Lime Strawberrycream Cookies



Lime Strawberrycream Cookies

 These cookies are delicate and delicious.  The cookie is made up of Strawberry buttercream sandwiched between two lime cookies. They are adapted from the Lemon Berrycream Cookies I had previously made.  That recipe was one of my kids' favorites, and I anticipate I will try them over and over with different flavour combinations.  When I asked my daughter what she thought of the idea of making one of our "classics" with different flavours she said "awesome!"- I think that's her new favourite word.  She really is my biggest supporter.  She loves helping with the ingredients and ideas.  Both kids loved how these turned out and my daughter thinks they will make a great year end gift for her teachers.  Smart kid :)

Lime Cookie

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp light cream
1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed

2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp lime zest
pinch of salt

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add egg and mix well.  Add cream and mix well. Add lime juice and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, lime zest and salt. Mix well.
Slowly add to creamed butter mixture. Mixing well.  Dough is mixed enough when it comes together and forms a ball.
Remove cookie dough from mixer.  No need to flour the surface as the dough is the texture of a play dough and should not stick

Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log approx 3cm in diameter.  Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour

Remove one log of dough from the refrigerator and use a sharp knife to slice into 24, 1 cm thick cookies.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Leaving a little space between each cookie (they don't spread much).

Bake @ 375° for approx 8 min, or until the bottom edge is just starting to turn a pale golden colour. Remove from oven cool for 1 min, then move cookies to a cooling rack. 
Repeat with each log of dough until all cookies are baked. Makes 8 dozen (96) cookies.  Allow cookies to cool completely.

Strawberry Buttercream

1/3 cup butter, unsalted, softened

1 1/3 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp whipping cream

1 1/2 tbsp Strawberry Coulis

Cream butter and icing sugar. Add coulis. Beat until light and fluffy.

Pipe Strawberry Buttercream on 1/2 (48) of the cookies, top with remaining cookies.  Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow butter cream to set.  Store cookies in refrigerator. Makes 48 sandwich cookies.

Lime Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese Glaze



Lime Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese Glaze


These muffins have a lovely light lime flavour, and topped with the strawberry cream cheese glaze they are a real treat.  These would be a beautiful served with brunch, or for a special breakfast with fresh fruit. 

Lime Muffins

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
juice of 1 large lime

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 large lime

Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.  Makes 12 muffins.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg, mix well.  Add sour cream, milk and lime juice and mix well.  Set aside.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and zest.  Stir and add to moist ingredients.  Stir together  until just mixed.
Spoon evenly into prepared muffin tins. Bake @ 375° for approx 18 min.  Remove from tins, cool completely and lightly frost with Strawberry Cream Cheese Glaze.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Glaze
1/4 block of light cream cheese
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 tbsp whipping cream
1 tbsp strawberry coulis

Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth and free of lumps.  Add icing sugar and continue to mix.  Add whipping cream and coulis. Mix until well blended and smooth.
Lightly frost cooled muffins.

Strawberry Coulis

Strawberry Coulis

Strawberry Coulis burts with flavour, and is so easy and quick to make.  Use it in your favorite recipes or as a dessert topping.   I use this coulis in Lime Muffins with Strawberry Cream Cheese Glaze and in Lime Strawberrycream Cookies
Strawberry Coulis
(makes approx 1/2 cup)

1 cup  frozen strawberries, thawed
3 tbsp sugar

Combine ingredients in blender and puree until smooth

Strawberry Lime Ice Cream

Strawberry Lime Ice Cream

I love the sweet-tart flavour of strawberry and lime together, they combine perfectly in this creamy, yet fresh and zippy ice cream.  I kept this recipe really simple to let the pure flavours come through.  This ice cream is really easy and quick to prepare, my three year old son did everything, with the exception of turning on the blender. I have to wait  until he is on the couch, well hidden under a blanket, to turn the blender on in this house.  If your kids like to help in the kitchen this recipe is great, there is really no way to mess it up (not that they ever mess anything up :)
 

Strawberry Lime Ice Cream
3 cups strawberries, fresh
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Combine Strawberries, sugar, lime zest and lime juice in a blender and puree.  Add whipping cream and blend.  Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow manufacturers directions.  Ice cream makers generally freeze ice cream to a soft serve consistency. For firmer ice cream transfer to a freezer safe sealable container and freeze for an additional 2 hours. 

Mango Strawberry Pie



Mango Strawberry Pie


At the beginning of the week when we came up with the ingredients,  my husband instantly said "pie".  I hate to admit, I groaned, out loud.  I also whined a little, "ughhh pie is so much work".  Pretty bad, I know. This is supposed to be a challenge right.  What can I say, I'm a cake girl.  I have made more cakes and cupcakes than I can count.  I make cakes for every occasion and just for the fun of it.  I am embarrassed to say, the number of pies I have attempted would easily fit on one hand.  I don't do lard, or margarine, they would never make it into my grocery cart and certainly not into my fridge.  But, everyone I know that makes great pies uses lard and their pies are amazing!  So what's a girl to do?....You guessed it, bring on the butter! This one's for you hubby, PIE!!!

Okay, this sounds terribly boastful, but here I go anyway...BEST PIE EVER!!!!!!!!! I was not expecting this pie to be tart, but it is, deliciously so....kind of like a nice tart strawberry rhubarb pie is.  I shall fear pie no longer. The butter pastry turned out beautifully, and did I mention that this pie is to die for. Seriously, you have to make this pie.

Buttery Rich Pie Pastry    (Make the pie pastry first, you will have time to prepare the fruit while the dough chills)
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter- cold, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks (save whites for brushing the top of the pie)
6-9 Tbsp cold water (use only as much as you need to form dough)

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add egg yolks and enough water to form dough.  Mix until dough just comes together. Turn out onto counter and knead until dough holds together nicely. Divide in two discs, wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate for at least 30 min or up to 2 days.

Filling

3 cups fresh mango, cut into 1cm x 1cm cubes.

3 cups fresh strawberries sliced

2 tbsp orange juice, freshly squeezed

2 tbsp cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients and toss well.

Remove pastry from refrigerator and roll out each disc into a circle just a little bigger in circumference than your pie plate.  Press one circle of dough into pie plate. Pour fruit filling into pie shell.  Top with remaining pie dough. Trim edges and seal the edge. Brush with egg whites beaten with a little water.

 Bake on rack on lower 1/3 of oven for 15 min @ 425°; Reduce heat to 350° and bake until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly, about 40 min.

Allow to cool a bit. Serve with vanilla ice cream.  Seriously BEST PIE EVER!!!!!

Amazing Disappearing Muffins



Amazing Disappearing Muffins

 I love to bake, and one of my favorite things to bake is muffins.  I like adapting and changing muffin recipes into something different.  These muffins are full of healthy fruit, with just a little white chocolate to sweeten them up.  These muffins have a beautiful citrus aroma and the contrast of the red strawberries against the bright orange of the muffin is so pretty. Both of my kids loved them. I was pondering over what to call these delicious muffins, but when the dozen I had baked lasted less than a day, they kind of named themselves.

Amazing Disappearing Muffins
2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one orange (some people like the whole orange peel- I am not one of them. I am careful to avoid grating the pith- the white part- it's bitter)

1 egg
1/4 c milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 cup mashed mango (I used frozen mango)
juice of one orange

1 cup strawberries diced
1/3 cup white chocolate coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray 12 muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.

In a separate bowl, beat egg. Add milk, oil, mango, and orange juice. Mix well. Add to flour mixture. Mix until just combined.

Fold in strawberries and white chocolate.
Distribute evenly in muffin tins.
Bake for 20-25min
Allow muffins to cool completely before removing from tins.  Watch how fast they disappear!

Strawberry Mango Coladas

Strawberry Mango Coladas

It has been a long, long, long cold Canadian winter and I am ready for some sun! Nothing goes better with sunshine than a cold slushy bevy!  This twist on the pina colada is bursting with strawberries, mango and orange.  Bring on the Sun!!!!

Strawberry Mango Coladas

2 cups fresh strawberries (the strawberries I found were huge and juicy and so sweet- if you can't find good fresh strawberries, use frozen unsweetened)

2 cups frozen unsweetened mango chunks (frozen mango is great for so many things. The quality is often far better than that of the fresh mango we get here in Canada)

Look at the size of those strawberries!

2 oranges-just the juice freshly squeezed

1 cup pina colada mix (I used Mott's)
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup Malibu Coconut Flavored Rum

Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.  Divide equally into four glasses. Share (or not)