Lemon Blueberry Trifle

This dessert is light in calories and in taste, perfect for a hot summer's day or after a heavy meal.

Every time I make a trifle, I think of that episode of Friends where Rachel tries to make one but the pages were stuck together in her cookbook. . . "Bananas, whipped cream, beef sauteed with peas and onions. . . "

1 Sara Lee Pound cake, partially thawed
1 reg. carton of Cool Whip
1 can Blueberry Pie filling
1 box of lemon pudding
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Slice cake in 1 inch squares, place 1/2 in bottom of dish. Mix pudding according to directions, pour 1/2 on top of cake. Do not stir. Spoon 1/2 of blueberries on top, making sure some are against glass for effect. Repeat steps. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Right before serving, top with almonds.

Tips:
The basis for a trifle is usually a cake cut in squares, a pudding, fruit/preserves, whipped cream and sometimes nuts. There are so many variations, you can easily make this into your favorite dessert!

Toast almonds by placing in single layer on a cookie sheet in the oven for 10-15 min on 350 degrees. Warning, they go from perfect to burned in 30 seconds, so keep an eye and nose out for them. Crack the oven open while toasting, and as soon as you can smell them, check on them. They should be just turning brown. Set aside to cool.

A trifle dish is a glass bowl with straight sides and a stand. A glass bowl will easily substitute. 

This dish is not very good the next day, so encourage people to eat seconds!

Pampered Chef makes an excellent trifle dish that comes with a lid and a removable base for ease of transportation.

Use your creativity, and enjoy!

Photos by Rhema Faith Photography

Peach Cobbler

This was one of my childhood favorites, and whenever I eat it, it takes me back to the days of my mother's soft caresses and a cozy home filled with wonderful smells.

When I got old enough to start baking, I asked my mom for the recipe. After she told me how easy it was, I remember thinking, "if it's that simple, why didn't you make it more often?"

2 large cans of peaches in heavy syrup

1 box of yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines is my favorite)

1 stick of butter, room temp

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 glass pan, dump peaches in. In a bowl, cut butter into cake mix until pieces are the size of dimes. This is what a pastry cutter is for, but since most people don't have one, you can use 2 knives or a fork. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the peaches, don't press or stir. Bake for 30-40 min or until top is golden brown. 

Nothing compliments this better than Breyers vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee!

Thanks, Mom, for the recipe and the memories.

Easy as Pie!

Baking not your thing? In a rush? Want some comfort food? I've got a solution: Cherry Pie!

Cherry Pie has a special place in my heart because of my Great-Aunt Pat. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee sharing a home with my grandparents, my great-grandparents lived next door, my grandpa's mama lived 10 min away, and my great-aunt and her son lived two blocks away.

When I was really little, I remember almost every night for dinner family would drop by and bring a dish to share. One thing I liked most was Pat's Cherry Cobbler (not really a cobbler, but we called it that). Once she found out how much I enjoyed it, she would bring it over every year on my birthday, and other times just as a treat. The crust was home-made, and peeking through the lattice-top, the bright-red cherries always had the perfect amount of sweetness to them.

When I was a teenager, I asked Pat what her recipe was. She laughed and told me it was cherry pie filling out of a can! I couldn't believe that all the years I thought she spent hours making "Anna Margaret's Cobbler" that it was partially store-bought! I do have to give her credit for making a delicious crust, though. Since then I have followed in her footsteps, and as she told me, "why make it when they sell it for cheaper and it tastes better." So, adding to that, I buy store-bought pie crust as well.

Here's how it goes:

1 large can of Cherry Pie filling (not canned cherries)

1 pie crust, either frozen Pet Ritz/Marie Callenders, or Pillsbury refrigerated

Dump can into the crust and bake on 325 until it's warm and bubbly and the crust is golden brown, at least 45 min. Place on a cookie sheet to catch overflow. Use a pie crust shield until the last 15 min. If desired, you can cut another crust into strips and make a lattice for the top. Google it. hee hee :)

Pie Crust Shield, what's that?

This is a metal circle that covers the crust but not the top of the pie while it bakes long times to prevent burning. You can buy them. . . but no need! I have invented an easier method: aluminum foil.

Take one piece as large as your pie, fold it in half, and cut a half circle out of the middle. Open it up and lightly place it on top. If this doesn't fit, then crimp the middle until it's the right size. Whal-la!

Blackberry Cheesecake Tart

Today I picked up my friend to hang out for the afternoon, and we were trying to come up with a cheap activity to amuse ourselves. We decided to experiment with a dessert! As we were bouncing ideas off each other, we were inspired by our mutual love of blackberries and cheesecake. Genius! A blackberry cheesecake in my under-used tart pan.

We set to work on our little project, Madison mixed the crust and filling, while I prepared the fresh blackberries.

Preheat oven to 325.

Start your sauce on the stove top, bring to boil, simmer for 10 min. Remove from heat, cool, put in blender. If you don't like seeds, then you can strain it.

Blackberry Sauce:

1 carton of blackberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Crust:

3 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/8 cup Sugar

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (can be bought on the baking aisle)

Mix well and pat into a tart or pie pan, patting up sides until firmly pressed. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty, they're your best tool!

Filling:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened. (tip: unwrap and put in a bowl at least an hour before)

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix until ALL lumps are gone, pour into crust, gently spreading to edges.

Next step, drizzle and swirl blackberry sauce on top! Do just enough to cover about half of the surface. The extra sauce can be a delightful addition to anything you have in the cupboard, use your imagination!

Bake for 15 min, or until top doesn't stick to your finger when you touch it.

Let cool before slicing, and enjoy!

Tips:

Buy premade graham cracker crust

Use Blackberry or raspberry preserves heated in the microwave instead

Sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top

Strawberry Tart

I was at a picnic this spring where my friend Lisa DeBord brought a scrumptious fruit tart. I was amazed by the crust and asked how she made it. With a smirk and a roll of the eyes, she said it was soooo hard. . . it's sugar cookie dough! So this past week when my parents came to visit, I thought I'd try a little experiment. Sugar cookie crust, fruit dip filling, and topped off with my favorite fruit!

Beware, this is about to sound like a Pampered Chef ad! What can I say? I used to sell it and not only is my kitchen full, I love their products!

My sister-in-law Jame gave me the Mini Tart pan with the wooden plunger that shapes the tarts. This is something that takes a little practice to get right, but once you have the hang of it, it goes quickly. It makes it look like you are a gourmet chef!

Preheat the oven to 375. You won't need to grease the pan if it's non-stick since the cookie dough is very greasy itself (or as we say in the south, greazy). Pinch off enough dough to half-fill the tart cup, dip your dowel shaper in flour, tap off the excess, and gently form the crusts. Start checking it at 5 min.

I was slightly startled to see some of the crusts puffing up when I checked them! A simple pat with the dowel fixed the problem. I found that 7 min was about right, but the best way to know is when you see the edges get golden brown. For this crust, the crispier, the better!

Let the crusts cool before trying to pop them out with a icing spatula or spoon. Don't scratch your non-stick bake ware!

The roll of dough made almost two trays of crusts. To prevent soggy bottoms, fill them right before consumption.

Speaking of filling, this recipe is a variation of a fruit dip that Beth Clouse Claxton taught me years ago:

One box of cream cheese, room temp

1/2 carton of cool whip

1/2 box of powdered sugar

One tsp of vanilla

Mix with hand mixer, and enjoy!

Since I knew the crust was going to be super sweet, this is half the sugar and half the cool whip of the original recipe. A decorator's piping bag would be perfect, but since I didn't have mine handy, I took a gallon zip-lock, snipped of the tip, and put two big globs of filling inside. This is easier if you only put enough in that you can grasp with your hand. To refill, hold in left hand, peel the edges around your left hand until the bottom of the bag is accessible, and put another couple of scoops in. A gentle squeeze in a swirling motion should do the trick to fill the cups!

I then used my Pampered Chef slicer (good for mushrooms, olives and strawberries), to slice the capped berries. Place as many slices as you like on top, but I found that three was the magic number.

Caution: guests will come back for

seconds!

Baking Banana Bread

Have you ever felt guilty for throwing away a banana that's turned too brown to enjoy? My mama taught me a little trick: freeze the bananas and later use them to make banana bread. Not only are they an easy consistency to work with after being frozen, the brown bananas make the best bread! But beware, they are not good for much else. One time my roommate was in a hurry and needed something to keep her lunch cool, so she threw one in her bag, not knowing that when it thawed out it would liquefy! Oh, did that make a mess!

Over the years, I have tried many different banana bread recipes, and finally put together my favorite based upon a couple of books. I love those cook books you get at small churches where all the ladies put their most beloved recipes together. This is the ONLY source for homemade, country cooking when I want some comfort food. So, here goes. . . .

Annie's Banana Bread

3/4 c. Butter 1 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 c. Sugar 1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 c. Brown sugar 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Vanilla 3/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Lemon Juice 1 c. Buttermilk

3 Eggs 1 c. Nuts (I like pecans)

3 Bananas, mashed

3 c. All-Purpose Flour

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars; add vanilla, lemon juice and eggs. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients, buttermilk, and bananas to large bowl. Mix well. Fold in nuts.

Bake in two loaf pans for 40-50 min on 350 degrees. Or fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake about 15 min, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to grease your pans well!

When it's done, let cool for a min or two, then loosen the sides with a knife and turn over onto a cooling rack or plate. It will stick more the longer you wait.

Substitutions: I understand that most people don't have buttermilk on hand, but you can use 1/2 milk and 1/2 sour cream, or put a table spoon of apple cider vinegar in your milk. This just adds another dimension of flavor.

Well, my first batch just came out of the oven! Smells wonderful. I'm going to pour myself a glass of milk and kick back and enjoy all my hard work.