Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars

 

  Whenever my family has an occasion to celebrate, my first question is always "what can I bring?" What can I say..... that's just how I was raised. My Dad used to always say "when you go to a party, you ring the doorbell with your elbow." (meaning your hands are full, carrying whatever you brought to the party). Most times it'll be an easy dessert, or something "picky uppy", which is a highly official term we use to describe party finger food. Sweet or savory, it's always the perfect thing for a party. So when my nephew Gregger and his newly intended, Britny, announced their forthcoming nuptials, I immediately started looking for a picky uppy something to bring to their engagement party. 

  Sometimes, I'll have something specific in mind, which often requires a trip to the store, but in this case, I eyed the fresh blueberries that I already had in my fridge, and that's the direction I went. A few more ingredients from my well stocked pantry, a google search, and this is where I landed. 

 It's my own adaptation of a recipe I found on a blog called Dance Around the Kitchen. Simple. Easy. And best of all, I already had all the ingredients. Perfect!

 So lets talk about the recipe for a minute. I've seen this method before. You make one recipe for the crust, then use half of it for the bottom layer, add a middle filling layer, and then use the rest of the crust crumbled over the top. Great. But here's the thing... it always seems to me that there isn't enough crust dough to go around. I like to make a solid bottom crust, and enough crumble to almost cover the top. So my adaptation was just to bump up the amounts a little to make more crumble crust/topping. I suppose I should have done some math to increase the proportions equally, but I didn't. I just sort of added more to each measure. I guess it's very forgiving because it turned out perfectly. And it had the perfect amount of crust!

   So, congratulations, Gregger and Britny! I'm so thrilled for both of you! And I'm glad the blueberry bars were a hit at your engagement party!

 And the next time you need to "ring the doorbell with your elbow', try this recipe. 

You'll love 'em!

1 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 cups quick oats (uncooked)
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or raspberries)

Sprinkle of cinnamon, optional



Preheat oven to 350ºF
Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining with parchment paper or coating with cooking spray.
 In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Stir in the baking soda, salt, flour, and oatmeal until combined. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 13 minutes.
While the bottom layer is baking, make the filling.
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and stir until smooth. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk with a whisk to make sure it's mixed well. Then add the vanilla and egg yolk. 
Once the bottom layer is done baking, (no need to cool), pour the cream cheese mixture over it and carefully spread it out. Add the berries on top of the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal crumble on top and press it down lightly. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, if desired. 
Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. 
Let cool completely, then chill for at least an hour before cutting; store in the refrigerator.

Tips:

When stirring the cream cheese, be sure to get all the lumps out before adding the condensed milk. It'll be harder to get the lumps out if you add them all at once! Don't ask me how I know...

If you're not a fan of blueberries, try something else! Cherries would be great. Pineapple would be amazing. Diced strawberries would be awesome. Or combine whichever fruits you like. Diced peaches and raspberries would be fabulous. You do you!

Btw, I added cinnamon, but you don't have to. It just seemed to me that the crumble is very similar to an oatmeal cookie, so why not? Turned out to be a good decision!

Red, White, and Blueberry Cheese Icebox Cake

 

 Here’s another no-bake dessert that is perfect for your 4th of July celebration. It’s an ice box cake!! Have you ever had one? It’s actually nothing new, and not even really a cake. It’s just layers of sweet creamy deliciousness sandwiched between layers of graham crackers, (in this case with added strawberries and blueberries). And then as it chills, the graham crackers become soft and more like cake. So you can slice it into squares, and it sets up just like cake! Clever, huh?

 I recently made it for my niece, Terri, and her family, and it got RAVE reviews! It’s kind of one of those desserts where everyone goes back for just a little bit more. No judgement here! And it’s easy enough for the cooking novice to make. Perfect! If you’ve never tried one, you absolutely must!




8oz pkg cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups heavy cream

2 lbs strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
1 lb blueberries, washed and picked over of any stems
2 sleeves graham crackers


In a mixing bowl with a wire whisk attachment, starting on a low speed, whip together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl and gradually add speed until the mixture is smooth. Turn mixer back to low speed. Add all of the cream. Slowly increase speed again all the way to high. Mix until the cream is thickened to a nice spreadable consistency.

In a glass 9x13 dish, spread a thin layer of the cream mixture across the bottom, just to give the crackers something to hold onto. Place a layer of graham crackers, breaking them as needed to fit. Do another thin layer of cream. Now do a layer of sliced strawberries, and another layer of cream.
Do the same thing again, only with blueberries this time. (crackers, cream, blueberries, cream.)
The last layer of cream should use up the remaining cream. Arrange strawberries and blueberries on top in any decorative pattern.
Cover with foil and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.


Tips:
When I say 2 sleeves of graham crackers, I just mean that usually they come 3 sleeves in a box, and I used 2 of them. Just use as many as you need to cover each layer.
Be sure to do this way in advance to give the graham crackers time to absorb the cream. That’s key to making it more like a cake texture!
 Also if you’d like to make this for July 4th, you could easily make a flag design on the top. Just put a square of blueberries in the upper left corner, and stripes of red strawberries with the white cream mixture showing between them.
Don’t like strawberries?  Use raspberries or cherries instead!
Not going for a patriotic theme? Use any kind of fruit you like! Blackberries, peaches, pineapple, any fruit will work!

 

Lidia's Berry Tiramisù

  Every year, for July 4th, I like to try to find something that is red, white, and blue. Sometimes it's a trifle, one year it was even a red, white, and blue chicken salad. This year, I was planning to do a different dessert, but then I got a text from my sister Cathy that said "This recipe looks good!" Since I was already planning to spend July 4th with her, I knew this was this year's recipe!
 If you've never had Tiramisù, it's a delicious Italian dessert made with ladyfingers dipped in coffee or liqueur, layered with fluffy mascarpone cheese, and topped with a dusting of chocolate. The name literally means "pick me up" and it's just the thing after a big Italian dinner.
 Well, instead of a coffee dessert, this version is made with BERRIES! And since the recipe is from Lidia Bastianich (one of my all time favorite TV cooking personalities), it's literally guaranteed to be fabulous! Side note, I go to her restaurant in NYC, Becco, whenever I can, and I'm never disappointed!
 So here we are with a fabulously delicious dessert, perfect for the Fourth of July with its red, white, and blue. It's perfect for summer because you don't need to turn the oven on, and perfect to go far enough to feed everyone at the BBQ. There's just no other word for it. It's perfect! So I guess I should close the way Miss Lidia does, with her signature catch phrase: 'Tutti a tavola a mangiare!'



For the Berries:
4 cups blueberries
6 cups thickly sliced strawberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups orange juice
1 cup chunky blueberry jam
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup superfine sugar


For Assembly:
2 cups ricotta, at room temperature
2 8-ounce containers mascarpone, at room temperature
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
42 Savoiardi (Lady Fingers)




Preparation:

For the berry sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups blueberries, 2 cups strawberries, the granulated sugar, orange zest and juice, jam, and rum. Bring to a simmer, and cook to make a slightly syrupy sauce, about 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into a shallow pan (where you will be soaking the Savoiardi), and let cool.
Put the remaining 2 cups blueberries, remaining 4 cups strawberries, and the superfine sugar in a medium bowl. Toss to combine, and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ricotta and mascarpone at medium  speed  for a few seconds to combine, then add the superfine sugar and vanilla. Beat at medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes.
To assemble, soak half of the Savoiardi in the cooked berry sauce until moistened, rolling them around to coat thoroughly. Tightly fit these Savoiardi in the bottom of a deep 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic dish. Spoon a few spoonfuls of the remaining cooked berry sauce over the Savoiardi. Spread half of the ricotta mixture in an even layer over the Savoiardi.
Layer a little more than half of the uncooked berries (you just want an even layer) over the mascarpone. Soak the remaining Savoiardi in the cooked berry sauce, and arrange in a tight layer over the fresh berries. Spread the remaining mascarpone over this in a smooth layer. Cover, and chill overnight for best results. Combine the remaining fresh berries and any cooked berry sauce left from soaking the Savoiardi, cover, and chill overnight.
To serve, cut squares of the tiramisù and serve with a little of the leftover berries and sauce.


Tips:
TBH, there's nothing I can do to improve this recipe. But here are a few thoughts in Lidia's own words:  "This dessert is best made a day ahead, to allow the flavors to combine. Any combination of berries — or even just one kind — will make a marvelous tiramisù."

Blueberry Lemon Cake

OK, first, lemme just say that I made this cake a few weeks ago with the intention of posting it for Mother's Day, but then schedules got crazy and life got in the way and things got pushed to the back burner, so to speak. Ah well, what can you do? But the good news it's here NOW and it's definitely worth the wait!
 I found this cake on a blog called Natasha's Kitchen. It's light and tasty, so it's just the perfect thing to have with a cup of tea for an afternoon treat. Doesn't that just sound lovely?
 I also love the fact that the recipe uses an entire pound of blueberries. I'm kind of a stickler for that sort of thing. If I'm making something that has a specific flavor, I want A LOT of that one key ingredient, know what I mean? In other words, if I'm gonna make, say, a peanut butter cookie, I want a recipe that uses A LOT of peanut butter! (Hence the Whole Jar of Peanut Butter Cookies.) It makes sense, right? And that's what we have here! LOTS of plump delicious blueberries. Yum. Btw, this cake is also a snap to throw together, so it's the perfect thing when you need something to sweeten your day. Hope you like it!

2 large eggs 

1 cup granulated sugar  

1 cup sour cream (8oz) 

1/2 cup vegetable oil  

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt  

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder  

1 medium lemon zest and juice, divided 

1/2 tbs corn starch  

16 oz fresh blueberries

Powdered sugar to dust the top, optional

Preheat Oven to 375˚F.
Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Beat eggs and sugar with whisk attachment on high speed 5 min, or until light in color and thick. Add sour cream, oil, vanilla extract, and salt, and whisk on low speed until well combined. Whisk together the flour with the baking powder, then add to batter 1/3 at a time, whisking to incorporate with each addition (DO NOT OVERMIX). Finally, add 1 tbs lemon juice and 1/2 tbs zest.
  Rinse blueberries and drain well. In a medium bowl, toss blueberries with 1/2 tbs corn starch and 1 tsp lemon juice, stirring until well combined and no dry white cornstarch remains.
 Pour half of batter into prepared springform pan and spread evenly. Top with half of the blueberries. Spread with remaining batter then sprinkle the rest of the blueberries evenly over the top, pushing them slightly into the batter (about halfway). Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake rest in the pan 15-20 min then remove ring and cool until room temp or just warm. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.




Tips:
Full disclosure, the blueberries are supposed to stay suspended in the cake, but as you can see from the photo, mine sank to the bottom. Tbh, I didn't even mind it. But if you want yours to stay suspended, I've always had better luck tossing the blueberries with a tbs of flour, instead of tossing them with cornstarch.
Be sure to include the lemon zest. It really bumps up the lemon flavor in a cake without adding any liquid to the batter!
 Also, I used a 9" tart pan with a removable ring instead of the springform pan and it worked beautifully!

 

Blueberry Banana Zucchini Bread

  As the end of summer rapidly approaches, many home gardeners are faced with the same question: "what are we gonna do with all of this extra zucchini?" Well, my friends, here's the answer!
 Yes, I know that zucchini bread isn't exactly the most ground breaking idea to ever come into the kitchen, but when you add blueberries and bananas to the party, well now, THAT is something new!
 I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Averie Cooks. It hits all of my recipe criteria (quick to throw together, ingredients that are readily available, easy enough for the baking novice) and it tastes absolutely delicious! It's not overly sweet, but it lets all the flavors shine through. Oh, and can we talk about how moist it is? Usually when you're baking breads, you have just one ingredient headliner that contributes a lot of moisture, such as blueberries, or zucchini, or bananas. Well, in this case, we have ALL THREE! So believe me when I tell you that this might be the most moist bread you've ever baked. I'm not even kidding!
 Ok, so, as I often do, I asked a few of my friends to try it, just to let me know if they think it's good enough to share on my blog. When they tasted this one, they ALL said "yes, absolutely, 100%!" (Actually, I think they were my friend Mack's actual words! lol) In fact, it was almost gone before I even had a chance to take a picture! So here we are. Sharing is caring!
 Oh, and one other thing. When I share recipes, I always post my own little hints or tips at the bottom, just in case there is anything extra that is noteworthy, but Averie has already done that for me too! So, thank you again, Averie, for another great recipe and also for the great tips. I'll definitely be making this one again!




1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour + 1/4 cup for tossing with blueberries
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 medium/large bananas)
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini, laid loosely in cup and not packed (don’t wring out)
1 cup (6 ounces) fresh blueberries



Preheat oven to 350F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
To a large bowl, add the the first six ingredients, through vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Add the bananas, zucchini, and stir to combine; set aside. To a medium bowl, add the blueberries, 1/4 cup flour (helps prevent them from sinking while baking), and toss to coat. Add the blueberries and all flour bits to the large bowl with the batter and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.  Place loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 90 minutes (start checking at about 75 minutes), or until the top is golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.





Averie's Tips:
 Before baking, evenly sprinkle the surface with 1 to 2 tablespoons blueberries for a visual pop of color.
At the 45 minute mark, tent the pan with a sheet of foil draped loosely over it to prevent the top and sides from browning too quickly while giving the interior a chance to cook through.
I encourage rotating the pan a couple times during baking to ensure even baking because many ovens don’t bake evenly. Baking times will vary based on the moisture content of the bananas, zucchini, blueberries, climate, and oven variances.
Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock and don’t worry if it takes more or less time to bake than the baking time estimate provided.

Blueberry Blondies

Ok, ok, before I say a word about this recipe, I should tell you that the original recipe is NOT called Blueberry Blondies. It was given to me by my friend, Gina, who found it on a blog called Averie Cooks, and it's really called Crustless Blueberry Pie. But here's the thing... As delicious as it is, in my humble opinion, it's not a pie! I mean, the only thing that made it a pie was the fact that it was originally baked in a pie dish. But even the blog called it "somewhere between cake and a blondie." And, since I was making it in squares, I decided to just name them blondies and call it a day. Oh, and since one pie plate's worth of batter wouldn't be enough for a 9x13 pan, I simply doubled the recipe and added a little sprinkling of coarse sugar over the top for a little crunch. So there you have it. Full disclosure!
 Actually, at first I wasn't going to share the recipe, considering that I had just repurposed it a little, and I thought maybe Averie would be a little offended. But then I decided to ponder what it would be like if someone had reworked one of MY recipes, and I thought "Well GOOD!" That's what cooking is supposed to be! That's how new recipes are born! You see what someone else has done, you tweak it here and there, you keep what you like, and change what you don't like, and then PRESTO we have something new! Sometimes it turns out to be completely different, and other times it turns out to be a blondie instead of a pie. The important thing is that YOU made it homemade for your family and friends, and everyone loved it. And that's a pretty awesome thing, I must say.
 So, Averie, if you're reading, please feel free to browse any of my recipes and repurpose them as much as you like! I would love to see what changes you make!




2 cups white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
4 cups plus 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup turbinado sugar (coarse sugar, or sugar in the raw)


Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper; set aside. To a large bowl, add white sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and whisk to combine; set aside. To a medium bowl, add the slightly cooled melted butter, eggs, extracts, and whisk to combine. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir to combine; don’t overmix. Add 4 cups blueberries and gently stir to combine; batter is very thick. Turn mixture out into prepared baking dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over the top. Evenly sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter. Cool completely or chill before cutting into squares.



Tips:
The almond extract is quite a strong flavor. It definitely comes through. If you're not a fan, just leave it out!
I listed the recipe with the amounts I used for the 9x13 pan, but if you'd prefer to bake it in a 9" pie dish, just cut everything in half!
For a variation, try any other kinds berries or a combination there of!

Blueberry BBQ Baked Beans

 Ok, ok, I know you're probably thinking "Wait... baked beans with BLUEBERRIES???"
And the answer is absolutely YES!!! Just hear me out!!
 I've always loved to do something unexpected with your usual classic something, and this time I decided to do a new riff on baked beans. I've already done pineapple baked beans, maple bacon baked beans, and my regular classic baked beans, so why not do something with blueberries?
 At first I just figured I'd start out with your basic cans of pork and beans, and then embellish them with blueberry-ish ingredients, but then I found this recipe from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and decided to give it a try. I figure, well, blueberries are their thing, they wouldn't post this recipe if it wasn't good, right? And I was right!!!
 The first thing I noticed is that it's not tomato or ketchup based. And it uses regular white beans instead of cans of pork and beans. Also it uses molasses and balsamic vinegar. Sounds good to me! So I went for it. OMG it's so delicious!!! No, it doesn't taste like pie filling, and yes, it tastes like BBQ, even though there's no BBQ sauce in it!
 So you should DEFINITELY give this one a try. Make it for your family and friends or bring it to a potluck. I guarantee it'll be the talk of the party!



2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) white beans, such as cannellini or navy, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses ­
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-1/4 teaspoons mustard powder
1 cup blueberries
4 drops liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon lime zest



 Over medium heat, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and white onion. Cook until onion is translucent; add garlic. Cook until garlic becomes fragrant; add beans, molasses, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder and ginger. Stir and let thicken for 5­-8 minutes. Toss in half of the blueberries and macerate with beans; add liquid smoke. Stir and let cook an additional 5­-8 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the remaining blueberries, jalapeño, lime zest and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with basil.


Tips:
 I must admit that I didn't do it EXACTLY as written. I didn't have mustard powder, so I just added a heaping tsp of Dijon mustard. The original recipe called for frozen blueberries, but I used fresh, and I used twice as many. And I added chopped cherry peppers instead of a jalapeno.
 For me, the key ingredients are the liquid smoke and the fresh basil. Be sure to include them!!
I think maybe the next time I make it, I'm gonna add bacon, because everything is better with bacon!! I would probably just brown the bacon with the onions and omit the oil. Works for me!

Jam Swirled Cheesecake Squares

  Just as I do every year, I was looking for a red white and blue something to make for July 4th. This year's contribution is an easy and perfect time saver because you can do it way ahead!
 I was trying to think of something that would work with my home made strawberry and blueberry jams, and this is what I found! It's a slightly tweaked version of a Nestle recipe and it's just exactly what I was looking for. Just a quick basic crust, basic cheese filling, and then a swirl of jam! Perfect, right? Seriously, its beauty is in its simplicity. It's the perfect starting point recipe for any cheesecake squares, and then you can vary it up however you like.
 I just happened to have some strawberry pineapple jam, and a brand new batch of fresh blueberry rhubarb jam on hand, so that's what I used, but I will DEFINITELY try other flavors the next time I make this. Ooo maybe fresh blackberry jam next! Or maybe fresh pineapple, one of my all time favorites! I promise, your friends and family will absolutely devour these little gems at your July 4th BBQ long before it's time for fireworks! Have fun, be safe, and enjoy!




First line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper with an inch or two of overhang on each side.

For the crust:
one entire box of shortbread cookies or vanilla wafers
2 tbs sugar
4 tbs melted butter

Place all ingredients in a food processor and give it a good blitz until it becomes fine crumbs that are evenly coated with butter. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake crust for 15 minutes at 325ºF.

Remove from oven. Let it cool. Meanwhile make the filling.

For the filling:

3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Use a paper towel to wipe out the food procesor of crumbs. No need to completely wash.
Place all filling ingredients in the now crumb free food processor. Process until completely smooth.
Pour filling over baked crust.

For the topping:
Place teaspoonfuls of your favorite jam all over the top. I would say about 1/4 -1/3 cup of jam, total. Yes, it will probably sink in, but that's ok. Use a tooth pick to swirl, making sure not to disturb the underlying crust.
Bake at 325ºF for 40 minutes or until set. Cool completely then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Cut into squares and serve!



Tips:
For the crust, I used Lorna Doone cookies. Why? Because I LOVE 'em! But use anything you like. Vanilla wafers or graham crackers would be my second choice. You could even do golden or regular Oreos. No need to add the butter and sugar, just process until crumbs and then proceed as directed!
 Don't have a food processor? just crush the cookies in a ziploc bag. And use an electric mixer to mix up the filling! The only reason I used a food processor for the filling was because I didn't feel like washing another dish! heehee
 I used strawberry pineapple and blueberry rhubarb jam. I wanted the red white and blue, but feel free to add just one. Or as many as you like! Don't have any jam? Use teaspoonfuls of pie filling instead!
Definitely be sure to chill the pan for several hours. It makes cutting into squares so much easier!

Mixed Berry Bundt Cake

Every summer, it seems that I do most of my shopping at local produce markets. Yes, I love the comfort of winter's stews and soups and casseroles and gratins. But in the summer, I always find myself craving lighter and fresher meals. I guess the warmer weather makes me think of all the fresh fruits and veggies grown from local farms in my area. (Seriously one of my favorite things about living in the Garden State!)
 So I recently made a huge batch of bumbleberry jam, (which was FABULOUS, btw) and I had quite a few berries leftover. Hmm.. what can I make with them? Sure, I could make a pie, or a Strawberry Shortcake, but I wanted something new. Oh! How about something light and no-fuss that I could bring to an all-day rehearsal for the show I'm currently doing? A bundt cake! Yes, That's the answer. And off I go, looking for the right recipe. Well, it didn't take me long to find THIS one. It's from Williams-Sonoma, and it's PERFECT! It's simple to make, I already had all of the ingredients on hand, and it's absolutely delicious. And it was just the thing to bring to my rehearsal, no plates or utensils needed, and everyone could just grab a slice at any time throughout the day whenever they wanted. Everyone loved it! It would also be fabulous with a citrus glaze drizzled over it for any special occasion or even just an afternoon tea. Maybe next time I'll serve it with a little bit of the bumbleberry jam that I made! Boom.


5 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
20 Tbs. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
  temperature, cut into small pieces
2 Tbs. kirsch or other fruit liqueur
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups raspberries (divided)
1 1/2 cups blueberries or blackberries
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)


 Preheat an oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a Bundt pan. In a large bowl, blend the eggs and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat in the butter and liqueur until fluffy. Add all but 2 Tbs. of the flour and the baking powder and salt, and beat until well incorporated and no lumps remain. In another bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the raspberries and the blueberries with the remaining 2 Tbs. flour. Toss to coat the berries evenly with the flour. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the berries into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold the cake onto the rack and let cool completely. Fill the center of the cake with the remaining 2 cups raspberries. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar.

 Tips:

I listed the recipe the way Williams-Sonoma did, but I didn't do it exactly the same.
For one, I didn't have raspberries, I had strawberries. So I just diced them up to about the same size as the other berries. I also didn't serve mine with two cups of berries in the center. So be sure you only put a total of 3 cups of berries in the cake batter. I say this because I almost threw all 5 cups of berries into the cake and then realized that 2 of the cups were intended for garnish. Whew! That was a close one. Serves me right for not READING the entire recipe as I'm making it. LOL ah well. Live and learn.

Orange Blueberry Marmalade

  As I was trying to think of new and different kinds of interesting jams and jellies, I figured a good place to start would be the recipes that I've already done. Maybe I could do a few variations and come up with something new! Awesome. So, one of my more popular jams was Sweet Orange Marmalade. Super bright and fresh, it's like sunshine in a jar. I thought, ok, how can I switch it up? Then I remembered Tyler's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze that I posted a while back. I've made them using oranges instead of lemons, and the blueberry orange combination was absolutely DELISH! So I figured why not do that with the marmalade too? Brilliant idea, right? Apparently Bobby Flay thought so too because he had the same idea for his show, Brunch at Bobby's. (Hey, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever posted any of Bobby Flay's recipes. Well, that is until now!) Yes, this is his recipe, and he basically did just what I would've done. When making marmalade, I like to peel the orange zest with a peeler and then get rid of the white pith which makes it bitter. The result is fresh and sweet and bursting with HUGE orange flavor. And the blueberries add another layer of flavor, and a deep rich color. FABULOUS! When I made it, I preserved it in jars just because that's how I roll, but if you want to eat it right away, you can skip the canning and just store it in the fridge.
 I think I need to make another batch of scones to go with this new marmalade flavor combo! Maybe you should too! I PROMISE your friends and family will thank you for it!

8 medium oranges
4 lemons
2 cups fresh blueberries
6 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid fruit pectin


  Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of the oranges and lemons. Cut the zest pieces into thin slices, then finely chop or grind and set aside.
Peel the remaining white part of the peel from the fruit and discard. Chop the fruit pulp, reserving any juice and set aside.
Place the zest and 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved fruit pulp and juice, cover and simmer on low heat for an additional 7 minutes. Add the blueberries and simmer for 3 more minutes.
Stir the sugar into the fruit in the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and cook exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the pectin. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.

If you'd like to do the canning, prep your jars before you make the marmalade:
Bring boiling-water canner, a little more than half-full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
Ladle hot jam immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Tips:
Whenever I make jams or jellies, I like to add a small pat of butter to the pot. This helps to prevent it from creating too much foam on the surface of the marmalade as it boils. It's completely optional, though!
As I've said before, making the jam is easy. Preserving it in jars is the part that can seem a little daunting. (I PROMISE I'll do a how-to video about canning soon!) If you plan on eating the marmalade right away, then just keep it in a jar in the fridge. It'll keep for weeks (if it lasts that long!)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

 I recently had my friends, Maggie and Joe, to my apt for dinner. It was going to be a weeknight get together, so I knew it had to be something quick and easy. For dinner I made Shrimp Maureen, just because it's super easy and it's ready in a snap. And for dessert, I made this fabulous pie! It's light and refreshing and is the perfect summer dessert!
 At first, I wasn't sure what sort of dessert I would make, so I did what I always do. I looked to see what ingredients I had on hand, just to see if there was anything I could just throw together. Blueberries, great.... sour cream, hmmm...... And then I remembered making a Sour Cream Rhubarb Pie once upon a time... I thought "I bet I could probably come up with a blueberry version of it!" So I did a little googling and came up with this recipe, which is a tweaked version of a recipe I found on Food.com. The filling is so simple to make you don't even need a mixer, and it was a great do ahead dessert because it's best when you chill it for several hours or overnight. Perfect!! 
 Maggie and Joe absolutely LOVED it! And I must say, I was pretty impressed with myself too! So if you happen to have some fresh blueberries and you're looking for something fresh and yummy, look no further! Give this recipe a try and I'll bet you'll get rave reviews too.
It's just absolutely delicious!


1 unbaked pie crust: purchased, your own, or make half recipe for Easy Pie Crust

 Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Topping:
3/4 flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
 8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 3/4" pieces
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt 

Heat oven to 400ºF.
Line your pie plate with crust. Flute to make a decorative edge. Set aside.

Mix sugar and flour together in bowl. Beat in sour cream, egg, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt together until smooth. Fold in blueberries. Pour into pie crust, and bake for 25 minutes. (May need to adjust temperature and time for frozen berries). Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients. Remove pie from oven after the 25 minutes, and sprinkle on topping. Return pie to oven and bake 10 minutes more. Chill before serving with whipped cream, or sweetened sour cream or crème fraîche.

Tips:

If you use salted butter, you can omit the salt from the topping.

For a little extra crunch, add finely chopped pecans to the topping. 

Not a fan of blueberries? Use whatever kind of fruit you like! Or you a combination! I bet strawberries and kiwi would be fabulous. Or maybe peaches and mangoes. MMM!!

 

Red Velvet Cherry Cobbler with Cream Cheese Ice Cream and Blueberries

 Are you all set for your 4th of July BBQ? Burgers, check. Hot dogs, check. Watermelon, corn on the cob, Check! Oh, and definitely be sure to wear red white and blue!! That's what we always do in my family! And to go with your Patriotic attire, I have the perfect Patriotic dessert for you! I found this year's 4th of July recipe while I was browsing recipes LAST 4th of July. As soon as I saw it, I thought YES! Simple, easy to make, deliciously decadent, and red white & blue! Perfect! I couldn't wait to make it for this year's post!
 I made it for Chris and Claire and they both just loved it. Claire loved that it wasn't overly sweet, and Chris said he liked how the cream cheese ice cream was the perfect thing to go with the cobbler and the berries. It's best when you have the perfect bite of all three things in one go. LOVE that! Oh, and the other great thing about this recipe is that it's a total do-ahead. I made mine the night before I was planning to serve it and it was perfect.
 So, lets talk about the recipes for a minute, shall we? The recipe for the cobbler is from Southern Living and I found it on Myrecipes.com. Great recipe, yes, but I did tweak it, slightly. I changed it from the original mixed berry cobbler to a fresh cherry cobbler, just because the fresh cherries at the market looked so good, and I was going for a deep red velvet color. And who doesn't love chocolate and cherry together?? Feel free to make whichever kind of cobbler you like!
 The ice cream recipe is from Epicurious.com. I looked at several recipes, and most of the ones I saw contained eggs. I was looking for an ice CREAM, not a frozen custard (which is technically what the addition of eggs would be), and I wasn't in the mood to cook the custard, and let it cool, etc. I just wanted to mix up the cream base, freeze it in my ice cream maker and enjoy. Perhaps next time I'll try one of the frozen custard recipes, but for now, I'm fine with the regular ice cream!
 So there you have it. Red velvet cobbler, white ice cream, and fresh blueberries. It just may be one of my favorite 4th of July recipes ever! I think you'll enjoy it too! Try it!


For the cobbler:
1 tablespoon cornstarch 
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided 
4 cups assorted fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 cup butter, softened 
2 large eggs 
2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Toss cherries with cornstarch mixture, and spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. (btw, I added a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the fruit/cornstarch mixture, just to brighten up the flavor a bit. Just sayin!)
 Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in red food coloring and vanilla until blended. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir together buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. (Mixture will bubble.) Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Spoon batter over berry mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake topping comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.




For the ice cream:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup whole milk
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Blend cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, then stir in cream. Freeze cream cheese mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours. Let ice cream soften 5 minutes before serving.


Tips:
As I said before, use whatever kind of fruit you like. Not a cherry fan? Use strawberries or raspberries! Or both! I'm sure you can use any other kind of fruit you like, but then you'll be introducing other colors instead of just red white and blue.
When you're making the ice cream, be sure to add the lemon juice. Tbh, at first, I wasn't even going to add it. Here's the thing... when I make a cheesecake, I like it to be a PLAIN cheesecake instead of a lemony one. I figured this would be the same sort of situation, but no. You definitely want the tang from the lemon in this instance. It makes the ice cream taste more like cream cheese! And one other thing..this ice cream recipe makes a small batch. If you have a big crowd, you may want to plan on making several batches ahead of time. Just sayin'!

Red, White, and Blueberry Chicken Salad

 If you're one of my regular readers, you know that I like to share red white and blue dessert recipes for the 4th of July.  I'm always looking for fresh new things that would be perfect to bring to a 4th of July cookout. Well, did you ever think of making a SAVORY dish that is red white and blue? Once before, I made a Strawberry Salsa served with sour cream and blue corn chips (which was delicious, btw), and now I have this delicious recipe to add to my savory recipes for the 4th of July!
 Now, I know you may be saying "blueberries in chicken salad??" And to that I say "ABSOLUTELY!" It's light and fresh and it's the perfect salad to serve while you're celebrating the 4th. You could also make sandwiches and have a picnic! It's just different enough to be a showstopper but tasty enough to not have any leftovers. Cool, huh? It's my version of a recipe I found online and I hope you'll give it a try!
Enjoy!


3 cups cooked chicken (roughly one rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced)
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste

Place the chicken, blueberries, and peppers in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour the dressing over the chicken and gently toss until well coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Can be made a day ahead. That's all there is to it!


Tips:
-Be sure to toss the ingredients GENTLY when you mix them. You don't want to smash the berries.
-Instead of using onion powder, you can use some diced scallions instead. If you're keeping with the red white and blue, just use the white parts of the scallions!
-Not a fan of Greek yogurt? Use sour cream instead!
-The original recipe called for lemon yogurt. I tasted it and all I could taste was the artificial sweetener. Ugh. Not at all what I was hoping for. That's why I figured the plain yogurt, lemon juice and just a touch of sugar would be a better alternative. Let me know what you think!

Fresh Berries and Chicken Summer Salad

  Have you noticed that strawberries and grilled chicken seem to be the salad stars of the summer lately? Everywhere you go, from chain restaurants to fast foods, you seem to see a salad on the menu with grilled chicken and strawberries. I've always been a big fan of of sweet/savory dishes, so this one is right up my alley. So I decided to take this seasonal trend and go a little further with it. Strawberries, yes, but how about some blueberries too? Grape tomatoes, absolutely. And how about some avocado? LOVE 'em.
 So here's my version of this summer's salad. There's really no science to it at all, and there's really no recipe. It's just a salad, I know, but I seem to keep coming back to this combination of ingredients. Just toss everything together! It always hits all the right notes! The sweet from the berries, the richness from the avocado and cheese, the freshness from the tomatoes and lettuce. I just love it! Add as much or as little of each ingredient as you like. Try it!  I know you'll like it!

For the salad:
grilled boneless chicken
grape tomatoes
cubed American cheese
strawberries, halved or quartered
blueberries
avocado, sliced
romaine lettuce (or other favorite salad greens)

For the dressing:
red wine or apple cider vinegar
a little honey or sugar (Splenda works too if you're counting carbs)
a tbs Dijon mustard
oil
salt and pepper

 Tips:
 I like to place the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and just shake until well combined. To continue with the berry theme, try using raspberry or blueberry vinegar. Delish! Balsamic vinegar also pairs famously with strawberries. You should definitely try it.
 Not a fan or strawberries or blueberries? Add whatever kind of fruit you like! Peaches? Mangoes? Pineapples? Go for it.
  The chicken can be served warm or chilled, so I like to grill a lot of it and then keep the extra in the fridge so it'll be already ready already for the next salad. Then it's a snap to just throw everything together!
When you make the dressing, taste it on a piece of lettuce. You'll get a better idea of whether or not it needs more of this or that, instead of just tasting it on a spoon.

Mini Berry Shortcakes

 

 This recipe was originally called Bite-Sized Strawberry Shortcakes, (from a website called I Heart Naptime) but there were 2 things wrong with that title. Well, for one, I was using raspberries and blueberries, not strawberries. And for two, well, they didn't exactly turn out to be 'bite-sized." So I decided to change the name, just to suit my own purpose. But regardless of what you decide to call them, you simply must try them! They literally only take a few minutes to stir together, and they only bake for 10 minutes! How easy is that? 
 It's basically just a sweet biscuit dough dropped into your mini muffin tin and quickly baked in a really hot oven. Top each one with a star of whipped cream, some fresh berries, and boom, there's your dessert for July 4th! I think the next time I make them, I'll do half as much batter in twice as many mini muffin cups. Then they really will be bite-sized!
Better make extra! They're gonna disappear in no time flat!

2 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, diced
1 egg
milk (see below for amount)

1 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fresh berries

 Preheat oven to 450º.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to blend. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or forks until butter is about the size of peas. Crack egg into a measuring cup and add milk to come to the 3/4 cup line. Whisk, then pour over flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix gently until the flour is just moistened. The mixture should be very lumpy.
Spoon a tablespoon or two of the batter into the cups of a mini muffin pan. Flatten the tops a bit with the back of a spoon or fingertips.
Bake 10 minutes, until golden. Let cool slightly in pan then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
Meanwhile, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
Right before serving, top each mini shortcake with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.

Tips:
Use any kinds of berries you like! Strawberries, blackberries, all good!
 Instead of cutting the butter in with forks or a pastry cutter, I placed the dry ingredients in a food processor and then gave it a few pulses to cut the butter in. MUCH quicker! Then I transferred it to a mixing bowl to stir the milk/egg mixture in by hand.I also sprayed my mini muffin pan with baking spray. Why take chances?
 I'm sure this recipe was intended to be "not too sweet", but if I'm gonna have a dessert, it's gonna be sweet enough! So I added a little more than 1/4 cup sugar to the batter, sprinkled the tops of each shortcake with sugar before putting the pan in the oven, and then added a few extra tablespoons of sugar to the cream before whipping it up. More is more!

Blueberry Pie Bars

 A few weeks ago, when I had the gang over for dinner, I was trying to decide what kind of dessert to make. I wanted it to be easy and summery, but wasn't sure which direction to go. Then I found out that it was Matt's birthday, and that he loves blueberry pie. AHA! Perfect! But one pie would not be enough. How about a blueberry pie BAR???  There's the answer! A quick Google search and here we are. They were as easy as could be to make, and Matt loved them. (Happy Birthday Matt!) I particularly liked the addition of the oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon because it makes it more of a crumb topping, rather than just cookie dough crumbled over the top, know what I mean? SO good!
 I also decided that they would be perfect to make for a July 4th BBQ. Just serve them with some fresh strawberries or raspberries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or a dollop of whipped cream) and boom, Red, White, and Blue!
You can even do them ahead of time! Easy, right?
So make sure you add this one to your summer recipe repertoire, k? Yum.


1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookies
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries


 Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Break up three-fourths of cookie dough into pan. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
 Meanwhile, in medium bowl, crumble remaining cookie dough. Add oats, brown sugar and cinnamon; toss. Set aside.
 In small bowl, stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently stir in blueberries. Sprinkle blueberry mixture evenly over crust. Crumble oat mixture over blueberry mixture.
 Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool 1 hour before serving. 

One other thing.... the recipe said to cut it into squares, which leads one to think that it will be something you can pick up like a brownie. Not so much. I think it's best to serve this one on a plate. Just sayin!
 

Tips:
 If you want to take a shortcut, you can use a can of pie filling instead of doing the fresh blueberry mixture. Use any kind you like! Apple, cherry, pineapple, all good! You could also substitute a different kind of fresh fruit for the blueberries, if you like. I'm sure fresh peeled and diced peaches would be fabulous.
I suppose you can make a scratch batch of sugar cookie dough if you like, but since it's a Pillsbury recipe, I figure I'll use their product for this one. It's only fair, right?
I doubled the whole recipe and baked it in a 9x13 pan, but then again I was feeding a crowd!
Also, as I always do with any kind of bars or squares, I lined the pan with parchment paper and let several inches of it hang over the sides to make a "sling". Then, after it was finished baking and cooling, I used the sling to lift the entire batch out of the pan in one piece. Using a large knife, I made perfectly clean cuts without damaging my pan! Smart, huh?

Ricotta Cake

Every year for July 4th, I like to try to come up with something red white and blue. One year I did a raspberry and pretzel dessert with a flag design, another year it was a berry and cheese pie, another year it was a berries and cream tart. I even had a strawberry salsa with sour cream and blue corn chips. And of course, my favorite one of all is the red white and blueberry trifle. (That's always the big showstopper!) Anyway, this year is no exception. I decided to keep it simple and quick by basically doing a doctored up cake mix with fresh berries on top. Easy, right??? Perfect for any cookout! The addition of the ricotta cheese turns it from something blah into something special! Serve it up chilled right out of the fridge. I bet your family and friends will love you for it! Three cheers for the red white and blue!


1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
Oil and eggs (as directed on the package)
2 pounds ricotta cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
Fresh strawberries
Fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan (or spray with baking spray...you know, the kind that has flour in it). Prepare the cake according to the directions on the package. 
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Drop by spoonfuls on top of uncooked cake. 
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Sprinkle cooled cake with confectioners sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Tips:
 You can decorate the top of the cake any way you like, or decorate each individual piece, as shown in the picture. No matter how you do it, it'll be fabulous and yummy.
If you like, you can glaze the fruit on top of the cake with some apricot jam. Just thin it down with a few drops of water and then brush it over the fruit so everything glistens.

Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

 

Ok just go with me on this one!
A while back, I was watching Diners Drive-ins, and Dives, and there was a place that served bison ribs with blueberry barbecue sauce. Even though they didn't give an exact recipe, I knew I wanted to try it. So I wrote down the list of ingredients and just guessed at the amounts. After a couple tries, I added a couple extra ingredients and here we are! I must say I'm THRILLED with how it turned out. It's sweet and tangy, spicy but not too hot. It just has a little bit of heat that hits you in the back of the throat, ya know? I wouldn't even call it a 'kick'. Of course you can make it as spicy as you like it, but this is just fine for me. It's absolutely SLAMMIN' on pork ribs. Chris said he could eat it with a spoon. Emma and Daniel Loved it as well, and my friend Denny loved it with chicken fingers. It's really just a great barbecue sauce! Delicious, slightly different, and definitely unexpected.
 Try it and let me know what you think!!

2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 
2 pints fresh blueberries
4 big cloves garlic
1 cup any regular barbecue sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup honey
4 tbs butter
kosher salt

Add all ingredients to a heavy pot and simmer on a low heat for about an hour. Puree with a blender or food processor. Serve immediately or store in the fridge.

Tips:
Like I said, I didn't make it very spicy because I'm not really a spicy food kinda guy. I just used half of a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. But if you like the heat, by all means GO for it!
To make the pork ribs, I used the country style ribs...
Place them in a pot of water and boil them for about an hour. Then place them in a casserole dish, smother them with the BBQ sauce, and place the pan in a 350F oven for about 30-40 minutes. They'll be sticky and yummy and the meat will just fall off the bone. Be sure to have lots of napkins at the ready! And before you start complaining that I BOILED the ribs instead of grilling them, just try them and you'll see how amazing they are. Besides, I live in an apt and I don't have a grill. So there. Don't judge me!

Berries and Cream Tart

 Every so often, I'll decide to try HALF of a recipe. Have you ever done that? No, I don't mean reducing the quantity by half. I mean only making a portion of it. In other words, I'll take just the part that I like from one recipe and put it together with part of another recipe and boom, we have a new recipe! This is exactly what I did when I decided to make a red white and blue tart to celebrate the 4th of July. I knew I wanted to do berries and cream, but I didn't want to make just a regular pie crust. I didn't want to do a graham cracker crust either. So I decided to go to Ina's Easy Lemon Tart recipe that I posted a while back and use the shortbread cookie crust. THAT's exactly what I had in mind! It's really easy to make, it's OMG good, and it goes perfectly with a summer fruit and cream topping, perfect for your next BBQ. Btw, does anyone else mix and match recipes like this?  Well, now you know one of my secrets for always coming up with something new!!! Enjoy!


Crust: 
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

Filling:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping:
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries


Heat oven to 425ºF.
Grease with butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray, an 8 - 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour sugar and salt. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter and vanilla until it resembles coarse crumbs. Scoop up a handful and squeeze it to make sure it easily clumps together. If you have a food processor, just throw everything into the bowl and pulse it until it forms a clump. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (You can use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)

When the pastry is completely chilled, place the tart pan on a larger baking pan and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

 Beat all filling ingredients in a large bowl. Spread mixture evenly into cooled tart shell. Arrange berries on top. Chill 2 hours for easiest slicing.

Tips:
It's much easier to work with the crust dough if you chill it for a while before you press it into the pan.
I like to use an 11" tart pan instead of an 8" or 9", so I increased all of the crust and filling ingredients by half.
If you're not doing a patriotic theme, use any kind of fruits you like. Ripe peeled peaches or nectarines, kiwi, pineapple, strawberries. ALL fabulous. You could even forget the fresh fruit and top it with your favorite pie filling. Cherry pie filling would be delish!

Joey's Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Pie

 I was trying to think of something easy and inexpensive to bring to Michael and Karen's for my family's New Year's Day get together. I don't know what made me think of it, but I got the idea for a buttermilk pie. So I searched a few recipes and read a few reviews. This was the result! I decided that a plain buttermilk pie needed something on top of it, hence the blueberries, and I liked the tangy tartness of the buttermilk, so I decided to pump it up a little more, hence the lemons. The flavors go really well together and the texture is a lot lighter than you might expect it to be. Delish!! Everyone gave it two big thumbs up!
I hope you'll give it a try!

 

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust, either from scratch or store bought

 3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 tbs all-purpose flour

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1/8 tbs nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk

 blueberry pie filling

Heat oven to 350F.
Roll out pie crust and place in a pyrex pie plate.  Crimp the sides to make a decorative edge.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until frothy.
Add sugar, butter, and flour. Beat until smooth.
Stir in vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, nutmeg, and buttermilk.
Pour into pie shell. Bake for 40-60 minutes or until the center is set.
Cool completely. Top with pie filling.


Tips:
Not a fan of lemon? Try orange instead! Not a fan of blueberries? Try strawberries or raspberries! Any combination will work!
The original recipe was a bit too sweet, so this is the tweaked version (I reduced the amount of sugar, and added lemon zest!) The blueberry filling is already very sweet, so you need the tangy to balance it. My brother, Jimmy, suggested adding fresh blueberries to the canned pie filling (just like his wife, Janet, always does), just to add a little more tart to the sweet. Sounds good to me! Thanx Jim!