Strawberry Torte

Strawberry Torte

Like most torte recipes, this recipe for strawberry torte looks complicated, but once you break it down into the individual parts you will see that it really is just a matter of putting a few simple parts together.

I have found that it is best to start with the cake part. This strawberry torte recipe calls for a genoise cake, but if you happen to have a favorite cake recipe that you prefer to use, go ahead and use that cake instead. I have made this recipe with both chocolate and white cake, although the white genoise cake is the standard. But chocolate and strawberries match so well that if you want to use a chocolate cake, I say “go for it.”

Ingredients

• 2 pints of strawberries, washed and dried
• 1 recipe genoise cake
• 1 recipe barbarian cream
• 1 recipe Kirsh syrup
• 1 recipe of strawberry sauce (optional but recommended)

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Instructions

1. Using a large serrated knife, cut the cake in half lengthwise so you have two layers of cake.
2. Using a 9-inch spring-form pan, spray the inside of the pan with non-stick spray and then wrap a strip of acetate around the inside.
3. Place one layer of the genoise in the bottom of the pan.
4. Soak the layer with the Kirsh syrup.
5. Trim the tops off of the strawberries.
6. Cut half of the strawberries in half lengthwise.
7. Place these strawberries around the outer rim of the cake so that they are pressed against the acetate.
8. Cut the remaining berries into quarters and scatter them over the cake layer.
9. Pour the Barvarian cream over the strawberries until it is ½ inch from the top of the cake pan.
10. Place the second cake layer on the cream.
11. Soak this layer with Kirsh syrup.
12. Spread a thin layer of cream over the cake.
13. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
14. Remove the cake from the pan.
15. Just before serving, remove the acetate strip and drizzle strawberry syrup over the top of the cake.

Strawberry Cobbler

What is Cobbler Anyway

A cobbler is typically a fruit pie in a crust with a crumb topping, but the history of the dessert we in the United States call a “cobbler” is a storied one dating back to 1864. The cobbler pies are known by many names which include:

• Tart
• Torte
• Pandowdy
• Grunt
• Buckles
• Crisp
• Slump
• Croustade
• Bird’s or Crow’s Nest Pudding

All of these variations of the cobbler are simple to put together. What helps to make these pies great is the fact that fancy pastry skills or preparation are not required. In the end, the only thing that does count is the flavor. Seasonal fruits are the order of business where these pies are concerned, but there are a few varieties of cobbler that have several differences in presentation.

Cobbler: This variety is an American invention and is a deep-dish pie made with seasonal fruits. The crust is thick and usually called a “biscuit crust”. The fruit filling varies and can include peaches, strawberries, apples, and the like. You can either have a top crust or a crumb topping. Other versions use a drop-biscuit topping.

Crisps/Crumbles: A “crumble” is the United Kingdom’s variety of the crisp that is found in the United States. This cobbler is crustless and is often served family style or as an individual serving. The filling consists of a mix of fresh fruits with sugar, spices, and other ingredients. The dessert is topped with a mixture often containing brown sugar, flour, and oats that is cut into butter then sprinkled on top and baked.

Brown Betty: The “betty” is a dessert popular in England and found favor in the American colonies. It is usually made with apples but any fruit can do. It is made like the crisp but has the crumb topping also serving as a crust.

The cobbler began in the American colonies as transplant recipes from Britain. Not all of the traditional ingredients were available to them so they had to make due. These new creations is how we came by having “traditional” American dishes with interesting and colorful names. The cobbler became so popular that it was originally served as a main course.

Traditional Strawberry Cobbler Recipes

This strawberry cobbler recipe represents the traditional fruit pie, but each family will tend to have their own variety.

Ingredients – Crust

• 1 cup flour; sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter; cold
• 1/4 cup milk; cold

Method

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Cut the butter in to the flour mix until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
3. Add milk and stir quickly until a dough forms and gathers to make a ball.
4. Lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough, then roll to 1/4” thick and fit it on a pie plate. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes if you need a parbaked crust.

Ingredients - Filling

• 1 quart fresh strawberries; hulled
• 1/4 pound butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt butter in saucepan then remove from heat.
3. Add milk, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon.
4. Stir until combined and a batter has formed.
5. Arrange strawberries, point up, in parbaked pie shell then pour batter over the strawberries.
6. Bake in oven for 15 minutes then add crumb topping (below) and bake 10 minutes.

Ingredients – Topping

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup butter; cold and diced
• 1 cup quick baking oats
• 1 cup brown sugar

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Cut ingredients together until mix forms a coarse cornmeal.

Very Simple Strawberry Cobbler

The above recipe is traditional but certainly not quick nor easy. The following recipe represents an incredibly simplistic strawberry cobbler recipe.

Ingredients – Crust

• Frozen pie crust or unrolled pie shell.

Method

1. Defrost frozen/preformed pie shell or roll-out unrolled pie shell and place inside pie plate.

Ingredients – Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Method

1. Cut butter and brown sugar together until it forms dime-sized pieces.

Ingredients – Filling

• 4 cups frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar

Method

1. Heat strawberries and sugar over medium heat until soft.
2. Break up the mixture and pour into the pie shell.
3. Spread out the topping evenly.
4. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 45-60 minutes.

Flag Cake

Making Your Own Flag Cake Recipe

There are many different ways to make a flag cake. Depending on what type of decorations you use, your cake can be totally original to you – your only limitations are making sure you use the colors red, white, and blue! Some options for creating your stars and stripes include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

You can also use any type of cake you like. While the traditional recipe calls for standard white cake, there are many options you can go with, as long as you use white frosting to cover it. Some popular choices that people have used are:

• Angel food cake – a light cake that goes very well with summer fruits.
• Yellow cake – another version of the tradition, yellow cake is a great choice for flag cake.
• Pound cake – this heavier cake will hold its shape very well under the weight of your fruit.
• Chocolate cake – you might be thinking this sounds weird for a red, white, and blue cake, but devil's food cake goes very well with fruit. Just make sure to cover it completely with white frosting!

Easy Fourth of July Flag Cake Recipe

This flag cake recipe will give you an impressive-looking Independence Day dessert, while still being easy enough to have your little ones help with the decorating. With all of the fruit this cake comes loaded with, one slice is almost a meal in itself!

Ingredients

• 1 white cake mix, prepared to create a 9x12 sheet cake
• 4 cups of white frosting to frost your cake
• 1 cup of white icing for stripes
• 1 cup strawberries (cut in half, lengthwise)
• 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

1. After making your sheet cake according to the box's instructions, let it cool to room temperature.
2. Completely frost the cake so that it is entirely white.
3. Section off a 6-inch by 4-inch rectangular area in the upper left-hand corner of the cake with blueberries. Fill in the boxed area with berries, pressing them into the frosting lightly and staggering them so that a little white frosting appears between each bit of fruit.
4. Create 1-inch horizontal stripes of strawberries from one end of the cake to the other, leaving 1-inch of white frosting between each row of berries and excluding the area where the blueberries are. Make sure to gently press the fruit into the frosting.
5. Pour one cup of white icing into a pastry bag with a large star tip, and fill in the empty stripes between the strawberries with icing. Make sure to fill them completely so that there is no gap between the icing and the strawberries – it may take two lines of frosting to fill the space (see image above).
6. If you like, fill in the spaces between the blueberries with small dots of icing

Umbrian Fish Soup

Traditionally, this bouillabaisse-like stew is rich with tomatoes and chunks of wild-caught freshwater fish such as perch, tench, eel, trout, and pike. While wild-caught is best, fillets of farmed freshwater fish—including tilapia, catfish, trout, and arctic char—also work well

Ingredients
For soup

• 2 pound mixed freshwater fish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup dry white wine (preferably Italian such as Grechetto, Vermentino, or Trebbiano)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (preferably Italian)
• 2 cups water

For toasts

• 1 baguette
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Peparation

Make soup:
Pat fish dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Cook onion, celery, and garlic in oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add parsley and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Add fish and reduce heat to cook at a bare simmer until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Make toasts while fish cooks:
Preheat broiler.

Cut 18 (1/2-inch) slices from baguette and toast 3 to 5 inches from heat, turning once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total.

Cut garlic clove in half and rub on toasts, then brush toasts with oil. Serve with soup

Umbrian Fish Soup

Traditionally, this bouillabaisse-like stew is rich with tomatoes and chunks of wild-caught freshwater fish such as perch, tench, eel, trout, and pike. While wild-caught is best, fillets of farmed freshwater fish—including tilapia, catfish, trout, and arctic char—also work well

Thai-style Cream of Corn & Crab Soup

This easy corn soup recipe is soothing and nourishing, as well as elegant to serve. A close relative of Chinese creamed corn soup, this Thai version features crab instead of chicken. Using canned corn makes this corn soup quick and easy to make, and any type of prepared crab meat can be used - fresh, frozen, or canned. This Thai-style Corn Soup is great for everyday eating, but can just as easily be served as an elegant appetizer at a dinner party or other special occasion. ENJOY!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• SERVES 2 as a Main Course, or 4-6 as an appetizer
• 4 cups good-quality chicken stock
• optional:2-3 kaffir lime leaves (available frozen at Asian/Chinese food stores), left whole or slivered with scissors
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
• 1/2 to 1 fresh red chili, minced OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust according to how spicy you want your soup)
• 1 can creamed corn (19 oz.)
• 3/4 to 1 cup prepared crab meat (fresh, frozen, or canned), drained
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 cup good-quality coconut milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten in a cup
• 2 or more Tbsp. fish sauce (available in tall bottles at Asian food stores)
• Garnish: handful of fresh coriander

Preparation:

1. Heat chicken stock in a large soup pot over high heat.
2. While stock is heating up, add the kaffir lime leaves, shallot, garlic, galangal or ginger, and chili or chili sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Note: To make your own homemade Thai chili sauce, see my Nam Prik Pao Chili Sauce Recipe.
3. Add the creamed corn, crab meat, and lime juice, stirring to combine. Allow soup to gently simmer for 5-6 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk plus 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, stirring to combine.
5. Reduce heat to low and "pour" eggs into the soup, stirring in wide circles to incorporate (this will create attractive shreds of egg white). The heat of the soup will cook the egg almost instantly.
6. Now taste-test the soup, adding more fish sauce 1 Tbsp. at a time instead of salt. Tip: the saltiness of your soup will depend on how salty your stock was to start with. I usually end up adding 2 more Tbsp. of fish sauce. You can also add more fresh-cut chili or chili sauce if you prefer it spicier, or more coconut milk if it's too spicy for your taste.
7. To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls and top with a sprinkling of fresh coriander. ENJOY!