I’m finally sharing my favorite fruit trifle AKA one of the easiest and most delicious desserts. This trifle holds a special place in my heart because my mom always made it for us growing up – and I’m still obsessed with it to this day. You can serve the trifle in a large glass bowl instead of individual mason jars, but the jars are very Covid-friendly. :-)
Talk about decadent. This classic cheesecake with strawberry topping is ev-ery-thing. Not only is it easy on the eyes, but it’s also insanely delicious with the perfect texture. Can you say yum?!
I know I’m late to post this festive Fourth of July cocktail, but the drink would be delicious any time of the year! The strawberry and blueberry ice cubes bring an otherwise boring and colorless drink to life. If you’re not a strawberry or blueberry fan, you can of course replace them with raspberries, blackberries, grapes, etc.
Last week, the extremely sweet and talented singer/songwriter, Colbie Caillat, asked me to bake an ice cream cake for a birthday party. I gladly accepted the offer.
Since I’d never made an ice cream cake before, I relied on trial and error, baking a couple of different cakes. I combined components, techniques and recipes from various sites/chefs and came up with this delectable vanilla custard cake with strawberry and vanilla ice cream, strawberry compote and whipped cream frosting.
I created a few fondant pieces for the cake–the Chicago Bears logo and some decorative circles. This was my first time working with the gum paste, so the result was not as perfect as I’d hoped; however, now that I have a tub of fondant in my pantry, I’ve got plenty more to use for practice. :)
By Andy
I can’t think of a better way to start the day/weekend than indulging in a fresh, homemade bellini. Well, maybe I can, but this certainly ranks high up on the list.
Sorry to post yet another cocktail, but I wanted to post these bellinis ever since my brother, Andy, made them for my family the other weekend. If you hadn’t already gathered from the asparagus pesto pizza, he’s a great cook.
Rather than make a simple version of the drink, he had to go above and beyond. He whipped up three different flavors–peach, strawberry and acai, all of which were absolutely delicious and refreshing. These bellinis are perfect for summer, and are acceptable to drink at any time of the day. Happy Friday. :)
Happy belated Mother’s Day to the much appreciated mothers out there. My family and I celebrated my mom yesterday with a delicious brunch at Opah, followed by a relaxing day at home. Our original plan was to have my brother and I cook a gourmet dinner, but unfortunately, my other brother had to work. However, I was still able to bake a little something for my mom.
Since she loves citrus desserts, and didn’t want to eat anything too heavy, I decided on this strawberry and blueberry-topped lime mousse tart. I found the recipe on Epicurious, and made a few minor alterations.
The slightly salty shell from the crushed, toasted almonds worked perfectly with the refreshing tart filling from the lime juice and zest. The variation of textures was also pleasant–a buttery and crumbly crust, silky mousse layer and succulent and tender strawberries and blueberries.
My mom approved. :)
Last night, I hosted a dinner party at my house with some close friends. Like my parents’ party last weekend, I had a tapas style dinner accompanied by a plethora of white and red wine. We had a fabulous variety of foods—baked brie with jam, maple syrup and brown sugar, stuffed jalepeños, cheese crostinis, caesar salad with homemade dressing and pesto sandwiches.
I made mini pesto sandwiches, sausage and cheese stuffed jalepeños, a fruit tart and a peanut butter pie.
My neighbor often makes this fruit tart when my parents have dinner parties. She always expresses how simple it is to make the tart and doesn’t understand my family’s obsession with the dessert. However, my guests last night seemed to understand the tart addiction and cleared the platter in no time. This dessert might actually be my favorite Paula Deen recipe—her knack of creating dessert recipes never ceases to amaze me.
It’s almost impossible to limit yourself to just one of these delectable mini strawberry cupcakes. I baked them for my family and cousins from Ohio while they were visiting and I think they demolished the batch in 3 days. I used my grandma’s recipe for her strawberry cake, but figured the recipe would be just as delicious in cupcake form—and that was definitely the case!
