Strawberry Tart with Basil Cream

I love this tart. In fact I just plain ol’ love pastries so any tart is good for me. The best thing about something like this is that the ingredients are minimal and as long as you keep some refrigerated puff pastry in your freezer you can whip something like this up quickly and customize it to whatever fruit you have on hand. I am a sucker for fresh basil so that’s why I made this particular tart but you can mix fresh mint into your cream, or go wild and experiment with spices and flavors. For example, I see an awesome banana tart with fresh cream whipped with cinnamon and nutmeg and drizzled with some caramel or chocolate sauce (or both!) See how easy that was? Now it’s your turn

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 cup heavy cream

4 or 5 T powdered sugar

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 pint strawberries

Preheat oven to 350*. Roll out pastry sheet on a floured surface until thin, about the size of a square foot. I do this because I have a great 14-inch square-shaped baking sheet, but you can do a rectangle shape if you like. Trim about an inch off the edges of the sheet and use a little water to build the edges up a bit.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sheet on top. Make sure you prick the pastry with a fork so the air can flow. If you’ve ever missed this step you’ll know the pastry will balloon up. It’s fixable for this tart but not ideal.

Bake for 20 minutes then allow to cool completely.

While the pastry sheet is cooling you can whip up the cream using a mixmaster or electric beaters with the powdered sugar until it’s set and just beginning to form soft peaks. Gently fold in the basil (save some for sprinkling on top of the tart).

Spreading the cream might be a little hard if it gets too stiff (mine did) and especially if the shell wasn’t pricked with a fork prior to baking and is breaking up (guilty), so I used a small ice cream scoop to place blobs of the cream all over the pastry. Then I used a slightly wet silicone spreader to gently spread the cream out. Mine came out pretty thick but I really liked it anyway.

Slice the strawberries and place them all over the top of the tart. I put mine in rows, overlapping each edge, covering the whole thing. You can put your strawberries on however you like.

Sprinkle any remaining bits of fresh basil on the top.

Enjoy!

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Mini Apple Tarte Tatins

This was a twist on a recipe I’ve been meaning to do for some time. Lately I’ve not been turning out the best stuff- it’s like I’ve lost my mojo. I know, right? How does that happen?? So needless to say I’m not very motivated by lengthy recipe directions. Originally I meant to make an Apple Slab Pie, which was on my menu for the month, but instead I decided to do these cute and easy little tarts.

1 sheet puff pastry

3 apples

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, divided

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon sugar

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375*.

2. Peel, core, and cut apples into 3 rings. Toss with cinnamon sugar and set aside.

3. Roll out thawed pastry sheet and cut into 9 equal squares. Wrap each apple ring.

4. Get skillet over medium heat and put in sugar and 1/2 the butter. Bring to light boil and caramelize into a syrup.

5. Place apples smooth side down into caramel syrup and cook a few minutes.

6. Melt remaining butter and mix with vanilla. Pour evenly over the upsides of the apple tarts (the side where the pastry is folded under).

7. Place whole pan into oven for about 30-45 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender.

8. At this point you could carefully flip each tart over and give it about 10 more minutes in the oven to get some of that caramelized syrup on the top side, or spoon it over the top from the bottom of the pan.

9. Serve top side up where the folds have baked up a little. Serve with ice cream if desired.

This recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage!

Gooey Butter Bars with Fresh Strawberries

This recipe looked so awesome to me when I found it that I knew I had to make it. It reminded me of those yummy, chewy butter cookies my mom and I used to make when I was a kid. Only these are thicker and gooey-er Serve with some fresh fruit on top and you’ve got more than just a sweet snack, you’ve got dessert! Recipe slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.

Gooey Butter Bars

2 1/2 cups flour, divided (1/2 wheat & 1/2 unbleached)

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided (I use an organic granulated brown sugar)

1/2 cup cold butter

2/3 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup heavy cream

3 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 T honey

pinch ground ginger

1. First of all, if your strawberries are still a bit hard and bitter (which they most likely are since it’s just the start of May) wash and cut them up, then place into a bowl and toss with about 1 tsp of sugar. Let them sit until the sugar draws out the natural juices. Drain if needed. Mix in honey and sprinkle on a bit of ground ginger. Stir to combine.

2. Preheat oven to 350*. Line a 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper.

3. To make the crust combine 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the 1/2 cup of cold butter. Mixture should look crumbly. Pat firmly into prepared pan and set aside.

4. In a large bowl place softened butter and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in the 1 1/4 cups sugar. Beat in corn syrup, egg, and almond extract just until combined. Alternately add the remaining flour and heavy cream, beating after each addition until just combined. Do not over mix.

5. Spread into crust-lined pan and bake about 45 minutes or until center is just set.

6. Cool completely on wire rack. Use parchment paper to lift from pan. Cut into bars.

7. Serve with strawberries or fresh fruit of your choice.

May Menu ~ 2013

You may have noticed that I took a little sabbatical from blogging. I didn’t know I was going to take a break but it was obvious that I needed one. It’s also pretty obvious that I didn’t cook nearly as much of my April menu as I intended and I usually try to make those recipes up the next month, but alas, I probably won’t get to those any time soon. But I do have a whole menu of new and exciting recipes to share, and I appreciate all you wonderful readers and fellow bloggers for coming back to see what I’m cooking

Recipes I’m cooking that I’ve shared before:

Zucchini Noodles,  Cilantro Lime Rice,  Spinach Tomato Feta Frittata,  Cheeseburger Salad,  Black Bean & Steak Taquitos

Recipes I’m working on this month:

Quinoa, Black Bean & Corn Burritos

Fish Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Dip

Mushroom & Peas Pulao

Chicken Enchilada Pasta Bake

Skinny Cheeseburger Casserole

Southwest Chicken & Corn Chowder

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

White Bean Turkey Chili

Marinated London Broil

Cajun Chicken Fritters with Cajun Aioli

Bourbon BBQ Sliders with Garlic Aioli

Southwest Chicken Wraps

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers

Chipotle Steak Burritos

Crispy GF Sweet & Sour Chicken

Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup

Crock Pot Short Rib Tacos with Queso

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

 Sides & Other:

Thai Dragon Noodles

Turkey Bacon & Cheddar Potato Cakes

Four Bean Salad

Breakfast Enchiladas

Slow Cooker Macaroni & Cheese

Desserts:

Gooey Butter Bars with Fresh Strawberries

Mini Apple Tarte Tatin

Strawberry Tart with Basil Cream

Vanilla-Coconut Rice Pudding

Lemon Cake with Raspberries and Yogurt Frosting

Raspberry Coconut Squares

YUM! That’s all I can say about this ooey gooey fabulous dessert. The crust is AH-MA-ZING and the rest is just nom nom nom….

You’ll want to make this one. Like soon.

2 pkgs graham crackers (16-18 sheets)

1 stick butter, melted

2 T sugar

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 cup coconut flakes

1 jar (12 oz.) raspberry preserves

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate

1 tsp shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Crush graham crackers and combine with melted butter and sugar. Use a fork to mix well. Press into greased 9×13 baking dish.

3. Sprinkle coconut evenly over the graham crust, then drizzle the condensed milk over all of the coconut. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

4. Let pan cool completely.

5. Spread the preserves over the top of the browned coconut and then sprinkle with pecans  and mini chocolate chips.

6. Melt the white chocolate and combine with the shortening until smooth. Drizzle over the top. (You can also drizzle some melted semi sweet chocolate as well if you like lots of chocolate. No shortening necessary.)

7. Cool in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened. Cut in bars.

These are pretty sweet so they go very well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream Yield: 36

Caramel Praline Tart

Reblogged from The Home Heart:

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I've been waiting quite some time to be able to share this awesome tart with you. I made one weeks ago, but alas, it fell apart in my fridge, and I was so angry I picked it up in chunks and threw it across my kitchen. I had streaks of sticky caramel and clumps of pralines and pie crust everywhere!

Read more… 229 more words

Did you know that April is National Pecan Month and yesterday was National Pecan Day? In honor of the pecan I've decided to share this re-post worthy recipe with you. Make it soon. It's awesome :)

Banana Dabs with Banana-Albumen Dip

Dabs are another word for Dodger, which is a word commonly used to describe the hush puppy. These Banana Dabs are a lot like a hush puppy in that they are fried bread balls, but what makes these awesome is their light and fluffy banana texture and flavor. Even better is the frothy sweet banana dip that goes with it. But if you don’t like the idea of eating albumen (raw egg whites) then rest assured that these little dabs go excellent with chocolate syrup!

Banana Dabs 

1 3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 ripe banana, mashed

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup water*

Banana-Albumen Dip:

3 tsp sugar

2 egg whites

1 ripe banana, mashed

1. Heat at least an inch of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Mix together mashed banana with the vanilla, then add in flour, sugar and baking powder. Slowly mix in the water. *You may need up to another 1/4 cup but only until the batter is sticky.

3. Spoon out large teaspoons of batter into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides- about a minute. Dabs will be beautiful and puffy.

4. Set all dabs to drain on paper towels.

5. In mixer whip egg whites with sugar and mashed banana until super frothy and thick.

                                                                                          

A Little Bit of Everything Cookie Bars

Ever go into your pantry and find yourself looking at odd measurements of leftover ingredients?  This recipe is perfect because you can put anything in it; any kind of nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, and even caramel pieces. Use your imagination.

For this recipe I literally used up random leftovers that I had taking up space in my pantry. So not only did I clean out some cabinet space I also got a whole pan of awesomeness to boot.

Sigh. It was liberating.

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup organic sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup unbleached flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups quick oats

3/4 cup pretzel bits

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chips

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup  pomegranate infused dried cranberries

1/2 cup mini malt ball Easter eggs*, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350* and lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Into mixture put butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix until creamy.

3. In separate bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in oats.

4. Pour flour and oat mixture into the mixer with the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well.

5. Add in pretzels, chips, nuts, fruit, coconut, etc. *Except for the malt balls or any other  candy/decoration. You may need to dig in with your hands at this point to really mix everything together.

6. Spread it out evenly into the prepared 9×13 pan and then push the malt eggs into the top randomly. This part is completely optional. You may want to use M&M’s or some other holiday candies for a different occasion.

7. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.

April Menu ~ 2013

Spring has officially arrived and with it comes some great eating. It’s almost time to pull out the grill and make some awesome Balsamic Grilled Chicken (I’ve been craving that!) or make a Caprese Pasta Salad or some Black Bean Taquitos.

Hot Hamburger Plate (Number One’s birthday) and Caramel Cake

Oven Baked Tacos with Crock Pot Pinto Beans and Pico de Gallo

Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Pesto Parmesan Green Beans and Oven Roasted Potatoes

Cheeseburger Salad

Black Bean Taquitos with Salad and Mexican Rice

Caprese Pasta Salad

Romano-Crusted Chicken with Skillet Veggies and Cheesy Pesto Bread

Pan-Seared Tuna Steaks with Lima Bean Butter 

 Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese

Taco Cornbread Pizza

Chicken and Rice Pilaf with Roasted Asparagus

~ Recipes I am working on this month ~

Chili Lime Chicken Fiesta Salad with Chili Lime Ranch

Poor Man’s Mongolian Beef

Wonton Taco Cups

Amazing Cashew Chicken

Poached Salmon with Sour Cream & Dill Dressing 

Beer Battered Fish & Chips

Chicken Asadero Chimichanga

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

Eggplant Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Asian Chicken Pizza with Peanut Sauce

Crock Pot Chipotle Chicken Tacos

~ Sides ~

Smoked Salmon & Creme Fraiche Bruschetta

Macaroni Salad

Spinach Squares

Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini with Ragu

Asparagus Feta Tart

Crispy Parmesan Baked Potaotes

Arancini w/ Marinara

Homemade French Bread

~ Desserts ~

A Little Bit of Everything Cookie Bars

Raspberry Coconut Squares

30 Minute Mini-Cini Buns

Margarita Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Roulade

Here’s a carrot cake for Easter that tastes great, doesn’t require a lot of work, and is just slightly different from the average carrot cake. I even decorated it with a few carrot gummies I found at the dollar store. But you don’t have to only use this recipe for Easter. Make it all Spring long and decorate it with anything you want.

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

2 T EVOO

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

2 cups shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

powdered sugar, for rolling the cake

For the Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

5 T butter, softened

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Line a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) with parchment paper or foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray and then dust with powdered sugar.

2. Beat eggs at high-speed for 5 minutes, until frothy. Beat in sugar, oil, and vanilla.

3. In separate bowl, whisk together salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour. Stir into egg mixture just until blended. Add carrots.

4. Spread in prepared pan. Use a rubber scraper to smooth the batter into the corners.  Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Lay out a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over onto the towel.  Remove paper/foil gently.

6. Working at a short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake and began to roll tightly. You can sprinkle some powdered sugar or flour on this side of the cake as well, if needed.

7. Leave cake rolled up in the towel at least one hour, until completely cooled.

8. While cake is cooling, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in sugar and vanilla until combined.

9. When cake is cool, careful unroll the towel. Spread about 50 -60% of the frosting over the cake evenly. Re-roll tightly. Use the rest of the frosting for the outside of the cake.

10. Chill another 30 – 60 minutes at least. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate as desired. *Cake can be wrapped in plastic and frozen up to a month.

Easter Blessings!

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