I’ve made cupcakes with all sorts of icings on my cupcakes over the years.  But until now, I’ve never tried this fun idea from Martha Stewart — using whipped cream as icing!  :)

I’ve had this recipe bookmarked ever since I first saw Martha Stewart’s Cupcake Book (which I highly recommend to everyone!).  I’m a huge fan of blueberry muffins, so assumed I would love the slightly modified recipe for cupcakes.  And then who doesn’t love whipped cream?!?

But alas…as you can plainly see…someone was multitasking a bit too much in the kitchen that day, and kind of forgot to keep a close eye on the whipped cream.  So sure enough — rather than having beautiful, smooth dallops to grace the top of these cupcakes, my cream went a step too far and got a little grainy.  Oops!  (A lesson to not text in the car or the kitchen!!)  But that didn’t deter any of my friends from trying them.  :)

They were delicious!!!  Totally loved the cupcakes filled with the fresh blueberries (although frozen would work too).  And the cool cream and extra blueberries on top were a fantastic “icing on the cake” – soooo rich and tasty.  A delightful spin on “berries and cream!”

Would definitely recommend these to anyone!   Just keep a close eye on your mixer while it’s whipping the cream.  ;)

Blueberries & Cream Cupcakes Recipe
(From Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
• whipped cream, homemade or store-bought

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line standard or mini muffin tins with paper liners.

Whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Fold in blueberries by hand.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden, about 25 minutes for standard and 15 for mini.

Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.  Top with whipped cream and additional blueberries just before serving if desired.  Enjoy immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

To avoid having all of your blueberries sink to the bottom of your cupcakes (and muffins you may also make!), just toss them with a few teaspoons of flour so that they are very lightly coated!

Wow, it has been a busy week!  Definitely a good kind of busy — with kickoffs at work, lots of people to see, friends’ weddings to prepare for, and on and on.  Seems like my slightly-more-relaxing summer schedule is now long gone.

But even though the “fall semester” may have begun, it’s still summer.  And all of the season’s delicious fruit and produce is still in abundance!  As is the summer heat — no longer in the triple digits, but still hot enough that I have zero desire to heat up my oven.  So in the midst of all the craziness this week, have been relying on fresh salads to get me through the days.  Since fresh peaches are still in season around here, decided to try grilling some up (very briefly on my stove in the grill pan!) for a tasty arugula salad.  I was feeling like a traditional balsamic vinaigrette, and ended up loving how it paired with the sweet (and ever-so-slightly charred) grilled peaches, the tangy cheese, peppery arugula, and hea-ven-ly nutty toasted pecans.  A fantastic combination…and so simple!

So hooray for quick, fresh and delicious summer salads.  (And if you really love grilled peaches, you must check out this easy recipe for my favorite peaches and meringue dessert.  Quite possibly my favorite summer dessert ever!!!)

Grilled Peaches, Arugula & Feta Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 peaches, pitted and halved
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cups baby arugula (or other favorite greens)
• 1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta or bleu cheese

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• freshly ground black pepper and salt

Method:

Brush all sides of the peaches lightly with 1 Tbsp. (or less) of olive oil.  Grill the peaches over a medium fire until they brown lightly and begin to soften slightly, 4 to 6 minutes on each side.  (Or you can grill the peaches on the stove in a grill pan!)  Transfer the grilled peaches to a platter and let them cool slightly. When cool enough to touch, cut each half into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil, along with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper to taste.  Then add the arugula to a large bowl, and toss it with the vinaigrette.  Once the arugula is evenly coated, divide the greens among 4 salad plates. Top each salad with a sprinkling of cheese and pecans, then arrange 4 or 5 grilled peach wedges atop the greens. Serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

If you’d like to add some protein to this salad, I’d recommend trying prosciutto or some marinated shrimp or chicken!

Top 5 reasons why these blueberry pomegranate popsicles ROCK:

1.  It just takes 3 ingredients to make them.
2.  These 3 ingredients each happen to be “superfoods” that are packed with nutrients upon nutrients!
3.  They take about…mmmm….1 minute to make.  And maybe another minute or two to pour into cups and freeze.  Easy peasy.
4.  Their flavor is perfect – slightly sweet, slightly tangy, slightly creamy.  Yum.
5.  And…I happen to think they’re just about the cutest, most colorful popsicles ever.  :-)

Cheers to great snacks you can feel great about enjoying and sharing with those you love!

Blueberry Pomegranate Popsicles Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) bottle of POM pomegranate juice
• 1 pint fresh blueberries, plus some extras for “garnish” if you’d like
• 1 (6 oz.) container Greek yogurt (I used plain)

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and pulse until combined.  Pour the mixture into popsicle molds or Dixie cups, add popsicle sticks (and some extra berries for “garnish” if you’d like), and then freeze until frozen.

(My mixture was thick enough for the popsicle stands to stay in place.  But if they do start to fall over, just cut a small slit in a square of wax paper, thread the popsicle stick through it, and then place on top of the Dixie cup.  Remove wax paper once the popsicles are frozen.)

Ali’s Tip:

If you don’t like pulp in your popsicles, you’re welcome to strain the mixture of the blueberry pulp before freezing!

When fresh blueberries first began arriving at our market this summer, I already knew where my first batch would go.  :)

These blueberry crumb bars are an absolute favorite of mine.  (I can’t believe it has taken me this long to post on them!)  I actually made them for the first time last summer to take along on a camping trip with some friends.  And I must admit – I was so proud of myself.  :)  They looked great, were amazingly delicious (upon sampling – shhh – before leaving), and even survived the trip just fine in the cooler without getting smooshed.  But little did I know that the biggest fans of these yummy bars would be…

…the raccoons!!!

Argh!  Yes, unfortunately some raccoons from the forest raided our stash in the night and licked up every last crumb of the blueberry deliciousness.  I was NOT a happy camper.  But alas, it ended up being an excuse to make some more.  And some more.  And (even after blueberry season ended and I needed to raid the freezer)….some more.  :)

Definitely a dessert recipe you’ll keep on hand for years to come.  So grab some fresh or frozen blueberries, keep far away from raccoons, and give these a try!  I guarantee they won’t last long…

Blueberry Crumb Bars Recipe
(Adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar (plus extra 1/3 cup for blueberries)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• zest of one lemon
• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, salt, lemon zest, and baking powder.  Use a food processor or pastry cutter to blend in the butter, egg and vanilla.  (Or if you don’t have these appliances, you can use an old fashioned fork!) Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Ali’s Tip:

This also works with frozen blueberries (that you have thawed).  Or I’m sure it would be delicious with other berries, peaches, plums, etc…or even with a few slivered almonds thrown in!

Talk about a delicious 15-minute meal!

This grilled tilapia with a yummy cherry salsa could not have been easier…and tastier!  Since our heat index has been hanging in the triple digits all week, I actually took the easy route and just cooked the fish on the stove in my grill pan (in the comfort of my air-conditioned kitchen).  Then chopped and stirred together the cherry salsa ingredients while the fish cooked.  And voila — an absolutely delightful sweet and savory dinner that you can feel great about enjoying!

So cheers to delicious and healthy summer meals that let you spend less time in the kitchen…and more time enjoying this gorgeous season.  Even if it is a zillion degrees outside…  :)

Tilapia with Cherry Salsa Recipe
(Adapted from Everyday Food)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 pound (about 2 cups) Bing cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped
• 1 large jalepeno (ribs and seeds removed), minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 Tilapia fillets (about 6 ounces each)

Method:

In a medium bowl, combine the cherries, onion, parsley, jalapeno, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and set the salsa aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub tilapia all over with oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture.  Then cook the tilapia one of the following ways:

On The Grill: Heat grill to high; lightly oil the grates.Grill tilapia until opaque around the edges and underside loosens easily from the grill, about 2-3 minutes. Using a metal spatula with a thin blade, flip the fish and continue to cook until opaque throughout, another 2-3 minutes.  Serve the Tilapia with the cherry salsa on top.

On The Stove: Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tilapia and cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  Serve the Tilapia with the cherry salsa on top.

In The Oven: Place tilapia in a greased baking pan.  Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until tilapia flakes easily with a fork.  Serve the Tilapia with the cherry salsa on top.

Ali’s Tip:

This salsa would also be great with other fruits, such as peaches, plums, blueberries, and more…

Allow me to introduce you to a recipe celebrating all of the goodness of freshly-baked, perfectly-spiced, rich, flavorful, banana bread…

…in an ice cream!!!

I’m so not kidding.  This recipe will have you swooning.  :)

I made it for the first time a few weeks ago, after stumbling upon it in a recent issue of ReadyMade.  And once I realized I actually had ripe bananas and the rest of the ingredients on hand, I actually decided to whip up a quick batch for a party that very night.  Needless to say…after one bite, it was all I could do to force myself to let it leave my kitchen.  But everyone at the party went nuts for it!  We all agreed it tasted just like the most heavenly banana bread…except with the cool, creamy, richness of summer ice cream.  Hea-ven-ly.

You must, must, must give this one a try!

Spiced Banana & Brown Sugar Ice Cream Recipe
(From ReadyMade)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 2 cups whole milk, divided (I used 2%)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Puree one banana and 1/4 cup milk in a food processor until smooth.

Combine the banana puree, the remaining 1 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and salt in a medium-size heavy saucepan.  Scald the milk mixture (heat nearly to a boil) over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the milk is scalding, whisk together the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and whisk until the eggs are light and fluffy.  Whisking constantly, add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture (to temper the eggs).  Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.

Return the custard mixture to the pan and cook over medium-lw heat, stirring often, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and place in a bowl of ice water to quickly cool the custard.  Let the custard cool, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine cream and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Stir in the custard mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and press wrap directly onto the surface of the custard.  Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.  (The custard may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Freeze the chilled custard mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to throw in some chopped nuts to this too!  Walnuts or pecans might be especially nice.  :)

We have had some of the most amazing sales around here lately on bing cherries — which has been such a treat.  I love cherries!!

Usually ours disappear from their little pint in the fridge before ever making it to a dessert recipe.  :)  But when I had a handful left this week, decided to give this new recipe a try.  I had bookmarked it a few weeks ago — initially because I was intrigued by the name (a rustic French dessert, pronounced “klah-foo-tee”).  But then when I saw that it called for such simple ingredients, I was hooked.

Excited to report that — in addition to being completely cute and charming, these little desserts were absolutely delicious!  The flavor and texture were a wonderful surprise — light and sweet, but perfectly balanced.  And best of all, prepping the ingredients took less than 10 minutes – so easy!  (Your friends will never guess!)  Definitely a delightful dessert to add to your entertaining repertoire.

Also, I should note that while the traditional French dessert calls for cherries, you could easily substitute in some other favorite fresh fruits as well.

Bon Appetit!!

Ali’s Tip:

This would also be delicious with other fresh fruits!  Blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, or apricots come to mind…

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…fresh, red strawberries and thick sweet whipped cream…warm shortcake biscuits with almond-y “zing”…these are a few of my favorite things….

Mmmmm….

There’s definitely a reason why strawberry shortcake has remained such a favorite through the ages.  I confess — for years I made it with Bisquick biscuits, and storebought whipped cream, which was also quite delightful.  But when you take a little extra time to make the real deal with homemade biscuits, whipped cream, and macerated strawberries, it’s so worth it!!

For the classic dessert, this recipe from Cooks Illustrated is definitely my favorite.  It’s perfectly dense, flavorful, and pretty simple to make!  I like adding in just a little almond extract to give it that yummy depth of flavor.  But you can be a purist and go with vanilla.  And of course, you can also sub in whatever other fresh berries or fruits you would like.

However you spin it, this recipe is absolutely delicious.  And perfect for summer.  So gather some fresh berries and enjoy!!

Ali’s Tip:

If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, you can also use a (washed out) can, from canned vegetables or whatnot.

When life gives you extra lemons . . . well of course, you make lemon popsicles!!!

I’ve long been a fan of frozen lemon treats.  From those uber-sweet “Lemon Chill” tubs they used to sell at outdoor events, to my favorite lemon sorbet in Kansas City…there’s always been something about that fresh, tangy lemon flavor that always calls my name.

So when I had a few extra lemons on hand recently, decided to pull out my super-cool new popsicle mold and make my own lemon treats!  I ended up deciding to try a recipe I had bookmarked awhile back that called for using buttermilk instead of milk or cream.  And while I was definitely a little skeptical about the tartness of the buttermilk, they actually ended up being delightful!  It paired up great with the lemon, and actually ended up tasting very fresh and light.

So even if you don’t have popsicle molds, grab some Dixie cups and give these a try.  Perfect for summertime!  :)

Creamy Lemon Popsicles Recipe
(Adapted from Whipped)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Method:

Whisk sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. Whisk in buttermilk.

Divide mixture among popsicle molds. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.

Ali’s Tip:

If you don’t have any popsicle molds, no worries!  Just grab some Dixie cups or ice cube trays, stick in some popsicle sticks (or little lollipop sticks for the ice cube trays), and you’re good to go!  :)

A few weeks ago after our weekly Sunday evening “stairs workout” (I know – I can’t believe I do it!), a friend and I decided to reward ourselves by venturing over to our neighborhood’s new ice cream shop – Glace.  I’m sure we were quite the sight walking into this trendy, hipster little place literally drenched in sweat.  But as soon as I looked at the fabulously creative menu, and had my first sampling of flavors such as “goat cheese and cherry”, “french lavender”, “caramelized banana”, “salted pretzel”, “venezuelan spiced chocolate”, and “lemon curd and blueberry”… all cares drifted away and I knew I was in heaven.  :-)

So get ready – my ice cream maker now has a newly reserved space on my counter with a list of new recipe ideas I can’t wait to try!  For my first Glace-inspired recipe, decided to try “basil lime sorbet”.  My basil crop has been going crazy this summer, and I absolutely love citrus-y sorbets, so I thought this would be a fun recipe to whip up.  Thankfully, it was a total success!  Loved the basil+lime combination, and perhaps even more, loved how easy it was to make.  (Hallelujah – no 10-step custard recipe on this post!)

Another fun thing about sorbet recipes is that they are super-easy to modify to taste.  So if you’re at all worried about the basil, just add in a little at a time until you find your perfect sorbet-balance.  :)  (The same goes for the sugar, lime juice, and water.)

A perfect recipe to celebrate the flavors and traditions of summer — enjoy!!

Basil Lime Sorbet Recipe
(Adapted from The Herb Companion)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups basil leaves, gently packed
• 1 cup sugar (or more/less to taste)
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. lime zest

Method:

In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes (or more).

Then add the sugar/water mixture, basil leaves and lime juice to a blender.  And carefully (use caution when blending warm liquids) puree the mixture for about 1 minute, or until well-blended..  Pour through fine-meshed strainer, and stir in the lime zest.

Freeze immediately in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions until slushy-firm.  Scoop into a storage container and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

**If you do not have an ice cream maker,  just pour the mixture into a storage container and freeze.  Remove every half hour or so for a few hours, and use a fork to fluff up the mixture and break up any ice chunks.  It won’t be nearly identical in texture to sorbet made with an ice-cream maker, but still delicious!

Ali’s Tip:

If you’re going for color in your sorbet, feel free to blanch your basil leaves before adding them to the blender.  Just boil a pot of water, pop them in for about 10 seconds, and them quickly remove them and place in ice water.  You’ll be amazed at the beautiful vivid green color!