Strawberries & Cream Cornmeal Bars

with a name like strawberries & cream, you know it has to be good...

The brain child for this dessert literally came from a childhood memory. I had cornbread at least once a week at my baby sitter's house...I'm sure it was more often than that. Anyway, when she served cornbread at dinner we always had butter and jams on hand. I always loved strawberry preserves on my buttered cornbread. So, when I was thinking about this post it only seemed appropriate that I'd create a recipe with these flavors.

But, I needed to sweeten it up a little more, so I thought what pairs well with strawberries? Cream came to mind, but more specifically cream cheese frosting (my favorite). I have to say, I was skeptical of the cornmeal crust. I was worried it might be too gritty, but after trying one of the bars tonight, I'm happy with this recipe. The cornmeal crust gives these bars the crunch they need. Come down memory lane with me and make these dessert bars. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 12 bars
Cornmeal Crust
Nonstick Baking Spray (with flour)
1 C Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 C All Purpose Flour
1 Stick Cold Unsalted Butter, diced
2 T Granulated Sugar
1/4 C Confectioner's Sugar
 1/4 tsp. Salt

Filling & Frosting
1/2 Jar (18 oz.) Strawberry Preserves
8 oz. Block Cream Cheese (low fat okay), softened
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 C Confectioner's Sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 pan with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Grease the foil well with nonstick baking spray (with flour). Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the cornmeal, flour, butter, sugars, and salt. Pulse to mix together. Add 1 T cold water and continue to pulse until the dough begins to form. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden and browned around the edges, about 25 minutes. Allow the crust to cool.

Once the crust has cooled, spread the strawberry preserves evenly all over the top. Place the bars in the freezer to harden the preserves, about 30 minutes. This helps with spreading the frosting on top.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a medium bowl cream the cream cheese and butter together. Mix in the vanilla and then gradually mix in the sugar. Remove the bars from the pan and frost. Note: you will have extra frosting. Cut into squares and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Enjoy!

Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet w/ Dark Chocolate Chunks

a sweet surprise

I'm staking a claim that my favorite dessert is any form of frozen treat - sorbet, sherbet, ice cream sandwich... There's nothing better than an ice cold sweet treat on a hot summer day. I think America's with me on this upcoming holiday weekend. It's summer, it's hot, and everyone should be eating frozen treats!

So, for this post I've made a somewhat unexpected strawberry sorbet. I've added balsamic vinegar to the mix. It adds a nice tang and pairs so well with the strawberries and dark chocolate. It's official, we've reached the tipping point of summer and the 90 degree days are upon us. Make this creamy sorbet to cool down. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 C Water
6 C Strawberries, hauled & sliced
1 Lemon, peel & juice
4-5 oz. Dark Chocolate Chunks

Directions
Combine the sugar, balsamic, water, and 3 wide strips of lemon peel in a sauce pan. Bring to a bubble and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and rest for 20 minutes.

Remove the lemon peel from the simple syrup, discard. Combine half the syrup, strawberries, and lemon juice in a blender. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Process the remaining syrup, strawberries, and lemon juice. Add to the bowl.

Pour the mixture into the freezer can of an ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your machine to make the sorbet. Put the sorbet into a freezer safe bowl, stir in the chocolate chunks, and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from the freezer 15 minutes prior to serving. Scoop the sorbet into bowls and serve immediately. Cool off with this unexpected frozen sweet treat. Enjoy!

Strawberry & Vanilla Ricotta Cream Tart

sweet-tart strawberries meet lightly sweetened vanilla ricotta

All I could think of for dessert with strawberries was strawberries and cream, strawberries and cream...so, that's what I made! This dessert encompasses all the textures I love with a bit of a twist. It has a crunchy crust, creamy middle, and soft strawberry bites on top...it looks like a cheese cake...but boy is that wrong!

This is super easy to make ahead and great for a party. Bake the tart shell, whip the filling, and slice the strawberries all before the party starts. Just before serving, fill the tart shell with the cream and top with the sliced strawberries in any design you like. Make it before your next shin-dig...

Recipe - Serves 8 (11 in. tart pan)
Tart Shell
1 1/2 Sticks of Butter
4 1/2 T Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Fine Salt
1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour (more as needed)

Vanilla Ricotta Cream
3 C Ricotta Cheese, full or half fat, or mix
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 Vanilla Bean, split and seeds removed
Pint of Fresh Strawberries, halved or sliced

Directions
Start by making the tart shell. In a medium heat proof bowl, melt the butter. I usually microwave it for 30 second intervals. Add the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Begin adding the flour, a little at a time, and stirring until a soft dough forms. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour until you can handle it. Press the dough into the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 and make the filling. In a large bowl, whip the ricotta and sugar with a hand mixer. Whip for approx. 2 minutes or until the sugar is completely incorporated into the ricotta. Add the vanilla extract and seeds. Whip until incorporated, about another minute. Cover and refrigerate.

Bake the tart shell: Remove the plastic wrap and prick the crust all over with a fork. This will keep the crust from getting bubbles. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool completely.

Just before serving, assemble the tart. Smooth the vanilla ricotta cream into the cooled tart shell. Decorate with the halved or sliced strawberries in any pattern you like. Slice with a serrated knife and have your guests try to figure out what this dessert really is...hint: it's not cheese cake.