Easy Fruit Tart

Easy Fruit Tart
From Joy of Baking
Serves 6-8

Shortbread Crust
1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour (for light French flour use 1/2 all purpose flour and 1/2 cake flour)
1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Cream Filling
1/2 cup (120 ml) mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (35-40% butterfat content)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping
3 cups (720 ml) fruit (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.) I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries only

Shortbread Crust: Butter or lightly spray with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray, an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

Place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can be covered and stored for a few days.

Cream Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer or wire whisk) beat the mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla extract just until soft peaks form. If too thick to spread, beat in a little more heavy cream.

To Assemble Tart: Evenly spread the cream onto the baked and cooled tart shell. Scatter the berries on top of the cream. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. Remove from fridge about 30 minutes before serving to give the fruit and cream a chance to warm to room temperature.

Here is the crust recipe I use.

No Roll Pie Crust Dough

From Bon Appetit

Makes one 10 inch pie crust

3/4 c. unsalted butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 T powered sugar

2 c. flour

Melt butter. Add sugars and stir. Add flour and stir. Spray pie plate with Pam. Press dough into plate. Refrigerate at least 30 min.

No.

You cannot use JELL-O as a reason for blogging.

What if I had it for years.

No.  It never goes bad.

What if I wouldn't use it except for this blog.

Lame.

What if I made it, looked for it for a couple days, cleaned my kitchen and found it under a towel on the counter.

You can't be serious.

Oh, but I am.  Hey, it's still good!

Peachy Berry Mold

From The Joys of Jell-O and lemonlorange

“A fruit mold that brings a bit of sunshine to your meal anytime of year.”

1 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Orange or Orange-Pineapple Gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 can (8 3/4 oz.) sliced peaches
1 package (10 oz.) Birds Eye Red Raspberries

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin in boiling water. Drain peaches, measuring syrup; add water to make 3/4 cup. Stir into gelatin. Add frozen raspberries, separating berries with fork and stirring until mixture thickens. Then stir in peaches. Pour into serving dishes or a 1-quart serving bowl. Chill until firm. Garnish with sour cream, if desired. Makes 3 1/2 cups, or 6 servings.

My adaptation 

3 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Orange 

3 cup boiling water
1 quart frozen sliced peaches in syrup, mostly thawed
1 package (12 oz.) fresh raspberries

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin in boiling water.  Combine thawed peaches and syrup with raspberries.  Place in a large bowl or serving dish.  Pour Jello-O over.  Chill until firm. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.

Orange and Raspberry JELL-O

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups boiling water
2 (3 ounce) packages JELL-O Brand Orange Flavor Gelatin
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments
1 (12 ounce) package fresh raspberries

Instructions
Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. 

Drain the mandarin orange segments, saving the liquid.  Add water to the liquid to make 2 cups.  Stir mixture into JELL-O.
Stir in orange segments and raspberries gently. Spoon into 6-cup mold or bowl.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Unmold or leave in serving bowl. Garnish as desired. Store leftover in refrigerator.
 

Chocolatey Raspberry Crumb Bars

Chocolatey Raspberry Crumb Bars 

From Nestle

Serves 36

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam

 

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until crumbly. With floured fingers, press 1 3/4 cups crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan; reserve remaining mixture.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

MICROWAVE 1 cup morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread over hot crust.

STIR nuts into reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over chocolate filling. Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining morsels.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Calories per serving 170

The Waiting Game

is not good when it comes to most foods. Like waiting for more raspberries to ripen while the already picked ones turn moldy. The second picking becomes picking out the moldy ones then using them to make jam. I added blueberries to make up the missing raspberries. Which I could have done in the first place. The blueberries actually make it so you don't have to sieve the seeds out of the raspberries. A nice inconsequential consequence.
Raspberry Freezer Jam
From SURE.JELL
Makes About 7 (1-cup) containers or 112 servings, 1 Tbsp. each

3 cups prepared fruit (buy about 6 cups fully ripe red or black raspberries) (I used half black raspberries, half blueberries)

5-1/4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup water

1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin

RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.
CRUSH raspberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (Press half of pulp through a sieve to remove seeds, if desired. Not necessary if you use half blueberries.) Measure exactly 3 cups crushed raspberries into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.
MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min.or until sugar is almost dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)
FILL containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Measure Precisely

To get exact level cup measures of sugar, spoon into dry metal or plastic measuring cups, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with straight-edged knife.

Substitute

Prepare using blackberries.

Fresh Raspberry Pie

Raspberry Pie

4 c. fresh raspberries (frozen works as well but do not thaw)
1 to 1 1/2 c. sugar (to taste)
1/4 c. cornstarch
1-2 T. lemon juice (to taste, optional)
1/4 c. butter
 

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry dough. Place raspberry mixture in pie shell, heaping fruit toward the center. Dot with butter. Add the top crust, crimping edges and cutting several vents for steam to escape. Brush with water and sprinkle with sugar. Or run light stream of water over pie. Pour off excess. Sprinkle with about 2 T. of sugar.

Bake 45 for 15 min. Reduce oven to 350. Lay a sheet of foil on top of pie and bake 45 minutes, until fruit is bubbly.

Pie Crust

food.com/recipe/my-no-roll-pie-crust-51537

1 1/2 flour

1 t. salt

2 t. sugar

2 T. milk

1/2 c. oil 

• Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the oil and milk.
• Mix until it makes a ball.
• Flatten and press into the pan in pie crust shape and flute the edge.
• Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until golden.
  
• One crust pie, excellent for cream pies and crumb topped baked pies.
• To make a two crust pie, I make the bottom and press into the pie plate. Then for the top crust just put it between wax or parchment paper and roll top crust out, pick up bottom of paper and flip on top of pie. Dampen the surface before laying down the first sheet of wax paper.  This will stop the sliding as you roll.  I also tear the wax paper long enough to hang over the edge and hold it with my body. Don't pre-bake the bottom for a 2 crust.  

Fresh Berries

...for the weekend.

Store Bought Jello

My husband was in the mood for Jello. We were out so we bought some. Ick. He wouldn't eat it. Throw out cheap Jello? Never! I melted it down to make a recipe everyone likes. It gave me a chance to use some old yogurt too. Today I used fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Jell-O Salad

3 small pkg. raspberry Jello
2 c. water
24 oz raspberry yogurt
10 0z pkg frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed or partially thawed

Heat water until very hot/almost boiling. For ease use the microwave. Stir in Jello and mix until it is dissolved. Spoon yogurt into separate bowl. Add Jello a little at a time, stirring each time until smooth. (You could use a blender for this instead) Stir in raspberries. Chill until set. You can make this with strawberries also.