Fresh Strawberry Trifle

Quick, great tasting and pretty desserts are things I always try to make for special occasions. On holidays and special occasion days, when you usually don't have the time or the patience to make something nice and great tasting, I think about what I have in the house and how I can whip it in to something good.  I always have berries in the house, because the hubby loves them, and I also always have cream cheese in the fridge and frozen whipped topping in the freezer.  There are so many things you can make with these two ingredients.  I was trying to figure out a dessert for Easter, and I started thinking about what I had on hand to make something.  I could put the strawberries, cream cheese and cool whip together, but that would just be an OK, light, something fluffy thingy to eat.  Not my kind of dessert.  I wanted something a little heavier than that.  I thought cake in it would be good, and some lemon zest.  This is what I came up with and it was so good. Glad my brain kept thinking!  

Recipe Below 

In my trifle bowl and ready to eat.

 It looks pretty with toasted pound cake crumbs on top and a few scored strawberries for decoration.

Fresh Strawberry Trifle

Ingredients

1 store bought pound cake, cut into 1" cubes, save the crumbs

2 16 oz containers of fresh strawberries, washed, stems removed, reserve 2 w/stems for top

1/4 cup of regular sugar

3 tablespoons of water

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese

1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1 8 oz container of frozen whipped topping

1 whole lemon, zested

Directions
Toast the pound cake crumbs in a small frying pan, be careful not to burn them. Set aside.

Slice strawberries and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle the regular sugar over them and add the water.  Mix them up and set aside.

Beat cream cheese until no longer lumpy.  Add the confectioner's sugar and continue to beat until all is combined.  With a rubber spatula fold in the whipped topping, go easy so as not to deflate the air in the topping.  Add all but about 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest (reserve for the top) to the cream cheese/topping mixture. Layer 1/3 of the cake in the bottom of the trifle bowl. Cover with 1/3 of the strawberries/juice. Cover strawberries with 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture.  Repeat layers ending with the cream cheese mixture on top.

Top the trifle with the toasted pound cake crumbs and scored reserved strawberries.  Sprinkle with lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Tastes Like Summer!

The groundhog came out of his hole on February 2nd and declared an early Spring.  Sure he did, we have had snow just about everyday since Ground Hog Day!  WHY do we put so much trust, in a furry little animal, that doesn't use any kind of weather predicting devices?  I am tired, tired, tired of this cold, frosty weather, do ya feel my pain? I need some sunshine, please!

So, after a long bout of a flu like sickness last week, I'm back in the kitchen.  I gotta keep moving, trying to keep warm.  I made an after dinner dessert last night, hopefully to remind me of the warmer weather that will soon be in our forecast.  I needed a little of my own sunshine, and to refresh me a little, I made a Strawberry Tiramisu with a hint of lemon, that I know will get me thinking of Summer, the hot sun, being outside without a parka on, or bundled up with gloves, a blanket, scarf, boots, a hat........you get the picture, uh huh.

Recipe below.

To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

To view photos in a larger format, click on them.

A few of my ingredients.

 I used an 8 oz container of mascarpone cheese and 4 ounces of regular cream cheese.  Chopped a few strawberries for the cheese mixture.

 Made my own whipped cream, it's cheaper and you can flavor it anyway you like.  Used vanilla bean paste to flavor mine.

It only takes a few minutes, so be careful you don't want to churn it into butter by over mixing it.

 PERFECT!

 Gently fold half into the cream cheese mixture and reserve half for topping.

 Split the ladyfingers and layer in the bottom of a baking pan.  I used a palette knife to spread the cheese mixture it's much easier than a spatula.

 First layer of ladyfingers and cheese mixture.

I sliced up about 8 large strawberries to top the cheese mixture.  Another layer of ladyfingers, more cheese and any remaining strawberries.

 Used a pastry bag with a fitted tip and went all around the edges and in between all the berries, to top the whole tiramisu with whipped cream.  Garnished with a large sliced berry on top, as well as some grated lemon zest.

A slice of Summer, I feel better now!

 Strawberry Tiramisu

Ingredients

8 oz. container mascarpone cheese, room temp

4 ounces regular cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

2 - 3 oz packages ladyfingers

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

8 large strawberries, sliced (see note)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large strawberry for garnish

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese until well combined.  Add the 3/4 cup of confectioner's sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of zest, blend.  Fold in the chopped strawberries, set aside.

Split the ladyfingers in half, and make one layer of them in the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking pan, set aside. Reserve the other ladyfingers to complete the tiramisu. 

In a medium mixing bowl, pour in the heavy cream, vanilla and 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar. Beat on high, until stiff peaks form, do not over beat, it will turn to butter, not good.  This should be light and fluffy with the consistency of whipped cream, not cream cheese. Reserve half of the whipped cream, put into a bowl and refrigerate. With a spatula, lightly fold the other half into the cheese mixture.

Layer half the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers, top with sliced strawberries.  Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers, cheese mixture and strawberries.  Right before serving put the whipped cream into a pastry bag and pipe onto the top of the tiramisu.  Top with the large strawberry and lemon zest to garnish. Makes 6 servings.

NOTE:  You could also use frozen berries, or frozen berries in syrup.  I used fresh berries for a fresher taste.

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Oh my gosh I love Trader Joe's, I'm hooked and I visit the store at least once a week.  So while I was there shopping around the store, I found their version of shortcake biscuits in the bakery section.  I thought I would give them a try and make strawberry shortcakes out of them for me and the hubby.

There are 4 biscuits in the package, I used three of them for my shortcakes. These are light and mildly sweet.

 I toasted them up a bit in the oven. I baked them at 250 degrees for about 10 minutes, and then I split them in half.

 I mixed some strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water, let them sit for about 1/2 hour until they got syrupy.  Then I started building my shortcake......

 Added whipped cream and more strawberries......

 Another layer of biscuit, whipped cream and berries......

 Then topped it off with some of the syrup and it's ready to eat! Fast, easy, pretty dessert.

We Be Jammin!

My youngest daughter and I made strawberry jam last week and it turned out really well. Only four ingredients and you have yourself a tasty jar of summer fruit.  You can use the jam for breakfast on waffles, toast or bagels, on the top of ice cream, or on baked goods.  It is not too sweet and full of strawberry flavor.  Next week, Peach Jam so stayed tuned.

This is what you will need, fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon, pectin, jars, seals and rims

Washed and hulled berries

slice them up

cooking on the stove and almost done

Canned and ready to eat or give as a gift

Packaged up for gifting.  These are the canning items I purchased on clearance at WalMart that I
showed you in an earlier blog, fabric lid covers, ribbon and tags.

YUM! ready to eat!

Fruity and tasty spread on my bagel flat... SO GOOD!

EASY STRAWBERRY JAM

4 1/2  cups of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 cup of white sugar

1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice

2 ½ tsp pectin

1 tsp water

Wash 5 – ½ pint canning jars in very hot water.  Place the metal rings and seals in a pan of water and bring to a boil, then turn the water off and leave the lids in the pan.

 

Bring a deep, Dutch oven type pot with water, to a boil.  It should be deep enough with water to cover the jars once you lower them into the bath to seal them.

 

Prepare the fruit. You can either place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times or mash with a potato masher.  Transfer berries to a large saucepan. Add ½ cup of the sugar and the lemon juice.  Stirring frequently, bring the mix to a boil for about 15 minutes and continue stirring. When you are ready to gel it, add the 1 tsp of water to the berries and stir.  Mix the pectin with the other ½ cup of sugar and add to the strawberry mixture.  Stir quickly so the pectin dissolves into the mix and cook for about 2 -3 minutes until thickened.

Fill jars while the jam is hot. You can use a ladle or a canning funnel if you have one.  Make sure you keep your jars clean by wiping with a moistened cloth.  Leave about ¼ inch of space near the top of the each jar.  Place hot seal on top, then place the ring loosely, not too tight, on the jar (jars and rings can be reused but seals cannot).

While the jars are still hot, place them in the Dutch oven that is filled with boiling water using canning tongs. Lower them into the pan, without tipping them, right side up.  They should be totally covered with water at this point.  Continue to boil the jars for 10 -12 minutes.  Then remove from water, keeping upright, onto a cookie sheet to catch any dripping water.  All the jars should be sealed tight.  If they are not sealed you will be able to tell by pressing the center of the seal, if it has any give at all the jar is not sealed. Let them cool overnight so the jam sets.  Check again to see if they are completely sealed.  Tighten all the rings.  Jam will keep for up to 6 months unopened.  Once it is opened, store in the refrigerator.