Wednesdays are rough, I cope with 4 and 20 Blackbird Pie
Raspberry Palmiers
I have always loved Palmiers, they are not only adorable to look at but delicious to eat. Seeing these made with a raspberry filing instantly caught my eye and I knew I needed to recreate them. The filling alone is delicious to top on your yogurt or ice cream. I cut mine on the smaller end thinking I wouldn't eat as many....WRONG! I barely shared the first batch.
Ingredients:
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
About 4oz Raspberries
Brown Sugar to taste
Instructions:
Prepare the filling first; puree raspberries in a blender and add sugar to taste.
Sprinkle your work area generously with sugar and flatten the puff pastry thin. Spread the filling over but not too much as the most of it will leak out. Roll it up, wrap in foil and put in a fridge for a half an hour. Then slice it up and put on a large oven pan lined with baking paper. Bake according to the instructions on the package of puff pastry. Check out this video to learn how to roll your pastry; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVNk2lnAsvc
There will be several of these so it may be tight space on the pan. Natural leaking of filling is normal but, they will still turn out adorable and delicious.
Eat hot or cold if you can wait......
Featured
Strawberry Shortcake
I love how delicious and flavorful all fruit is during the summer. I bake through this intense heat with practical quick desserts that capture the summertime. One of my favorite summer desserts is strawberry shortcake. I learned to make this dessert back in culinary school and it has been a part of my cooking arsenal for years. I love this southern spin on this dish by baking biscuits. This recipe can quickly become a new addition to any one's baking rotation.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and quartered
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Directions
Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Roll dough out onto floured surface, form it into a rectangle. 3 inches tall by 8 inches long. Slice down the middle then slice diagonally to create triangles. Yes, I used a wine bottle to roll the dough out. Place mixture on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.
Whipped Cream:
Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Featured
Honey Cupcakes
I am a blessed woman to have the love and support of my family and friends(who are just an extension of my own family). One of my nearest and dearest friends Adrien is a jack of all trades. She and I met several years ago in Los Angeles fresh out of college. We both share passions for many things and have had helped encourage one another over the years. Adrien recently purchased a bottle of my honey and used it in a delicious cupcake recipe. Not only did she make the cupcakes, she photographed the whole process. Adrien has taken many photos of me, for me and of many others over the years. She has an impeccable eye and I feel honored she took the time to take such beautiful shots. From photography to baking, there is nothing this lovely lady can't do.
She got the recipe from here; http://thecakeblog.com/2011/06/honey-cupcake-recipe.html
A thousand thank you's Adrien. Check out some of her amazing photography from her project titled "Words with Friends." She is one of the most inspiring presences in my life and I am sure you will find her work heartfelt, relatable and encouraging.
Key Lime Pie
I rarely gloat about a recipe saying, "It is one of the best ever" but, this Key Lime Pie is THE BEST! Not only is it super easy to make but it is delicious. You will savor every single bite! Buttery and sweet from the crust, a tangy and tart filling and topped with a creamy whipped cream....PERFECTION!
Warning; consuming this pie whole in one sitting with a group of friends has been known to happen.
If you can't find key-limes, regular limes will work perfectly too.
1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs(pulse whole graham crackers in a food processor till they are a fine texture)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
5 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup freshly squeezed key-lime juice
1.5 tablespoon grated Key lime zest, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1 can (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
Heat oven to 375º. Combine graham-cracker crumbs, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium mixing bowl and combine. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Lower oven to 325º. In a medium bowl, gently whisk condensed milk, egg yolks, Key lime juice, and zest together. Pour into the prepared, cooled crust.
Return pie to oven, and bake until the center is set but still jiggles when the pan is shaken, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. I like to then place it in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
Shortly before serving, combine cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over cooled pie; garnish with zest. Return to refrigerator for 30 more minutes and then serve.
I modified the recipe for a dear friend's bday last week and turned it into a Key Lime Tart! Instead of placing it into a pie dish, place it into a tart pan. By putting it into a tart form it doesn't have the same height but they will have wider and shorter pieces!
Happy Birthday Alexis!
Strawberry Rhubarb Cheese Torte
In honor of wanting to still feel indulgent but trying not to overdue it I came up with this dessert that is gluten-free, sweetened with honey and homemade fruit preserves and has a good amount of protein from Greek yogurt. The crust is super easy to make and even more delicious to eat. The filing is ingredients you might already have on hand! This torte doesn't disappoint!
Crust;
1 cup of gluten free rolled oats
1 cup of whole almonds
2 tbsp unsalted butter brought to room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
2 tbsp raw honey (Ruse Goods varietal of course!)
Filling;
2 cups of Greek yogurt (I prefer 2%) brought to room temperature
1 egg brought to room temperature
1/2 cup of fruit preserve (I used strawberry rhubarb following this method I posted recently)
Preheat oven to 350º. Pulse oats and almonds together in a food processor until they are a fine ground meal. Add them to a bowl with coconut, butter and honey. Mix with a fork to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a well buttered tart pan. I found that when I lightly moistened my finger tips with water I was able to easily press and the spread the crust evenly. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, you want the crust to appear golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
While the crust cools prepare the filling. Combine the yogurt and egg with a mixer on medium speed for about thirty seconds. Add the fruit preserves and fold in by hand with a spatula.
Pour filing into prepared crust. Return the torte to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. You want slight cracks to begin to appear along the outer perimeter of the crust but the center to be slightly wiggly. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature. Then place in the refrigerator and allow to cool for at least 2 hours. If you can wait longer the more the torte will set. I topped some pieces with remaining preserves and served.
