The Good Hearted Woman

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Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary’s Sticky Popcorn}

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A treasured family recipe, Mary’s “Sticky Popcorn“ is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all! 

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Today I am sharing a very special treat; one my girls grew up calling Sticky Popcorn. This ridiculously easy caramel corn recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, and will completely turn your idea of caramel corn on its head! 

But first, I want to tell you about Mary.

Warning: Content contains mildly sentimental recipe-origin narrative. Read on to enjoy the story. [Click here to go directly to the recipe.]

Mary | The Good Hearted Woman

Mary with Cheryl’s daughter, Emily. Emily has kiddos of her own now!

Back when my oldest girls were little (before some were even born), we lived in a cul-de-sac, three doors down from my BFF Cheryl. Next to Cheryl lived a little woman named Mary, age 90ish. Mary lived on her own long past the time when most folks need to have more assistance, and I learned a lot by watching her.

Mary was able to stay independent for so long for two reasons: First, she lived next door to Cheryl and her family. (If you know them, that is all the explanation you need: they are amazing examples of loving and serving their neighbors.) Second, Mary learned to adapt.

My favorite example of Mary’s modifying life to meet her needs was her Christmas tree. Mary kept a fully decked Christmas tree year round. The tree was only about three or four feet tall, and it sat eleven months out of the year in her garage, protected by a white plastic garbage bag tied closed at the top of the tree.

Every December, Mary would ask someone would bring her tree in from the garage, sit it on a little table, and untie the twist-tie that held the bag closed. (One year, I was the someone who got to put up Mary’s tree. I felt so special!)

Once her tree was standing on its little table, Mary would carefully pull down the bag to reveal the tree already hanging with ornaments. Then she arranged the bag around the base like a tree skirt, and stand back to enjoy her beautiful decorations.

When the holidays were over, someone would go over to Mary’s, pull the bag back up to the top and tie it off, and then put her little tree back in the garage until the following Christmas.

Brilliant!

Which brings me back to Sticky Popcorn.

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | The Good Hearted Woman

Every Christmas season, Mary would make her soft caramel corn recipe. As the buttery-sweet popcorn cooled, she formed it into popcorn balls, which she later handed out to the neighborhood kids for the holiday. 

Normally, I don’t like popcorn balls at all. Never have. They are hard and stick to your teeth, and the popcorn in them is always gross. In fact, the first time one of my girls offered me a bite of Mary’s caramel corn, I turned her down.

But then I noticed that, as she ate it, there was no distinctive crunch-crunch-crunching and side-of–mouth biting going on, like there always was with typical rock-solid popcorn balls. Instead,  my daughter was taking neat little bites and chewing them with satisfaction, making her way around the popcorn ball as if she was eating an ice cream cone.

So I snuck a little bite. And another. And then another. (Good thing she was just a toddler, or I would have never gotten away with that many bites!)

I soon discovered that Mary’s popcorn balls were different from any I had ever had, in all the best ways. The caramel was soft and didn’t stick to my teeth; the texture was smooth and buttery; and in addition to being easy to eat, the caramel popcorn itself was absolutely delicious!

As soon as I could, I asked Mary for the recipe and was floored by the simplicity of it – just five ingredients, including the popcorn!

I was soon making Mary’s caramel corn as a family treat almost weekly, although we dispensed with the “popcorn ball” model almost immediately, and almost always just eat it straight form the bowl. This caramel corn recipe – now a family tradition – is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it’s nickname, it’s not sticky at all!

Mostly it’s just wonderful.

Wavy Line

Mary 3Mary has been gone for many years now, but every time I make Sticky Popcorn, I think of her. I asked Mary once what the best thing about getting old was, and I will never forget what she said:

By the time you get to be about 80, you can say anything you want to, because no matter what you say, people either think you’re wise or you’re crazy. 

So now, my friends, I am passing this little bit of Mary onto you. Enjoy!

Wavy Line

How to Make Homemade Soft Caramel Corn 
{Step-by-Step}

For ingredients and amounts, please refer to the recipe card below.

How-to Video ↓↓↓

Step-by-Step Directions 

  1. Pop popcorn and set aside in extra-large bowl or large roasting pan. Popcorn
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients. Caramel melting
  3. Stirring constantly, melt butter and heat mixture on medium until it reaches a full, rolling boil. (This is a boil that cannot be stirred down.) Boil 1 minute. Caramel Melting
  4. Remove from heat. (If you are want to, you can check the temperature with a candy thermometer. It should read 200° F [94° C].) (Note: This is the first time I have checked the temperature, ever. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries! Just boil it for one minute, and you’ll be golden!)Caramel Temperature
  5. Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn. Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel. You need to do this step very quickly! (NOTE: My caramel got a little too cool because I was stopping the process to take pictures. If you watch the video, you can see that it is already getting stiff when I’m stirring the caramel in. If you do pour the caramel and stir it right away, without stopping in the middle to take a half a million pictures and video, it will stir in very smoothly. ) Mix Caramel Corn

6. Form into balls if desired. (We always just eat it like popcorn.)

Wavy Line

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | The Good Hearted Woman

Yield: 32 Cups

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn

Mary’s Sticky Popcorn is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is quick and easy to make, everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn. (And despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all!)

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unpopped popcorn about 8 quarts popped
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Pop popcorn and set aside in extra-large bowl or roasting pan.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients.
  3. Stirring constantly, melt butter and heat mixture on medium until it reaches a full, rolling boil. (This is a boil that cannot be stirred down.)   Boil 1 minute.
  4. Remove from heat. If you are want to, you can check the temperature with a candy thermometer. It should read 200° F [94° C].
  5. Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn. Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
  6. Stir and mix to cool. Form into balls if desired.

Notes

To mix my caramel corn, I use a large roasting pan; the kind made for roasting a turkey. 

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 200 Total Fat 12g Saturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 1g Unsaturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 31mg Sodium 102mg Carbohydrates 25g Sugar 25g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only.
© The Good Hearted Woman, Harmony Cat LLC
Cuisine: Comfort Food / Category: Sweets
Wavy Line

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | The Good Hearted Woman

So just how good is this caramel corn, anyway?

Mr. B always says he doesn’t much like popcorn. Which must be why the first time I made Sticky Popcorn for him, he ate almost half a batch! All by himself!! Allow me to quote him: “This (nom-nom-nom) popcorn is (nom-nom) really (nom-nom) really (nom-nom-nom) delicious!” 

UPDATE: In November 2019, I rewrote this entire post (originally published 12/2013), adding new process photos, more concise directions, and a how-to video. (Thanks for the music, Mr. B!) So of course, I had to make a batch of Mary’s caramel corn recipe for picture-taking purposes, right? Well, guess who ate half the batch by the time I got done editing images? 

I’m not naming names, but his name rhymes with Kenny G. 🤣

Seriously, this stuff is really tasty, folks. 

Wavy Line

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of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | A treasured family recipe, Mary's Sticky Popcorn is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it's nickname, it's not sticky at all! | The Good Hearted Woman #popcorn #caramelcorn #caramelpopcorn #treats #holidayrecipes

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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

UPDATE: This post was first published December 10, 2013.

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch}

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This sweet southern scratch-made Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting is moist, tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. 

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch}

Last summer, I caught an unexpected bug: the Cake Baking Bug! Specifically, a yen to bake up rich, decadent, double- and triple-layer Southern-style cakes. Traditional, old-fashioned, fancy-pants cakes with layers and frosting and everything. No boxes, no preservatives, no shortcuts. Just Cakes. From Scratch.

I have no idea where this cake-baking urge came from. To begin with, I’m not particularly a cake person: sure, I’ll take a piece if it’s offered, but cake is way down on my list of preferred indulgences. Also, I’m about as Southern as Santa Claus. But mostly, I’ve always considered myself to be more of a Cook than a Baker.

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch}

From my perspective, bakers are, of necessity, meticulous, methodical recipe-followers who measure everything with the slice of a knife. Bakers are good at following rules. Me: not so much. I tend to measure with my hands and throw in extra ingredients and leave out others, and bend a recipe until it comes out the other side as something altogether different than it was when it started. I mean, I can follow recipe if I really want to, but I rarely want to.

Then Mr B and I traveled to Tennessee this August (for the second time in a year) and I returned to Oregon all full of cake dreams and determined to make triple-layer strawberry cake from scratch before fall arrived.

Which I did.

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman

And it was Fabulous.

After working through the recipe for that first cake, I was hooked. Because while I’m may not be big on measuring and rule-following, I relish a good challenge – and developing a cake recipe that truly sings (and can be successfully replicated by others) is an honest challenge. Now I have a whole list of cakes to learn, tinker with, and roll out on the blog over the next few years!

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch}

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

After successfully perfecting my strawberry cake, I decided that a coconut cake needed to be next on the docket. Why? Because coconut is one of my all-time favorite flavors. Plus, it’s white and fluffy like snow, and eating a cake in winter that looks like snow is kind of like seasonal eating, right? And also, coconut cake was Elvis’ favorite, and Elvis’ birthday is today [January 8th], and I can’t think of a better reason than that to make it a January tradition.

(If you’re not an Elvis fan, feel free to celebrate David Bowie’s birthday today instead.)

[ATTENTION : LIVING MUSIC LEGENDS – If you are currently a living Legend of Rock & Roll and/or a standing member of the Grand Ole Opry and would like to have a delicious scratch cake dedicated to you on this blog, please Tweet me up! Seriously. {Tom Scholz, I’ll be waiting… Also, Peter Frampton: not. even. kidding.} 😉 ] 

Coconut Cake with Triple Coconut Buttercream Frosting {from Scratch}

I took what I learned about the cake batter science from my Strawberry Cake and ended up with this Amazing Coconut Cake. As in, delicate, tender, melt-in-your-mouth Amazing. As in, loaded with coconut flavor and light as a cloud Amazing. If you are a coconut lover, you are going to Love it!

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch}

Cake Batter Science 

I think the real key to this coconut cake is how and when you introduce the meringue to the rest of the cake batter. Most recipes similar to this one have you make the meringue, take it to medium or stiff peaks, and set it aside while you make the rest of the cake batter. However, I’ve learned that you get a discernibly lighter cake if you mix up the batter before you whip up the meringue. 

Meringue is basically a mixture of proteins and water. Air whisked into the egg white becomes trapped and surrounded by a network of proteins, and adding sugar stabilizes this protein network. Making the meringue after the batter allows you to gently fold it in immediately after whipping it up. This way, the meringue’s protein network doesn’t have time to start breaking down or setting up, and more teeny tiny meringue bubbles make their way into your cake, ultimately making it lighter. 

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman #cakerecipe
5 from 15 votes

Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Coconut Cake [3 Layers]

  • 3 cups cake flour measure AFTER sifting
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 large egg whites room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar divided
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons coconut extract
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cups full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk (NOT coconut cream!)

Coconut Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
  • 2-3 teaspoons coconut extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 5-6 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut

Instructions

Cake Layers

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. (Line pans with parchment paper for easy release and clean-up.
  • Measure sifted cake flour, baking powder, and salt; sift together three times. Set aside. 
  • Combine sour cream and coconut milk in a small bowl and set aside. 
  • Using an electric mixer with a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add coconut extract and mix to combine. Add flour mixture alternately with coconut milk and sour cream mixture, beating after each addition. Remove bowl from mixer and set aside. 
  • [DO NOT begin this step until you have completed the previous step.] In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, beating until meringue will hold soft peaks. 
  • [Do this step by hand. Do not use a mixer.] Carefully fold beaten egg whites into batter.  
  • Pour batter evenly into the three prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
  • Allow cakes to cool in their pans over wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully tap out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Frosting

  • Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add coconut and vanilla extracts and salt and mix to thoroughly combine. 
  • Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition. 
  • Add coconut milk, one tablespoon at a time time, beating on medium-high until fully incorporated. 

Cake Assembly

  • Spread the top of the bottom layer of cake with frosting. Add the middle layer and frost top. Add the top layer and frost sides and top of cake. 
  • Sprinkle flaked coconut over top and sides of cake. 

Notes

VERY IMPORTANT: Sift the flour, and THEN measure it! (If you're wondering why, try measuring it first, sifting it, and then measuring again.)
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Southern-style Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream {from Scratch}

Bake your life easier: Line your cake pans with parchment paper!

Ingredient Notes

Flour: It’s important to use cake flour for this cake. Cake flour is a finely milled, delicate flour that results in a fine crumb and a good rise. The primary difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour [AP] is that cake flour has slightly less protein, which translates to less gluten in your cake, which means you will have a more tender cake. My personal cake flour preference is Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Cake Flour. And I cannot stress this enough: when it comes to flour in baking, sift THEN measure.

  • If you really don’t want to buy cake flour just for this cake, try this easy Cake Flour Substitute: For each cup of cake flour, measure out 1 cup of flour, then remove 2 tablespoons from the cup. Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and sift together.

 

Wavy LineThank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and Print this recipe!

This sweet Southern scratch-made Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting is moist, tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. #cake #scratchcake #birthdaycakes #birthdayparty #baking     This sweet Southern scratch-made Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting is moist, tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. #cake #scratchcake #birthdaycakes #birthdayparty #baking

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I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes!

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies}

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Classic Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (or Swiss Chews as Mom always called them) are crispy on the outside, fudgy on the inside, and perfect for the holidays! 

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman

All you need is love.  But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.

~ Charles Schultz

Crispy on the outside, fudgy on the inside, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are amazingly simple to make, and taste absolutely decadent:  (I also have it on good authority that they are one of Santa’s favorite treats!)

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

 

Back when I was small, every year around the first of December my mom would get together with her friend Betty and bake. Betty would always come up with a few new cookie ideas for them to try, but no matter what else they baked, the holy trinity of Christmas cookies at our house was Joe Froggers (a spicy, rum-infused molasses cookie), Chocolate Thumbprints, and Swiss Chews, more commonly known as Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman

I always knew my mother’s chocolate crinkle cookies were better than anyone else’s, but for a long time, I didn’t know why. I guess I just supposed everyone thinks their mother’s cookies are the best.

It wasn’t until I started comparing chocolate crinkle cookies recipes that I figured out what made Mom’s cookies so unique. Unlike most recipes, Mom’s cookie recipe didn’t require any flour. It uses ground walnuts for structure instead – making these little sweethearts completely gluten-free. (You’re welcome, my gluten-free friends.) 

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie dough balls, rolled and ready for the oven

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 1 vote

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies}

Crispy on the outside, fudgy on the inside, and perfect for the holidays! 
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Refrigeration Time2 hrs
Total Time40 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Yummy
Servings: 36
Calories: 58kcal
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder optional
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar for rolling prepared dough in

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 340° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat. 

Cookie Dough Prep

  • In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks slightly. Set aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse walnuts until they resemble cracked wheat. [Be careful - if you let them go too long, you'll have walnut butter!] Measure walnuts after chopping. Set aside. 
  • Melt chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave for 40 seconds at a time, stirring after each cycle, until chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool slightly.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. To the beaten egg whites, gradually add brown sugar mixture and then vanilla, beating until thick. Gently fold in walnuts and beaten egg yolks.
  • Fold the melted chocolate chocolate into the whipped egg-white mixture.
  • Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours, or overnight. [DO NOT attempt to make cookies until the dough is cold!] 

Forming Cookies

  • Form 1" balls of dough using a small cookie scoop or spoon. (About 2 teaspoons per cookie.) A small cookie scoop works perfect for this.
  • Pour 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar into a shallow bowl or plate. Rolls cookie dough balls in powdered sugar. Place cookie balls on prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. (You do not need to press the cookie balls down.)
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. (If you make your cookies larger, you may need to bake them for an addition 2-3 minutes.) Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. 

Notes

Walnuts should be chopped very fine, but not beyond recognition - about the same consistency as cracked wheat.

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Swiss Chews are free of added fats. No oil. No butter. (Trust me on this: they don’t need it.) Which brings me to this little extra holiday bonus: these deliciously fudgy bites of heaven have only about 58 calories per cookie! Can you believe it‽ Now you have no excuse: go make a batch or three today! 

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman

 

 

Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and Print this recipe!

Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman #christmascookies #glutenfree #chocolate #chocolatecookies #walnuts     Swiss Chews {Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies} | The Good Hearted Woman #christmascookies #glutenfree #chocolate #chocolatecookies #walnuts

P.S. I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great Christmas recipes!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

The Best Triple-layer Strawberry Cake {from Scratch}

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Perfect for any occasion, this Southern Triple-layer Strawberry Cake (made from scratch – no boxed cake mix!) is a moist, amazingly delicious cake with a fresh, bright strawberry buttercream frosting. 

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake from Scratch | The Good Hearted Woman
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

For me, baking is often about memories. Sometimes I bake memories for people I love: pineapple-upside down cake when we go camping, peach cobbler in August, pumpkin pie for my mother’s birthday. Other times, baking is a path that takes me back in time.

Recently, Mr B and I traveled to Tennessee, where we had the honor of attending the Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony for one of his best friends from his Navy days. If you’ve never attended the retirement rites of a senior military officer, I highly recommend it. It may very well renew (or redeem) your faith in both our country and the people who protect it. (And if the flag passing ceremony of Olde Glory doesn’t move you to tears, I don’t know what will.)

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman

After the formal ceremonies concluded, we were ushered into a reception room filled with sailors decked out in their full dress whites, along with families and friends. My eyes roamed from one small cluster to the next; to the smiling faces, the convivial conversations, the warm embraces.

In the middle of the reception room was a long refreshment table with two large, beautifully decorated cakes on either end. Centered between them sat a modest, unpretentious pale pink layer cake.

A memory flickered.

That pink cake. My mother always told me that Southerners love their cakes. I plated a small piece and took a bite.

In an instant, I was four…maybe five, sitting on my stool at my Pop’s yellow chrome and formica kitchen table. I don’t know the occasion, but I remember that cake. Smooth, sweet, pink, and perfectly strawberry.

It tasted like summer.

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman

Standing in that reception room in Tennessee, I had not tasted strawberry cake in fifty years, but as that single bite melted on my tongue, it was yesterday.

When Mr B and I returned home to Oregon, I set about baking myself a memory.

Perfecting a recipe for a Strawberry Cake from scratch wasn’t easy. Nearly every recipe source I could find required a boxed cake mix, and I was intent on baking a cake *from scratch.*

In my quest, I consulted at least fifteen different recipes, cookbooks, and bakers’ websites before I finally felt confident about my game plan. However, once I got the ratios for everything right (the sugar levels were especially tricky) and recognized that those whipped egg whites make all the difference, it all fell into place.

I couldn’t be happier with the outcome!

This Strawberry Cake is far and away easier to make than you might imagine; and in my opinion, working with the triple layers is easier than two thicker layers. My recipe for Strawberry Cake from scratch results in a moist, amazingly delicious cake with a fresh strawberry buttercream frosting. You are going to love it!!!

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman

Frosting Philosophy 

There are two basic schools of thought about frosting: (1) the cake is a necessary conveyance for getting as much frosting as possible into your mouth; and (2) the cake is the star, and frosting is, well… frosting. It is for sealing the cake and adding additional texture and sweetness, but don’t go all crazy and let it overpower the cake.

I belong to the second, “less-is-more” group. You may notice that, in the images here, there is only enough frosting between the layers to hold them together, and that the outer frosting isn’t spread on very heavily. For my tastes, this amount of frosting provides the perfect balance for this cake.

If, however, you lean toward the first, “the-more-frosting-the-better” group, be assured that you will not run short of strawberry frosting with this recipe. I had well over a cup leftover when this cake was done. (Hello, late-night frosting-n-graham-crackers!)

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake from Scratch | The Good Hearted Woman

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake {from Scratch} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 15 votes

Triple-layer Strawberry Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Strawberry Cake
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Strawberry Puree

  • 8 ounces fresh hulled strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar

Strawberry Cake

  • 4 egg whites room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour VERY Important: Sift, THEN measure.
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 3/8 cups white sugar
  • 1 3-ounce pkg Strawberry flavored Jell-O®
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup milk 2% or whole
  • 1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Frosting

  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/3 cup strawberry puree
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry jam or 1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make Strawberry Puree

  • Combine fresh strawberries and two tablespoons of sugar in a blender. Pulse until strawberries are reduced to a pulp. DO NOT blend until smooth. (You will use 1/2 cup of the puree for the cake. Reserve the remaining puree to use in the frosting.) Set aside and allow to macerate further while you perform next few steps.

Make the Cake Layers

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. 
  • Whip eggs whites until they form medium peaks. Set aside. 
  • Combine sifted flour and baking powder. Set aside. 
  • Whisk together milk, strawberry puree, lemon zest, and vanilla. Set aside. 
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, dry strawberry Jell-O®, and salt. Beat in eggs yolks one at a time. 
  • Stir flour mixture into batter alternately with strawberry-milk mixture. 
  • Gently fold in whipped egg whites. 
  • Pour batter evenly into the three prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. 
  • Allow cakes to cool in their pans over wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Carefully tap out onto wire rack to cool completely. 

Make Strawberry Frosting

  • Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high until light and fluffy. 
  • With mixer on low, add powdered sugar to the whipped butter alternately with 1/3 cup pureed strawberries. Combine thoroughly into a soft, creamy mixture that will hold its shape. Cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until it has firmed up slightly.

Assemble the Cake

  • Spread the top of the bottom layer of cake with frosting. Add the middle layer and refrigerate again until the frosting has firmed up a bit. Add the top layer and frost sides and top of cake. 
  • Decorate with fresh strawberries if desired. 

Notes

VERY IMPORTANT: Sift the flour, and THEN measure it! (If you're wondering why, try measuring it first, sifting it, and then measuring again.) 
Cake freezes well. 
If you are spreading the frosting on thick, you may want to refrigerate the cake after you apply the frosting between each layer until the frosting has firmed just a bit; about 10-15 minutes for each layer. (If you are frosting it thin, you probably won't need to do this.)
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!
The BEST Strawberry Cake Ever (from scratch - no boxed mix!) with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting 🍓 You are going to love it! #strawberries #cakes #baking Click To Tweet

 

Cakes are Persnickety, and Ingredients Matter

Flour: It’s important to use cake flour for this cake. Cake flour is a finely milled, delicate flour that results in a fine crumb and a good rise. The primary difference between cake flour and all-purpose flour [AP] is that cake flour has slightly less protein, which translates to less gluten in your cake, which means you will have a more tender cake. My personal cake flour preference is Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Cake Flour. And I cannot stress this enough: when it comes to flour in baking, sift THEN measure.

Jell-O®: Y’all know that I try to avoid the boxes, but this recipe just doesn’t fly without Jell-O®. If possible, avoid using off-brand gelatin: the strawberry flavor in them usually tastes like cheap kids’ candy.

Strawberries: Fresh and frozen will both work.

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake from Scratch | The Good Hearted Woman
Egg White Whipping Stages

  • Soft peaks barely hold their shape, and flop over as soon as the beaters are lifted.
  • Medium peaks can hold their shape, but the peak curls over when the beaters are lifted.
  • Stiff peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.

Bake your life easier: Line your cake pans with parchment paper!

Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake from Scratch | The Good Hearted Woman

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Southern Triple-layer Fresh Strawberry Cake from Scratch | The Good Hearted Woman

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P.S. Did I mention how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new cake pans!?!  I finally took the plunge and bought three – count ’em: 3 – matching 9″ cake pans. As in, they are all the same size, shape, and weight! As in, I can put them all in the oven at the same time and take them out at the same time because they all bake evenly!! Aaahh! I was so excited to get them that I completely cleaned out my baking shelf so that they would have a cozy new place to hang out when they aren’t in use. (For those of you who regularly bake a lot of cakes, this might sound ridiculous, but this is the first time in my life that I’ve ever had more than two cake pans that match exactly, and I am going to celebrate it! Whoohoo!) If you are thinking of buying a new set of cake pans, check these out; they are the ones I have now.


I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Pennington Farms Blackberry Buckle

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Pennington Farms Blackberry Buckle – the recipe for which they have generously shared with us -is just one of the many delicious treats you can find at Pennington Gardens in Oregon’s Applegate Valley. 

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley - Jacksonville Inn - Travel Oregon: A Day in Jacksonville | The Good Hearted WomanIf you ever find yourself traveling through southern Oregon’s beautiful Applegate Valley between Medford and Grants Pass, Pennington Farms is one stop you must plan to make. I fell in love with the place the first time I visited.

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman
My visit to Pennington Farms was included as part of a Travel Oregon press trip. As always, all opinions and images are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

“Once there was a boy named Sam who grew up in the surf and sand
To the mainland he headed on the journey of his life
And ended up finding his wife.
The couple got married and had quite a clan
Sam said, “Let’s leave the city for simpler life”
So to the farm the headed hand-in-hand.”

So begins the saga of Pennington Farms, which welcomes visitors as soon as they step through the bakery door.

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman

Open year-round, a visit to Pennington Farms  recalls a simpler time, filled with ripe, juicy berries fresh from the vine and scratch-made baked goods like your grandma used to make. 

Founded by the Sam and Cathy Pennington back in the mid-‘90s, this 90-acre family-run farm now grows between 38-50 varieties of berries each year, including many hard-to-find heirloom varieties. As stewards of the land, the Pennington family is committed to a farming philosophy that relies on organic, biodynamic methods, with a goal of working in harmony with the earth’s natural rhythm.

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman

The Country Bakery at Pennington Farms is a delight for the senses and aromatherapy for the soul. Beautiful scratch-made pastries, pies, and cookies, homemade jams and syrups. Surfboards from a former life decorate the walls and seasonal berries line the shelves. Good vibes abound.

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman

Pennington Farms focuses on cultivating harder-to-grow heirloom berries, which typically produce fewer, smaller berries that must be picked by hand. The trade-off for this extra labor is an intensity of true berry flavor that, according to Cathy Pennington, newer hybrid varieties simply don’t deliver.

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman

How to Enjoy Berry Season Year-round

Berry season is fleeting and fresh berries off the vine have a very short shelf life; nevertheless, with just a minimum of effort you can have berries year-round.

  1. When you bring fresh berries home, cull them and immediately discard any moldy or overripe berries.
  2. Put the remaining berries, unwashed, into a container lined with paper towels to absorb any moisture.
  3. Do not wash berries until just before eating, and then only briefly in cold water.
  4. To freeze berries, distribute dry berries in a single layer on a clean cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until frozen. Remove from freezer just long enough to pour into a plastic freezer container or sealable freezer bag and return them to the freezer immediately. Berries can be frozen for up to one year.
  5. When baking with frozen berries, do not thaw before using.
Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 1 vote

Pennington Farms Blackberry Buckle

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8
Author: Pennington Farms, Grants Pass, OR

Ingredients

Batter:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

Topping:

  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup butter

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9 baking dish. 
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
  • In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter on high until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and continue mixing until they are thoroughly creamed. Beat in egg. 
  • With mixer on low, add flour mixture and milk to creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating between the two and beating until smooth. 
  • Spoon batter into prepared pan. Evenly distribute berries over top. 

Topping

  • In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar, and then cut in butter with a pastry blender, fork (or your fingers) until the mixture resembles oatmeal. Sprinkle over berries. 
  • Bake in preheat oven 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

To get to Pennington Farms, take the “long way” between Grants Pass and Medford on the Jacksonville-Williams Highway [Oregon Route 238]. The Pennington Farms bakery and farm market are open almost year round, and their products are available at the farmers’ markets in Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass, as well as specialty shops throughout the area.

Pennington Farms
11341 Williams Hwy
Grants Pass, OR 97527
541.846.0550
pnnngtnj@aol.com

Pennington Farms, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon | The Good Hearted Woman

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Disclosure: My visit to Pennington Farms was included as part of a Travel Oregon press trip. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

More Southern Oregon Travel & Food

One Day in Ashland, Oregon

Ashland, Oregon: where culture runs deep, local cuisine is celebrated, creative inspiration is bountiful, and thespians are the coolest kids in town.

Four Scenic Stops on the Applegate Valley Wine Trail

Take a drive on the Applegate Valley Wine Trail and experience the best of Southern Oregon wine country: stunning scenic beauty, small-town warmth, uncrowded tasting rooms, and artisan winemakers committed to their craft.

One Fine Day in Jacksonville {Oregon}

Blending small town ambience with sophisticated taste, this 1850’s gold-rush town is booming with music, wine, and history.

McCully House Inn - Jacksonville, Oregon {Plus a Ghost Story!}

Relax, unwind, and take a trip back through Oregon history – at the McCully House in beautiful Jacksonville, Oregon. {Plus a Ghost Story!}

Pennington Farms Blackberry Buckle

Pennington Farms Blackberry Buckle – the recipe for which they have generously shared with us -is just one of the many delicious treats you can find at Pennington Gardens in Oregon’s Applegate Valley.

Rogue Creamery {+ 24 Delicious Blue Cheese Recipes}

This stop at the Southern Oregon Artisan Corridor is all about cheese... creamy, salty, savory, delicious, handcrafted, award-winning, internationally-acclaimed Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese.

At the Corner of Music & Chocolate {Lillie Belle Farms}

Lillie Belle Farms chocolates can be found at the unique crossroads of Music and Chocolate – and that is where the magic happens.

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

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Surprise your Sweetheart with some homemade sunshine! These Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day – or any day!

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Brief and fleeting, Meyer lemon season is anticipated by cooks and bakers everywhere. But what makes Meyer lemons so special?

Thought to be a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyer lemons bring a bright, naturally sweet, slightly tart punch to everything they touch. In addition to being sweeter than a regular lemon, they are generally smaller, with a scent noses more civilized than mine describe as “a spicy bergamot fragrance that tastes and smells more like an herb or a spice.” Meyer lemons start arriving in US stores around the end of November and disappear by late March.

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts | The Good Hearted Woman

Meyer lemons were first introduced to the US in 1908 by agricultural explorer (LOVE that job title!) Frank Meyer of the US Department of Agriculture. It seems Frank brought a sample home with him from a trip to China, where they are often grown ornamentally; however, Meyer lemons didn’t take off in culinary circles until the late 1990’s, when celebrity chefs “discovered” them and made them popular with their audiences.

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

I’d been toying with the idea of making cranberry shortbread hearts for Valentine’s Day this year for some time, but I hadn’t quite committed to the idea until I stumbled onto a bag of Meyer lemons last week. I was certain that the Meyer’s complex citrus profile, combined with the tart-sweet of dried cranberries, would elevate this unassumingly little tea cookie to the next level. Turns out, I was right! 🍋 😃

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts {+28 Meyer Lemon Recipes to Brighten Your Day!}
5 from 1 vote

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Sweets & Treats
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted and divided
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Zest of 2 Meyer Lemons (See notes)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried sweetened cranberries

Instructions

  • Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 
  • In a food processor or blender jar, pulse cranberries and 1/4 cup powdered sugar together until cranberries are about the size of coarsely chopped nuts. The powdered sugar will keep them from getting too clumpy, but don't pulse too long or you will have puree. Set chopped cranberries aside. 
  • With an electric mixer, beat butter on high until it is very light and fluffy - at least 5 minutes. Beat in remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until vey smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and zest and mix to thoroughly combine.
  • Mix in chopped cranberries. 
  • Add flour mixture and mix on low just until dough forms a ball on comes away from the sides of the mixing bowl. 
  • Remove dough from bowl and form into  two logs about 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" in diameter. (Tip: Two shorter logs are much easier to work with than one long log.) Chill 1 hour. 
  • If you just want to keep things simple and make shortbread rounds, leave the dough-logs in the fridge for two hours and proceed to "Baking" steps.
    Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts {+28 Meyer Lemon Recipes to Brighten Your Day!}

How to form Heart-shaped Shortbread Log

  • After one hour, remove prepared dough logs from refrigerator. 
  • With the shortbread dough still in plastic wrap, shape the bottom point of the heart by resting the log on a cutting board and using the back of a spatula perpendicularly against a cutting board to form a point. (You will need to rotate the log from one side to the other a couple of times to get it all even.) When you have the bottom point the way you want it, use a large skewer or chopstick to form the indentation opposite the point. I spend a little time hand-shaping the curves so they look like they should. 
  • If your heart doesn't look the way you want it, just round it up and pop it back into the fridge for about 10 minutes; then you can get a fresh start. 
  • Once your Heart-Log is shaped the way you want, pop it back into the fridge for at least another hour before slicing. 

Baking:

  • Preheat oven to 350° F [175° C].
  • Using a clean, sharp knife, slice cookies 1/4" - 3/8" thick and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.  
  • Arrange shortbread slices on baking sheet about 3/4" apart. Bake in preheated oven 8-9 minutes, or until just firm. Watch carefully, and do not allow edges to brown. 

Notes

Can't find Meyer Lemons? Here's a couple of handy substitutions: One Meyer Lemon ➢Juice = 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 tablespoon tangerine or orange juice | Zest = 1/2 teaspoon tangerine or orange zest + 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

One of the keys to this recipe is the whipped butter. Make sure that your your butter is at room temperature then put it into the mixer bowl, start your mixer and *walk away.* I cream the butter for no less than 5 minutes before adding anything else. The butter should be very pale before you move on to the next step.

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

Pairing Notes: These sweet little shortbread tea cookies pair especially well with a cup of Earl Grey!

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

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Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

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Looking for more delicious Meyer Lemon Recipes?
Check out 30+ Meyer Lemons Recipes to Brighten Your Day!

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

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of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Shortbread Hearts | The Good Hearted Woman
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Finger-lickin’ Down-home Southern Cooking {15 Recipes}

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Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics.

Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics. Smoky, sweet and smokin' hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C.That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

When I think of Southern cooking, I think smoky, sweet, and smokin’ hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C. As Mr B says, “That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.”

Speaking of Smokin’ Hot…

If you like your fried chicken with a side of scandalous backstory, all served up on a slice of white bread with a pickle, Nashville Hot Chicken is right up your alley. This Easy Nashville Hot Chicken from Bacon is Magic uses another well-known southern ingredient to kick the heat up: Tabasco.

Hot Chicken | The Good Hearted Woman

Easy Nashville Hot Chicken from Bacon is Magic

If you want to check out another Hot Chicken recipe, Mr B and I had some amazing Hot Chicken when we were in Nashville at a little chicken joint called Hattie B’s, a place famous for their hot chicken. The best part is, they freely share their recipe with the public! YES! You read that correctly!! You can find it here.

You can also read more about Nashville Hot Chicken’s rough and tumble past, and get some great recipes in the deal, check out Hot Chicken Cookbook: The Fiery History & Red-Hot Recipes of Nashville’s Beloved Bird [affiliate link].

Shrimp & Grits 

I am totally in love with shrimp and cheesy grits; in fact, it may even be my new favorite thing! I can’t wait to make these Buffalo Shrimp and Blue Cheese Grits from Taste & See!

Shrimp and Grits may be the epitome of southern cuisine. So much so that some people refer to the south as the “Grits Belt.” It is a staple throughout much of the southern US and especially many “low country” coastal towns (think Charleston, New Orleans, or Jekyll Island, GA).

~Holly,  Taste & See

* * *

Here’s another spin – Cajun Shrimp and Kale Cheesy Polenta from Body Compass Discovery.

Shrimp & Polenta | The Good Hearted Woman

Cajun Shrimp and Kale Cheesy Polenta from Body Compass Discovery

* * *

Vegetables (sort of) and More Grits

 This Old Fashioned Southern Corn Pudding from Basil & Bubbly is even purported to have magical powers!

It’s the best kind of “secret weapon” dish. Delicious and requiring practically zero effort if you use canned corn, but absolutely sublime when you have the time to go through the trouble of using fresh cobs, this corn pudding will make you friends, clean your house, and increase your worldwide influence.

~ Marianne, Basil & Bubbly

* * *

Cheesy Grits Breakfast Bowls with Sausage, Scrambled Eggs & Spinach from Family Food on the Table are loaded with crumbled sausage, soft scrambled eggs and sautéed spinach for a hearty, delicious start to the day!

Cheesy Grits Breakfast Bowls with Sausage, Scrambled Eggs & Spinach from Family Food | The Good Hearted Woman

Cheesy Grits Breakfast Bowls from Family Food on the Table

* * *

Southern Tomato Pie with Fried Onions from The View for Great Island is based on the classic Southern dish where thickly sliced ripe tomatoes are set into a single pie crust, covered in a slurry of mayo and grated cheese, and then baked into a bubbling cauldron of pure comfort.

Southern Tomato Pie with Fried Onions from The View for Great Island | The Good Hearted Woman

Southern Tomato Pie with Fried Onions from The View for Great Island

* * *

Teri, from Buy This Cook That is one of my favorite food bloggers. Here’s what she has to say about her Daddy Dale’s Tennessee Tomato Gravy recipe.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, Tomato Gravy is good Southern food… First and foremost, do NOT mistake this for tomato or pasta sauce.  This is not an Italian-style tomato sauce. Although I would totally scarf this tomato gravy down on top of spaghetti. Just sayin’. 

HINT: Try this over my Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits for a real stick-to-your-ribs meal. 

* * *

Pulled Pork & BBQ

I have to admit, I got an education when I was putting this round-up together. I knew that BBQ styles were regional, but I had no idea how tightly drawn those regional lines were. I have a feeling that if I actually lived in the South, I would discover places where the style differed from one town to another.

This North Carolina Pulled Pork recipe and tutorial comes to us from Simon, who walks us through a recipe from American pitmaster Steven Raichlen, well known for his BBQ television show “BBQ University.”

Pulled Pork is one of those recipes that can make you a BBQ legend among your friends. What most people don’t know is that it’s not as hard as it looks! Once your meat is smoking you barely need to do a thing to end up with a delicious piece of meat. 

Simon, The BBQ Bastard

NC Pulled Pork from The BBQ Bastard | The Good Hearted Woman

North Carolina Pulled Pork from The BBQ Bastard

* * *

Goodie Godmother offers a different take with the Godfather’s Eastern North Carolina Style Pork Shoulder with spicy vinegar sauce.

* * *

While this next recipe may horrify BBQ traditionalists all over the South, there is definitely something to be said for the ease of using a slow cooker to do the job. With just 15 minutes of prep, Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork from Cooking with Mamma C can be waiting for you after a long day. The tender meat has a nice vinegar kick and sweet heat.

Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork from Cooking with Mamma C | The Good Hearted Woman

Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork from Cooking with Mamma C

* * *

Simon the BBQ Bastard 😉 shares another entry from pitmaster Steven Raichlen, with Red Eye Ribs. 

Red Eye Ribs from The BBQ Bastard | The Good Hearted Woman

Red Eye Ribs from The BBQ Bastard

* * *

In the Carolinas, vinegar based barbecue sauce and pulled pork go hand in hand.  You can’t have one without the other. This Carolina Barbecue Sauce comes to us from Katie at A Fork’s Tale, who puts it succinctly: “Us Southerners are crazy over Sauce.”

Carolina BBQ Sauce from A Fork's Tale | The Good Hearted Woman

Carolina BBQ Sauce from A Fork’s Tale

* * *

Dessert

Lemon Chess Pie from Meg is Well is tart, fresh, and sweet – perfect for picnics or summer gatherings.

Lemon Chess Pie from Meg is Well | The Good Hearted Woman

Lemon Chess Pie from Meg is Well

* * *

This patriotic Miss American Flag Pie from Jenn’s Farm Table is the perfect way for Americans to celebrate Independence Day, or any patriotic holiday. I thought it was important to share the impetus behind it as well.

Miss American Flag Pie represents women’s perseverance to defend their rights. We shouldn’t have to fight for our rights again. It’s a reminder to get involved on any level and be proud to be a powerful woman in the land of the free. 

~ Jenn, Jenn’s Farm Table

Miss American Flag Pie from Jenn's Farm Table | The Good Hearted Woman

Miss American Flag Pie from Jenn’s Farm Table

* * *

Adult Beverages

These ice cold Blackberry-Lemon Mint Juleps from Striped Spatula are a fragrant and refreshing twist on a classic. Perfect for sipping on a warm day!

Blackberry-Lemon Mint Juleps from Striped Spatula | The Good Hearted Woman

Blackberry-Lemon Mint Juleps from Striped Spatula

* * *

I’ll end this post in the same way that Mr B likes to end a hot summer day: with an ice cold mule. (OK, more often than not, he has a beer, but I do need to wrap this up and he does love a good mule on a hot day, so just go with it…) This Blackberry Sage Kentucky Mule from The Gastronom holds flavors of summer in a cold copper cup.

* * *

Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics. Smoky, sweet and smokin' hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C.That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.
Satisfy your belly and your soul with these delicious Southern classics. Smoky, sweet and smokin' hot Comfort-with-a-capital-C.That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Girl Scout Cookie Bake-off {Plus 3 Winning Recipes}

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In Which Mr B Judges a Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off, Eats a LOT of Delicious Desserts, and Gets a Bit of a Tummy Ache

Girl Scouts is such an iconic organization that it’s easy to overlook how daring an idea it was for founder Juliette Gordon Low to gather those first 18 girls in that troop in Savannah, Georgia. It was 1912, after all, and women wouldn’t earn the right to vote for another eight years.” — Anna Maria Chavez 

I didn’t start out to be a Girl Scout leader. I was, am, and will always be a Camp Fire kid at heart, but when my oldest entered Kindergarten some twenty-five years ago, Girl Scouting was it out here in the Portland’s westerly burbs, so that’s what we did. Five GS daughters, four troops, and 20 years later, I finally hung up my leader hat; however, Miss Em is currently a Senior Girl Scout, so we still stay pretty close to the action. That’s how we all ended up at a Girl Scout Cookie Baking Competition last month. The event, hosted by Em’s troop, was open to any Girl Scout from our community.

The challenge was to create a dessert using at least one variety of Girl Scout cookie as a primary ingredient. As a troop mom (and maybe a little because of the blog) and I was asked to be a Judge, but I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar lately, so at the last minute I handed that esteemed privileged over to Mr B.

Lemon Trefoil Cake - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Tiny Lemon Trefoil Cakes

Passing the Judge’s torch to Mr B ended up being a good move for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it allowed me time to walk around and take pictures of all the sweet entries. It also saved me from the imminent tummy ache that would plague him for the rest of the day.

Cupcakes - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Sweet & Salty S’mores Cupcakes, plus two kinds of Thin Mint Cupcakes!

3 Treats - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

ExciteMint Fudge, S’mores Nutella Cheesecake, and Do-Si-Do Brownie Pops

Matching Cake & Dress - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

This Mini-Martha-in-training even matched her dress to her entry – “Naomi’s Tagalong Storm Cake.”

Lemon-Blueberry Parfait - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Lemon Berry Parfait

While I wandered from table to table taking pictures, Mr B spent his time hunching over his clipboard, carefully evaluating each tasty bite that was brought to him by his assigned assistant. Together with his fellow judges, he crunched, munched, nibbled, and savored samples from each of the nearly twenty entries.

Judges - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

“The Judges”

Entries were judged on three points: Taste, Presentation, and Use of Girl Scout Cookies. Prizes were awarded in three divisions, based on age. Three overall winners were then chosen from the winners of each age bracket. A prize for overall People’s Choice was also awarded.

Samples - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Mr. B’s had one important tip for would-be bake-off judges: Drink water. Lots and lots of water. This is, unfortunately, a lesson he learned the hard way. Even though he and the rest of the judges were very careful to eat only a very small tasting from each entry, because he neglected to drink enough water, he spent most of the day following the competition with a very uncomfortable tummy ache.

Judging is Hard Work - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Judging a bake-off is a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

Mr B and I are both big Chopped fans, and I wasn’t surprised that this influenced his role as a judge in the  competition. When Taste and Presentation scores were too close to make a call, Use of Cookie(s) tipped the scales.

We found ourselves judging not only what [the girls] made, but their use of the cookie as well. Did they get the ingredients in, and could you taste those ingredients? That made it interesting. It also made it challenging for us, because we challenged ourselves to see if the cookies came through in each dish, or if they were just sprinkled on top. ~ Mr B

Winning Recipes from Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

The People’s Choice 

Peoples' Choice - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Cups set up for “Peoples’ Choice” voting

Twins - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

“It’s really hard to decide on a winner. Maybe we need to try them all again!”

Ultimately, “The People” chose the freshest, lightest, most simple dessert in the contest as their favorite. (Not a bad lesson there, folks.) Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight has only three ingredients and takes less than five minutes to prepare.

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

People’s Choice Winner – “Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight”

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Strawberry Thin Mint Cookie Delight

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Course: Dessert
Author: Daisy M, Brownie Troop #40602

Ingredients

  • Whipped cream
  • Strawberries cut up
  • Girl Scout Thin Mints crumbled

Instructions

  • Layer ingredients in cup. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

My Personal Choice

As a lover of all things caramelly and butterscotchy, this Toffeetastic Butterscotch Mud Pie with Shaved Chocolate was my personal favorite entry in the contest. My insider source (i.e., Mr B) tells me that it had a great chance to be the overall winner, but ended up coming in fourth because of poor pudding execution: the texture was just too grainy for the judges’ tastes. Flavor-wise though, it was delicious.

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

[Note: Granular consistency in homemade butterscotch pudding is a common, tricky challenge. It can be avoided by (a) being patient as you whisk in the cream, (b) tempering the cornstarch mixture, and (c) whisking continually as the mixture reaches a boil. You can make the pudding even smoother by straining the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. For more complete directions about how to make super-smooth butterscotch pudding, check out this great post on TheKitchn.com]

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Toffeetastic Butterscotch Mud Pie

Prep Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 box Toffeetastic Girl Scout Cookies
  • 2 Tbls sugar
  • 6 Tbls melted butter

Butterscotch Pudding

  • 4 tbls butter
  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/3 cups whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla

Topping

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 ounces chocolate shaved

Instructions

Crust

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a food processor or by hand, finely crush your cookie crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and stir to combine.
  • Press crumb mixture into a 9" pie pan, and bake in preheated oven for for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm, fragrant and lightly toasted.
  • Set aside to cool.

Butterscotch Pudding

  • In heavy saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, and salt to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.
  • In small bowl, stir cornstarch into 1/3 cup of the milk until dissolved. Add egg yolks; beat with whisk until blended.
  • Into saucepan with brown sugar mixture, pour remaining 2 cups milk, heavy cream and stir to combine. Add the cornstarch mixture. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. When pudding comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Pour pudding into prepared pie shell. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Topping

  • Beat heavy cream in a chilled bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
  • Spread whipped cream over cold pudding-pie and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Chill until serving time.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Judges Choice {The Ultimate Winner}

At the end of the day, it was the ooey gooey decadence of these Samoa Cheesecake Bars that won out. (Personally, I think using the term “bar” to describe this dessert is probably a bit of a stretch, but then again, who says you can’t eat cookies with a spoon?)

Samoa Cheesecake Bars - Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Oooey, Gooey, Samoa Cheesecake “Bars”

Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Samoa Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Author: Alyssa M - Troop 40273

Ingredients

Oreo Crust

  • 20 Oreos
  • 5 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake Layer

  • 16 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Coconut Caramel Chocolate Layer

  • 11 oz. package caramels
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut toasted
  • 6 crushed Samoa cookies
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 8x8 baking pan by lining it with foil.
  • With a rolling pin or In a food processor, crush the oreos into a fine crumbs.
  • Combine the crushed cookies and butter together in a medium bowl. Press cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool completely.
  • With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
  • Spread cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust. Bake it for 30-35 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Cool completely, and then refrigerate for an hour.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the caramel and heavy cream in the microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time. Stir and return to microwave until melted and smooth.
  • Add the toasted coconut and crushed Samoas to the melted caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes.
  • Spread melted caramel mixture over cheesecake layer. Return to refrigerator and chill for 3 hours.
  • Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until smooth. Drizzle on top of caramel.
  • Allow to sit for 30 minutes before cutting.

Notes

According to the recipe directions provided at time of the competition, this recipe was adapted from one found on TheRecipeCritic.com.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Congratulations to all the winners!

Winning Recipes from Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

Winning Recipes from Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

 

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Winning Recipes from Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Bake-off | The Good Hearted Woman

 

How to Make Sugar & Spice Cranberries

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Sugar & Spice Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat – made with a deliciously spiced simple syrup.

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

The older I get, the more I come to appreciate the simple things, and at no time of the year do I feel this more intensely than during the holiday season. Call me boring (and some of you will!) but one of my favorite things to do this time of year is curl up with my sweetheart in our big, comfy chair and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Not because I love the movie so much – honestly it isn’t my favorite. But it is his favorite.

To see the man I fell in love with three decades and more ago still tear up when George Bailey stands on those stairs, the whole town gathered around, and that little bell on the Christmas tree rings – that singular moment is the reason I love it.

It is in that moment when Jimmy Stewart, standing there on the stairs holding Juju and her petals, manages across seven decades to communicate to us on a level so deep that the first recognition comes not in cerebral cognizance, but through the base reactions of our own bodies. Our eyes well and our cheeks flush and our hearts grow – and we know to our marrow that life really is wonderful.

And then, inevitably, a single heavy tear falls down my sweetheart’s face, and he pulls me close and looks into me with wide-open eyes and wraps my soul in his smile. 

That. That right there. I would watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” a thousand times from beginning to end for that.

Believe me; I didn’t intend to go this direction at all when I started typing, but here I am. And now, here you are reading it. I guess that’s the thing about being your own editor: sometimes you keep the sentences [even the ridiculously long fragments] you love – not because they are particularly good, but simply because you love what they mean to you. 

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program….

This post grew from the need to make a Spiced Simple Syrup for an amazing Spiced Cranberry Mule that Mr B will be sharing in an upcoming post. I started thinking about garnishes for his latest concoction and remembered seeing a recipe for Sugared Cranberries that I’d always wanted to try.  Then, as usual, I decided to take it a step further, and Voilà! Sugar & Spice Cranberries!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries are a tart, sweet treat, made with a deliciously spiced simple syrup; perfect for holiday snacking, creating beautiful garnishes, or decking out everything from salads to desserts.

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Sugar & Spice Cranberries

Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Spiced Simple Syrup Recipe Below
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Line a baking pan with a silicone mat, aluminum foil or plastic wrap and set a wire cooling rack on top.
  • In a small bowl, toss one cup of cranberries in ¼ cup of the spiced simple syrup. Remove with slotted spoon and place on wire rack. Let cranberries set on the wire rack for at least an hour.
  • Place the granulated sugar in a medium bowl or Ziploc bag, and toss the sticky cranberries until well coated. Refrigerate prepared cranberries for at least an hour before using. Cranberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

Spiced Simple Syrup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3-4 slices fresh ginger
  • 4-5 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 whole star anise
  • 15 whole allspice

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, star anise, and heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove spices from liquid and pour into bottle or jar. Mixture can be refrigerated for at least two weeks.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

You should probably make a batch this weekend – you may be needing a little Spiced Simple Syrup and some Sugar & Spice Cranberries sooner than you think!

Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman

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Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman       Sugar & Spice Cranberries {Made with Spiced Simple Syrup} | The Good Hearted Woman
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The BEST Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream EVER

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The heat is on and the strawberries are ripe, so find a cool spot to lounge and tilt back with a big bowl of the best fresh strawberry ice cream you’ll ever have. 

This fresh strawberry ice cream is - no exaggeration - the best I've ever had. | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.
This fresh strawberry ice cream is – no exaggeration – the best strawberry ice cream I’ve ever had. I’ll admit though, this recipe took Mr B and me some serious trial and error to put together. We wanted to get it just right, and so a lot of strawberry ice cream had to be made – and eaten – during the “research & development” phase. (Really – a LOT.)

Strawberry ice cream is trickier than it looks. You’d think, just throw some strawberries, cream, and sugar together and you’re golden, right? Wrong.

The biggest problem with fresh strawberry ice cream is the strawberries themselves. Strawberries have a very high water content, and what does water do when it get very, very cold? That’s right, class – it freezes! Into little ice crystals. Which are fine for winter windows and root beer mugs, but no so great for ice cream.

To avoid having hard, crunchy strawberry ice cream, you have to do something to counteract water crystallization; hence the vodka and the corn syrup in this recipe. (Note: Any 70/80 proof liquor will work: we use whipped cream vodka.) With a higher freezing temp than water, the alcohol in the vodka keeps discourages water crystallization, which in turn keeps your little strawberry chunks from turning into little strawberry ice cubes, while the corn syrup adds body, and keeps the texture smooth and supple.

NOTE: If you prefer to avoid liquor completely, just leave it out. Your chopped strawberry chunks will be a bit crunchy, and the ice cream may get a little harder than optimal after a day or two in the freezer, but chances are it won’t last that long anyway.

Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

The day I took these pictures, the PNW was experiencing a heat wave. Luckily, this stuff is amazing even when it’s partially melted.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream is tricky! 🍓 Recipe Tip #1: Leave out the eggs - eggs usually make for richer ice cream, but they do so at the expense of fresh strawberry flavor. Learn more tips and get our Amazing Recipe! Click To Tweet

If you’ve made strawberry ice cream before, you may find a few other things are different about this recipe as well:

  • No Eggs – While eggs usually make for a richer ice cream, in the case of strawberry ice cream, they do so at the expense of that amazing fresh strawberry flavor – the exact thing that you want to preserve. Another bonus for leaving the eggs out – no cooking necessary. (I’m not afraid of raw eggs, but you may be, and that’s ok. Our eggs are produced in my backyard.) Anyway, that leads me to…
  • No Cooking – Why? First off, you don’t have eggs, so there’s no reason to make a “custard base.” Cooking also changes the flavor of the strawberries, and all I want to taste is sweet cream and fresh strawberries.
  • Less Sweeteners (i.e., sugar, etc.) – Almost all of the recipes I consulted as I was developing this recipe used a heavier hand with the sweeteners than my final recipe. I prefer to enhance the natural sweetness of the strawberries rather than overwhelm it. It’s a delicate balance, based in part on how sweet your strawberries are.
  • Corn Syrup – I use corn syrup in a number of my ice cream recipes, particularly the ones that are heavy on fruit. It adds texture and body, while discouraging ice crystal formation.
  • Half & Half – Yes, you can use heavy cream if you want. You can also use 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream (but that’s basically what half & half is, so why?). I’ve made this recipe using each of these three options, all with fine results; however, I think the lighter, cleaner flavor of the half & half lets the fresh strawberry flavors shine through most brightly.

Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

We hope you enjoy this fresh strawberry ice cream as much as we do!

Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 1 vote

Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

An easy-to-make strawberry ice cream that preserves the fresh taste of summer strawberries with a smooth, creamy texture.
Prep Time30 mins
Ice Cream Maker30 mins
Total Time1 hr
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Keyword: ice cream, strawberries,, summer
Servings: 2 quarts
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 quart fresh strawberries divided
  • 1 cup sugar divided (or more, to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons whipped cream vodka** [Optional, sort of]
  • 2 cups half & half
  • 1/3 cup corn syrup
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  • Hull all the strawberries. Chop enough strawberries to make one cup of chopped berries. (You probably want the chunks to be pretty small, but I'll leave that to you.) Put chopped strawberries in a small bowl with 1/4 cup sugar and the vodka. Refrigerate while you make the rest of the ice cream base.
  • Put remaining strawberries in a blender and puree. Measure out about 1 1/2 cups of puree. (If you have extra, put it in the fridge - you can use it for ice cream topping later!)
  • Blend the 1 1/2 cups of strawberry puree with the remaining ingredients. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness to your personal tastes by adding a little additional sugar if desired.
  • Chill the ice cream base in the blender jar in refrigerator for at least one hour.
  • Take the blender jar out of the fridge and add the chopped strawberry mixture. Pulse very briefly to combine. (You want to keep those little chunks of strawberries, so don't get crazy here.)
  • Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. (For reference, it usually takes 25 -30 minutes to freeze in our ice cream maker.)
  • Serve immediately for soft serve ice cream, or, if you prefer your ice cream hard-set, put it in the freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

Just so you know, I didn’t reinvent the wheel here – I consulted a vast number of other strawberry recipes, and incorporated some of their ideas as I developed this recipe. I think it’s important to give credit where it’s due, so here are the resources that I leaned on the heaviest:

P.S. I’m sharing this recipe on the Weekend Potluck Recipe Linkup. Check it out for more great recipes! 

Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream {Recipe} | The Good Hearted Woman

What are some of your favorite flavors? Let me know in the comments below!

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This fresh strawberry ice cream is - no exaggeration - the best I've ever had. | The Good Hearted Woman    Simply the best fresh strawberry ice cream you'll ever taste. | The Good Hearted Woman #icecream #strawberryicecream #strawberries #summer 

Wavy Line


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This fresh strawberry ice cream is - no exaggeration - the best I've ever had.
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