Raspberry Fool with Toasted Angel Food Cake

One of my motivations to start a food blog was to share experiences about food and cooking across my diverse community of friends. I would love more friends to share recipes, stories, and memories as guest bloggers, but not everyone is comfortable or has the time to share.

I love sharing recipes and stories, but I want the blog to be more about just me — I want to create community. I want to give people ideas, sure, but I also want to, well, I don’t know… DO stuff.

And then the latest issue of Bon Appetit came, and it was all so clear. Virtual cooking dates! Everybody make the same thing, over relatively the same time period, and then shares about it if they choose.

Raspberry Fool with Toasted Angel Food Cake looked simple yet elegant, and easily customizable. I shared the recipe with a bunch of friends and asked them to put their own twist on it over the same time period.

The results were pretty spectacular. I made two versions myself (confession: it was all I could do not to eat an entire cake in one sitting), and a couple friends shared their own variations — including a couple pictures. It’s not quite the same thing as hopping on a plane to see an old friend or meet a virtual one, but it does make me feel a little more connected.

Here is the original recipe, followed by the variations. What other ways might you serve this treat?

Raspberry Fool with Toasted Angel Food Cake

From Bon Appetit

2 1/2 cups raspberries (about 12 oz.)
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus more for serving
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
4 cups 1-inch pieces angel food cake (from about 1/3 of a cake)

Preheat oven to 375°. Spread cake pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast until edges are golden brown but centers are still soft, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; set aside.

Using a fork, coarsely mash raspberries, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. lime zest in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat cream, crème fraîche, and remaining ¼ cup sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Layer cake, raspberry mixture, and cream mixture in glasses or small bowls; top with lime zest.

* * *

RHRW version #1: omit the lime zest,. Top bowls with grated chocolate, and serve with cordial glasses of raspberry wine (I like Doukenie Winery‘s raspberry merlot dessert wine)

RHRW version #2: layer cake, berries and whipped cream in 1/2-pint (or smaller) mason jars. Screw on lids and store in the refrigerator. Send them with your dinner guests as to-go desserts, or pack them for tomorrow’s lunch.

Nina’s version: substitute angel food cake for a gluten-free almond pound cake made with almond flour. Replace sour cream with Marscapone.

Carrie’s version: Add a dash of cardamom to the raspberries. When beating the cream, add a splash of Vermont maple balsamic vinegar. When assembling the dessert, layer in a little toasted coconut.

Fish Tacos

Growing up, tacos were a school lunch food, and something we sometimes ate at friends’ houses, but not a regular feature at our table. We just didn’t eat much Mexican or Tex-Mex in our family, in restaurants or at home.

These days, I’m making up for lost time. I love Mexican and Mexican-inspired food (authentic or not). I would probably eat tacos once a week if I could. Ground beef, steak, fish, chicken, pork, vegetarian… do many options, I never get bored.

I like tilapia for fish tacos because they’re inexpensive, always available and have good flavor and texture. I often use the individually packaged 4 oz. frozen fillets (2 fillets for a single serving works well). Most fish is best served immediately, not as leftovers. I only cook what I need, but I often make it two days in a row since I already have the ingredients.

Fish tacos are typically made with corn tortillas rather than flour. They aren’t as sturdy, and they break easily, especially if there’s a lot of liquid. Some people use a double layer of tortillas. I just eat quickly, and finish off anything that falls out with a fork. :) To make it paleo, replace tortillas with butter or romaine lettuce leaves.

I love fish tacos with my canned summer corn salsa. So good! Make your tacos hotter with a spicy salsa, jalapenos, or a dash of siracha, or include a shake (or three) of red pepper when seasoning the fillets.

~Red

Fish Tacos

For every 2 people:
12-16 oz. firm white fish fillets, such as tilapia or mahi mahi
Cumin, salt and pepper to taste
2 limes, divided
Olive oil
Cilantro
4-6 corn tortillas
Shredded cabbage, diced avocado, salsa, sour cream/creme fraiche, or your favorite toppings

Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Place fish in a shallow glass dish and season both sides with cumin, salt and pepper. Finally chop a couple tablespoons of cilantro leaves. Pat into fish. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish. Drizzle with olive oil. Flip the fillets a couple times to coat. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

If desired, whisk together a lime sour cream sauce with about 2-3 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Brush a grill pan with olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Grill tortillas until lightly brown. Wrap in paper towels and store in the microwave to keep warm.

Increase heat to medium-high. Shake excess marinade from fish. Grill fish until the center is opaque and the fish flakes with a fork.

Assemble tacos: load tortillas with pieces of fish, cabbage, lime sour cream sauce, avocado, salsa, extra cilantro, or other favorite toppings.

Serve immediately with lime wedges. And possibly a margarita on the rocks.

Confetti Cupcakes

When you work at a larger company, there is always a birthday, promotion, wedding, or baby to celebrate. And once you’ve shown off your baking skills, well… let’s just say there’s an expectation.

I really don’t mind. I like to play in the kitchen, and it gives me a vehicle for experimenting and sharing. Plus, I work with a lot of genuinely nice people, and it’s fun to be part of whatever they’re celebrating.

Last week, a friend from work celebrated the big 3-0, and I had offered to bring in anything he wanted. At first, he had just one requirement: no carrots, coconut or nuts. “They form my Axis of Evil when it comes to baked goods,” he explained.

Okay, fair enough.

But a few days later, he mentioned how much he loved Funfetti. And really, who doesn’t?

White cake from a box is one taste and texture I’ve never quite been able to replicate. This recipe doesn’t change that, but it does have a great flavor and texture of its own.

And it turns out the confetti color is easier to duplicate than I thought: 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sprinkles per dozen cupcakes, gently folded in. As a topping, I prefer nonpareils (the tiny little balls), but in batter, the regular sprinkles won’t bleed as much.

I also loved how quickly this recipe came together, and the fact that it was a small batch. I was on the road for work a couple days, and this was a cinch to pull together after work.

I cut the frosting recipe in half and still had more than I needed, while allowing the cake to take center stage.

I dropped off 10 cupcakes in my friend’s office around 11. At 1pm, he brought back the container. “I ate 3 for lunch. And then I had to give away the rest so I wouldn’t eat them all.”

Definitely a keeper.

Confetti Cupcakes

Adapted slightly from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

Cake:
1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg or 2 egg whites
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (use clear vanilla for a whiter cake)
1/3 to 1/2 cup sprinkles

Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch salt

Food coloring and sprinkles, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl, combine melted butter and sugar. Chill to room temperature. Stir in egg, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. Fold in sprinkles, being careful not to overmix.

Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Stir in food coloring if desired. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles. Make ahead: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.