Summer Spa Popsicles!

Hello Summer!

Spa Popsicles are a cool, fun, summer-in-your-mouth popsicle loaded with summer fruit and a hint of herb flavor!

They make me want to be at a spa somewhere beautiful or an amazing resort poolside cabana!

These are great on a hot blistery day when the heat and humidity become unbearable and there's no pool or beach immediately in sight! Count on these lovelies to cool you down instantly!
Want another?

Lucky for you I've got a few no-fail easy popsicle recipes. All you need to worry about is making room in your freezer. Once you start making them you won't resist trying new flavors.

Naturally sweet, hydrating and not from a box!
 

TOOLS

popsicle sticks

popsicle mold - I used Non Pro Ice Pop Maker which you can purchase on amazon.com

medium size strainer

4 cup measuring cup or medium sized containder with pouring spout

blender

small 1-2 quart sauce pan 

Strawberry Hibiscus Popsicles
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup hibiscus dried flowers
4 cups halved strawberries

Raspberry Lavender Popsicles
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp edible lavender
12 oz frozen or 4 cups fresh raspberries

Cucumber Lime Basil Popsicles

1-3/4 cups water

3/4 cups sugar

1 bunch basil

3/4 cup lime juice

4 cucumbers

Cantaloupe Mint Popsicles

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1 bunch mint  
4 cups large cubed cantaloupe

DIRECTIONS

First make the herb simple syrup. Mine is less sweet whereas a true simple syrup is equal parts water to sugar. Tip: use coconut water instead of regualar water for extra hydrating benefits!

Herb Simple Syrup
Rub herb sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine in a small 2 quart saucepan with water and sugar per each recipe as listed above. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved for about 2 minutes. Simmer for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and let steep, keep covered for 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer over a bowl. Discard herb sprigs. Let herb simple syrup cool down.

While the simple syrup is cooling, wash and cut the fruit and add to the blender, pour the cooled simple syrup and begin blending the mixture until smooth - don't forget to put the lid on the blender! Pass the mixture thru a strainer. Carefully pour the mixture into the popsicle mold filling each section. Cover and insert the popsicle sticks.

Freeze for minimum of 5 hours or overnight. Before trying to release the popsicles from the molds try running the bottom section thru running tap water to help loosen. Voila!

 Stay cool!

Star-Spangled Berry Pies

I love the 4th of July, especially where I live. It's one of those seaside Mayberry-type-of-towns where everyone displays their flags and banners, dresses up their homes, classic cars and their bikes too! During the day all kinds of festivities go on, concerts in the park, pie eating contests, the smell of BBQ all over the place, streets are closed for neighborhood block parties and Summer is all over the place! The best part comes at night of course with the fireworks finale AND the best part is I get to see all of this from my very own front yard!

Love it!

So...to celebrate this year at our annual BBQ I am baking individual mixed berry pies. With all the berries in season you can't go wrong. So go purchase your favorite antioxidants aka berries, dust off your baking tools, put that apron on and dive right in. They are easy to make and you'll be sure to impress your hostess when you show up with these show stoppers along with some vanilla bean ice cream. Delish!

TOOLS

1 12-cup muffin/cupcake tin

rolling pin

2 large mixing bowls

measuring cups and spoons

wax paper

plastic wrap

cooling rack
2-1/2" star cookie cutter
4" round cookie cutter or ramekin
small bowl
whisk
pastry brush

INGREDIENTS

BERRY MIX

2 cups mixed berries: raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp flour

rind of 1 lemon

vanilla bean ice cream - optional

DOUGH

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed

1/2 cup cold shortening cubed

2-4 tbsp ice cold water
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar for sprinkling

Cut the butter and shortening into 1/2" cubes and freeze them while you measure and mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, sugar and stir to make sure all ingredients are well mixed. Then add all the frozen cold cubed butter and shortening. Make sure to coat each piece with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or sink your fingers into the flour mixture and begin pinching the butter and flour mixture together, making thin, floury disks of the butter. Continue working the mixture until the butter is broken down to pea size beads and then to a loose mixture that resembles wet sand. Drizzle each tablespoon of ice cold water carefully until the dough holds together.

Turn the dough out onto a clean floured work surface or sheet of wax paper. Gather the dough and knead a few times into a smooth mound and then flatten to form a round disk. 
Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours.

In the meantime while the dough is chillin' work on the berry mix. In the second mixing bowl add the berries, sugar, salt, flour and lemon rind. Mix gently and make sure all berries are evenly coated. That's it. Your berry mixture is ready. 

Once the dough is chilled, roll out the dough with the rolling pin to about 1/4" thick. Using a 4"round cookie cutter or large glass or ramekin cut your circles and gently place them into each muffin cup. No need to butter the cupcake mold. The pies will pop right out. Gently press down to form a 'cup'. Do this for each cup and with the scraps roll the dough again to 1/4" thick and use the star shaped cookie cutter. Press and form 12 star tops. Try to handle the dough as least possible. The more you roll the dough the tougher it will cook and won't be flaky.  Refrigerate the muffin tin for about 1/2 hour to cool the dough before placing the berry mixture.

Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the berry mix into each muffin cup. Top with the star topper. Separately crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over each star and sprinkle with sugar. Brush around the edge of the pie too!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the mini pies for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden.
Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool down to a comfortable warm before you attempt to remove the pies. With a butter knife carefully pry each pie out, they should lift right out without breaking.
Makes 12 small pies. For larger crowds or if you want leftovers I recommend doubling the recipe.

Happy 4th of July!

Coconut Shortbread

If you love coconut and shortbread try these lovelies with your tea next time you bake. A bite into one of these unleashes a clean tropical buttery taste with a bit of a "je n'ai sais pas" lovely crunch at the end, that's the cornmeal! The flavours make me think of a British colony somewhere far off on a Caribbean island. Hmm...maybe I'll plan a trip soon or maybe I'll just pop Downton Abbey into my dvd and watch that this afternoon with my tea and shortbread!

Whatever you decide to bake today, baking these treats will surely add a bit of tropical sweetness with your tea...or coffee!

TOOLS
electric standing mixer with paddle attachment
measuring spoons & cups
silicon spatula
2 baking sheets

parchment paper

plastic wrap

2 cooling racks

rolling pin

your favourite cookie cutter

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp coconut extract
3 tbsp sweetend coconut flakes

1 cup white flour

1 cup wheat flour

 3 tbps cornmeal
tsp coarse salt
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

3 tbsp cornmeal (again)

DIRECTIONS
Place butter and powdered sugar in the electric standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until creamy and smooth, for about 2 minutes.  Add coconut extract. Mix until combined and scrap down the bowl as necessary. Reduce speed and add the sweetened coconut flakes, flours, cornmeal and salt. Mix well. 
Halve dough and shape each half into a round disc. Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr. 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl mix unsweetened coconut and 3 tbsp cornmeal. This will be used to sprinkle on top of cookies before baking.

Once dough is chilled, with rolling pin roll dough flat to 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes with your favorite cookie cutter and place each on baking sheets lined with parchment paper 1'' apart. Sprinkle with cornmeal and unsweetened coconut.  Bake until pale golden, 25-30 minutes. After baked transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen depending on cookie cutter, mine is a 1"w x 3"l rectangle cutter.  Shortbread can be stored up to a week in an airtight container.

Tea time!

Eggcellent Easter Cake!

HAPPY EASTER!

Wishing you exciting Easter desserts! 

Eggcellent!

Robin's Egg Cookies

Robin's Egg cookies are a fun project to make during Spring and Easter. Make them with your children or the neighborhood kids on a weekend and enjoy as a treat afterwards, or wrap them up in a goodie bag and pass out on Easter Sunday. A great excuse to bring out one's own talent! I chose to use Royal Icing as it hardens nicely and once dried you can't dent or mess up the look! Take a crack at it!

TOOLS

2 baking sheets

Parchment Paper

Standing Mixer

Measuring cups & spoons

Rubber spatula

Rolling pin

Egg cookie cutter

2 cooling wire racks
Double boiler or microwave for melting chocolate

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp milk

Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

DIRECTIONS

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with paddle place butter and sugar and beat until light in color then add egg and milk. 

Put mixer on low speed and gradually add flour and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powder, and roll out dough to 1/4" thick. Press egg cookie cutter throughout the dough and place cookie 1" apart on parchment lined or on a silcone baking mat over your cookie sheet. Repeat this till you are out of dough. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. 

After 2 minutes out of the oven, transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

ROYAL ICING

Wilton's Royal Icing creates a hard-drying, long lasting decoration that has a matte finish. You'll have to work quickly and make sure to close the lid on your glass (not plastic) container if you are going to walk away.  Once it dries it will not smear or leave a dent.

TOOLS

Standing mixer

Glass container with plastic lid for storing royal icing

Small decorating spatula

1 new toothbrush or thin paint brush

Drying cookie rack

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 tbsp Meringue Powder such as Wilton's found in your local craft store - bakery dept. 

8oz sifted confectioner's sugar

3-5 tbsp lukewarm water

Teal or Turquoise food coloring

1/3 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Make sure all utensils are grease free.

Place confectioner's sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Stir or mix at low speed until blended. Add water and mix 7-10 minutes at low-medium speed until icing loses its sheen. Add a drop of the Teal food coloring untill you get the desired Robin's Egg color. To prevent drying, be sure to cover the bowl with a damp cloth while working with icing. To reuse, beat on low to restore original texture. If the icing is too thick add a teaspoon of water at a time to loosen. 

After cookies have cooled and the royal icing is made, begin spreading the royal icing on each cookie with the small decorating spatula, smoothing it out carefully doing your best to create a nice smooth surface. Let the cookies dry for about an hour on the cooling racks. 

Once the cookies are dry and ready, separately melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave very carefully and slowly untill you get a thin melted consistency. With the paint brush slowly make small chocolate dots on the dried royal icing replicating a Robin's Egg. I prefer to use a new toothbrush dipped in chocolate and with your thumb run across the bristles back and forth, this will 'spray' small chocolate drops. You will be happier with the results. Much easier but a bit messy. Your choice!

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.  

Makes about 2 dozen 4" x 3" egg cookies.  The egg cookie cutter can be purchased at Sur la Table, William Sonoma or Amazon.com I bought mine at William Sonoma.

Sugar Cookie recipe from Food Network - Alton Brown.

Happy Easter Basket!