Scones with Raspberry Jam

This scone recipe was a must-have for the month of September. Why, you ask? Well, for starters, IT'S FAIR SEASON! I know it's supposed to be called the Washington State Fair, but old habits die hard and I still call it, the Puyallup Fair--SUE ME.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (I recommend the brand Rumford)

6 Tablespoons of softened, unsalted butter

3/4 cup to 1 cup of heavy cream

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

raspberry jam (of course!!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Into your stand mixer (or by hand), add in your first 4 ingredients. Mix well. Add in your softened butter. Place the dough hook onto your stand mixer, turn mixer to 'stir,' gradually turn to speed 2, and mix just until crumbly. With the mixture still on, add in 3/4 cup of your heavy cream. Mix just until dough starts to pull away from the sides and turn into a ball. Onto a lightly floured surface, dump your dough on top, and form it into a smooth ball. Divide dough into fourths, flatten out each piece into a 1 inch disc, and cover tightly with saran wrap. Place the discs into the fridge until chilled, about 3 hours OR overnight. Remove dough from fridge and shape into scones. Place shaped scones on some silpat (or parchment paper) and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 14 minutes, or until tops and bottoms have slightly browned. Serve warm with some jam.

NOTES:

-This recipe makes 16 small scones. You may cut them out larger if you'd like, just make sure to bake them a bit longer.

-Make these ahead! Unbaked scones be stored in the fridge for up to a week or may be frozen for later use.

-These taste best eaten the same day. You may keep these in an airtight container and keep them on the counter for 2 days. I recommend reheating them in the oven. Homemade scones lose their texture over time and do not taste good when you reheat them in the microwave.

-Bake only as much as you can eat! FRESH SCONES ARE THE BEST!

Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Snickerdoodles are a bit nostalgic to me. Back when they used to teach Home Economics in middle school, it was my first, homemade cookie that I ever had; they were soft; they were chewy; they were crunchy around the edges, yet soft and chewy in the middle. At the time, I thought they were the best thing, EVER! So, to my middle school teacher, Ms. Young, if you're reading this, I want to let you know that the first time I ever baked anything was with you! Who knows...maybe my love for baking started much earlier than I thought!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of softened unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup of sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 3/4 cup of all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda


FOR THE CINNAMON AND BROWN SUGAR COATING:
3 Tablespoons of sugar

3 teaspoons of cinnamon

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
vanilla bean ice cream or ice cream of your choice!

sprinkles!! All the sprinkles!!

round biscuit or cookie cutter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a small baking dish with some parchment paper. Take your ice cream out of the freezer and let it soften a bit before using (about 10 minutes). Scoop out desired amount of ice cream into the baking dish and level it out using a flat spatula. Cover the ice cream with a piece of saran wrap, making sure to press over the ice cream's surface. Freeze until firm. (I usually do this whole step the night before)

2. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and using a biscuit cutter, cut out your ice cream. Place your cut-out ice cream pieces back into the freezer until ready to assemble.

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 400 DEGREES F.
3. Into a shallow plate, mix together your sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

4. Into a mixing bowl, add in your flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

5. In a large mixing bowl, add in your softened butter and sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat JUST UNTIL COMBINED. Add in your eggs and vanilla and beat just until combined. USING A SPATULA, fold in your dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix.

6. Using a melon baller (or by hand) shape your cookie dough and drop them into your cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place them on your cookie sheet fitted with some silpat (or parchment paper/foil), making sure to space them at least two inches apart.

7. Bake cookies for 8 minutes, EXACTLY.

8. Immediately remove cookies from your baking sheet and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack until ready to use.

9. Remove your ice cream from the freezer and begin to assemble your ice cream sandwiches. Roll them gently into your sprinkles (if using). I recommend making two at a time (leaving the rest in the freezer while you work), and eating them asap! In other words, make them and eat them right away! The ice cream will begin to melt as soon as you take them out of the freezer.

NOTES:
-Do not attempt to put any assembled ice cream sandwiches back into the freezer: the cookies will harden and it will be quite difficult to eat!

-This recipe makes over 3 1/2 dozen cookies. You may cut the recipe in half, but why would you?! Chilled dough makes the BEST cookies! Simply roll out the leftover dough into two separate logs, wrap each one in saran wrap, and place them into the freezer for later use.

Lemon Cake with Lemon Icing

I don't discriminate--I love cake of all sorts. BUT I must say...lemon cake with lemon icing is the way to my heart (well, at least at the moment, it is!). This cake has the perfect balance of sweet-to-tartness that will tickle your taste buds. It's soft, not overly-sweet, and has a very soft crumb. Your family and friends will go nuts over this one!


INGREDIENTS:

6 EXTRA LARGE eggs (separate the egg yolks from the egg whites)

2 sticks (1 cup) of softened unsalted butter

2 cups of caster sugar (may sub for granulated sugar)

8 ounces of sour cream

3 cups of sifted cake flour

1/2 tsp of baking soda

3/4 tsp of salt

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp of lemon oil or lemon extract

The zest from 2 lemons

cream of tartar

FOR THE LEMON SYRUP:

1/4 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of water

The juice from two lemons

FOR THE LEMON GLAZE:

2 cups of sifted powdered sugar

2-4 Tablespoons of lemon juice
(I use about 1 1/2 lemons for this)

A bit of lemon oil

Pinch of salt

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

A 10-inch aluminum tube pan

a skewer or something to poke holes with all over the finished cake

softened butter to grease pan



INSTRUCTIONS:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 325 degrees F.

1. Butter your tube pan all over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Generously coat the whole pan with cake flour and then tap off the excess. Set this aside.

2. Sift your cake flour, salt, and baking soda together. Set this aside.
3. Separate your eggs; place your egg yolks into a small bowl.

4. In a large mixing bowl, add in your egg whites along with some cream of tartar and beat until stiff. Set this aside.

5. In your stand mixer, cream together your butter and sugar for at least 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

6. "Stir" in your sour cream just until combined.

7. Alternate adding in your flour mixture and egg yolks until fully combined with your creamed mixture.

8. Add in your lemon oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

9. Fold in your egg whites (by hand) just until combined.

10. Pour cake batter into your tube pan, give it a little jiggle to evenly disperse the batter, and bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Check after 1 hour for doneness using a skewer.

11. While the cake is baking, make your syrup. Place sugar and water into a small saucepan, bring it to a quick rolling boil, and remove from heat. Add in your lemon juice. Mix well and allow this mixture to cool down.

12. Make your lemon icing: place sifted powdered sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Add in your lemon juice. For thicker glaze, start off with only 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and add more from there. Add in a small squeeze of lemon oil. Mix using a wire whisk. Add more or less powdered sugar to control consistency. Cover until ready to use.

13. When cake is done, allow it to rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen up the cake from pan and set it on a wire rack.

14. Using a skewer, poke holes throughout the whole cake. Using a spoon, slowly pour the lemon syrup all over the cake.

15. Once the cake has cooled down, pour your lemon glaze all over the cake. Allow for glaze to set (about 15 minutes). ENJOY!



NOTES:


-For best results, use extra large eggs.
-To make caster sugar, place white granulated sugar into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
-Love pound cake? If you do not separate the eggs and just beat them in whole, the cake will be much denser and taste like a pound cake!
-If you do not separate the eggs, the cooking time will be a bit longer.
-Add a little lemon zest to the lemon glaze for a little kick!
-I highly recommend purchasing some lemon oil (I use the Wilton brand) if you can find some! I found mine from my local craft store, Michaels. If you really want to splurge, Lorann makes a good lemon oil, as well.

Lemon Bars

I was on the search for a good lemon bar recipe for a while...all came up short. Most had too little crust, or not enough lemon filling, or waaaay too much sugar! Even the amount I use in this recipe is the most that I've ever used! BUT that's the price you pay when you're dealing with desserts that require fresh lemon juice; hashtag, sorry-but-not-sorry!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRUST:

2 sticks (1 cup) of softened, unsalted butter

1/3 cup of sugar

2 cups of all purpose flour

the zest from 2 lemons

1/4 tsp of salt

FOR THE LEMON FILLING:

6 LARGE eggs

2 cups MINUS 2 Tablespoons of caster sugar

3/4 cup of sifted all purpose flour

1/4 tsp of salt

3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:
PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 DEGREES F.

1. Place your butter into a large mixing bowl and beat it until it has dispersed all over the bowl, about 20-30 seconds. Add in your granulated sugar and beat for 30 seconds more. Add the flour, salt, and lemon zest and mix until combined and crumbly. Pour your shortbread mixture into a 13x9 inch glass pan and firmly press the mixture down, making a nice even layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges have turned slightly golden brown. When there's about 10 minutes left, gather all of the ingredients for the lemon filling.

2. Into a large mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs, caster sugar, sifted all purpose flour, and salt. Finally, add in your fresh lemon juice and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour your lemon filling onto the hot crust, LOWER THE OVEN TEMP TO 325 DEGREES F. and bake for about 20 minutes, or until there's a slight jiggle in the middle of your pan when you wiggle it.

4. Remove the pan from the oven, allow it to cool to room temp. and then place a piece of saran wrap over it. Refrigerate until lemon bars have fully set, about 3 hours, or even better, overnight!

5. Remove lemon bars from the fridge, and allow them to come to room temp before dusting with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve immediately!

NOTES:

-Make these ahead! Place lemon bars into the freezer after you're done baking and pull them out whenever you want some! Make sure you allow it to come to room temp before dusting with powdered sugar.

-You may use any 13x9 inch pan, but I love the results the glass pan gives me.

-Dip your knife into some hot water before cutting into your lemon bars to get those perfect squares!

-I usually get 3/4 cup of lemon juice from the larger lemons. If you use Meyer lemons, they are less acidic and require less sugar. If you use the tiny lemons, those are REALLY acidic, and I'd recommend using the full 2 cups of sugar.

-To make caster sugar, just pulse granulated sugar in a food processor until smooth.

-Different pans yield different cooking times, so I'd recommend checking on your lemon bars after 15 minutes.

-Make sure your crust is fully baked before adding in your filling.

Strawberry Crumb Bars

I don't know about you guys, but strawberry flavored ANYTHING is my absolute favorite! These strawberry crumb bars aren't overly sweet (as with most of my desserts) and have this yummy, crumbly topping made with cinnamon and nutmeg...YUM!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. of fresh strawberries chopped

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon of cornstarch

FOR THE CRUST:

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of brown sugar

pinch of salt

zest from one lemon

1 egg lightly beaten

1/2 cup of SOFTENED unsalted butter, cubed

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 cup of crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup of sugar

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar

pinch of salt

cinnamon to taste

ground nutmeg to taste

1/4 cup of melted butter flavored shortening (may sub for butter)

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

13x9 inch baking dish

parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 degrees F.

1. Place your chopped strawberries into a mixing bowl and add in your sugar, vanilla extract, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.
2. Make your crust: into a mixing bowl, add in your all purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, pinch of salt, zest from one lemon, and egg. Add in your cubed softened butter, and using a fork, begin to mix your ingredients together. Once slightly combined, use your hands to mix it until crumbly. REMOVE 1/2 CUP OF THIS MIXTURE AND SET THIS ASIDE.
3. Press your crust mixture firmly into your baking dish fitted with a piece of parchment paper.
4. Take your strawberry mixture and pour it evenly over your crust.
5. Make your topping: into a mixing bowl, add in your all purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, crispy rice cereal, pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted shortening. Mix it until crumbly. Take your 1/2 cup of reserved mixture from earlier, and add that into your mixing bowl until well combined.
6. Take your crumb topping and spread it evenly over your strawberries. (You may not use all of the crumb topping)
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until topping is slightly browned. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Easy Apple Turnovers

These apple turnovers have quickly become a favorite in my home! They are easy to make but in no way, shape, or form, do they look easy. All you need is some good ol' frozen puff pastry sheets and you will have your dessert ready in no time! They taste great on their own, but the vanilla glaze will definitely take it over the top! The glaze may taste like something is missing when it's on its own, but I promise you, when you take that first bite of that flaky, buttery, and apple filled turnover, you will soon realize that making the vanilla glaze was probably the best decision that you've ever made in your life.

Wow, sometimes I don't realize how deep I can get when I start to talk about pastries.

PASTRIES ARE LIFE.

PASTIES CAN BE LIFE, TOO...If that's your thing.

I won't judge you. Just kidding--I totally will.

INGREDIENTS:
2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed on counter for 30-40 minutes

2 large Fuji apples (or 3 smaller ones)

2 Tbsp of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

ground nutmeg to taste

pinch of salt

FOR THE EGG WASH:

1 whole egg

a bit of water

FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:
1 cup of SIFTED powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons of milk

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

YOU WILL AlSO NEED:
granulated sugar

8 small cubes of unsalted butter (optional)

2 large baking sheets

parchment paper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Remove your two sheets of frozen puff pastry from the packaging and leave it out on your counter while you chop up your apples.
2. Peel and then dice up your apples into small, uniform pieces.
3. Into a saucepan on medium high heat, add in your butter, diced apples, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Bring this to a rolling boil and cook for 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove filling from saucepan, place into a small bowl, and set aside. Allow to cool before using. You may also refrigerate the filling before use.
*PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 400 degrees F.
4. Place one of your puff pastry sheets onto a clean surface dusted with some flour. Place the other sheet back into the fridge until you are ready to use it. With a floured rolling pin, carefully roll out your puff pastry a bit to remove any cracks.
5. Slice into 4 equal squares.
6. Place 2 heaping Tablespoons of filling into the middle of your puff pastry. Place a dab of butter (if using) right on top of your filling. Fold over one corner of the pastry, creating an even triangular shape. Take a fork, dip it into some flour, and firmly crimp to seal the outer edges. Continue process with the other 3 squares and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Using a serrated knife, make two small cuts on top of the turnover. Brush with some egg wash, sprinkle a nice pinch of granulated sugar, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool down a bit before glazing. Serve immediately.

TO MAKE THE VANILLA GLAZE:
Into a mixing bowl, add in your sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Place finished glaze into a piping bag or snip the corners of a small ziplock baggie.

NOTES:While you have your first batch of apple turnovers baking, begin making your other batch. Place your apple turnovers on your second baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with foil, and place them into the fridge until ready to bake.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Chocolate is my absolute WEAKNESS. I've never been a fan of candy, but chocolate is another story.

This chocolate mousse pie is decadent, chocolatey, and isn't overly sweet because I use dark chocolate in my recipe. And since research shows that eating dark chocolate can be beneficial to your health, consuming this pie is practically like saving your life.

Seems legit.

INGREDIENTS:

5 ounces of chopped dark chocolate (may sub for semi-sweet)

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup of sugar

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

3 Tablespoons of prepared gelatin (see recipe below)

prepared whipped cream (see below)

TO MAKE THE GELATIN:


1 package of unflavored gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

1/2 cup of hot water

TO MAKE THE WHIPPING CREAM:


2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

2 tsp of vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons of prepared gelatin

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

2 store bought chocolate crusts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start off by chilling your mixer by placing it (along with beater) in your freezer.
2. Into a small mixing bowl, make your gelatin. Mix very well. Set aside and allow to cool down slightly.
3. Into a medium sized bowl, beat your egg yolks until lemon colored and thickened. Add in your sugar and beat until well combined.
4. Into a saucepan over medium heat, add in 1 cup of heavy cream and heat until hot (but not boiling). Take half of your hot cream and add it into your egg yolk mixture. This is called tempering. Using a wire whisk, whisk it just until combined. Carefully, add all of your egg yolk mixture + cream back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 5 minutes). Keep whisking and DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and stir in dark chocolate. Whisk until fully melted.
5. Pour chocolate mixture into a clean mixing bowl and stir in 3 Tablespoons of your prepared gelatin. Mix well.
6. Using your chilled mixer, pour in 2 cups of heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes and gradually speed up mixer. Once at soft peaks, turn mixer to low, and add in your powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Turn mixture to medium high, and add in 3 Tablespoons of gelatin, and beat until stiff peaks.
7. Take HALF of your whipped cream, and fold it into your chocolate mixture. Place the other half of your whipped cream in the refrigerator for later use.
8. Divide your chocolate mousse evenly amongst two pie crusts, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
9. Remove pie crusts from the fridge, and using the remainder of your whipped cream, frost the tops of your pies.

NOTES:

Make these a day ahead for the best, chocolate mousse pie eating experience. :) The pies will be set and ready to eat in about 4 hours, but I prefer to make these a day ahead!

Lattice Apple Pie

Who doesn't love a good ol' homemade apple pie?? Furthermore, who doesn't love a PRETTY, homemade, lattice apple pie??

The recipe in itself is very easy...it's really the lattice design that's a little harder to tackle. But with a little practice and patience, all will be well in due time, my friend!



INGREDIENTS:

2 homemade pie crusts (recipe here) or you may use store bought as well

4 large granny smith apples

3/4 cup of sugar (may use 1 cup if you like it sweeter)

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/8 tsp of nutmeg

2 pinches of salt


FOR THE CORNSTARCH SLURRY:

the juice from half a lemon

1 Tablespoon of cornstarch


FOR THE EGG WASH:

1 egg white mixed with some milk or water


ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEEDED:

Wax or parchment paper

foil

Ruler



INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Peel and slice up your apples paper thin, and place them into a large mixing bowl. Add in your sugar, cinnamon, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix, very well.
2. Make your cornstarch slurry, and mix until smooth. Add your slurry into your bowl, and toss to coat. Set aside.
3. Remove one of your homemade pie crust and flour your work surface. Give your dough a few whacks using your rolling pin, and when slightly softened, roll out your dough to fit your pie dish (not too thin, but not too thick either). You will have excess dough, but don't toss that! You can easily roll the scraps back up, flatten it out into a disc, and place it into the freezer for later use. Set your pie dish to the side.
4. Remove your top pie crust from the fridge and repeat the same process when rolling it out. Roll out your dough into at least a 14 inch circle to make sure you have enough strips for your lattice design. Place your rolled out pie crust onto a piece of wax paper. Place your ruler in the middle of your dough, and mark by the centimeter (or larger) where you would need to cut your strips. If your crust has softened too much, place the whole thing into your freezer for 15 minutes before cutting.
5. Using your pizza cutter (or sharp knife), slice your strips. Remove every other strip, and place them to the side to ensure that you have enough long strips, to go across the middle of the pie.
6. Pour your apple pie filling into your baking dish and flatten it out.
7. Start by placing one of your longest strips in middle of your pie, HORIZONTALLY. Follow by adding more strips, horizontally, making sure that you evenly space them out.
8. Next, peel back every other horizontal strip.
9. Place one of your longest pieces VERTICALLY, making sure it's tucked in nice and tight, next to the peeled back strips.
10. Flatten out your peeled back pieces, up and over your horizontal piece.
11. This time, go back and peel back the horizontal pieces, that you didn't do previously. (For example, if you peeled back the 1st, 3rd, and 5th strips before, this time you will peel back the 2nd, 4th, and 6th strip.)
12. Add another long strip of pie crust, vertically, tuck it in tightly again, and repeat process.
13. Trim any excess dough as needed, and crimp your dough to create a crust. Place a baking sheet under your pie to catch any filling that may bubble over during baking.
14. Brush the top of your pie using an egg wash, and lightly foil your crust.
15. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and move your oven rack to the lowest rack possible.
16. Bake for 10 minutes, lower to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. REMOVE YOUR FOIL after about 30-35 minutes, or when you see the tops beginning to brown.
17. Let pie cool for at least 2-4 hours to allow the filling to set.

Raspberry Cheesecake

This recipe was created to help celebrate Cinnamon Toast Crunch's 30th Birthday. I had the brilliant idea of using the cereal as the crust to my cheesecake, and well...the rest is history!

This cheesecake is creamy and not overly sweet, and the slight tang from the raspberry topping gives it the perfect balance of sweet and tang.


FOR THE CRUST:
3 cups of Cinnamon Toast Crunch

4 Tbsp of melted butter

1 tsp of sugar

FOR THE FILLING:
2 (8 ounce) packages of softened cream cheese

3/4 cup of caster sugar

2 Tbsp of sour cream

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2 Tbsp of prepared gelatin (see below)

FOR THE GELATIN MIX:
1 1/2 tsp of unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup of hot water

FOR THE RASPBERRY TOPPING:
4 ounces of raspberries

1/4 cup of sugar

2 Tbsp of prepared gelatin



INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

1. Grease a 6 inch pan with a removable bottom (or spring form pan) with baking spray. Set aside.
2. Place your cinnamon toast crunch and sugar into a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add in your melted butter and pulse until combined.
3. Press mixture firmly onto the bottom of your pan.
4. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly.
5. In a small bowl, mix your gelatin with hot water and stir until fully dissolved. Set aside.
6. Using a paddle attachment, beat your cream cheese and sugar until smooth and free of lumps. Add in your egg yolks, vanilla extract, sour cream, and 2 Tbsp of your prepared gelatin, and mix just until incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX.
7. Pour the filling into your pan.
8. Set your cheesecake pan on top of a large piece of foil, and fold up the sides around it. Repeat steps with 2 more pieces of foil. (Using good foil is key)
9. Place your cheesecake pan in an oven safe roasting pan, and place it in your oven. Pour some boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
10. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the center has a slight jiggle.
11. Turn off oven, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour.
12. Into a mini food processor, add in your raspberries, sugar, and your remaining gelatin mixture. Pulse until smooth. Strain. Place into fridge to thicken slightly.
13. Carefully remove your cheesecake from the roasting pan, discard water, and allow the cheesecake to cool down slightly before topping with your raspberry sauce.
14. Once cooled, top with your raspberry sauce, cover with saran wrap, and allow it to chill overnight (or at least 6 hours). Chilling sets the cheesecake and the raspberry layer.
15. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan using a thin metal spatula around the inside of the rim. Transfer to a cake plate and serve!

NOTES: Check for any leakage after your cheesecake is done baking. If any water has seeped into the foil, carefully discard foil, remove and wipe down excess water, replace with new 3 layers of foil, and then place the pan back into the oven so it can finish cooling in the oven.

*This recipe was created in partnership with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Che Thai (Asian Fruit Cocktail)

[caption id="attachment_1451" align="alignnone" width="640"] Che Thai in wine glasses (because everything tastes better in a wine glass)[/caption]

 

This Asian dessert definitely tops my list of favorites! It's incredibly easy to make and very refreshing on a warm day. This dessert traditionally uses coconut milk as the base and has shaved ice in it as well, but you can skip all that and still have a tasty little treat on your hands. You may also use any assortment of canned fruit that you like! The ones that I used in my tutorial are some of my favorites! Some other popular ones are toddy palm seeds and longan.

I prefer all milk (maybe with a little bit of half and half) because coconut milk tends to separate, the longer you let it sit. In the recipe written below, I offer you two ways to serve Che Thai.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of seedless lychee drained and then halved
1 can of rambutan drained and then halved
1 can of jackfruit drained and then cut into bite size strips (I prefer fresh)
2 small jars of pineapple jelly drained
1 can of Asian green jello cut into strips (or make your own, recipe below)
Half a gallon of milk ( I use lactose free milk)
2 cups of half and half
1/4 cup-1/2 cup of *caster sugar (sweeten to taste)
liquid red food coloring (optional)

*caster sugar is super fine sugar. Run some white granulated sugar in a food processor or blender for one minute to make your own.

FOR THE FAUX POMEGRANATE SEEDS (red rubies):


8 ounce can of sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped (not too fine)
tapioca starch
red food coloring
1 Tbsp of water
ice water bath

FOR THE HOMEMADE GREEN JELLO:

1 TBSP of agar agar powder
3 cups of hot water
1/4 cup of sugar
2 pinches of salt
1/2 tsp of *banana extract (optional)
*liquid green food coloring (or any color)

*You may sub the banana extract AND green food coloring for pandan extract. Pandan extract can be found in most Asian markets.

FOR THE COCONUT SAUCE (this option does not use any milk or half and half):


coconut milk (depending on how many servings you want, you're going to need a lot)
sugar and salt to taste

GARNISHES (optional):

shaved ice
coconut flakes
chia seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start off by making your jello. Add your agar agar powder and salt into a small saucepan and then pour in your hot water. Whisk until dissolved. Place your saucepan on the stove and turn to medium-medium high heat. Keep whisking and keep an eye on it as the mixture can boil over. Allow mixture to come to a quick rolling boil for 1 full minute, remove from heat and then add in your banana extract and a generous squeezing of green food coloring. Mix well. Pour mixture into a 9 inch pie dish (or something as shallow) and allow to cool slightly before moving jello into the fridge to firm completely. Once firm, cut into bite sized strips or cubes. You will not use all of the jello. Add a little or a lot depending on your preference.

2. If you are making the coconut sauce, make it now. Combine the above ingredients into a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add sugar to taste with a touch of salt. Allow to cool before using.

3. Boil a pot of water.

4. Take your chopped water chestnuts and place them into a non staining mixing bowl. Add in 1 Tbsp of water and then add a generous amount of red food coloring. Mix well. Add in your tapioca starch. Start off with a little bit, mix, and then gradually add enough until most of the red is coated evenly with tapioca starch. You should have very little red peeking through at this point. LIGHTLY sift your water chestnuts.

5. Get your ice water bath ready.

6. With your water at a HARD boil, add in your coated water chestnuts and cook them for about 3 minutes or until they all float to the surface. Remove and place them in your ice water bath UNTIL READY TO USE. Taking them out too soon will cause them to clump together.

7. Add all of your prepared fruit, jello, and faux pomegranate seeds into a nice serving bowl. Add in your milk and/or half and half, caster sugar to taste, and finally a few tiny drops of red food coloring (to make it pink). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Option # 2

1. If serving this in individual cups, layer your fruits, jello, and faux pomegranate seeds, add in your coconut sauce, and then top it with shaved ice, shredded coconuts (optional), and then chia seeds. Mix well with a spoon before indulging. :)

[caption id="attachment_1455" align="alignnone" width="569"] Layered Che Thai with shaved ice and coconut sauce.[/caption]

 

NOTES:

* If you are using the coconut sauce as the base (and plan on using shaved ice), you must keep in mind that adding the ice will dilute the sauce so you will need to make the coconut sauce a little sweeter than you'd actually like.
* You may choose to save the syrup from the canned fruits and add them into your che thai as well. The syrup is very sweet though, so I would be very careful as to not overdo it when making this dessert. And if you plan on adding the canned syrup into a large serving bowl, keep in mind that with the syrup, the longer it sits in the milk, the sweeter it gets, especially when you get to the bottom of the bowl.
* The homemade jello in this doesn't pack a lot of flavor, but just enough so that it isn't too bland. You may choose to up the sugar if you wish, but in this dessert, the slightly sweetened milk will tie everything together.

Bread Pudding with the Best Vanilla Sauce

In the past, whenever anyone mentioned bread pudding to me I thought, "wow, that sounds disgusting!" I always thought, "why would anyone want to eat soggy bread??"

That was before I actually got to try some...

And now...I AM OFFICIALLY HOOKED!

My husband said it was one of the best things that he ever put in his mouth...enough said.

INGREDIENTS:

4 stale croissants, cubed
2 1/4 cups of milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
baking spray or softened butter

FOR THE BEST VANILLA SAUCE:


1 cup of milk
1 stick of salted butter, cubed
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste (may sub for vanilla extract)
1 Tbsp of cornstarch
*add in some rum or bourbon for a little kick :)

FOR GARNISH:


slices of banana
turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
whipped cream
vanilla ice cream
cocoa powder
fresh fruit
*you will also need a culinary torch or butane torch

INSTRUCTIONS:


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Spray some Pam or butter flavored cooking spray into a 9x9 baking dish. You may use some softened butter instead. Place your cubed, stale croissants into the baking dish and set aside.
2. Into your blender, add in your eggs, milk, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Pulse until combined. You may whisk this all by hand as well.
3. Pour your wet mix over your cubed croissants. Gently push the croissants down, making sure that all pieces have soaked up some of the milk mixture.
4. Bake for about 50 minutes or until bread pudding becomes puffy. Half way through, cover the pan lightly with some foil to prevent too much browning.
5. While your bread pudding is baking, start on the vanilla sauce. Into a small saucepan, add in your milk and sugar. Turn the heat to medium.
6. Whisk in your vanilla bean paste.
7. Take some of the hot milk and mix it well with your cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the slurry back into the saucepan. If using rum or bourbon, use that in place of the hot milk.
8. Let the mixture come to a quick rolling boil and then quickly reduce heat to a gentle simmer for about 5-7 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Make sure to constantly whisk!
9. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in your butter until smooth. Taste check. Add more liquor if you so please. :)
10. Right before serving, take your banana slices and dip them into your turbinado sugar and caramelize them using your butane torch.

NOTES:

*You do not need to add parchment paper into your baking dish. I only used it in the video because it was easier for me to remove a nice piece of bread pudding for pictures. :)

*You may use any stale bread you'd like. Use enough bread to fill your 9x9 baking dish. My guess is anywhere from 8-10 pieces, if you are using sandwich bread.

*Using stale croissants give an amazing buttery taste to the bread pudding so if you're using something else, I would suggest adding some melted butter into the milk mixture.

*If your croissants are not stale, I would suggest cubing them first and then leaving them out to dry on a baking dish otherwise it gets really messy to cut because it's so dry.

*For best results, your bread needs to be stale before pouring in your milk mixture. If it's too soft, what will happen is you'll end up with portions of cooked egg on the bottom of your baking dish because your egg/milk mixture didn't properly soak into the bread pieces.

*With that being said, feel free to let your bread and milk mixture soak in the fridge for a couple of hours or even overnight if you did not use stale bread.

*You may use half and half instead of milk. I always have milk so that's what I usually end up using.

*The bread pudding itself isn't very sweet so feel free to up the amount of sugar or even add some cinnamon or nutmeg for an extra kick. The vanilla sauce in this recipe adds the extra sweetness that completes this dish!

*If your bread pudding does not get puffy during baking, that means that your bread was not dry enough. I leave my softened, cubed croissants out for at least 3-4 days before using.

*Make your caramelized bananas RIGHT BEFORE SERVING. After several minutes, the bananas will begin to sweat so they must be eaten right away.

Mini Fruit Tarts

Ingredients for the crust:
1/2 cup of all purpose flour plus 2 Tbsp more
1/4 cup of pecans
2 pinches of salt
1 1/2 Tbsp of sugar(I used brown sugar in the video cause I ran out of regular sugar)
1/2 stick(4 Tbsp) of cold, cubed butter
1-2 tsp of cold, ice water

For the filling:
1 1/4 cup of whole milk(divided)
3 large egg yolks(reserve the egg whites for the royal icing)
7 Tbsp of sugar(divided)
2 Tbsp of cornstarch
a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste(or half of a scraped vanilla bean pod or half a tsp of vanilla extract)
4 ounces of softened cream cheese

For the topping:
Fresh fruit of your choice

For the glaze:
1/4 cup of apricot jelly
1 Tbsp of water

For the chocolate hearts:
1/2 bag of cocoa flavored candy melts

For the royal icing:
3 large egg whites
about 5 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
some water

Additional items needed:
2-3 mini tart pans(something with a removable bottom or a springform pan)
dried beans or pie weights
2 disposable piping bags
Wilton tip #1 or #3
Silpat or parchment paper

To make the crust, place your flour, pecans, salt, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until your pecans are finely ground. Add in your cold butter, and pulse some more until the mixture resembles corn meal. With the motor still running, add in your ice cold water, until the mixture comes together, and start to form a ball. Start off with 1 tsp of water and then add more if you need to. Turn out your dough onto a piece of saran wrap, flatten it out into a disc, and then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Remove your dough from the fridge and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Place the dough into your mini tart pans and press into an even layer of the pan and also up along the sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Place your pans on a baking sheet and line the crust with foil. Fill them with dried beans or pie weights and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and dried beans and continue to bake until golden brown, about 8 more minutes. Transfer onto a wire rack to let them cool completely.

Next, make the glaze. Place your apricot jelly and water into a small saucepan and cook over medium low heat. Once your jelly has melted down(about 10-15 minutes), strain the mixture and set aside for later use.

To make the filling, whisk together your egg yolks, 3/4 cup of milk, 3 Tbsp of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Set aside. Next in a small saucepan, add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk, 4 Tbsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste. Bring this mixture to a simmer over medium heat. While whisking, take your hot milk and pour a little bit into your egg yolk mixture(this is called tempering). Keep whisking and slowly start adding in small dribbles of the hot milk, until half of it is mixed in. Now, you may start adding in steady streams until everything is mixed in. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes thick(it should resemble the texture of yogurt). Remove pan from heat and whisk in your softened cream cheese. If you did not use vanilla bean paste, this is where you may add some vanilla extract. Place filling into cooled crusts and put them into the fridge while you work on your chocolate hearts. You may also pour the cream cheese/pastry cream into a bowl, place saran wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the heart shaped chocolate hearts: Follow the directions on the packaging and melt your candy melts in the microwave. Stir and then place it into a disposable piping bag. With a pair of scissors, snip a tiny bit off, and then pipe a heart onto your silpat or parchment paper that has been placed on a baking sheet. Fill the heart with more chocolate and smooth it out using a toothpick. Give the pan a few whacks on the counter to release any air bubbles that may have formed. Refrigerate until set.

How to make the royal icing: Place your egg whites into your stand mixer and beat on medium low until frothy. About 2 minutes. Add in some powdered sugar in batches until all mixed in. Add in your vanilla extract. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowls a few times to remove any large lumps. Continue to beat until smooth. Add in some water if it's too thick or more powdered sugar if it's too thin. You want to be able to pipe some out for writing. Place Wilton tip #1 or #3 into a disposable piping bag and put some royal icing in it. Twist and secure tightly.

Remove your chocolate hearts from the fridge and write a sweet message on them. Place them back into the fridge to set.

Arrange your fruit on the pastry cream, and using a pastry brush, brush on some glaze, then top off with your chocolate heart. Serve immediately! :)

Watch How to make mini fruit tarts here: