Donut Peach Shortcakes with Vanilla-Honey Crème Fraîche
Topped with our housemade crème fraîche and ripe Donut peaches, these shortcakes are moist, crumbly and just a touch sweet.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder shortcake mix
¾ cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon
4 cups Donut peaches, pitted, peeled (if desired) and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 cup Farm & Larder vanilla-honey crème fraîche
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Add the shortcake mix to a large mixing bowl. Measure ¾ cup cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the dry mixture, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together.
2. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about ¾-inch thick. Cut six 2½-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, you should be able to get 2 or 3 more shortcakes out of it.
3. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool.
4. In a second bowl, mix sliced peaches with sugar. To assemble, split each shortcake in half and top both halves with a serving of sliced peaches. Finish with a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
Strawberry Shortcakes with Crème Fraîche
Topped with ripe strawberries, these shortcakes are moist, crumbly and just a touch sweet.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder shortcake mix
¾ cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon
4 cups strawberries, washed, stemmed and sliced
½ cup sugar
1 cup Farm & Larder crème fraîche
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Add the shortcake mix to a large mixing bowl. Measure ¾ cup cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the dry mixture, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together.
2. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about ¾-inch thick. Cut six 2½-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, you should be able to get 2 or 3 more shortcakes out of it.
3. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool.
4. In a second bowl, mix the sliced strawberries with sugar. To assemble, split each shortcake in half and top both halves with a serving of berries. Finish with a generous dollop of honeyed crème fraîche.
Honeyed Crème Fraîche
This amazing combination is wonderful atop shortcakes or pretty much any other fruit tart!
Ingredients:
1 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons honey
Method:
1. Combine crème fraîche and honey in a bowl; chill until use.
Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone, Pistachios & Balsamic Glaze
Peaches off the grill are a true summer delight—we particularly love this salty, sticky-sweet topping.
Ingredients
4 large ripe (but not overly soft) peaches, halved and pits removed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons grapeseed oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
Handful of pistachios, lightly crushed
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar and melted butter. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine mascarpone (or cream) cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Set aside.
2. Preheat grill over medium low heat. Gently brush each peach half with oil and place it flesh side down on the grill. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to carefully rotate peaches a quarter turn and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the peaches are slightly softened and have grill marks. Remove and cool slightly.
3. When ready to serve, drizzle balsamic mixture over peaches and spoon a small scoop of cheese mixture into the hollow of each peach. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
Variations: Once you master the art of grilling peaches, the sky’s the limit! They are also wonderful topped with vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey.
Baked Eggs with Crème Fraîche & Fresh Herbs
These oeufs en cocotte boast a wonderful balance between the rich crème fraîche and the bright parsley and chives.
Ingredients:
8 large eggs
1 cup Farm & Larder crème fraîche
Pinch nutmeg
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Season the crème fraîche with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
3. Place a heaped tablespoon of crème fraîche in the bottom of a small individual ramekin or custard cup*, followed by a sprinkling of parsley and chives. Crack an egg on top, add a second tablespoon of crème fraîche and sprinkle with an additional pinch each of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Repeat with remaining ramekins.
4. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour enough lukewarm water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg yolks are set to your liking. Finish each serving with additional chopped herbs.
*This dish can also be made in a large baking dish, or even in a few smaller baking dishes. Spread a thin layer of cheese and herbs on bottom, carefully crack eggs and space out evenly, then dollop additional cheese and add water as directed above.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Herb Crème Fraîche
This soup is the epitome of fall comfort food.
Ingredients:
1, 2-2½ pound Winter Density pumpkin, quartered and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus additional
for seasoning the soup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup diced Cipollini onion
1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground pepper
For Herb Crème Fraîche:
¾ cup crème fraîche, plus additional for garnish
2 teaspoons each fresh parsley (finely chopped) and thyme leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place pumpkin quarters in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Scoop out cooked pumpkin and reserve.
2. Heat butter and remaining oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic and
season with a pinch of sea salt. Sweat over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown.
3. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and roasted pumpkin and season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a simmer, and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
4. While soup is cooking, combine crème fraîche with fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Once soup is ready, purée it in batches in a food processor (or with an immersion blender). Stir in ¾ cup of crème fraîche. Add more chicken stock as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Garnish each serving with reserved crème fraîche.
Baked Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche & Fresh Herbs
These oeufs en cocotte boast a wonderful balance with rich crème fraîche, plus bright parsley and chives.
Ingredients:
8 large eggs
1 cup Farm & Larder crème fraîche
8 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Season the crème fraîche with salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Place a heaped tablespoon of crème fraîche in the bottom of a small individual ramekin or custard cup, followed by a sprinkling of parsley and chives. Crack an egg on top, add a second tablespoon of crème fraîche and sprinkle with an additional pinch each of salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining ramekins.
4. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and pour enough lukewarm water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the egg yolks are set to your liking. Finish each serving with a helping of smoked salmon and additional chopped herbs.
Honey-Cinnamon Crème Fraîche
This amazing combination is wonderful atop a fruit galette, baked apples or even poached pears!
Ingredients:
1 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Method:
1. Combine crème fraîche with honey and cinnamon in a bowl; chill until use.
Whipped Crème Fraîche
A simply-stunning topping for this week’s gingerbread loaf, or any holiday pie you have in mind.
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon granulated sugar*
Method:
1. Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Place all of the ingredients in the bowl and whisk on high speed until medium peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use a hand whisk and a large chilled bowl. Whisk all of the ingredients until medium peaks form, about 5 to 6 minutes.) Serve immediately.
* Feel free to sub in your favorite sweetener here; our favorites are honey or even a splash of bourbon maple syrup!
Crème Fraîche Salad Dressing
Creamy, yet light, this dressing is fantastic tossed with greens and thinly-sliced radish.
Ingredients:
¼ cup crème fraîche
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 scallions, white parts only finely-minced, or 1 shallot, peeled and finely-minced
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Method:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, olive oil, and honey.
2. Add the scallion or shallot, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk again. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste, or a touch more vinegar if you prefer your dressing on the acidic side.