This past weekend, I came into 16 pounds of fresh, delectable strawberries. (From Florida. We’re still a couple months off strawberry season here.) I made a list of things to can right away. Strawberry syrup! Strawberry-lemon marmalade! A spring conserve with strawberries, pineapple, raisins, and nuts! Oh, the fun! What was left over, I put away to freeze for breads, cakes, pies, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
Meanwhile, I was making two batches of French-style cream cheese and a batch of mascarpone. French-style cream cheese is a creamy-rich delight. Richer than the usual cream cheese, and very smooth. Mascarpone is a cream cheese often used in Italian pastries. If you don’t make your own cheeses, you’re missing out on a world of cheese. What is available at the store is a mere drop in the bucket to what you can create at home. There are so many nuances in soft cheeses, and so few are actually available in your average grocery store. But at home, oh at home! You can have French-style cream cheese. Swiss-style cream cheese. Mascarpone. Bondon. Fromage blanc. And, oh, so many more. You can pay top dollar for these cheeses in speciality stores–or throw some cream in a pot at home with a packet of culture and make your own. Mostly while you’re sleeping.
Strawberries and cream cheese go together like they were born for each other, so I started dreaming about getting them married right away. I came up with a concoction that was suitably decadent, putting all my strawberry and cream cheese dreams together and sending them on a biscuit honeymoon. I used my Quick Mix–but you can use any baking mix. I’ve also included the scratch recipe if you don’t want to use a baking mix at all. I used my homemade French-style cream cheese, but you can use any type of cream cheese from the store.
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How to make Strawberries & Cream Coffee Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening, butter, or lard
1 cup strawberries, chopped
2/3 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces strawberry jam
Note: To use a baking mix, replace first 5 ingredients with 2 cups baking mix, adding a tablespoon of sugar.
Place first 5 ingredients (or 2 cups baking mix plus sugar) in a large bowl and cut in the shortening, butter, or lard with a pastry cutter.
Mix in strawberries.
Add milk.
Place dough on a floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top and roll into an approximately 12 x 8 rectangle.
Spread cream cheese down the center then top with jam.
Make cuts, about an inch and a half apart, all along both long sides.
Criss-cross cut strips of dough over the top.
Pinch ends to seal.
Transfer to a greased baking or 13 x 9 casserole pan. (If you’re planning to take this somewhere, you might want to use the casserole pan.) I use two big spatulas to move it.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes or till nicely browned. Just look at that!
And we haven’t even put the icing on top and cut into it yet. Just wait, it gets even better!
Powdered Sugar Icing:
Combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (one to two teaspoons) for drizzling consistency.
Make long, lovely slices. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight snacks. Don’t tell anyone you made it and you can have the whole thing!
Add some ice cream and it’s even dessert.
And it’s delicious.
Note: This dough spreads out as it bakes, making one giant, sweet, delectable strawberries and cream coffee cake delight. If you don’t want it to do that, roll the dough into an 8 x 8 square and transfer it to a bread pan for baking to retain a loaf shape. Me, I like the long, gorgeous coffee cake slices it makes in free-form, making it turn out more like a pastry.
See this recipe at Farm Bell Recipes and save it to your recipe box.
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Heidi533 says:
I have some strawberries in the freezer right now. I might have to try this soon. I bet it would be good with apricots too.
On March 13, 2010 at 1:08 am
CindyP says:
OH MY GOODNESS, WOMAN! That would be awesome, awesome, awesome! :hungry2: I have decided that is why you built the main living area of your house on the 2nd floor……that natural stair stepper I believe is what keeps you so skinny!
On March 13, 2010 at 6:43 am
Lori Skoog says:
I’m on the hunt for some strawberries! I hate to bake, but can’t resist this recipe. Thanks!
On March 13, 2010 at 7:01 am
Johanna says:
Oh, Suzanne. I tried really hard not to open this post. I will not be distracted from my goals of food austerity! Now I’ve been tainted with the sweet stickiness of that sugar drizzle, the gooey creaminess of the cheese, the sweet-tart bursts of strawberry. Pardon me while I wipe the drool from my chin.
On March 13, 2010 at 7:24 am
Carol Langille says:
Oh man!!! I don’t want to just EAT this….I want to roll in it and toss it in the air and let it fall into my mouth! I want to eat only this for the next three days and tell all my friends and family that I made this beautiful, wonderful, sweet, strawberry-cream-cheesy concoction!
Getting dressed now to go to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Dallas for strawberries…that’s how much I want this!
Thank you thank you thank you!
On March 13, 2010 at 8:07 am
Glenie says:
Look so yummy
On March 13, 2010 at 8:19 am
KentuckyFarmGirl says:
OH MY! That’s all I got! OH MY!
On March 13, 2010 at 8:46 am
Barbee' says:
OK, now my mouth is watering – I better go eat breakfast.
On March 13, 2010 at 10:19 am
Kathleen in Michigan says:
It makes me want to lick my screen.
On March 13, 2010 at 10:49 am
heidiannie says:
ummm- I like your style, Suzanne, and I WANT to make my own mascarpone cheese- I usually wait until it is over the sell by date in the store and buy it discounted- but I WANT too MAKE my own- fresh!
On March 13, 2010 at 11:02 am
LilGrape says:
YUMMMMMM
On March 13, 2010 at 12:23 pm
rileysmom says:
Oh Suzanne! That looks just scrumptious! I’m gonna drool…..
On March 13, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Chic says:
Oh man…now I have to get to the store and buy some strawberries!!!! See what you’ve done Suzanne LOL!!! Thanks a lot!!!! I’m drooling already…dang it. :hungry2:
On March 13, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Estella says:
Yum!!!
On March 13, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Sarah says:
Ummm, okay you’re going to have to put up a link for that strawberry-lemon marmalade! When I read that I went “WHAT??!?!” What have I been missing in delectable, spreadable joy???? Oh, please, please post that recipe! 🙂
On March 13, 2010 at 4:43 pm
The Retired One says:
OMG..you have me DROOLING here! I bet that would be good with blueberries, too…
On March 13, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Nursecookie says:
YOUR MAKING ME VERY VERY HUNGRY. THAT LOOKS AMAZING. I’LL HAVE TO REMEMBER IT WHEN THE STRAWBERRIES COME IN THIS YEAR.
On March 13, 2010 at 10:00 pm
lavenderblue says:
MMMMMmmmm! Strawberries! MMMMmmmmm! Cream cheese! (She says with her best Homer Simpson glassy-eyed stare.)
On March 13, 2010 at 10:14 pm
kay keen says:
This looks wonderful, I am going right now and try to make one.Everything I have nade so far from your blog have turned out real nice. Keep them coming girl, they are so good. Thanks Kay
On March 18, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Katie says:
I made this coffee cake this weekend and it went over well. I halved the recipe to make one smaller cake, which was perfect for three people (2 slices apiece). It was basically like making biscuits or strawberry shortcakes but with the strawberries and cream already mixed in! This is a nice basic recipe that I am looking forward to revisiting with different fillings.
On March 29, 2010 at 11:06 am
Maria63303 says:
This looks really delicicious and I am going to give it a shot :fairy:
On March 31, 2010 at 10:00 am
Sandra in SC says:
I just have to say this coffee cake was wonderful! I had a day off from work yesterday and I made this for breakfast….yummy! Then I made two loaves of Grandmother Bread….fabulous!! Then I made a batch of Pepperoni Rolls…..oh my gosh, how good they are….great to keep in the freezer for school lunches!!! I love your blog!!!! Thank you for sharing all of these delicious recipes and crafts and farm stories!!!
On April 6, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Sheila says:
Ok my diet just went right out the window (byebye diet 😆 ) that looks soooo good and I love strawberries and cream cheese , I’m gonna have to try and make this soon :bugeyed: LOL.
On December 24, 2010 at 2:58 am
Sheila says:
Kinda makes me wish I was a conehead so I could just shove the whole thing in my mouth at once LOL. :hungry2:
On December 27, 2010 at 9:22 pm