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Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream

Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream

After teaching 400 middle school students over the course of 7 years, I sometimes compose letters to middle school parents in my head. Especially when it’s a family’s oldest child who’s starting middle school, it can be just as scary for the parents as for the kid. It’s confusing. How much input do you offer your kid? How much do you let them struggle before you step in? How do you support them emotionally, socially, academically, athletically? And, where school is involved, how hands-on or -off should you be?

Here’s one of the letters I’ve been composing in my head to those first-time middle school parents. I hope it’s helpful.

Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream

Dear New-to-Middle-School Parent,

I’m your kid’s new swim teacher. Okay, not really. Really I’m her new English teacher. But bear with me on the swim teacher analogy for a bit.

I know how to swim and I know you do, too. The thing I offer your kid is that I also know how to teach kids to swim. You might actually be awesome at that, too, but I know that you decided to entrust me with this awesome job. Thank you so much. Now I’m going to ask you for your faith.

Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream

If I’m teaching your kid to swim and you jump in with swimmies every time I let go, your kid will remain safe, but she will not learn how to swim. She has to struggle for a moment in order to figure out how to kick her feet and propel herself forward.

During the struggle, I know you’re scared that she’s going to sink. There’s no doubt that you love your kid in a way I couldn’t imagine, but I care for her, too. Beyond that, it’s a matter of personal pride and integrity for me to ensure that she graduates my swim class with flying colors. For a million reasons, there’s no way I would let her drown. I know the right moment to put my arms under her and buoy her up, and the right way to do it so that she still learns the stroke. Swimmies will keep her afloat, but they won’t prepare her for the Olympic-size pool of going off to college, or the ocean of real life problems.

Besides, I can tell you from experience that sometimes you might think she’s drowning when she actually just caught a mouthful of water. That F on a quiz or even that D on her middle school report card? That’s not drowning. That’s an unfortunate, ill-timed gulp. I tried to help her avoid it, but she wasn’t ready to do it on her own. And believe it or not, this natural consequence will become part of her progress. If you float her every time these little hiccups come along (by doing bits of her projects, by making excuses for her mistakes to help her avoid consequences, by keeping up with her assignments for her), she won’t feel the discomfort that results from a low grade and she might not develop the intrinsic motivation to keep afloat.

Don’t worry. I know what real drowning looks like, and I’m watching her like a hawk. It’s not “sink or swim” with me. If I can tell your kid’s not swimming, I have more lessons — and more creative lessons — to help her figure it out. I have strategies to navigate a lot of the obstacles that might come up. Some of these strategies might even involve you getting in the pool in certain ways (contacting a tutor, regulating homework time and space, helping your child use their planner at home.) If my strategies aren’t enough, I have an awesome professional community and resources to help me find new ones. But if you’re under the water propping her up, I won’t notice that she’s struggling and I won’t know she needs this wealth of resources. That’s when she could get to high school without crucial skills.

Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream

Another thing to remember is that I know what level a 12-year-old usually swims at. I’ve gotten worried emails from parents who are professional writers — er, swimmers — wondering why their child couldn’t swim as well as they could. I’ve had parents watch the Olympic swimmers on TV (or other, particularly talented swimmers in their kid’s class) and afterwards come down on their kids for their perceived inadequacies. Even parents who admit to knowing very little about swimming sometimes heavily assist their kids in learning to swim because they feel like their kids might be behind. This is another place I ask for your faith.

Wherever your child is, I will meet her. I will push her just enough for growth, but I will also know when to stop. I won’t try to make your novice swimmer into an Olympian in a year because that’s not what her brain is built for. Instead, I’ll support her as she adds a few key skills and a lot of awareness and sensitivity about the craft of writing — er, swimming — each year. If you’re at home admonishing her because she doesn’t know the butterfly stroke (which is too advanced for her right now); or worse, if you try to teach her the butterfly stroke when she is missing foundational skills; OR WORSE, if you climb into the pool, pretend you’re her, and DO THE BUTTERFLY STROKE FOR HER . . . well, you’re hurting her process. (Believe it or not, I have had absolutely wonderful, well-intentioned parents write portions of students’ papers for them. They didn’t seem to realize that that made it impossible for me to know what skills their students still needed to be taught.)

We’ll get to the butterfly stroke. We’ll get there. And we’ll get there in what I hope is a beautiful, interesting, organic, engaging, authentic way. That’s my goal anyway. Every year I work hard to get better at that, because being a swim teacher isn’t a job to me, but a calling. So I ask you to trust the process.

Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream

That doesn’t mean to butt out of the process altogether. I need you. You know your kid better than I do, and you see her at home, where she might express things she’s too embarrassed or proud or shy or determined or distracted to express to me. What I need from you is communication: your intimate understanding of this creature you’ve entrusted me with.

It doesn’t help to strap swimmies onto your kid when she struggles, but it does help for you to tell me, “She’s not feeling good about this skill at home, so I’m going to encourage her to come to you for extra help.” It doesn’t help for you to swim your child’s laps for her, but it does help for you to say, “For some reason she’s spending hours practicing this skill at home. Is it supposed to take her this long?” I don’t even mind you asking, “Why do you teach the stroke this way?” I’m both proud of my pedagogy and flexible with it: I would love to explain it to you and discuss how to modify it to best suit your child. There’s never too much communication between us, and I never resent your emails. What I see when your name pops up in my inbox is that you love your kid and want to partner with me (and by the way, even if your name doesn’t pop up in my inbox, I still know that!)

The bottom line is that we both care about her success. As you move into a stage where you let go a little more, let her struggle a little more, let her manage her own time and work a little more, please remember that I’m right beside her and watching for what she needs. And I will remember that you have loved this little one for over a decade now, that everything you say and do springs from that, and that you know her best. She’ll be zooming off the high-dive before we’re both through.

Love,
The Swim Teacher

P.S. Sadly, not all teachers are great. You have to be the judge about whether or not this letter applies in your situation. Of course, don’t be afraid to advocate for your kid if she ends up with a teacher who doesn’t serve her needs.

* * *

This strawberry cobbler is the latest summer treat I whipped up. It’s so easy you won’t believe it: 15 minutes of prep, 35 minutes in the oven, and just a few minutes until it’s devoured. I decided to add vanilla bean ice cream and a huge mountain of bright lemon cream to complement the gorgeous roasted strawberry flavor. Enjoy!

Parents: I’d love to hear from you. What letter would you write to your children’s teachers?

One year ago: Refreshing, Tart Lemon Granita with Fresh Berries
Two years ago: Thyme Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Three years ago: Easy, Cheap DIY Party Pennant Banner
Four years ago: Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 8 servings

A quick, easy, tender Strawberry Cobbler with Lemon Cream. Such a delicious summer treat! Eat it right out of the skillet for a special 4th of July treat.

Cobbler Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
Dash of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups whole strawberries
2 cups quartered strawberries

Lemon Cream Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the stick of butter into a 12-inch cast iron skillet in the preheating oven to melt.

In a medium saucepan, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 cups whole strawberries, and and 1/4 cup water. Cook them over medium-high heat until the berries burst and release their juices and the mixture begins to thicken, about 8-10 minutes. I mush the strawberries throughout the cook time to speed up the process. Pour this mixture through a fine mesh strainer and discard the pulp, letting the strained strawberry juice cool (I stuck it in the fridge).

Remove the skillet and melted butter from the oven. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and mix until the lumps are gone (the batter will be very liquid) and then pour this batter over top of the melted butter.

Gently mix the quartered strawberries with the strained, mostly cooled strawberry juice. Pour this juicy fruit around the top of the batter. Do NOT stir this — just let it fall where it falls! Bake the cobbler for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and almost set.

To make the lemon cream, put heavy cream into the bowl of a mixer and begin beating on medium until the cream starts to thicken slightly (chilling your cream, bowl, and beaters first will speed the process up). Add powdered sugar, most of the lemon zest (saving some for the topping), lemon extract, and yellow food coloring. Turn the mixer up to high and whip cream to stiff peaks. Serve cobbler warm with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and another big scoop of lemon cream. I like to eat it right out of the skillet, because I’m classy.

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other

Red Wine Summer Sangria (and Sangria Slushies!)

Red Wine Summer Sangria

High school was hard for me.

I went to school in fuzzy, adorable duck pajamas every day because I couldn’t be bothered to be uncomfortable while I was being subjected to high school. Ugh. They could make me attend, but they weren’t going to make me wear real clothes while doing it. I didn’t actually sleep in the pajamas: I just woke up and changed from my nightgown into them.

Once I got sent home for inappropriate attire, which I viewed as a huge injustice. The assistant principal couldn’t really explain why the duck pajamas were inappropriate. They just were. She said it “should be obvious” to me. It wasn’t. (I argued that they covered me from head to toe and only differed from “regular clothes” in that they had ducks all over them. Were ducks offensive? HUH? WERE THEY? I was That Kid. In what can only be described as educator karma, I’ve had That Kid in my classes plenty of times now that I’m a teacher.)

Red Wine Summer Sangria

I had plenty of other struggles in addition to my duck pajama drama. More serious ones, at that: depression, eating disorders, self harm, terrible time management, and anxiety. I didn’t understand why things were so hard for me. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t connect easily with other people. I wrote lots of poetry and checked out of everything except my work — and Mike. As many days as I could manage it, I skipped school (with my mom’s permission! I was a rule-challenger, but not a rule-breaker) and drove to Mike’s apartment in my little blue Pontiac Sunbird.

Red Wine Summer Sangria

Mike worked from home, so I always knew he’d be there (I still always know he’ll be there. BRB, crying.) This was before I owned a cell phone, so I didn’t call first: I just walked up and knocked on his bedroom window. One of the very best feelings was leaving a hard school day and then seeing him open the door in his baggy sweatpants and long ponytail (he used to have the longest, curliest hair!), grinning and excited to see me. I’d spend the whole evening with him (well, until 8:30, when I had to drive home because of my provisional license curfew.) We usually made Hamburger Helper and ate it while watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on his uncomfortable couch.

Red Wine Summer Sangria

It’s funny. I typically think of high school as one of the hardest times in my life, and in plenty of ways it was. But reminiscing about those days with Mike made me realize that those Star-Trek-filled evenings on the couch were some of the best of my life, only topped by the Star-Trek-filled evenings in our first home together now. (BRB, crying again.)

Red Wine Summer Sangria

Another sweet aspect of this new stage in our relationship? We’re not babies anymore, so now we can drink together (and drive after 9 pm! Livin’ la vida loca!) We loved this sangria recipe from Bobby Flay. We even poured some in the ice cream maker and turned it into sangria slushies to combat the summer heat. Drink it outside with lots of snacks. Happy summer!

One year ago: Limoncello-Spiked Shortbread Icebox Cake with Fresh Raspberries
Two years ago: Anthony’s Cinnamon & Walnut Zucchini Bread (gluten-free adaptation included)
Three years ago: School’s IN for Summer! The Elementary School Reunion Picnic
Four years ago: Secret Garden Party

Red Wine Summer Sangria (and Sangria Slushies)


Recipe by: Slightly adapted from Bobby Flay, with a slushy spin inspired by Dessert for Two’s wine slushies
Yield: 8 servings

It’s summertime, and that means ice cold cocktails on the patio! This sangria is kickin’ and fruity. Mike and I enjoyed it (and sangria slushies!) on the balcony with snacks.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 bottles red wine (I used this article from The Kitchn to choose Garnacha and Tempranillo)
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pomegranate juice
Orange slices
Apple slices
Blackberries
Pomegranate seeds (I skipped these)

Directions:
Make simple syrup by heating the water and sugar together over high heat in a small saucepan, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a separate dish and allow to cool completely (I stick mine in the fridge after a bit to hurry it along.)

Pour the cooled simple syrup, wine, brandy, triple sec, orange juice, pomegranate juice all into a huge pitcher (mine was too small, which led to lots of spillover when I added the fruit.) Stir to mix. Add the fruit and stir gently. Cover tightly and store 24 hours in the fridge before serving to let all the flavors meld.

For slushies: Put about 2 cups of your finished sangria (with fruit strained out) into an ice cream machine for around 25 minutes. It takes longer to freeze than regular ice cream or sorbet because of the high alcohol content. Spoon your slush into a shallow bowl or cake pan and stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes, stirring/scraping every 10 minutes or so, or until it’s the consistency you want. Transfer to glasses and serve with sangria-soaked fruit on top!

Pro-tip: To keep sangria cold without watering it down, pour some of your sangria into ice cube molds after making it and freeze overnight as your sangria chills. These ice cubes come out adorable and can double as boozy popsicles.

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cakes

Strawberry Doughnut Cake (and a creative giveaway!)

Strawberry Doughnut Cake
Strawberry Doughnut Cake

Thanks, Zazzle, for sponsoring this post!

I BOUGHT A DOUGHNUT CLOCK. This should not be surprising if you know me or if you’ve been following along on Facebook, but I should fill the rest of you in.

First, a very serious question: are you a cake doughnut or a yeast-raised doughnut kind of person? This may affect our compatibility as friends, so think long and hard before answering.

Strawberry Doughnut Cake

Raised, right? Totally raised. ME TOO. Something about the light-as-air texture covered in glaze convinces me that I’m not eating, like, half my daily calorie allotment in one sitting.

But when it comes to cuteness, no doughnut does it better than a cake doughnut with a thick strawberry glaze and bright rainbow sprinkles. When Zazzle, the marketplace where you can custom design just about anything, contacted me to work together, splashing DOUGHNUTS all over household goods was my first thought. Don’t look at me like that.

Strawberry Doughnut Cake

I ended up with the most adorable set of strawberry doughnut coasters on my coffee table and a crazy cute chocolate doughnut clock on my wall. I’m smitten! The products all came out so perfect, and they jive well with the rest of my colorful food-centric decor (Mike didn’t know what he was getting into when he married me. Let’s just say I have three giant food prints and a huge jar of gumballs in my apartment. And obviously, a doughnut clock.)

Zazzle
My new doughnut goodies with an example of my other colorful decor

Zazzle also has a huge market of designs from other creators to choose from in case you’re not too artsy yourself. Just to give you an idea of the breadth, I typed “macaroni clock” in the search bar and there were at least three results. You can find anything! Right now I’m really diggin’ the Mother’s Day gift ideas and I have a friend who would love the Military Mom ideas.

They also sell cute custom designed phone cases and since I finally joined this millennium and bought a smartphone, I’m eyeing this one. Doughnuts, obviously.

Want to create or buy a Zazzle masterpiece? Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate!

Strawberry Doughnut Cake

In honor of my Zazzle purchases, I made you SUCH AN AMAZING CAKE. Seriously, this case isn’t just cute; it was so incredibly delicious. I blanketed an almond-scented bakery-style sheet cake with a luscious, dye-free strawberry glaze. And added sprinkles, obviously! Another huge bonus is that this cake was super quick to make. Enjoy!

One year ago: Rustic Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms
Two years ago: Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake Ice Cream Sundae
Three years ago: Chocolate Birds’ Nest Cupcake Toppers
Four years ago: Coffee Cookie Dough Fudge Cheesecake

Strawberry Doughnut Cake


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking with strawberry glaze adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Yield: 8-10 servings

You’re going to be shocked by how delicious this super cute and super quick cake is. SHOCKED, I tell you!

Cake Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze Ingredients:
5-6 strawberries, chopped
1 tablespoon strawberry jam
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter and water to a boil. In the meantime, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the cake flour and sugar before adding the eggs, sour cream, almond extract, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine. While mixing, slowly pour in the boiling butter and water mixture. Mix to combine completely. Your batter will be very runny. Pour the batter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet (alternatively, I think this would work fine in a 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in several places comes out with a few moist crumbs (don’t wait for the top to get golden brown, necessarily — mine stayed pale). Cast iron skillet cook times can be variable, so check early and often. Cool completely.

To make the glaze: Put chopped strawberries and jam into a food processor or blender to puree. Pour into a medium bowl and mix in milk and vanilla extract. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar. Pour glaze over the cake to cover (I used most but not all of it) and top with sprinkles.

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pies and tarts

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars
Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Anyone up for some Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars and a side of #realtalk? I’ve been thinking about something that I want to share with you all. It’s about holiness.

Those of us who are Christians are on a quest of sorts. We are working (and being worked on) towards holiness, or being set apart by our beliefs and actions. But lately I’ve noticed there are two very different ways we can go about that.

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars

One direction you can go to be “set apart” is to push other ideas and people away.

You can insulate yourself from people different than you. You can build a neat fence around yourself by labeling things other people do as Wrong or Immoral — more Wrong or Immoral than the wrong and immoral things you do, somehow. This makes these people Others and places them on the outside of the fence. You can make sure to only spend time with them when you’re lovingly counseling them towards repentance. You can make the focus of all your interactions their conversion to your way of thinking.

You can also build up community on the inside of your fence, making sure you all share the same set of ideas. Any deviation will be carefully counseled out so that you can all present a united front. You can develop a common language and set of motifs with other believers: things to signify you’re In and not Out.

You can give money to organizations designed to ensure the Out people cannot do things you don’t believe in. You can vote that those things be made illegal, in fact, to prove how strong your convictions are against them. When other people bring up ideas you disagree with, you can immediately put up your heart shield, reciting the well-rehearsed litany of reasons they are wrong. You’ve had it memorized like a catechism since your earliest Sunday school days. You love the sin but not the sinner. You find it sacrilegious and heretical to consider ideas that contradict your currently held beliefs; therefore, you must be careful never to seriously do so.

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars

I am so familiar with that way because it’s been my way. I was sincere, genuine, and loving in it, too, so I know those people mean well with their whole hearts. But there’s another way, and I think of it by going back to Christ’s example, and indeed, back to the example of the entire biblical narrative.

The Bible doesn’t tell us the importance of being sure, or hanging on tight to a stagnant set of doctrines. In fact, the people who did so were left in the dust and missed the point. The Bible is about abiding in the vine (in layman’s terms, regularly communicating with God and trusting Him), so that when the mystery of God and our existence is revealed a little more, you are right there with Him to understand it better.

And about those walls we build to be “set apart”? Christ was “set apart” not because He actually physically separated Himself from certain types of people, and not because he was part of an In group instead of an Out group. In fact, He seemed like quite a loner in some ways. His worship was largely solitary and contemplative, followed by periods of exhaustive pouring out. He poured out teaching, mercy, friendship, healing. Then it was back to isolation to restore.

The people He did spend time with were people others thought of as sinners, and He didn’t spend time with them just to convert them. He ate with them. He stayed at their homes. He made such special friendships with them that he visited them later. He washed their feet and had His feet washed by them. These people weren’t just sinners to save. They were rough around the edges and had the “wrong” language and the “wrong” ideas, but they were His family. And the deciding factor for whether someone was In or Out of His circle didn’t seem to be their perfect understanding of His doctrine — indeed, He purposely taught most people in parables — but a simple choice to have faith. They were humble, sinful people who were often unsure of themselves.

In contrast, the people trying so hard to protect certain religious ideas were the people who got it wrong. They worshipped ostentatiously and guarded their ideals religiously (ha). They thought you needed to wash before eating and that you couldn’t pick corn to eat on the Sabbath, and so Jesus and his disciples were Out when they broke these rules. They wanted to legally prosecute Christ because He didn’t fit their idea of a believer. Do you ever worry that there are Christians in America doing the same thing right now? Trying to take a legal route to prevent others from acting on “wrong” beliefs? Oh my gosh, I do!

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars

You know the verse, “Perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4.18)? I’ve realized recently that this applies to everything — including doctrine. Including holiness. I will no longer be afraid of opening my heart to evaluating new ideas and questions, to loving people, to letting people be themselves and being around them as themselves. As long as I’m abiding in the vine, worshipping my Lord and meeting Him every day, I don’t have to fear accidentally slipping into the “wrong way of thinking.” I’m safe. He’s holding me.

Instead, I am free to pursue holiness as Christ did: through radical love. Being friends and family to the people I’m “not supposed” to be with, and not just as a missionary. Serving wholeheartedly in ways that build relationships. Showing mercy and empathy where others would condemn. Accepting people who others cast Out as sinners.

And you know what helped? When I was working through some questions, a “brother in Christ” told me he didn’t think I was a Christian because of something I said about gay marriage. No one had ever said anything like that to me and I was absolutely galled. How could anyone question my faith? That’s when I finally realized that I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE being cast Out as a sinner — any of us could be if we step out of someone else’s perceived line.

Kind of makes you think, huh? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, and read on for a fantastic spring dessert to go with your musings.

One year ago: The Ultimate Moist, Fluffy, Ridiculous Coconut Cake
Two years ago: Buttery Coconut & Almond Morning Buns
Three years ago: Deep Fried Cake Batter Cookie Dough
Four years ago: Carrot Cake Waffles

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, with filling adapted from All Recipes
Yield: 9 bars

These Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie Bars are an incredible mixture of coconut cream pie and strawberry cream pie — just perfect for a beautiful spring dessert. Seriously, they are SO GOOD. They’re easy to make, too (no pie crust rolling)!

Crust Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:
1 1/2 strawberries (I had some leftover, but I always buy two packs just in case)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
red food coloring (optional; I skipped this)

Directions:
Make shortbread crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Cut the butter into the flour and powdered sugar and press into the baking dish (I used a food processor to cut the fat into the flour — about 6-10 pulses — and then the bottom of a glass to press the mixture into the pan). Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Set on a wire rack to cool.

Make coconut cream filling: Combine the half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it’s thick and bubbling (this can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Just do it. It’s worth it.) Add coconut and vanilla extracts and the shredded coconut and stir. Pour this filling over your cooled crust, letting it cool for a bit on the counter before sticking the whole thing in the fridge to chill until firm, about 2 to 4 hours.

Assemble and make glaze: Slice most of a pound of strawberries in thin slices lengthwise and layer the slices in pretty alternating diagonal rows on the top of the coconut cream. Set this in the fridge to chill while you make your glaze.

Crush remaining 1/2 cup of strawberries and boil with water in a saucepan over medium-high heat for two minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the pulp. Pour a little of the resulting strawberry juice into the glass with the cornstarch and stir to make a slurry. Put the rest of the juice back into the saucepan over medium-high heat and gradually whisk in sugar and cornstarch slurry. Cook until thickened. If you want, you can tint this glaze with food coloring to desired hue, but mine was plenty bright enough! Cool the glaze slightly (I transferred mine to a heat-proof measuring cup with a pour spout to cool for a bit) and then pour over top of strawberry slices on your pie. Chill bars before serving.

by | 43 Comments
pies and tarts

Lemon Cream Pie Bars

Lemon Cream Pie Bars
Lemon Cream Pie Bars

I wrote this post as part of the Plugrá Butter Brigade. Thanks, Plugrá, for sponsoring this post and for making my favorite butter!

When I was little, I was, um, strong-minded. Have we talked about me as a child? . . . Yeah.

Let’s just say that I had big ideas and I made them happen. Someday I’ll have to tell you about the book I wrote and mailed off to Harper Collins. Or the Teddy Bear Bank I started in fifth grade. Or the lotion business I started in sixth grade. But today, it’s all about St. Patrick’s Day Love, my first original song.

Lemon Cream Pie Bars

It was free time in my first grade classroom and my teacher, Mrs. Hill, was busily assisting some students across the room. (Side note: I had a crazy awesome reunion with Mrs. Hill when I was 28 years old and presenting at a teaching conference. Can you even believe it? I presented about teaching to my first grade teacher. Full circle.) My friend Lauren and I were going to use our free time to color pictures, but I’d recently discovered something way cooler.

“Hey, Lauren, have you ever seen music written? Like, written out on lines?” I scribbled some musical notes for her on a scrap of paper. No doubt they were backwards, upside down, and sideways. I’d recently seen sheet music for the first time, but I had no idea how to read it. She started scribbling her own notes along with me. Then I had the Best Idea Ever. “We have music next. Let’s write a song!”

Lemon Cream Pie Bars

We both drew out some straight lines (well, “straight” lines) and began peppering notes willy-nilly on the page. Without knowing a thing about musical notes, I’m sure my thought process went something like: “Okay, now a note with just one little ball on the end. Now one of those double notes. Now a swirly thing. Now two little one-ball notes in a row, ’cause I want to mix it up.” A creative genius right there.

When we finished, Lauren named her song Mary Had a Little Lamb. I wanted mine to be more original (of course), so I named it St. Patrick’s Day Love. There may have been a little boy named Patrick in my class and I may have loved him with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. I don’t think he knew my name, but ONE DAY he asked me to play Catwoman on the playground so he could be Batman. I didn’t really know who Catwoman was, but I ran around meowing. I was sure that would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. For some reason, it never quite panned out.

Lemon Cream Pie Bars

We proudly showed our work to Mrs. Hill, who (to our endless joy) said that we could bring the songs to the music teacher and ask her to play them. We strutted to the music room like little peacocks, our wonky sheet music in hand.

When we arrived, the music teacher played Lauren’s song first. Instead of playing Lauren’s actual notes, however, she just played the real Mary Had a Little Lamb. Lauren didn’t seem to notice, but I secretly thanked God that I hadn’t named my composition after an existing song. I wanted to hear my real notes. Finally, the music teacher started in on mine: a beautiful melody. I now realize she probably didn’t play my real notes either, because they would’ve sounded roughly like a ferret set loose on a keyboard. At the time, though, I was very impressed with my composition. I WROTE THAT. I WROTE THAT MASTERPIECE EMANATING FROM THAT PIANO.

I stole romantic glances at Patrick as the song continued, lingering for a slightly more significant stare after the music teacher announced the name of the song. He picked at his shoe, apparently unaware of my existence.

Lemon Cream Pie Bars

But nevermind! My happiness simply could not be dimmed. Whether Patrick knew I existed or not, that day I experienced pure St. Patrick’s Day Lovvvve!

Here’s some St. Patrick’s Day love for you! Okay, okay, so these don’t really look like a St. Patrick’s Day treat. No Bailey’s Irish Cream or mint or green or any of that this time. But I still think this is quite the sweet offering to celebrate with today! If you love lemon, this is the dessert for you. A huge cloud of lemon cream mousse and freshly whipped cream sit on a buttery shortbread crust. Enjoy!

One year ago: Breakfast Stuffed Mushrooms (Portobellos Stuffed with a Leek and Gruyère Scramble)
Two years ago: Twice Baked Cranberry & Pancetta Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Glaze
Three years ago: Mini Apple Pies with Cheddar Crusts
Four years ago: Ice Cream Cupcakes

Lemon Cream Pie Bars


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, using Lemon Curd from Fine Cooking
Yield: 20 tall bars

These bars are a BRIGHT burst of sunshine! The lemon flavor isn’t the knock-you-out sort, but a sweet, smooth punch in a bed of whipped cream. You’re gonna love these!

Crust Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (I use Plugrá Butter)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Lemon Curd Filling Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature (I use Plugrá Butter)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
4 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
6-8 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Topping Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon gelatin
5-6 tablespoons icing sugar
grated lemon zest (for topping, optional)
fresh raspberries (for serving, optional)

Directions:
Make shortbread crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9 x 13 in. baking dish by lining it with parchment paper. Cut the butter into the flour and icing sugar and press into the baking dish (I used a food processor to cut the fat into the flour — about 6-10 pulses — and then the bottom of a glass to press the mixture into the pan). Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Set on a wire rack.

Make the lemon curd: Cream butter and sugar together until pale, fluffy yellow (2-3 minutes). Slowly beat in eggs and yolks and then the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but don’t worry. Pour it into a heavy saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture smooths out and no longer looks curdled. Turn heat up to medium and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 170 degrees F on a candy thermometer (about 10-15 minutes). When you run your finger across the back of a wooden spoon used for stirring, it should leave a clear streak in the curd. Stir in the lemon zest.

Pour the curd into a shallow bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Chill in the fridge until cold. It’ll thicken more as it cools.

Make the lemon cream: Make sure your curd is totally cool before beginning this step. In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons cold water to soften for 2 minutes. Heat for 15 or so seconds in the microwave, whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Whip 4 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks, adding the gelatin, lemon extract, food coloring, and powdered sugar halfway through. Stir in about 1/3 of the cream into the lemon curd to lighten it, and then gently fold in the curd into the rest of the cream. Pour the mixture over the cooled shortbread crust and spread evenly. Chill in the fridge until set.

Make the whipped cream: In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the tablespoon of cold water to soften for 2 minutes. Heat for 15 or so seconds in the microwave, whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Whip the 2 cups cream to stiff peaks, adding the powdered sugar and gelatin halfway through mixing. Dollop the whipped cream over the lemon cream and gently spread it around. Zest a lemon over the top for garnish. Chill, remove from pan, slice into bars, and enjoy with fresh raspberries, if desired.

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