australian desserts: June 2011

Refreshing Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea

This Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea rocks! I was inspired to make this by Taylor Takes a Taste's Blue Green Iced Tea, but I of course had to change it up to create my own version.

But before we get into how to make this delicious tea, I have an exciting announcement! (Exciting to me anyway.) I got a NEW CAMERA! Yes, I have joined the world of digital SLR photography. This is my first post featuring photos taken with the new camera. And, boy, do I have a lot to learn! I fumbled through my first photo shoot, fumbled being the key word, and realized that, wow, I've got a lot of work to do to truly learn what I'm doing. I appreciate your patience while I learn and improve!

So, since I was playing with different camera settings to see what they would do, I did both an indoor and an outdoor shoot with the iced tea. Here are some things I very quickly learned during my outdoor shoot:

1. Ice melts very fast in the balmy 95 degree southern summer heat.

2. This 95-degree-ice-melting rapidly creates unsightly sweat beads on one's subject, when one's subject happens to be a nice, refreshing, cold iced tea glass and pitcher (exhibit A above ... see around the bottom of the glass??).

3. I should really put my hair in a ponytail. Hair really ruins a good shot when the breeze picks up juuussst as you snap your picture!

4. Outdoor critters are quickly attracted to cut citrus fruit.

5. And, probably most importantly, I really should be sure to wear some form of footwear for my outdoor shoots. Deck boards that have been basking in the blazing sun all day are really much hotter than you would think.

But that's enough about my new camera for now. Let's move on to the rockin' Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea!
First, steep some tea bags - just like you would to make regular sweet (or unsweet, for that matter) tea.

Tea ... it is a-brewin'

Then, make a blueberry simple syrup - that's just blueberries, sugar, and water simmered together. Simple, huh? (I just made a pun! Are you laughing? At least smiling just a tiny bit??) Put your berries, sugar, and water together in a saucepan ...

Makings for your simple syrup - it's simple!

... bring them to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer them for just a minute or two.

Simmering

Next, you'll strain the blueberry syrup, squish all the juice out of the berries, and then squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lime.

Combine the brewed tea, blueberry simple syrup, some water, and some ice. Now you've got refreshing and tasty Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea! I'm thinking this method would work with lots of fruits. Hmmmmm, think I'm going to have to try blackberry. What about peach?? I bet peach would be good! Got other ideas? Shout 'em out in a comment ... I'd love to hear them!

Ahhhhh ... blueberry refreshment

Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea

Source: Inspired by Taylor Takes a Taste's Blue Green Iced Tea

Ingredients

Tea:

4 tea bags (regular or decaf black tea)

2 c. boiling water

Blueberry simple syrup:

1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen, preferably fresh)

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. water

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Directions

To brew the tea:

1. Pour two cups of boiling water over the 4 tea bags; let steep until cooled. Squeeze out tea bags.

To make the blueberry simple syrup:

2. Place blueberries, sugar, and the one cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about a minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Once cooled a bit, strain the syrup to remove the blueberries. Mash the blueberries against the side of the strainer to release all of their juice, letting this juice strain into your simple syrup. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lime; stir to combine.

4. Combine the brewed tea and blueberry simple syrup in a 2-quart pitcher. Fill the remainder of the pitcher with cold water to make 2 quarts.

5. Serve over ice with a lime wedge.

UPDATE NOTE: Please be sure you're using a 2-quart pitcher. My mom made this over 4th of July weekend, and thought it was terribly weak, like just sugar-water. Come to find out ... her pitcher was a gallon pitcher! If you'd like to make a gallon, double the tea and blueberry simple syrup.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Star Recipes hosted by The Saturday Evening Pot, Friday Sweet Tooth hosted by Alli-n-son, Yummy Fridays hosted by Yummy Mummy, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Foodie Friday: Summer Foods hosted by Designs by Gollum, and This Week's Cravings hosted by Delightful Country Cookin', A Themed Bakers' Sunday hosted by Cupcake Apothecary, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking.

Tea ... it is a-brewin'

Makings for your simple syrup - it's simple!

... bring them to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer them for just a minute or two.

Simmering

Next, you'll strain the blueberry syrup, squish all the juice out of the berries, and then squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lime.

Combine the brewed tea, blueberry simple syrup, some water, and some ice. Now you've got refreshing and tasty Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea! I'm thinking this method would work with lots of fruits. Hmmmmm, think I'm going to have to try blackberry. What about peach?? I bet peach would be good! Got other ideas? Shout 'em out in a comment ... I'd love to hear them!

Ahhhhh ... blueberry refreshment

Blueberry-Lime Iced Tea

Source: Inspired by Taylor Takes a Taste's Blue Green Iced Tea

Ingredients

Tea:

4 tea bags (regular or decaf black tea)

2 c. boiling water

Blueberry simple syrup:

1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen, preferably fresh)

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. water

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Directions

To brew the tea:

1. Pour two cups of boiling water over the 4 tea bags; let steep until cooled. Squeeze out tea bags.

To make the blueberry simple syrup:

2. Place blueberries, sugar, and the one cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about a minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Combine the brewed tea and blueberry simple syrup in a 2-quart pitcher. Fill the remainder of the pitcher with cold water to make 2 quarts.

5. Serve over ice with a lime wedge.

Enjoy!

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Sourdough Bread Pudding

Bread pudding has always been one of my favorite desserts, but I've never cared for the extremely wet bread pudding. This bread pudding isn't soupy, but more dry and firm. It's got a great sweetness and vanilla flavor with some soft spots and crunchy bits.

I made the sourdough myself about a month ago. Since my starter makes two loaves, this one was in my freezer for a month until i could make bread pudding or french toast with it. This was a great recipe, and something I will definitely do again.

Sourdough Bread Pudding
Ingredients

4 -5 cups stale bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 ½ cups sliced apples
½ cups raisins
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp whiskey
½ cup sliced almonds or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Toss raisins, apples and stale bread together and press firmly in into a 9 inch baking dish.
Mix eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and whiskey together and pour over bread, making sure to soak every piece equally. Firmly pressbread into pan, submerging as much as possible in liquids. Top with nuts.
Bake for 1 hour until liquid center is set. Press bread into liquid again midway through.
Let cool a little before serving, but not much.

Sourdough Bread Pudding
Ingredients

4 -5 cups stale bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 ½ cups sliced apples
½ cups raisins
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp whiskey
½ cup sliced almonds or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Toss raisins, apples and stale bread together and press firmly in into a 9 inch baking dish.
Mix eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and whiskey together and pour over bread, making sure to soak every piece equally. Firmly pressbread into pan, submerging as much as possible in liquids. Top with nuts.
Bake for 1 hour until liquid center is set. Press bread into liquid again midway through.
Let cool a little before serving, but not much.

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Toasted Pesto Rounds {Party Series 8}

Mom preppin' Toasted Pesto Rounds

This is it! ... the last post of the party series from my Mom's wine tasting party. This last little tidbit of yummy party fare is Toasted Pesto Rounds. It's basically a basil crostini. And it's so simple. Mix up a fresh basil-garlic-Parmesan spread (can you already tell this is going to be good??), slather it on toasted baguette slices, and then broil it until it's melty in the middle and a nice golden brown on the edges. Pretty easy, isn't it? And I'll assure you, pretty tasty, too. Our family doesn't reserve these for just party fare ... we sometimes serve these little toasty bites up as a side. Use a larger-sized bread instead of baguette, and you have a nice alternative to regular garlic bread.

Tapenade Crostini & Toasted Pesto Rounds

The other treat you see on the party platter is Tapenade Crostini. I talked about these in this post about making tapenade. To make these: spread tapenade on baguette slices, sprinkle on some mozzarella or goat cheese, and top it with a piece of sundried tomato and chopped fresh basil; broil until the cheese is melty. Another simple one, huh?

Tapenade Crostini ... ready for the broiler

I hope you've enjoyed the party series! And I hope you've found something to add to your entertaining line-up, or that's sparked an idea for you to try. I'm looking forward to the next time my Mom and I can spend a couple of days in the kitchen together. The kitchen is her playground, too!

Toasted Pesto Rounds

Ingredients
1/2 c. thinly-sliced fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 c. mayonnaise
24 (1/4"-thick) baguette slices

Directions
1. Combine sliced basil leaves, Parmesan, minced garlic, and mayonnaise; set aside. (Basil mixture can be refrigerated overnight.)

2. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil for about 1 minute until lightly toasted. Remove from oven.

3. Turn bread slices over and spread untoasted side evenly with basil mixture. Broil for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

NOTE: You can substitute dried basil, if desired. Use a little less than 1/2 cup.

Enjoy!

The {Party Series} Posts:
My Mom Throws a Great Party! {Party Series 1}
Grand Marnier & Spiced Rum Fruit Dip {Party Series 2}
Antipasto Platter with Grape Tomato & Caper Salad {Party Series 3}
Marinated Cheese {Party Series 4}
Mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes {Party Series 5}
Raspberry Chocolate Truffles & Drunken Cherries {Party Series 6}
Raspberry-Almond, Caramel-Walnut, & Lemon-Coconut Bars {Party Series 7}
Toasted Pesto Rounds {Party Series 8}

Mom preppin' Toasted Pesto Rounds

Tapenade Crostini & Toasted Pesto Rounds

Tapenade Crostini ... ready for the broiler

Toasted Pesto Rounds

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Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cast Iron Skillet

I was brainstorming what to make for Grant for Father's Day and kept coming back to the good old standby of chocolate chip cookies. There's hardly anything he likes more than those. But I wanted to jazz them up a bit, make it something out of the ordinary. Then I saw this recipe on foodgawker and thought it would be pretty fun to make, not to mention faster than all those cookie trays. Plus, there's always the option of decorating it with frosting, which could only make it better!

He was delighted, as were the children. It tasted great, even though I think I overbaked it a tiny bit. The original recipe said to bake it for 40-45 minutes, but when I checked it at 35 minutes, it was definitely done. So check early, always check early! Ovens are not created equal.

I made a basic buttercream frosting for decorating, using a stick of butter creamed with 2 cups of powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, a Tablespoon or two of milk, and added a couple of Tablespoons of cocoa powder to part of it to make chocolate frosting. I did have frosting left over, which nobody complained about eating on graham crackers.

If you don't have a need for decoration, this would be fabulous served warm from the oven with ice cream and hot fudge or caramel sauce.....ummm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Recipe: (from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

2 t. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used 1 bag Nestle mint chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Transfer dough to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (I greased with a little coconut oil), and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 30-35 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in pan, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into wedges.

If you don't have a need for decoration, this would be fabulous served warm from the oven with ice cream and hot fudge or caramel sauce.....ummm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Recipe: (from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

2 t. vanilla extract

1-1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used 1 bag Nestle mint chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350°.

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Raspberry-Almond, Caramel-Walnut, & Lemon-Coconut Bars {Party Series 7}

It's a three-for-one!! Three recipes for one post, that is!

You get Raspberry-Almond Bars ...

... you get Caramel-Walnut Bars ...

... and, as a special bonus, you get Lemon-Coconut Bars!

I didn't get a good picture of the Lemon-Coconut Bars, but that's them on the right side of the middle plate in the tier stand below.

All three of these are family favorites, and Mom included all of them in her wine tasting party dessert menu. The favorite at the party?? ... Caramel-Walnut Bars! Raspberry-Almond are my favorite. But hey, if you're offering to make me some, rest assured I'd be happy with any of them!

Raspberry-Almond Bars

1 c. flour

3/4 c. oats

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 c. raspberry preserves

1/3 c. sliced almonds

Line an 8" or 9" square baking pan with foil; lightly grease foil. Combine flour, oats, and sugar in a large bowl. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in almond extract. Reserve about 1 cup of the oat mixture. Press the rest of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Spread raspberry preserves over the top of the of the pressed oat mixture, leaving about a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Mix almonds with reserved oat mixture; sprinkle evenly over preserves and press down gently. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until edges are golden. Cool in pan. Lift by edges of the foil onto a cutting board and cut into small bars.

Caramel-Walnut Bars

1 1/4 c. oats

1 c. + 3 T. flour, divided

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

2/3 c. butter, at room temperature

1 c. caramel ice cream topping

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Line an 8" or 9" square baking pan with foil; lightly grease foil. Combine the 1 c. flour, oats, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press about 1/2 of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until the top looks dry and tiny cracks appear. Remove from oven and sprinkle with walnuts.

Stir together caramel topping and the remaining 3 T. flour until blended. Pour over walnuts, leaving about 1/2" to 1" border along the edges. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture and press down gently. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until edges bubble slightly.

Cool for a bit on a wire rack. Using the edges of the foil, lift the bars from the baking pan. Pull foil back from the sides of the bars while they are still warm - otherwise, the caramel may harden onto to the foil. Refrigerate bars for 1 hour to make cutting easier. Cut into small squares.

Lemon-Coconut Bars

Crust:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

Topping:

2 eggs

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. flour

3 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

For the crust: Line an 8" or 9" square baking pan with foil; lightly grease foil. Mix flour and sugar. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

For the topping: Beat eggs, sugar, flour, and lemon juice with an electric mixer until well blended. Add lemon peel and coconut; beat just until blended. Spread over crust. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until edges are golden. Cool in pan. Lift by edges of the foil onto a cutting board. Cut into small bars.

It's a three-for-one!! Three recipes for one post, that is!

You get Raspberry-Almond Bars ...

... you get Caramel-Walnut Bars ...

... and, as a special bonus, you get Lemon-Coconut Bars!

I didn't get a good picture of the Lemon-Coconut Bars, but that's them on the right side of the middle plate in the tier stand below.

Raspberry-Almond Bars

1 c. flour

3/4 c. oats

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 c. raspberry preserves

1/3 c. sliced almonds

Caramel-Walnut Bars

1 1/4 c. oats

1 c. + 3 T. flour, divided

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

2/3 c. butter, at room temperature

1 c. caramel ice cream topping

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Lemon-Coconut Bars

Crust:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

Topping:

2 eggs

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. flour

3 T. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

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Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread

Cinnamon Raisin bread has always been one of my favorites, but I have some restrictions. I have been searching for a great raisin bread recipe, but most of the recipes and most of the raisin breads out there I have found inthe past are closer to cake or a cinnamon roll than they are like bread. Sometimes I don't want cake for breakfast and I don't want a cinnamon roll. Sometimes I want a slice of normal, honest wheat bread that just happens to be sweet and have raisins in it.

I found this recipe on a website called The Fresh Loaf that is a great resource for bakers. I scaled it down to two loaves and made a couple additions. For measuring for this bread, I recommend using weight measurements for all dry ingredients as they are more accurate. During the second rise, be gentile when degassing the dough. The last person to punch down their dough was Julia Childs and potentially yo mamma, but it's just not done that way anymore.

I had a little trouble getting the yeast to rise all the way in the pans. Perhaps next time I will change the size of the pans and the amoun

t of degassing I do before the second rise. Even though there were a couple problems, the bread was very moist and had a delightfully light crumb like sandwich bread. It was exactly what I wanted: a great wholesome wheat bread that happened to have raisins.

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients

16 oz (3 2/3 cup) all purpose flour
5.3 oz (1 1/4 cup) whole wheat flour
.2 oz (2 Tbsp) wheat bran
3.5 oz (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) rolled oats
13.3 oz (1 2/3 cup) water
2.3 oz (1/4 cup) milk
1.6 oz (2 Tbsp) honey
1.6 oz (3 2/3 Tbsp) vegetable oil
.5 oz (2 tsp) salt
.25 oz (1 packet) active dry yeast
.3 oz (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) cinnamon
7 oz (1 1/3 cup) raisins, soaked (note: weight is the dry weight of raisins before soaking)

Directions

30 minutes prior to baking bread, soak raisins in warm water. In separate bowl, soak oatmeal in 1 1/3 cup warm water.
5 minutes before, begin proofing yeast in 1/3cup body temperature water.
Add wheat bran, wheat flour, white flour, milk, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon and yeast to oatmeal. Mix until everything is incorporated.
Let dough rest for 15 minutes. This is called autolypse, and will help relax the dough, making it easier to knead
Knead dough for 5 minutes until the exterior is smooth. Drain raisins and fold them into dough until evenly distributed.
Place dough into bowl and let rise in draft free place for 1 hour
After 1 hour, turn dough out onto floured surface. Fold dough in thirds like a letter. Rotate dough 90 degrees and fold into other direction. Be sure to be gentile when folding and degassing the dough.
Place dough seam side down back in bowl and let rise another hour
After 1 hour, divide dough in half and shape loaves, placing in two greased loaf pans. Mist the tops of the loaves with water and top with oats.
Cover and let rise in bulk again for 90 minutes or until loaves almost crest the tops of the pans
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake at 450 for 5 minutes and reduce heat to 375. Bake another 15 minutes and rotate loaves. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are golden. Knocking on the bottom of the loaf when removed from the pan should sound hollow.
Let loaves cool before slicing. Obviously I'm not very good at that step...

I had a little trouble getting the yeast to rise all the way in the pans. Perhaps next time I will change the size of the pans and the amoun

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients

16 oz (3 2/3 cup) all purpose flour
5.3 oz (1 1/4 cup) whole wheat flour
.2 oz (2 Tbsp) wheat bran
3.5 oz (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) rolled oats
13.3 oz (1 2/3 cup) water
2.3 oz (1/4 cup) milk
1.6 oz (2 Tbsp) honey
1.6 oz (3 2/3 Tbsp) vegetable oil
.5 oz (2 tsp) salt
.25 oz (1 packet) active dry yeast
.3 oz (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) cinnamon
7 oz (1 1/3 cup) raisins, soaked (note: weight is the dry weight of raisins before soaking)

Directions

30 minutes prior to baking bread, soak raisins in warm water. In separate bowl, soak oatmeal in 1 1/3 cup warm water.
5 minutes before, begin proofing yeast in 1/3cup body temperature water.
Add wheat bran, wheat flour, white flour, milk, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon and yeast to oatmeal. Mix until everything is incorporated.
Let dough rest for 15 minutes. This is called autolypse, and will help relax the dough, making it easier to knead
Knead dough for 5 minutes until the exterior is smooth. Drain raisins and fold them into dough until evenly distributed.
Place dough into bowl and let rise in draft free place for 1 hour
After 1 hour, turn dough out onto floured surface. Fold dough in thirds like a letter. Rotate dough 90 degrees and fold into other direction. Be sure to be gentile when folding and degassing the dough.
Place dough seam side down back in bowl and let rise another hour
After 1 hour, divide dough in half and shape loaves, placing in two greased loaf pans. Mist the tops of the loaves with water and top with oats.
Cover and let rise in bulk again for 90 minutes or until loaves almost crest the tops of the pans
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Bake at 450 for 5 minutes and reduce heat to 375. Bake another 15 minutes and rotate loaves. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are golden. Knocking on the bottom of the loaf when removed from the pan should sound hollow.
Let loaves cool before slicing. Obviously I'm not very good at that step...

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Raspberry Chocolate Truffles & Drunken Cherries {Party Series 6}

Wow. I think I could leave it at that for this post. Just wow. But I won't ... I'll tell you a little bit more about these absolutely amazing, delicious, and gorgeous confections my Mom made.

These two jewels were part of Mom's "little bites" dessert menu for her wine tasting party. And they were a total hit! Rave reviews all around. Aren't they just beautiful?

The Raspberry Chocolate Truffles have a soft, creamy chocolate center flavored with raspberry jam and raspberry liqueur. Yum! What could be better?? Well, maybe maraschino cherries soaked in Southern Comfort for days-on-end and then dipped in dark chocolate??? Hard to say which one gets my vote ... they're both scrumptious. Make these. Make them soon. You'll be so glad you did!

"Little bites" dessert display

Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

Source: My Mom

For the filling:

2 c. (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. seedless raspberry jam

2 T. raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord or Razzmatazz)

1 1/2 c. vanilla wafer crumbs

For dipping:

1 (1 lb.) package dark chocolate candy melts

2 T. shortening, divided

3 (1 oz.) white chocolate squares

Microwave chocolate chips in a glass bowl on high power, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add melted chocolate chips, jam, and raspberry liqueur, beating until blended. Stir in crumbs. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Shape chocolate-raspberry filling into 1" balls; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Melt dark chocolate candy melts and 1 T. shortening together, according to the candy melt package directions (typically in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted). Dip balls in the chocolate coating; place on wax paper.

Once all balls have been coated, place white chocolate and 1 T. shortening in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Submerge in hot water until the chocolate melts, kneading until smooth (or, microwave in 20 second intervals until melted, kneading after each interval). Snip a tiny hole in one corner of the bag and drizzle the white chocolate over the truffles. Let stand until coating is firm. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Makes about 6 dozen.

Drunken Cherries

Source: Adapted from Southern Living / February 2011

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries with stems

1/2 c. Southern Comfort (or brandy)

1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or some dark chocolate candy melts)

1 T. shortening

Drain the juice from the jar of maraschino cherries. Pour Southern Comfort over cherries in the jar, filling the jar. Refrigerate for 2 days, or for up to 1 month.

Drain cherries and pat them dry with some paper towels (you may want to reserve the cherry-infused Southern Comfort to drizzle over vanilla ice cream or to use in mixed drinks!). Melt the chocolate chips (or candy melts) together with the shortening in a bowl by microwaving for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip cherries quickly into melted chocolate, coating the entire cherry; let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. Place cherries, stem sides up, on wax paper. Let stand until chocolate is firm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

* A small public service announcement: The soaked cherries do carry a bit of a bite from the Southern Comfort they absorb. Just don't want you to be shocked when you bite into one!

Wow. I think I could leave it at that for this post. Just wow. But I won't ... I'll tell you a little bit more about these absolutely amazing, delicious, and gorgeous confections my Mom made.

"Little bites" dessert display

Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

Source: My Mom

For the filling:

2 c. (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. seedless raspberry jam

2 T. raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord or Razzmatazz)

1 1/2 c. vanilla wafer crumbs

For dipping:

1 (1 lb.) package dark chocolate candy melts

2 T. shortening, divided

3 (1 oz.) white chocolate squares

Shape chocolate-raspberry filling into 1" balls; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Drunken Cherries

Source: Adapted from Southern Living / February 2011

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries with stems

1/2 c. Southern Comfort (or brandy)

1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or some dark chocolate candy melts)

1 T. shortening

Drain the juice from the jar of maraschino cherries. Pour Southern Comfort over cherries in the jar, filling the jar. Refrigerate for 2 days, or for up to 1 month.

* A small public service announcement: The soaked cherries do carry a bit of a bite from the Southern Comfort they absorb. Just don't want you to be shocked when you bite into one!

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Mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes {Party Series 5}

Coffee. Toffee. Crunch. Yum.

My Mom's and my favorite way to do dessert for a party is a collection of "little bites." You know, tasty bars cut into small squares, hand-dipped truffles, mini tarts ... things like that. These mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes certainly fit the bill! Serve the collection on a tiered stand or two, and you have a fabulous-looking and delicious display. Another plus ... finger-food dessert! No need for guests to worry about cutting pieces or juggling forks while trying to hold their beverage glass and plate at the same time.

Now, before we get into looking at how to make these tasty treats, here's a funny little story about this recipe. Last summer I published a family cookbook and gave it to all the women in our family as a Christmas gift. When preparing my own recipes for the book, I couldn't find this recipe anywhere. I was going crazy searching for it. Thankfully, I had shared it with my Mom so finally just got it from her. Here's what I now think happened to this recipe ... One day I had several of my recipe folders (I'm a bit obsessed with collecting recipes!) in the backseat of Mark's car. While driving down the interstate, he opened his sunroof. Well ... he says recipes started flying everywhere, with several flying right out the sunroof! I'm guessing this is one that took the flying leap.

Now on to the cheesecakes...
Combine some Kahlua (ohhhh, I love a recipe that starts out that way!), instant coffee granules, and a tiny bit of water.

I love Kahlua

Mix that up with your usual cheesecake suspects ... cream cheese, sugar, and an egg and such.

Mocha cheesecake batter

Spoon the cheesecake batter into mini phyllo shells, sprinkle toffee bits on top, and pop them in the oven for a few minutes. That's it! You now have a tasty "little bite" for easy entertaining.

Filling the shells. They're so cute.

Oh, and here's a handy-dandy storage tip. Save the boxes and little trays from your miniature phyllo shell packages. After the cheesecakes cool, place them back in the trays and slide the trays back into the boxes. You can then stack the boxes in the refrigerator for safe and space-saving storage until party time. Enjoy!

Easy storage

Mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Ingredients
3 packages miniature phyllo shells
1 tsp. Kahlua
1 tsp. hot water
1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 T. flour
3 T. crushed toffee bits

Directions
1. Place phyllo shells into mini muffin pan cups.

2. Combine coffee granules, water, and Kahlua in a small bowl; stir to dissolve coffee granules. Place coffee mixture and all remaining ingredients (EXCEPT toffee bits) in the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor. Process until smooth.

3. Fill each phyllo shell with cream cheese mixture; sprinkle tops with toffee bits.

4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until set. Remove from pan and cool.

Enjoy!

The {Party Series} Posts:
My Mom Throws a Great Party! {Party Series 1}
Grand Marnier & Spiced Rum Fruit Dip {Party Series 2}
Antipasto Platter with Grape Tomato & Caper Salad {Party Series 3}
Marinated Cheese {Party Series 4}
Mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes {Party Series 5}
Raspberry Chocolate Truffles & Drunken Cherries {Party Series 6}
Raspberry-Almond, Caramel-Walnut, & Lemon-Coconut Bars {Party Series 7}
Toasted Pesto Rounds {Party Series 8}

This post is linked with Sweet Tooth Friday hosted by Alli-n-Son, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Weekend Show Off Party hosted by Ladybird Ln and Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life.

Coffee. Toffee. Crunch. Yum.

I love Kahlua

Mix that up with your usual cheesecake suspects ... cream cheese, sugar, and an egg and such.

Mocha cheesecake batter

Spoon the cheesecake batter into mini phyllo shells, sprinkle toffee bits on top, and pop them in the oven for a few minutes. That's it! You now have a tasty "little bite" for easy entertaining.

Filling the shells. They're so cute.

Easy storage

Mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

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Grapefruit Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

Citrus and avocado are a classic salad combination. I never used to like avocado (I always it was a pointless use of calories) until I tried the grapefruit and avocado salad at a local restaurant. I can no longer remember the name of the restaurant, but I can remember the beauty of grapefruit segments, thin slices of avocado, pink sea salt and a hint of lemon zest.

When trying to create a completely original cupcake idea, I thought of this salad. I thought of just how it changed my opinion of avocado and what an amazing combination this would be, especially when topped with a little pink sea salt.

The cupcakes had a perfect texture. They were dense, but still quite moist and tasted strongly like a grapefruit creamsicle. The avocado was not overpowering and neither was the salt, but provided a complexity for the grapefruit to play against. It was sweet and salty and bitter all at the same time. At first it was a confusing assault on my taste buds, but after the initial bite, it became quite enjoyable.

Grapefruit Cupcakes (makes 24)

Ingredients

2 cups (8.5 oz) all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp packed grapefruit zest (about 2 grapefruits)
1 cup less 3 Tbsp lowfat greek yogurt
3 Tbsp grapefruit juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
In separate bowl, cream butter. Add grapefruit zest and sugar, beating until light and fluffy
Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated
Add half the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporate.
Add vanilla, yogurt and grapefruit juice, mixing until incorporated. Finish with the remaining flour mixture.
Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake for 10-15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean
Let cool completely before frosting.

Avocado Frosting

Ingredients

4 oz ripe avocado meat (about 1 large avocado
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
8 oz powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla (optional, depending on if you want a stronger citrus flavor)

Directions

Beat avocado with lemon or lime juice with electric mixer until creamy.
Add sugar and beat until smooth
Frost cupcakes and garnish with a little sea salt

Grapefruit Cupcakes (makes 24)

Ingredients

2 cups (8.5 oz) all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp packed grapefruit zest (about 2 grapefruits)
1 cup less 3 Tbsp lowfat greek yogurt
3 Tbsp grapefruit juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
In separate bowl, cream butter. Add grapefruit zest and sugar, beating until light and fluffy
Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated
Add half the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporate.
Add vanilla, yogurt and grapefruit juice, mixing until incorporated. Finish with the remaining flour mixture.
Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake for 10-15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean
Let cool completely before frosting.

Avocado Frosting

Ingredients

4 oz ripe avocado meat (about 1 large avocado
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
8 oz powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla (optional, depending on if you want a stronger citrus flavor)

Directions

Beat avocado with lemon or lime juice with electric mixer until creamy.
Add sugar and beat until smooth
Frost cupcakes and garnish with a little sea salt

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Marinated Cheese {Party Series 4}

You know those dishes that are always the first ones gobbled up at a party? And that you always seem to be giving out the recipe? This is one of those. Yup, this is always the hit of the party! And it was no exception at Mom's wine tasting party.

And just who would think of marinating cheese?? Well, apparently the really wonderful Southern Living team. I love them. So here's how to make their marinated cheese.

Mix up their really colorful marinade ...

... cut up cream cheese and cheddar cheese and line it up in an alternating pattern like this:

Pour the marinade over the cheese slices, ...

... and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When it comes time to impress your guests, transfer the cheese to a platter and spoon the marinade over the top. And I have a feeling your guests will be impressed! ... this is colorful, beautiful, and absolutely delicious.

I invite you to follow The Kitchen is My Playground with Pinterest, Facebook, Google Friend Connect, Linky Followers, bloglovin', or Feedburner. Buttons are in the right sidebar. I'd love to have you back soon!

Marinated Cheese

Source: Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) block sharp cheddar cheese

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

Marinade:

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. white wine vinegar

3 T. chopped fresh parsley

3 T. minced green onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously. Set aside.

2. Make sure cheeses are well-chilled (I put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes). Cut block of cheddar in half lengthwise; then cut crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices. Set aside. Cut the cream cheese, following the same procedure. Arrange cheese slices alternately in a shallow baking dish, standing slices on edges.

3. Pour marinade over cheese slices. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours.

4. To serve, transfer cheese slices to a serving platter in the same alternating pattern. Spoon marinade over the cheese. Serve with assorted crackers.

Enjoy!

The {Party Series} Posts:
My Mom Throws a Great Party! {Party Series 1}
Grand Marnier & Spiced Rum Fruit Dip {Party Series 2}
Antipasto Platter with Grape Tomato & Caper Salad {Party Series 3}
Marinated Cheese {Party Series 4}
Mini Mocha-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes {Party Series 5}
Raspberry Chocolate Truffles & Drunken Cherries {Party Series 6}
Raspberry-Almond, Caramel-Walnut, & Lemon-Coconut Bars {Party Series 7}
Toasted Pesto Rounds {Party Series 8}

This post is linked with It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper! , Friday Potluck hosted by Ekat's Kitchen, Savory Sunday hosted by The Sweet Details, Recipe Sharing Monday hosted by Jam Hands, The Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across My Face, Tasty Tuesday hosted by For the Love of Blogs, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, and Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Pin It Thursday, Chic & Crafty Party, Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin' It, Weekend Potluck, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Saturday Show & Tell, Petite Hermine Sunday Linky Party, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Think Pink Sunday, Sundae Scoop, Ladies Night Cocktail Link Party.

... cut up cream cheese and cheddar cheese and line it up in an alternating pattern like this:

Pour the marinade over the cheese slices, ...

Marinated Cheese

Source: Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) block sharp cheddar cheese

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

Marinade:

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. white wine vinegar

3 T. chopped fresh parsley

3 T. minced green onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously. Set aside.

3. Pour marinade over cheese slices. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours.

4. To serve, transfer cheese slices to a serving platter in the same alternating pattern. Spoon marinade over the cheese. Serve with assorted crackers.

Enjoy!

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