Blueberry Cloud Pie

Well hello Lovelies!
   This week I wanted a lighter dessert so I immediately knew I want something with fruit.  Skimming through cookbooks I stopped on the lovely blue pie.  The main cloud shows a promise of fulfilling the lightness I wanted and blueberries are fantastic.  Win/win right? Kind of...I'll explain at the end.

Crust: Rice cereal, mini marshmallows, and butter

Add marshmallows

and butter to saucepan

heat on medium heat

until marshmellows are melted

then add cereal to mix (try not to spill it like I did)

Mix until cereal is coated

Pour into greased pie plate

push into bottom and up sides of plate

add boiling water to jello mix and stir until dissolved

add cool water once dissolved and...

whisk!

Let set in fridge for about an hour (I'd actually recommend 45mins)

add cool whip

I just like the color contrast in this picture

and mix!

when it looks like a fluffy blue cloud you can stop lol

add your blueberries

then pour into prepared "crust"

smooth out evenly

add extra cool whip and blueberries to the top

Viola! Blueberry Cloud Pie

Then serve

And enjoy!

Now the consensus for this pie was that it was meh.  It was nice light and airy but the blueberries added an odd texture and if I made this again I'd do a blueberry puree instead.  Also the recipe calls for you to make your own whipped cream but in the Texas heat it separates so easily so I kind of Sandra Lee'd the recipe and used cool whip.  The second problem: If you don't eat it all in one night the "crust" goes soggy. So its not a bad recipe just needs improvement!


Blueberry Cloud Pie
1-1/4 C mini marshmellows
3 Tbsp butter, cubed
2-1/2 C crisp rice cereal
1 pkg (3oz) berry blue jello
1/2 C boiling water
1/2 C cold water
2 C heavy whipping cream
5 Tbsp powdered sugar 
       or 3 C cool whip
1-2/3 C fresh blueberries
Additional fresh blueberries

1. In a large saucepan, combine marshmallows and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until marshmallows are melted. Stir in cereal.  With greased hands, press onto the bottom and up the side of a greased 9-in. pie plate; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, dissolve jello in boiling water; stir in cold water. Refrigerate until partially set, about 1 hour. (I'd actually only do it for 45mins)
3. In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar; beat until soft peaks form. (Sorry I don't have pictures to show this step).
4. Fold berries and 3 Cups whipped cream into the jello. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate pie and remaining whipped cream for up to 4 hours. Garnish with reserved cream and additional blueberries.

Yield: 6-8 servings   

Daddy's Day!

Evening Lovelies,

    Fathers day is today.  I hope all of you remember to call your dads and papas; and if they passed on send a little love up to heaven.  I was really impressed with the amount of people buying fathers day gifts/BBQ supplies. I don't know what I'd do without those two fantastic men in my life.  I once heard a quote which I find rather true "The only man a girl can ever truly trust is her daddy" yeah basically.  I'd only add my Papa to that though.  Papa is basically an older version of my dad and I love them both dearly.

Happy Fathers Day!!


Sorry this is so short been very under the weather.

Daddy holding me after I was born

Papa holding lil me!

Challenge: Stuffed Chocolate Cookies!

Hello Lovelies!
 Sorry I haven't blogged much in the last week.  Lots of work to keep be busy and vacation planning! I did get a chance to do some baking. They were delicious!!! Brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies vs. oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies.  Oh yes I did!
Recipes
Brownie Stuffed
Oreo Stuffed

And Pillow cookies won!!!!

Cherries: Maraschino v. Fresh a New kind of Challenge

vs

Hello lovelies
So I got back to some baking yesterday and went through tons of recipes to pick out my favorite.  I really wanted to make cherry vanilla cupcakes and found so many good recipes.  I decided to try both maraschino and fresh cherry versions and see which I like better; then I thought it would be a fun addition to the blog to do a challenge a couple of times a month (I'd like to do it weekly but lets face it life gets in the way sometimes).

Cherry Almond Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe I used here

ingredients

1/2 cup butter (I used a cup of butter)
4 egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
12 maraschino cherries, halved (I used several cherries chopped up)
 1 recipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting
 Maraschino cherries with stems (optional)

Directions
1. Allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups (or coat with cooking spray). In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.

Take this time to drain your cherries

Make sure you keep the juice!

Mixing up!

Buttermilk and cherry juice

Whisk it together

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. Press a cherry half into batter in each cup.(Or add chopped cherries)

4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting over tops of cupcakes. If desired, top with cherries. Makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting: Allow 1/2 cup butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or milk and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Gradually beat in 3 cups additional powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Makes 2 cups frosting.

Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe I used here

Cupcakes
22-24 regular cupcakes / 375-350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to mixer bowl. Add the milk and vanilla. Mix to combine.
5. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to two-thirds full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).
6. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. (I put them in for 20mins and they were over done. Check by 18 mins.)

Cherry Filling

2 cups cherries, pitted, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Add cherries, water, and vanilla to a pot. Cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
2. Stir together sugar and cornstarch then stir into the cherries.
3. Cook until thick, about 20 minutes.

I took pictures of the process but I was honestly so disappointed in the cupcake its a waste of upload.  I did love the filling though!

In this challenge maraschino won!