Easy Summer Whipped Parfait

Well I sure have missed this place!  Been a while since I posted a recipe, but it’s not for lack of baking!   Things sure are busy in this house and summer is here in full swing.

I love today’s post for many reasons..

 

1.   It takes less than 15 minutes and looks like a million bucks.

2.  I made this this morning  and let it chill for the rest of the day until our company arrived for dinner which meant I had no dessert hassle.  Just placed it on the table and looked like the wife and hostess of the year (as I wiped my brow…).

 

3.  It’s disposable.  I’m still using that package of disposable wine glasses I got a month ago for this post here.  Then I realised that I also used these cups here, both of which are my last two posts!  I am not for filling the landfills with plastic, but I do have a package of glasses to use up.

4.  It tastes ridiculously summery good.

A lady from our local market shared a similar recipe with me.  I added the jello bottom and couldn’t resist the beautiful cherries for garnish.    For the cream cheese whip I used some frozen mixed berries with pomegranate.  I threw in some of my own frozen summer strawberries too.  Its light and delicious!

 

• 1 pkg jello, any berry flavour prepared and poured into the bottom of serving glasses ( I did this the night before)
• 250 gr cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups mashed berries
• 1 litre container of frozen whipped topping thawed

1.  Beat sugar and cream cheese until smooth.  Add berries and mix well.  Fold in whipped topping.  Pour over jello that has set.

2.  Refrigerate several hours.  Garnish with more whipped cream, chocolate shavings, berries, etc.

Note:  You can also pour the whipped mixture over a 9×13 graham crust and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Fig Sauce

The best thing about a cupcake is that it is the perfect little portable dessert.  Generally no utensil required!  However, I recently saw an episode of Cupcake Wars (remember this one?), and really wanted to try the recipe for Brown Sugar Fig Sauce.   These were oooey gooey, lick your fingers, use a spoon kind of cupcakes.  On the show, they were presented upside down with the sauce spooned on top, but I didn’t get that fancy.

I love figs.  Dried figs are a great little snack and full of fibre and calcium….  (These are the things I repeatedly tell myself when I eat 3 cupcakes in a sitting)

Oh, and I think they symbolize peace too.

Hmmm, I always thought chocolate was the symbol for peace?  Weird.

The fig sauce was amazing.  I was sadly eating it by the spoonful.  The cake itself had a lovely hint of orange flavour and they were so moist!  Even a few days later, still very moist!   The icing is a simple cream cheese icing.  The actual recipe calls for a similar frosting made with goat cheese which looks just as yummy.

The left over fig sauce (if you have some) would be delish on some vanilla ice cream.

The Absurdist Cupcake

*Cupcake Wars 

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Brown Sugar Fig Sauce, recipe follows

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 18 to 19 cupcake liners.

1.  Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a medium bowl.  In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the eggs, orange juice, butter, and vegetable oil on medium speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed, and add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Finish mixing by hand just until combined.

2.  Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.

Brown Sugar Fig Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 black figs, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the brown sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the figs, butter, and orange zest, and heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 250 g cream cheese – cold
• 1 tsp vanilla

1.  Cream the butter and powdered sugar.  Add the vanilla and cream cheese in large pieces and beat just until combined (do not over beat).

Note: adding the cream cheese cold makes the icing thicker and easier to pipe onto cakes.

Mini Cheesecakes

Today is my sister’s birthday.  The big 30.  Remember here (scroll down to May 23) when I was talking about my big family?  Said sister is the second youngest.  She has just had her first child, my precious little niece.  She has a sweet tooth like me (actually all the sibs do..) and I really enjoyed making these cheesecakes for her.  Just a mini version that she can have when she actually has 5 minutes to enjoy a treat.

Aren’t they pretty?  And so simple.  I did a few raspberry and a few blueberry because they are in season and so fresh and yummy.

I think the next one is funny.  It looks like its tongue is sticking out.  You see that right?  I wouldn’t stick my tongue out at my sis though, she’s too sweet.  I think she’s a great mom and a great person.  She has a big heart.

I hope she has a wonderful day today!  And I hope that nap time is extra long so that she can sit down for a few minutes and enjoy her treats.

*adapted from Annie’s Eats

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup fresh blueberries and 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
3 tsp sugar

450 gr cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup PLUS 1 Tbsp sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°

1.  Line 1 cupcake pan with liners.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.  Stir together with a fork until well blended and graham crackers are moist.  Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  (I used a shot glass to press the crumb mixture down)  Bake 5 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300.°

 3.  Combine the blueberries and 1 1/2 tsp of sugar in a food processor and puree until smooth.  Repeat with the raspberries.  Set aside.

4.  In a medium-sized bowl beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Blend in the remaining sugar until well incorporated.  Mix in the salt and vanilla.  Finally, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.

5.  Divide cheesecake batter evenly over the crust in each cupcake liner.  Dot a 1/2 teaspoon of the berry puree in a few dots over the cheesecake filling.  Use a toothpick or a skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.

6.  Bake until the filling is just set, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.  Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.