Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Hopefully you have great weather and plans to spend time with family. I am nursing a bit of a cold, but hope to get outside for some fun for the holiday. If you are still looking for any last minute picnic/BBQ food ideas, I would like to introduce you to this easy and crazy delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia.

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread, but the addition of seasonal strawberries and rhubarb really  is a fun twist and great for packing along to the park or for a picnic. Pair this with some fresh squeezed lemonade and caprese salad... and you are good to go!

This marks a special holiday post. Not only is it Memorial Day, but a special Themed edition recipe for The Secret Recipe Club. Yes, that is two SRC posts this month. Be sure to also check out my Lemon Boysenberry Danish post from earlier this month.

For this post I was matched up with Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla. I was really excited about this assignment since I know her from The Book Club Cookbook group, as well as a few others. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you are going to want to give it a look.

I am not even sure where to start.

Camilla posts her fearless culinary adventures and I think she has tried just about everything. From the local, to the rare, or just using what she has on hand, she is cooking/baking up a storm and sometimes even her boys get in on the fun!

I started looking through past recipes an even by narrowing my search to something picnic ready, my recipe wish-list was long. I still want to make this Rhubarb Salad with Beets, Feta and Spring Greens or even this Cuttle fish ink pasta. I imagine it is similar to the squid ink pasta I enjoyed in Japan, but it looked like a lot of fun to make at home!

Ultimately her passion for rhubarb won me over. Seriously. Check out how many amazing recipes she has posted with this ingredient. She is now my hero.

Even then it was hard to narrow down to just one recipe... but the Rhubarb Focaccia eventually won out.

I have a long history with rhubarb. From what I can remember growing up, it was always a staple in my Mom's garden. When we moved, a new rhubarb plant was established. Some original root stock was sent over from my Grandfather's garden. So, once I was firmly planted in a house with a yard, I planted 3 rhubarb plants.

Sadly, the past few year's drought has taken a toll and my plants are not as robust as they used to be. So, I decided to take a page from Camilla's book... I used what I had on hand... namely a whole field of ripe strawberries, and decided to add some to the sweet flat bread.

One thing I love about Camilla's recipes is she isn't afraid to modify or substitute items. That is a skill every cook she have. She is often incorporating items from a CSA box, or using local seasonal items she finds to create her dishes.

This combination of strawberries and rhubarb reminds me of the sauce my Mom would make to pour over our French Vanilla Ice Cream. Yum!

It all starts with a sweet focaccia dough.

If you have never made a focaccia dough, it is super easy! Much less problematic than a risen loaf. It is really okay with being abused and dimpling the dough can be a great stress reliever!

I chose smaller, firmer strawberries since the juicier ones could add too much moisture, then topped my dough with the sliced berries, sliced rhubarb and



llll

Strawberry Rhubarb Sweet Focaccia
adapted from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

You Will Need:

• 2 c. warm water
• 1 Tbsp. active, dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 5 c. flour + additional for kneading, as necessary
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. coconut oil
• 2 c. (combined) thinly sliced rhubarb and strawberries
• pearl sugar
• simple sugar *optional - 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. water + any additional rhubarb

Let the yeast bloom in a cup with the water, yeast and honey. The mixture should become nice and frothy after about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, whisk together the flour, salt and oil. Knead until a soft dough forms. Only use flour if necessary. The dough should still be soft.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Allow the dough to double in size. This will take about an hour, depending on the temperature of your room... and eagerness of your yeast! 

Spray or grease a jelly roll pan. Once the dough has risen, stretch it to fit the pan. Top the dough with rhubarb and strawberries, sprinkle liberally with pearl sugar. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a tea towel. If desired, brush the top of the dough with a little simple sugar. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

After the dough rises a second time, bake it for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Brush the top with additional syrup if desired.

Cool, cut and enjoy!

Now check out the other Secret Recipe Club fun going on this Memorial Day!

An InLinkz Link-up

Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake - #BundtBakers

I was lucky enough to make this strawberry lemon bundt beauty at the peak of our strawberry season this year. It can fast, hard and left almost without warning... the heat didn't let these juicy gems hang around for long.

When I heard our June Bundt Baker's challenge was for lemon, I knew I had to incorporate a seasonal fruit with my love of lemon. Big thanks to Anne from From My Sweet Heart who chose this month's theme and hosted all our recipes.  Lemon just has a magical way of enhancing the flavor of other ripe fruit. Whether it is a blackberry, blueberry or strawberry, lemon is dear to my heart for helping the flavors to really pop.

My kids helped me do a lot of the picking this year. I am sure those visiting the U-Pick fields wondered who those talkative kids belonged to. They would beg me every day to go out and pick strawberries in the field. We had an agreement that they would leave the customers alone to pick, and that I would turn their finds into something delicious.

Well, I upheld my end of the bargain...

Now, if you enjoy bundt cakes and baking with bundt pans, you probably realize you don't really need a reason to want a new bundt pan... but I rationalized that this cake deserved something special. This heart-shaped bundt pan was just perfect.

Now I didn't want my fresh fruit to just sink to the bottom (top) of my cake, so I tossed the sliced strawberries in a little flour before gently folding them into the batter.

The resulting cake was beautiful on its own. But I still wanted to take it one step further.

While living abroad in Japan I became completely addicted to these amazing little lemon tea cakes. They were simple enough, but they had a thin, pucker-perfect, lemony sugar glaze over the top. It was the perfect complement to afternoon tea. That is exactly what I was going for here. It needed to help cut through the sweet and juicy berries.

And it turned out just divine!

Of course, I couldn't just stop with a lemon glaze, could I? I had to dress up the whole things with some more fresh fruit and lemon zest. Little tip, I placed an upside down ramekin in the middle of the cake so I didn't have to use too many fresh berries to "fill it".

Ready to dig right in?

Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake

You will Need:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
• 2 c. sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, divided
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
• 3 c. fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 c. powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan by rubbing it with butter and gently dusting it with flour. Knock out the excess, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time till fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Then alternate adding the yogurt and dry mixture.

Toss the strawberries in the remaining flour, gently fold into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes. Then invert onto a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice till thick, but still pourable. Pour half the glaze over the cake. Wait 5 minutes, then pour the remaining glaze over the cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries and lemon zest as desired.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by to see my June Bundt Cake creation. Be sure to check out all the other lemon-inspired fun below:

• Bee's Knees Lemon Honey Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Blueberry-Lemon Breakfast Bundt from Cali's Cuisine
• Bundt Cake de Limón from La Mejor Manera de Hacer
• Eggless Lemon Bundt Cake from Seduce Your Tastebuds
• Extra Lemon Bundt Cake from Los Chatos Chefs
• Lavender Lemon Cake from Magnolia Days
• Lemon & Lime Cheese Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
• Lemon Apple Upside Down Bundt Cake from Simply Veggies
• Lemon Basil Bundt Cake from Tartacadabra
• Lemon Bundt Cake from Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Tart Lemon Glaze from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Lemon Confetti Bundt Cake from Our Good Life
• Lemon Curd Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze from I Love Bundt Cakes
• Lemon Honey Bundt Cake from Brunch with Joy
• Lemon Marble Bundt Cake from Jenny and Sweets
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake
• Lemon Poppy Seeds Bundt Cake from La Cocina de Aisha
• Lemon Poppyseed Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake from From Gate to Plate
• Lemon Ricotta and Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Spice Roots
• Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
• Lemon-Cranberry Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Mini Limoncello Bundts from Living the Gourmet
• Pink Lemon Pound Cake from Making Miracles
• Pink Lemonade Bundt from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Rhubarb Pound Cake Bundt with Lemon Glaze from Brooklyn Homemaker
• Soft Lemon Rosemary Bread from Passion Kneaded
• Spring Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake from Adventures in All Things Food
• Strawberry Lemonade Bundt Cake from Baking and Creating with Avril
• Sweet Lemon Bundt with Blackberry Glaze from From My Sweet Heart

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving Bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board right here.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.

Pineapple Strawberry Cream Pops

This time of year I tend to have strawberries on the brain. Seems like I wait so long for Winter to finally make way for Spring... and then I find myself staring longingly at the strawberry patch across the street. 

My son is the first to find a ripe berry every year. This year it was a little earlier than expected. To be honest, I hadn't even had a chance to devote time to recipe searches using Strawberries! I usually go into the local strawberry season with a game plan. This year I am rather flying by the seat of my pants.

So our first strawberry recipe of the year was... frozen pops. 

Okay, not so glamorous or exciting, and yet they were the perfect use of these sun-ripened berries. We added a bit of sunshine to the recipe (i.e. pineapple) and a little creamy coconut yogurt and these simple little beauties were born... and promptly devoured by my kids.

I know strawberry season varies across the country, but I hope you will give these Pineapple Strawberry Cream Pops a try. They are a delicious and easy way to make a hot day a little cooler.

Why dairy free cultured yogurt? I have some dairy free kiddos and they really enjoy the So Delicious brand. It works really well in a smoothie or frozen treat like these.

This recipe works really well with the new popsicle mold I bought. The top lifts off and over the popsicle sticks, which allows for some fun layering and angle opportunities with popsicles.  Really, frozen juices and fruit can be creative, too!

Now I am just going to need a whole lot of those wooden popsicle sticks to get me through Summer!

Pineapple Strawberry Cream Pops

You Will Need:

• 3 c. fresh strawberries + a few berries to slice
• 12 oz. pineapple juice
• 1- 6oz. Vanilla Coconut Milk Yogurt

Start by slicing a few berries and putting those pieces into the bottom of your popsicle forms. Evenly divide 6 ounces of pinapple juice between the pops. It will be just enough juice to fill the tip of each. Place your sticks into the pops and place in the freezer for at least an hour till semi-firm.

At the end of an hour, place the remaining strawberries, 6 ounces of pinapple juice and the vanilla coconut milk yogurt into a blender and puree. 

Carefully remove your popsicles from the freezer. Remove the lid carefully (it should slide right over the sticks) and fill pops with the strawberry/yogurt mixture. Put the lid back on, carefully putting all the sticks back into place. Freeze till firm.

To serve, run the bottom of the form under warm water for a few seconds until the pops release easily. Enjoy!

My kids couldn't decided which part they liked better.... the pineapple juice with chunks of frozen strawberry, or the creamy strawberry, pineapple yogurt bottom. I thought both hit the spot this past weeknd.

I hope you will enjoy this fun recipe with your own family!

Strawberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Well, I have good news and bad news everyone. The bad news is that strawberry season has peaked. There is only another week or so left to go out and grab fresh berries. *sniff*

In truth, strawberry season goes at about the right time. We no longer rush down to pick berries in the morning. My kids have stopped asking if we are going to have strawberries in their lunch, or for dessert. No, the season is just about the perfect length for us and our strawberry recipe collection.

Okay, and the good news is I still have a few final recipes to share with you. Today is this lovely Strawberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake. Moist and simple, I think it is the perfect evening treat.

In honor of strawberry season being at its end, we took a flat of them into my son's Kindergarten class to share with the kids. Boy were the kids excited! I now have proof that kids go wild for more than just candy.

I think it qualified as my son's best show and tell for the year.

Since I was already washing a flat of berries for the kids, my husband grabbed me another one to freeze and bake with. Of course, cake was the first thing that popped into my head. I didn't want to decorate or fuss over it though, so bundt cake it was.

I have this cute little Nordicware Heritage Bundt Pan with a nice gentle swirl. It was the pan that called to me today. Maybe it is just me, but every pan has just a little different feel to it. The more decadent the cake (like a Chocolate Chip Caramel Swirl Bundt) the simpler the pan should be. The reverse it true to, I tend to break out the more fancy pan designs if I will be serving up a simple Banana Bundt Cake.

I just love how simple bundt cakes are... no fancy techniques, temps or folding.

Well, there was a touch of folding in this one. Just folding in the sliced strawberries in the end. Super simple, really. And if you don't mind a slightly pink cake, just throw them in the mixer as well and throw caution to the wind!

Either way, this Strawberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake tasts amazing!

Strawberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake
You Will Need:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. buttermilk powder
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. of sliced strawberries + more for decorating

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your bundt pan.

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes till creamy, then beat in the sugar for an additional 3 minutes. When fully creamed, add in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl between each addition.

In a medium bowl, comine the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.

On low, alternate between adding the dry or wet mixture to the stand mixer. Just mix until combined. Fold in the strawberries and pour into your pan. 

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a rack. Cool completely and wrap to serve the next day. Dust the top with confectioner's sugar and decorate with sliced strawberries for serving.

Enjoy.

Strawberry Crepes - I May Just Have The Hang of This!

Strawberry season has definately hit its peak here. You might have noticed that I have started to branch out into other food groups now.

I may just have another one or two recipes left in me before all the berries are gone. This is one I just had to share. Crepes have become our thing this year.

Last year our go-to easy meal was popover pancakes. Just add everything to the blender, whirl it up and pour into muffin pans, bake and you have beautiful little pancake bowls to fill with freshly sliced strawberries and topped with whipped cream.

I actually think crepes are easier. I just had to get over my fear of the thin crepe. I always assumed they were complicated and delicate. Last time I tried them I even used a mix. This method is even better... and still utilizes a blender.

I think having a good pan helps, but is not crucial. I had been drooling over the mineral b crepe pans and was not disappointed once it arrived. It is thin, non-stick iron that comes seasoned with a beeswax finish. The more I use it, the better it is supposed to get.

The crucial element here is time. The batter needs time, at least an hour, to rest before you use it. I like the idea of prepping it before bed and then being able to surprise my family with breakfast on Sunday morning.

Cooking the crepe may seem intimadating, but the crepes are amazingly durable. Start off by making sure you pan is evenly heated and that you don't add too much batter. You want a nice thin crepe.

You can loosen the edges with your spatula and check to see if it has enough color. Then slide the spatuala under... don't hesitate... and flip it over back into the pan. Practice makes perfect.

Don't worry if the edges seem a little dry. They will soften up as your stack sits and steams.

For this batch there was only one unfortunate flippin' incident...

It tasted just fine, and the baby was thrilled to have it in both chubby fists.

Easy Crepe Batter

You Will Need:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature
• 2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Add all the ingredients in the order listed to your blender. Cover and blend your batter till all the visible lumps are gone. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight before using.

Heat an 8" crepe pan or skillet and give it a quick spritz with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup of crepe batter to the center of the pan and with one hand, roll and turn the pan just slightly to get the batter to coat the entire pan surface. This takes a little practice, but once you have it down, you will be a crepe master! Cook until the bottom has browned and the top surface is dry. With a spatula, carefully lift up the corners of the crepe and flip to cook the other side. When the other side has browned, place on a plate and continue making crepes until all the batter has been used. As the crepes sit and steam each other, the edges will soften up. I don't put anything between my crepes, but you could slip in a little wax paper if you want.

Fill the crepes with any number of seasonal sweet treats or savory fillings. Here are a few of our sweet favorites:

• sliced strawberries
• cinnamon sprinkled mixed berries
• peanut butter
• hazelnut spread
• whipped cream
• sliced bananas
• toasted coconut

Enjoy!

DIY FOE Strawberry Headband

Now you can create a headband to go with every outfit and every season! Now that it is strawberry season I created this sweet little strawberry headband for my daughter. #TBCcrafters

I chose to stitch my strawberry into place and also tacked the elastic together for added durability. I know my daughter is going to be taking this off and on to adjust it frequently.

You will need:

• colored "FOE" (fold over elastic)
• a felt or fabric embelishment of your choice
• a needle and coordinating thread

It is easiest to measure the elastic to your child's head. Slightly strech the FOE as you measure it so it will fit comfortably, and snugly in place. I wrote down my daughter's size so I can make her more later. I know she will find other outfits that need an accessory.

Then you can either knot the end of the foe and tack it down with a few stitches, or stiched the ends together on your sewing machine. The knot or seam will be hidden under hair, so don't worry about it.

Then attach your embelishment with a few stitches.

See, wasn't that easy?

What kind of headband will you make?

An InLinkz Link-up

Farm Fresh Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with almonds and lemon cream cheese frosting

And so continues our week of strawberry fun. This time I wanted to serve up some strawberry goodness for breakfast... or for an evening treat, your choice.

I love cinnamon rolls, but what about with strawberries? I made up some quick jam the other day and thought it would go perfectly in these rolls. Combined with slivered almonds and some fresh sliced berries, it sounded like the perfect gooey filling for a sweet treat.

Speaking of jam, this was my first time making it in the bread machine. I was pleasantly surprised. It only required 3 ingredients, berries, sugar and lemon juice. That's it. Of course, it won't keep for long... but luckily it was never going to last long in our house.

I used fresh picked berries for this recipe. I am sure you could use frozen, if that is all you have handy, but they won't hold their shape like fresh will. Frozen just go all mushy on me when baked.

Oh, check out this fun strawberry slicer from Boon my husband ordered for me. Yeah, Boon... the same place I get all my kids' bath toys and organizers from. This cuts clean, uniform berry slices very quickly. My husband found it when we stopped to get crepes in Portland. The gal working there was slicing fresh berries with this tool. He had to get me one. Isn't that sweet?

But, back to cinnamon roll making. It follows pretty standard cinnamon roll making. Instead of smearing the dough with butter, lay down a foundation of jam or preserves. Then top with sliced berries, the cinnamon and sugar mixture, then a little slivered almonds.

Roll and up slice into 9-12 slices. I always go for fewer, yet larger rolls, I just smoosh them down in the baking pan a little before baking to entice them to spread out more.

After all that work you will be rewarded with a warm and sweet cinnamon roll... with the added depth of fresh berries.

I had a lot of fun with these rolls and hope you will be inspired to create your own batch.

Grab a glass of milk and let's get baking!

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with Almonds and Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

You Will Need:
(For the dough)

• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/3 c. butter
• 3 1/4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg

(For the filling)

• 2 c. fresh strawberry jam, or preserves
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1/3 c. slivered almonds

(For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting)

• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. half and half
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• the zest of one lemon
• sliced almonds for the top *optional

Start by making the dough. In a saucepan heat the milk and butter till the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together 2 1/4 c. flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a larage bowl. Transfer to a stand mixer and on medium, add in the egg and water. Once combined slowly add the cooled milk mixture and then add the remaining 1 c. of flour. The dough should come together and pull away from the sides. Add a little more flour if necessary,  the dough should be soft but not sticky. Let the dough rest in the mixer, covered, for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, turn out and rull the dough into a 9"x15" rectangle. Spread the jam over the dough, top with sliced strawberries and then cinnamon and sugar. Roll up to create one long roll, then cut into 9-12 slices with a serrated knife. Transer rolls to a 9"x13" baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with a tea towl to rize for 30-45 minutes, or until they have started to spread out in the container.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are turning golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the rolls to cool slightly before frosting.

Create the frosting by beating together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar followed by the lemon and juice and zest. Drizzle the frosting over warm cinnamon rolls, top with a few sliced almonds and servie immediately.

Enjoy!