Bite sized, delicious, and of course… gorgeous!!  Wait until you see these beautiful little trifles sitting on your dessert table.  I highly recommend you chill them since the cream cheese filling tastes a lot better when its cold.  A great “make-ahead” treat!

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry dough
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 can condensed milk (or 1/2 cup powdered sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mixed berries (blueberries and strawberries)
• 1/4 slice angel food cake, cubed

Preparation

For Easter brunch, my family went to Lidia’s in Kansas City.  It was a wonderful brunch and I tried a number of delicious dishes.  One of the items I ordered was the Asparagus E prosciutto appetizer.

Isn’t it beautiful?  It really caught my eye when they placed it in front of me.  When I tried it, I liked it, but wondered if I could make a similar dish, which is bigger and healthier.  The ingredients listed on the menu at Lidia’s for the Asparagus E prosciutto is  Asparagus, Scallion and Egg Salad with Prosciutto di Parma.  I’m on a carb free eating plan and wasn’t sure what was in the dressing or the egg salad.  So, I thought I would try to re-create the salad at home, with ingredients that were more accommodating to my eating plan.  Here is the salad I created.

Here is my recipe… all these ingredients are fabulous and good for you! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.

RECIPE:
8-9 fresh asparagus which are blanched for 1-2 minutes
2-3 hard boiled eggs
2-3 fresh radishes
1/2 avocado
4 slices of prosciutto ham (thinly sliced)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
1-2  tbsp of balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixture
salt and pepper to taste

Cut up your eggs and place them in the middle of your plate to create the bed for the salad.  Top with radish slices.  Drizzle with a little bit of the dressing and salt and pepper.  Place the blanched asparagus on top of the egg and radishes.  Place the prosciutto pieces around the outside of the plate.  Top off with diced avocado and cilantro.  Last but not least, drizzle the remaining dressing all over the salad and serve!

If you are one of those people who can’t seem to get out of the “cheese and crackers” plate, you will LOVE this article!

A few weeks ago, I invited one of my favorite couples to my place for an “ultimate” cheese experience.  Knowing that cheese was their weakness, I thought… why bother with dinner, we’ll just make the appetizer our main meal… needless to say, my guests loved it!

Something I hear from many of my friends is that they can’t seem to get creative with the cheese plate.  It seems like it’s always an after thought with the main meal taking most of the priority.  Well, here is a cheat sheet of some of my favorite things to add to a cheese spread.  Use all these ideas, or just a few.   I guarantee these items will always be a success!

Marinated Olives

Olives are a staple on a cheese plate, however marinated olives are even better! Most supermarkets have a plethora marinated olives at their deli section and I love that you can buy them by the pound and choose the amount you would like to serve.  However, they tend to be a bit pricey and if you are sticking to a budget, making your own is always a better option.  I simply mix a little garlic (not too much)  and my favorite spices (but not too spicy) in olive oil and pour over my favorite olives.  Let them stand for an hour and you should have a great addition to your cheese plate.

A Variety of Cured Meats

Whether you choose salami, prosciutto, or ham, cured meats are always a delicious addition to any cheese platter.  If you don’t like cured meats, you could also serve deli meats, such as roast beef, turkey, or chicken slices.  Your guests will love making their own combinations of cheese, crackers, and meats.

A Variety of Breads

Most people opt for crackers with their cheese.  And if you are serving a cheese plate as an appetizer, before a big meal, this will probably be a great option.  However, if you would like the cheese spread to be your main meal (maybe for a wine tasting party), consider adding various kinds of breads to the table.  Bread can fill up those hungry guests and adding additional bread accoutrements such as olive oil dip and soft cheeses will guarantee that no one walks away from your party hungry.  Also, consider using breads that are “out of the box” and your guests would not normally consider purchasing, such as olive ciabatta any flavor challahs, egg breads, etc.  Of course, have one “neutral” bread that everyone would like such as a french baguette.

Fruit

Fruit is a MUST!!  Fruits are beautiful, delicious, and best of all, help the digestive process.  Fruits have always complemented cheese and the best part of creating a cheese platter  is adding fruit which may be out of the box a bit.  Grapes are always great, but fruits such as figs, cherries, and strawberries look beautiful and taste great with cheese.  Of course, doing a bit of research and checking to see which cheeses go with which fruit is always recommended. For example, stay away from any high acid or citrus fruit.  But it’s not rocket science so don’t overthink it!  And don’t forget, dried fruit is wonderful too!!

Honey

Honey is a wonderful addition to any cheese platter.  It is the perfect juxtaposition of sweet and sour.  Generally, I recommend you use varietal honey which is made from bees who pollinate on just one flower rather than bees that pollinate a bunch of different kinds of flowers.  Also, just drizzle a little honey on the cheese, don’t soak it.  A little goes a long way!  

Honeys goes really well with aged cheeses that have a good amount of nuttiness. Parmigiano-Reggiano, a tangy Cheddar, or any of the alpine cheeses (Comté, Gruyère, Appenzeller).  Other sweet and creamy cheeses like ricotta, goat cheese, or feta are wonderful with a citrus based honey.  Don’t forget the blue cheeses which are spectacular with honey.  For some, the spicier the better, but you may want to experiment to see what you and your guests like the best.

Other Wonderful Additions:

Pepperoni Chips – Simply place pepperoni slices in your oven at 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until they get crispy and serve!

Chocolate – Did you know that dark chocolate and Parmesan cheese have been scientifically proven to work well together.  That’s right, scientists have actually proven that these two items are perfect for pairing.  Here’s the link to the full article on HuffingtonPost Taste, it’s fascinating.  And the good news is that  your guests will be WOWed by your brilliance 🙂  Another cheese you may want to try with chocolate is mozzarella cheese.  But don’t over do it, just a small amount will make a huge impression!

Fondue – So many of us think that we have to have wedge cheese on our cheese plate, but a hot delicious and creamy fondue will bring oohs and ahhs!  Plus, they are very easy to make

Nuts – Don’t forget the nuts!!  Almost any nut will look wonderful on your cheese plate.  You can do a little research to see which nuts pair well with cheeses, but honestly, it’s hard to go wrong.  My ultimate favorites are almonds and cashews.  They work well with most cheeses.

Preserves – Fig preserves are incredible on top of a delicious brie!  Other preserves such as plum, apricot, and even wild blueberry are unbelievable!!   Stop in at your local supermarket or gourmet grocer and talk to the cheese monger about the best pairings for their cheeses.  I find that the people behind the counter can answer all my questions and even teach me a thing or two!  Also, if there is a special gourmet cheese section at your grocer, take a look around to see if other items are displayed.  Many times, the cheese section has all you need to find the perfect preserves.

Things to avoid would be vegetables, spicy foods, heavy garlic flavored crackers and breads, citrus or high acid foods, and Tannic Red Wines.

Sometimes I feel really guilty posting recipes for sweet things, especially when I know I’m about to unleash something on to you that you will never forget!  Well, this is exactly how I feel about my latest obsession, the BROOKIE!  And what is a Brookie you may ask?  Well, if you ever had a day when you couldn’t decide to eat a cookie or a brownie, you can kiss those days goodbye!  Now, there is a dessert that encompasses both passions… beautifully I may add!  Before I give you the recipe, I want to warn you that I am a lazy dessert girl.  So, if I can cut some corners… I WILL!  With this said, I use the term “from scratch” rarely… and I’m not about to use it today!   I have figured out the best way to combine store-bought items for a quick and simple concoction.  I love using Ghirardelli brownie mix.  Trust me, I’ve used many different brands and this one is PERFECT!!!  For cookies, I use the refrigerated ones, Pillsbury is always a winner, however, the store-brand ones seem to work well too.  If you would like to make both the cookies and brownies from scratch and then combine them, feel free.  And you will find many recipes on the web that are great resources.  Just Google “brookies”. But since I typically make this dessert for parties (trust me, it’s safer for my waistline this way), I have a ton of menu items that I need to work on, so the less steps I have to go through, the better!

Another warning… the toughest part about this recipe is the time you have to stare and drool over the Brookies while they are cooling.  So your best bet is to make them ahead of time.  Make them the morning of your dinner party or even the evening prior.  Put them out of your sight and forget about them! Cut them when they have completely cooled.  If you want to pop them in the microwave for 10-15 second to get them a little warm, that will work.  And of course, you can serve them with other accoutrements, such as a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream!  But honestly… they are fabulous on their own!

But enough with the talk.  Here is the recipe for the easiest and most addictive dessert I’ve made thus far.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

INGREDIENTS

1 box Ghirardelli Triple Fudge Brownie Mix, 19 oz (It will come with a fudge pouch… so good!!!)
1 package of  any cranberry oatmeal (or just oatmeal) refrigerated cookie (Pillsbury is great!)
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

PREPARATION

Mix the Ghirardelli brownie mix according to package directions.  DO NOT ADD THE FUDGE POUCH, I’ve got a better use for it later!  Grease a 9×9 pan and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Empty the brownie mix into the greased pan.  Open the refrigerated cookies and break them apart.  Set them on top of the brownie mix giving them a little space between each one the end result is sort of like a grid of cookies on top of the brownie mix.  Do not be concerned if the cookies start sinking into the brownie… that’s all part of the plan!

Pop the brookie into the oven and set your timer for 45 minutes.   If you like your brookies super moist, you can remove them from the oven after 45 minutes.  If you like them slightly more dense, put aluminum foil on top of the brookie and let it bake for another 10 minutes.

Once it’s done baking.  Remove the brookie and open up that FUDGE POUCH that came with the brownie mix.  Create a pretty pattern on top of the brookie with the fudge. Let it fully cool, which could be up to an hour.  You can even pop it into the refrigerator for the last 30 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

When I find a great recipe, I don’t hesitate for a moment to try it.  Here’s a recipe I found on the box of Honey Maid graham crackers.  I LOVE ice cream sandwiches, but let’s be honest, they are not the healthiest of choices.  These however, are a winner!  You’ll be using fresh berries, banana, yogurt, graham crackers, and fat free whipped topping.  If you want to cut even more calories, omit the banana, these sandwiches will still come out wonderfully!!  Pictured are the sandwiches “whole” or cut into smaller pieces, according to the perforations on the crackers.

Ingredients

• 10-1/2 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams (you can use the whole cracker or broken into quarters (42 rectangles)
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup chopped bananas
• 1/2 cup cup blueberries and/or blackberries
• 1 cup vanilla nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 1 cup (or more) thawed frozen reduced-fat whipped topping

Preparation

Presentation

Last night was a wonderful night, which I desperately needed.  We had our neighbors over for a dinner which was long overdue.  They’ve invited us several times to their beautiful home and we enjoyed many laughs.  I promised to have them over, but with my friend’s husband being a pilot, and our lives being crazy, we could not get our schedules synced!  But yesterday was that magic Saturday when all the stars aligned… as well as our schedules! We had a wonderful evening filled with great food and conversation.

For an appetizer, I decided to create a cheese platter which would overflow with yumminess!  I had a total of three platters, but the one pictured was the main platter which included gouda and cheddar cheeses, salami, almonds, celery, olives, crackers, and fruit.  The other platters (not pictured) had a Brie with a combination of fig and cherry preserves and a cured meat platter with prosciutto  and grapes.  But I really loved how my main platter came out.  Nothing fussy just easy and rustic.  It was a big hit with our guests and I bet it would be a big hit with yours!  And as you can see, it was very easy to put together.!

If you love sub sandwiches but hate having to consume the extra calories from the massive buns, you will LOVE this sub sandwich on a stick! Much lower calorie than the real thing, less carbs and perfect for parties! Super easy! CLICK HERE TO READ THE RECIPE

I want you to prepare yourself for a dessert that’s not only beautiful but absolutely delicious!  This strawberry chocolate chip cake is fabulous alone or with a scoop of ice cream.  I made it for my husband because I realized I had a lot of strawberries left over and wanted to bake something delicious.  I found this recipe on Pinterest which led me to Julia’s Album.  She has a great web site with many great recipes.  I think she originally got it from Martha Stewart and tweaked it a bit.  Of course, I have tried many things on Pinterest that turned out to be disasters, but not this time!  My cake turned out fabulous! Julia used a springform pan, I just used a 9×9 square pan.  Mine turned out beautiful but I’m sure it would turn out even better in the springform.

This is what the cake looked like going into the oven.

This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven.  Obviously the strawberries are a little less vibrant, but still delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling the top of cake
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray cooking spray. Or you can use a 9×9 brownie pan and spray with cooking spray.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine butter, Greek yogurt, and 1 cup sugar and, using electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy – no more than 2 minutes.
4. Reduce speed to medium, mix in the egg, beat until light and fluffy. Then mix in milk, vanilla.
5. Keeping the mixer speed low, mix in the flour mixture, gradually, just until combined. Do not over mix.
6. Fold in chocolate chips into the batter. Transfer batter to springform pan. Arrange strawberries on top of the cake, cut sides down and close together. Place chocolate chips in spaces in between.
7. Bake cake for about 1 hour until the top is golden brown and the tester comes out clean. In the last 5-10 minutes of baking, you can take the cake out of the oven and sprinkle some more chocolate chips on top, pressing them lightly into the top of the cake (the top of the cake will already be baked and a bit crusty) – it will make for a nice presentation. Return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, to allow chocolate to melt a bit and look even nicer!
8. When the cake is done baking, let it cool (still in the baking pan) on a wire rack. After cake has cooled for about 40 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand under the cake, between the parchment paper and the bottom portion of the springform pan and move the cake with the parchment paper attached to its bottom onto a cake plate easily.

Notes

I’m going to admit something to you… I have a fail safe party secret which ALWAYS works… I mean ALWAYS!  Chocolate covered anything!  Some people resort to chips and dip, I resort to chocolate and it has never failed me yet.  So the next time you get the urge to entertain, try covering these foods in chocolate.  Trust me, you’ll thank me later!

Chocolate covered cherries

Super easy and absolutely delicious.  Cover these beauties in white or dark chocolate and you won’t be able to eat just one.  Serve them in a martini glass for a beautiful presentation.

Chocolate Covered Ice Cream Sandwiches

Hold on to your hats!  As if ice cream sandwiches weren’t enough, now you can dip them in delicious milk or dark chocolate for an added special touch and what’s a party if you don’t make your guests feel special.  Just make your sandwiches and freeze for four hours.  Melt chocolate and quickly dip the sandwiches in the chocolate and put back in the freezer.  I placed all my sandwiches on parchment paper in the freezer.  The sandwiches picture above were for a dinner party we had a few weeks back.  I also dipped them in bacon and peanuts…. yes, I’m crazy!

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

I know, I know… pure sin!  However, chocolate covered potato chips seem to have a great combination of the “salty and sweet” that people enjoy.  Plus, it’s unique and who doesn’t want to do something “out of the box” at a party?!  Trust me, your guests may look at you funny initially, but they’ll be praising your efforts after they try it! Just brush a little chocolate on a thick potato chip.  I suggest using the kettle brand or the rippled versions.  I wouldn’t dip the chips, a light brushing seems to have a nice effect without overpowering the chip as dipping may do.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Hold on to your hats!  What’s the hottest food trend? Chocolate covered bacon, of course!  I prefer to brush my bacon with chocolate instead of dipping it.  I find that brushing it gives it just the right balance.  Although some people fully dip the bacon and love it!  You’ll have to try it yourself and discover your preference!  Just make your bacon as you normally would.  I prefer to bake mine and for an added sweetness, I sprinkle a generous amount of brown sugar on the bacon before placing it in the oven.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

This classic will never fail you.  You can ask my friends, no one has ever NOT had chocolate covered strawberries at least once while hanging out at my house.  Simply put, they are the magic dessert that always seems to look beautiful and taste sensational.  I prefer to dip my strawberries in dark chocolate, it’s the best combination of wonderfully sweet strawberries with a slightly bitter taste of the dark chocolate.  Pure perfection!!  And if you really want to go crazy, stuff the strawberries with cheesecake filling.  Your guests will never forget it!!  Here’s the recipes.

Looking for something to celebrate?  How about because it’s friday… it’s summer… and it’s the first day of August?!  Still not excited? What about the fact that today is National Raspberry Cream Pie Day… yep, thought that would get your attention!  Today we celebrate beautiful raspberries in a delicious pie crust resting inside (or out) of a delicious cream pie filling.  Okay, I have to be honest, I’ve never made a raspberry cream pie before, so I had to look for an easy recipe.  And here’s the good news… I found one! I had to tweak it a bit, but it worked out!   I created mini-pies, that way I wouldn’t have to cut into it and everyone would receive a beautiful little mini-pie instead of a piece of pie that tends to get a bit sloppy!  I think they worked out and I highly recommend the recipe!  Enjoy…

INGREDIENTS:

2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
12 oz fresh raspberries
6-8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 mini graham cracker pie crusts

PREPARATION

1. Whisk sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice together in a bowl; gently fold in raspberries.
2. Gently spread cream cheese onto the bottom and sides of graham cracker crusts using a spatula or the back of a teaspoon.  The secret here is to make sure you purchase good crusts and that your cream cheese is WELL softened.  Otherwise, your pie crust will crack.  Divide raspberry mixture between the mini pie crusts… about 2 Tablespoons per crust.  Top with some fresh raspberries.
3. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.