Strawberries N Cream Bars

Strawberries and Cream Bars

(from lilluna.com)

Sugar Cookie Bottom Layer:

-1/3 cup shortening

- 1/3 cup butter

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 tsp. almond extract

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 1/2 cup flour

INGREDIENTS FOR CREAM LAYER:

- 1 8 oz. package (1 bar) of PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened)

- 1 cup white chocolate chips

- 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/3 cup water

- 2 TB cornstarch

- Large tub of Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9×13 pan,

2. Cream together shortening, butter and sugar. Mix until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract until well combined.

3. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, salt and flour and mix well. Gradually add to creamed mixture until well blended. Spread into the bottom of your greased pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges or golden brown. Let cool.

4. Melt white chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave by heating up in 30 second intervals. Mix with softened cream cheese until well blended. Spread over sugar cookie layer and refrigerate.

5. In a small pan, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add chopped strawberries and water and heat on medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Once it is boiling, take off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

6. Top with Cool Whip and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Totally perfect and delicious.  A great treat!

Easy Cobbler Recipe for any fruit

Any Fruit Cobbler
(from allrecipes.com)

4 T butter
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. milk
2 c. fruit- fresh, frozen, canned, whatever- I loved frozen mixed berries
1 T. sugar (for topping- optional)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.
3. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tb. of sugar.
4. Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

This was delicious and easy.  I'll have this be my go-to cobbler recipe.

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

another phone pic, sorry

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

(from aspicyperspective.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 T. lemon juice, divided
• Zest of 1 lemon (I used orange)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
• 12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 cup powdered sugar (I skipped the glaze- it was great plain)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan (10-15 cup pan.) Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Okay, this cake had great flavor and is somewhat healthy!  It was moist and nicely sweet.  

Healthified (mostly) Pumpkin Bars- still delicious!

Pumpkin Bars

(adapted from Paula Deen)

Bars:

• 4 eggs (I subbed ground flax seed for 2 of the eggs)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat is great)
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan for cake size or cookie sheet with sides for the bar cookies.  Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Mix at low speed until combined. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars. We like them refrigerated- better the next day and day after...if they last.

These are great! I really think since the icing is so rich and good it doesn't hurt anything to try to make the base healthier.  Especially when the taste is so good in the end!  

Super easy dessert

Easy Cherry Cobbler Dump Cake

• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
• 1 package yellow or white cake mix
• 1½ cube butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 cake pan. Dump pineapple, juice and all, in the bottom of pan and spread as evenly as possible. Spread pie filling evenly over pineapple. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the fruit. DO NOT STIR… Slice 1 1/2 cubes of butter thinly or melt and drizzle the butter over cake mix. Try to cover mix. Never mix this cake. Bake 45 minutes. Serve with whip topping or ice cream. Change flavors by changing the flavor of cake mix or pie filling.


Blueberry Dump Cake
1 package yellow cake mix
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Same instructions as above, only mixing sugar and cinnamon in with blueberries, placing on bottom of dish, followed by cake mix and butter.  

If you ever get the chance..

Rhubarb Pie


2 1/2 c. sliced rhubarb
1 1/2  c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp lemon juice

Pour into prepared pie crust.  Dot with butter.   Place crust on top, sprinkle sugar, cut a few slits.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes.



Easy Pie Crust
(from allrecipes.com)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 6 tablespoons cold water

1. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is completely blended and appears crumbly.
2. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, by lightly tossing with a fork. Add only enough water to form mixture into a ball. The dough will be sticky and tough if to much water is added, and it will crack and tear when rolled if too little is added.
3. Divide the dough into 2 balls, and roll each out into a circle 1 inch larger than the inverted pie plate.
4. Follow these directions for a filled pie. Fold one circle of dough in half, and gently lift. Place into pie plate and unfold. Add filling to pie plate. Fold second circle of dough in half. Gently place over filling, and unfold. With a table knife, cut off excess crust evenly so that 1/2 to 1 inch extends beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold under the excess dough so that it is even with the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edge of the crust. Cut slits in top crust for steam to escape.
5. Follow these directions for 2 prebaked pie shells. Fold circle of dough in half, and gently lift. Place into pie plate and unfold. Either prick the entire surface of dough with a fork, or weight the bottom of the crust with pie weights while baking. Pie weights can be uncooked rice, dried beans, small clean pebbles, or small balls sold as pie weights.

Blueberry Angel Food Dessert

Blueberry Angel Dessert

• 1 angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 block cream cheese, softened to room temperature (light is good)
• 1 8 oz container whipped topping
• 1 can Blueberry pie filling (or whatever flavor you like)

Combine the sugar and cream cheese until well blended, then stir in whipped topping.  Fold in cake pieces and place in 9x13 pan.  Top with pie filling and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  You can also layer this in a trifle bowl.


Not much to complain about here- easy, fast, light, and delicious!  The kids gobbled it up.  Were we expecting anything less?

Fruit Turnovers- a quick and easy one

Fruit Turnovers

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups flour
• 1 can pie filling
• 2 T. butter
• 1 1/2 T. milk
• 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.  Cut in the flour with a fork. 
2. Form dough into a ball, and on floured surface roll out circles 5 inches in diameter.
3. Fill with a tablespoon of pie filling in the middle, leaving the edges clean.  Fold edge over and pinch edges, crimping with a fork.
4. Bake on a greased pan at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

For glaze:
Combine sugar, butter, and then milk.  Drizzle on pastries when warm.

This recipe comes from my sister in law Laura, I think.  These are so easy to make, and they look so nice.  Great for a shower or occasion.  The cream cheese in the crust also adds a little rich flavor.  Seriously- these took me about 15 minutes to make.  So if you ever have some leftover pie filling you need to use, or a quick treat you want to make, these are great!

Cranberry and Apple Crumble

Cranberry and Apple Crumble
(from Family Fun magazine)


1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
6 cups peeled and sliced (about 1/2 inch thick) apples (braeburn or granny smith work well)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 c. orange juice
1 T. cornstarch


Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar the brown sugar, and the butter in a bowl.  Mix the ingredients with your fingertips to create pea-sized crumbs.  
Combine the apple slices and cranberries in a large bowl.  Mix the juice, remaining 2 T. of sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Pour the mixture over the fruit and toss well.
Spoon the fruit into a 2 qt. baking dish and sprinkle the flour mixture on top.  Bake the crumble until bubbly and golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Serves 6 to 8.


I love the tart cranberry addition to this apple dessert!  I've really enjoyed the cranberry desserts I've found this winter.  This dessert goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, of course!

Try this Cranberry Pie!

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

(from pioneerwoman.com, adapted from Laurie Colwin)

• Butter, for greasing (or spray)
• 2 cups (heaping) cranberries
• ¾ cups pecans, chopped (measure, then chop) (optional, but I like the flavor they add!)
• ⅔ cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously butter a cake pan or pie pan. Add cranberries to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on chopped pecans, then sprinkle on 2/3 cup sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
4. Pour batter slowly over the top in large “ribbons” in order to evenly cover the surface. Spread gently if necessary.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle surface with 1 tablespoon sugar for a little extra crunch.

Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

I was excited when I saw this recipe on pioneerwoman.com the other day!  I love cranberries and buy a huge bag to make cranberry sauce out of this time of year.  So, it's fun to try something else.  This is cobblery, as you'd expect from the dough topping, and that's just great!  The tart flavor of the cranberries goes great with the sweet topping, and ice cream is a must.  I will add this to my fall favorites!

Bring on the strawberries!

Strawberry Shortbread Pie


3/4 cup boiling water

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

3/4 cup cold water

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1 cup chopped strawberries (try using 1 1/2 cups)

1 NILLA Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1. STIR boiling water into dry gelatin in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add cold water; stir. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with wire whisk until creamy. Gradually add gelatin, beating until well blended. Place bowl of gelatin into larger bowl of ice and water. Let stand 5 minutes or until thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites), stirring occasionally.
2. ADD whipped topping; beat with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in strawberries. Refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound.
3. SPOON into crust. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Garnish with additional whipped topping and strawberry halves just before serving, if desired.

www.kraft.com
Mine didn't look as pretty as the one from Kraft, so I stole their picture. The setting of the jello takes way longer than 5 minutes! Try 20. I put mine in the freezer instead of the silly ice water bath to speed things up.