berries; raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries (plenty left over to spoon over your yogurt for breakfast)
3 tablespoons raspberry fruit spread, sieved to glaze the berries
Edible flowers and mint leaves for garnish

Make the pastry dough several hours or a day ahead of time to allow the dough to chill before rolling out the tartlet circles.  Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.  Add the butter bits and pulse a dozen times to cut in the butter.  Mix the egg and the water in a cup and pour into the flour/butter mixture.  Pulse several times until the mixture clumps together and forms a ball on the side of the work bowl.  Remove the dough, flatten into a circle and wrap in plastic, the dough will be soft.  Chill for several hours or a few days.  When ready to bake off tartlet shells, remove dough from the fridge, unwrap it and gently roll out with floured pin and work surface, turning the dough as you roll.  Roll dough out to 12" circle and cut out 4 tartlet pan size circles using the pans as a guide.
Place the dough circles in the target pans and gently press into pans, trimming any excess dough at the top.  Place the tartlet crusts in the fridge and chill until baking time.

Make the lightened up pastry cream and chill completely before mixing in the Light Lemon Squeeze Yogurt to fill the baked cooled tartlet crusts.  Combine the low fat milk and half the sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a slow boil over medium high heat.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the rest of the sugar and the flour, whisk to blend.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.  Using a ladle, remove about a third of the boiling milk/sugar mixture and whisk it into the  sugar/flour/egg mixture.  Pour the remaining egg mixture into the  boiling milk mixture, whisking continuously as the pastry cream thickens.  Cook and whisk for about 30 seconds until the mixture is thick, you may need to use a wooden spatula to stir pastry cream from sides of pan a few times during this process.  Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Place the pastry cream in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, chill.  When chilled measure out the pastry cream and add the same amount of yogurt, whisking to combine.  Reserve in refrigerator until time to assemble the tartlets.

Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the tartlet crusts while the pastry cream chills.  Remove the tartlet crusts from the refrigerator and prick all over with a fork.  Bake the crusts for about 15 minutes, do not over bake as they will become tough.  The crusts don't take on much color but they are done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few light crumbs.  Cool the tartlet crusts on a rack.

Assemble the tartlets.  Remove the tartlet rings and bottoms from each tartlet.  Place on a dessert size plate.  Divide up the lightened up pastry cream and spread over each tartlet crust.  Fun part!  Arrange the assorted berries in patterns over each tartlet and garnish with mint and/or edible flowers.  Before serving brush a light coating of sieved fruit spread over berries.  Keep cool if waiting several hours before serving.

Enjoy any leftover lightened up pastry cream with berries served on top.  I enjoyed reviewing and creating a recipe for Tillamook Light Fat Free Yogurt, I didn't receive any compensation to create this recipe and all opinions are strictly my own.

Thick Scottish Strawberry Shortbread

I knew that David, our golf trip leader and I were kindred spirits when he purchased a box of strawberry shortbread to share with the group on our bus in Scotland.  We went on a Haversham & Baker golfing expedition to Scotland earlier this month.  We had a wonderful trip, enjoyed our group and played a few famous golf courses in Scotland, including the Old Course St. Andrews.  Thinking about the Thick Scottish Strawberry Shortbread that I was going to make when I returned to my kitchen at home kept me going while playing golf in the most freezing weather that I've ever encountered on a golf course.  Of course being from California I don't normally play golf when it rains or in cold weather.  I'm sharing a few snapshots from our trip that may give you a feeling of how cold it was in Scotland.  Because of the freezing cold weather I didn't take as many pictures as I usually do on a trip and it was particularly difficult to take photos on the golf course, even with the small digital camera that we use.  When it's that cold, the gloves just don't want to come off!  I found the dried strawberries at nuts.com and love the bright red color which I know is not natural but it sure is pretty in my shortbread.

Ingredients and Directions for Thick Scottish Strawberry Shortbread
Adapted from fine cooking.com

Preheat the oven to 300F

Prepare an 8x8" brownie pan by spraying with baking spray and lining with heavy aluminum foil with the edges extending over the sides of the pan.

1 &1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup super fine sugar
2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup finely chopped dried strawberries

In the bowl of a standing mixer stir together the flour, cornstarch and salt.  Add the sugar and mix on low speed until blended.  Add the butter and mix on medium for 2 minutes until a soft dough begins to form.
Add the vanilla and strawberries, mix on low speed to incorporate.  Remove the dough from the mixer and press into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the shortbread is light golden colored.  Cool in the pan before removing the shortbread from the pan using the aluminum foil.  Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Snap Shots from Scotland

Kale Soup and Irish Brown Bread with Toasted Walnuts

I woke up early this morning to start my brown bread and kale soup before the day got away from me, as it often does for all of us.  First off I yanked out several bunches of kale from the vegetable garden and submerged them in a sink full of cold water in the hopes that a few bugs might abandon ship before the leaves were chopped up for soup.  Meanwhile I started chopping the obligatory soup onion, to sizzle up in the hot melted butter with my chopped potatoes.  Things moved along nicely with my goal to finish all my cooking before 9am so I could photograph my food, play with my vacation photos and get in some exercise before noon.  I even made focaccia dough for tomorrow, a very productive morning in the kitchen.  I like to cook everyday, preferably beginning in the morning, whenever possible.  This morning while chopping my onions I thought about the first 'real job' I had in college, not counting jobs like babysitting.  My first real job, with an actual paycheck, was in a small hamburger joint in Isla Vista, California. Between taking orders, making milkshakes and filling cups of soda, I peeled and sliced onions for the burgers.  Now I'm really going to date myself, my starting pay was $1.35 an hour.  After 3 months my pay went up to $1.65.  Which I guess was big bucks compared to 50 cents to a dollar an hour for the babysitting I did in high school!  I also remember we made a killer pineapple milkshake and had several loyal customers who came in for the shake.  This very green and Irish looking Kale Soup is pretty good too, although I admit it's not a pineapple milkshake.  I found recipes which I adapted in Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen for the Kale Soup and the Brown Bread.  I highly recommend the King Arthurs Flour Irish Style Whole Meal Flour for the brown bread.  The idea to use toasted walnuts in the Brown Bread came from a lovely restaurant in Killarney, where we stayed and played golf.  The only day the sun came out on the golf course for us during our trip to Scotland and Ireland was at Dooks Golf Course in Kerry.  I will always be thankful for the warmth of the sun and the good time we shared that day.  I'm also thankful that I only had to chop one onion for the soup this morning because it's really not one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen.

Ingredients and Directions for Kale Soup
serves 6


4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
6 cups baby kale, lightly packed, chopped with thick stems removed
6 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream for garnish
Wee baby kale leaves for garnish

Melt the butter in a heavy soup pan, I used my dutch oven.  Add the onions and potatoes to the hot foamy butter, sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and cook for several minutes, add the stock and gently simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  Add the baby kale and cook with the lid off to retain the pretty green color, for about 2-3 minutes or until tender.  Ladle the soup into a blender and pulverize.  Don't forget to take the middle piece off the lid and cover with a towel when you start the blender.  The soup becomes a bright green after a few minutes.  At the point I strained my soup because I didn't remove all the stems.  The baby kale is tender but the stems are still woody and need to be removed from the soup.  Adjust the seasoning and ladle into bowls, garnish with the creme fraiche and baby kale leaves.

Snap Shots from Ireland

 

Brown Bread with Toasted Walnuts

Ingredients and Directions for Brown Bread with Toasted Walnuts
Makes 1 loaf


3 & 1/2 cups Irish style whole meal flour from King Arthurs Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon molasses
1 & 2/3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons Rapid Rise yeast
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425F
Grease a 5x8" loaf pan


Mix the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl mix the molasses with 1/2 cup of the warm water and sprinkle on the yeast.  Let stand for a few minutes until foamy.  Add the rest of the warm water to the yeast mixture and pour it all in the flour/salt mixture, stir until combined.  Stir in the walnuts.  The mixture will be too wet to knead.  Place the dough directly into the prepared loaf pan.  Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel and place it in a warm draft free place.  Let the dough rise for about 35 minutes, until it almost comes to the top of the pan.  Place the pan in the oven, bake for 20 minutes, reduce the oven to 375F and continue to bake for about 25 minutes.  The bread should be nicely browned and hollow sounding  when tapped.  Remove the bread from the oven, slide the loaf out of the pan and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes to crisp the exterior.  If you prefer a softer crust skip this last step.  Don't forget to generously spread your sliced brown bread with Kerrygold butter before enjoying.

Provençal Olive Fougasse for French Fridays

I've been organizing my pictures from our Scotland/Ireland golf trip this week, selecting a few for my post on our trip to Ireland which I will share next week.  I find getting back to my routine after an extended vacation is difficult especially finding time to catch up with my blog and all my friend's blogs.  I'm slowly but steadily getting back up to speed.  This French Fridays with Dorie recipe for Provençal Olive Fougasse from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan is one from the book that I've looked forward to baking.  I also didn't want to miss another French Friday as I've missed quite a few because of my travels.  I was so happy with my olive fougasse that I think I've found a new favorite appetizer that very happily goes with a slice of soft goat cheese, a glass of wine and a few nibbles of olives.  Especially love the crispy edges of  Provençal Olive Fougasse smeared with a lump of soft goat cheese.  I took a bite, closed my eyes and for a minute imagined I was in the South of France sitting outside at a café with friends enjoying a warm Summer evening with a chilled glass of rosé in front of me.  Fougasse is a type of flat bread associated with Provençe where the addition of olives and fresh herbs such as rosemary is quite common.  One of it's characteristics is a pattern resembling a leaf or ear of wheat that is slashed into the rectangular shaped dough before baking. The bread is rustic,easy to make and fun to serve with cheese or olives as an appetizer.  As we have been asked not to write out the recipes for FFWD I will share a link to Dorie's recipe at Serious Eats which is from Around My French Table and exactly the same recipe I used to made my olive fougasse.

A few notes on making olive fougasse that I want to share, first off the dough can be made the day before and held in the refrigerator over night.  The next day shape and bake off your bread, which I think is very convenient for entertaining.  The loaves can be served whole and guests should tear off pieces to nibble.  I would serve fougasse with wine, olives and goat cheese before dinner as a beautiful Summer appetizer.  Another way to vary the recipe is to use different types of salt to sprinkle on top before baking.  I used black truffle salt which tasted delicious with the chopped oil-cured black olives blended into the fougasse dough.  Also, don't worry about creating a perfect shape or the slashes you make in the dough, this is supposed to be a rustic flat bread.

I enjoyed making my fougasse this week, please check out the other contributors to this week's French Fridays with Dorie and find inspiration for your own Provençal Olive Fougasse.

Garden Vegetable Quiche Sans Le Crust

One of my favorite surprises waiting for me after a vacation is the patch of ground outside our back door;  checking out which plants are blooming, bearing fruit or just plain pushing out a few new leaves.  While we played golf in driving rain and freezing wind on the Old Course at Saint Andrews, among others in Scotland, the Bay Area experienced a short heat wave, which after all our rain in March caused the garden to explode.  We enjoyed our adventure playing golf in Scotland and Ireland where I believe they are still experiencing rain and cold temperatures.  Here in the outdoor warmth of home I harvested baby kale and carrots from my vegetable garden for this vegetable quiche which is so easy to make without pastry.   I added a few Yukon gold potatoes along with a small red onion and an ear of corn to make this quiche a hearty one for last night's dinner.  In the coming weeks I will share photos, a few recipes and some inspiration from our golf trip to Scotland and Ireland.

Look at the sun shining on the baby kale, it's very easy to grow.  I also tried baby kale with blood oranges and raspberries in a salad last month. I have big plans for my patch of tender baby kale, including making soup and a few more salads.  Spending two rainy Spring weeks in Scotland and Ireland makes me appreciate the sunshine we enjoy here in California at the same time of year.

The bright green colors of kale remind me of the beautiful countryside in Ireland, I'll have to return in the Summer, maybe we will be luckier with the weather that time of year.  There are also a few golf courses we would love to play in Ireland.  The one beautiful day we enjoyed on the golf course was in Ireland at Dook's Golf Course in Kerry.  I actually took off my jacket and put on sunglasses!

My Garden Vegetable Quiche San Le Crust would make a nice addition to a Mother's Day Brunch or served for a weeknight's dinner with a salad as I did last night.  Have fun decorating your quiche with edible flowers and sprigs of herbs to make a simple quiche look pretty on your table.

Ingredients and Directions for Garden Vegetable Quiche Sans Le Crust

Serves 6-8

Preheat the oven to 350F

Butter  a deep dish pie plate

3 cups washed and chopped baby kale

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 small red onion, chopped

2 medium small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 ear of corn, blanched with kernels removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

2 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 generous pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup grated Gruyère Cheese

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and potatoes, cook and stir occasionally for several minutes.  Add the wine, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the veggies are tender.  Add the chopped kale, cook and stir for a few minutes.  Add the corn kernels, season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the heavy cream with a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Stir in the Gruyère cheese and vegetable mixture.  Pour the quiche filling into the prepared pie plate and top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  

Bake until browned and the custard is set, about 30 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving, decorate with flowers if you like.