Ingredients: 

Topping: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup unsalted butter, chopped and chilled 

 Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together blueberries and sugar.

3.  In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

4. Place berry mixture in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Sprinkle crumble mixture over the berries.

6. Bake in oven for approximately 35 minutes, until topping is a rich golden brown and berries are bubbly.

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-3-inch loaf pan.

2. Sift to combine flour, baking powder, and salt on parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, with a mixer on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, mixing to combine. Stir in mashed bananas and flour mixture by thirds. Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

3. Bake until loaf starts to pull away from edges of the pan, approximately 55 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Serves 8 

Ingredients 

10 1/3 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped

10 1/3 oz. Unsalted butter 5 large eggs2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup raspberry puree 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler.  Stir in butter until melted. Set aside.

3. In a kitchen mixer, combine sugar, eggs, cream and raspberry puree until doubled in volume.

4. Add chocolate to mixer and mix until well incorporated.

5. Pour mixture into a 9” round cake pan.

6. Place pan in a baking pan, and fill pan half way with water. Be careful not to get water into the cake pan.

7. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

8. Remove cake from oven and cool completely.

9. Remove cake from pan and place in a cooling rack with a baking sheet placed under the cooling rack.

10. Place cake in refrigerator to chill.

Ingredients:2 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups AP flour
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple with liquid
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup finely chopped walnuts

Instructions:1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by greasing it with butter and flour.
3. Cream together sugar and eggs. Add vanilla and pineapple with juice.
4. In a bowl mix together flour and baking soda, salt, and ginger.
5. Add flour mixture to egg mixture until incorporated. Do not overmix.
6. Fold in walnuts.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan.
8. Bake until golden brown and spongy firmness in center, approximately 30-35 minutes.

Serve 8

Ingredients:

Custard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 ounce good-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolks
¼ cup raspberry puree

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Fresh raspberries

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a non-reactive saucepan, heat cream to just under boiling. Remove from heat, add white chocolate and stir with a silicone spatula until melted.

In a separate bowl, whisk yolks and vanilla in medium bowl. Slowly whisk cream mixture into yolks until incorporated. Divide custard between 8 (4 ounce) ramekins cups. Spoon small amount of puree into each cup and lightly swirl in to marble.

Place custard cups into a baking dish with sides. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Do not get any water into cups. Bake just until the crème brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate overnight. Remove the crème brulee from the refrigerator 10 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the sugar equally among the 4 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the crème brulee to sit for at least 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve.  

Great for Mother’s Day, Graduation, Summer Pot-luck and more!

Marzipan, made from almond paste, gives these muffins a delicious center.

Lemon Marzipan Muffins 

Ingredients:  

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

¼ tsp. almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Zest of one lemon 

Muffin
Center:  ½  Cup Marzipan 

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375?F. 

Cream together butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix to incorporate.   Add almond extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.   

Add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Do not over mix. 

Divide batter into 12 paper lined muffin cups.   

Divide marzipan into twelve equal parts and roll into a ball.  Place ball into the middle of the muffin batter in each cup making sure the batter is beneath and over the marzipan ball.  

Bake muffins until top is spongy to the touch, approximately 15 minutes.  

I love this dessert because it is so easy and not too sweet.  The strawberries really take center stage in taste!

 Ingredients

1 box Ready Made Pie Crust (two pie sheets)

 2 quarts Fresh Strawberries, ripe

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 2 eggs

1/3 tightly packed light brown sugar 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Par-bake the pie shells by doing the following. Place each shell on a 9 inch pie baking pan.  Scallop the edges.  Dock the dough of the shell or weigh it down with pie weights.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until shell is lightly golden brown.Remove pie from oven. Remove weights if used and allow shell to cool. Slice washed strawberries and place in the cooled pie shells.  In a kitchen mixer, whip together eggs, brown sugar, and cream for 3-5 minutes. 

 Pour cream mixture over strawberries in pie shell leaving a ¼ inch of space at the top of the shell.  This allows the filling to expand without overflowing the pie.

Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until edges of custard turns a golden brown.  Center will remain slightly liquid.  Allow pie to cool and then place in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or sprinkled with powdered sugar.

 **** If you prefer sweeter pie, mix an additional ¼ of light brown sugar with the strawberries prior to placing in the pie*****

Easter Bunny’s Carrot Walnut Cupcakes  

2 eggs

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 pound grated carrots

1 cup walnut pieces (optional) 

Directions:·       

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In a bowl, Combine the eggs, sugar, salt, vegetable oil, and milk and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Stop the mixer, add the dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until absorbed.  

Remove from the mixer and fold in the carrots and walnuts.  

Pour the batter in the prepared cupcake pans, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is firm, but not dry. Cool cupcakes in pan. 

 Once cooled, frost or pipe colored cream cheese frosting onto cupcakes.  

Pastel Colored Cream Cheese Frosting 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions: 

Beat the butter at medium speed until soft and light.  

Beat in the cream cheese and continue beating until very smooth.  

Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Continue beating for about 5 more minutes to aerate.  

Divide batter into four bowls and to each bowl add 1-2 drops of food color.  Mix until color is fully incorporated.  

I love crackle cookies but never was able to get them to actually look crackly.  They would just spread thin and the powdered sugar would melt into the cookie.  With the addition of almond paste, the cookies keep a nice shape to them.  By rolling the cookies in granulated sugar then powdered sugar, you create a sugar barrier that prevents the powdered sugar from melting into your cookie.  The results are delicious cookies that will disappear quickly!

Chocolate Almond Crackle Cookies 

7 oz Almond Paste1 cup powdered sugar¼ cup cocoa powder2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour¼ tsp. salt2 oz. egg whites1 tsp. vanilla extract 

For coating: 

½ cup powdered sugar½ cup granulated sugar 

In a kitchen mixer, blend together almond paste, sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt until smooth.  Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated. 

Remove bowl, cover and chill in refrigerator for minimum of one hour. (Can be chilled overnight). 

When ready to make cookies, place granulated sugar in a small mixing bowl and powdered sugar in another small bowl.  

Preheat oven to 325?F.  

Using a #100 ice cream scoop, scoop batter into bowl of sugar, and then powdered sugar coating well.  Place dough ball on a parchment lined cookie sheet leaving 2 inches around each cookie.  

Bake cookies until firm on top and outside is crackled, approximately 15 minutes.