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Back before I started baking like there was no tomorrow I remember reading about a baker’s tip to making the best, flakiest pie crust. It was one of those tips that, when discovered, bakers can’t help but share.
You know the types of tips I’m talking about. It is either one that is so simple it makes you smack your forehead while saying ‘why didn’t I think of that!’, or so ingenious you bow down in honor because it seriously just saved you hours. Well, maybe not that much time, but you get the picture.
The particular tip I am talking about is in reference to the type of liquid you add to pie dough. Instead of adding just water to your pie dough of choice, this tip suggested adding half water, half vodka (!) with the idea being that when you bake the dough, the vodka will evaporate, creating an even flakier crust. I know, ingenious, right?
I’ve kept this little tip tucked in that back corner of my brain for years (which says a lot because I have a horrible memory). So I’m a little bummed that I’ve used that precious space on something that I’ll never need to use because this pie dough recipe is just awesome! Bakers’ tips have their place, but there is no room for them here.
This time I made a tart shell and filled it with rich pastry cream topped with market fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Seriously, go make this pie dough. I promise you won’t regret it.
Summer Berry Tart
Adapted from Ratio by Michael Ruhlman
For the crust, use half of the 3-2-1 Pie Dough recipe, which can be found here.
For the pastry cream:
8 oz plus 3 oz milk
8 oz cream
1 vanilla bean, split length-wise
4 oz sugar
8 large egg yolks
6 T cornstarch
2 oz butter
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Roll out half of the pie dough and press into a 9-inch tart pan with a removeable bottom. Line the unbaked shell with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the pie weights and continue baking the shell for another 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
For the pastry cream, combine the milk, cream and vanilla bean in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the bean from the liquid and scrape the seeds from the bean into the milk/cream mixture. Discard the pod.
Combine the sugar and yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Combine the cornstarch with the 3 ounces of milk and stir to dissolve.
Over medium heat, bring the milk/cream mixture just to a simmer. Drizzle a little of the warmed mixture into the egg yolks while whisking continuously to temper the eggs. Slowly add the rest of the milk/cream mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and add the cornstarch/milk mixture. Continue stirring over medium heat until it just starts to boil and becomes very thick. Immediately remove from the heat and dunk the base of the saucepan into the ice water. Continue to stir until it cools slightly and add the butter. Stir until melted.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface. Refrigerate until completely cool.
When ready to assemble your pie, spread the cooled pastry cream evenly over your baked crust. Top the pastry cream with berries of your choice. I choose fresh strawberries, which I quartered, and fresh blueberries, but you can top with any fruit that is in season. Enjoy!
I usually don’t like to be so definitive on things. I like to keep my options open. But I’m going to make an exception this time. These strawberry cupcakes are the best cupcakes ever. Period.
I broke a couple of my cardinal baking rules (no baking on a weeknight, allow at least two tries to get a Martha frosting recipe right) to bake these babies, but I had purchased three beautiful baskets of strawberries at the farmer’s market the day before and didn’t want them to go to waste. I love strawberries but I know my limits and there were too many strawberries for my little self to eat.
These cupcakes are slightly reminiscent of strawberry shortcake and I’m sure they would be just as delicious with a little sprinkling of turbinado sugar before they bake and some whipped cream after they’ve cooled. But the strawberry buttercream set up so beautifully and isn’t overly sweet. It really does add just enough of an extra punch of strawberry.
These cupcakes were another accomplishment for me in that it was the first (well really, it took two tries) buttercream that I made successfully. Reading through the directions, it can easily be construed as a complicated process involving steam and hot bowls and whipping egg whites. Very daunting. But it really is a simple recipe to make and one that is so basic with endless variations. I love how the piped frosting looks like the stripes from a candy stripers uniform.
Strawberries make me incredibly happy and thus, by extension, these cupcakes make me incredibly happy.
Strawberry Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 whole large eggs and 1 egg white
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with liners.
Sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla using a stand mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy. One at a time, add the whole eggs and the egg white, beating each until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk. Beat until fully combined. Then fold in the chopped strawberries using a rubber spatula.
Fill each muffin tin with batter three-quarters of the way full. Bake, rotating the tins halfway through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in muffin pan for 15 minutes and then turn out cupcakes and let cool entirely. Cupcakes can keep up to one day, stored in an airtight container.
Strawberry Buttercream
This really is a simple recipe. Don’t let the fancy-schmany directions intimidate you. Just remember to mix the eggs and sugar until cool completely before you add the butter.
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoons
Puree the strawberries in a food processor and set aside.
Set up a double boiler using the the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine the egg whites in sugar in the bowl and set over the simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly by hand until all the sugar has dissolved and it is warm to the touch. Test this by rubbing the mixture between your fingers – it should be completely smooth.
Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with a whick attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing the medium-high speed, mix until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Continue to mix until peaks are fluffy and glossy and mixture has completely cooled, about 10 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all butter has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and switch to the beater attachment. Continue beating about two minutes, until all air bubbles are gone. Add the pureed strawberries and beat until combined. Don’t panic if the mixture separates and looks curdled. Just keep beating on medium-high speed until the mixture comes together and is smooth.
Buttercream can be kept in the refrigerator up to 3 days or frozen up to one month.
Bake Your Heart Out 