Showing posts with label Fresh fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fresh fruit. Show all posts

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Independence Day! (Website Down)

Happy 4th of July everyone!

My website is acting a little funky about showing pictures so I'm going to post my pics on here for now. I know I need to update my blog, I'm such a slacker! Anyways, in the spirit of our Independence Day (and let's be honest, I could use the practice) I made some Blueberry Lemon Zest cupcakes! They are a seasonal favorite, filled with fresh whole blueberries, lemon juice, and lemon lest to make them extremely flavorful. I used gel coloring inside the decorating bag to make the icing look like it does.

I'm also posting pictures of the cupcakes from my giveaway a month or so ago. I think they look too cute to not get any attention! The flower and heart decorations are made with modeling chocolate.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful 4th of July!

Much Love,
~A









Sunday, June 10, 2012

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

I finally found a recipe that I didn't feel too inclined to improve! It's sweet, creamy, fruity, and absolutely delicious!

I strive to make cheesecake's that compare to The Cheesecake Factory or better. I've been baking cheesecakes now since February (when I made Randy a Lemon Cheesecake for Valentine's) working to perfect my technique.

I think I finally did it!! Just make sure you have enough butter melted in with the graham cracker crumbs for the crust.



Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used, but fresh is best in my opinion.

The best part of this recipe (besides eating it) is swirling the blueberry sauce in the cheesecake before baking! I felt like I was creating a work of art, and I've been inspired to try it with paint.

To swirl, drop spoonfulls of blueberry filling onto cheesecake. Take a butter knife and, pointing straight down, swirl the blueberry filling around in the cheesecake, until you're satisfied with the design.






The recipe for this delicious cheesecake can be found here, or on the recipes tab!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Blueberry Peach Crumbles (BPC)

I was given a FULL gallon sized bag of fresh blueberries today; I can tell you now they will not be wasted!
Last week I bought 3lbs worth of peaches for 99 cents per pound at the grocery store. When I recieved my bountiful gift of blueberries this afternoon, my thoughts automatically went to Blueberry Peach Cobbler (I now dub the, BPC!). However, I was running low on milk and eggs so I decided to make individual crumbles instead of the cobbler. There aren't any great benefits to having the crumble in little ramekins; they are just really adorable that way and I can take them to friends as individual servings.
Here's the recipe:
First, go to Pandora and make a Black Keys Station.
Second, JAM OUT to Black Keys while baking.

Ingredients:

For the fruit filling:

  • 2 pounds firm, ripe peaches (6 to 8 peaches)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (1/2 pint)
  • 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract


  • For the crumble topping:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced


  • Directions:
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    Filling: Rinse the fruit clean, then peel the peaches and section (or to make it super easy, just cut it up in chunks.) Place peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in a non-stick pot on medium heat. Stir it up. When the sugar begins to melt and the juice begins to bubble, stir the blueberries in. Let the blueberry/peach mixture cook for about 3 more minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and flour and spoon into ramekins
    Crumble: combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it's in big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
    If you want to make these early, store the unbaked crumbles in the refrigerator and bake before dinner.
    Here's some pictures for reference

    Cook and stir in sugar mixture

    This is what it will look like when it is ready to go in the ramekins

    Spoon into ramekins after adding flour

    Add crumble topping (I made the mistake of not using parchment paper on the cookie sheet -_-)

    All done!
    To visit my etsy page, follow this link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmbersArtnPhoto