The recipe below is for Fluffy Blueberry Pie and couldn’t be easier to make – this I promise. I also promise that it is so delicious, you’ll fight for the last bite. You can substitute peeled, sliced peaches for the blueberries and the pie will be just as remarkable. Either fruit would make an ideal Easter Pie recipe or a simple dessert for warm summer nights.
In a heavy saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, stirring several times.
Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the blueberries (or peaches, if you go that route). Take out and set aside 1/2 cup of the whipped topping. Fold remaining topping into blueberry mixture.
Pour into crust. refrigerate for at lease 2 hours. Top off with the remaining blueberries and reserved whipped topping.
Once your familiar with the recipe, you’ll want to try out different fruit. I would imagine that raspberries would be amazing and blackberries would probably have your family throwing themselves at your feet. Note to self: Put blackberries on the grocery list….
Yesterday I made a gorgeous Red Velvet Cake – to celebrate baseball getting back into swing. Sure, it’s pre-season but that’s enough for any baseball fanatic worth his or her salted peanuts to get excited about. Since my family is ALL about the St. Louis Cardinals, the dessert obviously had to be red and white.
Naturally, I went with a homemade Cream Cheese Frosting for my Red Velvet Cake. The Duncan Hines Cream Cheese frosting isn’t bad (at all, in fact), but there’s just something extra special about homemade Cream Cheese frosting. I switched up my favorite recipe a little this time because I was feeling it and I loved the results. I believe it was better than ever this time.
Here’s the recipe. Take note that this is for a huge Red Velvet Cake, so you might want to half the recipe. Then again, it’s so delicious, you might want more than you actually need!
Outstanding Cream Cheese Frosting
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese)
1 stick margarine
4 teaspoons half and half (use a little more if you want it creamier)
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 – 8 cups powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese, stick of margarine, half and half, and vanilla in a large bowl on low until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and blend until it’s has a glorious spreadable consistency.
After I frosted the cake, I covered the top with chopped walnuts and it was almost too beautiful to cut into. Almost.
I always make a little extra frosting than I’ll need for one reason and that reason is a beautiful girl named Brittany. My dear, lovely daughter wasn’t born with “a” sweet tooth – every single one in her head is a sweet tooth. She has her own little system for serving herself a piece of cake as a result. She inserts the cake knife, cuts out her piece of cake… then at the last minute, returns to the cake for an extra helping of icing. This, of course, leaves exposed parts of the cake, so I’ve learned to keep extra frosting on hand in the refrigerator for patching up what has become known as “Brittany’s Barrens.”
Sometimes I use the leftover frosting to frost cookies. My resident cookie monsters love that. It’s also wonderful on store-bought muffins.
This morning, I was in the process of making some of those remarkable Pillsbury Toaster Strudels (the Strawberry and Cream Cheese variety) when I got a yummy idea. Instead of using the little packet of icing, I broke out my Cream Cheese frosting and… voila!…. something Heavenly was even more so.
This is a truly delicious frosting and makes cakes, cupcakes, and cookies better than they have a right to be.
The Pillsbury Dough Boy would squeal with delight for this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe on his Pillsbury Toaster Strudels!
Blend together and spread onto cooled cookies. The quality and brand of your orange juice will affect the intensity of the orange flavor. Even the cookies with the least “orange” flavor are still outstanding, though. And when I say outstanding, I mean can’t eat just one delectable!
******* The gorgeous cookie jar at the top of the post is just one of an entire collection of dog and cat cookie jars available. I chose the beautiful Basset Hound in honor of one of my favorite dogs we’ve ever had – Honey. She was, undoubtedly, one of the sweetest, most warm-hearted animals to ever live and I simply adored her. If you click through the link, you can find your own dog or cat’s breed.
You knew it was just a matter of time before my inner cookie monster started talking about Easter cookies. I swear, I could bake and eat cookies all day, every day. The cookie cutters below are beyond adorable and would create some real works of art. I can’t figure out which one I want most, so you know what that means! I think I just heard my husband groan…
These premium cookie cutters are made of copper, meaning they’ll be around for years and years and years. As a matter of fact, copper cookie cutters make gorgeous, thoughtful heirlooms to be passed from generation to generation – along with the memories of using them. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves, let’s focus on this Easter and spring! I’m from the school of living out loud and making every moment count double – maybe even more so on holidays. Taking extra special time in the kitchen to create beautiful treats for your family makes every holiday extra, extra special and memorable.
In fact, when you get right down to it, taking special time and effort in the kitchen makes any day feel like a holiday. The kitchen is more than just a room, after all, it’s the heart of the home. It’s the place where we write beautiful love letters to our family – one meal and treat at a time!
Nothing but love. I’ve got nothing but love for Dr. Al Sears right now. He has the following to say about a close, dear friend of mine, Chocolate:
If you ate chocolate on Valentine’s Day, I have some news for you. You don’t have to feel guilty.
In fact, I have evidence that you may have cut your risk from dying of a stroke nearly in half.
Two studies give us great news about chocolate.
The first study found that people who ate one serving of chocolate per week were 22% less likely to have a stroke.
The second study found that people who ate 50 grams of chocolate once a week were 46% less likely to die following a stroke than those who didn’t eat chocolate.
About 80% of strokes occur when there isn’t enough blood getting to the brain.3 Your brain is starved of oxygen and nutrients and begins to die immediately.
Chocolate helps to counteract that in two ways. It’s rich in antioxidants and helps to increase circulation.
Flavonoids fight silent inflammation, which is the leading cause of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and many others.
You can find flavonoids in vegetables, tea, and red wine, but cocoa has more flavonoids. In fact, dark chocolate contains up to four times the antioxidants found in tea.
The good doctor… well, let’s just go ahead and call him the grand doctor… has this advice for finding the best sources of chocolate:
Look for chocolate that contains 70% or more cocoa. This is the ingredient that contains health benefits.
Check how much sugar is added to the chocolate you choose. Keep it as low as possible. But choose sugar over artificial sweeteners or chocolate labeled “sugar free.”
Beware of other chemicals in the chocolate. Choose a brand that has pure ingredients and no chemical additives.
Make chocolate your special treat of choice once a week.
You can find good quality chocolate at a health-food store. More and more it’s finding its way into grocery and drug stores. Read the label to be sure of the quality and content.
Only one problem, when he says to make chocolate your “special treat of choice once a week…” don’t you imagine that he meant once an hour?
Monday is President’s Day and what better way to celebrate than by making a dessert or dish named in honor of a president?! I’m going to post a series of recipes over the next few days with President’s Day in mind. I’m beginning with someone who has possibly served our country even better after leaving the White House than the time he was in it.
President Jimmy Carter is what I like to refer to as a “quality human being.” His dedication to serving and helping others is an inspiration to everyone the world over. This recipe is for Jimmy Carter Pudding – an outstanding dessert for President’s Day or any other day.
Jimmy Carter Pudding Recipe
1st Layer:
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
2/3 cup salted, chopped peanuts (where the dessert gets its name!)
Mix and press into 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.
2nd Layer:
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup whipped cream
Mix and spread over cooled baked crust.
3rd Layer:
3 oz box instant chocolate pudding
3 oz box instant vanilla pudding
2-3/4 cup milk
Combine and gently spread over the 2nd layer.
4th Layer:
Spread a layer of whipped cream over the pudding mixture and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Yum!
Speaking of quality human beings such as President Jimmy Carter, Random Acts of Kindness Week begins on February 15. There is a heart-warming movement gaining momentum that involves seniors. I hope you’ll read more about this Random Acts of Kindness for Seniors on my Self Help Blog. It’s a wonderful idea and the more people that take place, the more hearts will be touched.
As a self help diva, cooking diva, and chocolate addict all rolled into one – I am in love with this! FoodChannel.com has put together a wonderful and fun article about the benefits of “thinking chocolate.” Read on, you’re going to love this!
FOODCHANNEL.COM ENCOURAGES YOU TO “BE THE CHOCOLATE” THIS VALENTINE’S DAY
CHICAGO (Feb. 11, 2010)¾ In honor of Valentine’s Day, The Food Channel® (foodchannel.com ) editorial staff is encouraging visitors to the site to “be chocolate” and embrace the lessons one of America’s favorite indulgences can provide. “We have been watching chocolate ever since it was named one of the top food trends of the decade,” said Kay Logsdon, managing editor of The Food Channel . “This week, in particular, it seemed appropriate to commemorate how chocolate can enrich our lives—in ten fun ways.”
It’s Important to Hold Your Temper
It’s not easy to melt chocolate perfectly, just as it’s not easy to find your own boiling point and keep it under control. The fact is, for chocolate to form properly into all those fun shapes that go into the candy box, it has to be tempered. That means it has to be fed the right amount from the chocolate block, at the right time during the melting process, all the while being constantly stirred. In life, it means we have to guard what we take in, and be willing to move and change as necessary in order to get better.
Soft Centers Usually Have a Hard Shell
The best liquors, the softest centers, all need some protection around them. So remember that when your co-worker has a tough façade or your friend appears sort of brittle. Could be they are protecting their soft insides.
Meltdowns Can Be Avoided
Real chocolate starts to get soft at 72 degrees. Great candy stores keep the temperature cool rather than add vegetable oils to the mix. You can keep your cool if you remember to turn down the heat.
A Little Nuttiness Doesn’t Hurt
Unless you have an allergy, nuts add a new dimension to chocolate. A little crunch, a different flavor, a higher antioxidant level—it all just adds to the variety. So accept a little nuttiness in your life.
You Can Find an Excuse for Almost Anything
If society can pile sugar and cream into dark chocolate and call it a good-for-you antioxidant, then surely your teacher will believe someone ate your homework. Just tell her you wrapped it in chocolate.
Variety Matters
When it comes to chocolates, there is great variety. You have your soft creams, your liquors, your ganache, and your buttery caramels. You have your chews and your nuts. You’ll have your favorite, but at some point all of the varieties have to go in the box together. Learn to get along with variety.
Sometimes You Have to Feed the Need
Chocolate reportedly stimulates the release of hormones in the brain, and feel-good endorphins in the body. And, face it. Sometimes that is a craving that needs to be met. When hormone meets hormone, everyone feels better.
Some Things Are Just Worth It
We know the bad, the calories, the fat, the pound-for-pound guilt. We also know that there are lots of entrepreneurs who have quit the daily grind in favor of dipping chocolate. It’s a satisfying career, especially when you can lick the bowl.
Addictive Behavior Can Be Controlled
We all have our addictions. We are work addicts, Facebook addicts, Jersey Shore addicts and even nicotine addicts. Chocolate tells you when you’ve had enough—when you tip the scales at a new weight, when you have a stomach ache from eating too much, when you have spent your food money on candy and have nothing left for lunch. You can learn control from chocolate. Small doses go a long way.
Some Things Make Everything Taste Better
It’s the reason why people put chocolate in cookies, breads, drinks and candy. Chocolate is a flavor that goes with everything. Be chocolate.
Logsdon counsels, “Apply these lessons to life and see how far they get you. Hold your temper, recognize when people are softies at heart, reduce the heat and pressure in your life and the lives of those around you, and be a little crazy. Accept change, avoid addictions, and know what you need, physically and emotionally. Most of all live your life so that you can go with anything. Be chocolate. There are lots of lessons that are harder to swallow.”
About The Food Channel®
The Food Channel ( www.foodchannel.com ) immerses visitors in a vibrant online community—comprised of food enthusiasts, culinary students and professionals—joined together by a passion for all things food. The site includes original features, chef-tested recipes for all occasions, chef profiles, 4-star food photography, book reviews and food-event coverage. Visitors will also find a variety of videos on cooking techniques, recipe preparation and interviews on topics of current interest. Weekly and monthly trend and recipe newsletters are available by signing up on the site. For additional food news, trends, recipes, professional tips and reviews, visit www.foodchannel.com. Follow The Food Channel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/foodchannel or Facebook at www.facebook.com/FoodChannel.
The recipe below is from recipe from New York Times Bestselling novelist and avid baker Mary Burton.
Just over a year ago, author Mary Burton was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch talking about how her passions—writing and baking—both contribute to her creativity. The article shared a recipe along with Mary’s view that, for her, they are intertwined, most probably because she experiences each as requiring creativity as well as expertise.
So, when the going gets tough, Mary heads to the kitchen where the stress level immediately ratchets down a few notches and she finds herself busy working out dialogue and untangling plot lines before the oven has even preheated. As she told the Times-Dispatch, “…you can tell how the writing’s going by the number of cupcakes on the counter.”
I love that! I find a similar solace in my kitchen as well. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’d be a lot more empty therapist couches is more people took up cooking. What a stress reliever!
For the recently published novel DYING SCREAM, Mary Burton shared her gift with protagonist Adrianna Barrington. Figuring that when Adrianna wasn’t helping track down a serial killer she would welcome a chance to chill, Mary gave her a great kitchen along with a penchant for pastry and other baked delicacies.
And, as long as it’s coming up on St. Valentine’s Day and Adrianna is carrying a torch for Homicide Detective Gage Hudson, Mary also decided it was time for her have her own recipe for readers to bake and enjoy ― Adrianna’s Carrot Cake Love Muffins.
The rest of us get to benefit from her creativity, how cool is that? What’s say, as a thank you (we cooks are nothing if not gracious) to Mary Burton, we all buy her newest novel, Dying Scream? After all, we bakers have to stick together!
To see last year’s Valentine’s Day recipe for Mary Burton’s Buns— CLICK HERE.
Finally, to see the Richmond Times-Dispatch article— CLICK HERE.
Adrianna’s Carrot Cake Love Muffins Recipe
3 cups of shredded carrots
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
To the shredded carrots add eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix well. Shift flour, salt, cinnamon, baking power and baking soda into carrot mixture. Gently mix and scoop into muffin cups. Makes about 12. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
(If possible, hand shred the carrots. It takes a bit longer to shred by hand but the carrots hold more moisture and this really enhances the texture of the muffins.)
Muffins can be dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a cream cheese icing. Both are delicious.
Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Cream all together until fluffy. When the muffins have cooled ice with frosting.
Check out this recipe from Dave Lieberman and Del Monte for Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Everyone knows that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, but did you know that beets are too?? (Yes, beets!)
Did you know?: Not only are beets nature’s multivitamin but beets are also rich in boron, a mineral thought to get the love juices flowing.
Dave recommends using canned sliced beets (he suggests Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets)—with canned beets you get all the flavor and nutrition for a lot less money, plus they are easier to mash!
Check out www.Delmonte.com/Solutions for a $1.00 off coupon on any 4 Del Monte® Brand Products to use in your recipe. I heart coupons, so I’ll see you there.
Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes (or Cake) with Beet Frosting
Recipe courtesy of: Dave Lieberman, campaign spokesperson for the Del Monte “Value without Sacrifice,” Chef and Author of The 10 Things You Need To Eat
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
One 14.5 oz. can Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets, drained
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR THE ICING:
2 sticks unsalted butter
Approx. 1/2 can of Del Monte® Fresh Cut® Sliced Beets, drained
1 pound confectioners sugar
For Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
For Cake: Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
In a small bowl, mash the drained can of beets finely with a potato masher and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and water. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the mashed beets and mix well.
For Cupcakes: Pour the batter into greased cupcake tins. Bake about 15-20 minutes, until set but moist. (Or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean)
For Cake: Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake about 70 minutes, until set but moist. Let cool, and turn out onto a large serving plate.
Make the Icing: Mash the ½ can of beets finely with a potato masher. Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add mashed beets. Simmer on very low heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cream the second stick of butter with a mixer in a bowl. Mix in the melted butter and beet mixture until fully incorporated. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar.
Ice the cupcakes with a thick layer of icing.
The cupcakes and cake serve 12-15.
The wonderful thing about edible gifts for Valentine’s Day is that you can impress the socks off of your sweetheart without spending a fortune. Gifts you make, yourself, are somehow more meaningful.
? After all, we bakers have to stick together!
