Strawberry Apple Galette

I'm sure I will say this a half a dozen times this season but I LOVE this season. Cool breezes, hot apple cider, fires going in the fireplace, cozy blankets, and all the love and celebrations that go along with the magic of fall and winter. 

This past weekend my husband and I celebrated two years of marriage! Two years ago we chose to have a rehearsal luncheon because my dad's 80th birthday was the day before our wedding. That night we threw an incredibly sweet and fun surprise birthday party for him. It was the night before our wedding, and we were celebrating so many things that weekend. It brought us joy to be able to invite others into "our day" and good for our souls to not make the weekend all about ourselves. 

My dad loves pies, and has been begging me for a blueberry pie for a while. Well, I didn't have blueberries in the house this week (sorry dad!) but did have apples and strawberries. I decided to whip something together with those fruits + the rolled pie crust I had in the freezer for his celebration dinner. The result was divine. 

Ingredients:

1 rolled pie crust (found in refrigerated section at grocery)

3-4 apples (honey crisp, gala, fuji, or similar)

1 cup strawberries

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of salt

Coconut Whipped Cream recipe found here. 

Preheat oven to 400 f

Start by allowing your pie crust to thaw to room temperature. Core and slice apples evenly. Hull and quarter strawberries and add both fruits to a medium size bowl. 

Mix in the remaining ingredients and stir to coat fruit evenly. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour for flavors to meld together. 

Unroll pie crust over a round 9 x 11 pie dish. Slowly pour fruit mixture into the middle of the crust and fold edges around evenly, pinching with fingers to secure the crust together. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and cook for an additional 15 minutes, checking to make sure crust is golden brown. 

Allow to cool for a few minutes then slice and serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream! 

Lime Pie Pops!

We got a little bit of the exotic along with some staples in last weeks produce co-op basket and absolutely loved it. We had potatoes, cauliflower and (surprise!) prickly pear. Oh, and about 15 limes....So what does one do with all those limes? Well you make chicken curry with lime and then treat yourself to a fabulously tart and sweet dessert -- lime pie pops!

Find the recipe today at My Cooking Spot. Happy Friday! 

Strawberry Tiramisu

I had a miniature vacation in Central Market this weekend when my husband dropped me off to go wander around and find something for dinner. I got a few (surprise: Italian) things and am hoping to post the recipe for that soon. But what I really needed at Central Market was their savoiardi cookies. I can't find them anywhere else. 

Savoiardi, or "lady-finger" cookies are used in tiramisu. They are airy with a light amaretto flavor and a sprinkling of sugar on the top adding a bit of crunch. They soak up moisture wonderfully, making them perfect for this dessert. Traditional tiramisu is made with espresso, cream, marscapone, chocolate and liqueur. 

When I spent a summer in Italy, I prayed that I would make a friend who would share her grandmother's recipes with me. A tiny little prayer in my heart became a reality when a friend and I ran into Sara at one of our favorite cafes. We became fast friends and invited her to come over to our apartment and cook dinner with us. She not only accepted, but came early during her lunch break to make this dessert with me. It is her grandmother's twist to the original and is absolutely divine. 

Ingredients:

1 package strawberries

1 medium tub ricotta

2 small tubs marscapone cheese

2 tablespoons sugar
1 package savoiardi cookies 
Milk

Slice strawberries thinly and set aside. In a separate bowl mix ricotta, marscapone and sugar together until there are no lumps. Fold sliced strawberries in with a spoon. 

At the bottom of a large serving bowl, create a layer of savoiardi cookies. Pour milk over slowly until just covered. Layer cheese mixture on top of the cookies, smoothing out with a rubber spatula. Follow by more savoiardi, milk, cheese mixture, etc. until finished. 

Sometimes it helps to have a visual....cookies, milk, cheese mixture, repeat. 

Let stand in the refrigerator for 4 hours. 

Buon Appetito!

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Bread + Wine Project // Chocolate Cream Pie

Joining in on Oh Simple Thought's Bread & Wine Link Up today to share a decadent dessert with you! Each month we get together to share recipes with one another and talk about an aspect of gathering folks around our tables and filling our homes to glorify God and build community. 

We want our home to be a safe place for those who enter in. I like our home to be picked up but not to the point of being unrealistic.  Y'all know what I mean. My goal is to extend a sense of invitation and warmth. The other side of this coin is allowing our day to still rest in our homes so that those who come over know life is really happening over here. I never want to put out the impression that this ship runs smooth sailing every day, because it does not. This may sound simple in theory, but in reality it is truly hard for me to be vulnerable in this way. 

When I settle into what really matters, I make time to pray for people before they come over, whether they are close friends, family or strangers. Praying helps me to center the time on them, and off of myself, even if it's for 5 minutes while I'm preparing our meal or giving Reaghan a bath. My mind can be so busy with so many other things and forget to slow down. It's important for me to slow my pace before we have people over so that I can truly focus on their hearts and listen well. 

This dessert has been swimming around my head for a couple of weeks now. I decided this link up would be the perfect excuse to make it! AND I was having some girls from my small group over so I knew I'd have someone to eat it ;) 

Enter my super creamy, oh so dreamy chocolate cream pie. Made with healthy all natural ingredients (minus the crust...please forgive my sins!!***). It's a treat you can feel pretty darn good about.

***If you want to make your own crust, take a couple packages of graham crackers and crush them up, 1/2 a stick of melted butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 egg and a tablespoon cinnamon and mix it all together. Pack it down in a pie plate, bake at 350 for 10 minutes and call it a day. 

Ingredients:
No-bake graham cracker crust
1 cup sliced frozen banana 
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons cacao powder (unsweetened cocoa powder also works)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted


In a blender or food processor add your banana and pulse until all broken up. Add avocado and about 1/2 a cup of almond milk to get things blending. Use a spoon to help the mixture along as it starts to cream up. You may need to stop the blender and mix it up a bit to allow everything to come together. 

If you need more almond milk, add a bit more, being careful not to add too much, as you don't want the mixture to be runny. Once it is fully incorporated, add vanilla, cacao powder and honey until fully blended. With the blender still on and the feeder spout open, slowly pour in the coconut oil. This will allow the cream to become fluffy. Using a rubber spatula scoop chocolate cream into your pie crust. 

Allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set up. Just before serving, top with coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of cacao powder. 

Pile a handful of spoons on the table and tell your friends to dig right in! 



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Coconut Whipped Cream

I was going to save this for tomorrow and post twice but I thought what the heck, I'll post it today! I just whipped up (see what I did there?) a batch of coconut whipped cream. Also known as the dairy free girl's guide to starry eyed Heaven. This substitutes regular whipped cream perfectly and is a cinch to throw together. 

Ingredients:
1 can of full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

vanilla not pictured.....oops

Start out by chilling your coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Make sure not to shake the can to allow the fat to separate. When ready to use, scoop out the fat portion of the milk (that thick white portion that settles at the top) in a stand mixer with the whipping attachment. Whip the milk fat on high (my mixer was set between the 6 and 8 speed) until it starts to thicken and show peaks. 

Add confectioner's sugar one tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla and you're done! 

Add coloring to frost cupcakes, enjoy this atop a cake or come back tomorrow to see it dolloped on a chocolate cream pie! 

Everyone needs some whipped cream on a Tuesday, right? 

Homemade Chocolate Banana Fudgsicles

When I was a kid it was a summer time tradition to run down the hill to the neighborhood ice cream truck and grab any one of the assortment of cartoon themed popsicles or ice cream cones. I was never a huge fan of "fruity" sweets, but have always loved chocolate, so of course I begged my mom for some change to buy a fudgsicle. Mmmm.....icey, creamy, chocolatey childhood goodness. 

I'm sure those fudgsicles were not the healthiest choice. With summer in full swing  I've been craving one of these lately and decided to recreate my own healthier version.

This recipe is naturally sweetened with raw honey. Avocado and coconut milk add a decadent creaminess, and it's dairy and refined sugar free! A touch of coconut oil boosts your healthy fats for the day. Who knew you could feel so good about eating something so delicious!? I love finding new and healthier versions of treats we all know and love. 

Ingredients:

1 avocado 

3 heaping tablespoons of cacao or cocoa powder

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup coconut milk

A dash of salt 
A dash of cinnamon

1/2 banana, sliced very thin

Combine all ingredients except the banana in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Use a spoontula to push down what might get stuck to the sides. 

Fill the popsicle molds about 3/4 of the way full. Add three slices of banana to each mold, and top off with more fudgsicle mixture if needed. Place your sticks in, and pop them in the freezer for 2 hours to set. 

Makes 6 popsicles 


Linking up with A Harvest of Blessing

“Homemade Chocolate Banana Fudgsicles” is part of a blog relaunch series entitled 

"31 Days of Responding to Him" 

Follow along here

Blueberry Peach Galette

I don't know about you, but to me, peaches just taste like summer. As I was making this dessert I reminisced about all the peaches I ate last summer when I was pregnant. My Bradley instructor gave us food charts to track how much protein we were eating each week. (For you preggos -- that's 80-100 grams a week!) The chart also had categories for how much water I was taking in, the yellow/orange fruits and veggies I was eating, among other nutritious things! I never had any trouble fulfilling my weekly requirement of yellow or orange. If I ever had a pregnancy craving it was either yellow peppers or fresh fruits. But most of all, the baby wanted peaches. 

The first time I made a galette was the Apple Gazette from Dinner: A Love Story. I had never even heard of it before. A galette is a French pastry.... or just a fancy open faced pie. It sounds so much more complicated than it is ;) I love it because it's easier to make than a pie. Pies are tricky. I've never been able to get the crust evenly cooked without some measure of stress. 

Serves: 4

Prep:10 minutes 

Cook: 40 minutes 

Ingredients:

frozen pie crust, thawed 

5 peaches peeled, sliced and pitted

1/2 cup sugar  

3/4 cup blueberries 

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice + zest of one lemon 

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 egg

1 individual size turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

coconut oil

Preheat your oven to 400f. 

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently place your peaches in the water, letting them boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and place in an ice bath of cold water and ice to cool and stop the cooking. The skins should just slide right off, so remove them fully. With a paring knife (pictured below), slice up the peaches and pull them off the pit. If you're having trouble and they don't come right off the pit, just use your knife to cut them into chunks. 

Thaw the pie crust in the fridge so it's easily manageable. Carefully lay the crust evenly over a round 9" pie dish. In a separate bowl, mix together peaches, sugar, blueberries, lemon juice and zest, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

Pour this heavenly mixture onto the pie crust and gently pull up the sides of the crust and lightly pinch them together. If your crust is still a bit cold it'll be easier to work with than one that is at room temperature. Beat the egg in a separate bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash over the crust. This will make the crust a beautiful golden brown and give it a little crispness. Sprinkle just a bit of the turbinado sugar over the egg washed crust. 

Dab coconut oil over the fruit mixture like so....

....and pop that baby in the oven! Set it at 400 for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

Yummmmmm!!!!!!! Seriously, there are no other words. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or skip it and dig in with a fork right away! Who needs plates when there's so much gooey goodness?!

Enjoy!

“Blueberry Peach Galette” is part of a blog relaunch series entitled "31 Days of Responding to Him" 

Follow along here