Cherry Clafouti (gluten-free)

Gluten-free cherry clafouti is an easy-peasy way to use up some of the 30 pounds of dark sweet cherries we picked and froze during the summer. I always use the recipe from Simplyrecipes, replacing the white flour with Bob's gluten-free flour mix and using enough cherries to completely cover the bottom of a 10x7 baking dish. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cherry_clafouti/

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake

You don’t need to be very precise with the measurements in this recipe - I certainly wasn’t and it came out good.

Line 8 or 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Crust:  

• 1 cup dates
• 2 cup walnuts (or almonds, cashews, whatever nut(s) you like- I used walnuts)

1. Process in food processor until sticky.
2. Add and process 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil to make it really stick together.
3. Press crust into pan. 

Strawberry Mixture

• 1 TBSP gelatin 
• 2 TBSPs cold water 
1. Mix together and let set for at 1-2 minutes (or longer, it doesn’t matter). Set aside.
• 1 pound strawberries (mine were frozen)
• 1/4 cup sugar

1. Heat strawberries and sugar on stovetop until berries are very soft.
2. Use immersion blender until smooth.
3. Stir gelatin mix into hot strawberry mixture until dissolved.
4. Set aside about 3/4 cup for top of cake. 

Cream Cheese Mixture

• 1 pound cream cheese (softened a little)
• 1/2 cup sugar (regular or confectioners - I used regular)
• 2 TBSP lemon juice (to taste)
• Strawberry mixture (minus the 3/4 cup set aside for top of cake)

1. Using paddle attachment if you have it, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Beat in rest of strawberry mixture. 

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream (I used closer to 1.5 cups)

1. Beat  heavy cream until peaks form.
2. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
3. Pour into pan and smooth. 
4. Chill for about 2 hours.
5. Pour the 3/4 cup strawberry mixture on top.
6. Chill.
7. Decorate as you wish with fresh strawberries or not.

Easiest Chocolate Pumpkin Pudding Ever

This was so good, I made variations twice in a week.  First time, I made a pumpkin spice version for the bottom layer of large wineglasses, and then topped that with a chocolate layer using pumpkin, raw cacao and melted dark chocolate chips.     The second time, I just used cinnamon and raw cocoa - no chocolate chips and thought it was even better, so am posted the second, even easier version.

1.5 cups cooked pumpkin (i used roasted pie pumpkin, but can use canned pumpkin)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or raw dairy milk or almond milk or whatever milk-like substance)
2 T maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla

Pulse in a food processor for a few minutes until smooth.  Chill.

Mint Avocado, Coconut, Chocolate Layer Squares

During the winter, I made this frequently, stored it in the freezer, and would eat a couple squares as a very satisfying snack.  While I had an idea about creating a coconut/avocado chocolate bar, google helped me find Raia's recipe (see link below), which I used as a model for mine. I like mine much more minty that Rais's and I often add mint to the chocolate layer as well.

MINT LAYER INGREDIENTS

1. 1 avocado
2. 1/4 c. + 2 T.  honey (frozen treats taste less sweet so sweeten to taste)
3. 1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
4. 1 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
5. 2 T coconut flour (optional, but I always use it)
6. 1 t. (or more) mint extract, (I think I have used up to 1 T. );  fresh mint leaves; or a drop or two of food-grade peppermint essential oil.  My personal favorite is a bunch of fresh mint leaves.
7. dash of salt

CHOCOLATE LAYER INGREDIENTS

1. 1/4 c. coconut oil
2. 3 T. honey
3. 1/4 c. cocoa powder
4. 1/4 t. vanilla extract
5. dash of salt
6. 1 tsp mint extract (or to taste) Optional.  

MINT LAYER INSTRUCTIONS

1. Process all mint layer ingredients (except coconut flour) in a food processor until smooth (may have some coconut flake texture).  If it seems oily, add 2 T coconut flour.  Smooth mixture into foiled-lined 8x8 or 9x9 square backing dish and place in the freezer.

CHOCOLATE LAYER INSTRUCTIONS

1. In small saucepan, melt coconut oil and honey over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over chilled bottom layer and return to the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate layer is hardened. Remove from foil and cut into small  (1") squares. Store covered in the freezer, with  layers between parchment paper.

Note: If I don't put mint in chocolate layer, I often add sea salt to top once chocolate is almost hard.

Thanks to original recipe creator - Raia: http://raiasrecipes.com/2014/03/avocadograsshoppers.html

Coconut Macaroons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. line baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Combine in bowl:

• 1 cup fine macaroon coconut (Bob's red mill)
• 1 TBSP red macs powder (pus a little more for consistency)
• 1 TBSP melted coconut oil
• 2 TBSP maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

3. In separate bowl, beat until stiff

• 2 egg whites with pinch of salt

4. Fold stiffened egg whites into coconut mixture.
5. Drop tablespoon size balls onto baking sheet.
6. Bake about 15 minutes.

(mine stuck to parchment paper, so may put some coconut oil on paper next time)

Apple "Brownies"

Based on a Martha Stewart recipe, but larger and with some additional and different ingredients.

• 1 stick salted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 medium eggs (2.1 ounces each
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 large sweet apples (about 1 pound total), peeled, cored, and cut into cubes (2 3/4 cups)

• 1.25 cup white whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup walnut flour (meal)
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 9x13 pan with melted butter.
2. Combine flour and spices, etc, and set aside.
3. Beat butter, applesauce, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
4. Stir in walnuts and apples.
5. Stir in flour mixture briefly - 30 seconds
6. Smooth into pan. Bake about 35 minutes until golden brown and slightly firm.  Cool 30 minutes on a rack before cutting.

Original recipe: 

http://www.marthastewart.com/925923/apple-brownies#Apple%20Recipes|/275039/apple-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide|925923

Best Coconut Chocolate Cookie Ever

It's been years since I made cookies, but today I had a hankering to make coconut chocolate cookies.  The original recipe came from foodnetwork.com and I made five ingredient changes:  I replaced the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour, replaced 1/4 cup of the flour with almond flour, replaced 1/4 cup of butter with coconut oil, used unsweetened coconut flakes instead of sweetened, and added an additional 1/4 cup of the flaked coconut.  My version made 24 cookies instead of 16.  Phil said it was the best cookie he ever had in his life.

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup) at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover 2 sheet trays with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Add the butter and sugars to a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in increments, beating until well combined. Briefly beat in the coconut flakes, chocolate chips and pecans until mixed together.

Using a roundish tablespoon measurer, roll the dough into walnut-size balls and drop 12 on each cookie sheet, leaving space between them. Bake 13 minutes (switch upper and lower trays midway). Let cool on the sheet tray 5 minutes.

Original recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/chocolate-coconut-cookies-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Rhubarb Candied Ginger Sorbet

Strongly tart, palate cleansing, and refreshing!  Small tastes.  I served single scoops in paper cupcake wrappers with spoons at work and got many rave reviews.

• 6 cups fresh rhubarb, large dice
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups water
• (2 strawberries and/or 1 TBSP organic raspberry jam) Optional
• 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP (= 6 TBSP) small diced candied ginger.
• 3 TBSP vodka

Simmer first 3 ingredients until most rhubarb dissolved.  If color is not pinkish enough,  add 2 large cut strawberries and/or a tablespoon of organic raspberry jam and simmer until soft or dissolved.
Blend with immersion blender until smooth.

Stir in vodka and candied ginger.  Most will melt, but some small pieced will still be there.  A little bit of rhubarb may there too, which is also fine.

Pour into a bowl with a pour spout. Chill at least 4 hours until cold.

In thoroughly chilled bowl (15 hours in freezer) of ice cream maker, stir on speed 1 for about 10-12 minutes or until it starts slipping.  Pour into two 3-cup containers with lids (or smaller sizes), and chill for at least an hour.

Chocolate Coconut Bars

This should make about 9 candies.

Blend in food processor until it comes together:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut 
• 2 T coconut oil (room temp)
• 1 T honey

On parchment paper, press into a rectangle. Place in freezer while making chocolate.

In bowl, mix until smooth:

• 2 T coconut oil, melted
• 2 T maple syrup
• 4 T cocoa powder
• 1/4 t vanilla
• dash of salt
• dash of cayenne pepper

Add a little chocolate to the bottom of mini cupcake/candy paper cups.
Cut coconut bars to fit wrapper.  Press coconut piece into chocolate cups so chocolate comes up sides a little.  Add chocolate to top to cover.
Place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Ginger Molasses Cake

The first recipe I posted here was a slight adaptation of a ginger sour cream bundt cake with ginger-infused strawberries.  My latest favorite ginger cake uses molasses and is a slight adaptation of David Leibovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake. My version replaces 1/2 the oil with homemade applesauce, replaces some of the white flour with coconut flour, replaces the sugar with a stevia baking blend.  The gingered strawberries from my original recipe are replaced with a strawberry-ginger jam that is used as frosting.
Because this recipe uses so much molasses, it also calls for baking soda dissolved in boiling water to counteract the acidity of the molasses.  Molasses is less sweet and has more vitamins and minerals than pure cane sugar.

The easiest method to grate ginger is to freeze it and then send through a food processor. It works even unfrozen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9x 3 round pan, or a 8inch square pan or a heart shaped pan.  There may be too much batter for the last 2 options, so be prepared to make a cupcake or two.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar in the pan.

Sift together:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 to 1/2 ground black pepper

Mix together:

• 3/4-1 cup mild molasses (DL's recipe called for 1 cup)
• 1/4 c Truvia Baking Blend (stevia and sugar mix) 
• 1/4 cup Truvia = 1/2 c sugar. (DL's recipe called for 1 cup sugar) I added a few Tablespoons of ginger sugar (fell off the candied ginger) 
• 1/2 cup peanut oil 
• 1/2 cup applesauce 
• 4 oz grated ginger 
• 2 eggs, room temperature

Add baking soda to boiling water and then add it to the molasses mixture.

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp baking soda

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed lightly or inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Serve with gingered strawberry jam and greek or plain yogurt.

Note: the heart shape cake pictured is actually a more traditional ginger cake I baked for Phil's parents with less molasses, which is why it is lighter in color than the slices on the left.  I forgot to take a picture of the whole molasses cake both times I made it.  The first time I baked it in a square pan and Phil and I ate the whole thing ourselves!  The second time I baked it in a heart-shaped pan and brought it to work on Valentine's Day.  There was too much batter to fit, so the extra made 3 cupcakes which was just the right amount for two people.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

I loved Adirondack Creamery's Pumpkin Pie ice cream and want to make a homemade version. AC's ingredient list is: Cream, Milk, cane sugar, non-fat dry milk, egg yolks, pumpkin, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.  I found two recipes online that are close, but not quite, so I will try my own method. Since I have only made real ice cream twice before, I hope I don't  mess it up.

The recipe David Lebovitz posted has too many steps that don't seem necessary and a cinnamon stick seems to get lost in his recipe.  I do like his proportions of milk and cream and white and brown sugars. The Williams Sonoma recipe seems like it will come out two thick and too sweet with 2 cups of heavy cream and 3/4 cup brown sugar, but the recipe order is simpler, although there is no need to add cold cream to the eggs, so I will heat all the milk and cream.

1. Mix squash with vanilla and chill.

• 1 cup roasted butternut squash puree (or canned pumpkin)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2. Heat and stir in saucepan:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 and 1/4 cup gingered sugar (otherwise combo of white and brown cane sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
• If not using ginger sugar, use 1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp freshly grated
• scant 1/16 teaspoon cloves
• 4 allspice berries, crushed and a pinch of ground (or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice)
• scant 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3. Whisk 5 large egg yolks into a bowl

4. Whisk 1/3 to 1/2 the cream into the bowl of egg yolks and pour back into cream pot.
5. Heat and stir until 170 degrees- slightly thick-can run finger through it on back of spoon and it doesn't run back:
6. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl nestled in a larger bowl of ice water.  Whisk or stir a few times.  
7. Whisk in the pumpkin.  
8. Pour through fine mesh strainer again.  
9. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.  
10. Churn in ice cream maker according to maker's directions.

Original sources or inspiration:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/pumpkin-ice-cream-recipe/
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/pumpkin-ice-cream.html

Holiday Biscotti

I've been making biscotti for Christmas gatherings and gifts every year since I found out Biscotti existed, sometime in graduate school I think.  After collecting and trying dozens of biscotti recipes over the decades, I keep coming back to one basic recipe (no butter, some vegetable oil, light on sugar) and then mix in whatever combination of extracts, spices, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, etc, that strikes my fancy. 

This year I made 4 batches: anise with chocolate coating, dried cranberry and almond with white and dark chocolate coating, tiny chocolate chips and almond with dark chocolate coating, and a cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cloves (1/4 tsp each) and candied ginger version.  This picture shows a box of 28 that will be for my in-laws. 

basic biscotti recipe by Jandee on allrecipes.com  It is simple and works every time.  Dust your hands with flour when shaping the dough and it will magically turn into 2 rolls and then just pat them to size on parchment paper.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes Servings: 42

"This is a simple, no frills biscotti. My friend at work gave this recipe to me. It's quick, easy and one of my favorite Italian cookie recipes."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup white sugar 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon anise extract, or 3 drops anise oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2.	In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and anise flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet, and press down to 1/2 inch thickness.
3.	Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When The cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.

Rhubarb Crisp from NY Times

I liked this recipe because it called for only 1/4 cup of sugar to 6 cups of rhubarb. Most other rhubarb crisp recipes have way too much sugar. The crisp topping adds more than enough sweetness.

Of course, I had to make modifications to Rhubarb Crisp - NY Times. I didn't use any lemon juice or zest in the rhubarb and less butter in the topping. The recipe called for pecans in the topping-I used ginger agave cashews because that is what I had in the freezer. The recipe called for 1.5 inch pieces of rhubarb. Mine were much smaller-maybe 1/2 inch. I also added some fresh ginger to the rhubarb, because I am on a ginger kick lately. Slightly less topping (less sugar) would be fine. My version:

6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 or 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup fresh ginger, cut finely (optional)

5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup brown sugar (as little as 1/2 cup would probably be sweet enough if you like very tart)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
Pinch salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans or other nut. Perhaps it was the ginger agave cashews that made this so good.

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking or gratin dish with a little butter. Toss rhubarb with white sugar, orange or lemon juice and zest, and spread in baking dish.
2. Put the 6 tablespoons butter in a food processor along with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, and pulse for about 20 or 30 seconds, until it looks like small peas and just begins to clump together. Add oats and pecans and pulse just a few times to combine.
3. Crumble the topping over rhubarb and bake until golden and beginning to brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Rhubarb is Ready! Rhubarb Bars and Pickled Rhubarb

All of the rhubarb plants sprouted flowers that had to be cut off (twice, already). It seems like it only took 2 weeks from the first leaves poking out of the soil to ready to harvest.  

I need to make something for a work celebration next week, so I made a smaller test batch of Rhubarb Bars with a shortbread crust.  I prefer more tart, so less sugar than most recipes, like Brooke's recipe. I don't have a 7 x 11 pan so I used a large pie pan instead.  The combination of the tart topping with the sweet buttery crust is delicious.
 

I also made Pickled Rhubarb, as that also sounded oddly compelling. We'll see if anyone likes it.

The idea is to serve as part of a cheese platter, so I made one jar with diced rhubarb  where the pickled rhubarb is featured as part of a white asparagus salad).

The rhubarb for the other jar was sliced in 4 inch thin sticks, so you can eat them like pickles.  My version was based on this recipe from Pickle Girl who made huge batches for her wedding, or this one from Mother Jones, but with different spices and proportioned down to 1 cup of cider vinegar, 3/4 c sugar, 1.5 inch sliced ginger, a couple of Start Anise, a little dried red pepper flakes.  I cut enough rhubarb stalks to fill a 1/2 pint jar of with thin sticks of rhubarb and another 1/2 pint jar of diced rhubarb. Then pour pickling liquid to top and refrigerate after it cools.

Strawberry Semifreddo

Semifreddo just means partially frozen.  There is no specific recipe-most seem to be a combination of fruit and whipped cream and various other ingredients, (eggs, yogurt, mascarpone cheese).  I just found out about semifreddo today, but it reminds me of the strawberry-rhubarb quark pie I recently created.  I had put that in the freezer for a little while just to set because my strawberry-rhubarb sauce was still warm, but then refrigerated the pie.   I think recipe will be more like a light ice cream.


My semifreddo recipe will be Easter dessert tomorrow, but I wanted to write down what I did before I forgot. 

4 cups partially thawed strawberries, slices, and pureed in food processor with 1/4 sugar.
1 cup Meadowbrook Farms heavy cream, whipped with about 1 T sugar and about 1/2 t vanilla.
2 egg whites, whipped until holds a peak.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap.
Put a layer of the strawberry puree in the pan. about 1/2 inch?
Combine the strawberry puree with the whipped cream. Fold in the whipped egg whites.
Add mixture to the loaf pan.
Cover with saran wrap and freeze.
Tomorrow, unmold upside down onto serving plate.
Slice and serve on individual plates.

I made some strawberry-rhubarb sauce the other day that I may serve on top.
May garnish with whole strawberries too.

Note: I am not afraid of these uncooked egg whites as I know where these brown eggs came from.  We'll see what happens when you freeze whipped egg whites in this dessert. I tried to cook the 2 yolks over a double boiler, but got distracted and got scrambled eggs, so I left the yolks out.  I saw recipes that cooked just egg yolks, no whites, and another that cooked and eggs whites and yolks together, and recipes with no eggs at all.  No loss not having egg yolks as that is less calories and the mixture tasted really good.

Easy Strawberry-Rhubarb Quark No-bake Pie

I made up this recipe, liked it a lot, so I made it again for Sandra's Birthday Cake, and this time took a picture.  I needed to use rhubarb and strawberries still in the freezer from last summer since we will soon have a new crop, plus I had a tub of Quark and a small bottle of Meadowbrook Farms heavy cream left over from baking for last week's fundraiser.   And a unopened box of graham crackers in the cabinet I don't even remember buying.

Crust: 1 package of graham crackers, crushed in food processor. Mixed in about 5 T melted butter, and patted into pie plate.  Put in freezer while preparing the rest.

Fruit:  In saucepan, bring to a boil, a large bag of frozen diced rhubarb and frozen strawberries.  Add some sugar.  Boil and stir until rhubard dissolves and becomes thick.  Sweeten to taste. Put some in a bowl and put in freezer to cool faster.  Maybe a 1 cup?

Quark Filling:  Beat 8oz heavy cream with a little sugar and vanilla.  Meadowbrook Farms cream is so thick, this takes all of 30 seconds.  Beat in Quark quickly and add more sugar to taste.  Stir in the cooled or chilled strawberry-rhubarb puree.   Pour into the pie crust and put in freezer to set for a little while.  When set, decorate top with more of the chilled strawberry-rhubarb mixture.

Made it again August 2012

Quark is low-fat, but adding the heavy cream does away with that benefit.  It might not be as light and fluffy, but it could probably be made by leaving out the heavy cream and using a little gelatin to make the quark not weep, and/or drain the quark before beating.  Any fruit would work, but I really love the tartness of strawberry-rhubarb.  When I asked Phil what he thought of this creation, he said, "well, I am cutting a 3rd slice right now..."

Ginger Bundt Cake with Ginger-Infused Strawberries

This is a modification of a Bon Appetit recipe (april 2009).  My version has half the butter, half the sugar, 1 less egg yolk, and uses fresh ginger instead of candied ginger, light sour cream instead of regular, and adds cinnamon and cardamon.

• Softened butter (for brushing pan)
• 1/4 cup raw sugar (turbinado)
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cardamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (I might up this to 3 tsp next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup splenda
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup light sour cream (I might use plain low-fat yogurt next time)
• 1/2 cup finely grated raw ginger

Ginger-Infused strawberries:

• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups). I halved strawberries while frozen.

For Cake:
1. Preheat to 350 degrees.  Brush 10-12 cup bundt pan with soft butter and sprinkle raw sugar to stick to all side of the buttered bundt pan.
2. Whisk together flour, ground ginger and any other spices, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In electric mixer, beat butter until soft, continue to beat in sugar/sweetener, applesauce. 
4. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla.
5. Add flour mixture and sour cream in several batches on low speed.
6. Mix in grated ginger.
7. Spread batter in pan and bake about 55 minutes until tester comes out with just few small crumbs.
8. Cool up to 15 minutes in pan, use spatula around cake, remove from pan, and let finish cooling on a rack.
9. Dust powdered sugar on lightly for looks.

For Strawberries:
1. Ginger Syrup:  Combine, water, sugar, sliced ginger, and lemon juice in pan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. boil about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool to room temperature.  Do not remove ginger yet.  Can be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated. 

2. If frozen, you can prepare gingered strawberries a day ahead; if fresh 2 hours before.  Place strawberries in bowl.  Strain ginger slices out of the syrup and pour the syrup over the strawberries.  Cover and chill at least an hour (if fresh), overnight if frozen or until the strawberries thaw and there is strawberry juice in the bowl.

3. Spoon strawberries and juice over cake slices so it soaks in.

4. Try to have just one serving.  The cake is really good even without the strawberries, but really delicious with the strawberries.