Wednesday, May 31, 2017

May's BEST Strawberry Desserts

Ding, Ding, Ding!!

The starting bell of summer has arrived...
or at least my starting
 bell for summer...

Has May been the busiest month
ever??

You would never believe all the things that made 
it onto our busy calendar...

If you could see my calendar in the 
kitchen... 
(Ahem...you'd first need to look past pile 
of dirty dishes in the sink... 
Yes, (Gasp) a sink full of them!!

Friday, May 5, 2017

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Strawberry Margarita Pie and Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Remember our old friend the
 amazing Margarita Key Lime Pie??

 Please let me introduce you to her new friend...

Strawberry Margarita Pie!!
 These pies can be made gluten free, simply switch the 
crust to an all crushed GF pretzel
crust and your have a magnificent dessert!!

Oh...and here's another fun friend for Cinco de Mayo:

Fresh Fruit Salsa with baked Cinnamon Chips!!


I'm running out the door to show these recipes on Fox19!!

See you later.  Enjoy!!!

Margarita Key Lime Pie with 
Pretzel-Graham Crust and Candy Sea Stars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust:
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers
½ cup finely crushed salted pretzels
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
6 TBS melted unsalted butter
In a food processor, finely chop the graham crackers and pretzels.  Add sugar and melted butter to combine. Mixture will resemble wet sand.  Pour into a 9-inch pie plate.  Using an empty drinking glass, lightly tamp down the crust, forming it to the bottom and sides of the pie plate.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Set aside.

Filling:
(1) 8-ounce softened cream cheese
½ Cup sour cream
¾ Cup key lime juice (If using fresh key limes, consider using a clean garlic press to make quick work of the tiny key limes.  Cut in half and then squeeze with press over a bowl.
(1) 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 drop of green food coloring (optional)

Directions:
In a food processor, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy with no lumps.  Add in sour cream, lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.  Continue to blend well until the mixture is smooth, silky and emulsified.
Pour mixture into prepared pretzel-graham crust.
Bake for 10 minutes on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven.  The pie will set and be less glossy after the 10 minutes.
Do not brown the top of the pie.

Chill pie well, for a least 4 hours up to overnight.
Top with fresh whipped cream and candy sea stars for garnish.

Whipped Cream
½ pint heavy whipping cream
3 TBS powdered sugar
(If you really want a margarita-esque pie, add a shot of triple sec to the cream before whipping -optional.)
On low speed of a mixer, whip cream sugar and optional alcohol if using.  After it thickens a bit, mix on medium high until thick if keeps shape.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate edges of the pie.

Candy Sea Stars:
Using a candy mold (sea stars or other ocean themed shaped mold) Fill mold with melted white candy melts or almond bark.  Let chill for five minutes.  Once set, pop out shapes and decorate pie.  (Candy sea stars are a great make ahead garnish…simply keep in and air tight container until ready to use.

Candy molds are available in craft and baking supply stores. 
I purchased mine at Cincinnati Cake and Candy on Galbraith Rd in Reading, Ohio.

Candy melts and Almond bark: candy melts are available at cake supply stores and some craft stores with a baking section.  Almond bark is available in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.


Strawberry Margarita Pie with 
Pretzel-Graham Crust from Karri Perry; Blue Ribbon Kitchen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Crust:
1 cup finely crushed graham crackers
½ cup finely crushed salted pretzels
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 TBS granulated sugar
6 TBS melted unsalted butter
In a food processor, finely chop the graham crackers and pretzels.  Add sugar and melted butter to combine. Mixture will resemble wet sand.  Pour into a 9-inch pie plate.  Using an empty drinking glass, lightly tamp down the crust, forming it to the bottom and sides of the pie plate.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Set aside.

**For Gluten Free: Make crust of only crushed GF Pretzels

Filling:
(1) 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese
½ cup puréed fresh strawberries
¼ cup key lime juice (If using fresh key limes, consider using a clean garlic press to make quick work of the tiny key limes.  Cut in half and then squeeze with press over a bowl.
 (1) 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
In a food processor, puree the strawberries (about 5-6 medium strawberries-cleaned and hulled) Add the lime juice, pulse for two seconds.  Pour the strawberry/lime mixture into a measuring cup and set aside.
In the food processor, mix the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy with no lumps; scrape down the sides if necessary.
Add the reserved strawberry/lime mixture, to the cream cheese.  Finally, add the sweetened condensed milk.  Continue to blend well until the mixture is smooth, silky and emulsified.
Pour mixture into prepared –cooled pretzel-graham crust.
Bake for 6-8 minutes on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven.  The pie will set and be less glossy after the 8 minutes.
Do not brown the top of the pie.

Refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
Top with fresh whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Whipped Cream
½ pint heavy whipping cream
3 TBS powdered sugar
(If you really want a margarita-esque pie, add a shot of triple sec to the cream before whipping -optional.)
On low speed of a mixer, whip cream sugar and optional alcohol if using.  After it thickens a bit, mix on medium high until thick if keeps shape.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate edges of the pie.

Fresh Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips
Karri Perry; Blue Ribbon Kitchen

Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips:
Using soft flour tortillas, cut tortillas into wedges, to make “chips”
Place cut tortillas on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Spray the tortillas lightly with coconut cooking spray or butter spray.  Sprinkle generously with a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon.
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes on the middle oven rack. Check back every 3-5 minutes until the tortillas are lightly golden and crisp.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Store cinnamon chips in an air tight container.


Fruit Salsa
 Finely dice ½ cup each of:  watermelon, strawberries, honeydew, and fresh pineapple.
 ½ teaspoon lemon zest
 ½ teaspoon lime zest
  ½ teaspoon orange zest.
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice.
1 teaspoon honey
Dice the fruits and set aside.
Zest the lemon, orange and lime, set zest aside.
Pour the fresh juices into a small bowl, add the zest and honey.  Stir together the juices, honey and zest.
Add the diced fruits to a medium mixing bowl.
Gently pour the fruit juice/zest/honey mixture over the diced fruit.  Stir gently until the fruit is well mixed. Refrigerate fresh salsa up to 2 days.
Serve with the baked cinnamon tortilla chips.

**Yes you can swap the fruits to make other fruit salsa combinations.  Consider: mango, cantaloupe, kiwi, grapes, blueberries or cherries