Summer Strawberry Dessert

Saturday mornings means a trip to the local Farmers' Market, and early June means a promise of fresh, juicy strawberries!

I wanted to make a easy dessert ~ but not just strawberry shortcake.  A look through the pantry, and I had an idea.  Store bought biscuits, instant pudding, whipped cream, and strawberries served in a margarita glass would be a combination of simple and fancy.

The biscuits were baked following the directions on the can.
The pudding was prepared and refrigerated.
I then washed, hulled, and quartered the strawberries.

Once I added a little sugar, I mashed the berries lightly.

Right before serving I separated the biscuit in half, and put the first half into my glass.   I topped it with a couple of spoonfuls of pudding and then the strawberries.  I added the second biscuit half and repeated the layers.
A little whipped cream and a whole strawberry, and my dessert was complete ... and completely delicious!

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Wish List Wednesday Summertime Chocolate Treats

Well, Memorial Weekend is here ~ unofficially the first day of summer.  And in the Northeast it is actually in the 80's with lots of sunshine!!

For my wish list post, I thought I would share some great looking treats...with my favorite ingredient ...Chocolate!

 Smores cupcakes

a chocolate and pretzel dessert

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse cake

Chocolate lasagna cupcakes

I

and Frozen Hot Chocolate

Think there is something here  to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth!!

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Making the Most of a Rainy Day

Once again the clouds and rain have taken over.  Thought I would finds signs of the beauties of spring....

A few drops of rain...

...the  rhododendron...

...and the lilacs...

...and Chicken Scallopini with Mushrooms and Artichokes simmering on the stove..... the day ended up perfectly.....

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Italian Spring Frittata

According to the calendar, spring has officially arrived here in the Northeast although you wouldn't know it with the cold and rainy weather.  I decided to bring some spring bright colors into my kitchen tonight with an simple egg dish that was just perfect!

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, cup into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped asparagus
1/2 cup red pepper (or a combination of red and yellow)
small onion, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a ovenproof skillet, saute the bacon over medium low heat.
Add asparagus and onions.

Add the peppers, and cook until the asparagus is tender ~ about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, parsley, and milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir the egg mixture into the vegetables.

Top with cheese.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the eggs are no longer runny.

I served mine with a light salad and rosemary rolls.

Enjoy!

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Farmer's Market Shrimp Pizza

Summertime ~ and I am always ready to grill!  Today it was a shrimp pizza loaded with vegetables from the local Farmer's Market.

I really did not measure any of the ingredients ~ a haphazard pizza that ended up tasting delicious.

Grill shrimp and asparagus (coated with olive oil)

Grill store bought (or hand made) pizza dough just until lightly browned.
Add a topping of pesto (store bought or home made).

Add a layer of sliced tomatoes (I take out the seed).

Sauté kale (or arugula or other greens) in a sauce pan with a little oil until wilted, and sprinkle on top of the tomatoes.

Top with pieces of asparagus and coarsely chopped shrimp, a little salt/pepper, and Italian cheese.

Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy! ♥
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Stawberry, Blueberry & Lemon Scones

Spring means the opening of the Farmers' Market in town ~ my favorite trip on Saturday mornings.  Although it was still early for many of the vegetables and fruits, the blueberries and strawberries looked enticing.
They were perfect to add to pancakes, and with the remainder, I decided to make scones ~ a delicious treat!

Ingredients:
1/2 pint blueberries
1/2 pint strawberries (cut into small pieces)
zest from one lemon
2 cups of flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick cold butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
raw or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
With a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until it resembles a coarse meal.
Stir in the lemon zest, strawberries, and blueberries.

In a measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, 1 egg, and vanilla.  Add to the dry ingredients, and mix until a soft dough is formed.
Turn out the dough onto floured waxed paper, knead gently 1 - 2 times.

Form dough into a round circle about 1" thick.

Cut into wedges ~ 8 - 12 depending on the size you would like.
With a fork, mix the 2nd egg and a teaspoon water.  Brush onto the scones, and sprinkle with raw sugar (or granulated sugar).

Carefully move the scones onto a Silpat covered baking sheet.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!  ♥


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Chocolate Chip & Cranberry Biscotti

Loving biscotti! 
I have posted a recipe for Coconut Biscotti ~ today is it a perfect combination of chocolate and dried fruit ~ DELICIOUS!!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Whisk together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
In a mixing bowl, cream together 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter and 1 cup sugar.
Add 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, and beat until combined.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until a soft dough is formed.
Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/2 cup dried cranberries; mix by hand.

Form the dough into a rectangle on a Silpat covered baking sheet. 
Brush on a mixture of 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water.  Sprinkle with raw sugar (or white sugar).

Bake for 50 minutes.

Remove from oven, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

 

Cut 1 inch diagonal slices.  Return to oven for 10 minutes.  Flip slices, and allow to bake for an additional 10 minutes until lightly brown on both sides.

Cool, and enjoy!  ♥

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Fresh Orange Coffee Cake

SPRING has finally arrived, and with it bright beautiful colors.
I thought that I would work with one of those colors today to make a fresh coffee cake!

beautiful bright fruit
becomes..
a delicious sweet treat!

Ingredients:
2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
zest from 2 large navel oranges
3 cups cake flour (You could also use all-purpose.)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla or butter)
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9 inch springform pan

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Add eggs, one at a time.  Add orange zest.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a measuring cup, blend the orange juice, the buttermilk, and the orange extract.
Add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle with the almonds.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove from oven, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Prepare orange topping:
In a saucepan mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup orange juice.  Slowly bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Take a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan.  Spoon the topping over the hot cake allowing it to drip along the edges between the cake and pan.

Cool for 10 minutes, and remove the outer pan.

And enjoy!  ♥

***Note Wrap well and store in the refrigerator.


Printable recipe

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