Happy National Strawberry Shortcake Day! Did you know that strawberry shortcakes are considered “THE” dessert for summer? What better way to kick-off summer than have a day dedicated to this refreshing summer-time dessert! I’ve compiled a list of 50+ links of strawberry shortcake recipes ranging from breakfast, drink, desserts, and more.
Pound Cake. A dense flavorful cake that can be served for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! That is not the official definition but the definition that I go by! This Cherry Almond Pound Cake is a fancy version of its sibling…. the traditional pound cake. I’m a sucker for almond extract and if your like me and love the stuff then you’ll love the pound cake. Pound cakes are dense. Partly thanks to the 5 eggs and two sticks of butter. They really do weight over a pound once you bake it in the oven for a good hour or so. I never understood the name until I baked a pound cake and then wrapped it in aluminum foil. I lifted it and realized “wow this really is a pound cake”. I know… those little ah-ha moments in life. You have to love them.
My mom loves pound cakes. It’s typically what she request for dessert if she happens to be eating over at my home. Of course that and homemade whipped cream with some fresh berries on top. But I’m happy to say that with this Cherry Almond Pound Cake you don’t need any additional toppings to bring it to life. The dried cherries paired with the almond extract is all you need! Whether you are eating this for breakfast or serving this up as filling dessert, your family and friends will love this pound cake!
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), sifted, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup dried cherries
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
While the oven is preheating soak cherries in water for 15 minutes.
Lightly butter and flour a 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan and set to the side. In a stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium-high until very light and fluffy (about 7 minutes). Scrape down bowl and beat for 1 additional minute more. Add almond extract, and add eggs one at a time (beating well and scraping down bowl as needed). With the mixer on low add the salt and gradually add flour, beating well to combine and scraping down bowl as needed. Lastly, drain the cherries and add them to the mixture, mix for 30 seconds until incorporated.
Transfer the pound cake batter to pan and bake for 65 minutes (insert tooth pick in the center to ensure cake is cooked). Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 1 hour then remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack before slicing.
Ok, who is ready for an epic cookie recipe? I had been dreaming up the idea of Blueberry Oatmeal Marshmallow Cookiesfor a while now. And then I finally acted on my dreams and made them come true. I told my husband about them and he wasn’t too enthused. But I assured him that he had to have at least one bite. He’s not a fan of oatmeal cookies (nor sweets which I think I’ve mentioned that over and over again on the blog).
After my husband took just one bite… he was hooked. I couldn’t stop him from consuming these cookies. I was happy for that, but not gonna lie I was tired of fighting him for the Blueberry Oatmeal Marshmallow Cookies. Little by little the cookies in our cookie jar started to disappear. At one point he referenced these cookies to a drug and a baby (you can figure out where I’m going). He proclaimed these were the second best cookies I’ve ever made (first of course, is the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie). Then, I snuck a few Blueberry Oatmeal Marshmallow Cookies into work… l wanted a few of my friends to try them. I even persuaded the ones who don’t care for Oatmeal Cookies to give them a try… they all were head over heals for them as well. So, the moral to this story is if you aren’t a fan of oatmeal cookies you need to give this recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Marshmallow Cookies a try. I’m pretty sure you’ll be swooning over these cookies as well!
1 cup mini marshmallows, plus extra for topping cookies
Directions
Using a stand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together for one minute. Then add eggs into the mixture one at a time, mixing on low. Add vanilla to the bowl and then begin adding flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well, then add oats, dried blueberries, and mini marshmallows. Mix until just incorporated and chill for one hour in the refrigerator
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the baking sheet. Then, using a medium cookie scoop (holds about 1.5 tbsp of dough) begin scooping the cookie dough and placing it on the baking sheet (keeping them about 2-inches spaced apart). Once all the cookies are placed on the baking sheet begin to add 2-3 mini marshmallows per cookie--flattening them into the cookie. Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator while the first batch of cookies bake.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until just golden brown. Then remove from the oven, let them sit for an additional 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet (they will continue to cook on the sheet even after leaving the oven). Lastly, place them on a cookie cooling rack. Repeat the step above, until all of your cookie dough has been made.
Are you ready for a super easy (and delicious) dessert that you can have on the table in 30 minutes time? Because your time has come… this is the holy grail of entertaining dessert recipes (in my opinion). Meet the Berry Dutch Baby. Everyone I served it to questioned the name, but once I explained it was pretty much like an oversized crepe everyone was sold. I have go-to dinners that I typically make when entertaining like my Feta and Herb Mashed Potatoes, my Greek Cucumber and Tomato Salad, my go-to grilled Pork Tenderloin (which I just realized I’ve yet to share with the world). But I never really had a go-to dessert, until now. After I took one bite I knew this was it.
This was my first time ever making a Dutch Baby (sigh… that sounds so bad if you didn’t realize it was food). I guess I didn’t realize that this would be more of a liquid batter and got a little freaked out. That is when I realized… this must be like a giant crepe.
I will also tell you that I would have never thought to cook the berries for a few minutes to soften them up. To speed up the recipe time you can always cook the fruit while the Dutch Baby is in the oven cooking–but then you will be dirtying up an extra pan. So its up to you and whomever is assigned to dishes to cook it separately.
As the Dutch Baby cooks in the oven it will begin to puff up. Random bubbles will appear, and I can tell you from cooking this that it’s totally normal. As you remove the Dutch Baby from the oven it will begin to slowly deflate. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the edges. You don’t want it to burn. In some areas my edges were a little darker than I would have preferred–thankfully it still tasted delicious.
So whether its for Easter next weekend or a spur-of-the-moment dinner party this Berry Dutch Baby will give the sweetest ending to your party.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until hot, but not brown. Add the berries, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Cook, until the berries are slightly softened (about 2 minutes). Transfer the berries to a bowl.
Wipe out the skillet and place it in the oven.
While the skillet is heating in the oven, using a stand mixer, whisk the eggs until pale and frothy, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, flour, salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute (the batter will be thin).
Remove the skillet from the oven and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with the butter (until melted). Pour in the batter, return the skillet to the oven. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
While the Dutch Baby cooks, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
Remove the Dutch Baby from the oven, top with the berries and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve immediately.
Happy first day of spring! I realize that this is an understatement for some as they shovel their way out of their homes. But for me… since I live in Florida, spring is really here. My garden is flourishing (you would know this if you follow me on Instagram since every other picture is of my garden, right now). So what better way to kickoff the first day of spring than to make a batch of my quick and easy Raspberry Lemonade Pops!
When the fine folks over at Zoku contacted me to do a giveaway I couldn’t pass it up! I’ve been eyeing this revolution quick pop maker for a while now. I also figured what better way to kick off spring than to show you how easy it really is to make ice pops with Zoku. The sky is the limit when it comes to ice pop flavors. I think my husband and I have made ice pops every night for the past two weeks. We experimented a little but mostly reached for prepared items already in our refrigerator. I love Simply Lemonade, so I used the Raspberry Lemonade to create these easy Raspberry Lemonade Pops. No need to mix and concoct my own flavor when I can make my favorite drink into an ice pop! (btw… Simply Lemonade has no clue who I am–its just a brand that I buy on a weekly basis!)
These pops are super refreshing and I can’t wait for summer to get here because I can see us indulging in these on hot summer nights. We also tried traditional lemonade (which was equally delicious). We tried thinning down Chobani yogurt and that was good (and a little tangy). We poured gatorade in the pop maker one night and those we felt would be perfect treat after the gym or when your sick!
So you might be wondering how to use the Zoku Quick Pop Maker? In just a few steps you get ice pops and there is no need to plug in this machine and make excess noise! Here is a quick video from Zoku on how to use the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.
Ok, enough about my easy Raspberry Lemonade Pops (or the infinite number of flavor options). Let’s get on with this fun Zoku giveaway.
Please fill out the Rafflecopter widget below for a chance to win (if the widget does not load please click on the link). Mandatory question must be entered to be eligible to win. *If your question does not appear right away it is because it needs to be approved–please be patient. Giveaway open to United States Residents. Giveaway ends April 1, 2013 at 12:00pm.
Disclosure:I received a Zoku Quick Pop Maker for review purposes and to keep. I was not compensated in any way. One lucky reader will win a Zoku Quick Pop Maker per giveaway guidelines. As always all opinions are my own.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Are you making someone special a fancy dinner or a sweet treat today? If you are a last minute planner, but still want to do something special these Red Velvet Crispy Bars with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frostingare perfect for the last minute planner! Lets also get this straight, thanks to food bloggers Valentine’s day is not complete without something red velvet flavored! Valentine’s day essentially equals all things red velvet. And since I was super busy last week hosting Fondue WeekI figured I needed to throw a red velvet recipe for good measure! I mean I did make Baked Red Velvet {Heart Shaped} Donuts last year as well as Red Velvet Butter Cookies. So it’s only right that I made something red velvet for this Valentine’s Day!
I packed one of these Red Velvet Crispy Bars (naked) for my husband this morning. Naked meaning no Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting with sprinkles (get your mind out of the gutter). I think he will survive and actually like them better since he isn’t a huge chocolate fan. However, he loves red velvet (which is really just chocolate cake with red food die). I don’t get him but I do get what he loves in life!
These thick 2-inchbars are a perfect treat for just about anyone. If you need a larger amount of these bars for say a Valentine’s day part or for treats for co-workers you can cut them in half and make them into little squares! Just as good and I’m sure those who receive it will be fighting one another for more! So, if your like me and not always on it… whip up a batch of these Red Velvet Crispy Bars with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (and extra sprinkles for good measure) today!
Red Velvet Crispy Bars w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 52 minutes
Yield: 10 bars
Ingredients
For the Crispy Bars:
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1(10.5 oz) bag of mini marshmallows
1-1/2 cups of red velvet cake mix
10 red food coloring drops (optional)
6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Cooking Spray
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp cocoa powder
20 drops red food coloring
Valentine's Sprinkles
Directions
For the Crispy Bars:
In a large pot, melt butter on medium heat (about 2 minutes depending on your stove top). Remove the pot from the heat. Then add the mini marshmallows and stir until they are almost melted. Then mix in the red velvet cake mix and red food coloring drops. Next, mix in the rice krispies cereal until well incorporated.
Pour the rice krispies mixture into a well greased 9 x 9 square pan. Using a hard spatula press down the krispies until they are well packed into the pan and level. Let them sit at room temperature for up to a half hour.
Once the krispies have cooled, invert pan over a cutting board. They should slide right out of the pan (if they don't give the pan a tap or two). Then cut into 10 (4.5-inch long) bars.
To make the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment beat cream cheese for 30 seconds, then add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and red food coloring. Mix until well incorporated about 1 minute.
Using a spatula smear the frosting on to the tops of each individual bar. Then top with sprinkles if desired.
Happy 5th day of Fondue week! Today, I’m sharing a sweet treat that only requires two ingredients: Biscoff Fondue!
OK… by now everyone knows my love for all things Biscoff. When I first started brainstorming for Fondue Week the first thing that popped into my head was making a biscoff style fondue. Now, let’s get one thing straight. It doesn’t have the super smooth silky fondue like dipping texture. It is a little more like a caramel thicker warmed up dip. But still equally delish. And like I said above this Biscoff Fondue recipe only requires 2 ingredients! How cool is that?
You can use just about anything under the sun to dip with… however, I choose fluffy marshmallows, sliced bananas, and fresh strawberries to dip with. I’m not normally a marshmallow and banana person, but let me tell you that this worked so well with my Biscoff Fondue. Oh and these cute little mugs… I got these as a gift two Christmas’ ago from a family friend! I found a similar set online here. Just make sure if you use these mugs that you keep the candle facing to you. I’ve had multiple people try to pick it up and tilting there mug to get whatever contents were inside and instead either the candle falls out or wax goes everywhere. So a fair warning for all those who might run out and go buy these. Oh and they also work great for melted butter when you broil a lobster or steam crab legs!
Pour heavy cream into pot. Place the pot on high-heat and heat the cream until it is warm (but not boiling). Remove the pot off the burner and mix in 1/4 cup Biscoff Spread. Mix until smooth. Pour into individual fondue servings or one small pot. Serve with bananas, strawberries, and marshmallows.
Last year, during the first-ever Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap I received a lovely box of Rocky Road Cookies from Think Tran. Between my husband and I we gobbled these babies up and they never made it into my office to be shared! Those cookies have been in my thoughts lately, so I knew when I was baking for coworkers that I needed to finally make the recipe Tran made!
My husband is the worlds biggest chocolate chip cookie fan, so I wasn’t sure how he was going to react to these cookies (even though he ate them with no problem last year). He LOVED these cookies, of course he asked where the marshmallow was, and I had to explain that in the baking process the marshmallow melts into the cookie. The amount of slivered almonds is just right in this cookie.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both brown and white sugars, and beat until well combined (about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy). *Periodically, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the vanilla extract then the eggs one at a time, continue to scrape the bowl as necessary.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Then, mix in the chocolate, almonds, followed by the marshmallows. Mix just enough to incorporate – do not over mix!
Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the dough with a spatula to be sure that the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Using a medium cookie scoop begin to scoop cookie dough on to baking trays (keeping them at least 2 inches a part). *I used my Silpat mat and parchment paper (no need to grease the pans either).
*Make sure your oven racks are in the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
Bake for 13.5 minutes. Let cool slightly on the cookie sheet (to firm up) about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Seal in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
I’ve seen these cookies all over blog land for the past month. I had no idea what all the rage was about, so I felt the need to bake up a batch a few days ago! Typically, by the two weeks before Christmas mark I’ve baked up a storm; however, not this year. I’ve been too busy to bake. So after work the other day I whipped up two different batches of cookies to be handed out to co-workers. Note, I still need to whip up a few more treats for all my lucky neighbors.
I checked out a dozen or so recipes for Monster Cookies, but found that I liked Ree Drummond’s recipe the best. Since I didn’t alter one thing I figure you can head over to her site for the full recipe. Just so you know–these monster cookies should really be called everything in the kitchen pantry cookies. I had every single item for these cookies minus the festive holiday M&M’s! My husband who “isn’t a fan of sweets” loved these cookies. Then I told him everything that was in them and he was shocked. Yah, rice krispies, oats, peanut butter chips, and the list goes on. So, if you’ve yet to try these amazingly famous cookies… I highly suggest you get trying! They are delicious and a big crowd pleaser!
Today is the big cookie-swap reveal day for the second annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap organized by the amazing Julie of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay from Love & Olive Oil! These ladies worked their butts off to ensure that food bloggers all over the world could exchange cookies. A big thank you to them for all the hard work on this much appreciated event! This year, the ladies added an extra step to the cookie swap. Everyone who participated donated $4 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. According to Julie’s (personal) Facebook page over $2200 was raised this year and my friends at OXO matched it so that means over $4400 in total was raised by the Great Food Blogger Cookie swap!!!
I made these Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies back in August, and then made them again in September, and then when I signed up for the Cookie Swap, I remembered that I had yet to blog about these cookies I instantly knew that these would be the cookies I would send out to my three lucky recipients! Plus these cookies are only 80 calories a cookie–a plus in my book (although you would never know because they are super moist and decadent)!
Who were my lucky recipients for the 2012 Food Blogger Cookie Swap?
Go and visit their blogs and show them some love!!!
I also made a cute recipe card for my three recipients. I found a photoshop file from Plucky Momo and I adapted the file to fit my needs. Download the PDF version of my recipe card here: Chewy Chocolate-Cherry Cookies Template
These chewy chocolate cookies are sure to please anyone who craves chocolate. Best of all, they are just 80 calories a cookie!
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour, then lightly fill measuring cup and level off. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (stir).
In a large bowl, place sugar and butter in bowl and beat using a mixer on high until well combined. Then add vanilla and egg and beat. Place the mixer on a low speed and slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl; beat just until well combined. Then, fold in dried cherries and mini chocolate chips.
Spray a cookie tray with cooking spray. Then drop a tablespoon-ful of batter on to the cookie
sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees (or just until set). Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. {more}
As the Dutch Baby cooks in the oven it will begin to puff up. Random bubbles will appear, and I can tell you from cooking this that it’s totally normal. As you remove the Dutch Baby from the oven it will begin to slowly deflate. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the edges. You don’t want it to burn. In some areas my edges were a little darker than I would have preferred–thankfully it still tasted delicious.
Happy first day of spring! I realize that this is an understatement for some as they shovel their way out of their homes. But for me… since I live in Florida, spring is really here. My garden is flourishing (you would know this if you follow me on 
I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. I’ve always had a love for cooking, and more so in the past few years a love for eating!
Join me on a culinary adventure where life always tastes good. 
