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Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

Coconut Cream Pie Bites

Posted in Desserts, Easy Recipes, Pie, Puddings and Custards on August 22, 2014| 2 Comments »

coconut tart platedI made these fast, easy, and unbelievably scrumptious lovelies for a dessert potluck last week. Judging by how few were left I think they were a hit!

If you like coconut, you’ll love these simple to make bites.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Mix the pudding with milk and set aside.

Mix the pudding with milk and set aside.

Whip the heavy cream, adding in powdered sugar at the end. You want it to form fairly stiff peaks.

Whip the heavy cream, adding in powdered sugar at the end. You want it to form fairly stiff peaks.

Add softened cream cheese to the pudding and blend.

Add softened cream cheese to the pudding and blend.

Divide the whipping cream in half and add pudding mixture to one half.

Divide the whipping cream in half and add pudding mixture to one half. Blend carefully.

 

You can cover and refrigerate the filling overnight or serve immediately.

You can cover and refrigerate the filling overnight or serve immediately.

Fill mini tart shells. These came in a package of 12 - so you'd need four boxes. You can also use a graham cracker pie crust. Either way is tasty!

Fill mini tart shells. These came in a package of 12 – so you’d need four boxes. You can also use a graham cracker pie crust. Either way is tasty! Just fill tarts with filling and top with whipped cream.

If you like, you can toast some coconut to put in the top. I nuked this for 12 seconds and it got a little too crispy, so 8 would probably be sufficient.

If you like, you can toast some coconut to put in the top. I nuked this for 12 seconds and it got a little too crispy, so 8 would probably be sufficient.

Coconut Cream Pie Bites

1 small box Coconut instant pudding

2 cups milk

3-4 ounces cream cheese

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

coconut

48 mini fillo shells (or a 9-inch graham cracker pie crust)

* Note – You can use tart shells or a pie crust, your choice.

Mix the pudding and milk together. Let pudding set.

Use softened cream cheese (if you have a small package, great, if not, use half of a large package) and mix it into the pudding until thoroughly blended in medium speed. (You don’t want to beat the pudding to death). Set aside.

Whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks, add the powdered sugar and stir it in. Add half the cream to the pudding mixture and carefully blend.

My preference is to cover this tightly and refrigerate overnight before serving. If you are in a hurry, you don’t have to wait.

Fill tarts or pie crust. Top with remaining whipped cream.

Sprinkle with coconut. You can toast it or not, whatever floats your boat. You could also add slivered almonds or a drizzle of chocolate. I chose to add dark chocolate curls. That turned out to be a good decision.

Makes 48 mini tarts or one yummy pie.

She Who Loves Creamy, Cool Coconut Treats

 

 

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Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

Posted in Cake, Captain Cavedweller, Desserts on August 15, 2014| 2 Comments »

 strawberry cupcakes plated

We have a dessert potluck (I know – how fun is that!) to attend this weekend so I wanted to make something that would be easy for people to pick up and eat. Cupcakes are always yummy and simple to transport.

This is a new recipe I experimented with after successfully using root beer to make cupcakes a month or so ago.

The cupcakes have a surprise dollop of strawberry jam inside while the frosting – oh, my, the frosting – it has strawberry flavoring and a liberally dose of strawberry pop.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Make the cake mix according to package directions. Fill paper-lined muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full of the cake batter.

Make the cake mix according to package directions. Fill paper-lined muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full of the cake batter.

Drop about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each cupcake center. If you don't have enough batter in the cup, the jam will sink to the bottom.

Drop about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each cupcake center. If you don’t have enough batter in the cup, the jam will sink to the bottom. Top with batter and slide into preheated oven to bake.

While the cupcakes are baking until they are a light golden brown (about 15-18 minutes), mix up your frosting.

While the cupcakes are baking until they are a light golden brown (about 15-18 minutes), mix up your frosting.

It will be perfectly pink and pretty. (Ha, say that 10 times in a row.)

You can add some festive sprinkles to the top if you so desire.

You can add some festive sprinkles to the top if you so desire.

Take a bite and enjoy the sweet, strawberry surprise in the middle!

Take a bite and enjoy the sweet, strawberry surprise in the middle!

Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

1 box cake mix (can be white, vanilla, yellow)

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup jam

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup strawberry soda pop

2 tsp. strawberry flavoring

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake mix with eggs, oil and water until smooth.

Line the cups of a muffin pan with papers and fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full.

Spoon about 1/2 tsp of jam into each cup. If you don’t get enough batter in the cup, the jam will sink to the bottom.

Pour more batter over the top and bake until a light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

For the frosting, mix powdered sugar with softened butter, salt, flavoring and soda pop. You can add more flavoring if you want a stronger strawberry flavor. The frosting will be a pretty shade of pink.

Accent with your favorite sprinkles or fresh strawberries. If at all possible, act pathetic and pressed for time so the big manly man of your house will help put the sprinkles on.

She Who Will Be Making These Again

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Cherry Mint Bruschetta

Posted in Appetizers, Desserts, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on July 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

cherry bruschetta plated

We’ve been blessed with an abundance of big, sweet, delicious cherries in our area recently.

I came home with another bag of them yesterday and then found myself wondering if I could come up with an off-the-beaten path recipe to use a few.

I freely admit this is stretching the definition of bruschetta but if you really wanted, you could serve it on bread.

Regardless, the mixture of the sweet cherries, fresh mint and tangy cheese were a perfect combination! It’s like having a little summer party exploding in your mouth.

And the best part… it took just minutes to make!

Ingredients

Ingredients

Start by pitting your cherries.

Start by pitting your cherries.

Then chop them into small pieces. I halved them and cut each half into about 12 pieces.

Then chop them into small pieces. I halved them and cut each half into about 12 pieces.

Scoop the cherries into a bowl then go to work on the mint. Chiffonade (cut) a few pieces.

Scoop the cherries into a bowl then go to work on the mint. Chiffonade (cut) a few pieces.

Mix the cherries and mint together. (Aren't the colors fabulous?)

Mix the cherries and mint together. (Aren’t the colors fabulous?)

Pour grenadine syrup over the mint - cherry mixture and blend.

Pour grenadine syrup over the mint – cherry mixture and blend.

 

Toast a frozen waffle until it is crunchy.

Toast a frozen waffle until it is crunchy.

Quarter the waffle.

Quarter the waffle.

Top with goat cheese then add the cherry mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Top with goat cheese then add the cherry mixture. Serve and enjoy!

Cherry Mint Bruschetta

1 frozen waffle

2 tbsp. goat cheese

6 large cherries

1 tsp. grenadine syrup

1 tsp. chopped mint

Cherries and mint for garnish, if desired

Pit and chop cherries, scoop into a bowl and mix with mint. If you are using fresh mint, right off the plant, it is strong, so you can cut back the amount to 1/2 tsp. Stir in grenadine syrup and set aside.

Toast the frozen waffle until it is crunchy on the outside. Cut into quarters. Top with a sprinkling of goat cheese then spoon on cherry-mint mix.

Serves two.

Note: You can definitely use a rustic country bread instead of the waffle for a true bruschetta, if you so desire.

She Who Loved the Mix of Flavors and Textures

 

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Farm Girl Strawberry Shortcake

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Recipes, tagged , , , , on June 27, 2014| 1 Comment »

Shortcake platedGrowing up, we always had an abundance of strawberries during the summer months. My mom made strawberry shortcake at least once a week.

At the end of a long, hot, hard day of working on the farm, a serving of shortcake soaking up sweet strawberry juice and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream was a little bite of summer heaven.

Although I shared the recipe at the back of my recent release, Farm Girl, I thought I’d also share the recipe here today along with some photos!

Ingredients

Ingredients

Start by mixing together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Set aside. Cream butter then add egg and whip until light. Add sugar and mix well.

Start by mixing together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Set aside. Cream butter then add egg and whip until light. Add sugar and mix well.

Mix in vanilla then alternate mixing milk and flour until well blended.

Mix in vanilla then alternate mixing milk and flour until well blended.

Spoon batter into a 9x13 baking pan that has been greased and floured (or sprayed with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Spoon batter into a 9×13 baking pan that has been greased and floured (or sprayed with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Wash berries, remove stems and hulls and place in a bowl. I cut mine into pieces and chunks.

Wash berries, remove stems and hulls and place in a bowl. I cut mine into pieces and chunks.

Mash them until they are juicy, but not pulverized like you would for jam. Sprinkle on sugar, stir and let rest for at rest for about 10 minutes.

Mash them until they are juicy, but not pulverized like you would for jam. Sprinkle on sugar, stir and let rest for at rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately or cover and store in fridge until ready to serve.

Serve immediately or cover and store in fridge until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, place a piece of cake on a plate, drizzle with berries and top with ice cream. Yum!

When ready to serve, place a piece of cake on a plate, drizzle with berries and top with ice cream. Yum!

Strawberry Shortcake

¾ cup sugar

½ cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups flour

4-6 cups of strawberries

½ cup sugar

Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and baking powder, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together ¾ cup sugar and butter, then add egg and vanilla extract. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the bowl until batter is well blended.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan and bake until top is a light, golden brown.

Cool completely.

Wash and hull strawberries, placing them in a large bowl. Mom always used a potato masher to break them down a little. You don’t want to pulverize them, just mash them enough they get good and juicy and break into nice little pieces. Stir in ½ cup of sugar until sugar dissolves then let rest for at least 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut slices of cake then top with strawberries and a scoop of ice cream.

She Who Loves the Tastes of Summer

 

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