seasonal

baker
A

Easy Recipes From My Home Kitchen

to Make Year-Round

John Barricelli
Owner of the SoNo Baking Company

Copyright 2012 by John Barricelli

Photographs copyright 2011 by Ben Fink
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered
trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barricelli, John.
The Seasonal Baker /John Barricelli. 1st ed.
p. cm.
1. Cooking (Fruit) 2. Cooking (Vegetables) 3. Baking. I. SoNo Baking Company &
Caf (South Norwalk, Conn.) II. Title.
TX811.B36 2012

641.6'4dc23 2011027042
978-0-307-95187-8
Printed in China
Book design by Ashley Tucker based on an original design by Jennifer K. Beal Davis
Jacket design by Ashley Tucker
Jacket photography by Ben Fink
10987654321
First Edition

Contents
Introduction 8
Ingredient Checklist 15
Equipment Checklist 16
Shopping Guide to Fruits and
Vegetables 18

1
Muffins, Quick Breads, Buns,
and Other Breakfast Treats 32

2
Just Fruit, Poached and Otherwise 56

3
Cookies and Bars 76

4
Fruit Pies and Tarts 108

5
Cupcakes and Cakes 146

6
Crisps, Cobblers, and
Other Fruit Spoon Desserts 196

7
Frozen Fruit Desserts 216

8
Tarts, Quiches, Pastas, and More 232

9
Focaccia and Pizza on the Grill 256
Acknowledgments 280
Sources 281
Index 282

144

the seasonal baker

Fig Tart
My grandparents usually had fresh figs on the table at their home
from late spring into fall, when figs are in season. As a child, I wasnt
Makes one 9-inch tart;
serves 8 to 10
a big fan of their soft, moist texture. But as an adult I cant stop
eating them. When figs bake, they soften and release their juices, so
the flavor of the fruit concentrates. A butter-sugar glaze gives the fruit a beautiful sheen and boosts the
flavor of less than perfect fruit. If you have beautiful, ripe figs, you can simplify this recipe by leaving the
figs raw and brushing them with a glaze of melted, strained, cooled apricot jam. This is a tasty alternative
to traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving if figs are still available where you live.
recipe Vanilla Pastry Cream
(page 124)
Grated zest of orange

1 Make

the pastry cream, adding the orange zest to the saucepan

with the milk along with the vanilla. Refrigerate.

2 On

recipe Pte Sucre (page 111),

chilled
18 to 20 fresh figs, halved
through the stem ends, leave
1 fig whole
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
melted
2 tablespoons sanding sugar

a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to a 12-inch

round, about 8 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch fluted
tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the dough so that it
comes slightly above the rim of the tart pan. Press the excess
dough against the sharp edge of the rim of the pan with the heel
of your hand to cut it level with the pan. Chill until firm, about
30 minutes.

3 Arrange

the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat

the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or
a nonstick silicone baking mat.

4 Spread

the pastry cream over the bottom of the pie shell.

Arrange the fig halves on top, rounded edges down, shingled
tightly and in concentric circles. Quarter the remaining whole
fig, leaving the quarters connected at the base. Place in the
center of the tart so that the quarters open like the petals of a
flower. Brush the figs with the butter and sanding sugar evenly
over the top.

5 Bake,

rotating the baking sheet about two-thirds of the way

through the baking time, until the pastry is cooked through and
the figs are tender and caramelized, about 40 minutes. Transfer
to a wire rack to cool.

fruit pies and tarts

145

Blueberry Crumb Cake

This cake was inspired by a crumb cake developed by Sara Foster, a
wonderful chef and award-winning cookbook author. My blueberry
Makes twelve 3-inch
squares
version combines a layer of vanilla cakenot too sweetwith fresh
blueberries and a chunky cinnamonbrown sugar crumb topping. It
makes a nice snack cake, but everyone in my family likes it for breakfast, too. You can vary the batter
with chocolate chips, or add chopped nuts to the topping. My kids, who love this kind of breakfast pastry,
eat the cake warm, right out of the oven. But its also a great favorite at the farmers market, where folks
enjoy it at room temperature.
Crumb Topping
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light
brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Cake
1 cups plus 1 tablespoon
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
cup whole milk
cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, at room
temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
extract
1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
1 to 2 tablespoons
confectioners sugar

tip The pan I use for this cake is

sold in specialty cookware stores.
You can find aluminum pans of
exactly the same size (and much
more easily) at most supermarkets
and retail stores.

172

the seasonal baker

1 Set

the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the
oven to 350F. Spray a 12 by 8 by 1-inch baking sheet with
nonstick cooking spray. Coat with flour and tap out the excess.

2 To

make the crumb topping: In a large bowl, sift the flour with
the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Melt the butter in a small
saucepan; let cool for 2 minutes. Pour the melted butter over the
flour mixture. Work the mixture with your fingertips to press
into nice large crumbs; set aside.

3 To

make the cake: In a large bowl, stir together 1 cups of the

flour, the baking powder, and salt; set aside.

4 In

a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar,

oil, egg, and vanilla and add to the flour mixture. Stir until the
flour is absorbed. Using a small offset spatula, spread the batter
over the prepared pan.

5 In

a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining

1 tablespoon of flour. Sprinkle evenly over the cake. Scatter the
crumb topping over the top; it will completely cover the berries.
Bake, rotating the pan about two-thirds of the way through the
baking time, until the topping is golden brown, the blueberries
are bubbling, and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake
comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack
and allow to cool for 10 minutes, or completely.

6 Sift

confectioners sugar over the top. Cut into twelve 3-inch

squares to serve.

cupcakes and cakes

173

crisps, cobblers, and other fruit spoon desserts

202

Fourth of July Mixed Berry Cobbler

This oversize red, white, and blue cobbler is designed to feed a Fourth
of July party crowd. Crystallized ginger adds a little zing to a stanServes 16
dard cobbler topping. Although this is a classic summer cobbler, it can
be made successfully out of season with frozen berries (no need to
thaw). The recipe is easily cut in half; bake it in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate for 40 to 45 minutes. Crystallized ginger is fresh ginger that has been dried and preserved in sugar. Good-quality crystallized ginger
should not be fibrous, and it should be moist and tasty enough to eat out of the bag.
3 cups (about 21 ounces) fresh
blueberries
3 cups (about 21 ounces) fresh
blackberries
3 cups (about 21 ounces) fresh
raspberries
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar (depending
on the ripeness of the berries)
11 8 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
6 tablespoons cornstarch

Biscuit Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
cup diced crystallized ginger
12 tablespoons (1 sticks) cold
unsalted butter, cubed
cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon sanding sugar,
for finishing

1 In

a large bowl, toss

together the blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, granulated

sugar, salt, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Transfer to a 10 by
14-inch rectangular, ceramic baking dish.
2 Set

the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the
oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a
nonstick silicone baking mat.

3 To

make the biscuit dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the

flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and
crystallized ginger.

4 Working

quickly so as not to warm the butter, work the butter

into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse
crumbs. Add 6 tablespoons of the buttermilk and fold with a
rubber scraper or your hands until the buttermilk has been
absorbed and there are no dry patches. Add the remaining
2 tablespoons of buttermilk as necessary (you wont use all of it;
reserve whats left for brushing the dough). The dough should be
dry enough to hold a shape when you cut it out.

5 Turn

the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With

lightly floured hands, pat the dough to about inch thick. Cut
out twelve stars with a 3 8-inch (measuring point to point) star
cookie cutter and place them in a single layer on top of the fruit.
Brush the stars with the reserved buttermilk, and sprinkle each
with teaspoon of sanding sugar. Bake, rotating the baking
sheet two-thirds of the way through the baking time, until the
biscuit topping is lightly browned and cooked through, 60 to
65 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
crisps, cobblers, and other fruit spoon desserts

203