Strawberry Pretzel Salad

If you were a classy lady living in the 1950's, chances are you were well acquainted with the Jell-o salad. This was a very popular way to get one's vegetables.  Yes, vegetables were thrown into a Jell-o mold, turned out onto a platter and served as a salad.  Nowadays, we are much more sophisticated with our Jell-o. We add fruit and salty snacks to make Strawberry Pretzel Salad.

My grandma was born in 1924, and was a stay-at-home mom during the 50's.  And right up until her death several years ago, she would make a Jell-o salad to go with dinner.  It was usually lime Jell-o with carrots shavings and raisins, and (I'm so sorry, Grandma, if you can hear me from the Other Side!) it was awful.  We would all secretly cringe and cower when the jiggling mass of green was presented.  Anyone remember Aunt Bethany's Jell-o mold with the cat food in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation??

In case you're scared right now, let me assure you that this Jell-o "salad" is amazing.  (Although I have no idea why it's called a salad; it's a dessert!)  It's actually pretty popular Mid-Western picnic fare. But most people make it with strawberry Jell-o (dyes and chemicals and artificial flavoring) and Cool-Whip (oils). Again we go back to the nasty Jell-o salad days.  Let's make this real, people. Strawberries (real), whipped cream cheese (real), and a pretzel crust (real) combine together to make a sweet, creamy, salty, crunchy dessert that is out-of-this-world summertime good.

And a word of warning ~ gelatin is not vegetarian.  If you don't know what it is, I won't disgust you with the details (which are definitely vomit-inducing), but suffice it to say that if you're vegan, you won't be eating traditional Jell-o.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

6-1/2 oz. pretzel sticks (not rods)
2-1/4 c. sugar
12 T. butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. heavy cream
3 lbs. frozen strawberries, thawed
1/4 t. salt
4-1/4 t. unflavored gelatin (2 packets, I think)
1/2 c. cold water

Pre-heat oven to 400°.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Pulse pretzels and sugar in food processor until coarsely ground.  Add butter and pulse until combined.  Pour into pan and pat down well.  Bake 10 minutes, rotating half-way thru.  Let cool 20 minutes.

In bowl of electric mixer and using whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. While running on med-high, add cream in steady stream.  Beat until soft peaks form.  Spread over pretzels and refrigerate 30 minutes.

In food processor (no need to clean), puree 2 lbs. of strawberries 30 seconds.  Strain thru fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids, over medium saucepan.  Add 1-1/2 cups sugar and salt to saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside.

Pour cold water into large bowl.  Sprinkle gelatin over and let sit 5 minutes.  Whisk strawberry puree into gelatin.  Slice remaining strawberries and stir into mixture. Refrigerate until mixture starts to cling to sides of bowl.  Pour over whipped cream cheese and refrigerate 4 or more hours until set up.

Adapted from Cooks Country Aug/Sept 2013

Strawberry Shortcake with Buttery Pound Cake

You know how every once in a while you have those amazing moments with your children that make all the hard stuff worthwhile?  I had one of those a few weeks ago with my 8-year old daughter.  It's probably not what you think.  She did not form a charity for autism.  Nor did she save a baby from a burning building. However, what she did was remarkable all the same.

My daughter asked to make Strawberry Shortcake together - from scratch!!  Yes, she specifically said, "Can we make strawberry shortcake but make it all from scratch?  Like the cake and the whipped cream and macerate (although she pronounced it mask-er-ite) the strawberries?"  This will go down in the history of our family as one of my proudest moments as a mom.  I've officially succeeded in making my kids foodies. Mama couldn't be prouder.

My other daughter, who is almost 7, loves to cook too so we three piled into my mini-van and headed to the store.  The girls sliced the strawberries, measured the ingredients, and added sugar to the cream as it whipped.  It took forever, and as always it's a lesson in patience to cook with kids.  But it was one of those shining times I'll always treasure.

Strawberry Shortcake with Buttery Pound Cake
Serves 6 (healthy sized portions)

2 lbs. strawberries, hulled, cored, sliced
2 T. sugar

2 sticks butter
6 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1-3/4 c. cake flour
1/2 t. table salt
1-1/4 c. sugar

1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Mix sliced strawberries and sugar in a bowl.  Set aside, covered.

Cut butter into chunks and place in bowl of electric mixer.  You want to bring this to just below room temp. Beat lightly 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.  Set aside to come to room temp with the butter.

Heat oven to 325*.  Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Using the paddle attachment, beat butter and salt for 2-3 minutes, until shiny and smooth, scraping down sides.  Very slowly pour 1-1/4 c. sugar into bowl while running on medium high speed.  Let it run for 5-8 minutes, scraping down sides as necessary.  You're looking for a very pale, fluffy butter mixture.  Turn machine to medium and very slowly pour egg mixture into bowl, scraping down sides.  Turn to med-high and let run for 3-4 minutes.  It's ok if it looks slightly curdled.

In three additions, sift the cake flour over the bowl and fold into the butter mixture with a spatula.  Don't over-mix or the cake will end up tough.

Pour into loaf pan and smooth top.  Bake 70-80 minutes until golden brown and passes the toothpick test.  Let cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.  Turn out and flip so it's right side up on wire rack and let cool 2 hours before slicing.

To assemble Strawberry Shortcakes:

Place cream in clean bowl of mixer.  With whisk attachment, beat until it starts to increase in volume.   Add the vanilla and slowly add the sugar until stiff peaks form.

Place one or two slices of pound cake on plate.  Top with macerated strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe for pound cake adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Apple Spice Hand Pies with Cinnamon Cream

Why are little girls so mean to each other?  My 8-year old daughter and I were on a field trip with school together and were having a great time.  At the end of the day, we were to all meet in a central location.  My daughter sat on a brick half-wall next to a girl in her class and Girl Scout troop.  They were chatting and having fun.  Along comes (well, hobbles, as she has a broken ankle) another girl in their class, who is also in their Girl Scout troop.  My daughter's friend asked her if she could sign her leg cast, and she said yes and handed her a Sharpie.  Then my daughter asked her if she could sign her cast.  The girl looked her square in the eyes, cocked her head, hand on her hip, and said, "Um, no."

My daughter hung her head for a second, shrugged her shoulders, and then started doing some clapping rhyme thing with another kid.

It really hurt my feelings to see someone treat my baby this way.

Moms always want the best for their kids, and for all other kids to be kind to them.  Wouldn't you want your baby to be treated with love and respect all the time?

And how do you think your mom feels when someone is unkind to you?  I can tell you ~ it breaks her heart.

So my poor, sweet, loving daughter and I came home and made some Apple Spice Hand Pies.  And ate several of them each.

The best part?  The cinnamon cream sort of melts and gets all creamy and gooey.  Like a cherry cheese danish with apples in a hand pie form.  Unreal.

Apple Spice Hand Pies with Cinnamon Cream
Makes 16

4 Granny Smith apples
2 T. butter
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
1 c. brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. vanilla extract
pinch salt
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
4 pie crusts, uncooked
1 egg
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 425*.  Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

Peel and chop apples.  In a large skillet, melt butter over med-high heat.  Saute apples for 5-10 minutes or until beginning to soften.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and saute 1 minute to bloom the spices.   Add brown sugar and saute 3-5 minutes or until syrupy.  Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.  Add to apples and cook 1 minute, or until thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

While the apples are cooling, whip (by hand or with a mixer) the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy.  Set aside.

Using a 5" biscuit cutter or similar (I use a funnel), cut rounds of the pie dough, rolling scraps as necessary to make 16 rounds.  Fill rounds on one side with 1-2 tablespoons of apples, leaving a 1/4"-1/2" edge.  Dollop 1 teaspoon or so of the cream cheese mixture on top of the apples.  Dip your finger in water, run along edge, and fold over pie dough to seal.  Crimp with a fork by rolling the fork so the twines push down on the border.

Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water.  Mix sugar and cinnamon in separate bowl.  Brush tops of hand pies with egg wash.  Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating and switching pans halfway thru.

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

I had a really strange experience regarding these Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup.  One night not too long ago, I was drifting off to sleep ~ I was in that odd stage between sleep and awake where you're super comfortable and feel like your body is made of lead, yet you are somewhat aware of your surroundings.  All of a sudden I had an epiphany!

Instantly, the recipe for these Banana Pancakes popped into my head.  (Don't be alarmed ~ it actually happens quite often.  Frequently enough, in fact, that I keep a steno pad on my nightstand so I can write down my creative thoughts). Then the ingredients for the Peanut Butter Syrup jumped in my little brain.  Ok, so that's not the strange part.

I fell into a deep sleep.  The next morning, I woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. (Not really.  Just wanted to quote the Beatles).  I picked up a magazine on the floor and immediately opened to an article on Jack Johnson, whose favorite food happens to be Banana Pancakes.  I'd never even heard of this guy until reading this article.  (My dear husband reminds me occasionally how I'm not a big music lover... and that I married a musician.)

Later that day, the whole family was in the vehicle for the 2-1/2 hour drive to visit relatives.  We had been on the road about 15 minutes when my husband, the musician, plugged in his phone to play some music.  What comes on, but this John Jackson or Jack Jackson or John Johnson or Jack Johnson or whatever his name is. And what song is he singing?  "Banana Pancakes."  Guess I was meant to make these.

When you cook these, the bananas get golden brown and caramelized.  The pancakes are fluffy and tangy and sweet.  And they really are very easy.  It's not much more time-consuming than a boxed mix. You can make the sauce ahead as well.  If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 2 cups milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.  These pancakes are rich, especially with the syrup, so a little will go a long way.

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup
Feeds 6

Pancakes:
2 c. (10 oz) flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. sour cream
2 eggs
3 tbsp. melted butter, slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5-7 bananas

Sauce:
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. butter
pinch salt

Vegetable oil for skillet
Butter for skillet


Pre-heat oven to 200°.  Stick a sheet pan in the oven.

For the pancakes, whisk first 6 ingredients.  In another bowl mix buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients.  Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Dump all sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, whisking occasionally.

As you make the pancakes, slice a banana or two so they don't brown as you wait.  Heat non-stick skillet over med-high heat.  Add a bit of vegetable oil and a pat of butter.  Scoop pancake batter in 1/4-cup measures into skillet.  Place banana slices in the batter, gently pressing into batter.  Once the top is bubbling and drier, and bottom is golden, carefully flip.  Cook till golden brown on bottom.

Remove from skillet and place on sheet pan and put in oven to keep warm.

Serve with butter and peanut butter syrup.