Category: Breakfast

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

French Clafoutis With Raspberries

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Saw this on Facebook one night and remembered that to take a picture of the recipe. Well, last night I made it. Oh my,where has this been all my life? It was simply delicious and so easy to make. Before leaving for the grocery store yesterday, I actually remembered to look at the recipe to see what i would need to buy to make it. That is unusual for me. Usually I get to the store and think, “what was I needing to get to make such and such?” Then I get home and see the recipe and then think, “ok, next time I will look at the recipe BEFORE going to the store so I won’t have to jump back in the car (well, actually it has been years since I was able to “jump” in anything) and run back to the store, or in most cases, plan on making the new recipe after the next trip to the store. And the cycle goes on and on. But this time, I did actually remember to look and see what I needed BEFORE going. I like to think it is the new Vitamins I am using called Smarty Pants. But, since I got home with the newly bought ingredients to make this simple recipe that made us feel so sophisticated knowing we were eating a French dessert, it just immediately became a favorite. Seriously, it is so good. A cross between a pudding and a cake or a thicker Dutch Baby. Don’t get me started on how much we love Dutch Babies for breakfast. After you have one in Chicago, well, let’s just say that we remember Chicago more than just it’s hot dogs now. So go to the store, buy some raspberries, blueberries or blackberries and make it this weekend. You can thank me later.

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries (I used one cup of raspberries and used frozen blueberries to fill in the rest)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1 teas vanilla
1/4 teas almond extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tables granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups whole milk
softened butter to grease baking dish
Powdered sugar for dusting the top

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Generously grease with butter a broad, shallow baking dish (like a 2 qt)
Wash the raspberries and gently pat dry on a paper towel. ( allowed them to dry for about 2 hours on a paper towel) Allowed the frozen blueberries to thaw on a separate paper towel)
Lay them in a single layer in the baking dish, points facing upward.
With electric mixer and a bowl or a blender, mix together until smooth the eggs, flour, vanilla and almond extracts, 1/2 cup sugar and the milk.
Pour the batter slowly over the berries. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining 2 tables sugar.
bake the clafoutis until the custard is just set; test y poking the tip of a sharp knife in the enter of the dish. If it comes out clean, it is done. About 30 minutes. I baked mine 32 minutes and it was perfect. Depends on the size/shape of the dish you use. If it is a deeper dish, you might need to bake it about 35 minutes.
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. We ate it warm, but can be served warm or cold. Tonight we will have the other half we didn’t eat last night, but top it with whipped cream. It is really a great and easy dish. Trust me….

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Blueberry Streusel Skillet Breakfast Cake

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

My sister-in-law sent this to me yesterday after texting me and telling me that she had made it and it was simply wonderful. She says the streusel just makes it and the flavor is just so good. She even liked it better than one of the lemon pound cakes we make often. So here it is. Hope you enjoy it as much as she did. Will be making as soon as I get to the store for more butter. I went through about 5 lbs of it this week.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9″ cast iron skillet with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour and a pinch of kosher salt. Add 3 tables melted unsalted butter and stir until crumbly with some large pieces still intact.

In another medium bowl, whisk 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 1/2 teas baking powder and 1 teas salt. In a large bowl (yes, I know, the dishwasher will be full after making this, but she tells me it is worth all the dirty bowls.), beat 1/2 cup (8 tables) unsalted butter, which should be at room temperature for 1 min or until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; beat 2 minutes or until fluffy. Stop to scrape sides down on bowl and beat in 2 large eggs. (remember eggs should always be at room temp to get the full volume they need to be), 1 large egg yolk and 1 tablespoon vanilla. In 2 additions, beat in 1/2 cup whole milk or buttermilk and flour mixture, alternating between each. Gently fold in 2 tables lemon zest, 1 tables lemon juice and 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or frozen, tossed with 2 tables flour). Scrape mixture into prepared skillet. Sprinkle top with the brown sugar mixture.
Bake about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is light golden brown.
Transfer the skillet to a wire rack; cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl (yes another bowl), combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tables lemon juice; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Janece did not use the lemon or the glaze. She said the streusel topping was all the cake needed. And with the tables of vanilla, she omitted the lemon zest and juice.)

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Giving Gingerbread Biscotti

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Merry Christmas to all of you out there in Blogville! What a busy time of year for everyone and I truly cannot believe that Christmas was yesterday. As we woke up this morning, it saddened me that each day now will become a little less bright, as far as Christmas lights go. Each day, more folks will begin taking down the tree and the outside lights. January arrives and along with it, more cold weather. BUT….that thought excites me because it means the possibility of some snow or icy days when the roads are closed and we have a reason to stay home and watch movies, without guilt. It is on those days that things like gingerbread just sound so good. If you are like me, you have probably began to collect some of the Santas or Snowmen that adorn your home to put away until next Christmas. Honestly it felt good to get in the kitchen this morning and begin to bring down the Christmas dishes to pack away and clean up before putting out the dishes that we use for Jan and February. (Yes I do have dishes that are simply for Jan and February) What can I say except that I love kitchen dishes). Getting back to my subject of Giving Gingerbread, as I was baking this morning between ridding the kitchen of Santas, I started to think about something. Why do we feel that just because Christmas is over, we don’t need to bake goodies to give away? Wouldn’t it be so wonderful to hear the doorbell ring as I am packing away Christmas; and there at the door is a friend handing me some gingerbread biscotti to enjoy as I sit and rest after a day of packing away all the Christmas decor? So I began to bake this amazing new recipe that I found last night. It is scrumptious and makes enough to give to someone that might come to your mind. It was so simple to make and the flavor is just so wonderful. AND…since Starbucks did away with their gingerbread flavored drinks this year, I have been missing gingerbread everything. So this is my answer to my gingerbread craving. Seriously, it is some of the best biscotti I have had. You are probably going too remind me that I say that about every biscotti I make, but this one is really my favorite (at least until I am craving chocolate and cherry flavored biscotti which will probably happen around Valentines Day).

*Taken from She Wears Many Hats

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
1 1/2 teas cinnamon (I used 2 teas)
1 1/2 teas ginger
1 heaping teas of pumpkin pie spice (I use this in place of the following:
3/4 teas ground allspice, 1/2 teas cloves, 1/4 teas black pepper)
6 tables softened butter, unsalted
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar,
2 large eggs, room temp
2 teas vanilla
2 tables unsulfured molasses
1 cup finely choppe peans or walnuts
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries, or her recipe called for dried apricots, which I would have used had they been in my pantry, but I had cranberries today, so I used them.
1/2 table powdered sugar (I omitted this and used granulated sugar)

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices together in a bowl. In another mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, vanilla, molasses and beat until mixture is mixed completely. Add butter mixture with flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in nuts, cranberries and vanilla chips if desired.

Shape into two football shaped logs on parchment paper on baking sheet. Sprinkle either the powdered sugar or granulated sugar over the top of each log. Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Cool biscotti for 5 minutes before Slicing diagonally and then place each piece back on a baking sheet and bake biscotti for about 9 minutes in 300 oven. Turn the oven off.
***(The following instructions are my own, as I have now been successful doing all the biscotti this way instead of baking according to all other instructions.)
Remove from oven and turn each piece over and then place biscotti back in oven which has been turned off. As the oven cools, the biscotti will “dry” and become crispy. After about 30 min, remove from the oven and cool completely. Keep in airtight container and think about who you can share some. IT might be the beginning of a brand new friendship or bless someone who was just needing a little extra kindness.

Am including a picture of what the biscotti log should look like before baking.

Breads · Breakfast · Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Monte Cristo Casserole & Raspberry Sauce

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Years ago we use to have a restaurant in Texas that had the best Monte Cristo sandwiches. It is no surprise that this breakfast casserole caught my eye in the December Taste of Home. After reading the recipe and realizing that I could make it the night before, it became the breakfast of choice for Christmas morning this year. Cannot wait to serve it with a side dish of hash browns and a fruit compote.

1 loaf French bread, cut into 20 slices
2 tables Dijon mustard
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
1/2 lb sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 lb sliced deli turkey
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teas sugar
2 teas vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teas ground cinnamon

Raspberry Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tables cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Line a greased 13×9″ baking dish with half of the bread. Spread the mustard over bread. Layer with ham, cheese, then turkey and remaining bread. Dish will be full.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour over top. Place in fridge, covered overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Remove casserole from fridge while oven heats. IN a small bowl, mix topping ingredients, sprinkle topping her the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

While casserole is baking, using a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water, lemon juice and maple syrup until smooth.
Add raspberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Cool slightly.

Let casserole stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with sauce.

Serves about 10

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Spice Scones

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Today was the last Wednesday that some precious lady’s met in our home for Bible Study. The study was a 6 week study and since it was Fall, I tried to bake something pumpkin each Wednesday. Today I knew that these pumpkin scones would make the perfect treat for our last study. Served with butter and apricot jam, they were a hit. My sweet Shannon, who had sent me packets of flavored sugar a few weeks back, had sent multiple flavors of sugar. So today, before baking I sprinkled on the Salted Caramel and that added to the already delicious flavor.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tables baking powder
1 heaping teas ground cinnamon
1 teas pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teas salt
1/4 lb (1 stick) cold butter, cut into chunks
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup whipping cream

Stir together the dry ingredients. Then, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles pea size crumbs.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup canned pumpkin and 1/2 cup whipping cream. Whisk until combined and then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir just until flour mixture and pumpkin mixture are just combined. Turn out onto a floured piece of waxed paper or counter. Using rolling pin, roll out to about 1″ thickness. Remember the less you handle the dough, the more flaky it will be. The more you handle it, the tougher it will be. Using a biscuit cutter, (I used a juice glass because it gave me the size I wanted) cut dough into equal portions and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle sugar over the top.

Bake in preheated 375 oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until they test done.

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Brown Sugar Streusel Pumpkin Muffins

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It is still 100 outside, but I cannot wait any longer to begin making pumpkin everything. So today I went looking for a new different recipe for some pumpkin bread and found this one. It sounded so good with the brown sugar streusel that I began to read her blog and knew that this one would be a winner. Since I’m making it for some ladies who I sit with on Tuesday mornings at church, what better way to study Genesis that with a pumpkin muffin? You would love the aroma that is coming out of our kitchen right now. You might just forget that it is hot outside for a few minutes when you smell the pumpkin, cinnamon and cloves drawing you in the door. Taken from the blog called, Friends.Food.Famiy

Streusel

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teas salt

Stir flour with both sugars and salt. Add cooled melted butter to mixture and stir until crumbly. Set aside

Pumpkin Bread

1 cup oil
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/4 teas cloves
1/4 teas ginger
1 teas salt
2 teas baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour
2 cups (15 oz can) of pumpkin puree
2/3 cup water (I used 1/3 cup water and 1/3 cup coffee left over from this morning)

Preheat oven to 350. Place oil and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Using electric mixer, mix the oil with the sugars until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time to the pumpkin mixture.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, salt and baking soda.

Alternately add the flour and water (coffee) mixture to the pumpkin mixture, beating well after each addition. Pour into prepared (greased or liners) muffin tins, loaf pans or aluminum foil disposable pans. Divide the streusel topping among the cakes, sprinkling over the tops before baking.
Bake until cakes test done. Time will depend upon the size of container you are baking in.

*Taken from the blog Friends.Food.Family, November 2012

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cups

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A few weeks ago I saw these wonderful looking apple pie cups on Facebook and knew right then that I had to have one. As I didn’t have fresh apples in the house and it was still so hot outside that the thought of going outside at 3 p.m. was not enticing. But I did have a can of apple pie filling and a Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie packet. So I marched to the kitchen and began to build this great little cup of deliciousness. Having to admit that I did not make the oatmeal cookies from scratch (like I saw on FB), nor using fresh apples, (like I saw on FB), this became a challenge to get a finished product that would certainly be something that I would not apologize for serving, since I was using shortcuts. I have made them twice since Friday. They are that good. A couple that we share baked goods quite frequently, was the first recipeants of these little gems. The wife never got to even taste them as her hubby ate them. So am taking her one today. They will be our dessert tonight at our kids house. Along with ice cream and caramel topping them off.

Im posting the quick & easy version as they are so good, I probably will just always make these instead of peeling apples (which I save that exercise for fresh apple cake, after all, I don’t want to get worn out before it actually turns to fall when apple cakes become the dessert of choice).

1 packet of Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie Mix
24 cupcake liners

Apple Pie Filling
1 can of your favorite apple pie filling.
Cut each apple slices in small pieces before placing the entire can of filling into a small saucepan. Add the follow to the apple pie filling:
3 tables unsalted butter
2 teas ground cinnamon
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Heat over low heat until sugar and butter are well melted and combined with apples.

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with liners.
Mix oatmeal cookies according to directions (the directions on back are very simple, mix the cookie mix with 1 stick of unsalted softened butter, 1 eggs and 1 tables water. Stir until well combined.) on back of package. Using a medium cookie scoop (it would be about a tablespoon), fill each cupcake liner which has been placed in cupcake pan, with the raw cookie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until “cookies” feel done to the touch. Remove from oven and punch down the center of each “cookie” with the bottom of a very small glass or jigger. Place about 1 teas of the chopped apple filling into the center of the “cookie”. Serve warm if desired with vanilla ice cream and caramel.

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Butter & Biscuits

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We have been watching lots of I’ll Have What Phil Is Having on Netflix as we sit in our lazy boys and dream of the adventures that we live through Phil. He goes everywhere and eats the most amazing food. We were so thankful that when we watched his episodes of his travels to Florence and Venice, we were already in the process of planning our trip to Italy next April, where we hope to stay for 3 months trying to fit in and look like the locals. I know, I will need to give up walking up to folks and saying, “hi y’all, how y’all doing today? We were fixin to eat some vittles and wondered where the good ones are? We’d be must beholden to you if you could hep us”. I’ll work on my accent and maybe learn a word or too of Italian. Already have pizza, lasagna and gelato down pat. Just need to learn a few more important words.
The last episode we watched Phil travel through was Ireland. That had never really been on my radar to visit….until we watched Phil eat his way through the lucky clovers.
It made me stop and think about how much time and money we had. Do we have the time and resources to go everyplace that we want to go? If not, how could we experience some of the great foods that we see on his program. So the last trip to Wally World, I decided that I wasn’t going to let $1 get in my way of being adventuresome. I proudly walked up to the butter counter and reached over the Great Value brand of butter and without a moment of hesitation, threw the Kerrygold, pure Irish Butter in our basket. Yep….we went for the gold! Sorry kids, another dollar gone from your inheritance. But We were so proud of ourselves. We had really gone out of our comfort zones. We couldn’t wait to get home and smather (is that a real word?) a tablespoon of this Irish butter over a fresh slice of bread. We stood in the kitchen, downing our first bite of real Irish butter. I think we both thought that little leprechauns would come dancing out of our cabinets by the way we stood there waiting to see how it tasted.
We looked at each other and until finally one of us said, “darn, we could have spent that extra $1 on a McDonalds fried apple pie. We couldn’t really tell that much difference. But it had so much more color to it that our normal butter we buy ,so we figured that maybe the cows in Ireland were much more colorful than cows in America. But it did wake up the notion in us that we need to be willing to spend the extra $1 here and there and experience some new flavors now and then. The best thing about the Irish butter was the recipe I found inside the carton. It sounds amazing and cannot wait to bake these scrumptious biscuits. Randy is going to start practicing drinking green beer and has already sang “My Sweet Irish Rose” to everyone who walks by our house! Guess its a good thing we are moving!

Dubliner Cheese Biscuits with Sage and Walnuts

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1/2 cup cold Kerrygold Pure Irish butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese, divided
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teas dried ground sage
1/4 teas freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 and lightly grease a baking sheet. In medium owl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter to dry ingredients and cut in with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbles.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the Dubliner Cheese and remaining ingredients. Stir until mixture forms a ball, adding a little more flour if dough is too sticky.

On a lightly floured board, press dough into a 1″ thick circle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the cheese over the top and press lightly into surface.
Turn and repeat with remaining cheese. Cut into 12 pieces and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake on center rack of oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 12

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Lemon Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

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Some sweet ladies came to our house for a brunch a couple of weeks ago. Because I had talked about sausage gravy over biscuits at water aerobic class, a couple of the ladies expressed a desire to have some, as they had never experienced this wonderful southern dish. While others in the class are talking about how this class is helping them feel better and building muscle strength, we are at the other end of the pool planning our sausage gravy biscuit brunch. One of the ladies said that she would bring some watermelon so we would have one healthy food item, while yet another said that she would bring a coffee cake. Well, this is the pastry she brought and everyone had a hissy (I’ve been dying to see that word)fit over it. We had such a grand time that morning. The night before, I got this great idea to type out questions to pass around the table and let everyone pick out one a the bowl was passed around. Here are some of the questions that got us talking and getting to know each other a little better. So before I post the recipe a little further down, why not think about having some ladies over that you would like to get to know and use this idea to start the conversation flowing. IT was a really nice morning and we had some really nice memory sharing among us.
What is one of your favorite summer vacations?
What is your favorite toppings to put on a hot dog?
Tell us about a memorable 4th of July
What color of the American flag best describes your personality?
A favorite summer food/drink
Which do you prefer, the beach or pool and why
Did you have a favorite swimming place to go growing up?
What time/place did you experience watching fireworks that is still a great memory?
Favorite flavor of homemade ice cream
Favorite thing to grill

Now for the great recipe that Patty was so kind to share. Thanks Patty for another reason that my bathing suit is tighter than before our breakfast
Crescent Ring:
3 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tables fresh lemon juice
2 teas grated lemon peel
1 can 8 oz Pillsbury refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 teas milk

Heat oven to 350. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon juice and peel with mixer on medium speed until blended.
Unroll dough sheet (if using the rolls, unroll dough and separate into 2 large rectangles) Overlap long sides to form 13×7″ rectangle; firmly press edges and perforations to seal.
Spread cream cheese mixture on rectangle to within 1/2′ of edges.
Starting with 1 long side of rectangle, roll up; pinch edge to seal
With seated knife, cut into 12 slices.
arrange slices on cookie sheet in a circle; over lapping slightly.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over warm crescent roll.

* (Because I love orange flavor also, I’m going to use orange juice/peel next time I make this)

Vanilla Cream Fruit Tart
Breakfast · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Vanilla Cream Fruit Tart

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Wow, this is delicious. Because I had ladies over this morning for Bible Study, it is so exciting to me to look for new things to make for them. When I ran across this Taste of Home, 2017 magazine the other day, the picture of the fruit grabbed my attention. I did vary it just a touch as I didn’t have pineapple juice in the house so just substituted orange juice. It was wonderful.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg (10-12 oz) white baking chips, melted and cooled
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pkg (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1/2 cup pineapple (or orange) juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tables cornstarch
1/ teas lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh strawberries (I didn’t have strawberries I used blackberries)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 300. Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in flour. Mixture will be crumbly. Pat unto a lightly greased 12″ pizza pan.
Bake until lightly browned, 25-28 minutes. Cool
Beat melted chips and whipping cream until smooth. Beat in cream cheese until well combined. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust. Place in fridge while making the topping.
In a small saucepan, combine fruit juice (pineapple or orange), granulated sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool.
Arrange all berries over cream cheese layer; brush with pineapple mixture. Refrigerated at least 1 hour before serving.