Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Hello Bakers,

Wow, life has changed. I hope you are doing well and are unscathed by the recent turn of events and this horrible virus. I

Thank God for baking - I suspect if you are reading this - baking is helping you get through. It is doing the same for me. Ingredients are getting more plentiful in my area and for that I am grateful. My AP and bread flour bins are full.

Vanilla has reappeared at Trader Joes and it’s a good vanilla.

I also found a credible vanilla at my nearby ‘99 cent store. In fact when there was nothing to be found for baking in my neighborhood, I got by with ingredients from the ‘99 cent store.

Pre Corona, I used to extravagantly pour Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste out of a quart bottle in all those classes at Sur la Table. I took that endless supply for granted, I have to admit.

Well, today I have for you, a beautiful Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for you. Does anyone remember the book Chez Panisse Desserts? This crisp is based on that classic recipe from Lindsey Shere’s excellent book.

Rhubarb has a short season unless you grow it and then it keeps going all summer. This can be made all strawberry or a berry mix if you are not a fan of rhubarb. Please try this - it’s so easy and delicious. You can count on serving seconds.

Happy Baking! Colette

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

8” or 11” x 7” Baking Dish - buttered

Oven 350 degrees

6 to 8 servings

Strawberry Rhubarb Mise en Place

Topping

1/2 cup (106g) Brown sugar 

1 stick (113g) Butter, cut into pieces and chilled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (128g) All purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup (43g) pecans 

Filling

12 ounces rhubarb, cut into 1/2” piece

1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/2 cup (99g) sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons (28g) flour

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the topping:

This is the half way point…you can mix with your hands after it gets to this point.

Fully mixed topping

1. In a medium size bowl combine brown sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon.

2. Add butter and using a bowl scraper or pastry blender cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse meal. Make sure no raw pieces of butter are visible. Toss in the pecans and combine

   
   
   To make the filling:

Strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and flour.

1. In a large bowl toss together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and flour until all the fruit is evenly coated.

2. Scoop the fruit into baking dish and spread in an even layer.

3. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit.

4. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and soft and the topping is golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ready to bake

"So easy a man can make them!" Jiffy Buttermilk Biscuits Tagline! Vintage 1930s!

Hello Bakers,

I hope you have what you need to keep baking in this difficult time. For me - flour and sugar have been a challenge - so as in previous posts I have turned to mixes to create content. When I found bread flour last week, I wanted to cry. Never will I take a stocked grocery store for granted again.

And yes, I have found another delightful Jiffy mix to tell you about - my - I hope, one day soon, to have full bins of flour, sugar and yeast but for today I found an inspired mix.

I know I have been something of a snob about ingredients - Coronavirus has taught me to be more democratic.

These days I walk three miles a day, masked and social distanced My neighborhood ‘99 cent store is on my route. They had Jiffy Mix buttermilk biscuit mix - I was so delighted to see that blue and white box - I bought 2 boxes

The biscuit mix was one of the first mixes to be produced in 1930. It’s tagline was “so easy a man can make them” Ouch! Sorry guys, it was different times. We know you can make biscuits.

This was the first baking mix made in the US. It was one of the first mixes I used as a child - the size was perfect as there were only three in our family.

Back to 1930 - so the stock market crashed on October 25, 1929. We all know what happened and we are all hoping that it is not happening again but it kind of is.

Prior to 1930, Jiffy mix was the Chelsea Milling Company, established 1901 in Chelsea, Michigan by Harmon Holmes. It was a flour mill.

Mabel, Harmon’s wife, came up with the idea for a mix. Was this an idea born out of worry about holding things together? I like to think so. And I like to think that many brilliant ideas will come out of our current crisis too.

Today, Jiffy mix is run by grandson Howdy Holmes, every aspect of production and packaging (which has not changed it’s design for decades) is done at the factory in Chelsea. The only thing they don’t do is grow their wheat. They do not advertise. The recipes on their website are impressive and I urge you to check it out. It’s also a small batch - you can make more then one box or bake a box every day.

https://site.jiffymix.com/recipes/

In this short tutorial I am going to whip up a batch of Jiffy biscuits - they turn out just great! And you can customize them however you like. Add cheese, add cooked bacon, herbs, parmesan cheese.

Jiffy! I am a grateful fan - you keep me baking in this difficult time.

Here is the recipe for you to refer to.

Using a 2 1/4” cutter this made 8 adorable biscuits

Equipment: 1/4 or 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper, medium bowl, bowl scraper, sifter or strainer, biscuit cutter - any size can be used, pastry brush

1 box ”Jiffy” buttermilk baking mix
1/2 cup room temperature water

2 ounces milk for brushing before baking

Add ins: Pick your favorites - grated cheese, drained cooked bacon, chopped herbs, minced onions

Oven 425 (the box says 450 but I got beautiful color at 425)

1. As you empty the package into the bowl - sift it

2. Add water and begin to mix - it goes together quickly while it is still shaggy add your add ins or leave them out.

3. Once the dough is a cohesive mass - dump it out onto your work surface roll out 1/2” thick and give the dough a three fold, give it a 1/4 turn, roll it out and fold it again. Then roll 5/8” thick and cut your biscuits with out twisting the cutter. You can dip it in some regular flour if you are worried about the cutter sticking.

4. Place on sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes - this helps them keep their shape.

5. Brush with milk and bake for 15 minutes.

Sourdough Dutch Oven Bread starring Sofia, my 56 year old Starter!

Hello Bakers,

Yesterday, I posted a Sofia Sourdough boule on Instagram and I got a few requests for the recipe. So here it is. Now that we are home - people are baking bread like crazy. And baking supplies (I am sure you have notice) are in short supply. No yeast? It takes 5-7 days to make a working starter. If you have one in the back of the refrigerator that’s dormant it can be back to work in 2-3 days. I once let a starter go dormant for 9 months and it came back right back.

If you have questions - please let me know. I have directions for creating a starter or reviving an existing one - just let me know I am happy to send. Please try this - it’s easy, accessible and delicious.

Happy Baking! Stay safe.

Sourdough Rustic Dutch Oven Bread 

Yield: 1 large loaf 

Equipment: 4qt Dutch oven (larger let me know and I will help you adjust the recipe), stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk, 2 medium sized bowls, one for bulk fermentation (first rising) and the second for proofing - lightly oil then wipe out excess oil and flour the bulk fermentation bowl, a lightly oiled square of parchment paper to line the proofing bowl. 

Optional: Proofing bags (Ziploc XL available at some stores, check first and on Amazon.)

https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Big-Bags-Packaging-vary/dp/B00CAOG198/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Ziploc+XL+bags&qid=1578459162&sr=8-2

Pyrex measuring cup or sturdy mug for hot water to place in the proofing bag.

Sourdough Time Line

Make sure that your starter is active and bubbly - which means you may have to discard and feed for a day or two if your starter isn’t super active. 

Evening before Baking:

Make preferment:

3 ounces (85g) water
3 ounces (85g) starter 
4 ounces (113g) unbleached all purpose flour

1. Combine water, starter and flour together with a dough whisk or wooden spoon. 

Mix until well combined, cover and let sit at room temperature overnight. **If mixing the dough in a stand mixer - use the stand mixer bowl to mix your starter.

10 ounces (283g) water - 70 degrees
5 ounces(142g) whole wheat flour
10 ounces (283g) unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons (8g) fine sea salt

1. In the bowl with starter add water, whole wheat flour, unbleached flour and mix with the dough hook for 2 minutes on low speed. After 2 minutes, stop the mixer, cover the bowl and let it stir for 20 minutes.

2. After 20 minutes add salt and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. 

3. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

4. After 45 minutes, fold the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl - use a bowl scraper if sticky - starting at the top - stretch the dough 6-8 inches (as far it will go) and fold it toward the center. Repeat with the other 3 sides of dough. Flip over and place back in the bowl, cover and let sit for another 45 minutes - then fold again. Repeat 3-4 more times. 

Folding strengthens gluten and works well to strengthen gluten in a well hydrated dough.

1. Line proofing bowl with lightly oiled parchment paper, crumpling the paper helps it conform better to the proofing bowl.

2. After the third or fourth fold move the dough to the parchment lined proofing bowl and let proof for an hour - use a proofing bag if you have one.

3. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 450 degrees with your Dutch oven and lid in the oven.

Trim the parchment to the top of the bowl so you do not have excess parchment hanging out of your Dutch oven to burn.

1.  Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven, be careful it is very hot and picking up the edges of the parchment paper, carefully drop the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Quickly sprinkle the top with a little flour and slash the top a few times with a lame or a serrated knife works fine.

Place the lid on the top of the Dutch oven and put it back in the oven.

                 9.  Bake for 35 minutes, check if the top has a little color, uncover and place back in the oven for an additional 10 - 12 minutes. Check the temperature with an instant read thermometer - 210 is best. If it is not up to temperature return to the oven, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and check in another 7 minutes.

10.  The bread can be frozen up to one month, thaw unwrapped and refresh in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Bluprint.com Creative Care Package (March 26-April 9) Take a Class or many!!!! FREE!!!

Quick announcement - Bluprint - is hosting an All You Can Watch Even through April 9. This is the time to learn something - over 1300 classes on the site. Not just my classes but so many more.

Please click on this link to register: No credit card needed to watch - none of that. Bake, crochet, sew, quilt and so much more.

https://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=656018&m=29190&u=1699070

Please copy and paste - thxs :)

Happy Baking, Crafting and Learning!

XO, Colette