Georgia native to compete in 'Spring Baking Championship'
ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - As a self-taught baker, Kevin Dillmon, of Rome, has skills. Those skills landed him a spot in the Food Network's Spring Baking Championship Season 5.
Dillmon stopped by Good Day Atlanta Monday morning to show off some of his baking skills with a delicious southern twist on strawberry shortcake.
For the recipe from Kevin Dillmon see below. For more information on the Spring Baking Championship on Food Network click here.
Simple Macerated Strawberries
Macerated strawberries make a simple, yet delicious addition to so many dessert recipes. Fresh strawberries release their juices for even greater sweetness.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Servings: 4-6 cups
Ingredients
• 2 pints or 4 cups fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar per cup of strawberries (about ½ cup on average)
You may add 2 tablespoons lemon or orange juice or a bit of fresh mint if you want to enhance the flavor. Mint also makes a lovely garnish.
Instructions
1. Wash, hull, and slice strawberries and place into a large glass bowl. Stir in sugar and allow to stand for 30 minutes for strawberries to release their natural juices, but not so long that they begin to become mush.
2. If using citrus juice or fresh mint add at the same time as sugar.
Diplomat Cream
Diplomat Cream or Crema Diplomatica in Italian is nothing else but a combination of classic pastry cream and Chantilly cream.
Prep Time12 mins
Cook Time3 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
• 2/3 cup milk or whole milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup sugar ⅓ if you like more sweet
• ¼ cup corn starch
• 2 oz butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Chantilly Cream
• 1 cup whipping cream (33-35% fat) chilled
• 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp whip cream stabilizer optional but highly recommended
Instructions
Pastry Cream
1. Beat egg yolks with sugar.
2. Dissolve cornstarch in ½ cup milk. Stir it well until you get a smooth and even batter without any lumps.
3. Heat remaining milk on a stove-top without boiling it. First temper the yolk and cornstarch mixture before adding to milk on stove. Turn the heat on low and slowly start pouring in egg yolk batter.
4. Whisk continuously to prevent formation of lumps and cream sticking to the bottom of the pot. Continue whisking until the cream starts to become pretty thick and turns into custard.
5. Be careful not to overcook the cream otherwise you’ll get a sweet omelet. Once you see consistency of the cream is thick enough transfer, add butter and vanilla, whisk until it's completely incorporated.
Transfer the pastry cream in a large bowl, cover with a plastic wrap making it touch the cream. Let cool completely.
Chantilly Cream
1. With a mixer and a whisk attachment beat the cream until foamy.
Add powdered/confectioners sugar, whip cream stabilizer (optional) and continue beating on medium speed until stiff peaks. It should take about 5-7 minutes.
2. Be careful not to overbeat the cream. Once you feel the cream is ready do a spoon test, if the cream stays on the spoon turned upside down it’s ready.
It’s best to chill the bowl and the whisk attachment in the fridge before beating the cream.
Keep in mind that if the cream is not beaten enough it might start to “melt” if left in a warm place.
That’s why I strongly suggest you use whip cream stabilizer.
Diplomat Cream
1. Add to the pastry cream a few tablespoons of Chantilly cream. Whisk gently but thoroughly. Add the remaining Chantilly cream.
2. Transfer in the pastry bag and use for cakes, muffins, tarts and more.
Sweet Buttermilk Biscuits
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12-14 biscuits
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Ingredients
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
*Additional sugar and melted butter set aside to brush tops of biscuits and sprinkle with sugar before baking.
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Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut butter into small pieces. Spread the butter pieces on a dinner plate and place in the freezer while you measure out and mix the dry ingredients. The butter should be cold but not frozen.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Note: It is very important that you work quickly through these next steps so the butter does not warm up and soften too much.
5. With a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small crumbs (the size of a pea).
6. Make a hole in the middle of the flour and add buttermilk. Gently stir until the dough is mixed together but still tacky. If it’s too dry, add more buttermilk.
7. Pour the mixed dough out onto a floured surface and pat gently into a rectangle.
8. Fold the dough onto itself six times then pat down to 1 inch thick.
9. With a 2 ½ inch round biscuit cutter, push down to cut the dough and pull up without twisting the cutter and the dough. Any leftover scraps can be combined and cut again – but just once; reusing any scraps after that will make the biscuits tough.
10.Arrange the biscuits on a parchment-lined cookie sheet almost touching each other.
11. Brush tops of biscuits generously with melted butter and sprinkle with a ½ teaspoon of sugar.
12. Bake for 12-15 minutes until browned.
13. Optional: After they are baked, you can also brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle more sugar on top if you wish for added sweetness.