Vessy's day » fruits

Strawberry bars

Vessy — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 21:45:55 +0000

These strawberry crumb bars are so-so-so delicious and extra easy! You don’t need any special skills or equipment to make these, except delicious ripe and flavorful strawberries.
I love all kinds of recipes. Long and complicated recipes usually don’t scare me but sometimes it feels like all you need is a delicious homemade piece of dessert that could be ready in no time without the fuzz and especially without spending long hours in the kitchen. Something simple to whip up in no time, a recipe that feels like a rest, instead of work. This recipe is one of those, that I call cozy and family friendly. Imagine the smell of just baked crisp buttery dough and strawberries. Family gathers around the pan and the whole thing is gone before you know it.
Enjoy!

Ingredients for the crust:
160 grams (5,6 oz) brown sugar
300 grams (10,5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
170 grams (6 oz) butter, melted, cooled to room temperature

Ingredients for the filling:
400 grams (14 oz) fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
30 grams (1 oz) sugar
275 grams (10 oz) sour cream
90 grams (3 oz) sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 medium eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust:
Grease a 15/25cm (6″/10″) rectangular baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 170C fan-forced (340 F fan-forced).
In a medium size bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, soda, baking powder and salt. Add melted butter and mix to combine.
Add 2/3 of the mixture to the pan and press down to the bottom until flat and even. Save the rest of the crust mixture for the top.
For the filling:
In a small saucepan heat the strawberries and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring gently until sugar dissolves and strawberries release their juices (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool off for a bit.
In the meantime, in another bowl, combine all the rest ingredients and mix well.
Pour the sour cream mixture over the crust, then distribute the strawberries over the sour cream.
Sprinkle the rest of the dough over the strawberry/sour cream mixture, using your fingers.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden brown.

Cashew milk oatmeal with bananas & strawberries

Vessy — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 16:37:13 +0000

This 15 minute oatmeal is delicious, healthy and will keep you full till lunch. You can prepare it before work, pour in a jar and have it at work on your desk when you wish for it.

I recommend to make this oatmilk with cashew milk or other nut milk in order to avoid lactose in your breakfast.

Once you boil the oats, you can add whatever fruits you have on hands – bananas, strawberries, blueberries, I like coconut chips on mine, chia seeds, kiwi, chopped raw nuts. Just go with whatever you have on hands and you like.

Ingredients:

300 ml. (10 fl. oz) homemade or store bought cashew milk (learn how to make homemade cashew milk here) or any other nut milk, regular cow milk

100 grams (3,5 oz) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 table spoon honey (or agave for vegan)

1 table spoon cashew tahini (optional)

1 large banana, sliced

Optional: coconut chips, extra cashews, chopped, shredded chocolate, berries, kiwi

In a small saucepan combine oats and milk. Bring to gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat until oats absorb almost all of the milk and the mixture is almost dry.

Transfer to a jar to go or a breakfast bowl and add honey to taste, tahini, fruits, nuts, coconut chips and etc.

Enjoy.

Muffins with white cherries and meringue frosting

Vessy — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 11:52:48 +0000

These muffins are tender, moist, flavorful, easy and super quick to prepare. No need of any special equipment, just 2 bowls and a rubber spatula will do your job.

If you can’t find cherries on the market, feel free to use and kind of berries, peach, apricots, apples or pears. Use whatever fruit you have on your hands, you can even mix different fruits in for a more interesting result.

Ingredients:
240 grams (8,5 oz) all-purpose flour
130 grams (4,5 oz) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
350 grams (12 oz) pitted and chopped fresh white cherries
2 large eggs
120 grams (4 oz) butter, melted and cooled
Zest from 1 orange
90 grams (3 oz) buttermilk
Juice from 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the meringue frosting:
370 grams (13 oz) white granulated sugar
4 medium egg whites

1 tea spoon vanilla extract

1/3 tea spoon citric acid

Prepare the muffins: Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line a 12 cup muffin tray with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder and the cherries. Set aside.
In another bowl beat the eggs lightly, then add the butter, salt, buttermilk, juice from 1 orange and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the batter comes out nice and smooth (don’t over-mix).
Distribute the batter evenly between the muffin cups and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
Prepare the frosting: Add the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Cook the mixture until the sugar’s completely dissolved (or reaches 160F, if you have a candy thermometer).
Then, add the vanilla and citric acid and mix with a hand or stand mixer until the meringue is fluffy, thick and glossy (about 10 minutes).

Pour the meringue frosting in a piping bag and decorate the muffins as you like.

Use a brûlée torch to burn the top of the frosting for better looks and taste.

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Peach tartlets

Vessy — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 15:47:44 +0000

These peach tartlets are so yum and a great refreshing summer treat! Recipe is pretty easy and quick and tartlets would melt in your mouth, fulfilling all of your sweets cravings!

Dough is crispy and buttery, but strong enough to hold its shape after tartlets are removed from the baking tins, which makes them perfect for an outdoor get-together, BBQ, picnic or light breakfast on the go. Filling is soft and flavorful, light and delicious.

Ingredients for the sweet pastry dough (makes 15 mini tartlets, 10cm. each):
185 grams (6.5 oz) flour
40 grams (1.40 oz) powder sugar
1/2 tea spoon salt
90 grams (3 oz) butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
3 table spoons (15 ml.) cold water or milk
For the filling:
115 grams (4 oz) soft butter
110 grams (4 oz) powder sugar
50 ml. coconut milk

1 egg

1 table spoon vanilla liqueur
95 grams (3.5 oz) ground almonds
5 table spoons plain flour

2 peaches, sliced thinly

Preheat your oven to 180C (350 F).
To make the dough:
To make the dough:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the soften butter (chopped into small pieces) and start mixing with your fingers (or pulse briefly in a food processor if you prefer) until coarse crumbs form (butter pieces should be about the size of a pea). Add the egg yolk and quickly knead until the dough comes together. If dough is too dry and doesn’t come together add one or two table spoons of water or milk, one by one, until dough is wet enough to form a ball, but not too sticky. Do NOT overwork the dough, just pulse a few times and then shape it using your hands. Shape dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to firm up, about 30 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the filling: Beat butter and powder sugar in a large bowl until fluffy and smooth. Add coconut milk, egg and vanilla liqueur and beat again until all combines well. Add the flour and almonds and mix gently with a rubber spatula. Set filling aside until you roll the pastry.

Assemble:

Remove pastry from the fridge and set over a floured wooden board or your counter top. Roll thinly and then cut into the shape of your baking dish – I used mini pie tins, for which I cut circles a bit larger than the tartlets tins, so dough would cover not only the bottom but also the sides of the tins. If you are making one large tart, then roll the dough into a large circle, enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pie baking dish. Cover all baking dishes or one large dish with the dough, by gently pressing it down to the sides and bottom.

Pour the filling over the pie crust, then arrange sliced peaches on top of the filling.

Bake for about 25 minutes for small tartlets and 35-45 minutes for one large tart.

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