& PISTACHIO PRALINE TOPPING

Strawberry shortcake is one of those summertime desserts that was a staple around our house when I was a kid. My mom made her shortcakes with Bisquick mix and topped them with fresh, macerated strawberries and a mountain of Cool Whip: they killed, every time!

If you’ve been paying attention to this blog, you’ve probably deduced that strawberries are high on my list of favorite fruits. I may have to create a section devoted entirely to strawberry recipes and maybe even a subcategory for strawberry with pistachio and lemon; they just work together!

Though I am loyal to the biscuit version of strawberry shortcake, I like to branch out into the moist and cakey side sometimes, too. This recipe is a mash-up of a simple vanilla cupcake, a super quick lemon curd, and a no-fuss homemade whipped cream with fresh berries folded in. If you are not confident with sugar work, you can substitute toasted, chopped pistachios for the praline, and no one will complain. The lemon curd can be made ahead of the cupcakes to speed up the process. It will keep in the refrigerator for a week. I found this recipe for curd on Epicurious a few years ago, and I’ll never go back to the more laborious methods I learned in culinary school. Using whole eggs instead of the more traditional egg yolks makes for a silkier, less eggy-tasting curd.

ingredients

• 330 g all-purpose flour
• 170 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 161 g granulated sugar
• 177 g eggs (about 3 lg)
• 227 g whole milk
• 9.5 g baking powder
• 2 g salt
• 10 g vanilla extract

Lemon Curd

• 177 g whole eggs (about 3 lg)
• 94 g lemon juice
• 106 g granulated sugar
• 86 g unsalted butter, cubed
• Zest of one lemon

Topping

• 451 g heavy cream
• 10 – 12 large strawberries, trimmed and chopped small
• 45 g granulated sugar

Praline (optional)

• 200 g granulated sugar
• 58 g water
• 5 g lemon juice
• 91 g unsalted pistachios, toasted

equipment

• 2 standard cupcake pans
• 18 – 24 cupcake liners
• candy thermometer (if making the praline)
• heavy-bottomed pan
• pastry bag with a star tip
• paring knife or apple corer

NOTE: If you want to go for a larger cupcake, weigh 55 g of batter into cupcake liners. The yield will be 18 cupcakes. For a smaller cupcake, weigh 41 g of batter into cupcake liners. The yield will be 24 cupcakes.

---

instructions

MAKE THE PRALINE:

1. Place toasted pistachios onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and pour water into the center of the sugar. Do not stir, just allow moisture to soak into the sugar on its own.
3. Cover with a glass lid and turn heat to medium-high. Do not stir the sugar at any point. If you do not have a glass lid, keep the pot uncovered, but also keep a glass of water and a heat-proof pastry brush close by to wash down the sides of the pan if you see any crystallization.
4. At around 320 – 340 F the sugar will begin to caramelize. watch it closely and remove it from the heat when you have achieved a nice amber color.
5. Immediately pour hot caramel over pistachios, and allow it to cool completely in the pan, on a wire rack.
6. When the nut brittle is cool to the touch, break it into large pieces. Blitz the pieces in a food processor until the mixture looks crumbly and no large pieces are visible.

The praline can be made ahead of the cupcakes. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

MAKE THE CURD:

1. Whisk eggs, lemon juice, sugar, and zest in a saucepan over a low flame.
2. Add butter cubes and continue stirring until butter is completely melted and curd begins to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3. Remove from heat, and strain through a sieve into a medium-sized bowl. Lay a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd so that no air gaps are present.
4. Refrigerate curd until baked cupcakes are completely cooled.

Lemon curd can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.

MAKE THE BATTER:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare two muffin pans with paper liners, or butter and dust each well of the pan with flour.
2. Add dry ingredients to a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine then set the bowl aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter and sugar until pale and very fluffy, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine them well before adding the next one.

5. Reduce mixer speed to low and add 1/3 of dry ingredients. Mix just until blended then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Add 1/2 of the milk and continue mixing on low just until blended. Scrape down the sides as needed.
7. Continue with the next 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining milk and finish with the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mixing each time just until ingredients are blended.
8. Weigh out 41 – 55 g of batter into each liner, depending on how big your yield is. If you don’t want to weigh at this stage, you can fill the liners ½ full for 24 cupcakes and 2/3 full for 18.

9. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until the center springs back to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack, completely, before filling and topping.

MAKE THE STRAWBERRY CREAM:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip chilled heavy cream on medium-high and slowly pour in granulated sugar.
2. Whip until firm peaks then fold in strawberries by hand.

1. Place in a piping bag with a large star tip or just keep in the bowl if you plan to dollop the cream onto the cupcakes.
2. Store in the fridge until cupcakes are cooled, cored, and filled.

FILL & TOP THE CUPCAKES

1. Using a cupcake corer or paring knife, remove a small bit from the very top, center of the cupcakes.
2. Using a teaspoon, ladle curd into the cored center of the cake, and gently tap on the counter as you fill to remove any air bubbles.

1. When the cavity is filled, place a pipe or spoon a generous portion of the strawberry cream mixture onto the top of the cupcakes, and sprinkle with praline or chopped pistachios.