strawberries – Oven Love https://www.ovenloveblog.com from scratch, with love...and a little sass Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:19:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.29 Strawberry and Peach Cinnamon Bread (Guest Post) https://www.ovenloveblog.com/strawberry-and-peach-cinnamon-bread-guest-post/ Tue, 13 Aug 2013 05:33:35 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/?p=2846 Strawberry Peach Bread

Happy Tuesday! The moving truck is in our driveway today and things are gettin’ real. While I’m busy carrying heavy objects (more likely children than boxes), please enjoy this guest post from Janssen of Everyday Reading. Janssen is a fellow contributor at MPMK and part of a very talented family of bloggers (you can find her sisters here and here). She writes about books, family, recipes, DIY.. she’s a regular renaissance woman. Thanks for visiting, Janssen!

One of my favorite things is a recipe that takes a food on its last leg and turns it into something amazing and delicious.

You know how banana bread rescues bananas from the trash can? This bread does the same for strawberries and peaches. The softer and riper they are, the better.

It’s great for a breakfast or snack, but my favorite is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. But then, ANYTHING with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream is likely to be my favorite.
 
Strawberry and Peach Cinnamon Bread
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Makes 1 loaf or 3 mini-loaves or 1 dozen muffins
Author:
Recipe type: Bread, Baked Goods
Serves: 8-12

Ingredients
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup plain yogurt
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 cup chopped and mashed strawberries and peaches (whatever ratio you have is fine – I usually pulse mine in the blender a couple of times to chop them).

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.
  2. Pour into greased pan (fill each pan or muffin tin about ⅔ full).
  3. Bake for 1 hour if doing a full loaf, 40 minutes for mini-loaves, and 30 minutes for muffins (or until a toothpick comes out cleanly).

]]>
Grain-Free Fat Almond Pancake https://www.ovenloveblog.com/grain-free-fat-almond-pancake/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/grain-free-fat-almond-pancake/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:15:41 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/?p=2719 fatpancake1

A few weeks ago, I pinned this Fat Almond Pancake from Green Kitchen Stories and I knew I had to make one. (Definitely check out their blog, it’s gorgeous!) The original recipe wasn’t exactly grain-free, but I knew I could do some tweaking and make easily make it GAPS-friendly. I just loved the look and ease of it. And mainly, I just loved that it was called a fat pancake.

And so I hit the kitchen and came up with this beautiful thing. I mean, don’t you just want dig your spoon in there? You do. Trust me. We ate it hot and fresh from the oven for breakfast.. and then we ate it cold in the back of the car as we watched a freak rain storm.. then the kids finished it off during their bath time. So, yeah. We liked it.

fatpancake3

Surprisingly, we all preferred to eat this cold. You can taste more of the almond flavor and the sweetness. I couldn’t tell you if it keeps well.. I imagine you’d want to eat it all in a day or two- let me know if it lasts that long in your house, I’d love to know how it keeps.

If you’re wondering, the fruit on top is a mix of strawberries, white peaches, blueberries and cherries. Any fresh summer fruit will do, but I love the look of the red, white and blue. Especially with the 4th coming up! This would be a perfect dish to whip up if you’re having company for the holiday.

fatpancake2

Fat pancakes! It’s a thing.

3.5 from 2 reviews

Fat Almond Pancake (Grain-Free, GAPS, Paleo)
 
 

Author:
Serves: 6

Ingredients
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 cups milk (cow’s, coconut, almond.. etc)
  • ½ cup pureed squash, apple or pear (or more milk, if you like)
  • 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 2 tbsp organic butter or coconut oil
  • chopped fresh fruit, mint, yogurt, honey and coconut chips for serving

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 8×11 casserole dish in the oven to warm up.
  2. While your dish is warming, whisk eggs, milk, squash and honey in a large bowl. (To make sure your honey is well incorporated, keep your ingredients at room temperature or whisk vigorously as you add the honey.) Make sure you have no lumps in your almond flour and add it to the liquid ingredients along with the salt.
  3. Take the pan out of the oven and add the butter or coconut oil and swirl it around as it melts. Add the batter to the pan.
  4. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pancake is set and golden brown. Top with chopped fruit, honey, mint and coconut chips; then serve in bowls with yogurt.

]]>
https://www.ovenloveblog.com/grain-free-fat-almond-pancake/feed/ 11
Stuffed French Toast Cupcakes https://www.ovenloveblog.com/stuffed-french-toast-cupcakes/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/stuffed-french-toast-cupcakes/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/stuffed-french-toast-cupcakes/
Happy Monday morning!
If you were following on Facebook this weekend, you know that I was working on some new cupcake flavors for my 500th post- one based on a dessert and one based on a breakfast treat. This is the breakfast concoction- a berry-stuffed french toast cupcake! Begin drooling now.
It isn’t my 500th post yet (just a few more to go!), but this recipe was just as good as the one I picked to share with you later. If you like sweet breakfasts, this cupcake is right up your alley. Here’s the rundown: it’s a maple cinnamon cake with strawberry cream cheese filling, cream cheese frosting with a berry swirl, topped with a french toast bite and a sliced strawberry. Take a bite into this thing and it’s reminiscent of a big slice of syrup-slathered, stuffed french toast (something like this, perhaps?).
I won’t pretend that these are quick and easy to throw together. There are a quite a few steps involved, but if you want to go the extra mile, they will certainly satisfy. I think they would be just as tasty without the filling and the toppings, so you could make a quicker version using just the cake and frosting recipes.
These cupcakes would be perfect for a brunch table or a replacement for those (boring) doughnuts at your morning workplace celebrations. In case you’re wondering, I think it’s an excellent idea to eat cupcakes before noon. Before 8 AM, even. A perfectly acceptable breakfast, really.
Cupcakes disguised as breakfast. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

Stuffed French Toast Cupcakes
by Oven Love
makes about 16 cupcakes

For the cupcakes (adapted from Cupcake Project):

  • 1 3/4 cups (175 grams) cake flour, not self-rising
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup (225 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (75 grams) full-fat sour cream
  • 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (60 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract
  • 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  3. Add the sugar and mix until well combined.
  4. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes.  Because there is so little butter, you’ll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
  5. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla extract and maple extract until smooth.
  6. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
  7. Slowly add milk and mix on low speed until just combined.  The batter will be liquid.  (Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong.  It’s supposed to be that way.)
  8. Fill cupcake liners just over 1/2 full.
  9. Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. They are done when a toothpick comes out without wet batter stuck to it. If they are not done, test again in two minutes.  If they are still not done, test again in another two minutes.
  10. When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack (or just on your counter if you don’t own a cooling rack) to cool.

For the filling:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 6-8 strawberries, diced
  • 3 tablespoons strawberry or raspberry jam
  1. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, diced strawberries and jam. To fill the cupcakes, cut a circle in the center of the cupcake to make a hole and remove the excess cake with a spoon. Spoon the filling into the hole.

For the frosting:

  • 12 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1-2 tablespoons strawberry or raspberry jam
  1. In a stand mixer, mix cream cheese until smooth- no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the butter, mixing again until smooth. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth. If the mixture is too soft, add additional powdered sugar or chill in the refrigerator before piping.
  2. To frost the cupcakes using the swirl effect, prepare a pastry bag with a large round tip. Using a spoon, smear a few lines of jam up the sides of the pastry bag. Fill the bag with the cream cheese mixture. Pipe onto the cupcakes in a circular motion.

For the toppings:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 thick slices french bread
  • 4 strawberries, sliced
  1.  Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Dip the slices of bread into the mixture until soaked through. Add the butter to the pan and fry the slices until golden brown. Let cool, cut into cubes and top each cupcake with a french toast cube and a strawberry slice. (Tip: slice the strawberries first and let them sit out a bit on a paper towel so their juices evaporate and you don’t have a soggy mess on your cupcake.)
]]>
https://www.ovenloveblog.com/stuffed-french-toast-cupcakes/feed/ 4
Mini Strawberry Ricotta Galettes https://www.ovenloveblog.com/mini-strawberry-ricotta-galettes/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/mini-strawberry-ricotta-galettes/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:42:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/mini-strawberry-ricotta-galettes/
Have you ever tried to type something with one hand (like a blog post, for instance) while nursing a baby, hoping that you can clear your mind and get some thoughts down before your toddler wakes up? This is probably my fifth attempt in three days to do so and I’m almost positive I’ll be interrupted by something in the next few minutes. How do you mamas of 3, 4, 5+ babies do it all?
But I will soldier on- you guys deserve some attention, too!
Say hello to my second round of mini galettes this week. To follow up my savory breakfast galettes, I present something a little sweeter- but not too sweet.  These galettes are made with a layer of ricotta, a drizzle of honey and topped with beautiful fresh strawberries. I know I’ve lived in the South for a few years, but I still can’t believe strawberries are in season this early down here. I’m a lucky lady.
If you are a person who doesn’t like overly sweet treats, this one’s for you. You can eat it for breakfast or dessert, depending on your mood. I like it served hot with an extra drizzle of honey on top- I’m sure I would have added some ice cream or whipped cream, though, if we had any on hand. This is another great choice for brunch as well- perhaps Easter brunch?
If you don’t like the idea of the ricotta cheese, you can substitute mascarpone cheese or cream cheese as well- just make sure the cream cheese is very soft and spreadable so you don’t tear the pie dough.
I hope this recipe gets you excited for spring. Spring is my second favorite season, ya’ll (after Fall, which is the best of the best)! Spring means strawberry picking, birds chirping, playground equipment that isn’t burning hot, slightly fewer annoying bugs, sidewalk chalk, fruit in my water when I feel fancy, toenail polish, asparagus and green, green grass. Spring for the win!
Eat one of these before spring is over.
Mini Strawberry Ricotta Galettes
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 batch pie dough (You need enough for a single crust. See this post for my pie crust comparison- http://ovenlove.blogspot.com/2011/05/pie-crust-comparison.html – Note: a store-bought crust may not make as many galettes.)
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 4 tsp honey
  • 12-16 strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • coarse sugar and fresh cracked pepper for seasoning
  • honey, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream or ice cream for serving

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Separate your pie dough into 4 sections. Roll each section into a small circle, about ¼ inch thick. Place your dough circles onto the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Spread each circle with ¼ cup ricotta cheese, leaving about an inch of dough around the edge. Drizzle the ricotta with 1 teaspoon honey per galette and layer with strawberry slices. Fold up the edges of the dough, sealing the dough up around the filling. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar and black pepper.
  4. Bake the galettes for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden. Serve hot with a drizzle of honey, a dollop of mascarpone cheese or whipped cream, or a scoop of ice cream.

]]>
https://www.ovenloveblog.com/mini-strawberry-ricotta-galettes/feed/ 3
Frozen Smoothie Bags https://www.ovenloveblog.com/frozen-smoothie-bags/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/frozen-smoothie-bags/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:53:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/frozen-smoothie-bags/
I am very excited to share this idea with you today! If you are looking to streamline your morning routine or looking for a quick and healthy mini-meal or snack for the kids, pay attention! This is a good one.
I was inspired to make these frozen smoothie bags by The Tidy Nest‘s make-ahead freezer smoothies and Muffin Tin Mania‘s green smoothie cups. I love having ready-made smoothies waiting in the freezer instead of pulling out tons of ingredients and making a big mess. All you need to do is empty the contents of your bag into a blender and add juice or milk until you reach your desired consistency. Easy and healthy- a win/win.
The green smoothie cubes are my favorites (you’ll find the procedure for freezing yogurt and the green cube recipe at the end of the post). If you haven’t been brave enough to try a green smoothie yet, I assure you that the greens give each smoothie a healthy punch without changing the flavor. It’s a great way to add greens to your diet if you or your kids* don’t typically enjoy their taste.
*Kid Tip- if your kids won’t touch anything green in color, put one of these smoothies in a cup with a lid where the color is undetectable and they’ll never know the difference! I also recommend these Sili Squeeze containers if your kids like the disposable squeeze pouches- I fill them up with smoothies and my little guy loves it.
Here are a few of the smoothie bag combinations that I like to have on hand.
 Tropical Smoothie Bag:
pineapple, mango, banana and yogurt cubes. add orange juice or coconut milk.
(if you omit the mango and use coconut milk, you’ve got a Pina Colada bag!)
 Green Smoothie Bag:
kiwi, pineapple, banana, green cubes and yogurt cubes. add white grape juice or milk.
(you can also add other green items- celery, green apple, etc.)
 Mango Berry Smoothie Bag:
strawberries, raspberries, mango, green cube and yogurt cubes. add orange juice or milk.
Here are a few other ideas for smoothie combinations:
Mixed Berry Smoothie Bag: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries and yogurt cubes. add pomegranate juice.
Orange Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bag: strawberries, bananas and yogurt cubes. add orange juice.
Blue Banana Smoothie Bag: blueberries, bananas and yogurt cubes. add pomegranate juice.
If you’re wondering how much of each item to add to your bag, don’t worry too much about it. Each of my bags has about 1-2 cups of fruit, a few yogurt cubes (depending on the size) and 1-2 green cubes. The amount of smoothie that you get with each bag will vary anyways, depending on how much liquid you add, so don’t worry about exact measurements. Just have fun with it!
*Note: If you’re wondering what mold I used to get the bigger yogurt cubes, I use these Beaba freezer trays. These are excellent for freezing purees of any kind, especially if you want a larger portion than what you can get with an ice cube tray. The little heart cubes are made using a heart mold from the $1 section at Target and the green cubes are made with a silicone mini-muffin tray like this one.

Procedure for Freezing Fresh Fruit:
Wash fruit well and pat dry. Cut off any unwanted skins or stems. Chop into small slices or pieces and place on a baking sheet. Do not allow the fruit pieces to touch each other. Freeze until firm. Remove from the baking sheet and place in a freezer-safe plastic bag and store in the freezer.
 
Procedure for Freezing Yogurt:
Spoon or pour yogurt into a mini-muffin tin, ice cube tray or flexible silicone mold. Freeze until firm. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes and remove from the mold (try to avoid running hot water over the mold, it can melt the yogurt). Place in a freezer-safe plastic bag and store in the freezer.

Green Smoothie Cubes
by Oven Love

Ingredients:

  • leafy greens of your choice- spinach, kale, swiss chard, etc
  • liquid of your choice- yogurt, milk, juice or water

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the greens and liquid. Process until smooth, adding extra yogurt or liquid as needed. Spoon or pour the green mixture into a mini-muffin tin, ice cube tray or flexible silicone mold. Freeze until firm. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes and remove from the mold (try to avoid running hot water over the mold, it can melt the mixture). Place in a freezer-safe plastic bag and store in the freezer.

]]>
https://www.ovenloveblog.com/frozen-smoothie-bags/feed/ 10
Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream https://www.ovenloveblog.com/fresh-strawberry-cake-with-cream-cheese-swiss-meringue-buttercream/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/fresh-strawberry-cake-with-cream-cheese-swiss-meringue-buttercream/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/fresh-strawberry-cake-with-cream-cheese-swiss-meringue-buttercream/
I am considering this Lucy’s very first birthday cake.
Okay, okay.. right now, it’s more for Mama than it is for little Lucy, but I will certainly make it for her again some day. Lucille Naomi joined the world a week ago today; at home, in the water, and much quicker than I expected. But that’s a story for another day.
Another thing I didn’t expect: to be baking a cake just days after she was born. I am feeling blessed to have bounced back quickly (and to have a few extra hands around the house).
Little Luce and I have had a great first week. We have some extra help from Daddy and Nana right now; which is the real reason that I was able to get back to baking so quickly. I actually put the strawberries for this cake into the freezer to thaw the night before she was born, so they were staring at me for a few days and I just had to use them up. We have a lot to celebrate, after all- a beautiful, healthy baby girl.
There aren’t too many from-scratch strawberry cake recipes out there that don’t include strawberry gelatin as one of the ingredients. This cake is made with strawberry puree- the only added ingredient is a little bit of pink food coloring. That’s mostly just because I wanted it to look beautifully pink for the photos instead of  pinky-grey. If you want to go all-natural with it, be my guest!
I decided to give Whisk Kid’s Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream a try on this cake instead of my own tried-and-true cream cheese frosting recipe. I am so glad I did. I love the subtle tang of the cream cheese, and the fact that it’s not heavy or sickly sweet like many cream cheese frostings. For the filling, I just mixed some of the frosting with the leftover strawberry puree that’s used in the batter. Strawberry jam or a layer of the plain frosting (or both!) could be used as filling, too.
This would make a great Valentine’s Day treat for your sweetheart or for a crowd. If you want to get really crazy, pair it with some homemade strawberry ice cream.
I hope you enjoyed Kristina‘s guest post this week. You have two more to look forward to in the coming weeks, as well as Fridays with Julie. I hope you’re hungry!

 

4.8 from 13 reviews

Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride- http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/1088
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 10

Ingredients
  • 24 oz frozen or very ripe fresh strawberries, hulled (if frozen, thawed)
  • 1-2 tsp sugar (for fresh berries only)
  • ¼ cup milk, at room temperature
  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2¼ cup cake flour, sifted
  • 1¾ cup sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened (not melted)
  • pink or red food coloring, preferably the gel type (optional)

Instructions
  1. Thaw frozen strawberries in whatever form (sliced, whole, etc) and in whatever container/bag you have them in. Pour into a fine strainer placed over a bowl and let sit. Lightly toss the strawberries occasionally to remove any pockets of excess liquid. Reserve the liquid for another use or discard.
  2. Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree. (You can use fresh strawberries if you don’t have a stash of frozen strawberries in your freezer. Just hull, slice and toss with a teaspoon or two of sugar and cover. Let them sit at room temperature for a couple of hours, until nice and juicy. Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and puree.)
  3. Reserve ¾ cup puree for the cake. Use leftover puree to fill the cake or fold into the frosting, if desired.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8 or 9 inch pans: spray inside with baking spray with flour (or use some sort of grease/flour combination).
  5. In small bowl, combine puree, milk, egg, vanilla and mix with fork until well blended. In bowl of stand mixer, add sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Continue beating at slow speed and add butter. Mix until combined and resembling moist crumbs.
  6. Add liquids and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until full and evenly combined. Stop mixer to add food coloring if using and to scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat to combine. Divide the batter evenly among the pans and smooth tops.
  7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (time will vary). Let cakes rest in pan for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks. Let cakes cool completely (about 2 hours).

 

4.8 from 13 reviews

Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
 
Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 10

Ingredients
  • 3 (100g) egg whites
  • ⅔ c (130g) sugar
  • 10 Tbsp (142g) butter, cubed and at room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, cubed and at room temp

Instructions
  1. In the base of a double boiler, bring water to a simmer. In the top bowl (or just a bowl to place over a pan of simmering water) combine the egg whites and sugar and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot to the touch (160F on a candy thermometer if you want to be completely accurate), about five minutes depending on the original temperature of the eggs. When the mixture has warmed sufficiently, pour it into the bowl of your stand mixer and whip on high speed until the bottom of the bowl is room temperature, ten to fifteen minutes. When the bowl is no longer warm, turn the mixer to medium-low and begin adding the butter piece by piece. Let each chunk incorporate completely before adding the next and don’t rush the process!
  2. After all of the butter has been added, add the vanilla and turn the speed back to high. Whip for about 3 minutes or until the buttercream comes together. Turn the speed down to low and add the cream cheese, then mix on medium to fully incorporate.

]]>
https://www.ovenloveblog.com/fresh-strawberry-cake-with-cream-cheese-swiss-meringue-buttercream/feed/ 91