Strawberry -Rhubarb Cornmeal Skillet Cake

 Advice from a Loon

Spend time at the lake

Enjoy a good swim

Call your friends

Surround yourself with beauty

Enjoy time alone

Dive into life

The glorious duo of strawberries and rhubarb with a rustic touch of cornmeal makes this an irresistible skillet cake. Served piping hot from the oven with a scoop of ice cream adds some sweetness to your day. You'll find the mixture of sweet and tart ties all the textures and flavors together. 

Cook's Notes: I did not have a 10-inch oven-safe skillet so I substituted a 10-inch quiche pan which worked just fine. Recipe adapted from Food and Wine May 2021 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 1 ounce softened cream cheese
• 1 cup halved fresh strawberries
• ¾ cup sliced fresh rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces) 
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, place in oven, and warm pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the hot skillet from oven, and add 1 teaspoon butter. Swirl skillet until butter is melted. If using another oven-safe pan grease pan and proceed with the recipe.  
• Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cornmeal, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl until combined; set aside. 
• Place 3/4 cup butter in bowl beat on high speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of the bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 
• Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on high speed and stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of the bowl, until mixture is light and fluffy about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer running on low speed, beat in cream cheese until just combined, about 30 seconds. 
• Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk and vanilla beating until just combined, about 1 minute.
•  Arrange strawberries and rhubarb in an even layer on batter; sprinkle with turbinado sugar or sparkling sugar.
• Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool slightly on a wire rack, about 15 minutes. Serve cake warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. 
  
  Wine and Cheese Day

The weather was perfect to mark the day with an informal last-minute get-together with neighbors. 

Pigs in the Blanket-with Honey Mustard Sauce is a no-fuss recipe sure to please your guests made with chicken apple sausages and puff pastry.  

The recipe was previously posted. https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/08/another-pig-in-blanket-little-bit-of.html