Tag: Blueberries

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….

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

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We have a winner folks. These cupcakes are truly decadent, light, flavorful, beautiful, sunshine in your mouth wonderful!  Everyone who has had one, (and so far that is about 50, (two different times of baking them and taking them to different places) has told me that this is their new favorite flavor of cupcake, or cake, that I have made. The first time i made it, was in a cake with cream cheese frosting for the filling and then wrapped it in whipped cream. As that is, to me, the best way to enjoy anything, (wrapped in whipping cream) these cupcakes just are so light and fluffy, that you could eat 5 of them in one sitting. I wish I could say it is because we have great will power to not do that, but the truth of the matter is, that we are in “stay at home” mode due to the CV. I don’t want to run out of eggs, or flour, which I am being told is very hard to find right now. So thankful I had bought a 10 lb bag  of flour last time I went to the store and 36 eggs. Because I make a shake pretty much every morning for breakfast with frozen blueberries I usually always have frozen blueberries in the freezer so when I began to think yesterday what I would bake, these came to mind, as the sun finally came shining through the kitchen window after about eleven days. So in honor of the beautiful sunshine, lemon blueberries were the baked good of the day.

1 Duncan Hines or Pillsbury lemon cake mix

1 small box of lemon instant pudding mix (yesterday I only had french vanilla pudding mix so used that.)

4 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water mixed with 1/2 cup lemon juice=1 cup liquid

1 cup frozen blueberries or pint of fresh blueberries, sprinkled with a little flour to keep them from sticking together in batter. (sprinkle about 1/8 cup or 2-3 tablespoons over the blueberries and stir flour to just coat them)

Mix all ingredients, except for blueberries for 2 minutes.  Stir in the blueberries just until they are mixed in well.  Do not stir much. Using large cookie scoop, fill cupcake liners and bake until the tops of cupcakes still have a little shine. Cupcakes continue to bake because of the hot cupcake pan, so you need to always take them out when there is still a little shine on the top and they are soft to the touch. This keeps you from making a dry cupcake.

Remove from pan and continue until all the batter is used. . This recipe makes 28 cupcakes if you use the large cookie scoop.  Cool and Frost.

Frosting

3  1/2 cups of powdered sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

Whipping cream to thin or milk if you prefer. Takes only about 1/3 cup , (but add this gradually by tablespoons so it doesn’t get to think) to get frosting to spreading consistency.  Add by tablespoon if you need a little more.

Mix all together and continue to mix until frosting is very light and fluffy. Frost cupcakes ( or cake if you have made this into a 9×13 cake). Store in refrigerator, covered.

 

Desserts · Fruit · Pies · Uncategorized

Blueberry-Banana Creme Pie

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Why I don’t make this more often, I cannot tell you…wait a minute, yes I can. IF I made it very often, I would weight 50 lbs more than I do now. This is one of Randy’s favorite desserts. So because he has requested something different than cookies I have  been making all week, I decided to surprise him this evening with this. It is really simple to make and is such a crowd pleaser. If you like blueberries and bananas, you are going to love this.

1 package Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies

2 medium banans

1 can of blueberry pie filling

1 recipe of vanilla pudding (I make mine, but if you are in a hurry and don’t want to make your own, buy the small size of french vanilla instant pudding and make it according to the directions.

1/2 pint of whipping cream or Cool Whip (if you have followed my blog for any length of time, you will know that Cool Whip is WAY down on my list of toppings, but for calories sake or ease, I know that lots of folks use it. And when my dr tells me to either quit using real whipped cream and butter, or have heart surgery, I guess I will start using Cool Whip also)

Instructions

If you make your own pudding, do it first and set it aside while preparing the other steps.

This is recipe I use for the pudding

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup plus 1 table flour

1/2 cup plus1 tables sugar

2 egg yolks

tiny pinch of salt

1 teas vanilla

1 tables butter

Combine all ingredients except vanilla and butter. Using a whisk, whisk the ingredients all together in a medium saucepan until all lumps are gone over medium heat. Continue using the whisk as you cook the pudding until pudding is thick. When it is thick, remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter and stir until butter is melted. Set aside and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Line a dish with about 12 of the chessman cookies.  Pour the cooled pudding mix over them. Set this in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and slice two banana over the pudding mix. Spoon the blueberry pie filling over the top of the bananas. Set in fridge for about an hour to finish cooling. Add the whipped cream that you have whipped with sugar or the Cool Whip Sprinkle about 4 or 5 of the Chessman cookies which you have crushed with a rollin pin in a bag over the top of the cream.

Set in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cover leftovers or if you aren’t planning to serve it now, keep covered in the fridge until serving time.  Snack on the remaining Chessman cookies while you make dinner or keep for another day when you don’t have any of this dessert left and you are wanting a buttery cookie to go with coffee or tea.

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Muffins & Toast

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IMG_4880This week, I have had the blessing of being invited to two different friends homes, one for lunch, the other for breakfast. At both homes, I came away with great recipes that I wanted to share. Debbie, who had the luncheon served cheese muffins which were just so good. Actually, anything with 3 cups of cheese is good, but these were gooey and ever so yummy. She served them with cucumbers with dill and cherry tomatoes and fruit.

Today, I was at  Connies, a new friend,  for breakfast where she served blueberry stuffed french toast.  Walking into her home, the aroma of grilled bread permeated the house and we sat down to warm blueberry syrup as she carried a platter of the scrumptious french toast over to us. Because Randy and I tend to usually eat toast with peanut butter in the mornings, or a bowl of cereal, this was a real treat. Unless we are celebrating something special like, we went for 2 days without eating dessert, or we actually walked past the fridge without opening it for 1 whole hour the evening before, when we will allow ourselves to splurge on toasts, sausage, eggs and hash browns.

Connie and Debbie, thank you both for serving dishes which were both new to me. Am excited to post them to share with others.

Cheese Muffins (taken from Pioneer Woman)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tables sugar

1 tables baking powder

1/2 teas salt

3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (let it cool for a few minutes before using)

(I did add about 1 tables parsley flakes, 1/2 teas dry mustard and 1/2 teas garlic powder to the dry ingredients)

Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine. Divide mixture between 12 greased (well greased) muffin tins. The hostess used paper liners but the muffins tended to stick to the paper liners, so when I made these last night, I just eliminated the liners and heavily greased (with Pam) the muffin pan. After about 5 minutes of taking out of the oven, they came out very easily after running a knife around the edges.

Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 and I could have eaten all 12 with a slab of butter on top of each one.

Blueberry French Toast

As I sit here writing the recipes, it just dawned on me that if you are a busy mom who is always in a hurry in the mornings, you could even buy the frozen french toast and use it.

Make your french toast according to your favorite recipe. When you have the amount of slices you need to serve the number of people who will be gracing your table, spread about 1 teas of softened cream cheese on half of one side of the toast. Place about 4-6 blueberries on the cream cheese and using the spatula, fold the piece of french toast in half covering the cream cheese and blueberries. Allow to sit in the skillet or griddle for a minute to allow the cream cheese to almost melt. Serve with heated blueberry syrup.

 

 

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

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Last night I wanted to do some baking before beginning an exercise class today, so when I saw this in a magazine, I knew that it was calling my name. So I made it. It is so light and refreshing that Randy and I both just kept going back for “just one more bite.”

Cake

2 sticks butter, at room temp

3 cups flour (plus 2 tables to sprinkle over the blueberries before adding them to the batter)

2 1/2 teas baking powder

1 1/4 teas salt

1 3/4 cup sugar

*2 tables lemon zest (optional)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, at room temp

1 teas vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries (about 2 pint)

*I added 2 tables fresh lemon zest to the batter before baking

For the Glaze

Whisk 1 table softened butter with 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tables corn syrup and 2 teas fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add milk, 1 table at a time until it is of spreading consistency. I added 1 table fresh lemon zest. When cake is cooled, drizzle glaze over cake allowing to run down the sides of cake.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt cake pan.

Whisk the 3 cups of flour with the salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat 2 sticks butter with the sugar and oil with mixer on medium until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Turn mixer speed to low and beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla.

Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk. Beat, scraping sides down as necessary. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk. Mix just until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture by stirring it in. You do not want to overmix.

Toss the blueberries with the 2 tables of flour in  a bowl. By hand, stir in the blueberries into mixture, just until incorporated. I used a spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 1 hour, or until cake tests done. When cake is done, allow to sit in pan about 10 minutes and then turn out onto serving platter. Allow to sit about 30 minutes then drizzle glaze over the top.

Garnish with fresh berries if desired.2015-09-08 08.20.24

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

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Love, love, love blueberries! This recipe is taken from Food Network Summer Favorites!

Cake:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp, plus more for the pan.

3 cups plus 2 tables all purpose flour

2 1/2 teas baking powder

1 1/4 teas salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, at room temp

1 teas vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups fresh blueberries (about 1 pint)

For the toppings

1 pint strawberries, halved or quartered

1 to 2 tables sugar

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 tables unsalted butter, at room temp

4 to 5 tables milk

To make the cake, preheat oven to 350. Generously butter a nonstick 12 cup bundt pan.

Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat 2 sticks butter, the granulated sugar and the oil with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk, beating until incorporated. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk. Beat, scraping down sides as needed, until all is combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat 30 seconds. Finish blending the flour to avoid overmixing.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tables flour in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the batter evely into the prepared pan. Sprinkle in half of the blueberries, then top with another 1/3 of the batter. Scatter the remaining blueberries on top and cover with the rest of the batter, smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and tests done by inserting knife in center of cake and it comes out clean. It will bake about an hour to hour and 5 min. Transfer to a rack and let cool 30 minutes in the pan. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto the rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the toppings; Toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes.

Just before serving, make the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, butter and 4 tables milk in a bowl. If glaze is still to thick, add up to 1 more tables milk. Pour the glaze over the cake. Serve with the strawberries and their juices over cake.2015-07-03 10.01.44

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.

Breads · Desserts · Fruit

Cream Cheese Blueberry Shortcakes

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My neighbor puts all her magazines on my front porch when she is finished looking through them. I subscribe to Southern Lady, Southern Living, Taste of Home and Paula Deen, but benefit from of all the ones Nancy receives as well. Today, opening the front door, I saw a new Martha Stewart magazine on the chair. Looking through it I saw so many great recipes, but to be honest, most of them I will never make. Many are really way to healthy or way to complicated for my liking, but this one, this one, well, it will be made this weekend. Anything with blueberries, butter and cream cheese, catches my eye.

Non-stick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tables granulated sugar
3/4 teas salt
1 3/4 teas baking powder
1/4 teas baking soda
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 oz cream cheese (2 oz cold and 6 oz room temperature)
4 oz blueberries (about 2/3 cup) (more for the serving plate)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus more for serving
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
Coat 2 parchment-lined baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Incorporate butter and cold (2 tables) cream cheese into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to freezer and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 with racks in upper and lower thirds. Transfer flour mixture to another large bowl. Add blueberries and stir buttermilk into dough, gently folding with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms. Do not over mix. Divide dough into 8 even mounds, placing about 2″ apart on baking sheets. (4 per sheet)
Bake, rotating halfway through until shortcakes are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Meanwhile, beat together remaining 6 oz cream cheese and powdered sugar with mixer until smooth. Gradually add whipping cream, beating just until mixture becomes smooth and thick, about 1 minute.
Do not overbeat. Serve alongside shortcakes and more fresh berries, with powdered sugar for sprinkled over shortcakes with berries on top.