Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

My stars!

I love, love, love this one. If you're looking for a recipe for heavenly ice cream, I urge you to try this one.

I must say, I am not overly fond of cheesecake. For example if we're dining out I'll usually choose anything other than cheesecake if there is a choice.

I don't dislike it, in fact I have a killer recipe for cheesecake that I've been making for years ~ but it's just not my favorite dessert. So I was really surprised that I LOVE this ice cream, as it's reminiscent of a delightful, not-too-sweet raspberry cheese cake.





The ingredient list is short ~
a little cream cheese whole milk cream sugar raspberry puree  (I used frozen, unsweetened raspberries, pressed through a sieve)

Once you make it, you won't need a written recipe!
Now my mind is spinning, and I'm thinking of all of the other fruit purees that could be used in place of the raspberries... YUM!




I'm usually a "one scoop", or at the most "two scoop" ice cream girl --- but not with this ice cream. :)

I'm thinking graham cracker sprinkles might be a good finishing touch if you want to carry the cheesecake theme, but absolutely not necessary.

I hope you'll give it a go.  And if you try it with another pureed fruit, please let me know!

To get a printable copy of the recipe click HERE to go to my recipe page.

Thanks for stopping by, and for any comments you would like to share.

Have a delicious day!
~Mari


I'm sharing on Foodie Friday
and 
Pink Saturday !
http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Fall Grape Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts (or Pecans)

In my area of the Pacific Northwest the weather is really lovely  as we transition from summer to fall. 
 Vegetable and fruit gardens are giving their best and  we seem to appreciate their bounty more ~ soon it will be time to put the garden beds to rest for the winter, the trees will drop their leaves and become dormant.
Although the days can warm up to the 80's and 90's ~ the evenings cool down to to low 60's making sleep comfortable.
Still spending lots of time outdoors during the day we look for easy, light meals ~ salads always seem fit the bill.

The first one I'm featuring this week is one I've made for several years, you've probably seen one like it or a variation ~ it goes well with grilled food, or as a salad meal by itself.





No recipe needed, just wash and slice your favorite combination of seedless grapes in half, slice some celery, tear some romaine lettuce into  bite-size pieces (I used baby romaine), crumble some blue cheese (can use feta cheese, goat cheese, or any cheese you like; if using a firm cheese, it works best if you dice it rather than shred it as it will hold it's shape and texture better.)
Instead of walnuts you can use whatever nuts you like. I always toast them in a 350ºF oven for a few minutes until lightly golden and fragrant.  As they cool they will become pleasantly crunchy and much more flavorful. 


Almost time to buy more.   (Hint: Always keep opened nut oils in the refrigerator,  they go rancid rapidly at room temperature.)

I always dress with a light vinaigrette  (I use Julia Child's recipe) just before serving.
If you have a nut oil that complements the nut you are using in the salad, by all means use it in your vinaigrette. But if not, grape seed oil or any neutral oil works well for this salad.
You can prepare this salad a couple of hours ahead (covered and refrigerated),  but do not add the toasted nuts, cheese, or dressing  until the last possible moment for best results.

I hope you're enjoying these final days of summer too.




Thank you for stopping by ~  your comments make my day!

~ Mari

Vanilla and Cream Cupcakes with Fresh Fruit Toppings

Since July 26th, smoke from the nearby forest fires   continues to move in and out of the area, and those in the know tell us that it will likely be like this way until the rainy season arrives.
As you might guess, conditions have put a damper on many summer outdoor activities . . .
On days when the air is in the unhealthy, very unhealthy, or hazardous range it's just best to remain indoors  as much as possible.


If we must be out in the smoke on bad air days ~ use of one these are strongly recommended. We've got our supply. Yes, a pain in the bee-hind to wear, but breathing is difficult without one ~  even for people with excellent respiratory health.

Thankfully, recently we've had more good air days than bad, but it has been so sad to see the destruction the wildfires have done to the wild and scenic areas.

Soo . . . to help cheer spirits up a little bit I made these easy cupcakes.  I used the recipe for Nigella Lawson's Fairy Cakes. I have posted about them before and  you can find the printable recipe here or here.
But your favorite recipe or even a boxed cake mix will produce similar results. Because when it comes down to it ~ it's really all about  the whipped cream and fruit toppings.  :o)


This is one of the last ones I piped. I should have whipped the cream a little stiffer (or added a bit of gelatin) so the cream would retain form.

I just slightly sweetened the whipping cream and added a little vanilla for flavor, then topped with some fruits of the season.
Spoon the whipped cream on the cupcakes or pipe it on. I used the Wilton M1 tip.


You know those talented people who are masterful with piping tips and decorating?
Well, I'm not one of those...  I'm still in the 'practicing' stage after all of these years.




But Wilton has good tutorials on line, and here is the one for this particular tip ~ and if you use a stiffer frosting, (rather than the whipped cream I used) the detail will be much sharper:

step 1

Hold tip 1M approximately ½ in. above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface. Squeeze out icing to form a star.

step 2

Without releasing pressure, raise tip slightly as you drop a line of icing around the star in a tight, complete rotation.

step 3

After completing the first rotation, move tip toward center and up and around to make a second spiral around the inside edge of the first spiral.

step 4

Release pressure to end spiral at center of cupcake.

Tutorial from Wilton.com

I found the tutorial very helpful ~

(though it's apparent I need a lot more practice.)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today~

Cheers!

~mari xo

Fresh Lemon Cake with Berry Glaze

A redux post from a couple of years ago . . . It was a special tea party.
I decided to share it again as it is a favorite dessert around here, and I am making this same cake today. 


You can choose almost any fruit topping, (or leave it off entirely), I like the combination of the lemon cake with strawberry topping and that's the way I usually make it.



My mom began making it back in the 1970's, when it was originally called "French Lemon Cake" ~ I'm not sure why "French"... perhaps because it is only one layer?



It's one of those that you can put together VERY quickly as it is mixed in the food processor.



After it is baked sweetened lemon juice is drizzled over the top, intensifying the luscious lemon flavor.



It can be served plain, and it's very good that way ~ but I usually dress it up a bit by adding a thick Strawberry glaze, made with melted Strawberry jam, and then I pipe on, or serve the cake slices with slightly sweetened whipped cream.



So simple to make, but so good!






If you'd like the recipe, a printable copy is available  HERE on my recipe blog.



Click the link below to see all the wonderful recipes for this weeks Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm!

Click HERE.


~*~*~*~*~








Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
xo~mari

Chocolate Chip Scones with Strawberries

When the first of the season organic strawberries arrived in the market a couple of weeks ago I just had to bring some home.
Bright red and surprisingly sweet for early season strawberries, they needed very little sugar when I sliced and macerated them in their own juice.
After eating our fair share of the ruby beauties right out of the carton, I put some aside to serve on split Chocolate Chip Scones with a little dollop of slightly sweetened vanilla-sugar whipped cream.
The chocolate Chip Scones are also divine served warm, either plain or with a pat of butter or a dollop of thickened cream.
This recipe is a very good one if you decide to give  them a try.  I hope you enjoy.
Have a beautiful day everyone!
Come join us at Foodie Friday!! 
Click Here.


xo~m.

Quick and Easy Italian Plum Cake (You can use other fruit, too.)

This just proves, once again that delicious recipes need not be complicated! I believe the original recipe may have been from Martha Stewart but I found this one, said to be an adaptation by a reader, on chowhound.chow.com  where it was first published in 2005, and has been  popular ever since.

;
No need to arrange the fruit, unless you want to. :) The sugar sprinkle adds a pretty sparkle and a delicate  crispy crunch.
You mix the simple batter in one bowl with a spatula, pour into a greased & floured cake pan, press the fruit slightly into the batter, sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and bake.


We just harvested the last of the Italian Plums from our tree, so that was my fruit of choice. The good news is that you can use other fruits too:
Plums, Apricots, Berries, Peaches, Nectarines, Pears,  Cherries, or a combination would all work in this recipe. You can use frozen berries as well, don't thaw.
The sugar sprinkle adds a pretty sparkle and a delicate  crispy crunch.
We've eaten it for breakfast, as a snack, and dessert ~ it doesn't last long around here!


So easy to put together that I made two one afternoon one to keep and one to give.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, it's over on my recipe blog ~ click here.

Thank you for stopping by!  Blessings ~ mari

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

Proclaimed delicious! Another great recipe from Donna Hay.
I have one issue with the recipe though ~ I think the name is misleading. I think of these as little cakes rather than muffins; very decadent, indeed.  Too rich for breakfast or mid-morning snack (in my humble opinion.) 
And without a doubt I would file this in the dessert category!
There is no butter involved, if that is important to you. The fat  in the recipe come from sour cream and vegetable oil.
The recipe suggests using frozen raspberries, but I had fresh on hand, so naturally that's what I used. Probably the raspberries would have held their shape better with frozen,  but I kind of like the smeary effect of the berries. :)

No matter, the combination of the tart berries and sweet white chocolate is sublime! The recipe makes 6 large "muffins" (cakes) ~ so it is ideal for smaller families.
If you would like a printable copy of the recipe click here.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today!
Blessings, ~mari xo   

Fresh Cherry Tart

The most time consuming thing about this delicious dessert is  pitting the fresh cherries ~ but believe me, it is SO worth it!
I use a simple cherry pitter device, but you can use a sharp paring knife to cut around the natural crevice of the cherry and pop pit out with the tip of the knife. I alway set the colander of cherries right in the sink, with a small  bowl for the pits, and a larger bowl to hold the pitted halves. I find that if I rinse the sink with cold water before  beginning the task any cherry juice/splashes rinse right off.  I don't bother wearing gloves, just rinse my hands with cold water before beginning, and every now and then to avoid staining.  (Don't forget an apron!)




The good news is that this tart only requires a few ingredients, and it's simple to put together:
Crust: Graham Cracker crust (Crushed graham crackers, melted butter and a little sugar) Or you can use store-bought, I won't tell! :) Filling: 6 ounces (from a block) of cream cheese 3/4 cups heavy (whipping cream) A little sugar Pure vanilla extract Topping: Fresh sweet cherries (such as Bing) Seedless Raspberry jam or Currant jelly  (to dab on the cherries for a shiny finish)




Oh my GOODNESS, this one is a winner!
  I adapted the recipe from an old issue of "Everyday Food" magazine ~ Though the original recipe used cherries, as I did here ~ I'm thinking any type of fresh berry (or seedless grape halves) would be absolutely delicious.

If you would like a copy of this recipe, it's on my recipe blog (click.)

Thanks for coming by today!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.  xo~m.

Banana-Poppy Seed Muffins with Citrus Glaze and Tea Cozies!

I'm the first to admit that bananas aren't my favorite fruit.  


I can handle eating them when they are still quite firm and prefer them when they still have a green-tinge to them.  But once they become soft, and the peels become riddled with brown "sugar" spots (when they are at their sweetest) there is something about the texture which I don't care for.  At that point they either go into smoothies, quick breads or muffins.


With three over-ripe bananas in the fruit basket, I whipped up these muffins. The recipe varies slightly from others I've tried in that they are finished with a lovely citrus glaze while still warm. By the time the muffins cool, the glaze firms up so they are not messy or sticky to the touch.


And what goes better with fresh muffins than milk, coffee, or my favorite ~ Tea!

As delicious as the muffins are ~ the tea cozy/cosy always steals the scene.

If you've used them, you already know they are as practical as can be; cozies really do help insulate the tea pot to keep the tea steaming hot.

I have a couple of different types (quilted fabric, etc.), but these crocheted ones are my most treasured. 


I first saw one like this almost two years ago on a favored blog written by a British woman in the UK.  All of her readers were going wild over hers, and she mentioned the boutique shop where she purchased them... unfortunately, at that time the shop was not dispatching to destinations outside of the country.  *sigh*

It was time to do a little sleuth work ~  I knew they were crocheted by hand.


  
So the logical place to look? Etsy, of course !! 
I love Etsy. 


After I realized that the proper English way of spelling the name ("cosy", not 'cozy')  it didn't take long to find a wonderful vendor by the name of Andrea Lesley.  Her work is lovely, and so unique ~ I had a hunch that she must be the artist who makes these beautiful creations. I contacted her right away, and confirmed she is indeed the same artist. Happy Day!


That was well over a year ago ~ and I'm pleased to see that Andrea is still operating her shop, and her work is as delightful as ever.




I've included a link to her Etsy shop below if you are interested in placing an order.  


If you do place an order, please let Andrea know that I sent you over!

Back to the muffins ~ I really liked this recipe, it contains a little finely grated orange peel in the batter, as well as in the confectioner's sugar glaze.

I reduced the all-purpose flour by half a cup and added 1/4 cup of wheat bran, and 1/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats just to make them a little more healthy.  (That doesn't exactly cancel out the sugar glaze though, does it?)

Among all the colors and designs Andrea offers, I could never decide upon a favorite ~ that's why I chose a few. ;) 


Nothing cheers up a gray Pacific Northwest morning like a hot pot of tea snuggled in a very cheerful tea cosy/cozy!




I reserve the one below for Christmas time, but if you decorate with reds it would be perfect any time of year.

Here's the link I promised ~ and don't forget to tell Andrea you read about her here.   :-)

Andrea Lesley Crochet Shop on Etsy.




Do YOU have a favorite Etsy shop?


Are you an Etsy VENDOR?  




I would love if you would share, please mention in the comment section.


This is my entry for Tablescape Thursday, hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. (click to link)




For a printable copy of the recipe for the Banana Muffins, please click HERE to go the Once Upon a Plate Recipe site.




Thanks for stopping by today!