Category: Fruit

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Almond-Strawberry Cream Cheese Bunny Bites

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2015-03-26 08.01.24Using a Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix, I just made the cake according to the box directions, in a 9×13 pan, but added 1 full teas almond extract. (I love wedding cake, so when I get a craving for wedding cake, I just make up this exact cake and add almond flavored butter frosting to it, wa la…wedding cake in an instant.)

Because I was needing just a little bite of something for ladies at a Bible Study today, I thought this would be the perfect little “bite” of something sweet for them. Just cut your cake into 2″ squares. The frosting is amazing and feels almost whipped. I had some Easter colored M&M’s on hand (of course, and peanut M&M’s and Hershey’s chocolate eggs and Coconut flavored M&M’s, can you tell our house is never without chocolate of many flavors?) which I just placed one on the top of each one. Setting the little squares in cupcake liners I swirled on the strawberry-cream cheese frosting and they turned out so pretty.

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box of powdered sugar (about 3 1/2 cups)

1 stick of butter, softened

4 oz softened cream cheese

3 tables strawberry juice and if desired, a little whipping cream. Add these slowly as to not get mixture to thin. If necessary, add more powdered sugar if you get a little too much juice and it gets a little too thin. (Oh, what a dream that is of mine, to hear, “my she has gotten just a little too thin, don’t you think?”…will never happen)

Enough whipping cream and strawberry juice from frozen strawberries to get frosting to spreading consistency. You can omit the whipping cream and use all strawberry juice. I just had some left over whipped whipping cream in fridge so added that to the mixture. Beat until all lumps and cream cheese is blended well and is light and fluffy.

Desserts · Fruit

Lemon-Blueberry Layered Dessert

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Why does Spring conjure up thoughts of lemon? Is it the soft color of yellow that comes to our minds, or the crisp, sweet-tart flavor that lemons give us when they are used in dishes. Whatever the reason, lemons seem to just scream “SPRING” and this recipe taken from Southern Living 2005 just seemed like the perfect dessert to serve next time we have friends or family coming over for dinner. I know you must think that my house is wall to wall magazines, but Mr. Randy has cracked the whip about throwing out old magazines, so now, he tells me to just go through them and cut out the ones that I want to keep, because we have no more end tables to stack magazines on and he refuses to give up bed space or breakfast table space for magazines. This recipe was ripped out when we moved back to Texas, before he had the chance to just pick up a stack and haul them to the dumpster.

Makes 8 servings

15 lemon cookies, coarsely crushed (about 2 cups)

1 (21 oz) can blueberry pie filling

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (hum…I just can’t do that, will have to make whipped cream, just don’t care to much for Cool Whip) so will whip up 1 cup of whipping cream, using about 1/4 cup sugar added.

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (6 oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

Sprinkle 1 tables crushed cookies into each of 8 (8 oz) parfait glasses. (or use pretty wine glasses)*you can actually make this into a trifle if desired instead of individual servings.

Spoon 1 1/2 tables pie filing over cookies in each glass.

Spoon condensed milk and lemonade into a bowl; mix well and then add the whipped topping and stir until combined. Spoon 2 tables whipped mixture over pie filling in each glass. Repeat layers once more. Top evenly with remaining crushed cookies. Cover and chill 4 hours.

Desserts · Fruit

National Pie Day

Chocolate Castles3 Comments

2015-03-14 20.16.17I LOVE PIE!!! I didn’t know there was such a thing as National Pie Day but lo and behold when we were at Costco today, there was a huge sign over a kiosk announcing it and they were selling huge apple and cherry pies. So of course I had to come home to bake a cherry pie. I have fallen in love with an oil pie crust that just allows anyone who has ever been afraid of making pie crusts, to make their own, without buying the prepared pie crusts that taste so salty.

Crusts

3 cups flour

1/2 teas salt

4 teas sugar

4 tables milk

1 cup oil

Combine all ingredients. Stir into mixture is a ball and all ingredients are combined. Divide dough into 2 balls.  Place 1 of the balls of dough in a 9″ pie plate and press out with your fingers until bottom and sides of  a pie plate are covered.

Pour a can of Comstock cherry pie filling over dough. Sprinkle about 3 tables sugar over pie filling and dot with slices of butter. (about 4-5 1/2″ slices of butter.) (I used half of another can of cherries because we like a lot of fruit) But 1 can is fine, just makes a thin layer of cherries.

Roll out the other half of the dough to about the size of a 9″ plate between 2 sheets of floured wax paper. Pick up the waxed paper and turn upside down on pie filling being sure dough covers the pie filling.  Sprinkle about 2 teas sugar over top crusts. Prick with fork and place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake until crusts is golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

Breads · Chocolate · Desserts · Fruit

Cherry Bread Pudding

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It has been 5 days since I have baked. Both Randy and I have been going through sugar withdrawals. Well…almost, we have made it several times to the donut shop and the Blue Bell aisle at the grocery store, but since I couldn’t quit coughing long enough to measure the flour and sugar correctly, we have relied on outside sources for our sugar fill. But today is a turning point. I am proud to say that I can hold the measuring cups without shaking and am able to wear my contacts to read recipes. Life is so good. When I saw this recipe in our Frisco Style Magazine which comes to the house each month, it reminded me of the bread pudding we order at Nordstroms from time to time. (we allow ourselves to have this most honored and wonderful dessert 2 times a year, birthdays and Christmas, as I am sure that it knocks our cholesterol up over 300 each time we have it).
This recipe is made with donuts and since we have found our favorite donut shop in Frisco, called Jenny’s donuts at Legacy and Lebanon, I think I might have to send Mr. Randy out in the sleet and ice to get us a dozen donuts to make this most wonderful sounding bread pudding.
*Recipe by Chef at Ace’s Ice House
1 1/2 dozen donuts
6 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
8 oz white chocolate, crumbled
8 oz dried cherries
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tables vanilla
3 oz butter, sliced into thin slices.
1 tables cinnamon
1 tables nutmeg
Cherry Sauce
2 cups seedless black cherries
1 1/4 cup red port wine
1/2 cup sugar

Cut up the donuts and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the white chocolate and dried cherries. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. (Set aside about 1/4 cup of this mixture.) Add the eggs, cream, milk and vanilla to the sugar mixture. (not the 1/4 cup part). Mix thoroughly and pour over the donut mixture, making sure it is soaked. Put this mixture in a greased baking pan. Evenly place the butter slices on top and sprinkle the 1/4 sugar mixture over the top of the bread pudding. Bake in 350 preheated oven until golden brown. About 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven. Cut into squares, spreading cherry sauce evenly over the top right before serving.
Cherry Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the cherries are soft. Put the mix in the blended to puree then pour on top of serving squares.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit

Chocolate Decadence

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Since we have friends coming in from California next week, I have been looking through different recipes to see what I will be making while they are here. This one will be the one to welcome them in Saturday evening. Isn’t it always just the best to walk in and smell chocolate? They will feel at home instantly when they sit down and share their road trip experience while spooning up this most delicious chocolate dessert. The dessert is made ahead so all you need do is serve it as all of us will have our feet up, ready to hear their road trip stories. (if they are anything like ours, I’m sure there will be some blog stories that will be written.) This is almost flourless, using just 2 tables flour..
2 (8 oz) packages semisweet chocolate baking squares
2/3 cup butter
5 large eggs
2 tables sugar
2 tables flour
Raspberry Sauce
Whipping cream
Line bottom of a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper; set pan aside.
Cook chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally. Beat eggs at medium speed with mixer until blended, gradually add the chocolate mixture, beating 10 minutes. Fold in sugar and flour. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Cake will not be set in center. Cool 30 minutes. Cover loosely and chill 8 hours. Spoon about 2 1/2 Tables Raspberry sauce on each dessert plate. Place wedge of chocolate dessert on sauce. Garnish with whipped cream and a fresh raspberry.
Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh raspberry sauce
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tables cornstarch
2 tables water
Combine raspberries, 2 cups water and 1/4 cup sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered about 30 minutes. Press raspberry mixture through a wire mesh strainer, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out juice. Discard pulp and seeds. Return raspberry mixture to saucepan; set aside.
Combine cornstarch and 2 tables water in a small measuring cup, stir until smooth. Stir into raspberry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Cook 2 more minute; stirring. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Desserts · Fruit

Valentines Strawberry Pie

Chocolate Castles3 Comments
Strawberry Pie
Taken from Frisco Style Magazine

When I saw the picture of this recipe I knew that I would be making it today.
Besides February signaling thoughts of love, it also brings strawberries to mind. Strawberries dipped in chocolate, strawberry pie, strawberry cakes and scones. But this pie sounded so different, yet so simple.
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teas salt
1 1/2 teas sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 table milk
Set oven to 425. Put ingredients for the crust into a bowl and mix ingredients with your fingers or a pastry blended until crumbly. Pat the mixture firmly into a 9 or 10″ pie plate. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Let it cool on a rack for 5 min. Then place in freezer while you prepare the filling.
Filling
10 oz frozen strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 tables lemon juice
2 egg whites
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teas almond extract

Thaw the strawberries. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and salt. Beat ingredients for 15 min or until stiff. Whip the cream with the almond extract. Fold into the berry mixture. Mound the filling into the pie shell. Freeze until pie is firm.
Actually we are going to eat Mexican food tomorrow night with friends, so this will be perfect for us to come home to for a cool dessert after all the hot sauce I know we will be having.

Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Skillet Apple Pie

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All I can say is this….it was the best apple pie we had ever had and our friends who share it said the same thing. The brown sugar-butter sauce in the bottom of the skillet under the crust just oozes the best buttery flavor and you just stand there and scrape all that sauce out with a spoon. My sister-in-law had us over for Christmas Eve breakfast, and as we were just standing there talking, she began to make this pie for their dinner, so I helped peel apples and began to read over the recipe. After taking a picture of it to bring home, I decided that afternoon that I was going to make it Christmas day for our dinner. I am so glad I did.

Ingredients:

1 large iron skillet

2 pounds of Granny Smith apples

2 pounds of Braeburn apples

1 tables flour

2 teas cinnamon

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used all light brown)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup firmly brown sugar

1 (14 oz) package refrigerated pie crusts (I used Betty Crocker box pie crust mix that you add water and roll out, I love the flakiness of this brand instead of the refrigerated ones)

2 tables granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Peel apples and cut into 1/2″ slices. Toss apples with cinnamon, flour and the 3/4 cup sugar (be it granulated or brown sugar, your choice, but use the brown, it is so good). Set aside.

Melt butter in a 10″ cast iron over medium heat; add the 1 cup of brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apples onto crust and top with remaining crust. Sprinkle the 2 tables granulated sugar over the piecrust and cut 4 to 5 slits in top pie crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hr and 10 min or until golden brown and bubbly.* (sometimes it might be necessary to place strips of aluminum foil around edges of pie crust to prevent over browning) I placed the skillet on a sheet of aluminum foil before placing in oven to avoid spills going over bottom of oven. Cool on a wire rack for about 30 min before serving with ice cream.

Breakfast · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Fruit Compote for Christmas Morning Breakfast

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This was a Taste of Home winning recipe.

2 cans (15 1/4 oz each can) sliced pears, drained

1 can (29 oz) sliced peaches, drained

1 can (20 oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained

1 package (20 oz) pitted dried plums

1 jar (16 oz) unsweetened applesauce

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

1/4 cups packed brown sugar

IN a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Pour into a 13×9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread pie filling over fruit mixture, then sprinkle on the brown sugar.

Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 350. for 40-45 min or until bubbly. Serve warm

Yield: 16 servings

appetizers · Chocolate · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Apple Nachos

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For all you gluten free friends here is a great snack that is easy and delicious. Just in time for Fall

36 caramels

1 tables water

30 large marshmallows

1/3 cup butter, cubed

4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 ” slices

1/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

3 tables Halloween sprinkles

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until smooth

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmallows and butter. Arrange apple slices on a large platter. Drizzle with the caramel; top with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts, chocolate chips and sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Gingered Fruit Cake

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Do not think that this is your normal fruit cake that gets passed around from house to house at Christmas. It is way beyond that. Last year I discovered that I love using fresh ginger in biscotti, cookies and now this fruitcake. You will be proud to have it sitting on your dessert buffet during the holidays. I won’t be waiting for Thanksgiving to make it. It is a great recipe to make to have on hand during the Fall when guests show up unexpectedly. Whip up some homemade whipped cream and put the coffee pot on.
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tables baking powder
1/2 teas salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
2 eggs
1 teas vanilla
1 cup dried apples, chopped
2/3 cup dried apricots, chopped (not unsulphured)
2 tables grated fresh ginger
1 recipe Honey Bourbon Butter (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour a 9″ spring form pan; set aside.
Place 1/2 cup of the toasted pecans in a food processor; cover and process until finely ground; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground pecans, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk, butter and eggs. Add vanilla.
Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat for 1 min.
Fold in dried fruit and ginger. Transfer to prepared pan.
Arrange remaining pecans (1/4 cup) on top of batter.
Bake about 40 min or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove sides of pan; cool completely on rack. Remove bottom of pan.
To serve, pour Honey Bourbon Butter over fruitcake if desired and whipping cream if this doesn’t have enough calories to make you feel guilty.
*Honey Bourbon Butter*
In small saucepan melt 1/4 cup butter. Add 2 tables bourbon and 1 table honey. Stir until heated through.
If you want to make this ahead of time for the holiday dinner or party* See below.
Use bourbon or orange juice to moisten a large piece of 100% cheesecloth. Wrap cake in cloth and place in a large resealable plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap. Store in fridge up to 1 week.