ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY….
One of the
main “ingredients” of Memorial Day Weekend is to know what you will serve at your barbecue or picnic, and here I give you a
couple of recipes for two festive
desserts which I can attest will be well-liked.
But before
we get to the recipes I would like to start with remembering a little about
this holiday.
There’s an
appealing story about how Memorial Day actually came about. It is said that soon
after the Civil War, a few ladies in Mississippi decided to decorate the graves
of their own as well as those of the Union Army’s fallen soldiers. This simple
act of kindness and observance started it all.
On My 30,
1868, the commander of the Union’s veterans organization issued an order that
this day be observed for the purpose of decorating the graves of those who died
in defense of their country. The idea spread across the country, and it soon
became a legal holiday starting in 1873.
Today we
have not forgotten the heroism and sacrifice. We fly our flags, watch our
parades in most every town, and see red, white, and blue colors most everyplace
we go. It is great to see.
The Recipes:
These
desserts are just another way to show the “red, white, & blue”, while serving
something delicious. Both are easy to make as the recipes are made quicker by
taking advantage of pre-made pound cake, and a boxed brownie mix.
The Brownie Shortcake is scrumptious and
quick to make. The sour cream frosting goes perfectly with the chocolate. My
gang gobbled it up quickly.
Brownie Shortcake
Dessert
You will need:
1 package (19.5 ounce)
brownie mix
1 container (16 ounce)
sour cream, divided
1 cup thawed whipped
topping
1 tablespoon powdered
sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cut-up
strawberries and blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed on
package; stir in ½ cup of the sour cream;
spoon into a greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan. Bake 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Remove from
pan to wire rack; cool completely.
Mix remaining sour cream, whipped topping, sugar and vanilla.
Cut brownie horizontally in half. Place bottom half on serving plate;
spread with half of the sour cream mixture. Cover with top of brownie,
remaining sour cream mixture, and fruit; Store in refrigerator.
Red, White, & Blue Creamy Trifle
Ingredients:
One 10 ounce pound
cake
½ cup strawberry jam
1/3 cup orange juice
2 cups strawberries,
hulled and cut in thirds or half’s
Custard Sauce; recipe follows
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons white
powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
1 ½ cups blueberries
for garnish on top
2 tablespoons sliced
almonds, toasted – optional
Make custard:
Mix 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch with ½ cup milk.
In a heavy saucepan or double boiler, heat 1¾ cups milk with ¼ cup
sugar just to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture until
smooth; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Simmer 3 minutes. Remove
from heat. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and then 3 beaten egg yolks.
Cover. Chill.
TO PREPARE:
1. Make custard sauce and
refrigerate.
2. Split cake into 3 layers.
Spread jam between layers and reassemble layers. Cut into 2 inch cubes. Arrange cubes in
a 2 quart trifle bowl or serving bowl.
Sprinkle with orange juice.
Note: If desired you can
use an orange liqueur or cream sherry.
3. Spoon sliced strawberries over cake.
4. Pour chilled custard sauce or
pudding over berries. Cover & refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Whip cream till thickened,
add sugar and vanilla. Whip till stiff peaks.
6. Pipe or spread whipped cream over custard. Pile blueberries in
center. Sprinkle with toasted almonds if desired. Chill.
Note: In a
pinch substitute instant vanilla pudding for the custard.
*****
Our locally
grown strawberries will be ready in a few weeks, something I look forward to each
year. In the meantime the state of California keeps our supermarkets well
supplied.
I keep pretty close tabs on
locally grown produce and for the most part base my articles on what’s in
season, as well as special occasions.
It’s because of my family
history of growing up on a farm with acres of vegetables and a huge strawberry
patch. The talk at the supper table was
always what will be ready for picking and when. My father had a green thumb for
sure. He decided one day to plant strawberries, never having done it before, and
he ended up with so many strawberries he had to hire neighborhood kids to help
pick.
If I was at home, I and my sisters would be
found in the kitchen assisting my mother with freezing quart-containers of
them.
The all-time family favorite
strawberry dessert was served at every Sunday dinner during the season;
strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits, topped with either fresh whipped
cream or vanilla ice cream.
As good as that sounds, you
will also like this coffee cake. And absolutely try the two-ingredient salad;
the dressing makes it incredible. To tell you the truth I was surprised at how
good it is; a side salad that will go well with grilled meats.
Strawberry storage tips:
Don’t wash strawberries until
you are ready to eat them. (Moisture is the enemy)
Remove berries from store
package. Discard any that look bad or are mushy.
Place them in a paper
towel-lined glass container with a lid; should keep 5-6 days.
*****
Fresh as a daisy in June is
this coffee cake. Your senses will be delighted when this comes out of the
oven.
Strawberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup cold water (when using fresh berries)
¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries - (may use 1 pkg. (10 ounce)
frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed, use no additional water)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup cold butter
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
In a large saucepan, combine water and cornstarch until blended,
add fresh berries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook
and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon
and almond extract; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until
mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Add baking powder, baking
soda, and salt to the remaining mixture. Stir in buttermilk and egg until
moistened.
Spread one and ½ cups of
batter into a greased 8- inch square baking dish. Carefully spread with the
strawberry mixture. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over strawberry
mixture. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool
on a wire rack.
Makes 9 servings.
*******
This pretty 2-ingredient salad
is made even prettier by the thick, tasty, seed-rich dressing you can make in
advance. So delicious, you will want to use it on other salads.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
- 2 good-size bunches of fresh spinach and 2 pints strawberries that have been hulled, washed, and quartered.
- Arrange spinach and strawberries in layers in a glass bowl.
- Add dressing at the last minute and toss. Enjoy!Note: I prefer the heartier flavor of regular fresh spinach. Remove stems and tear into smaller pieces.
- Dressing:
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon
paprika
1 ½ teaspoons
minced onion
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons
sesame seeds
¼ cup cider
vinegar
1 tablespoon
poppy seeds
¼ teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce
Place all dressing
ingredients in blender; blend on low until mixed.
