Introducing: Strawberry Shortcake Blondies – a lighter, more versatile cousin of the traditional brownie. At Crumbs & Doilies, we’re constantly experimenting with new flavors and toppings to transform blondies into delicious creations.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Chilling time: 2 hours
Yields: 16 pieces
For the strawberries:
– 400g strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved
– 15g caster sugar
For the pie crumb:
– 110g plain flour
– 20g caster sugar
– A pinch of sea salt
– 60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the blondie:
– 150g unsalted butter
– 335g soft light brown sugar
– 3 large eggs
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 270g plain flour, sifted
– ¼ tsp baking powder
– ¼ tsp sea salt
– 150g white chocolate chips
– 10g freeze-dried strawberry bits (optional)
– 3-4 strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced for decoration
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan)/335F/gas 3. Toss the strawberries in sugar, spread them on an oven tray, and roast for 35-40 minutes. Strain off the syrup (save for a cordial) and let the fruit cool.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Line an oven tray and grease and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tin with greaseproof paper.
3. In a small bowl, mix together all the pie crumb ingredients and a teaspoon of cold water until clumps form. Break apart any large clumps and spread the nuggets on the lined oven tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden, then cool.
4. Brown the butter in a saucepan on medium heat until melted, golden, and has toasty brown flecks at the bottom. Allow it to cool slightly.
5. Whisk the browned butter and sugar in a bowl briefly. Add the eggs and vanilla, whisk briefly, then add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in until mostly combined. Gently fold in the white chocolate, freeze-dried strawberries (if using), and 100g of pie crumb until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
6. Spread half of the batter evenly in the base of the tin, then cover with the roasted strawberries. Top with the remaining batter, taking care not to displace the strawberries. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top and scatter the remaining pie crumb. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out with a little batter on it. Cool, then chill for at least two hours before serving.
Next up: Peach and Almond Cookies – a delightful combination of soft amaretti biscuits and thumbprint cookies. These naturally gluten-free treats are incredibly delicious. You can change it up by using lemon curd or jam, but peach curd adds a fragrant and creamy touch.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yields: 12 cookies (plus leftover curd)
For the peach curd:
– 55g ripe peach, quartered and peeled
– 10g concentrated peach syrup (optional)
– 50g caster sugar
– 1 large egg, plus 3 yolks
– 50g fridge-cold unsalted butter, cubed
For the almond cookies:
– 75g unsalted butter
– 60g caster sugar
– 1 large egg
– ⅛ tsp almond extract
– 240g ground almonds
– ¼ tsp baking powder
– 1¼ tsp sea salt
– 30g icing sugar, sifted
Instructions:
1. Simmer water in a saucepan. Blitz the peach in a high-speed blender until smooth. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the peach, peach syrup (if using), sugar, egg, and egg yolks. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and heat, whisking constantly, for 5-8 minutes until thick. Beat in the butter and sieve into a container. Cover with clingfilm, let it cool, then refrigerate.
2. Melt butter for the cookies in a pan on medium heat until golden with brown flecks. Allow it to cool for a few minutes.
3. Whisk the browned butter and sugar, then add the egg and almond extract and whisk briefly. Fold in the ground almonds, baking powder, and salt. Chill the dough for an hour to firm up.
4. Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 and line a baking tray. Roll 25g pieces of dough into balls and coat them in icing sugar. Arrange on the tray and make an indent in the center of each ball using a floured teaspoon measure. Spread out the dough. Add half a teaspoon of curd to each indent and bake for 14-16 minutes until golden. Cool, then chill before serving.
Lastly: S’mores Ice Cream – the perfect treat for those who long for the taste of campfire s’mores but prefer the comfort of home.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 2 hours +
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Freezing time: 4 hours +
Yields: Approximately 1 litre
Ingredients:
– 150g caster sugar
– 4 egg yolks
– 300ml cream
– 550g whole milk
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– A pinch of sea salt
– 2-3 giant marshmallows, cut into chunks (or 6-8 regular ones)
– 50g milk chocolate digestives, broken into small pieces
– 30g dark chocolate, melted
Instructions:
1. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks until pale. In a saucepan, heat the cream, milk, vanilla, and salt until steaming but not boiling. Slowly ladle a third of the mixture onto the eggs while whisking constantly. Repeat twice more and return everything to the pan. Stir on low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into a container, cover with clingfilm, let it cool, then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Toast the marshmallows on a nonstick baking sheet until cooled.
3. Churn the custard in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have an ice-cream machine, freeze the custard in a roasting tray for an hour. Whisk it, incorporate the coldest bits, and freeze for another 30 minutes. Repeat until the ice-cream is thick.
4. Spread a third of the ice-cream in a container, sprinkle a third of the broken biscuits and add marshmallow bits. Drizzle melted chocolate, then repeat the layers. Freeze for a few hours until set. Serve and enjoy the taste of campfire s’mores from the comfort of your home.
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