nostalgia and strawberries

When the kiddies head back to school, I breathe a sigh of relief. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate kids. Hate is too strong of a word. But I strongly dislike how they loiter around the city in the dead days of August. With firmly planted grimaces on their faces, they run around the malls or bookstores, attempting to amuse themselves by distracting everyone else. I don’t know about you, but I’d like a little quiet as I am trying to absorb all that highly important celebrity gossip in the magazine section of my bookstore.

When the last days of August come, I am relieved to notice that the long lines at my local Starbucks are gone, and the lunch cafes are quiet. I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic for my old back-to-school days though. This time last year, I was prepping for my last semester at college, eagerly awaiting that hard-earned diploma. Now, my days are spent in a cubicle where I pass my days helping the government run. While I love my freedom, I miss the daily school routine. I miss walking on to campus, seeing all the diverse people, and learning new things. I have always been a sucker for schools though, as I am a bona-fide nerd.

You know what I don’t miss? The stress and anxiety school brings. The late nights spent studying for yet another test. The crowded parking lots. The frustrating professors. Ridiculous school politics. When I think of all these things, I realize that I’m glad my time at college has ended. Eventually I will return to get my masters, but for right now, I am enjoying my time. To celebrate this freedom, I made this droolworthy recipe for strawberry dumplings. You might have seen this recipe on Jen’s Simply Photo Flickrstream or from Deb who featured the recipe on Smitten Kitchen. if the allure of a simple strawberry dessert with a biscuit topping wasn’t enough to draw me in, then the photos from both those ladies surely would have!

Normally, I eat fresh strawberries all summer long. Fresh, with maybe a sprinkle of raw sugar, they are the perfect snack or dessert in the hot months. But I’ve been craving fruit desserts and this one came to my mind. Warning, my take on this recipe didn’t turn out as beautiful as others, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tasty. First of all, I cut the recipe in half because I didn’t want it to go to waste. Dumplings don’t really last and I hate throwing things away. I think the topping was supposed to be more cobbler-like but that’s ok. I used heavy cream in place of whole milk, which I’m sure changed how the topping came together in the pot. I must have ignored some of the directions because my biscuit topping wasn’t as clumpy as others.

What I loved the most about this recipe was how quick it came together. Mix the dry ingredients, combine the milk, pour in to a saucepan filled with strawberries and sugar, and let it bubble away. 15 minutes later, dessert is served. My friend and I sat out on my patio, overlooking the August sky, and greedily dug in to our own servings. To be honest, we polished off the whole thing that night, in between glasses of wine and memories of summers past. I highly encourage you all to enjoy these passing August nights, and share some laughs with a friend over dessert. Be thankful for where you are and who is around you. Nothing is as sweet as gratitude…

Strawberry Dumpling
Printable recipe
Origin: Gourmet magazine
Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
● 1 qt strawberries, trimmed and thickly sliced (about 4 cups)
● 2/3 cup sugar
● 1 cup all-purpose flour
● 2 tsp. baking powder
● 1/4 tsp. salt
● 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
● 2/3 cup whole milk, (I used heavy cream)
● fresh whipped cream, to serve

Directions:
Stir together strawberries and sugar in a 4-qt heavy saucepan and let stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 15 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Stir in milk until just blended, then add mixture to boiling berries and stir once or twice. Tightly cover saucepan and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed,

Stir together strawberries and sugar in a 4-qt heavy saucepan and let stand, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 15 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Stir in milk until just blended, then add mixture to boiling berries and stir once or twice. Tightly cover saucepan and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, until dumpling looks dry on top, 15 to 18 minutes. Let stand off heat, uncovered, 5 minutes before serving.