Strawberry Fields Forever

It has been positively freezing here in Tucson. I know, I know... there are places in the country that are much colder than us, but when you're used to the 80s and 70s and suddenly it drops into the 40s? It's brutal! So when I was trying to find something to bake for a certain someone's birthday, it figures I was drawn to a more summery treat. In celebration of my favoritest sister's birthday, I give you:

Paula's Birthday Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberries, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 9 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside.
 
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter in and rub the mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture. Using your hands the entire time to mix the ingredients helps it to come together more easily.

Using a tablespoon (or your hands!), drop dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them evenly. If they're very round, flatten them a little with a spoon so that the inside cooks properly. Bake for about 24-25 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. If you try to lift them from the parchment paper too soon, they'll stick, which we learned the hard way. Once they're cool enough to lift, enjoy with milk, coffee, or tea.

Happy birthday sissy wissy! I hope your dinner was fantastic (once again, thanks to Justin for helping make birthday dinners delicious successes) and that you enjoyed your cookies! Here's to a fantastic year for you! (And a little music never hurt).

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Happy Birthday!

Mariana

Peaches

We're not sure where the idea to make peach cobbler came from, considering we've never made one before, but we decided that since we had some fresh peaches, we would make some fresh peach cobbler!! The recipe is pretty quick and easy and oh so yummy!

The making of this recipe had a fun little adventure to it. First, we decided that we would make personal little cobblers in ramekins for us instead of a regular large one. Mariana said she had four at her house so we were all set. We got started on the recipe and since there is only three of us eating this wonderfulness-the sisters and the obliged husband/bro-in-law- we halfed the recipe we found and made a small version... Or so we thought! As Paula sliced the peaches, Mariana began adding in some ingredients. Just to double check, Paula asked if Mariana was halfing the amounts listed so that we weren't making anything too sweet. Unfortunately, she hadn't! After trying to spoon off some of the excess ingredients, unsuccessfully, we rinsed off the peaches and started over! We also found that we didn't have four ramekins so we had switch to using a small glass baking dish.  Like we said, it was an adventure! But in the end, everything was straightened out and a wonderful cobbler was produced!

So if you would like to make this for just 4 people, remember to half the amount of ingredients listed! And if you want cute little personal cobblers, make sure you have enough little dishes to make them in! Otherwise, enjoy the amazing smell that will waft from the oven as you bake this and the celebration your taste-buds will give you for feeding them this heavenly wonder!

 Peach Cobbler

Serves 8

 

Ingredients

Filling

• 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). 

In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. 

While peaches are in oven, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined. You should have a moist but still crumbly mixture. 

Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Mix together the 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle entire cobbler. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes. Once done, take out of oven a let cool for a little bit. Top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

As always, here is your wonderful music selection to go with this tasty dessert!

Bon appetit! Buen provecho! Yum Yum Yum!


-Mariana and Paula