Raspberry Bites

Raspberry Bites

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
6 oz fresh raspberries
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon almond extract.


DIRECTIONS




Heat oven to 400°F.  On lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry with rolling pin into 12-inch square. Cut square into 6 rows by 6 rows to make 36 squares. On ungreased cookie sheet, place squares 1/2 inch apart.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.  If you need to make the puff pastry squares a day or two ahead of time. Store at room temperature, lightly covered.
 
Reserve 36 of the smallest raspberries. In small bowl, mash remaining raspberries with fork. In medium bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar (reserving 2 teaspoons of the powdered sugar) and the almond extract with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold mashed raspberries into whipped cream. 
 
Split each puff pastry square into 2 layers. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the whipped cream mixture on bottom layers; replace tops. Top each square with tiny dollop whipped cream mixture.  Top with raspberry. Squares can be refrigerated up to 2 hours at this point. Any longer and they will start to get mushy.  Just before serving, place reserved powdered sugar in small fine-mesh strainer, and sift over tops of squares.
 
So cute and so yummy! I am sure you could do this with other fruits.

Green Chili Cornbread Casserole

Green Chili Cornbread Casserole                                                        Printable Recipe

1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons cornmeal, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 can creamed corn
1 cup milk 
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 to 2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained (I used 2 here)
Your favorite flavors like cumin, garlic, pepper, or taco seasoning.
1 - 4 oz can green chilies (you may want 2 cans instead of 1)
2 - 3 Tablespoons grated onion

2 cups shredded Mexi blend cheese or cheddar 

Optional: 8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 to 1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Sprinkle 9"x 13" baking dish with 1 tablespoon of corn meal.  Set aside.

Mix together beef, chilies, and grated onion until well combined.  If you don't you will have hot and spicy parts!  Stir in the tomato sauce and beans here if you are using them.

In medium bowl add eggs, corn, milk, and oil.

 Combine.

Add pre-mixed dry ingredients (cornmeal 1 c plus 2 T) baking soda, and salt.  Stir just until combined.

 Pour 1/2 of the corn mixture into pan.  It will be quite runny.

 Add all of your beef mixture.

Top with cheese (I only used 1 cup here.)

Add remaining corn mixture pushing down on beef to cover.  I think coverage would be better if you only used 1 pound of beef but we wanted more meat to make it a main dish.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly. Let set for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Pin it:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746086783536/

Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

8 eggs
3/4 cup milk (can sub rice milk for DF version)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
few dashes cayenne pepper
24 oz frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded Mexi blend or cheddar cheeese (or leave out for DF version)
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced green pepper
(or any veggie combination you like...mushrooms, zucchini, squash, etc)
1 pound pork and bacon sausage (or any other combination of meat you like, bacon, ham, regular sausage)

Cook meat and veggies til done.  Drain as needed.

 In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

 Add potatoes, cheese, meat, and veggies.  Combine.

 Pour into greased 8" x 11" pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 45 minutes or knife inserted  near center comes out clean.

Serve drizzled with ketchup.

Strawberries and Cream Mini Muffins

Strawberries and Cream Mini Muffins

1 cup strawberries, diced

1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 ounces low fat cream cheese

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add baking cups to mini muffin tins. Put strawberries in small bowl, toss with lemon juice.

 In medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder.

In another small bowl whisk together oil, cream cheese, orange juice, vanilla, and egg.

Pour over dry ingredients, stirring just until combined with a spoon or spoonula. (If you don't switch you'll be digging the batter out of the whisk.)

  Fold in strawberries.

Scoop into mini muffin tins (I use small cookie scoop.) Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in the tins on a cooling rack for 5 mins. Take out the muffins and continue to cool. If serving right away, let them set for 5 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. If serving later wait until you are ready to serve to dust.

Strawberries and Cream Trifle

Strawberries and Cream Trifle

8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups milk
2 pkgs sugar-free pudding (cheesecake or white chocolate flavor)
8 oz tub sugar-free whipped topping
Ladyfingers
Fresh sliced strawberries
1 to 1-1/2 cups milk with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add milk and pudding mixes and beat until thickened. 

Fold or mix in whipped topping. 

 These are the ladyfingers my HyVee carried.  They also come more crisp and cookie like (those need a little extra soaking.)

In separate bowl mix milk and vanilla. Dip lady fingers in milk mix and line trifle dish.  Top with almost half of the pudding mixture.

Then 1/2 of the fresh sliced strawberries.

Add more ladyfingers dipped in milk.

A little bit of the pudding just to coat ladyfingers.

 Strawberries...

Rest of the pudding...

Top it with the whipped topping.  You can also put it in a decorator bag to make the top fancier. Cover and put in fridge to set up.  Needs several hours for best results but if you can't wait you could dig in now.  ;-)

**I used a 6x9" baking dish here and only 1/2 of the recipe.