The FRUITS of our labors! (MAY)

Here are some refreshing, mouth-dazzling fruit recipes. This is such a taste-bud tempting collection that you really should start now and march carefully through them until you've tried them ALL!

Strawberry Amaretto Pastries
(Pampered Chef cookbook)

Lindsey Dewey

1/2 package frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
2 TB sugar, divided
1 orange
1 container sour cream (8 oz)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups cool whip
12 large strawberries, sliced (or other fruit)

Preheat oven to 400. Unfold pastry dough onto cookie sheet. Finely chop 1/4 cup of the almonds and combine with 1 TB of the sugar; sprinkle evenly over surface of the dough. Lightly press into the dough.
Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 12 even squares and separate on cookie sheet. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden.
Lightly toast remaining almonds and then finely chop. Zest entire orange peel. Combine zest and remaining 1 TB sugar, stir and set aside.
Whisk sour cream, powdered sugar and almond extract in bowl. Fold in Cool Whip. Slice strawberries. Split open each pastry square and fill with strawberries, 2 TB filling, sprinkle with chopped almonds and orange zest, put pastry top back on and serve immediately.

Huckleberry Cheesecake
Maija-Liisa Adams
Crust:
20 graham crackers, crushed
1 cube butter
1/2 c. sugar

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix crackers, butter, and sugar well; pack lightly in 9 x 13 inch pan. Beat cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla well until lightly. Pour on top of crumbs and bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool.

Topping:
1 qt. huckleberries
3 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
Cook until thick. Cool spread top with whipped cream just before serving.

Fresh Mango Salsa
Ellie Christman

1 mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper
Directions
Combine the mango, cucumber, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice and cilantro leaves and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste


Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Sarah d'Evegnee

(Yes. Sweet Potatoes aren't fruit. I know that. But they sure taste fruity! Am I right?)

1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

1 teaspoon(s) salt

1/2 t garlic salt or garlic powder (whichever one you have hanging around)

1/4 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper or 1/4 t cayenne pepper (or you can omit if you don't like a ZING)

1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil (I prefer olive oil)

2 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes

1.In a small bowl, combine cumin, salt, and pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel potatoes, cut each in half lengthwise, and cut each half into 6 wedges. In a large bowl, combine the cut potatoes, oil, and spice mixture. Toss until potatoes are evenly coated.

2. On a baking sheet, arrange potatoes in a single layer and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake until edges are crisp and potatoes are cooked through -- about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Raspberry Trifle

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup white sugar

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I usually just use 1--it just depends on how much of the cheesecake sort of flavor you like)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup white sugar

1 (10.75 ounce) package prepared pound cake

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen raspberries, thawed

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar. Fold 2 cups of whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Reserve remaining whipped cream.
2. Slice pound cake into 18 - 1/2 inch slices. Drain raspberries, reserving juice. Line the bottom of a 3 quart glass bowl or trifle bowl with one-third of the cake slices. Drizzle with some raspberry juice. Spread one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture over cake. Sift one-fourth of the cocoa over that. Sprinkle with one-third of the raspberries. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture, whipped cream and sifted cocoa. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

Berries on a Cloud

This recipe can take 2-3 days to make, but is SO worth it!!!

6 egg whites

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 3/4 C. Sugar

Make at night: Beat egg whites until Fluffy.

Add cream of tartar and salt gradually

Then Add Sugar: Sugar should be added by very SMALL amounts

Beat until mixture holds it's shape(Should form peaks)

Spread in buttered 9x13 pan.

Bake at 275*degrees for 60 minutes.

Turn off oven and let crust cool in oven overnight.

Next Morning mix:

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 C. powdered sugar

1- pint whipping cream

2 C. miniature marshmallows

Beat together cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and whippping cream.

Add marshmallows.

Spread on top of meringue crust and refrigerate 12 hours.

1 C. Strawberries mashed

1/2 C. water

1/2 C. sugar

3 TBSP. cornstarch

Cook on stove until clear and thick.

Pour over filling. Slice approx. 2 C. berries and lay on top of dessert. Cover entire Dessert. Refrigerate overnight...

ENJOY!!!!!!!!One of my Favorites!

Berry Poke Cake

1 pkg. white cake mix

Water, oil, and eggs as called for on cake mix package directions

1 pkg. (4-serving size) strawberry or raspberry- flavored gelatin

1 cup boiling water

½ cup cold water

1 container (8oz.) Cool Whip

Fresh strawberry or raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Make and bake cake as directed on package for 13” x 9” pan. Cool completely.

Poke cake all over with fork. Stir gelatin and boiling water in small bowl until smooth; stir in cold water. Pour over cake. Refrigerate 2 hours. Frost with whipped topping; garnish with berries. Store covers in fridge.

Brownie and Fruit Cups

1 pkg. Brownie mix (plus ingredients to make)

2 oz. white chocolate

1- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

2 TBSP. milk

1/4 C. powdered sugar

1 C. thawed cool whip

(Mandarin oranges, strawberries or mini m&m's, grated chocolate etc.:for garnish)

Pre-heat oven to 350*

Make brownie batter according to directions.

Spray Mini-Muffin pan with oil. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.

Bake 12 min. or until done.

While brownies are still warm, gently push down middle to form a cup.

When cooled take out and put on non-stick cooling rack.

Meanwhile make Filling as follows:

Melt chocolate and milk together. Stir until smooth.

Mix Cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.

Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture until SMOOTH...Fold in whipped topping:

Fill Mini brownie cups and top with mandarin oranges...strawberries...grated chocolate etc...whatever you would like...DELICIOUS!!!!!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

(This is my second favorite cheesecake recipe. The other one is the Turtle Cheesecake that's already on the blog.)

Crust:

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs, I use Oreo's

3 T sugar ( little less with Oreo's)

1/4 c butter, melted

Press mixture in bottom of springform pan

Filling;

1 (10 oz) frozen raspberries

2 T sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 c water

2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half and half

3-- 8oz pkgs of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 T sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil and continue boiling 5 minutes, until sauce is thick. Strain through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Melt white chocolate chips with half and half over double boiler, or in microwave. Stir until smooth.

In large bowl, mix cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted chocolate. Pour half the batter into crust. Spoon 3 T of raspberry sauce over the batter. Pour remaining batter over and spoon 3 more T of sauce over batter. Swirl with butter knife to create marble effect. ( save remaining raspberry sauce)

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until set. Cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Serve with remaining sauce.

Raw Apple Cake

Stir together:

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Add:

3 c. chopped raw apples (do not need to peel)

walnuts (opt)

Blend into mixture:

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 ts. salt

Pour into oiled pan (batter is rather thick). Sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Not Yo Mamma's Banana Pudding (from Paula Dean)

1 8oz cream cheese softened

2 c whipped cream, beaten with 1 t vanilla extract

6-8 bananas

2 bags chessmen cookies (Pepperidge Farm--This is the BEST part!)

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 5oz box french vanilla pudding (prepared)

Layer cookies, then bananas in 9x13

Combine cream cheese, sweet milk, and prepared pudding. Fold in whipped cream. Pour over bananas. Top with rest of cookies.