Tart Cherry Crisps

Fall is here!  Which means, a perfect time for pies!  I've recently bought this book and I love it and maybe you will too.  I've made their Tart Cherry Crisps recipe using individual ramekins rather than a larger pan, just for easier serving and quicker cooking time. 

The Southern Pic Book

Tart Cherry Crisps

Ingredients:
5 Cups - Frozen Cherries, thawed
1 Cup - Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp - Cornstarch
1/4 tsp - Salt
1 Tbsp - Butter

1 Cup - All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup - Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 tsp - Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp - Salt
8 Tbsp - Butter

Procedure:
1.  Place first four ingredients in a non-reactive pot, let sit for 15 minutes. 
2.  Bring pot to boil on medium-high heat.  Stir continuously and let it thicken.
3.  Removed from pan, stir in the 1 Tbsp butter and salt.
4.  Pour cherries into a baked pan.
5.  Combine All purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, and mix in diced butter until pea size.
6.  Distribute the flour mixture onto the cherry fillings.
7.  Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until cherries are bubbling with topping golden brown.
8.  Serve with desired ice-cream.

Summer Fruit Tarts

Wild Berry Bunch Oatmeal Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips

I've recently subscribed to NATURE BOX.  This month, I received a package of dried fruits and it tasted so delicious, carry on with the sweetness and tartness of the fruits, it felt perfect to use it for an oatmeal cookie recipe!  It tastes so good, hope you'll enjoy this recipe with any dried fruit combinations you may use.  This cookie had many textures and flavors, MMmm!

Wild Berry Bunch Oatmeal Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips

Yield: 2 Dozen 3" Cookies

Fat & Sugar:

8 oz - Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

16 oz - Brown Sugar

1 tsp - Kosher Salt

Dry Ingredients 1:

12 oz - All Purpose Flour

1/2 oz - Baking Powder

1/4 oz - Baking Soda

3 Tbsp - Flaxseed

Liquid Ingredients:

1 oz - Milk

2 - Large Eggs

2 tsp - Vanilla Extract

Dry Ingredients 2:

10 oz - Quaker Oats (Quick Oats)

Particulates:

4 oz - Sliced Almonds

4 oz - Wild Berry Bunch (Cherries, Cranberries, Blueberries, dried - by NatureBox)

3 1/2 oz - Dark Chocolate Chips (60% Cacao)

Procedure:

1.  Cream 'Fat & Sugar' ingredients with a paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes at medium speed.

2.  Sift 'Dry Ingredients 1' set aside.  Combine 'Liquid Ingredients' altogether, set aside.

3.  Add 'Liquid Ingredients' & 'Dry Ingredients 1' to the 'Fat & Sugar' mix by alternating them and ending with the 'Dry Ingredients 1'.

4.  Add 'Dry Ingredients 2' to the batter and mix until combined, do not over-mix.

5.  Fold in the 'Particulates.'  (Feel free to add any particulates that adds up to 11-12 oz for the batter)

6.  Scoop each cookie with an ice-cream scoop.  Refrigerate for at least 15-20 minutes before baking.  (This will help the cookie hold its shape and not spread too much when baking)

7.  Pre-heat oven 375° F and bake for 12-15 minutes.  Enjoy.

Summer Berries & Almond Skillet Cake

Summer berries are here!  You can always use frozen or fresh berries.  I love the tartness of these berries with the contrast sweetness of the cake.  In this recipe, I've used nonfat Greek Yogurt rather than regular.  It was decadent!  Enjoy! 

Summer Berries w/ Almond Skillet Cake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup - AP Flour

1 cup - Granulated Sugar

2 tsp - Baking Powder

1/4 tsp - Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1 cup - Non-fat Greek Yogurt

3 Eggs

1 tsp - Vanilla Extract

1 - Lemon Zest

1 1/2 cup - Mixed Berries (blueberries:/blackberries/raspberries)

1/4 cup - Sliced Almonds

Procedure

1.  Mix flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pinch of salt. Set aside. 

2.  In a bowl with a whisk attachment, whip Greek yogurt until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest into bowl an continue to whisk until combined. 

3.  Change whisk attachment to paddle attachment. Add dry ingredients altogether and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. 

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour cake batter into skillet. 

5.  Arrange berries on top of cake batter, add almonds on top. 

6.  Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Serve warm or wait 1 hour of cool time before eating. 

Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcakes

The recipe below is a delicious alternative for a strawberry cake in case you are or know someone that is gluten intolerant.  It tastes so good, kind of reminds me of the taste of Kellogg's Strawberry Cereal.  The cake is moist and has a little of a grainy texture to it (almond meal texture).  As Andrew Zimmerman would say, "It's a texture thing."  Hope you'll enjoy!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cupcakes
Yield:  1 Dozen Large Cupcakes, 2 Dozen Regular Cupcakes

Ingredients:
8 oz. - Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/4 Cup - Sugar
2 3/4 Cup - Rice Flour
1/2 Cup - Oat Flour
1 Tbsp - Baking Powder
3 Eggs + 1 Egg White, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp - Vanilla Extract
1 Cup - Low Fat Milk
1 1/2 Cup - Strawberries, diced (reserve 1/4 cup to top off the cupcake before baking)

Procedure:
1.  Cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow.
2.  Slowly add eggs in three parts, mix until combined.  Do not overmix.
3.  Sift dry altogether, set aside. Combine vanilla extract and milk altogether, set aside.
4.  Add dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately, ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.
5.  Fold in 1 1/4 cup of strawberries.
6.  Put into cupcake mold, top off the remaining diced strawberries and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.