Recipes

Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is delicious! Eat it straight out of the pan or jar as pudding or in any one of these ideas:

Fill tart or pie shells with cream and top with fruit.
Layer cream into parfait glasses with fruit, cake, cookies, chocolate, nuts, etc.
Use cream to fill cakes, éclairs, doughnuts, cream puffs, etc.

¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
6 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 large eggs
4 cups milk – at least 2 %
3 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
1-2 tsp pure vanilla

1.       In medium bowl, mix together sugar and cornstarch.
2.       Whisk eggs into sugar mixture and set aside.
3.       In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat milk just to boiling. Lower heat.
4.       Stir a little hot milk into egg mixture to warm the eggs. Whisk well.
5.       Slowly whisk egg/sugar mixture into hot milk and slowly cook to a boil. Cook a minute more – the cornstarch will thicken the cream.
6.       Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh strawberries
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation:

1. Process strawberries in a food processor or blender 30 seconds or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour strawberry puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing with back of a spoon. Discard solids. Add buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla to puree; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
2. Pour strawberry mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.) Garnish, if desired.
*1 (16-oz.) package frozen strawberries, thawed, may be substituted.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and quartered
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Whipped Cream, recipe follows

Directions:

Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch square pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally.

Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.

Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound fresh rhubarb, chopped
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Add strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Toss with sugar and flour and let stand for 30 minutes.
Pour filling into pie crust. Dot top with butter, and cover with top crust. Seal edges of top and bottom crust with water.
Apply yolk to top of pie, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut small holes in top to let steam escape.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Cool on rack.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

Directions:
Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines below.

Sterilizing Tips:

Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.

To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Or, boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.

Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.

As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.

After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

Strawberry Shake

Ingredients:

4 cups strawberries, hulled

2 cups ice cubes
2 cups milk
4 cups strawberry ice cream
2 teaspoons white sugar

Directions:

In a blender combine strawberries, ice, milk, ice cream and sugar. Blend until smooth.

Strawberry Pie

"There's plenty of sweet berry flavor in this refreshing dessert. Made with sugar-free gelatin and a graham cracker crust, the summery pie is easy to fix and attractive enough to serve to guests."

Ingredients:
2 pints of fresh strawberries, hulled
2 T cornstarch
1-1/2 cups cold water
1 pkg. (.3 ounces) of sugar-free strawberry gelatin *can use regular gelatin
3 T sugar
1 graham cracker crust (8 inch)
2 cups of whipped topping
Directions:

Set aside four whole berries for garnish. Slice remaining strawberries and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin and sugar until dissolved. Stir in sliced strawberries. Pour into the crust. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
Cut reserved strawberries in half. Garnish each serving with whipped topping and a berry half. Yield: 8 servings.