Peeps, if there are two things I love it’s moms and strawberries - I mean I also love dads and raspberries, as well as my cat and binge watching a wide variety of shows, including Diplomat and Beef (so good), but for the purpose of this letter, I’m focusing on next Sunday’s holiday (mother’s day, FYI . . . ) and a fruit many of us are starting to see in farmer’s markets, our backyards, etc. (strawberries). For me, Mother’s Day is best spent eating copious amounts of donuts that my children have purchased for me at one of my many fave donut spots in the city. Case in point below: my oldest son holding a box of Fan Fan Donuts purchased for me two Mother’s Days ago (aka May 2021).
Sadly, I will not be sharing any donut recipes today - though will definitely think about doing so in the future, if that would be of interest? - but WILL be sharing recipes for scones and bars and cakes that ALL feature strawberries.
But before we dive into those, wanted to mention that if you are still on the fence as to what to purchase for mom (or for yourself if you are, or are not, a mom, cause not only should moms buy moms (aka themselves) gifts on their most special of days, IMHO, but anyone and everyone deserves this book - you feel me?), might I remind you that a copy of Snackable Bakes, makes for the most fantastic of gifts for those that dig easy-peasy baking. In fact, if you live in New York City, I will be signing copies of Snackable Bakes at Anthropologie in the Chelsea Market on Saturday the 13th of May from 1:00 to 3:00pm! Please come visit me and eat treats with me and enjoy a glass of pink bubbly and buy a book!
Moreover, if you are wondering what mom might want to do on mom’s day (besides eating donuts, if she knows what’s good for her) she probably wants to listen to She’s My Cherry Pie - the baking podcast I host with the Cherry Bombe Podcast Network. Season two dropped two weeks ago and two fab new interviews are available for your listening pleasure: one with the loveliest of lovelies Aran Goyoaga (a gluten-free baking expert and cookbook writer) and Abi Bilingit (author of Mayumu, a new Filipino baking book and all round good time).
Finally, just a reminder that my PAID newsletter will be hitting paid subscribers’ inboxes soon and is going to be all about the process of writing Savory Snackable Bakes - like ALL about it (the good, the bad, the salty and the cheesy) and there will be never-before-published recipes from the book in the paid letter that you will not want to miss.
Okay, recipe time!!
First up, for a mom’s day brekkie, how about some strawberry olive oil scones? These cuties are rich and crumbly and 100% easy-peasy. Oil takes the place of butter which means no cutting of cold butter into your dry ingredients. Heavy cream makes them a little extra (extra luxurious that is . . . ) and you can use fresh or frozen strawberries - or sub a different berry if mom is not a strawberry fan. The dough is handled almost not at all, and a stint in the freezer is not a bad idea for a scone that keeps its shape and rises high.
Next up, strawberry and cream bars from Snackable Bakes. Another easy-peasy recipe (would you expect anything else?) calling for freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips. If the idea of purchasing freeze dried strawberries freaks you out - like how will I ever find such a specialty ingredient kind of freak-out, never fear! - they are pretty easy to find in regular old grocery stores and can easily be purchased on-line. These are like blondies, but with creamy and fruity vibes and mom (and really anyone with a pulse) will love them.
And finally, mom def needs a simple strawberry sheet cake from Snackable Bakes for mom’s day and for really any (and every) day a cake craving hits. The cake comes together in about 5 minutes, is assembled in a bowl with a whisk and a spatula, and is studded with fresh juicy strawberries that get all kinds of jammy once baked. A generous sprinkle of Turbinado sugar (or sugar in the raw) is all the decoration this delightful cake gets, adding the perfect amount of sparkle and crunch.
A final strawberry cake thought: although the cake most definitely does not need frosting, a dollop of whipped cream upon each slice would be quite delish and have I ever got a whipped cream trick/tip/hack for you. Did you know that if you add a handful of melted mini marshmallows or a tablespoon of Marshmallow Fluff to a cup of heavy cream, you can stabilize the cream and it will last for up to a week in the fridge? Well you can! Check out this vid for all the scoops.
A final piece of housekeeping: I am co-hosting a baking retreat in July in Birmingham with my pal Brian Hart Hoffman and the team from Bake from Scratch Magazine (a magazine in which I contribute a column: Fast Fix with Jessie Sheehan)!! Brian and I will be baking up (along with you (fingers crossed)) ALL the yummy summer treats and I’d love for you to join. More info is here.
That’s it folks. See you in two weeks for more snackable bakes. . . .
The scones are delicious! I added a touch more sugar and like Pam I used cream instead of an egg. My question is why they need to be frozen before baking???? PS Love your cream scones too!
The scones are fantastic! I used your icebox cake tip and lined a 9” round cake pan with Saran Wrap and pressed the dough in with zero folding, then baked from frozen because mom life. Used cream instead of an egg wash since I had it leftover. I love that they’re not too sweet. Hoping you use this base in your new book with something savory - would it work with tomatoes and cheese? 🤤