Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

20 BEST CHRISTMAS DESSERTS: Most Popular Holiday Pies, Cheesecakes and Christmas Cookies Recipes

Christmas is finally here, so I thought I'd put together a list of my Top 20 Christmas dessert recipes. Homemade Apple Pie, Red Velvet Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Christmas Cookies, Chocolate French Silk Pie, Pumpkin Pie, New York Style Strawberry Cheesecake, Coconut Cake, and Cherry Cheesecake are definitely on my list this year. Not that I'm going to make them all this holiday, but I sure am craving them all! What are your favorite Christmas dessert recipes that you simply can't do without around the holidays?

Top 20 Christmas Desserts

Christmas Cookie Recipes - It seems you can never eat too many Christmas Cookies. Platters of festive Christmas cookies are already going to parties at schools, offices and cookie exchanges. Make a number of different Christmas Cookie recipes, eat some, and give the rest away!

Carrot Cake and Cupcakes Recipe - What would the holidays be without Carrot Cake or Carrot Cake Cupcakes? Ice this classic dessert with light and fluffy cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with walnuts, or not! It's your holiday, enjoy it!

Coconut Cake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting - Snow white cake layers flavored with pure coconut extract and Coco Lopez, then frosted with pure white coconut frosting, and decorated with sweetened and toasted shredded coconut flakes. Very Christmasy!




Classic Pumpkin Pie - Everyone's favorite Thanksgiving pie, the Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe is also great for Christmas too. Libby includes their recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin, but you can use any homemade Pumpkin Pie recipe made with canned pumpkin puree.

Homemade Apple Pie with Granny Smith Apples - Grandma's All-American dessert, the humble Apple Pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is everyone's favorite holiday pie - no matter what holiday it is.

Kentucky Derby Chocolate Pecan Pie - This easy pie has toasted pecans or walnuts, bourbon, classic pecan pie filling with brown sugar and butter, and gourmet chocolate chips in a flaky pie crust. The Kentucky Derby Chocolate Pecan Pie can be whipped up in no time, making this is great last minute race recipe.

Chocolate French Silk Pie - A sinfully rich chocolate pie piled with heaps of whipped cream. Make it in either a flaky pie crust, chocolate cookie crust, or graham cracker crust.

NY Style Strawberry Cheesecake - Who doesn't love Strawberry Cheesecake? This one is the creamiest and most decadent, especially on a graham cracker crust, and topped with the juiciest Christmas red strawberries.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust - Pumpkin Cheesecake isn't just for Thanksgiving. Christmas is also the perfect time for this ultra creamy pumpkin cheesecake that sits on a spicy molasses cookie crust.

Cherry Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Crust - This dessert is a favorite cheesecake for Christmas, especially with ruby red Christmas canned cherry pie filling.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake - Uber-rich & creamy chocolate cheesecake, studded with chunks of Reese's PB cups, all sitting on an Oreo Cookie crust, rivals anything the Cheesecake Factory can dish out!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe - Just like the Red Velvet Cheesecake Factory Recipe, this rich red and white layered New York Style Cheesecake and Red Velvet Cake is decorated with buttercream frosting, and would be striking on a Christmas buffet table.

Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe - This dazzling Chocolate Red Velvet Cake is a total head-turner! With its bright red cake layers, and snow white frosting, this gorgeous cake will be the best dressed guest at this year's Christmas party!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake - Extra rich cheesecake studded with mini chocolate chips, baked in a sweet Oreo Cookie crust. Who doesn't love chocolate chips, especially when it comes in the form of a cheesecake?

Easy Kahlua Tiramisu Recipe - Ladyfingers soaked in Kahlua, layered with sweet brandy whipped cream and cream cheese filling. This Easy Kahlua Tiramisu is dusted with cocoa for a delicious finale!

Best Ever Pie Crust Recipe - How To Make A Perfect Flaky Pie Crust for the Holidays
 

3 Easy Pie Crust Recipes - Oreo Cookie Crust, Graham Cracker Crust and Sweet Short Dough

Flaky Pie Crust Recipe by Sweety Pies

Soooooo... I was just a few Christmas Cookies short of a Happy Meal—I mean cookie platter. But there's tons of festive Christmas Cookie recipes under that cookie link, so I'm going to fudge it a little and call it 30 instead :-) Have a Very Merry Christmas!

BEST THANKSGIVING PIE RECIPES: A Touch of Orange Apple Pie

A top Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday pie recipe, this apple pie with fresh Granny Smith apples and fresh orange peel is nestled in a flaky pie crust made with Crisco shortening. 

A Touch of Orange Apple Pie Recipe

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS: Double Crust Classic Crisco Pie Crust

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 7 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples, about 2 pounds or 7 medium 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Milk
• Sugar

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. PREPARE recipe for double crust pie, using a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out dough for bottom crust and place in pie plate according to recipe directions.
2. HEAT oven to 400ºF.
3. COMBINE sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, orange peel, salt and nutmeg in small bowl. Place apples in unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle sugar mixture over apples. Dot with butter. Moisten pastry edge with water.
4. ROLL out dough for top crust, place onto filled pie and finish edges according to recipe directions. Cut slits in top crust or prick with fork to vent steam.
5. BAKE 35 minutes. Remove pie from oven. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover edge of pie with foil, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning. Bake 10 minutes or until filling in center is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Sources and Photo Credits: Recipes and photos used with permission by Crisco.com.

RED, WHITE and BLUE DESSERT RECIPES: Patriotic 4th of July Desserts

Have a Star Spangled Banner holiday with these red, white and blue patriotic dessert recipes! Red, White and Blue Flag Cake; Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Pie; Strawberry and Blueberry Shortcakes; Red, White and Blueberry Dessert Pizza; Red, White and Blueberry Cobbler; Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad. See a recurring theme? All but a few of these are my own tried-and-true recipes that I've posted over the years with Examiner and Suite101. My family enjoyed every last bite! Have a safe, happy and delicious 4th of July holiday!

Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe: Big juicy strawberries chilled in homemade strawberry glaze, nestled in a graham cracker or vanilla cookie crust and topped with fresh whipped cream.

 

Red, White and Blue Flag Cake Recipe: What would the 4th of July be without a Red, White and Blue Flag Cake? Blueberry stars, strawberry stripes and sparklers set this Firecracker Cake off quite nicely!

 

 

Red, White and Blueberry Cobbler: Fresh Cherries, blueberries and raspberries found their way into a deep dish stoneware pie pan, sprinkled with some cinnamon and a bit of freshly grated lemon zest all topped with a buttery sweet cobbler dough and a dollop of whipped cream.

 

 

Red, White and Blue Dessert Pizza: Striking grilled pizza with raspberries, blueberries and pineapple all nestled in a sweet cheese topping on top of cinnamon dough. Perfect for a 4th of July cookout!

 

Red, White and Blue Strawberry Blueberry Tart: This strawberry tart is made with a sweet shortbread crust, filled with strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and blueberries. Top it all off with fresh whipped cream, or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

 

 

Red White and Blue Fruit Salad Recipe: It doesn't have to be cake or pastry to qualify as dessert, so why not make it a healthy dessert with his patriotic fruit salad with the colors of the flag! Red strawberries and raspberries, almost white bananas and pineapple, and as blue as you can get blueberries make one beautiful fruit salad!

 

 

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe: Take this Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe and add blueberries to the topping along with the strawberries. Fresh tastes best, but canned strawberry and blueberry pie filling work just fine too.

 

 

Red Velvet Cake with Blueberries: Traditional Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting topped with fresh blueberries. Can't get much better than this!

 

 

Strawberry Cream Cake with Blueberries: Yellow cake filled and frosted with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries. Very refreshing and perfect for a summer party.

 

Strawberry & Blueberry Shortcakes: Take the traditional Strawberry Shortcake recipe, split some homemade Buttermilk Biscuits in half, sprinkle with fresh blueberries, and add plenty of whipped cream to these delightful berry shortcakes!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe: Fresh strawberry rhubarb pie recipe is a summer favorite. Classic fruit pie with sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb mixed with sugar and spices, and baked in a double crust. Add some blueberries or blackberries for the holiday!

Blueberry Pie Recipe Made with Fresh Blueberries: Plump blueberries picked fresh from the blueberry bush, mixed with sugar and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg and baked in a flaky doubled crusted pie crust. Serve with a side of fresh raspberries or strawberries for a red, white and blue dessert!

Fresh Strawberry Muffins: Made with my favorite blueberry muffin recipe, these strawberry muffins are chock full of fresh strawberries and topped with brown sugar streusel for an easy summer picnic or brunch. Add fresh blueberries or blackberries to your muffin batter for a red, white and blue treat!

BEST THANKSGIVING PIE RECIPES: Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Pecan Pie Recipe and More!

Still looking for the most popular THANKSGIVING PIE recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner this week? Stop looking! All your favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes are right here! Since Thanksgiving pie making begins in ernest on Wednesday, I've made up a list of all my favorite pies. These are the same pies we made in the bakery and for wholesale orders for over 15 years, so I know the recipes work.

Start off with the BEST PIE CRUST RECIPE. This is the tried and true, Best Ever Pie Crust that we made for years at the bakery, and I'm talking about thousands upon thousands of pies! And if John can make pie crust, anyone can! Just follow the directions to the letter and it'll come out fine.

Pie Crust Recipes

• Best Ever Pie Crust Recipe - How To Make A Perfect Flaky Pie Crust for the Holidays
• 3 Easy Pie Crust Recipes - Oreo Cookie Crust, Graham Cracker Crust and Sweet Short Dough
• Flaky Pie Crust Recipe by Sweety Pies

 

Apple and Pumpkin Pies

• Homemade Apple Pie Recipe With Granny Smith Apples
• Apple Streusel Pie Recipe
• Classic Pumpkin Pie - Just like Libby's
• Pumpkin Pecan Pie Recipe

 

Nut Pies

• Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
• Classic Pecan Pie with Toasted Pecans
• Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe with Roasted Pecans
• Maple Walnut Pie Recipe with Pure Vermont Syrup
• Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe
• White Chocolate Brandy Almond Pie

 

Fruit Pies and Galettes

• Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe
• All-American Cherry Pie Recipe
• Blueberry Pie Recipe
• Fresh Blackberry Pie Recipe
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
• Fresh Peach Pie Recipe
• Fresh Peach Pie with Streusel Topping
• Fresh Raspberry Pie Recipe
• Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
• Apple Cranberry Tart & Galette Recipe
• Rustic Free-form Peach Galette Recipe

 

Cream and Mousse Pies

• Chocolate French Silk Pie
• Boston Cream Pie Recipe
• Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream
• Coconut Custard Pie Recipe
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• Strawberry Mousse Pie Recipe
• Peanut Butter Cream Pie Recipe
• Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Pie
• Butterscotch Cream Pie
• Bailey's Irish Cream Pie
• Peanut Butter Pie with Oreo Cookie Crust

 

Frozen and Ice Cream Pies

• Frozen Peach Ice Cream Pie
• Frozen Peach Yogurt Pie Recipe
• Pina Colada Frozen Pie Recipe
• Strawberry Daiquiri Frozen Pie

 

VEGAN Baking Recipes: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking

You don't have to be on a vegan diet to enjoy these vegan baking recipes. Vegan Red Velvet Cake and Cupcakes Recipe and Vegan Cheesecake are just a few of the delicious vegan recipes in this brand new cookbook.

Save $5.90 by pre-ordering from Amazon, and Barnes & Noble now for only $11.05.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking is due to hit the book store shelves on April 5th, and Amazon will send the books the day it's released. It's also available in the Kindle edition for $9.99.

I received my two author's copies in the mail last week from the publisher and have been totally excited ever since. I still can't believe I'm holding the book in my hands after 14 months. It seems like yesterday!

Order from Amazon here
Order from Borders here
Order from Barnes & Noble here

VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER PIE

RECIPES OF THE MONTH Part II

Julia Child's Nicoise Salad, Peanut Butter Buckeyes, Pear & Plum Tart, Apple Cranberry Tart, Chocolate Eclair Cake, Heirloom Tomato Recipes, Roasted Red Potatoes, Veggie Borscht and How to Cook Corn on the Cob.

Here's another list of recipes I've been working on the last two months or so. There's more to come too! Print them off or bookmark them for later use. And please feel free to email the links to your friends!

Julia Child's Nicoise Salad Recipe - Inspired by the French Chef - Salad Niçoise Recipe inspired by The French Chef: Black Nicoise olives, fresh or white albacore tuna, hard boiled eggs, heirloom tomatoes and fresh green beans set this salad apart from the ordinary ho-hum salad. Bon Appétit!

Roasted Red Potatoes Recipe - Red Bliss Potatoes sprinkled with olive oil, garlic & herbs and roasted in a hot oven or on the grill. Add some sauteed onions & peppers and call them Home Fries! Slice some smoked mozzarella chicken sausage and call it supper! Side dish or main dish, you decide!

Corn on the Cob: How to Cook Sweet Corn - Here's the secret recipe to perfect corn on the cob! Sweet Corn, Silver Queen, Butter & Sugar - whatever the variety - follow these simple directions, and you'll be enjoying the best sweet corn this summer!

Vegan Borscht Recipe & Video by Hippy Gourmet - Who says borscht has to have meat? This PBS episode has the Hippy Gourmet cooking alongside guest Lara Gutnik from the Ukrain. Delicious and authentic, this soup is an excellent example of borscht gone vegan!


 


Heirloom Tomato Recipes - Caprese Salad, Heirloom Tomato Tart, Tomato Sandwiches, BLT Sandwich and Brouchetta are just some of the delicious foods you can make with a bushel of heirloom tomatoes.

Apple Cranberry Galette Recipe - Stonewall Kitchen's Apple Butter, orchard apples & fresh cranberries from the bog, snuggle together with cinnamon & spices in a rustic free-form flaky pie crust & tart.

Fresh Raspberry Pie Recipe - Fresh raspberries baked in a flaky pie crust with plump ripe raspberries and spices. Dress it up with a lattice or double crust and serve à la mode with ice cream! Simply delish!

Buckeyes Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Candy - Football or chocolate candy? Similar to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and shaped like a buckeye, these chocolate dipped peanut butter candies are absolutely addicting!

 

Rustic Pear and Plum Tart Recipe - Stonewall Kitchen's Dulce De Leche caramel sauce, ripe Bartlett pears & Italian prune plums baked with nutmeg & spices in a flaky free-form pie crust. Just add ice cream.

Key Lime Pie vs Lemon Meringue Pie - The recipes for Key Lime Pie & Lemon Meringue Pie are very different, and yet both are refreshing summer pies made with citrus fruits – lemons and limes. Would you choose Graham Cracker Crust, or Flaky Pie Crust? Meringue or Whipped Cream topping?

Blackberry Cobbler Recipe with Fresh Peaches - Blackberry Cobbler baked with fresh peaches and blackberries, bubbling up under a sweet biscuit topping.

Eclair Cake Recipe with Chocolate Frosting- This no-bake eclair cake layered with graham crackers, Cool Whip & vanilla pudding is frosted with homemade chocolate icing. Also called ice box cake, it's a perfect birthday cake or easy dessert!

Peach Recipes - Here's a recipe box full of 15 Peach Recipes! Peach Pie, Peach Cobbler, Peach Ice Cream Pie, Peaches & Cream Scones and many more. If it's peaches you crave, this list of peach recipes will tempt you!

RECIPES OF THE MONTH

 


Nutella S'mores, Apple Bread Pudding, Zucchini Bread, Blackberry Cobbler, Baked Flounder, Chicken Tetrazzini, Banana Nut Muffins, BLT Pasta Salad, Corn Pudding and Deli Style Macaroni Salad.

I Got My Bakin' MoJo Back!
Yes, I'm still alive! And I'm back with a bunch of new recipes! July & August were very busy months with tons of company, sailing and searingly hot temperatures that left me with almost no will to bake or cook. We don't have AC on the boat, and when that sun beats down on the deck, it heats the inside temps to over 100 degrees. There were days I just packed up my laptop and went to the library to escape the heat. The gas grill was my best friend for weeks! I got my MoJo back now that the days have turned cooler, and I've started baking and cooking again! Even our son Brad got the baking bug yesterday and made a batch of cookies, just because he could!

Recipes of Some of the Month!
This is just 1/3 of the things I've written since I've been AWOL the last 4 weeks. I'll post more in the days to come. PLUS, I have another Giveaway planned, so keep your eyes peeled for that as well! As always, feel free to print these Examiner and Suite101 recipes out, and make sure to email them to your friends too!

BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Macaroni Salad – A twist on the classic BLT Sandwich! Use spiral pasta to hold more Italian dressing, add crisp bacon, romaine lettuce and vine-ripened tomatoes. Great for lunch, brunch or supper!

Macaroni Salad Recipe with Mayonnaise
Classic deli style macaroni salad with onions, peppers, celery, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise and celery salt. Hamburgers & hot dogs, barbecues, cookouts & picnics, could all use a big helping of this easy macaroni salad!

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini casserole with leftover roast chicken, spaghetti, butter, mushrooms, onions, sherry, cream and spices. This lip-smacking dish is perfect for pot lucks and large family dinners.

Corn Pudding Recipe: Scalloped Corn
Easy side dish casserole for quick meals & holiday entertaining. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix is the secret ingredient! Don't let the name 'Corn Pudding' throw you off. This is an amazing veggie casserole. Red peppers and green scallions give it festive color, while canned and creamed corn give it great texture.

Baked Flounder Recipe with Cracker Topping
Baking flounder, sole or cod is a quick & easy way to prepare this mild white fish. Just a few simple ingredients, and tender baked flounder is ready to serve.

Red Onion Jam Recipe
Large red onions simmered and cooked down with butter, sugar and balsamic vinegar, makes an amazing relish or jam that's perfect for burgers, cheese, appetizers, tarts & galettes or dipping. Quick & Easy!

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe
Moist & flavorful muffins loaded with ripe bananas, walnuts and chocolate chips if you like. Banana streusel muffins freeze well, so bake a double batch for later. Great for brunch, snacks, picnics or with a cup of tea!

Nutella S'mores Recipe
Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, campers and kids  will love these s'mores made with Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, honey graham crackers and toasted marshmallows.

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips
Moist & flavorful Zucchini Nut Bread recipe loaded with chocolate chips, cinnamon and walnuts. Easy quick bread recipe can be baked in mini loaf pans or cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!

Apple Bread Pudding Recipe with Fresh Apples
Fall dessert recipes with fresh apples, Vermont maple syrup and apple juice concentrate make this apple bread pudding with whip cream a perfect cool weather snack.

White Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Melted white chocolate coating, blended with butter & cream cheese frosting. Decorate Red Velvet Cupcakes, Coconut Cake, Chocolate Cupcakes, or frost a cheesecake. 

Fresh Peach Pie Recipe with Streusel Topping
Flaky pie crust loaded with fresh ripe peaches & spices, topped with sweet brown sugar praline streusel.

Blackberry Muffin Recipe with Fresh Blackberries
Blackberry Muffins with brown sugar & pecan streusel topping. 

Julie & Julia Movie & Recipe Round-ups

Blueberry Recipes, Cherry Recipes, Peach Recipes & Strawberry Recipes
I recently did an article round-up called Summer Dessert Recipes with 24 recipe links to my favorite and most popular fruit desserts. It's nice and neat and keeps everything together on one page. Some you've seen before, but there's new recipes too, like Cherry Clafouti and Fresh Strawberry Pie. Take a look, print it off, or email it to yourself so you can go back and look at it whenever you need inspiration!

Banana Bread Recipe - Easy quick bread recipe for banana bread is moist with mashed ripe bananas, nuts, cinnamon & nutmeg and very easy to make with ingredients already in your pantry. Make extra and freeze the rest. Or make Banana Nut Muffins instead!

Chocolate Mousse Recipe - Forget the phony pudding mix, this is the real deal! Silky smooth and decadently rich chocolate mousse, layered in pretty parfait glasses or Oreo Cookie crust, and piled high with fresh whipped cream. Top it all off with chocolate curls for an elegant presentation!

Transformers 2 Optimus Prime cake by Wilton - Have you seen the new Transformers 2 movie yet? If your kids have, they're gonna want an Optimus Prime cake for their next birthday party. Find out how to get your Transformers cake pan, and stay tuned for the next giveaway! There's a cool YouTube Transformers trailer at the end too!

Julie & Julia Movie - I can't wait to see this movie! I was so excited to enter a contest given last week by Steamy Kitchen. She couldn't go to the exclusive screening, so she announced a giveaway to Los Angeles to take her place. Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp won, and I followed her around virtually, got an interview and did 3 spots on her including a trailer of the new movie Julia & Julia. I actually found the book at Sam's today and grabbed it. I've only read the first chapter so far, but I find I can't put it down. I want to finish it before the movie comes out in the theaters next month.

Part 2: 'Julie & Julia' movie winner Kelly from Sounding My Barbaric Gulp

Part 3: Julie & Julia & Kelly: Movie updates from LA

If you don't know what it's all about, it's the story of food blogger Julie Powell, who decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. Her blog was an instant hit, it was made into a book and now a movie with Meryl Streep as Julia Child. How cool is that? Take a look at the trailer and tell me you can't wait to see as well!

4th of JULY DESSERT RECIPES

 

Patriotic Red, White & Blue Desserts
What are you doing for the 4th of July? Are you having a cookout, watching a 4th of July parade, going to a ballgame? We're going to a party on a BIG yacht! Bigger than ours, and oh so classy! Actually, our sailboat, even at 40 feet long, looks rather small and dinky compared to our friends ocean trawler. Lots of great food, good drinks and awesome friends!

Whatever you're doing this weekend, you're most likely gonna need some tasty desserts and salads. Maybe even some cocktails? It's a long weekend for most people, and that means more food and company than you'd anticipated. Here's a list of holiday recipes I've been working on for weeks. Some are Red, White & Blue recipes, all are perfect for cookouts, barbecues, picnics and parades. Mix and match according to the function. Add some sparklers and bottle rockets and make sure to have plenty of fun!

Red White & Blue Flag Cake - What would the 4th of July be without a Red, White & Blue Flag Cake? Blueberry stars, strawberry stripes and sparklers set this Firecracker Cake off quite nicely!

Fresh Blueberry Recipes - Blueberry Muffins, Fresh Blueberry Pie, Blueberry Buckle, Blueberry Smoothie, Blueberry Popsicles, Blueberry Pancakes, Blueberry Crisp, Red White & Blueberry Pizza, Lemon Blueberry Bread and much more!

Fresh Cherry Recipes - Summer dessert recipes scream for fresh cherries! Cherry Pie, Cherry Cheesecake, Cherry Cobbler, Cherry Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Cherry Clafouti, Cherry Almond Scones, Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler, Cherry Kisses, Peach & Cherry Galette, and many more.

Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe - Big juicy strawberries chilled in homemade strawberry glaze, nestled in a graham cracker or vanilla cookie crust and topped with fresh whipped cream.

Red, White & Blue Desserts - Cakes, cupcakes, tarts, cobblers, shortcakes, trifles, ice cream cake, cheesecakes, berry pops and so much more!






Stampin' Mama Designs

This Red, White & Blue Flag Cake, Buttercream Frosting and photos, are from Erika at Stampin' Mama.com. Erika's cupcake toppers are a special design from GinaK Stamps. Complete instructions as well as links for stamps, cardstock, etc., can be found at Erika's blog, Stampin' Mama. Thanks Erika!

Fresh Fruit Recipes

Blueberries, Cherries, Strawberries, Peaches
I live for this time of year when these summer fruits start to ripen! The farmers' market stands and supermarket shelves are full of juicy fruit. Pick your own berry farms are in full swing, and more will open as the summer progresses. I love to dream up new desserts, breakfast treats and salads with blueberries, cherries, strawberries and peaches.

I've been on a Buckle, Slump, Grunt, Fool, Cobbler, Crisp, Clafouti, Betty, Pandowdy kick lately, trying each one out to see which one I like best. Problem is, I like them all!

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

I made a few Buckles the past week and posted the Recipe for Blueberry Buckle to my Examiner column. Today, I fooled around and switched out some of the blueberries for fresh Bing cherries and substituted brown sugar in the buckle topping. Another favorite! It came out great, and everyone loved it, especially John. What a guy, he'll eat just about anything.

I can't wait to see his reaction when I try feeding him a Fool or a Slump. Maybe I can even sneak a photo of him eating a Grunt! Until then, try my newest Blueberry Buckle creation. Experiment with different fruits, add some whole wheat flour, substitute brown sugar in the topping, and see what you think!

If You Liked the Blueberry Buckle, You'll Love These!

• Strawberry Fool
  
• Peach Cobbler
• Mixed Berry Cobbler
• Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler
  
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
  
• Blueberry Crisp
• Peach Crisp
  
• Apple Crisp