SICILY — SPRING MORNING by Leonid Afremov
Make some healthy, delicious spring desserts with in-season ingredients like lemon, berries, rhubarb, cherries and herbs. A great way to celebrate spring.
These desserts can fit any occasion, whether you are entertaining guests or as a delicious ending to a family dinner.
Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake with Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar or sparkling sugar
- Strawberry Sauce, (recipe below)
- Fresh basil leaves and/or fresh strawberries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 x 1-1/2-inch round cake pan; set aside.
In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, milk and olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture and snipped basil until combined.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Remove cake from the pan. Turn cake, sugar side up. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To serve, cut cake into wedges. Serve with Strawberry Sauce and garnish with fresh basil leaves and/or fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh strawberries, hulled
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
Directions
In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon of the white balsamic vinegar. Cover and blend or process until smooth.
If desired, stir in additional white balsamic vinegar to taste. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Stir before serving.
Rosemary and Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Lemon Glaze (recipe below)
Directions
Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Line fifteen 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.
In a medium bowl combine cake flour, rosemary, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, lemon extract and vanilla. Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping bowl.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture; beat on low after each addition, just until combined. Stir in the lemon peel and lemon juice.
Spoon batter into prepared cups to three-fourths full.
Bake 22 to 25 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean.
(Bake 36 mini cakes 15 to 18 minutes; 6 jumbo cakes 25 to 30 minutes.) Cool in the muffin pan on a rack 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan; cool completely.
Spoon Lemon Glaze on cupcakes. Let stand 10 minutes. Makes 15 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.
Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon of finely shredded lemon peel
Directions
In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and enough of the lemon juice to reach spreading consistency. Stir in lemon peel.
Cherries Poached in Red Wine with Mascarpone Cream
4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups red wine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1-by-3-inch strip orange zest
- 2 pounds sweet cherries, halved and pitted
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
Directions
In a medium stainless-steel saucepan, combine the wine, sugar and orange zest. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Add the cherries and bring back to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the cherries are just tender, about 5 minutes. Pour into a glass or stainless-steel serving bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone with the honey. Remove the strip of orange zest from the cherries. Serve the warm cherries and syrup in bowls or stemmed glasses, topped with a large dollop of the mascarpone cream.
Blueberry-Lemon Shortcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut up
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
- 1 recipe Honey-Yogurt Cream (below)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl stir together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center of the flour mixture; set aside.
In a small bowl beat egg lightly with a fork. Stir in milk, 2 tablespoons of the honey, 2 tablespoons yogurt and the lemon peel. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.
Using a large spoon, drop dough into 8 mounds onto a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Transfer shortcakes to a wire rack; let cool.
To serve, split the shortcakes in half horizontally. Place bottom halves on serving plates. Evenly top bottom halves with the Honey-Yogurt Cream and blueberries.
Top with shortcake tops and drizzle evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon honey. Serve immediately.
Honey-Yogurt Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ounce of plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1/2 cup of whipped cream
Directions
In a medium bowl stir together yogurt and honey. Fold in whipped cream.
Rhubarb Buckle
Buckle Is a type of cake made in a single layer with fresh fruit added to the batter. The topping is similar to a streusel, which gives it a buckled or crumpled appearance.
For the cake
- Vegetable-oil cooking spray, for cake pans
- 1 pound plus 10 ounces rhubarb, trimmed and cut 1/2 inch thick on the bias
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the crumb topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light-brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with the oven rack in the center position.
Coat two 9-inch square cake pans with cooking spray and line them with parchment, leaving an overhang on 2 sides.
Stir together rhubarb and 1 cup sugar; set aside to macerate.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat together butter, remaining 1 cup of sugar and the lemon zest until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Make the crumb topping:
Stir together flour, brown sugar and salt. Add melted butter; stir to combine.
Divide batter between the pans. Top with rhubarb mixture and sprinkle with crumb topping.
Bake until golden on top and cooked through, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks, then lift cakes from the pans using the parchment overhangs.
Remove parchment. Before serving, cut buckle into 2-inch squares.
