Watermelon Float Popsicles | #popsicleweek

June is basically the best month of the year:

1. My birthday
2. Summer solstice
3. Popsicle week
4. See number one

While my birthday (which I now share with my friends’ new little guy, Henry!) and the start of summer are for sure reason enough to crown this month a winner, Billy of Wit & Vinegar guilds the lily year after year by adding #popsicleweek into the June lineup. 

Peach, Nectarine, and Plum Pie

This is my favorite pie, and basically the only fruit pie I make. A crispy, flaky, super rich all butter crust with a sunset of colorful peaches, nectarines, and plums inside. A few summers ago, I made it for my parents, and my dad said it was the best pie he’d ever eaten. That’s a pretty big compliment, because the man loved desserts. I got his sweet tooth, and my mom’s taco tooth.  

Strawberry Gingersnap Icebox Cake with Whipped Coconut Cream

I was really busy over the weekend with wedding stuff, and didn’t have a chance to do a Father’s Day post.

We’re making our invites and DIY decorations (with the help of some friends, of course, plus floral by my lovely friend Brit), and taking care of all the business—banquet permits, flatware rentals, parking permits for the… oh, wait that’s a surprise. etc—all by ourselves. I’m kind of a control freak, so I can’t imagine not doing it all, but man… this is hard work!

Wedding, wedding, wedding. Sorry, it’s all I talk about and think about and do right now. If you’re my sister/mom/fiancé/friends: thank you for your help and for putting up with my constant wedding chatter! PS. 107 days!

So anyway, I had a full Father’s day post planned, with some of my favorite things he used to make us when we were kids, but I didn’t get around to it yet. I will soon though. Because my dad is amazing and hilarious and I love him so much. Everyone who meets him loves him so much.

And he LOVES fresh strawberry pies. Every spring and summer, he whips up a million fresh strawberry pies. You know, the kind with a graham cracker crust, strawberry filling with maybe a layer of vanilla pudding or whipped cream.

This icebox cake is sort of a retro remix of the fresh strawberry pie. But the fresh strawberry pie is kinda retro too. So I mean… Retro remix of a retro recipe?

If you aren’t familiar with icebox cakes, they’re basically layered wafer cookies and whipped cream, chilled or frozen—the ultimate no bake summer dessert. The cookies soften in the whipped cream, and the whole thing kind of melds together into a cool, refreshing, super simple treat.

I added strawbs to this, because duh, and instead of classic wafers, I used gingersnaps, because strawberries and ginger go really well together! And also, I swapped out regular whipped cream with whipped coconut cream, and tossed a whole bunch of toasted coconut on top. The final product is creamy, slightly sweet, gingery, strawberry filled perfection.

Strawberry Gingersnap Icebox Cake with Whipped Coconut Cream

This recipe is a breeze to throw together, but you do need to plan ahead. The coconut milk needs to chill overnight before whipping, and then the cake itself needs to chill at least 8 hours for maximum cookie softness. If you do happen to dig in early, the cookies will be crunchy and everything will be less melded together, but it will still taste great!

2 cans full fat coconut milk

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound of fresh strawberries, sliced

About 30-40 gingersnap cookies (I used store bought—the thinner the better)

¼-1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

First, chill the coconut milk (this helps the solids separate from the liquids). Place both cans in the fridge overnight. 

Flip them upside down, open, and drain the liquid into another dish (set aside for a different use). Scoop the thick cream into a chilled bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, and whip until fluffy stiff peaks begin to form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, whip to combine/ until smooth.

Assemble: In a baking dish or pie plate (I used a standard pie plate), add a layer of cookies (not overlapping). Spread half of the whipped coconut cream on top, and top that with the sliced strawberries (these can overlap). Top with another layer of cookies, and then the remaining cream. 

Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Serve cold or room temp. 

Add the coconut just before serving. 

Summer Corn Kernel Sugar Cookies

SUMMER!!! It's here! You know what that means? Sweet, juicy nectarines! Bright red tomatoes (on rustic bread with a schmear of mayo, please!)! Crunchy carrots that actually have flavor! Crisp, sweet corn on the cob! 

I'm obsessed with corn right now. I just can't seem to get enough. Grilled on the cob, in salads, in salsas, in cookies. Wait… in cookies? Yep, you heard me. You read me. In cookies. I love when sweet little kernels of corn pop up in cornbread, so I thought "hey, why not in a sugar cookie!?" And you know what? It works, people, it works! I mean, you can eat these cookies as a vegetable side dish. You're welcome. 

I used a tried and true chewy sugar cookie recipe, and just folded in some fresh-from-the-cob white corn kernels. When the cookies are warm, the corn is a little weird and like "why is there cooked corn in my cookie?" But once they cool, the corn adds a perfect little pop of sweet freshness. 

Summer Corn Sugar Cookies

Adapted from this recipe

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 egg

1.5 cups + 1 tablespoon flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 ear of sweet white corn, kernels cut off cob

3/4 cup turbinado sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, and beat until combined (about another minute). 

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to wet mixture, and mix until combined. Gently fold in corn kernels. 

Put turbinado sugar in a small bowl. Scoop about 1.5 inch balls of dough and roll in turbinado sugar to coat. Put balls on cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart. Don't flatten!

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes (no longer). Cool on cooling rack. 

Berry Shortcakes

Once upon a time, back when a summer heat wave was just a speck on the horizon, I did a little poll. I asked you all about your favorite summer dessert. And a few of you responded. Or maybe Amanda and Evan just responded several times each, to make me feel better. Either way, it seems that pies were so last summer, and popsicles so two summer ago. The hot items (or…cool items?) these days are ice cream sandwiches. And berry shortcakes! We had a tie! I thought about making some sort of crazy berry shortcake ice cream sandwich. But then I decided I would rather make two desserts. Twice the fun.

Shortcakes and ice cream sandwiches are funny, because they’re super summery, yet you need the oven for both (pies too, but who cares about pies anymore?). And some of you (I’m looking at you southern California) don’t see what the big deal is. Turn up the AC, who cares if the oven is on? Well, in Seattle, we don’t have AC. I mean, get real. We’ve spent about 50 minutes above 80 degrees all year. AC is just not a requirement here. But, on those few scorchers we have each year, we all melt. Or wilt. So our 85 degree days lead to 95 degree homes. Turning an oven on in those conditions is preposterous.

Luckily I made one of the summer desserts before we hit our major heat streak. Introducing raspberry shortcakes with basil-macerated strawberries and lemon whipped cream. Sweet, tangy, fruity, and herbal, in every bite. I used Martha’s recipe for the shortcakes themselves. When something is this delicious, you don’t reinvent the wheel, people. You just don’t. The shortcakes are somewhere between a biscuit and a scone, not too sweet, with soft little pockets of raspberry throughout. Combined with strawberries tossed in basil and sugar, and a tangy whipped cream, you just can't go wrong. 

PS. I do still care about pies and popsicles. Just sayin.

Raspberry Shortcakes with Basil-Strawberries and Lemon Whip

Makes 8 servings

Martha's shortcakes

1 lb fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

5 or so basil leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Juice and zest from half a lemon

While shortcakes are baking, toss strawberries with 1T of the sugar and the basil. Set aside, stirring occasionally. In mixer (or with whisk, or in a jar), whip together cream, remaining sugar, vanilla, and lemon, until desired whipped cream consistency. Top cooled shortcakes with berries and whip.