Fresh Strawberry Pie

Still working on these luscious fresh strawberries from Plant City. Here is a recipe and video that shows you how to make strawberry pie with cream cheese and cool whip filling. Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

2 Cups strawberries
1 T apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 T corn starch
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tub cool whip
1 pie crust

1. Bake the pie crust according to the directions.
2. Place 1 cup strawberries into a saucepan with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer at medium heat.
3. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Mash the berries while they cook. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Mix together 3/4 sugar and 3 T cornstarch. Add to the simmering strawberries and continue to cook until thickened.
   Remove from the heat.
5. Mix together the cream cheese with the vinegar or lemon juice.
   Spread the cream cheese into the pie crust. Line the outside of the cheese with sliced strawberries for decoration.
6. Top with the cooked strawberry filling mixture.
7. Refrigerate for several hours until cold and set.
   Top with cool whip, garnish with more strawberries, slice and enjoy.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake, Enjoying Fresh Berries

Baked Apples

How long has it been since you had a baked apple? This is a nice side dish for pork chops or serve as a dessert.

Sometimes, when I am in a hurry, I just core and slice the apples and put everything else on top. Microwave until the apples are done, stirring every couple of minutes.

Baked Apples Recipe
8 to 10 apples, cored, peeled & halved
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. butter, melted
1 c. water
Place apples in greased 9 x 13 inch dish. Mix remaining ingredients
together in ORDER given, in pan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring until
thick. Pour syrup over apples and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes
or until tender.

Related Recipes:

Baked Apple Slices

Fresh Apple Cake with Hot Caramel Sauce

We’re still enjoying the bounty of fresh apples and this cake is a good way to do it.  The cake uses only 1/2 cup of butter, the apples keep the cake moist.

If you don’t have time to make the cake, just make the hot caramel sauce and use it as a dip for apple slices.

Fresh Apple Cake

• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 2 1/2 c. finely chopped apples, such as Granny Smith
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla1 c. all purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.
2. Add the egg and beat until well blended. Mix in the soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Add the flour and stir just until blended. Stir in the apples and nuts.
4. Pour into an oiled 9″ round cake pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until the top springs back when touched lightly with your finger.
5. Serve with Hot Caramel Sauce.

Hot Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. evaporated milk

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and salt.
2. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and milk.
3. Serve warm sauce over cake.

Enjoying the Strawberry Harvest, Strawberry Bruchetta

Strawberries are in season, and I have been trying to find some new ways to enjoy the harvest. I was worried about the strawberries because the weather has not been favorable, but it seems the harvest is good. These luscious berries are just too good to ignore.

We usually go to a u-pick farm at least once during the season and then freeze a lot of berries for use year round.  All you have to do is remove the leaves and freeze the whole berries on a tray. Then put in freezer bags once they are frozen.

I am not sure where this recipe came from. It was sent to me, but I don’t have a name for the sender. So if anyone knows, clue me in.

The mascarpone cheese is a luxury at our house, but cream cheese will do as well. The secret is warming the berries just enough so that the flavors bloom and transform the juices to a rosy syrup.

Strawberry Bruchetta

• 4 thick slices whole-wheat bread
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries
• 4 tablespoons mascarpone (Italian cream cheese)

1. Toast bread in a toaster.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sugar,
lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the sugar
melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add strawberries and stir until juices begin to exude and the
berries are heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon mascarpone on each piece of toast. Top
with the warm berries.

Strawberry Dumplings

These Strawberry Dumplings are a perfect old fashioned dessert for a romantic meal. The dumplings steam and absorb the flavors from the berries.

Serve these warm with vanilla ice cream for a luscious flavor combination.

Ingredients:

Dumplings

* 4 eggs
* 4 tablespoons melted butter
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 4 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 12 tablespoons flour

Berries

* 4 cups strawberries
* 2 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Combine the dumpling ingredients to make a stiff batter.
2. Mash the berries with sugar. Bring to a boil in a large pot with a tight lid.
3. Drop the dumpling batter by spoonfuls into hot liquid, reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, for 15 minutes. Don’t lift lid – don’t peek!
4. Remove dumplings carefully to dessert dishes and spoon berries over. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Decadently Rick Chocolate Truffle Cake

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Ingredients:

For Cake

* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 1 large egg
* 2 teaspoons vanilla

For filling

* 1 1/2 cup walnuts
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For ganache

* 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 pound fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Make base: In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in flour, walnuts, egg, and vanilla and spread batter evenly in springform pan. Bake base in middle of oven 10 minutes, or just until firm, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Make filling: Arrange walnuts in one layer on top of base. In a small heavy saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 280°F. Remove pan from heat and add cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature and pour over walnuts, spreading evenly.

Make ganache: In a saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Finely chop chocolate. Put chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot cream over it, stirring until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks (do not overbeat or it will become grainy).

Spread ganache evenly over filling. Chill cake, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. With a large spatula transfer cake to a plate and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

* 12 large strawberries
* 6 ounces package semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Rinse and thoroughly drain strawberries. Chill for 20 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Meanwhile, transfer chocolate chips to a zippered sandwich bag and place in a bowl of very hot water until chips have melted.

Dry bag carefully and set into a small bowl. Spread open top of bag. Hold leaves and stem and dip strawberries, one at a time, into chocolate to coat to within about 1/4-inch of leaves.

Allow any excess chocolate to drain back into bag, then place strawberry on baking sheet. Any remaining chocolate may be refrigerated in the same bag for another use.

For best appearance, set berries aside in a cool place until chocolate is firm and serve immediately. Refrigerate for longer storage, but this may cause condensation to form on chocolate.

How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake

In this video, chef Kirk Leins shows you how to make a decadently rich Molten Chocolate Cake. The cake is light and moist with a molten chocolate center. Serve it warm to that special someone and you are sure to get rave reviews.

Garnish with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cake (serves 6)

Powder sugar for dusting
4 large egg yolks
4 large whole eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. high-quality, bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cake flour (plus more for dusting)
Vegetable spray
2 sticks unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using vegetable spray, grease (6) 6-ounce ramekins and dust with cake flour.

In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Whisk in the cake flour.

Evenly distribute the batter among the 6 ramekins, and bake for 10 minutes or until the sides of the cakes are set but the center still jiggles.

Let the cakes cool for 2-3 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and invert onto plates. Garnish with powder sugar and serve with either vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Strawberry Cream Meringues

What can I say? Dessert is my favorite part of the meal. I especially enjoy light, sweet and luscious desserts like this one. It has been a while since I made this, but now I am craving it again. This is a real contender for Valentine’s day.

Make the meringues in a heart shape for a romantic dessert. (Mine shown are not.) The whipped cream and strawberries on a meringue shell is a light and luscious dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth with a minimum of sugar.

Don’t put the cream into the meringue shells until you are ready to serve these, the meringue will begin to melt from the moisture if they have to sit at all.

Valentine Meringue Hearts

Meringues:

3 Egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

1 dash Salt

1 cup Sugar

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream

3 to 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

1 pint Strawberries, sliced -reserve a few for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish- optional

Directions:

Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.

Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to feel that no sugar remains undissolved.

Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube or build a rim with a spoon.

Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.

Store meringue shells in a dry place until ready to fill. Do not refrigerate.

Add the powdered sugar to the whipping cream and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Taste the cream for sweetness, you want a barely sweet whipped cream.

Mix in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish.

Assemble:

When you are ready to serve, place a large scoop of the strawberry cream onto the meringue shell. Garnish with reserved strawberries and a little mint if desired.

More Valentines Day Recipes

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