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Our regular column featuring 5 things you need to know about baking: from tips to tools to questions you always ask yourself in the kitchen.
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You have several quarts of beautiful, deep red strawberries from a pick-your-own farm excursion. Or you just couldn't resist that basket of fresh raspberries from the farmers market. And those peaches red in blush and yellow in their perfect peak of ripeness – they're calling your name. And now you're thinking the next step is to bake that fruit into a pie or fresh, or maybe muffin.
Wait What? Take those beautiful fruits, with it freshly picked ethereal aroma and fresh yet yielding texture, and bake them in a sea of liquid and soft sediment? Destroy the thought.
Do not misunderstand me; I want one peach juice pie or a good one fresh summer berries. But honestly, if I've had a fresh supply of delicate summer fruits and berries, I'm sorry to “ruin” them into something ripe. Why mess with perfection? The star of the show should be the fruit in all its sweet, crisp glory, not the crust, cake or muffin around it.
Hello, sweetie!
Shortcake, everyone's nostalgic summer treat, is paired with a buttery, fork-tender biscuit with fresh fruit (raw) and whipped cream. Period.
You can't go wrong with such a simple dessert. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make your best summer desserts.
1) It's (mostly) all about fruit
Whether you go with diced strawberries (or small wild ones), raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or one of the stone fruits, make the fruit the star of the dessert show.
Remember, quality in, quality out. Use the best fruit you can find: ripe but not ripe and as fresh as possible. The flavor fades as the fresh fruit settles; for best results, have your cookies ready when you get home from fruit picking.
counsel: If your schedule simply won't allow you to use fresh-picked berries as soon as possible, extend their shelf life with this simple trick: Place the berries in a bowl, fill them with cold water just to cover, and add a splash (about a tablespoon) of white or apple cider vinegar. Swirl the berries in the vinegar water, let them sit for 5 minutes, then drain and place on an absorbent towel to dry. The vinegar helps kill any mold spores, which can speed up the berry's demise.
2) Small strawberry shortcake it's classic – but wait, there's more!
While strawberries are the most famous shortcake incarnation, don't ignore the other ripe berries that get their short star turns in the summer: blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries all make delicious shortcakes.
And when it comes to a perfectly ripe peach, what better way to display it than diced on top of a cookie under a thick layer of whipped cream? Even red or black plums can be used for desserts – as can diced kiwi.
Tip: If you don't mind a bit of texture, leave the skin on plums and peaches: It offers extra flavor and bright color (plus fiber). If you are determined to lose skin, however, here's the best way to peel a peach.
3) How much sugar? Depends from you.
Unlike most desserts, where sugar often plays a role in texture as well as flavor, dessert can be successfully made without sugar.
The cookie base usually includes only a little sugar and can even be baked without sugar if that's your preference; sugar has no effect on the texture of the cookie.
Berries or diced fruit can be sweetened to taste: If your fruit is super sweet, you may think you don't need any sugar at all. But since sugar (like salt) is a flavor enhancer—and also encourages the fruit to release its juices—I wouldn't advise leaving it out entirely. Just sprinkling sugar on your berries or diced stone fruit (plus a squeeze of lemon juice) will enhance their flavor amazingly.
Whipped cream includes natural milk sugars, but a sprinkling of granulated or extra-fine sugar will intensify its natural sweetness. A splash of VANILLA (or the touch of almond) also signals “sweet” to your brain, so don't be afraid to add those extracts.
Tip: Baking sugar alternative here is a great substitute for granulated sugar. It bakes like sugar in cookies and dissolves easily in fruit or cream, adding sweetness but no carbs. Win-win!
4) Think beyond the basic cookie
What is the difference between a shortcake and a cookie? Not much. Ditto scones: While they vary in degree of richness, all three of these “little cakes” will make dynamite fruitcakes.
Prepare the base for your fruit according to a traditional cake recipe, if you like. But browsing through the cookie and cookie recipes on this page will also provide you with a host of imaginative alternatives:
Lemon Cornmeal Cookies (photo at the top of this post): The cornmeal adds a little crunch and the lemon complements the flavor of whatever fruit you choose to pair with these delicious cookies.
Angel cookies: Part yeast roll, part cookie, these hold their soft yet crisp texture better than most straight cookies. Choose these if you want to make your cookie base a day or more ahead.
Sweets with almond flour: These soft and moist cakes have a slightly nutty flavor and a rich mouthfeel almond flour. A thin layer of almond flour on top adds a hint of crunch.
Cream for tea: Soft to the point of crumbly under your fork, these sponges are the perfect sponge for berry juice and raspberry custard.
Tender Peach Scones: Of course.
Tip: Shortbread doesn't have to start with cookies; many of you prefer the traditional yellow candy cups. Molly, a member of our test kitchen team, says, “I added a few Sicilian flowers to ours Olive Oil Bundt Cake recipe and bake it in a MaryAnn casserole. I finally got around to a patch of blackberries on Friday afternoon and those little cakes were the perfect vehicle for the strawberry dessert!”
5) Go elegant and easy by making personal candy trifles
Shortbread is an ideal product for any summer meal, but what if that meal includes candlelight and sangria? You'll want it to end with something a little more elegant: candy trifles. While trifles are usually made in a large glass bowl, you can also make individual sweet servings. Here's how:
- Start by cutting your cookie into round discs about 1/2″ thick; and find a cocktail glass or other clean elegant container that is close to the same diameter as the cookie slices.
- Place some whipped cream at the bottom of the glass, especially if it is not a flat-bottomed glass; the frosting will fill any empty space around your cookie.
- Next, add a slice of cookie. Spoon berries or diced fruit of your choice on top of the cookie, followed by Confectionery slush.
- Repeat this layering; the number of layers you make will depend on how big your serving dish is (or how full you want to fill it).
- Finish with a final swirl of whipped cream—or not. Berries or diced fruit, this goodness doesn't need to be hidden under a top!
Layers of cookies, cream, and colorful fruit piled on top of each other in a small way are an irresistible finish to your casual yet elegant summer dinner.
Tip: To maintain distinct layers in your little things, blend Instant Clear Gel in your whipped cream to stabilize – which will prevent the cream from softening and sinking into each layer below. For each cup of heavy cream, mix 1 tablespoon of ClearJel with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar (or Baking Sugar Alternative) and sprinkle into the cream after you have whipped it to the point where it holds soft peaks. Continue whipping the cream until it is as stiff as you like.
Are you eating gluten free? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Make any of the recipes above gluten-free by substituting ours Gluten-free dough for flour dough 1:1 to the required all-purpose flour. Or if Gluten Free All Purpose Flour it's in your pantry, try these Easy gluten-free desserts. As always, make sure all the ingredients in your recipe (except the flour) are also gluten-free.
Cover photo by Shilpa Iyer.
