17 SPRING FRUIT DESSERTS

The first of the spring fruits, rhubarb, is actually a vegetable, but its taste is acrid and sour. It needs so much sugar to be edible; its recipes are treated as spring fruit desserts. Of ancient Asian origin, it traveled West through Turkey and Russia getting a reputation as a cleansing medicinal plant along the way.  Traditionally, it was welcomed in markets and on tables as the definitive sign that winter was over and regarded as a healthy spring tonic as well.

However, about 50 years ago rhubarb began to disappear from menus, become less available and quite expensive. My guess is that with sugar prices rising at the time as was our obsession with calorie counting, healthy eating and conviction that anything loaded with sugar was bad, pushed rhubarb, with its tart taste under the bus as a customary spring fruit dessert.

Our tastes have changed since then, matured. We’re more open to a variety of cuisines and flavors so rhubarb may be ready for a come-back. I hope so, because it’s delicious its own, and can be used in many ways, but it combines well with other fruits. That’s why I’m including 4 rhubarb recipes here: 1-my favorite kutchen, 2-a multi-purpose, 3-onecombined with strawberries and 4-one for either or both.

The rest of this post I’m devoting to recipes for the other, the really popular spring fruit—Strawberries. Although, nowadays, they’re available all year, desserts devoted entirely to them still sing ‘spring ‘and light up a table.

RECIPES

Rhubarb Kutchen: Serves 12
Topping:
4 egg whites

¾ cup sugar
2 drops vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla
Base

1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbs. sugar
Pinch salt
½ cup butter

2 egg yolks – beaten
½ cup toasted chopped walnuts

Filling:
4-5 cups rhubarb cut in

1 inch pieces
2 egg yolks – beaten

2 cups sugar
½ cup flour
For base: Mix first 4 ingredients, cut in butter until batter is crumbly. Stir in eggs and nuts until well combined. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 12 inch baking pan.
Separately combine egg yolks, sugar and flour until blended. Stir in rhubarb. Pour filling into crust and bake in a preheated 350 deg.45 min. Top with meringue and bake an additional 10 min. or until meringue is golden. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Rhubarb Compote: Yield 1 quart
 2 lbs. fresh rhubarb, roughly chopped

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Peel of half a lemon/orange

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Combine all ingredients (excluding vanilla) in large sauce pot. Heat to medium-high and stir occasionally until rhubarb begins to break down completely. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla bean paste (or extract), and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate and use as desired.
Can be used as layer fillings for a cake, or between layers of whipped cream to make a parfait, a dessert sauce or a compliment to poultry.

Original recipe yields 8 servings

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie: Serves 8-10
1 cup sugar
½ cup flour
1 lb. fresh rhubarb-chopped
1qt. fresh strawberries hulled divided if large
Pastry for a 2 crust pie.
2 cups flour
¾ cup shortening
2 Tbs. sugar
2pinches cinnamon
Ice water-1/4 cup +
2Tbs.milk + sugar to sprinkle—Optional
Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat well. Place the flour, sugar and cinnamon in another bowl and cut in the shortening until it resembles fine pebbles. Gradually add the water only until the dough sticks together form a ball. Allow to rest, chilled for a few minutes. Divide dough in half and roll each into a round to fit the pie plate. Line the pie tin, pour in the filling, optionally dot with butter and cover with the second dough round, sealing the edges with water and crimping them. Poke some air holes in the top with a fork or knife and optionally, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 deg. for 15min. lower heatto350 deg. and bake 25-30 min. more. Cool before slicing.

Easy Berry Angel Cake: Serves 4-8-12 depending on size of cake

This a quick, elegant answer to the problem of providing a nice dessert when there isn’t time to prepare one from scratch, and a tasty end to a meal anytime. Any berry will work, as would peaches, but blueberries tend to discolor the cake, and peaches offer a rather bland appearance.

Rhubarb compote, sliced strawberries or a combination of the 2 are options
1 Angel Food cake – purchased or made from a mix—Pound cake will work as well.

2 pkg. frozen strawberries with juice or 2cups rhubarb compote or a mixture

1 box Vanilla Pudding mix *

1 pt. whipping cream

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Cut the cake into 3 layers using toothpicks, a ruler and a knife. Select, and put aside a few choice berries to use as garnish. Combine the pudding mix and berries with juice in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and chill.

Whip the cream and fold into the chilled berry mixture. Spread on the three cake layers. Garnish the top one with the reserved berries.
*In a pinch substitute equal amount Cool Whip for the pudding and cream. Just mix and spread.

Strawberry Shortcake
Biscuits: Yield 12
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 ½ Tbs. softened butter
4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
Cinnamon
Mix first 5 ingredients well with a spoon. The dough will be moist and sticky. Drop by soup spoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet in 12 well separated mounds. Sprinkle top with granulated sugar and cinnamon. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven 15-17 min. until bottoms have tanned edges. Remove from pan with a spatula and allow to cool completely on a rack. Store covered.
Filling
Strawberry: Allow 1>1 ½ cups berries per serving. If serving soon, reserve a few berries for decoration. Slice berries in a bowl, add enough sugar to sweeten and leave to marinate at room temperature until juices form syrup, then chill until serving. If making ahead, per 2 cups berries, combine berries with ½ cup apple juice, 3 Tbs. lime juice and just enough sugar to sweeten in a saucepan. Stir over to low heat just until berries soften, cool and chill until serving.

Angel Nests: Serves 4-6
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring.
2 drops of white or cider vinegar
Beat the egg whites into peaks, adding the vinegar to temper them half way through, then the flour and the cornstarch, finally the sugar in 3 parts while beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Draw an 8 or 9 inch circle on parchment or waxed paper. Put the paper on a cookie sheet and fill the circles with the beaten whites, using the back of a fork to indent the center and raise the sides to form a nest. Bake at 250 deg. for 60 min. Leave in oven for 30 min. then cool on a wire rack and store airtight. To serve, fill the center with sliced fresh fruit or berries.

Meringue Torte: Serves 4-6
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
2-3 drops of vinegar Flavor extract—optional
Make the meringues as directed in the Basic Recipe. Draw three 6-7 inch circles on waxed paper and cover one, probably two cookie sheets. Spread the meringue carefully, dividing it between the circles. Smooth the top surfaces of two of them. Use a spoon to lift the surface of the third into decorative peaks. This will be the top. Bake in a preheated 250 deg. oven for 60-70 min. Cool and then carefully remove paper. Can be made 2 weeks ahead if stored air-tight with waxed paper between the layers. Just before serving fill the layers with any of a variety of items-ice cream, custard pie fillings, mixed whipped topping and cream cheese with fruit, whipped cream with fruit.

Berry Napoleons: Serves 4
1 sheet puff pastry – rolled out to 9 x 12 inches
1 pint fresh berries of choice
1 ½ cup heavy cream or 2 cups whipped topping, or ice cream
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into (12) 3 x 3 inch squares. Bake on the paper in a preheated 400deg oven for 15 min. or until golden. Cool and store air-tight if not to be used at once.
TO SERVE: Whip cream if using. Lay a square of pastry on a plate, place a portion of the cream then berries on top. Place the next piece of pastry on an angle on top. If serving 6, garnish with powdered sugar. If serving 4, repeat layers, placing the top piece of pastry at another angle, garnish with powdered sugar

Tartlets: Makes 12

1 box Puff Pastry- -2 sheets (2) 6 cup muffin tins Roll the pastry out to the point where (6) 5 inch circles can be cut from each. Place a circle in each muffin hole. Cut (12) 5 inch circles of parchment or waxed paper and place on top of the pastry. Weigh them down with dried beans or rice. This is the way to maintain the cup shape as the pastry cooks and rises. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven 10 – 15 min. until pastry is golden. Remove paper and weights and cool pastry cups on a rack.
 Fillings: 1) Fresh berries mixed with a bit of sugar and topped with whipped cream

Other Shell Choices
1) Wonton Cups: Makes 24 –From Eat Up and Slim Down by Jane Kirby and David Joachim
24 wonton wrappers
2Tbs. melted butter
Line a wrapper in each cup of a 12 cup or (2) 6 cup muffin pans. Brush with butter. Lay a 2nd wrapper diagonally on the first and brush with butter. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10 min. Cool, then remove from pan.
2) Puff pastry shells or phyllo cups; These are sold frozen in most supermarkets. As a tip, sprinkle the puff pastry shell liberally with sugar before baking as a decorative touch. Fill with fresh or prepared fruit topped with cream or use the recipe above. Only thaw these items as needed and don’t attempt to refreeze any uncooked ones. Store airtight.
3) Tortillas: Spread each of 4 flour tortillas with cream cheese and then place about 2 soup spoons of the drained prepared fruit down the center. Reserve juice. Roll tortilla and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Bake 8 min. in a preheated 425 deg. oven. Cool, chill, optionally garnish with whipped topping and drizzle with reserved juice.
4) Cake Cups: Found in most supermarkets. Fill in any of the above ways.
5) Pastry Dough: Make or buy dough for a 2 crust pie, which should be enough for 6 individual desserts.
1) Tart Shells: Cut the dough in strips slightly wider than the diameter of the muffin tin cups or custard cups which will be used for baking. Put one strip in the cup; put a dot of water in the center if the bottom and lay the other strip at right angles across it. Lightly press the edges together to seal and trim the top edges folding a bit over to make a rim. Fill partially with raw rice or beans, bake at 450 deg. for about 12 min.
2) Individual Galettes: Using a saucer as a template, cut dough in rounds. Place on a baking sheet and fold up edges in pleats to make sides. Allow for about 1 ¼ inches all around. Fill with crumpled waxed paper or parchment paper to hold the shape and bake at 450 deg. about 12 min. Cool, carefully remove paper, fill and garnish in any of the above ways.
3) Turnovers: Using the saucer templates, cut the dough as above. Place 1 soup spoon of drained, prepared fruit on the center. Fold over to make a half moon. Dampen edges and crimp with a fork to seal and prick the top 2 or 3 times. Bake on a sheet in a preheated 450 deg. oven about 15min. until golden. Cool, garnish with powdered sugar, or whipped topping and serve. Alternatively, sprinkle with granulated sugar before baking and simply drizzle with reserved juice.

Yogurt Berry Cups: Serves 6
2 pints fresh berries – frozen to make 3 cups, or 3 cups frozen
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
The important thing is that the berries be frozen to start this recipe. Place all ingredients in a processer and blend until mixed but still very chunky. Place in ¾ cup custard cups and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until serving. TO SERVE: dip cup briefly in a pot of hot water and quickly invert onto plates. Chill again to firm. Garnish with whipped cream, fruit or herbs.

Strawberries Romanoff: Serves 6

3 pt. large strawberries
9 Tbs. crème de cassis OR 2Tbs.rumand 6 Tbs. Cointreau
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup crème fraiche
Cut berries in half lengthwise. Save 6 halves for garnish and place the rest in a bowl with the liqueur, add a couple grinds of pepper and allow to marinate1hr.at room temperature. Divide among dessert dishes top each with about 2 1/2 Tbs. creme fraiche and a strawberry half.