Ingredient: puff pastry, thawed

Cherry Puff Cake

Because sometimes, less really is more. Dessert recipes can range from multi-component, complex creations to something as low-key as fresh berries with a mound of whipped cream.

It’s been said, ‘stressed spelled backwards is just desserts’. Let’s just say that you’re having a party and need to whip up some desserts by tonight. You could either become stressed over it, or you could make an easy, minimal ingredient dessert so that you don’t show up to the party empty handed.

This recipe is proof that you don’t need a pantry full of exotic ingredients to satisfy your sweet tooth because sometimes the simplest things are the most delicious. 

Print Recipe
 Cherry Puff Cake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cherry puff cake
Servings
Ingredients
Sour Cherry Filling
Other Ingredients
Course dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cherry puff cake
Servings
Ingredients
Sour Cherry Filling
Other Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Filling
  1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch & salt. Add juice/water mixture & stir to combine.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes them immediately remove from heat.
  3. Gradually fold in the cherries. cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Assembly /Baking
  1. Roll out puff pastry & slice into (4) 3-inch wide strips.
  2. Using a slotted spoon, remove cherries from sauce. Place cherries tightly next to each other in a line down the center of each pastry strip. Pinch the edges together to seal the cherries inside.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  4. Line an 8-inch pie pan with parchment paper. Wind the pieces of dough around one another, spiraling until you have a circular cake.
  5. Bake 'cake' for about 25 minutes or until cake is golden brown. Remove cake from baking pan to cool on a wire rack.
Serving
  1. Whip package of whip topping as directed on package. When cake has cooled, swirl topping over it then drizzle with cherry sauce. Slice & serve.

Nectarine, Mango & Guava Mini Galettes

When it comes to fruit, some flavor combinations just automatically work well. But, when you start to dig deeper, you can discover some less common amazing flavor combos.

There’s something about using tropical fruits that have a way of transporting us to the best parts of summer. Summer desserts don’t have to be complicated. Add a scoop of ice cream and you’ve got a sweet treat that’s even more agreeable, with little extra energy expended. Whether it’s a simple fresh fruit parfait, or a rustic galette (the word sounds so exotic and continental), this is the time of year fresh fruit can do a lot of the heavy lifting in a dessert, you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

You know how sometimes a recipe can take a long time to make but the end result isn’t that great which makes for a low return on your investment. When it comes to galettes, it’s definitely a high return on investment because they  turn out so nice and hardly take any time at all especially if using frozen puff pastry.

Print Recipe
 Nectarine, Mango & Guava Mini Galettes
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Keyword mango guava & nectarine galettes
Servings
Ingredients
Keyword mango guava & nectarine galettes
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch. lime juice & preserves. Set aside.
  3. Slice nectarines then chop them slightly. Divide preserve mixture in half. Fold half of it into the nectarine pieces.
  4. Cut puff pastry sheet into 6 even squares. Divide the remaining preserve mixture between the puff pastry squares placing a spoonful in the middle of each. Divide nectarine filling equally between the squares.
  5. Brush edges with egg wash & fold up sides to form galettes. Brush top dough with egg wash & sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  6. Bake until golden brown & bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
  • Instead of puff pastry, I had a bit of frozen homemade pastry leftover from a previous bake, so I used it instead. Worked out just fine.

Turkey Prosciutto Wellington

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

For the last 65 years, Canada has celebrated Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October. It’s one of those holidays that tend to bring families together, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, though, in this highly technological age, it seems as if we have become more connected digitally than emotionally.

The thing about fall is that it gives us a different perspective, it represents a time of change. As nature bursts with its fabulous fall foliage, it gives us a little bit of extra time to make the most of what we have left in this year before the grand finale. The word ‘thanksgiving‘ itself, makes one pause and ask, what am I thankful for this year?

Some time ago, I read an article that was posted on Facebook by Larry McDaniel. When things are verbalized it seems to make them unmistakably clear. I want to re-post this article as I thought it is certainly worth reading and giving some serious thought to.

So today I stopped and filled up my car and I was thankful.

Thankful that I have a car, thankful I have money to buy gas,

Thankful that there are no war planes flying over me,

Thankful that I will be eating soon,

Thankful that all my loved ones are safe and sound,

Thankful that I live in a country where I have freedom to do so many things,

Thankful that the air I breathe is not filled with smoke and gun powder,

Thankful that I will sleep in silence and wake up to a beautiful day.

I think its time that we all be a lot more thankful and definitely more grateful!!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving however you choose to celebrate it.

Print Recipe
 Turkey Prosciutto Wellington
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword turkey prosciutto wellington
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword turkey prosciutto wellington
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. In a skillet, melt butter. Add leeks and mushrooms and sauté on medium high heat until leeks become tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add broth and stuffing mix. Mix well & remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  3. Roll out puff pastry to a rectangle large enough to cover turkey breast. If two sheets are required, brush water or egg wash on one short edge of pastry and press edge of second sheet onto the first sheet. Press gently until seam is sealed.
  4. When stuffing is cool, cover pastry with stuffing, leaving a one-inch edge all the way around. Cover the stuffing layer with prosciutto. Brush turkey with mustard, then lay turkey just to right side of the center.
  5. Bring right side edge up & over the top of the turkey breast. Repeat with the left side. You should trim any excess dough before sealing so it won't be too thick.
  6. Mix beaten egg with a Tbsp of water & brush edges of pastry to seal. Tuck the ends of the dough around the turkey breast & over each other to seal.
  7. Place the turkey, seam side down, on a parchment covered baking sheet. Cut slits in the top of the dough to vent steam. Brush entire pastry with egg wash.
  8. Tent a piece of foil over the top & bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil & continue baking until the crust is golden for about 20-30 minutes, depending on size of turkey breast. The internal temperature should reach 165 F.
  9. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Top with cranberry sauce and serve.

Mushroom, Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Finger Food

New Year’s Eve ……. normally this eve would bring about lots of parties and celebrations but the start of 2021 looks much more subdued. As expected, cities have cancelled or modified their plans due to the pandemic. Although tradition has been silenced this year, one thing that will never change is the ticking of time and the arrival of a New Year at midnight on December 31st.

When I was growing up, I recall one of the Christmas tree ornaments my mother had was a mushroom with a white spotted red cap. At that time, I remember thinking it seemed unusual as a Christmas tree ornament but never really questioned it. Many years later, through my interest in food history, I understand the connection.

In Germany and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe this iconic mushroom (Amanita muscaria) has long been considered a symbol of good luck and is intertwined with the Yuletide Season.

‘The Mushroom’ of Christmas and the New Year is frequently found growing underneath pine trees because the roots of this specific mushroom can only grow in the root zones of certain trees. There is some speculation that the red & white of Christmas and the use of pine trees may be linked to these humble mushrooms.

Even though the Amanita muscaria mushroom is toxic and should never be eaten it is still symbolizes the hope for good fortune in the coming year. The tradition of gifting mushroom imagery has stuck around, especially for those of German or Austrian descent who still exchange the pretty red & white mushrooms at Christmas time (often in the form of cards or other trinkets). Its not hard to understand why ‘meringue’ mushrooms are a popular decoration for the ‘Yule Log’ cakes.

After all these years, I understand the meaning of my mothers little mushroom ornament. New Year’s of 2020 seems like a good time to make a mushroom finger food in hopes of having the good fortune of Covid 19 coming to an end so we can all resume ‘normal’ life in 2021.

Print Recipe
 Mushroom, Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Finger Food
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Finger Food Buffet
Cuisine American, European
Keyword mushroom caramelized onion & Gruyere cheese finger food
Servings
Ingredients
Course Finger Food Buffet
Cuisine American, European
Keyword mushroom caramelized onion & Gruyere cheese finger food
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat; add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
  3. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms & sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft & all the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, sage & thyme; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  5. Add the broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, & cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
  6. Unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry & cut out 36 circles from dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheets. Using a very sharp knife, make four small scores around the perimeter of the dough, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch from the edge.
  7. Top the rounds of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the mushroom mixture, trying to keep the filling within the score marks. Top with grated Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough rounds with the egg wash.
  8. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15-25 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Shrimp Pot Pie

There are many kinds of comfort food. The humble pot pie seems to be one that fits into that category quite well. In 1951, the first frozen pot pie was created by the C. A. Swanson Company and was made of chicken.

If you do a search for a seafood pot pie on the internet, very often what you find is basically a copy of chicken pot pie with seafood subbed in. The sauce or gravy is a ‘cream of whatever’ can of soup. Nothing wrong with that, but I find if you use a combo of clam juice, half & half cream and some seafood spices, you can come up with a more defined flavor.

The nice thing about a pot pie is that it can be made to feed a crowd or as an individual meal. Whether it has a bottom crust or not is up to you. Toppings can vary from mashed potatoes to cornbread or biscuits etc., etc. Above all else, you can make some extras to freeze for another day. As the saying goes … its all good!

Print Recipe
 Shrimp Pot Pie
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp pot pie,
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp pot pie,
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Thaw frozen puff pastry in refrigerator. Keep chilled until you are ready for it. The pastry will be used for a top crust ONLY. Butter the bottom & sides of your casserole dish; set aside.
  2. In a large pot, pour the clam nectar; bring to a simmer over medium heat & add the shrimp. Poach shrimp JUST until they are opaque & cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Pour the broth & shrimp into a bowl & set aside.
  3. Return the pot back to the stove; over medium heat & melt the butter. Stir in onion, celery & mushrooms; saute until vegetables are translucent, 5-6 minutes then stir in the garlic, flour & seasoning. Cook, stirring for 1 minute then add the shrimp & broth. Cook for several minutes, stirring until sauce thickens. Add 1/3 cup half & half & simmer gently for a minute or two. Remove from heat.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  5. In a small saucepan, place potatoes & peas. Add enough lightly salted water to barely cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat & cook at a low boil until the potatoes are just tender, 7-8 minutes. Drain. Taste the shrimp sauce; add salt & pepper to taste. Add potatoes, peas & tomatoes (if using). Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish.
  6. Place the chilled pastry over the filling, tucking it down between the filling & the dish or drape it over the sides. Poke a steam vent in the top with a paring knife. Place the casserole on a baking sheet. Beat the egg with remaining Tbsp of half & half. Lightly brush the pastry with egg wash.
  7. Bake casserole until filling is bubbly & top is golden brown about 30-35 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack & allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Fresh Fruit Pizza

The quintessential summer BBQ dessert! Fruit pizza is like a giant cookie, covered with luscious cream, layered with colorful fresh fruit, topped with glaze and a drizzle of chocolate, if you please.

If you have been following my blogs, you have probably already noticed, choice is something I’m big on. Fruit pizza is a classic dessert with so many possibilities. I have always enjoyed to start with the original idea of a recipe and see how many ways I can vary it without getting too involved or requiring a lot of extra ingredients and time.

Since CANADA DAY celebrations are right around the corner I thought it was a good time to enjoy Fruit Pizza ‘personalized’. Here are some ideas to mix and match to your liking.


Print Recipe


Fresh Fruit Pizza

Personalize not only with ingredient choices but the design as well

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!

Servings


Ingredients
Classic Shortbread or Pecan Shortbread Crust

Oatmeal Crust

Frozen Puff Pastry OR Crescent Roll Dough

Cream Cheese Topping

Cool Whip / Custard Topping

Honey - Yogurt Topping

Citrus Glaze

Pineapple Glaze

Fruit Preserve Glaze

Fresh Fruit (use whatever fruit you prefer)

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

Servings


Ingredients
Classic Shortbread or Pecan Shortbread Crust

Oatmeal Crust

Frozen Puff Pastry OR Crescent Roll Dough

Cream Cheese Topping

Cool Whip / Custard Topping

Honey - Yogurt Topping

Citrus Glaze

Pineapple Glaze

Fruit Preserve Glaze

Fresh Fruit (use whatever fruit you prefer)

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!


Instructions
For Shortbread & Oatmeal Crusts
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 12-inch pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar until light. Add any flavorings. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until well blended. Press dough into pan & prick with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool completely.

Frozen Puff Pastry
  1. Follow package directions. Cool completely & place on serving tray.

Crescent Roll Dough
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Pinch together crescent roll dough as you press into a 12-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Topping
  1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, lime juice concentrate & sugar until smooth.

Cool Whip/Custard Topping
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together dry pudding mix & milk for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip.

Honey - Yogurt Topping
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt & honey.

Citrus & Pineapple Glaze
  1. In a small saucepan, combine ingredients. Cook over medium heat until thickens. Remove from heat & cool slightly. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the fruit with glaze. FOR PRESERVE GLAZE: mix preserves with water & brush onto fruit.

TO ASSEMBLE FRUIT PIZZA
  1. Spread topping of choice onto cooled crust & arrange fruit onto. Brush with glaze of choice. Melt chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. Dip a large spoon into chocolate; drizzle, quickly letting the chocolate fall in thin ribbons from the end of the spoon. If chocolate seems to stiff, add a drop of vegetable oil. Let pizza stand until chocolate is firm.