Tart fruits can bite when you first eat them, but after eating the fruit for a bit the sweetness begins to come through. This can be said for our next Strawberry Shortcake character: Raspberry Tart and her pet monkey named Rhubarb. When Raspberry Tart was introduced as a new character she was a tad bit mean. But, eventually, her sweetness came through. Life is truly delicious this time of year as we enjoy the summer season, berry season.

One of the things we love best about summer is all the fresh berries. We cannot eat enough of them. Initially we wanted to make this tart with the lovely black raspberries found at the local farmers market, but we were impatient, having eaten the black raspberries on the walk home. Unadorned, these raspberries were as nature intended…tart enough to make us wince a little and sweet enough to make us want more. Luckily we made it home before diving into the red raspberries.

Raspberry Tart

Sherry Yard’s Master 3-2-1 Flaky Pie Dough

Ingredients

• ½ pound cold, unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 2 ½ cups AP flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Directions

1. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and place it in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
2. Sift together the flour and sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer (paddle attachment).
3. Add the butter and salt. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes. Stop mixing and by hand pinch flat any large pieces of butter that remain.
4. Combine the ice water and vinegar in a small bowl. Turn the mixer on low and add the liquid all at once. Mix just until the dough comes together, about 15 seconds.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.
6.  After properly chilled roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to desired thickness.
7. Fit dough into tart shells. Bake at 350 degrees or until lightly brown. (Bake using pie beads or poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork.)
8. Cool tart shell completely before filling.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until it is just hot enough to steam. While the milk is warming, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornstarch until the mixture is completely smooth.
2. Once the milk is steaming, add half of it, whisking constantly, to the egg mixture.
3. Add the milk and eggs back into the hot milk continue stirring, and heat it for 1-2 minutes, until the custard reaches 170F on a digital thermometer and is very thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and chill before filling tart shells.

To Assemble

1. Use berries of your choice. For this tart we used raspberries.
2. Spoon or pipe the pastry filling into the tart shell.
3. Gently place rinsed and drained raspberries onto the pastry cream.

Rinse raspberries. Make sure they are as dry as possible before arranging on the tart.

Photography Data:
ApertureFNumber: f/1.0
Make: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: E-500
ExposureTime: 1/5
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
MaxApertureValue: 0/256
MeteringMode: 3
LightSource: 0
Flash: 8
Featured Viktorija Kuprijanova

I work part-time at a lovely jewelry store that has been in business for many decades. Aside from the beautiful jewelry we carry a large selection of china and crystal. We also carry sterling silver serving pieces, accessories and beverage cups that bring to mind days gone by. One day, when I first began to work at the jewelry store, I was performing a necessary task in a store with many open shelves: dusting.

I never worked in a jewelry store and so I was unused to the pricing of the fine merchandise. I was dusting the shelves where the sterling silver cups sat. I lifted up a julep cup. I looked at the price tag. To say I was shocked is an understatement. Well, I thought, no wonder only the extremely wealthy have silver cups and serving pieces.

I had forgotten about the Julep cup until I was looking through the names of the Strawberry Shortcake characters that are the inspiration for our newest series “Life is Delicious”. Mint Tulip is a character from the Strawberry Shortcake cast of characters. She is named after the famous Mint Julep beverage. The character Mint Tulip is a Dutch girl from the land of Hollandaise. Her pet is a duck named Marsh Mallard. It was surprising to me to find a character who is clearly named after an alcoholic beverage, but that is where the connection ends.

The Mint Julep dates back to 1803 when a recipe appeared in a book by John Davis: “A dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it, taken by Virginians in the morning.” It is not certain what spirituous liquor was used and given the recipe it seems that any liquor might do the job. Some food historians feel the drink dates back to the 1700’s. The origin of the drink is still fuzzy…something you will be if you have one too many of this potent beverage. It can be agreed upon, though; that this beverage was born in the southern states and that the word “julep” has a Persian origin, “golab” meaning rosewater.

I was raised in the north east. When Mint Julep was mentioned I’d often think of southern women sitting on a large Victorian porch dressed in their summer finery sipping a refreshing drink. Why I imagined this is beyond me, but the name, Mint Julep, seemed genteel. Little did I know that this beverage contained hard liquor and was a Kentucky Derby tradition.

In 1938, at Churchill Downs, Mint Julep was served in souvenir glasses. The glasses containing Mint Julep were sold for seventy-five cents. While other spirits may have been used to make the Mint Julep it is now traditional to use bourbon. A mainstay at the Kentucky Derby, Mint Juleps are sold by the hundreds of thousands each year. As for the silver cup…well, that should have a copper core in order to keep the contents of the cup chilled to the appropriate temperature.

Where to buy

• Mint Julep Cups (Silver)
• Silver Plated Mint Julep Cups

Mint Julep

• 4 fresh mint sprigs
• 2 ½ oz bourbon whiskey
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 2 tsp water

Directions

1. Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a julep cup.
2. Fill the cup with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to our newest series: Life is Delicious. On the original Strawberry Shortcake poster you will find those words. And, it is so true, isn’t it?!

When I was writing the Star Wars post I was looking up other happenings in 1977. I stumbled upon the Strawberry Shortcake character that was designed in 1977 by Muriel Fahrion, a greeting card illustrator at American Greetings. Strawberry Shortcake and her cat, Custard, were originally seen on greeting cards, but the adorable character became a huge hit. She could soon be found on lunch boxes, posters and sticker albums.

It was in the 1980’s, though, that Strawberry Shortcake and friends became the big trend with young girls. Eventually Strawberry Shortcake TV specials, video games, and movies were made that included many of the thirty two characters Fahrion created.

Each subsequent character had a fruit or dessert themed name and coordinating clothing as well as a pet with an appropriate name, which is quite sweet. Some of Strawberry Shortcakes friends were Huckleberry Pie and his dog Pupcake; Blueberry Muffin and her mouse, Cheesecake; Orange Blossom and her pet butterfly, Marmalade; Crepe Suzette who’s pet, of course is a French poodle named Éclair.

Strawberry Shortcake, to me, is the epitome of innocence. The character brings back many memories of my own childhood. Today, when walking through the toy store I see dolls such as Bratz that scream out at the consumer and make young girls look “cool”. Even Barbie, with her disproportioned body and glamorous wardrobe doesn’t quite offend as some of these newer dolls. With their scent related hair and their cherubic faces the Strawberry Shortcake characters let young girls remain just that…young.

Our new series, Life is Delicious, will recall each Strawberry Shortcake character and their corresponding dessert. We will talk about life, the good times and the times during which we might say that life isn’t so delicious. This brings to mind a quote, if you’ll indulge me for it is not related to Strawberry Shortcake, but utterly relevant to our theme. It is from the movie Parenthood:

Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

Life is full of ups and downs, but always delicious!

Strawberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream (adapted from the back of the Bisquick box)
This recipe came about when I botched the actual recipe on the back of the Bisquick box. I was new to baking and in a hurry. You’ll see the ingredients are the same as on the box. What you will notice is that the sugar placements are reversed! I liked my botched version and have been making it that way ever since.

Strawberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 quart strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 1/3 cup Bisquick mix
½ cup milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
Whipped cream (recipe below)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl mix the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
3. Stir the Bisquick mix, ¼ cup sugar, milk and butter until a soft dough forms.
4. Drop by the spoonful onto parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form.
2. Do not over whip the cream or you will begin to have butter.

Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cake flour, sifted
• 10 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
3. In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
4. Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).
5. Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Photography Data:
Featured: Terra Gram
ApertureFNumber: f/13.0
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
ExposureTime: 1/6
FNumber: 13/1
ExposureProgram: 1
ISOSpeedRatings: 100
Flash: 16