ambrosia dessert: July 2013

S'mores Brownies

I've mentioned before that I like to keep some store bought brownie mixes around to make a quick dessert. I like finding ways to make them a little more special, not just plain brownies. These Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies are already one of our favorite ways to kick-up a brownie mix. I recently found another way to kick-up a brownie mix, S'mores Brownies!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
About 16 whole graham cracker sheets (enough to cover a 15x11x1 baking sheet)
2 brownie mixes---plus eggs, oil and water per instructions (each mix makes a 9x13 pan)
3 cups miniature marshmallows (*I used a bag of large marshmallows)
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
Directions
1. Place graham crackers on greased (I used cooking spray) 15x11x1 baking sheet.
2. Prepare brownie mixes as instructed on box. Spread over crackers.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips.
5. Bake 5 minutes longer. Let cool.

Adapted from Food.com

Notes: Dip your knife in hot water and wipe with a cloth or paper towel while cutting these brownies. The marshmallows stick to the knife, so I had to wipe it a few times while cutting.

*I would stick to the miniature marshmallows instead of the large ones. The mini marshmallows mix with the chocolate chips better and spread out more evenly on top of the brownies.

Super easy bottom layer

Spread the brownie batter right on top.

The extra goodies go on top for the last 5 minutes.

Ooey, Gooey, Goodness!

The Results...
S'mores Brownies would be perfect for a summer potluck or anytime you invite some friends over. This recipe makes a BIG pan, so it's a good idea to share. :)

Our family really liked these brownies, but I wish I had used miniature marshmallows instead of large marshmallows. I think the miniature marshmallows would have mixed more evenly over the top of the brownies with the chocolate chips. This recipe is still a new favorite way to kick-up a brownie mix. If you're not a fan of brownie mixes, you could make a double batch of homemade brownie batter and use that instead.

The graham crackers do soften as the brownie batter bakes on top of them. We liked them soft, except for my oldest daughter. She still gave these brownies 5 stars, so I don't think it was that big of a deal to her. She still had s'more!

I share recipes at these linky parties.

Stovetop Cheesy Broccoli Rice with Ham

It is so HOT! It definitely feels like July. We've had a Heat Advisory most of this week. Since we're trying to keep cool, I've been looking for easy, quick dinners that don't require the oven. Stovetop Cheesy Broccoli Rice with Ham met those requirements, plus it cooks all in one pan!

Ingredients (printable recipe)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 small heads of broccoli
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups cooked, diced ham, warm (microwave for a couple of minutes)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
splash of milk, if needed
Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat. Toast rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.
2. Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cover. Cook covered for 10 minutes.
3. While rice is cooking, chop broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. After 10 minutes, add the broccoli to the rice and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has been adsorbed. ( The broccoli will be tender-crisp. Add it sooner if you want it more tender.)
4. Remove from heat and add the butter, ham, cheddar and garlic powder. Stir until well incorporated. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Stir again and add salt and pepper to taste and a splash of milk if you'd like to thin out the texture a little, if needed (I didn't add any milk).

Source Buns in my Oven

Toasting the rice in olive oil

I poured in the chicken broth and let the rice simmer (covered) for 10 minutes.

Here's the broccoli that cooked with the rice for another 10 minutes.

Here comes everything else! Lookin' Good. (I used a sliced ham and chopped it into bite-sized pieces.)

Time to Dig in!

The Results...
The kids and I had this for dinner last night. Most of them liked this dish. My oldest daughter doesn't like broccoli, so you can see why she wasn't crazy about this. She did say that she liked everything else and just left her broccoli in her bowl. We agreed on 3 stars (out of 5) for this dinner. We liked it and it was easy to make. I wasn't left with too much of a mess to clean-up AND we left the oven off! Stay cool.

I share recipes at these linky parties.

Green beauty, the beauty of Foodie attitude

Here are some tips of Jolene adopt the position "the beauty of a foodie" from now on:

"beige, is it wrong": famous quote Dr. Jeannette Graf, doctor and dermatologist. In the same way as a beige cannot work in the mode of food "beige" (industrial bread, cereals) lacks such and is thus our digestive tract, what makes it pretty indigestible. Complete cereals are weak alternative in fat and rich in fiber and such.Do not make the dead end on the green. Are forgotten or to avoid them, and green vegetables (spinaches, parsley, vegetables with leaves, bettes) pH balance of our body and are rich in iron. The tendency to come into the world to more pleasure in your daily dose of "Greens" with trendy cocktails and other natural green juice.For us the bays. In addition, the sweetened and magnificent, especially in this epoch of the year, bays (blueberries, raspberries, currants) is rich in oxidants and vitamin c and is to encourage the production of collagen.Nice proteins. Fish, poultry, nuts and almonds are packed with such a true jets of collagen and keratin, nail and hair, nice and firm.It ' s (green) tee time! Its beneficial effects on health are known to all, green tea is also a powerful bastion of anti wrinkle cream.Detoxez-moi ... Instead of rushing for a cup of coffee in the morning, why not rather her day with a glass of hot water with a little bit of lemon? This beer to wake up your digestive enzymes, detoxera of the digestive tract and favours the brightness of the skin and stress away! Stress, age your skin prematurely and favors weight gain. protect your skin from the inside. Red and orange diseases (beta-carotene and vitamin A) are good for your health, and protect the skin damage caused by UV radiation. There's too much exposure to the Sun? Fill your plate, tomatoes, carrots, with melon and at least 2 weeks prior to arrival on the beach (or the pool, terraces, etc). And not a dead end on the sun protection cream!

Read more here http://www.stylezza.com/green-your-beauty-beauty-foodie-attitude-1686

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Florina Tudor published 1 article. Article 16 July 2013. Word Count: 361

Here is the many different uses of tea leaves after you have enjoyed your tea, which is a great way to recycle and reduce waste and contribute to the improvement of areas of your home and life.

Written By: Angel Chen

Green tea is a natural resource that is beneficial for the discomfort and other health problems. History associated with green tea can be monitored, since ages.

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Vacation to country Turkey will no doubt full of beauty, of cultural and historical monuments and a lot of activities. One more aspect of your Turkish holiday, which would surprise you is flavorful and filling in the kitchen, which is unique for the area.

Written By: Laurie Harley

Even the most ardent Cook may get bored, if it stops to learn new recipes and new cooking skills. If you want to people constantly use your cooking, you need to find a way to come up with fresh recipes. This article will show you the best places to find unique recipes.

Written By: Ben Goldstein

Cake Recipe With Chocolate Flavor

Cooking has never been this easier with the introduction of the Internet. At first I thought that baking cakes was something that was hard and would take my whole day. This was short-lived as a friend of mine informed me that she was simply using the Internet to bake cakes for her family. This surprised me a lot since she was simply searching for a recipe that she thought she could manage. Once this was done, her work was simply to rush to the stores and find the ingredients that were recommended in the cake recipe that she was about to use. I thought over this and I knew it was time to try out my cooking skills. I tried this twice and the best recipe that I found to be easy was the chocolate one. I am quite certain that by following my way of cooking you would definitely prepare something that your family would enjoy. Below is how I cook my chocolate cake:

Ingredients of the cake recipe

1½ serving of butter - softenedSugar- 1¼ spoonfuls of sugarEggs - (number will vary)All-purpose flour - 2 cupsUnsweetened cocoa - 2 cupsBaking powder - 2 spoonfulsOne and a quarter servings of baking soda1½ spoonful of vanilla¾ cup of milk - buttermilk

Filling ingredients:

Pie fillings of cherry - 2 servings3-4 servings of cream that is chilled2 cups of confectioner's sugarMilk chocolate (shaved) - will help in garnishing the baked cake

Cooking tips and procedure for your cake recipe:

The first procedure of this cake recipe is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit [should be done before you even start preparing your ingredients].

Using a non-sticking paper, you should line your cake pan to ensure that the cake does not stick on the sides of the pan.

Allow the butter that has been mixed with sugar to soften before you beat it using an electric mixer. Add the eggs to the mixture but make sure that you add an egg at a time as you mix well before adding another egg. You then need to add sifted flour, baking powder, buttermilk, cocoa, baking soda as you stir well to ensure that no lumps are formed. Once your oven has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit, as mentioned earlier, slowly add the batter into the pan and allow it to bake till there is a middle set. Ensure that the bake time is about 40-45 minutes. Use a tooth pick to determine if it is ready or not. If it comes out with some crumbs in it then you will still need to place your cake in the oven for a few more minutes.

Serving

The best way to serve is when it is cold. Cut it into three or four layers for easy storage if the cake is big enough. This will ensure convenience in keeping it in a refrigerator.

Preparing a delicious Strawberry Shortcake

There are many things to consider when you make a cake. First, make sure that all the ingredients are cold. Butter should be diced and it's best to chill the flour before making the cake. Use ice water in the preparation of pie crust. If you are using hot ingredients, the result will be a tough pie crust. This is a step that should not be ignored. In addition, every time you use fruit, make sure that it is well matured. You can make a nice flavorful pies, if you use the fruits of which are seasonal, especially when you are making a strawberry shortcake. Below are two different ways to prepare Strawberry Shortcake.

Recipe 1

Ingredients for this strawberry cakes are:

Baked 9-inch pie crust-strawberries 1Fresh-1 quartWhite sugar-1 cCornstarch-3 spoonsWater-¾ cHeavy whipped cream-½ c

Preparation: In a nutshell, pastry, arrange half the strawberries. In a medium saucepan combine with fruits after mashing is sugar. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Whisk together water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Strawberry mixture into boiling slowly stir in cornstarch mixture. Lower heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes, while you continuously stir. Pastry shells, pour the mixture over the berries. Before serving, cold Strawberry Shortcake for a few hours. Cream in a small bowl and serve this cake with whipped cream.

Recipe 2

Ingredients for this strawberry cakes are:

Roll-out pie crust-2 sheetsMelted butter-2 spoonsFor bark, white frosting, grinding sugarWashed and peeled strawberries-5 cGranulated sugar-½ cCornstarch-3 spoonsA a pinch of salt

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. you must first roll out pie crust and place it in the plates about the size of 9 cm and crimp the edges so that it makes a nice presentation appearance. Cut the second sheet after rolling to a ½ inch thick strips of pastry wheel or knife. Mix together all the ingredients for the filling in a medium bowl and pour into pie crust. In a grid pattern, arrange the strips across the pie, tucking the edges. The use of melted butter, the upper eyelid and sprinkle with sanding sugar. a 25-minute bake Strawberry Shortcake, and then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees f. Bake for half an hour or until the top turns golden brown in color. Allow it to cool before serving with Strawberry whipped cream.

Strawberries with whipped cream:

Ingredients:

Whipped cream-the cVanilla-sugar extract, ½ tspConfectioners-2 spoonsStrawberry jam-¼ c

Preparation: In a medium bowl beat cream until it thickens. Add Confectioners ' sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat. Add the jam and beat until it forms firm peaks.

If you want to learn some new and interesting Strawberry Shortcake (or as it is known in Denmark, jordb?rt?rte), and then recommend recipes to take advantage of some of the best in this business that you can find on the Isabellas.

Lemon mini Cheesecakes with Fresh Blueberry Sauce

It's time for another Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge from Lady Behind the Curtain. Each month we are assigned two ingredients. The challenge is to make a delicious dessert with those two ingredients. This month it's Blueberries and Lemon. One of my favorite food combinations! I had a difficult time deciding what to make. I finally decided to take an old family favorite recipe for mini cheesecakes and give it a blueberry-lemon twist.

Ingredients (printable recipe)
Cheesecakes:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
cupcake holders
vanilla wafers
Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Place one vanilla wafer into each cupcake holder. Beat together softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth. Add 2 whole eggs and blend well. Pour into prepared cupcake pan. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 20 minutes. Makes about 20 mini cheesecakes. Fill any empty spots in your cupcake pan with water before baking. This helps the cheesecakes bake more evenly. Let cool completely and chill in refrigerator, preferably overnight.

Make sauce before serving. Combine blueberries, sugar, corn starch, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Over low heat, cook mixture, mashing blueberries slightly, until sauce has reduced and slightly thickens (about 5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Serve over mini Cheesecakes.

Recipe for mini Cheesecakes is originally from a friend in Texas. I changed it slightly.
Recipe for Blueberry Sauce is from Foodnetwork Canada (just the sauce part).

Notes: Add some lemon zest to the cheesecake batter next time to boost the lemon flavor.

cute, easy little crust

An ice cream scoop makes pouring batter into cupcake pans easier and less messy.

Baked and chilled overnight. Ready to make some Fresh Blueberry Sauce!

Before

After about 10 minutes on low heat.

They're mini so it's OK to have a few. Stack them up and serve with lots of yummy blueberry sauce.

The Results...
The fresh blueberry sauce is definitely worth making again. It has simple ingredients, was simple to make AND it tasted so good that I licked the pan clean. :) It would be delicious on pancakes, waffles or ice cream, too. It was tasty on top of these cute mini cheesecakes.

The only thing I would change next time is add some lemon zest to the cheesecake batter. The lemon flavor in these cheesecakes needed a boost. If you like cheesecake give these mini cheesecakes a try. They are much easier to make and quicker to bake than a whole cheesecake. Enjoy!

I share recipes at these linky parties.
This recipe is part of the Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge. Check out the other Blueberry and Lemon recipes at the end of this post.

Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

How to Design Memorable Wedding Cake?

Recently I went to a wedding in Birmingham and the one thing that was unforgettable was the wedding cake and its decorations. It is not that bride and groom were not looking awesome, obviously they were at the top of everything else that happened in the wedding but it was cake that catched my attention and dreamed of having most memorable cake at my own wedding just like that. So I thought of ways to make it most memorable and decided to discuss it with all. With right decorations and shape, you can make wedding cake that you dream of.

Mostly round shaped cakes are widely used in weddings because of its simple design and low cost. As now more and more people are going for such stuffs, many suppliers are offering various styles of cakes to choose from like Cadbury purple with diamantes and cascading flowers, photo cakes with picture of bride and groom onto the cake, 3 tier with shapes of your choice, decorated with edible diamonds, raspberry pink satin ribbon and many more decorations to choose from. When such a large varieties are available then why would any one go for traditional shapes of round, square and oval?

I would not recommend you to go for heavy decorations cake if you are planning a small gathering as it will not suit your theme. Choose the cake according to the theme. If you are planning a budget gathering then go for real stuffs like fresh flowers and ribbons to bring down the cost. They will add beauty as well as real essence to it. These decorations will make your cake look beautiful without adding much to the budget. Instead of ordering special cake, people prefer to choose from already made that are on display in grocery stores. I know of many such stores in Birmingham that sell them and even offer you to add extra topping to match your theme.

Choose the taste of cakes by keeping your guests in mind. Some of the most common preferred taste are fruitcake, lemon, chocolate, marble, marzipan and all time favorite white. Look out for best deal by visiting shops and searching online. Do some research before finalizing any deal with one particular baker. Check their portfolio and website for reference. Be sure to check the price of cakes with decorations to avoid last time confusion and delivery option. By giving attention to small things you can make your wedding cake most memorable and crowd pleaser.

Care 4 u by Julz is supplier of Wedding Cake and Wedding Decorations Birmingham . Also supply and fit party decorations for any occasion, to compliment your cake and special event. To contact call 07796646493 or 0121-353-5980.

Cookie Making Made Easy My Busy-Mom-Method

In the early 1970s, when I was very young and with small children to care for, I had a few cookie recipes I would make very often, because they were simple recipes, with ingredients I usually had at hand. Cookies are a terrific snack, don't require utensils to pick up and eat and can be made ahead for a party. However, even with all that, they are just not my favorite things to make, because they need to be made either by dropping individually onto the baking sheet, rolling out and cutting (making a mess on the counter and more cleanup), or the often added step of having to chill the dough before working. I like immediacy. I want to mix up a recipe, bake it, clean up and be done.

One morning I made a batch of these cookies, finally popped the last pan in the oven, and set the timer. Itching to get outside for a bit and see what the children were doing, I went out . . . and got distracted. By the time I remembered the cookies in the oven, they had burnt and shrunken down to tiny little black hockey pucks - not even the dogs had any interest in them! It pays not to get distracted when baking. This was the last straw. I had to think of a better way.

I came up with a brilliant idea that I call my "Busy-Mom-Method"; one I use to this day. Rather than take the time to make all the individual cookies by batches, with separate baking times (and time to get distracted), I would roll the cookie dough directly onto a greased baking sheet, working it evenly to the edges and baking it as one large cookie. It is best to use a baking sheet that has three open sides, as it is simpler to maneuver the rolling pin and get the cookie rolled evenly. Keep in mind also, that a little more flour may be needed in the dough to allow for lifting it out and forming into a rough rectangle for rolling. Also, a little extra flour over the surface while rolling helps to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Try not to add any more flour than absolutely necessary, or the cookies will come out denser and harder.

It takes a few minutes more in the oven with one large cookie, but it comes out perfectly. Just watch for the edges to be golden, and the center to be set. With these cookies, I also make a simple icing that is just 1½ cups of confectioners' sugar, a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon of vanilla and enough water or milk to make a relatively thick consistency (very slow to fall from the spoon). Spread this over the hot cookie straight from the oven. The hot cookie warms the icing, making it melt and spread easily, using the back of the same spoon I used to mix the icing. I am all for less cleanup! Once the cookie cools, the icing dries and hardens, and I just cut the large cookie into small bar or square shapes, and voila; cookies in half the time! Two of my favorite recipes for this method were Hermits and Simple Vanilla Cookies. If you are a busy mom, try this method with any simple cookie dough. The Hermit cookies had raisins in them, but the thickness of the dough was no less than the thickness of the raisins, so it still worked well.

Simple Vanilla Cookies

Makes about 7 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

Cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add vanilla and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in flour, mixing well. Drop from a teaspoon 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with floured, flat-bottomed glass. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove immediately from pan.

These Simple Vanilla Cookies are incredibly good, from such a simple recipe. Don't take my word - try them out, either as individual cookies, or with my "busy-mom-method."

Chris Rawstern Photo

My name is Chris Rawstern and I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what A Harmony of Flavors means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible, the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like. My passion is to teach people how to create a Harmony of Flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Visit my Web site http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com/ or on Facebook. I will send you a copy of my monthly news letter full of recipes the latest tips.

Wedding Cake Toppers And Unity Candles Are Essential Parts Of Your Celebration

Making arrangements for a wedding can be difficult. You are entering a new phase of life and you want to make it special. Making it exceptional in regards to every single detail is absolutely important. One such important detail that you must not miss out are wedding cake toppers. It represents the togetherness of the new couple. A cake without a suitable topper will ensure that the wedding reception arrangements are not done in vain. You don't have to think deeply but select wisely so that the topper can add the perfect meaning to your marriage celebrations.

You can surprise the guests with a soulful topper or something which is vivid and will help you to cherish the day for a long time. These will help to spread love and romance and add value to the wedding. Don't forget to flaunt these at your wedding reception. You can even go for customized ones that are available at quite a few online stores. Besides the conventional toppers you can find various incredible and interesting toppers as well.

There are serious wedding cake toppers which usually indicate the traditional ones. If your partner has a good sense of humor then you can go for the funny toppers that indicate the figures of the couple in doctor's attire. Other topper ideals include sceneries and animals etc. Don't limit yourself to the conventional ones when you are going for the toppers. You can add your own taste and themes to the current ones. You can put in a few additional toppers such as decorative crafts or something that represents your preference. However, you must ensure that whatever you choose it should reflect your togetherness.

Other items that you must not forget when making arrangement for your marriage are the wedding unity candles. The color of the candles has to suit the ones used in the decorations. The candles can be purchased before ensuring that they are everything that they expected them to be. The candles are a wonderful marriage custom which can be seen in most celebrations. It is now becoming more and more popular in the present times.

In certain situation there is only one candle but in some other events you will find three. A single candle symbolizes the uniting of the lovely couple. The lighting of the candle represents the friendship, affection and support shared by the happy married couple. You can go for the personalized wedding unity candles which feature a stylized couple. The candles add a little character into your ceremony. Go for a striking design that will give a modern look to the conventional picture of the couple. You can also go for heart filigree which is a beautiful accent to your ceremony. Personalize with your date, name and decorative monogram for an exquisite candle.

Decorating Cupcakes For Your Party

Cupcakes!!! The very first thought of this delicious, mouth-watering dessert fills you with joy. But when it comes to attracting customers or kids, especially, you need to work on its presentation also. Merely cooking a simple cupcake is not enough; you need to decorate it also so that the eating experience is more joyous and satisfactory. And when it comes to decorating the cupcakes, there comes various decorating options.

Decorative items may include edible things as well as other packaging materials. Edible items include edible glitters and sprinklers, colours and luster sprays. Packaging and other presentation items include cupcake stands and wrapping materials, cupcake cases, carriers and boxes.

A beautiful cupcake stand not only helps you serve your guests in a better and convenient way in a party but it also adds a charm to your desert. A charming stand with a princess castle carved or printed on it will make your daughter jump high in her birthday party. The stands provide an easy, efficient and decorative way to serve the cupcakes and sweets.

The cupcake wraps are also important. A beautiful wrap going with your party theme is really worthy to spend for. You can also buy the wraps and stand that go with each other; it will give a classy look to your food corner. For instance, a cupcake stand with pink princess castle and wrap with yellow base and green dots will complement each other very well.

You may also use cupcake and muffin cases like colored foil cases to give them a vibrant extensive look. You may also buy carriers and boxes to provide your visitors with a box full of delicious and yummy cupcakes as a return gift. There are several designer boxes available in the market for the same. You may decorate these boxes further with florist tapes or metallic flower wires to give them a more attractive look.

Concentrating a bit on this decorating section is really worthy to spend your time and money for. Moreover, these decorative items don't come so expensive; some sellers provide these stands, wraps and cases at a really reasonable rate and that too with a variety of designs' options. There are various e-commerce websites on which you may search and select the best and cheapest item according to your need.

A party is incomplete without dessert, especially cupcake and these cupcakes are incomplete without their decoration. So you should also give importance and spend some of your resources to this side also.

Author is a professional writer as she is writing articles on various topics from last three years. With this post she wants to share information on decorative cupcake stands .

Decorating a Chocolate Cake

A chocolate cake may be a delightful treat when served toward after taking a meal or at an afternoon which is pleasant, if you desire having something sweet. Use whimsical and fanciful garnishes to make your cake appealing. Select foods which look pretty if paired against dark chocolate backgrounds and are delicious. Ingredients needed for preparing your delicacy include chocolate, metal baking pan, butter, a cup of almonds, spatula, ribbon, fondant and one fruit pound. The others are one cup of wine, two sugar tablespoons, paper lace doily and powdered sugar.

To prepare your cake, make curls first. These comprise of chocolate bits that are folded up, resembling hair curls. Then chop a chocolate bar into minute pieces, thereafter putting these pieces into glass bowl. Introduce 1 tablespoon of butter for each 2 ounces of chocolate. Put glass bowl into pan containing little portion of water.

Next, use open flame to heat this water. Stir this gently until it melts entirely. Allow it to cool for around 30 seconds then pour chocolate over baking pan of metal till thin layer is formed. Let it stand until cooling is achieved. Employ a spatula of metal for pushing chocolate underneath at 45-degree angle. Doing this creates some chocolate curl which may be utilized for garnishing your cake.

Toast one cup almonds in oven for about two to three minutes in order to produce the most refined flavor. After chopping into small slivers, use frosting to ice your cake, which you then may top with chopped pieces of almond. The step following this is creating topping of fondant, which is any piece of rolled icing which one can turn into a desirable shape. Roll out your fondant layer on the cake top until it gets covered entirely. Use ribbon for decorating around cake bottom for a complete look.

Top your cake with alcohol-marinated fruit. Cut up one pound ripe peaches, pitted cherries or strawberries into huge chunks. Place chunks of fruit in 1 cup wine mixture and two tablespoon of sugar. Allow to sit for an hour at least. Chop up fruit into pieces which are smaller then spread across cake with spatula.

Make use of powdered sugar for making lacy pattern. Sugar in powdered form creates dramatic look if applied against dark background. Put paper doily on cake top, onto which also sprinkle some powdered sugar. Lift up doily gently and reveal the pattern underneath it. Blow on chocolate cake top mildly to clear away sugar accumulated on single spots excessively.

It's Time To Say Hello With Christmas Cupcakes

Christmas cupcakes for the occasion is a lovely sojourn with appetizing creams and caramels. It's like celebrating with taste, and making the occasion best with several cake making tips and ways. Making a snowman Christmas cupcake is all so very easy. You just need to know the ingredients required for the purpose. To give shape to the particular cake the things that you need include icing sugar, apricot jam, white marshmallows, eatable silver baubles, strawberry belts of the red candy variety, dried coconut and to add you also need to arrange for hot water.

Making of the Snowman

To prepare snowmen Christmas cupcakes, you first require heating the oven to a temperature of 180°C, 350°F. You need to fit the cake papers well on the holes, or else there can be problems when the cake starts settling down. Take a mixing bowl and start mixing sugar and butter. Beat well till the batter is light and creamy.

Then it is time for you to beat the eggs well after you have completed stirring the flour. Remember to add vanilla extracts and baking powder and continue hitting the batter until it turns absolutely smooth. After you have well applied the mixture into the cup holes, you should allow them to get baked for twenty to twenty five minutes. Once ready you would know as the cakes would rise and turn golden automatically. You can use the coconut, apricot jam and marshmallows for perfect garnishing of the snowmen Christmas cupcakes.

The Mood for Chocolate Mud Cupcakes

You can even make Christmas special with the chocolate mud cupcakes. These are even referred to as holiday cakes and to make them you require chopped butter and Lindt dark chocolate stuff. You should also arrange for instant coffee powder, coffee liquor, plain flour, cocoa powder, egg, brown sugar, hot water and chocolate curls for stupendous cake decoration. You would also necessitate preparing the chocolate ganache with Lindt dark chocolate accompanied by sour cream.

For the mud Christmas cupcakes you need to heat the oven at a temperature of 160°C. You can use one of those muffin pans with the paper cases placed in style. Take a medium sized saucepan to make a perfect amalgamation of butter, hot water, coffee liquor, coffee powder and chocolate, and stir the ingredients well over low heat. After the batter is completely smooth stop applying heat. Then it is time to add sugar after which you should leave the batter aside to cool for four to five minutes. Apply the blend over the already prepared pans and allow it to be baked for 15 to 20 minutes. The process is completed with the making of the chocolate ganache which should be spread well over the cupcakes.

The Other Exciting Cupcake Models

The ingredients for the Christmas cupcakes are more or less similar. The exceptions lie in the final garnishing. For instance, when you sit to prepare the Santa hat cupcakes, you should make use of frosted red buttercream to give shape to the hats. For an exciting Christmas tree cupcake decoration, you can even make use of festoons like star and silver balls to make the cake shine for the occasion. The kinds of Christmas holiday cakes are made to look pretty in all plausible manners. To make the cake appear different in its kind you can set to decorate with reindeers and penguins. In fact, the cupcakes meant for Christmas are the cutest stuffs to be served on the occasion.

Jacob Reed has worked as a renowned Christmas cupcakes maker for a period of time. He has some of the most wonderful holiday cake recipes in store to share.

Cake Recipes Easy Way to Prepare Astonishing Food

Enjoying one of the Cake Recipes is quite a wonderful opportunity for the users because they are quite famous during birthdays and special events. The black forest category is one of the most famous Easy Cake Recipes which is prepared by the mixture of milk and chocolate all mixed into one. The coconut angel cake is one of the most prolific and amazing food which is closer to the heart and mind. It is made up of Betty Crocker food mix which is enmeshed with lime juice to provide awesome flavor in the bargain. Simple cake recipes include the usage of like peel along with the frozen whipped cream which would go a long way in providing spectacular results. Flaked coconut is one of the most important ingredients which is used by the people in preparing different types of culinary.

Cold water is mixed with the cakes to get the better taste and make it soft in the process. The cake is sliced into 3 layers and the bottom is one forts served to the guests. It dissolves into the mouth providing wonderful flavor. The layers are placed one above the other and are considered to be the epitomes of taste in an impeccable way.

Cake Recipes are mixed with the coconut to provide the impeccable taste in a wonderful manner. Rasp berry poke cake is a super delicious dessert quite famous among the people. Water along with vegetable oil are mixed together to deliver a frosty mixture so that people are able to enjoy the delectable taste in an impeccable manner. The oven is pre heated to a certain temperature and gelatin is stirred to add up to the mix without any hiccups. The cake is baked for a certain period of time and then it is allowed to cool. It is one of the most important easy Cake Recipes because the mixture is garnished with rasp berries to deliver the best performance. The oozing delight is freshly served to the guests and they relish the awesome appearance as well as the cuisine. Cakes are considered to be the potential sources of energy with the toppling dissolving into the mouth, compelling people to ask for more. In the modern world which is moving at a very fast pace, simple cake recipes are blessing in disguise because people do not need elaborate preparation to make them. They are at the service within a stipulated time frame and could be used as dinner along with the dessert.

Nikita Verma writes about many Indian food recipes related subjects like healthy and easy food. She has gained proficiency in various sections like Cake Recipes , chocolate recipes, Dessert Recipes etc. Rate this Article

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Nikita Verma has published 238 articles. Article submitted on November 01, 2012. Word count: 414

How to Make Delicious Bundt Cakes Without Any Hassle?

Most of the people love Bundt cakes, not just because these cake recipes are moistest and delicious, but because they are easy to make and require little or no decoration. They can use any one of the fancy bundt pans available on the market and make impressive bundt cakes without putting any major efforts. Bundt pans are special cake pans meant to bake up traditional ridged round cakes. Due to their ridged or fluted designs, they can easily give an attractive shape to the finished cake. The bundt pans have a hole in the center which helps circulate the hot air around and across the cake and make it bake evenly. The pans now come in so many creative designs but with the more complex styles people face the problem of cake getting stuck in the pan. They need to use the right tools and some useful tips to remove the cake properly from the pan. The tips are as follows:

Use a non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle some non-stick vegetable oil on the bundt pan. You can also use a non-stick cooking spray like Bakers Joy for good results. Then, brush the sprayed oil into the grooves of the pan with the help of a pastry brush and keep the pan facing downward on a paper towel so that the excess oil can drain away. You need to avoid using a spray containing lecithin as it may build up on the baking pan over time.After greasing, dust or flour your cake pan and make it ready for baking. After greasing the pan with small amount of vegetable shortening, you must dust it lightly with flour. Just drop a tablespoon of flour into your greased pan, gently shake it and tap the pan multiple times with your palms, until the flour is distributed evenly over all surfaces. Once you finish, turn the pan upside on your work surface to remove extra flour.Or dust your bundt cake pan with finer bread crumbs instead of flour. You can also dust the pan with finer bread crumbs. The dry bread crumbs will work better than flour.Bake the cake and let it cool for 10 minutes before taking out of the pan. Pour the batter slowly into the pan and put it in an oven. Bake it for the specified time and allow it to cool 10 minutes or more if required. Use hot pads to lift the pan and mildly shake it to loosen the cake from all sides. You can also run a plastic knife or rubber spatula around the edge of the cake to help it loosen from the sides of the pan.Invert the cake, continue cooling and drizzle or dust. Invert the baked cake onto a cooling rack or plate and continue with cooling. Dust the cake with finely powdered sugar or drizzle some chocolate or caramel sauce over the top.

You are likely to get the compliments as you serve the perfectly prepared bundt cakes to your friends and family. Even better, you can shop for these tasty cakes at reputed bakery stores online. Apart from bundt cakes, they trade in baby shower cupcakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes and many more. Even though you don't know how to make cake, they would let you enjoy a wide range of cake recipes at reasonable price.

Jacob Reed has been associated with gourmet and baking business for several years. He specializes in providing exclusive tips on making and purchase of bundt cakes , birthday cakes and baby shower cupcakes . Rate this Article

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Jacob Reed has published 20 articles. Article submitted on October 29, 2012. Word count: 555

Baklava Kosher Dessert Ideas for Your Party

Its festive time again, if you are wondering what must you gift your loved one, then I have a perfect idea. Why not just make some perfect dessert and pack them on glossy paper and present them to your loved one. It's a know fact that whatever may the occasion be Baklava dessert is a much loved dessert at all times. Make this time a bit different, Chocolates are fun but are an usual gift so if you want to give a surprise then try your hand with some Mediterranean dessert this time.

You can find Baklava in any of the bakery or sweet shop but will it not be fun to try your hands on some of its Recipe and bring a big smile on your loved ones face. Kosher Desserts are a great gift for people of all ages you can add your won flavors and deconstruct it to make it more appealing. If you are not too confident about your cooking skills then it is advisable to go in for the basic recipe and then move on to the more tempting and complicated ones. There are different kind of baklava the ones which you see in shops are mostly made by professionals and are made in Baklava factory which follows a strict recipe.

Gourmet Baklava Pastries and Greek Baklava are one of the baklava which are most cherished , not only does it melt in the mouth due to its fine layer pastries but also had added health benefits due to nuts and dry fruits. Due to its mind blowing taste it is fast moving and is getting quite popular throughout the world. Baklava was traditionally a Middle East and Mediterranean dessert but now is getting more and more popular in the west with every passing day. You can also find it recipes in various recipe books and famous websites.

Baklava is so tempting that it's very difficult to control at one piece. Baklava may be light and fluffy but is loaded with calories. Though it is also regarded as healthy as it has loads of dry fruits which helps in increasing the good cholesterol.

If you are a dieting freak and are conscious about calories then you can use sugar free instead of sugar. Because of its increasing popularity , baklava is now available in various supermarkets in various packaging especially during festive seasons. If you are not so lucky to find it in your supermarket then you need not get depressed as you can now order it online and it will get delivered right at your door steps.

If you are fond of cooking then you can also add a special dimension to the traditional Baklava recipe by adding fruits and flavors of your choice to make it more tempting. And if you are trying your hands on baklava for the first time, bear in mind that this dessert needs lots of patience and practice therefore make sure you try it over and over again until you attain perfection. Once you have mastered the skill of preparing baklava then you can very proudly present them to your friends and make your parties even more memorable.

Allen Mathews Photo

The Baklava Factory is certified kosher by the Rabbinical Council of California. Online, you can purchase products and enjoy sweet Baklava pastry dessert. Find out more on Kosher Dessert .

Giving Thanks for Cupcake Creativity

Preparing for Thanksgiving can be hectic, especially for the cooks. This year, why not get the kids involved. Your neighborhood bakeries are always full of creative ideas, and Thanksgiving is no different. With some of these awesome cupcake ideas for a Thanksgiving treat, your kids will want to be just as involved in preparing the Thanksgiving meal as they are in eating it!

While putting desserts together for Thanksgiving, keep in mind that desserts are meant to be fun. There is no need to stick with elegance and refinery when wrapping up a huge dinner or lunch. Letting the kids get involved in desserts can make the holiday a bit more special and give them a true sense of creativity.

So try out these three Thanksgiving cupcakes as a finisher to your Thanksgiving meal:

Candy Corn Turkey Cupcakes

These are simple to bake and so much fun to decorate! Just whip up some chocolate cupcakes, top them with some fudge frosting, and then use candy corn pieces for their tail feathers and beaks. For their eyes, you can probably find decorative sugar bits at your favorite local bakery, or maybe even use miniature marshmallows. These are a huge hit for the kids because of the variety of sweets in one single dessert!

Turkey Cupcakes (With Nutter Butter Bodies)

This is another simple set-up that your kids will love to help with. Again, we start with a traditional chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing. You can even throw some chocolate sprinkles on them to give the ruffled appearance of feathers. Then stick a Nutterbutter cookie vertically near the front of the cupcake. Use white frosting for the eyes and fruit roll up strips for the feathers and beard. These look so cute that you may not want to eat them!

Cherry Pie Cupcakes

These are fun to make and downright delicious. Start by baking a batch of cupcakes with vanilla frosting. Top these with a layer of buttercream icing and then use real cherry pie filling to cover this. Using vanilla icing, create a lattice pattern on top of the cherry filling. The end result should look like a mini cherry pie. You might want to make a lot, as these tend to be a delicious crowd favorite.

For more fun ways to bake for Thanksgiving, see your local bakery stores. Surely, they know their way around a holiday table. They'll not only have great ideas, but incredible recipes and specials you can choose from.

Looking for the best bakeries in Brooklyn to create the ultimate Thanksgiving treats that kids will love? Visit Duet Bakery Boutique and have all of your sweet fantasies come true in the expert hands of Chef Diana Rodov and her staff.

Celebrate Fall with Delicious Pastry Flavors

Fall is here and it's time break out the long sleeves and pack away the summer clothes. It's also time to bring certain spices and recipes to the forefront of your kitchen. Just like Halloween decorations, there are also certain flavor combinations and cake recipes that represent the season to its fullest.

All seasons should be celebrated with foods that coincide with the weather and holidays, but there is something truly special about Fall-themed foods. This goes far beyond candy corn and candied apples. If you'd like to truly see how fall can be celebrated in food, you'll see it very clearly in bakeries and pastry shops. Sample a slice of their heavenly pumpkin spice cakes or other pastries to get a glimpse of the flavors of the season. Pumpkins spices and flavors are obviously a staple of any fall dessert recipes, but fall tastes go far beyond this.

Carrot cake is also fairly popular to many families at this time of the year, When joined with other fall flavors, namely pumpkin and ginger, carrot cakes can make a very delicious addition to any party or get together. Cake bakeries show this flair in a variety of ways and are up to the challenge of incorporating any flavor profile into their pastries.

Fall also brings to mind carnivals and fairs to a great deal of the US. So it only makes sense that caramel apple would find its way into any fall cookbook. Bakery stores offer delicious variations of this classic flavor in cakes and cupcakes and any other pastry you might need.

This is also a great time of year to tell your children the tale of the gingerbread man, as gingerbread is a great way to celebrate fall and even the approaching winter and the kids prepare for Christmas. Festive outfits for these gingerbread man can brighten any child's day, making the treat easy on the eyes as well as the stomach!

For a more refined and adult taste, spice rum cakes are also a very good recipe option for fall desserts. A tasty spiced rum cake with rum glaze is a delicious way for the adults to enjoy the flavors of fall as well.

Whatever your taste buds may feel about the fall season, cake shops and bakeries are sure to please any taste. From adorable pumpkin cupcakes for the kids to enjoy, to comforting spiced apple pies, they're are ready to help you get into the fall spirit with a variety of delicious pastries!

Looking for the best bakery shop Brooklyn to create the ultimate Fall pastries that will stun your guests, make them lick their plates and ask for more? Visit Duet Bakery Boutique and have all of your sweet fantasies come true in the expert hands of Chef Diana Rodov and her staff.

Gluten-Free Baking - A Journey into New Territory

Gluten-Free foods are taking their place in the world these days. We are all becoming more aware of gluten, gluten intolerance, celiac (or coeliac) disease, and what this means for so many people. While I am not gluten intolerant, I often cook and bake for functions, locally. Last year I was asked to provide little treats for a Princess Party, put on by the Dacotah Prairie Museum. Accompanied by a "queen", little girls from tots to teens were invited, to learn about the lives of real princesses. They were taught how to wave properly, and curtsey.

Little girls hear the word "princess" and go dreamy-eyed. The program was sold out. I made lots of little treats, but found out one of the little princesses and her queen were gluten intolerant, and couldn't partake of many of the little treats. This was an intolerable state of affairs! I decided I needed to learn about this disease, be aware of what was involved, and provide alternatives that would be tasty and exciting.

Over the past year, I have been trying out different gluten-free flour mixtures, and making lots of goodies, mainly from my own normal recipes, converted by simply substituting gluten-free flour and adding xanthan gum. In the main, they have been a whopping success. In my honest opinion, as someone who has been baking for 42 years, some of the cakes, fruit or nut loaves turn out more moist and tender than when made with wheat flour; a very happy discovery, without a doubt. The "queen" mentioned above, works at the museum, so I took an afternoon to talk with this young woman and learn more about what was involved. I also had baked one of my favorite coffeecake recipes, gluten-free and took it for her and the museum staff to try. They all loved it; moist and tender and full of flavor. The young woman was happy with my experiment, as was I.

Another great help along the way was finding Shauna Ahern's "Gluten Free Girl" website. I have studied her site extensively and learned all sorts of things there. I mixed up her gluten-free flour mixture to experiment with, as well as trying out one of her bread recipes; another success. I took some of the bread for the woman at the museum to sample, as well as a slice I slathered with homemade pesto and cheese and broiled. She exclaimed, "This is the best bread I've tasted since going gluten free!"

This coffeecake recipe was given to me by my best friend of 54 years, and is a terrific recipe, no matter which flour you choose. This is the original recipe; for gluten-free, I substituted a gluten-free flour mixture made up of 6 cups brown rice flour, 2 cups potato starch and 1 cup tapioca starch. I used this mixture measure for measure in this recipe, and added 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the sifted dry ingredients. Be sure to check the labels of ingredients for hidden wheat when making this Gluten-Free!

Bundt Coffeecake

1 cup unsalted butter

1½ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped nuts; walnuts or pecans are good

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla and mix well. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

Mix together the chopped nuts, the 2 teaspoons sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle ½ of this topping into the greased pan. Put in half the batter - this requires "plopping" small spoonfuls of the batter into the pan as the batter is very thick. Then carefully smooth it to fill in any gaps. Tapping the pan on the countertop helps. Pour on the rest of the "topping" and again plop spoonfuls into the pan till all batter is used.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake if desired. Serves 12 to 16.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Replace the flour with your preferred gluten-free flour mixture and add in 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Mix and bake as directed. (Sometimes baking is a little bit longer than normal, but since the texture and moistness is so wonderful, I can wait those few more minutes!)

Try this recipe, either way, and you won't be sorry!

Chris Rawstern Photo

My name is Chris Rawstern and I have been on a cooking and baking journey for 42 years. Many people have asked what "A Harmony of Flavors" means. Have you ever had a meal where the visual presentation was stunning, the smells were incredible, the taste was so remarkable that you ate slowly savoring every bite, wishing the experience would never end? Then you have experienced what a truly harmonious meal can be like. My passion is to teach people how to create a "Harmony of Flavors" with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Visit my Web site http://www.aharmonyofflavors.com/ Let me know, and I will send you a copy of my monthly news letter full of recipes the latest tips.

Patriotic Dessert Pizza

I'm finally back with a new recipe! So much has happened since our last post. Our home is now sold and we've moved into a rental house. We've finalized our plans for the new home and hope to start building in the beginning of August. So exciting! We also took a trip to Niagara Falls.

These pictures are actually from last summer. It was difficult taking pictures this year and keeping an eye on my littlest one without a stroller!

Isn't it beautiful. It amazes me how close you can get to the falls. I kept a close eye on my kiddos while we were there, especially my 2 yr. old! She was carried or holding a hand the whole time (we forgot the stroller).

Now that we're settled, I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer. This week we are celebrating the 4th of July. Of course we need a special treat for Independence Day. I decided to finally try this recipe for Strawberry Pizza from Your Homebased Mom that I pinned last month. I'm adding some fresh blueberries to make this a red, white and blue pizza or a Patriotic Dessert Pizza.

Ingredients (Printable Recipe)
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp
Filling:
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Topping:
1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
8-10 strawberries sliced
about 1/2 cup blueberries
Directions
Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar and butter. Form into a ball with hands and press into a 14-inch ungreased pizza pan OR roll out the crust on a pizza stone . Use flour as needed to keep crust from sticking to rolling pin.
Bake at 325 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Let Cool.
Topping:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Simmer until thick and glossy (about 5-10 minutes). Put in refrigerator to cool while making the filling.
Filling:
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and lemon juice.

Spread the cream cheese filling onto the cooled crust. Then, spread the cooled strawberry topping on top of the cream cheese filling.
Cut fresh strawberries crosswise to make rounds that resemble pepperoni, place on pizza with blueberries.
Enjoy!
If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Your Homebased Mom

Let's get started! Just mix everything together with your hands.

I used my pizza stone.

I rolled out the crust on top of the stone with a little flour. Roll it out as evenly as possible.

I pushed in the edges so they wouldn't be too thin and would bake evenly.

I made the sauce before the filling so it would have more time to cool. My berries were pretty firm, so I used a food processor to mashed them.

Baked and Cooled

First, the cheese mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Next, the sauce.

Finally, the delicious toppings! Red, White and Blue.

Yum! Happy Independence Day!

The Results...
Delicious without being too sweet. I've found other recipes for dessert pizzas using sugar cookie dough, but I wanted to try this recipe because it is all from scratch and has less sugar in it. I'm so glad I did! This is a 5 star recipe and it's perfect for this time of year while blueberries are in season and you can still get fresh strawberries at a good price.

The crust is buttery and flaky. The sweetened cream cheese filling adds just enough richness paired with the fresh berries and homemade strawberry sauce. The star of this dessert is definitely the berries.....fresh, sweet and delicious.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

I share recipes at these linky parties
and the Weekend Potluck.

Make a Rage of Delicious Desserts with Berries

The word 'dessert' means a lot of different things to different people, and most of these feelings are pleasant and happy. The sugary and textured feel of these food items are a treat for the tongue and taste buds. While chocolate and vanilla usually form the basis of most after meal sweet meats, fruits, spices and syrups are also a major part of them. Here are a few items that will help you create the finest and tastiest sweet dishes for the upcoming holiday season using berries. And the best part is that most of these may be consumed by strict vegetarians too.

Muffins, Brownies and Cakes

Essentially made from similar dough, these are best made soft with a pinch of baking soda. When it comes to adding strawberries or blueberries to these items, it is always a bonus as these fruits go extremely well with chocolate, vanilla or any other flavor. The conventional way is to use a bit of berry essence and bake these food items with the fruit itself. However, you may experiment and sweeten the berries beforehand, and put on the top as garnish.

Souffles, Mousse, Trifle and Ice Creams

The frozen goodness of these desserts is just enhanced by adding a handful of raspberries or blackberries to it. In fact, they offer an added flavor to the sweets. You may opt for a tangy taste or a sweet one by boiling these fruits with a bit of sugar water. You may even use a mix of both for the sweet and sour taste which may bring a unique burst of flavors in the mouth. The benefits of strawberries and other fruits is that they may be used full or cut into pieces to match these food items.

Tarts, Pancakes, Cobblers, Pies

Strawberries and raspberries are known to be versatile, whether you use it for main course or salads, thus, when it comes to creating the warm, homemade pancakes for breakfast or bite sized tarts for a party, these may be used anywhere.

Sorbets and Iced Pops

Nothing better than icy treats during the chilly winters! Use the sour blackberries to create the finest of ice candies and scoops of sorbets during the party time. You may make these in advance and store them in the freezer so there is hardly any last minute work to be done.

Treat your sweet tooth by making these amazing desserts by adding bite sized fruits to it.

Berries at Driscoll's® - We grow some of the finest strawberries, raspberries , blueberries & blackberries. Also, we have a huge variety of berry recipes for you because there is just so much one can do with berries. Our recipe index gives you options for appetizers, beverages, main courses, etc. Check out our entire recipe index here . If you would like to speak to a Driscoll's representative, please call our 24 hour toll free number at 1-800-871-3333.