Raspberries |

Christmas Trifle

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Kaitlin

Each year, my mom makes a beautiful trifle for Christmas. I’m pretty sure at one point, she was only making one, but as the popularity of her trifle grew, she is now up to making 6+ for different holiday events, friends, and family. My sister and I grew up begrudgingly helping my mom make these trifles but we both have grown to love them and look forward to a bite of trifle every December. A trifle is just a layered dessert that is usually made with cake pieces, cream, pudding, and fruit. My mom tops her with a beautiful design of fruit: kiwi, peaches and raspberries. I wanted to make some trifle to share with this blog but a normal trifle can serve a whole family, so I made a mini version! To prepare a regular trifle, the process is just the same. I highlighted Driscoll’s Berries in my trifle. I absolutely love their raspberries and blackberries so I wanted to have a higher ratio of berries in my trifle than may normally be used. Driscoll’s also sells really beautiful Strawberries and Blueberries that I have used in many many of my previous posts. Berries always add such … Continue reading →

White Wine Sangria Pops from Poptails

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Kaitlin

I was at a restaurant on Long Island that had a drink they called a “lushee” which was basically a frozen sangria. And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Pure brilliance. I told a friend about this and we knew we had to make our own, what could possibly be more refreshing on a hot summer day? I was recently sent a cookbook that actually one-upped the concept of the lushee: a White Wine Sangria Popsicle. The book, Poptails, by Erin Nichols of Erin Cooks, is filled with sixty pops inspired by your favorite alcoholic beverages. Recipes range from classics like a gin and tonic to fancy favorites like a cosmopolitan. There are even some awesome dessert pops like cherry cheesecake and banana split. I was in love with this book before I even received it. What an amazing idea! Who wouldn’t want their favorite drink in iced pop form? The recipes had me imagining all of the lovely get-togethers I could have: a brunch with iced coffee and bloody Mary pops, a pool party with strawberry basil martini pops, or Christmas in July with spiked eggnog, mulled wine, and Christmas cheer pops. Sigh. Anyways, I kept … Continue reading →

Tim Tam Tarts with Raspberries and Rose Water Whipped Cream

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Kaitlin

Tim Tam Tarts. Isn’t that oh so fun to say? A Tim Tam is a chocolate cookie from Arnott’s in Australia. You might see them every now and then in America, but don’t be fooled, those are made by Pepperidge Farm and I’m sorry, they just don’t live up to the originals. These happy little biscuits covered in chocolate are absolutely delicious. Their motto is “The Most Irresistible Chocolate Biscuit” but I think it’s more appropriately “Visitors to Australia’s Biggest Australian Obsession”. Seriously. They are the best. So when one of my friends traveled to Australia recently and asked what I’d like, I basically yelled in her face “TIM TAMS!” which can be quite alarming to someone who has zero idea what a Tim Tam is. I clearly made an impression, because she returned with two boxes! Now, Tim Tams are perfectly delicious on their own, maybe with some milk. But I’m a food blogger, so I had to try to turn the cookies into something even better. A Dark Chocolate Tart with Tim Tam Crust, Raspberries, and Rose Water Whipped Cream? YES! (I adapted this recipe from taste.com.au Note: I am currently taking the Melt Buttery Spread Challenge and … Continue reading →

Berries and Cream in Vanilla Dessert Cups

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Kaitlin

This is the perfect quick dessert for guests, or just to fulfill a sweet tooth in a pinch. I found the vanilla dessert cups in Whole Foods and immediately knew I was going to fill them with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream. This recipe is easily adaptable to account for what is on sale or what looks freshest, any berry or fruit will do. Ingredients: 4 vanilla dessert cups 1/2 pint blackberries 1/2 pint raspberries 2 strawberries, halved 1/2 cup whipping cream/heavy cream The juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon sugar To make, add the cream to a bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix the cream on medium/high until frothy. Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon sugar. Beat on medium/high until stiff peaks form, and the mixture resembles whipped cream. Scoop the whipped cream into a plastic bag. Close the bag and snip off one of the lower corners. Squeeze a few tablespoons of the mixture into each of the dessert cups. Top with blackberries and raspberries. Add a little more whipped cream and top with one half of a strawberry. If desired, top with additional zest. Easy and beautiful right? The … Continue reading →

Raspberry Creme Brulee

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Kaitlin

Last week, I was contacted by Walkers Shortbread about a recipe photo challenge they are hosting. Walkers asked a bunch of bloggers to make one of the recipes off their site and photograph the end result. They even offered to send me the Walkers ingredient needed to make the recipe. I came across their Raspberry Creme Brulee recipe and I knew I had to make it. It’s a traditional creme brulee, with a Walkers Shortbread crust and raspberries. How fantastic does that sound? Ingredients: 2 cups whole milk 4 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup heavy cream 1/2 pint Raspberries (fresh) 1 pkg. (5.3 oz) Walkers Shortbread Fingers light brown sugar, to taste Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Add the milk to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. While waiting for the milk to boil, add the egg yolks, sugar and heavy cream to a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Add 3/4 cup of the boiled milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so that they don’t cook when you add the rest of the milk. Once incorporated, add the rest of the milk in a steady stream. Take a … Continue reading →

Chilled Raspberry Shooters

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Kaitlin

I fell in love with this recipe initially just on the photo; they are so pretty! The original recipe from Taste of Home is actually more of a savory dish but one of the comments mentioned using vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream so I decided to take their suggestion. This take some preparation, so if you plan on using this to impress guests with a slightly different but amazing dessert, be sure to give yourself a few hours before the event. Ingredients (makes 6): 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cranberry juice 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar 3 pints plus 6 fresh raspberries, divided 2/3 cups french vanilla yogurt 1 tablespoon whipped topping, divided Add the cranberry juice, sugar and all but 6 raspberries to a blender. Cover and blend. Strain and discard seeds, using a spoon to help push the liquid through. Stir in 2/3 cups yogurt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Pour mixture into 6 cordial glasses. Top with 1/2 teaspoon whipped topping and a raspberry. I think these look like they took so much effort. The most difficult part is straining the liquid, which only takes a few minutes. I love the color … Continue reading →

Greek Yogurt with Warm Berry Sauce

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Kaitlin

I have a serious sweet tooth. To such an extreme, that I cannot have ice cream in my house or I will eat it in one sitting. It doesn’t matter if I buy a pint or a gallon. Sigh. It’s quite an issue I have. So I tend to try to avoid making dessert all together if I’m cooking, but this recipe seemed too good to pass up. Once again, this came from Cooking Light’s Quick & Healthy Menu Maker App to go with the Mango Shrimp Kebabs and the Grilled Corn with Chipotle Lime Butter. I adapted the recipe to work with a bag of mixed frozen berries I had in my freezer. Ingredients: 1 cup frozen blueberry, blackberry and raspberry mix 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup sugar The juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon butter 2 cups plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt Fresh blackberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries, optional Combine the frozen berry mixture, water, sugar, zest and lemon in a small pan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in butter. Meanwhile, divide the Greek yogurt among 4 bowls. Spoon the berry sauce over the yogurt … Continue reading →

Sauteed Salmon with Blackberry-Raspberry Butter Sauce and Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Kaitlin

There was a restaurant near my college that served Sauteed Salmon with a Blackberry Butter Sauce and Red Bliss Potatoes. I loved this dish so much, I’m pretty sure I went once a week to eat it while they offered this dinner. I had a bunch of raspberries and blackberries left over from the Berry Sangria and Berries with Lemon Mint Syrup, so I thought I’d attempt to recreate the recipe. Ingredients for Salmon 2 eight ounce salmon fillets, with the skin still on 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Ingredients for Blackberry-Raspberry Butter Sauce 1/4 cup raspberries 1/4 cup blackberries Juice from 1 lemon 1 teaspoon sugar 1/3 cup white wine 1 garlic clove, minced 1 shallot, minced Salt and Pepper, to taste 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks Ingredients for Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes 2 cups Red Bliss potatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced Salt and Pepper, to taste Cooking Spray Begin by preparing the potatoes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash the potatoes and cut into quarters. Arrange on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Mince the garlic and add on top of … Continue reading →

Berries with Lemon Mint Syrup

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Kaitlin

I came across this recipe while researching different ways to incorporate mint into my meals. This dish sounds like the perfect summer dessert, so I thought I’d give this one a try. Ingredients (this made 3 servings): 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup mint leaves, or 1/3 cup dried mint Zest from 1 lemon A bowl full of mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and quartered strawberries Prepare your mint (if using fresh mint) by removing the leaves from the stem. I used a cup of loosely packed mint leaves and had plenty of mint flavor in my syrup. Add the water, sugar, lemon zest, and mint to a pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 20 minutes. While waiting, prepare your fruit. Wash all fruit in a colander and cut the strawberries into quarters. After 20 minutes, remove all leaves and lemon zest from the syrup using a slotted spoon or a strainer. Add the syrup back to the pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the berries. Stir. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool before serving. So it … Continue reading →

Yellow Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Kaitlin

My little sister is graduating college and her party is next weekend. She asked me to make a cake for her and I couldn’t say no. So I decided to do a test batch this week to make sure I like the recipe (she asked for yellow cake with chocolate icing). I naturally can’t just buy cake in a box, so I’m going to make yellow cake with dark chocolate ganache with raspberries. Ingredients for cake (this makes enough for 2 9-inch cake pans): 1 cup unsalted butter 2 ½ cups white sugar 3 eggs 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ½ cups buttermilk 3 ¾ cups cake flour (you can use all-purpose flour as a substitute) 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda Cooking spray Ingredients for ganache: 16 ounces chocolate, finely chopped (I used dark chocolate) 2 cups heavy whipping cream This is a double layer cake, so I also needed icing for in between the two layers. You can just buy chocolate icing in the store and use that, but I only want to deliver the best for the little sister. Ingredients for chocolate icing: 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 stick of … Continue reading →