Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
Adding avocado to this smoothie really thickens it up and adds healthy fats to the equation.
INGREDIENTS
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Cup Wild Blueberries
4 Ice Cubes
1 Tablespoon Agave Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Cup of Milk
Combine all of the ingredients into a blender or a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute and pour into tall glasses. If you do not want to use milk you can substitute with rice milk, soy milk or coconut water. Serves 2
Petite Pear Tarts
Summer is the season for pears. What to do with all of those pears? Make pear tarts!
INGREDIENTS
Pastry for 1 Pie Crust
2 Small Ripe Pears (Peeled, Cored and Sliced)
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Dried Currents
2 Teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Cup Plus 6 Teaspoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans
Prepare the pastry for 1 pie crust. Shape two equal balls and chill for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, toss the pear slices with flour, currants, lemon juice, cinnamon and ½ cup of sugar. Set aside. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pink roll 1 dough ball into a 10 inch round. Transfer to one half of a large cookie sheet. Mound half of the pear mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough up around the pears, leaving a 2 ½ inch opening in the center. Repeat with the remaining dough and pear mixture to make a second tart on the same cookie sheet. Brush each crust with 1 tablespoon of milk and sprinkle each with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Place 2 sheet of foil under the cookie sheet. Crimp the foil edges to form a rim to catch any drips during the baking. Bake the tarts for 20 minutes. In a cup, mix the pecans with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and sprinkle over the filling in the center of the tarts. Bake for 10 minute more or until the crust is brown. Cool the tarts on cookie sheets on a wire rack for 10 minutes to serve warm. Makes 2 petite tarts
Pie Crust Recipe
INGREDIENTs
1 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Shortening
4 Tablespoons Cold & Cut Up Butter
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. With a pastry blender cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in 3 to 5 tablespoons of ice water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix lightly with a fork after each addition, until the dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape the dough into 1 ball. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Remove from the fridge and let stand for 1 hour before rolling. You want the dough at room temperature. Make two separate balls. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out each ball to make the petite pie crusts.
Baked Pears With Marsala Wine
INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Lemon
8 Firm Bosc Pears
1/3 Cup Sugar Plus 2 Tablespoons
½ Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Take a small knife and remove the peel from the lemon in strips. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. With a melon baller, remove the cores from the bottom of the unpeeled pears, but do not remove the stems. With a pastry brush, brush the insides of the pears with the lemon juice, then sprinkle the insides of the pears with the lemon juice. Next, sprinkle the insides with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. In a shallow 2 quart baking dish, mix the lemon peel strips, Marsala and 1/3 cup of water. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar on the sheet of waxed paper. With the pastry brush, brush the pears with the melted butter. Roll the pears in the sugar to coat. Place the pears, cored ends down, in the baking dish. Sprinkle with any remaining sugar. Bake the pears, basting with the syrup in the dish, for 45 minutes until fork tender. Slightly cool or serve warm. Serves 8
Blueberry Crumble
Who doesn’t love blueberries?! Blueberry Crumble is such a simple and delicious dessert. Something about it just warms the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
Blueberry Filling
2 Pints Fresh Blueberries
1/3 Cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Topping
1 Stick Butter
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ Cup Oats
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Salt
The first thing that you will need to do is to make the topping. Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter until it is all crumbly and the largest butter chunks are pea sized. Next toss the blueberries with sugar, flour and lemon juice. Transfer the blueberry mixture to a buttered 9 inch baking dish. Spread the crumble on top and bake in 350° F oven for 40 minutes until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling gently through the crumble. Serve warm. Serves 6
Victoria’s Garden Party Cake
This cake is so easy to make! People will think you spent all day in the kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Stick Butter (Room Temperature)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Orange
2 Jumbo Eggs
2 Cups Flour
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
2 Ripe Peaches (Pitted & Sliced In Half)
¼ Cup Fresh Raspberries For Serving
Whipped Cream For Serving
Preheat the oven to 375° F and grease a nonstick 9 inch sprinform pan. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon & orange juices plus the zests and combine. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Follow with the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Add the crème fraiche and combine briefly. Scrape the sides so that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the raspberries evenly around the cake. Set the peaches in the batter, in a circle, with the cut sides up. Place the pan on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Let the cake cool completely. Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream. You can substitute blueberries for the peaches if you wish.
Serve 8
Victoria’s Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
This recipe was inspired by my mother’s custard filled sponge cake. Pour yourself a big glass of super cold milk or a cup of dark coffee and enjoy one or two of these sinful delights.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour (plus more to coat the tins)
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Softened Butter (plus more to coat the tins)
3 Jumbo Organic Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour standard muffin tins. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Warm the milk and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until thick and pale. Beat in the dry ingredients. Bring the milk and butter to a boil and will the mixer on low speed add the milk mixture to the batter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. Divide the batter among the muffin cups making sure to fill each half way. Bake cupcakes for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and ONLY 10 minutes or they will stick. Then transfer to wire racks and let cool. Using a serrated knife cut each in half horizontally. Spread a spoonful of vanilla custard on each cupcake bottom. Sandwich with the top. Spoon glaze over each and serve immediately.
CUSTARD INGREDIENTS
5 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cup Scalded Milk
1 Slightly Beaten Egg
1 ½ Teaspoon Butter
½ Teaspoon Vanilla
Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl. Scald the milk on medium heat (nearly boiling). Add the first three ingredients and stir over a medium heat until thick. Remove from the heat and add some of the warm milk mixture into the beaten egg and mix. Slowly add this to the remaining warmed milk. Cook long enough to cook the egg which should be for about 1 minute. Stir the custard constantly. Add the butter and vanilla and stir. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover with waxed paper directly on the surface of the custard to avoid a hard skin. Chill in the refrigerator. This can be made a day ahead.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
4 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate
2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Stir often. Drizzle over cupcakes immediately! Makes 12
Watermelon and Persecco Parfaits
This adult dessert is cool and refreshing. It is great for those hot evenings and very easy to make. Watermelon is one of the ultimate tastes of summer and everything gets better with Persecco.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Diced Watermelon (Remove The Seeds Or Use Seedless)
1 ½ Cups Fresh Raspberries
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Cups Persecco
2 Tablespoons Chambord Liquor
Layer the watermelon and raspberries in 4 parfait glasses. In a glass pitcher combine the Prosecco, Chambord and lemon zest. Stir and quickly pour over the parfaits. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Lady Baltimore Cake
A Southern specialty that has many variations and often used as a favorite wedding cake. It is said to have originated in “The Lady Baltimore Tea Room” in Charleston, South Carolina, toward the end of the 19th century. It has been suggested that it is a variation of a cake that was favored by Dolley Madison (1768-1849), the wife of President James Madison. I love this recipe and find that it is extremely versatile.
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Butter
4 Separated Eggs
1 Cup Milk
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
Frosting:
2 Egg Whites
1 ½ Cups Sugar
1/3 Cup Cold Water
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Chopped Raisins
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
12 Finely Cut Dried Figs
¼ Cup Candied Cherries
Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix. Alternately add the milk and the dry ingredients. Set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites, vanilla and almond extract into the yolk mixture. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake in two 9 inch greased cake pans for 35 minutes until done. When done remove from the oven and cool cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove from pans and continue cooking. Prepare the frosting and spread between the cake layers as a filling and then spread the remaining frosting to ice the entire cake. Serves 8
To make the frosting: In a 3 quart saucepan over very low heat beat egg whites, sugar, water, vanilla and salt until stiff peaks form. You can use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to beat the egg whites. This should take about 15 minutes. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped raisins, chopped walnuts, dried figs and candied cherries. You can omit the cherries if you wish. 
Cherry Cobbler
This dessert is very easy to make and is always a big hit. You can make it ahead for easy entertaining!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ Cup Butter
6 Cups Pitted Tart Cherries
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Large Egg
¼ Cup Milk
Preheat your oven to 400° F. In a medium sized bowl, for the topping stir together flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and set aside. In a large saucepan, for the filling, combine the cherries, 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Cook over a medium heat until the cherries release juices. Stir occasionally. Continue to cook over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles. Keep hot. In a small bowl stir together the egg and milk and add to the flour mixture. Stir just until the flour mixture is moistened. Transfer the hot cherry filling to a 2 quart square baking dish. With a spoon, immediately drop the topping into six mounds on top of the filling. Bake for 20 minutes until topping is golden. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6
Rainbow Cookies
These cookies are also called Venetians because the colors remind people of Venetian glass. Some call them Neopolitans. I love these Italian cookies! They are full of almond flavor and surprisingly easy to make.
INGREDIENTS
One 8 Ounce Can Almond Paste
¾ Pound Unsalted Butter That Has Been Cut Into Small Pieces
1 Cup Sugar
4 Large Eggs Separated
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
6 Drops Red Food Coloring
6 Drops Green Food Coloring
1 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam
8 ounces Semisweet Chopped Chocolate
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line three 13x9x2 inch baking pans with parchment paper. Crumble the almond paste into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, ½ cup of sugar, the egg yolks and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour just until blended. In another large mixing bowl (with clean beaters), beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in the remaining ½ cup sugar and beat on high until the egg whites foam soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a rubber spatula, fold one third of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Gradually fold in the remaining whites. Scoop out on third of the batter and spread it evenly in one of the pans. It will be about ¼ inch thick. Bake for 10 minutes until the cake is just set and very lightly colored around the edges.
Next, scoop half of the remaining batter into another bowl. Fold the red food coloring into one bowl of batter and the green into the other. Spread the batter in the two remaining pans and bake as for the first layer. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 5 minutes.
Transfer the cake layers to cooling racks, leaving the parchment paper attached. Let cool completely. Using the parchment paper to lift it, place the green layer paper side up on a tray. Carefully peel off the paper. Spread the cake with half of the jam. Place the white layer paper side up on top of the first. Peel off the paper and spread the cake with the remaining jam. Place the red layer paper side up on top. Peel off the paper. Wrap the cake in foil or plastic wrap. Place a weight such as a cutting board on top to compact the layers. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a small heatproof bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water and let stand, uncovered, until the chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth and then remove from the heat. Remove the weight and unwrap the cake. Pour the melted chocolate onto the cake and spread it smoothly over the top with a spatula, leaving the side uncovered. Refrigerate 30 minutes until the chocolate is lightly set. Using a ruler as a guide, cut the cake into 1 ½ x 1 inch rectangles. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 6 dozen cookies
