Tag: Fruit Desserts

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….

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.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Pies · Uncategorized

Baked Apple Pie Cheesecake

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Years ago when I lived in Corpus Christ, TX, one of my favorite dessert memories was from Luby’s Cafeteria. Sometimes, when we would go, they would have a cinnamon apple topped cheesecake. It was delicious and so different from other cheesecakes. Very creamy and the flavor combination of apple, cinnamon with the cream cheese was just awesome. On the back cover of Nov 2016 Taste of Home I found a recipe that resembled that wonderful memory.

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 teas cinnamon, divided
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup old fashioned oats or quick cooking oats
2 tables butter, melted
4 packages (8 oz ea so total 32 oz) softened cream cheese
1 teas vanilla
4 eggs

Cook apples with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teas cinnamon in saucepan until apple slices are tender. cool
Heat oven to 325. Combine graham cracker crumbs, oats, butter, remaining cinnamon and 2 tables of the sugar, press onto bottom of a 9″ springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each, just until blended.
Spread half the apples over bottom crumb crust to within 1/2″ of edge. Cover the slices with the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate remaining apples until ready to serve.
Bake cheesecake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 min, or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Place in fridge for 4 hours.
Drain remaining apples that you had placed in the refrigerator, just before serving. Arrange apples on top of cake as shown in photo.

Thank you Taste of Home for another trip down memory lane and a great recipe.

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.

Daily Thoughts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Blackberry-Blueberry Cobbler

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Saturday I remembered I had fresh blackberries in the freezer that we got last summer. When I saw this recipe on the back cover of a Paula Deen Magazine, I quickly got the blackberries out and proceeded to make it. The recipe is from a Diner in Sevierville, TN and is called Black & Blue Southern Style Cobbler. We devoured it with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla on top.

5 cups blackberries

5 cups blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup Hillside Winery’s Black & Blue Wine

1/2 cup water

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Crust:

1 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large pot, combine fruit, sugar,wine and water. Bring to a low boil, stirring often to keep the fruit from sticking. Meanwhile, mix sugar and flour in a bowl. Add milk, stirring as you add until batter is well mixed. Set aside.

Once the fruit mixture is hot, melt the stick of butter in the preheated oven in a 9×9 pan. Once butter is melted, pour fruit into the pan and stir to mix together.

Pour batter (crust) evenly over fruit and return to oven. Bake at 350 until crust is a golden brown. About 45 minutes. Top with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Lemon-Blueberry Crumble Bars

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In the middle of August, when we struggle to find a spot of shade and a refreshing cold drink, our thoughts go to anything light and cool. On the outside of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese box ,(the 3 lb box)this recipe caught my eye.

We are having some new friends over tomorrow night for dessert and since Randy mentioned that he is in the mood for a pecan pie, I found a recipe for a pecan pie cheesecake. So thus the 3 lb box of cream cheese. Will be posting that new recipe after I get it baked this afternoon and can take a picture. In the meantime, this crumble bar sounds easy and yummy, so wanted to post it this morning. After I make it back to Costco for more cream cheese, will be making this.

1/2 cup butter

1 box (2 layer size) yellow cake mix (I love Duncan Hines brand)

2 eggs, divided and at room temperature

16 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons juice from 1 or 2 lemons (usually takes me 2 to get that much)

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and allowed to dry on paper towels

Heat oven to 350.

Line a 13×9″ baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Microwave butter in large bowl until melted. Add dry cake mix and 1 egg to melted butter; beat with mixer until blended. Press 2/3 of this cake mixture onto bottom of baking pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended. Add remaining egg, zest and juice. Pour over crust; top with blueberries. Pinch small pieces of the remaining dough between your fingers; press lightly into cream cheese layer.

Bake about 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely . Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.

Makes 12-15 servings (or if you are in our family, would make about 4)

 

Desserts · Fruit

Summer Sweets

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A friend of mine has asked me to contribute a easy summer recipe for her blog. I thought it best to give her a choice of 3 great refreshing desserts. This first one, the Cheesecake Filled Strawberries, I found on Pinterest. They look so pretty and they are so easy to put together. Can’t wait to have ladies over to make them.

1. Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

1 lb large strawberries

8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tables powdered sugar
1 teas vanilla
Graham cracker crumbs *(I added a little about 1 teas sugar to crumbs to make them taste more like graham cracker crust)
Directions:
Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and hollow out with a paring knife, being careful not to cut through to the outside of the strawberry. Prep all strawberries and set aside to dry, covered with a towel, so they don’t dry out.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy. Put cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or a ziplock bag which you will cut the tip of the bag to allow you to fill strawberries with the cream mixture. Fill each strawberry with the cream cheese mixture. Once all the strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, place covered in fridge until ready to use. Better if eaten the same day.
Recipe #2
Frozen Fruit Mallow
1 (9 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 (3 o) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (7 oz) bottle lemon-lime soda (*I used Sprite)
2 (10 oz) packages frozen sliced peaches
1 cup halved green grapes
1 cup heavy cream, whipped (until stiff peaks form, but be careful not to whip it till it becomes like butter)
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
Blend undrained pineapple and cream cheese. Stir in Sprite (or 7 Up); add fruits. Freeze until partially set. Then fold in whipped cream and marshmallows. Pour into 9″ square pan or a 2 qt dish. Freeze until firm. Yield 6-8 servings.
Recipe #3
Lemon-Strawberry Trifle *Taken from Taste of Home
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups milk
1 package (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
2 teas grated lemon peel
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided (or use a mixture of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
1 tables orange juice or water
1 tables powdered sugar
1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 oz)
In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt. Add the milk, dry pudding mix and lemon peel; beat until smooth. In a blender, process 1/2 cup strawberries (or mixed berries) with orange juice or water and powdered sugar and blend until smooth.
Tear cake into 1″ cubes; place a third of the cake cubes in a trifle bowl or 3 qt serving bowl. Top with a third of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining strawberries. Drizzle with half of the strawberry sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining cake then pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. * I topped mine with sweetened whipping cream (or Cool Whip if you prefer) Decorate with whole berries before serving if desired.
Yield 12-14 servings.
Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Measuring Cups & Pie Crust

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

If you are one of those that  you are just now taking the Warranty Papers and Care Instructions out of the oven you have had for 5 years, you might not be aware that there is a difference in measuring cups. Today, a sweet young lady was making cookies and called me to ask me why her dough wasn’t the texture that she knew it should be. We went over the instructions and the ingredients and discovered that she had followed them to a T. When I ask her if she had used liquid measuring cups of dry measuring cups, she didn’t know that there was a difference and she had in fact used the ones meant to measure liquids. It can make a huge difference in your baked goods, not using the right measuring cups. The liquid measuring cups add more flour than what is intended. She ask me why they aren’t labeled, “liquid” or “dry”. At lunch I was relaying this story with a friend and she said it was years before she knew that fact. So for all of you out there that aren’t quite sure which is liquid or dry, the liquid measuring cups have lines and usually a pouring spout. Dry measuring cups are just labeled 1/2, 2/3, 1/4, 1, 1/3, etc.  They are made to where you can scrape across the top of the measuring cup to level it off. Does this make sense?

Also, for those of you who like to make your own pie crust, last night I made the pie crust recipe I found in Paula Deen Magazine. It is undoubtedly the absolute BEST pie crust I have ever had….it was flaky and had such a great flavor. I will never make any other recipe again.

2 1/2 cups flour

6 tables cold butter

6 tables cold shortening

1 tables sugar

1/2 teas salt

1/2 cup cold water

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter and shortening with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add water, 1 tables at a time, as you might not need all the water (I used 3 tables is all). Stir with a fork until mixture comes together. Remove from bowl and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Flour a sheet of parchment paper, waxed paper or your counter. Roll 1/2 of the dough mixture into a 12″ circle. Carefully fold in half and place in a 9″ pie plate. Fill with fruit filling. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough. Place over the fruit and make a few slits in the top crust, allowing for steam to escape. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.\

If you are needing a single crust, you can freeze the other half and just use the bottom crust. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Watch carefully as to not allowing to get to brown. Cool and use filling of your choice.