TWD - Summer Fruit Galette

I wanted to make a mini version of this, so I just gathered a few apricots, plums, one peach, and one nectarine. Once I had this all cut up, I realized it would not fit in as small of a galette as I had imagined. I made a... probably 7 inch galette with all of that. I am dying to see how the rest of you fit 8-9 of EACH FRUIT into a 9 inch galette!! **** I also didn't totally get on board with this custard thing. I added some to it, but I think I would have liked it better without. I found the fresh fruit to be a much better photographic subject than the cooked galette, so today you get more raw fruit than galette :-)

I enjoyed this galette much more than the cherry apple cobbler, and much more than I expected myself to. I honestly don't think I've ever had an apricot before, so this was a new flavor for me. Overall, I enjoyed it for what it was, but didn't love it.




Summer Fruit Galette
From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
Chosen by Michelle from Michelle in Colorado Springs.
Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers here.

****OK, I am an idiot and can't read... Bridget so kindly pointed out that Dorie says 8-9 pieces of fruit, total. oops!

BB: Smoked Salmon Spread

This was SUPER easy and delicious! I tried a bit before adding the salmon, as I don't like salmon. I thought it was great, even without, and my husband (who loves salmon) polished off the rest. I served it with sourdough bread (another favorite of his).
Smoked Salmon Spread
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, page 35
Chosen by Ashley of The Spicy Skillet

~8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
~1/2 cup sour cream
~1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
~1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (I used dried)
~1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained (I used horseradish mustard)
~1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
~1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
~1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

TWD - Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

I'm just going to come right out with it... I wasn't a fan. I'd take my Mixed Berry Cobbler back any day. I'm not sure if I'm just not a fan of cooked cherries, or the apple (oh, yeah, I subbed apple for rhubarb) and cherry combo wasn't doing it for me, or I obviously used too large a vessel for the amount of fruit, or what. I just wasn't diggin' it. So here is one picture of my ridiculous looking (can't wait to see the other cobblers and how bad I messed mine up!) mini Cherry Apple Cobbler.

Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler
From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
Chosen by Amanda from Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake.
Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers here.

Strawberry Mint Sangria

I was in the mood for a light, summer-y beverage that would use up some of the multitude of wine we have sitting around. I found this recipe in a sangria recipe book that I got as a gift, and thought it would be perfect since I also have an overbearingly large mint plant on my balcony. This summer drink definitely fit the bill for light, fruity, crisp with a little tang. Now, time to go relax!

Strawberry Mint Sangria
Adapted from Sangria: Fun and Festive Recipes by Mittie Hellmich
Serves 4 to 6.

~2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced (I used some that I'd bought a while ago on sale, and frozen)
~1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, approximately 20 leaves.
~1 1/2 ounces brandy (I omitted)
~750 ml bottle dry white wine, chilled (I used Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc)
~12 ounces club soda, chilled (I used one can of Sprite Zero)
~About 3 cups ice cubes

In a large (at least 2-quart) glass pitcher, combine the strawberries, mint, and brandy. Slowly pour in the wine, stirring gently. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight. (Remove the mint leaves from the sangria after 2 hours.)

When ready to serve, add the club soda and stir gently with a long-handled wooden spoon. Fill highballs, wine glasses, or other decorative glasses with ice cubes and slowly pour the sangria over the ice, allowing strawberry slices to fall into the glasses. Garnish each glass with a mint sprig, if desired.

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

These were too cute not to make! Typically, I am anti-making one type of food look like some other type of food, but this looked too fun. Someone on the What's Cooking board found them on the Martha Stewart website, and I decided I had to make them for a summer party.

These were pretty easy to throw together, you could probably use any vanilla cupcake recipe you like (but I don't have a favorite so I made the one from the website). Just get some frosting, yellow and white jelly beans, a few yellow starburst, and you are on your way! They are fun to decorate and super cute.
Corn on the Cob Cupcakes
From Hello, Cupcake!, by Karen Tack
Yield: 24 Cupcakes (I only got 19)

For the Cupcakes:
~2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~2 teaspoons baking powder
~2 teaspoons baking soda (I used 1.5 tsp)
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/2 cup milk
~1/2 cup vegetable oil
~1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 2 tsp)
~1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
~1 cup sugar
~3 large eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine milk, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with batter. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack; let cool completely before decorating.

For Decorating:
~Vanilla Frosting
~yellow food coloring
~3 1/2 cups small yellow, cream, or white jelly beans, such as Jelly Belly
~4 pieces yellow fruit chews, such as Laffy Taffys or Starbursts
~1 tablespoon black decorating sugar (I skipped)
~1 tablespoon white decorating sugar (I skipped)
~8 sets of corn holders (optional)

Directions
Color the frosting pale yellow with food coloring.

Working with 3 cupcakes at a time, frost cupcakes with yellow frosting. Arrange 5 rows of jelly beans, close together, on each cupcake. Place the 3 cupcakes side by side on a corn dish or serving platter to resemble an ear of corn. Repeat process with remaining cupcakes, frosting, and jelly beans.

Cut the fruit chews into eight 1-inch squares. Soften the edges slightly by hand so that they look like melted butter. Place 1 square on top of each ear of corn. Sprinkle with sugars. Insert a corn holder in the end of each ear of corn, if using. Serve.

TWD - Chocolate Pudding

There isn't much to say about this. If you can access this recipe, MAKE IT. I don't even like chocolate and it was GONE in about 2.2 seconds. So, if you are a chocolate lover, make it, be the most patient you have ever been for 4 hours while it sets, then grab a spoon, sit back and go to heaven. It is velvety smooth and such a rich chocolate flavor. See? I can't even think straight long enough to come up with a real description. Just go ahead and make it, please, so you'll understand where I am coming from. :-)

Chocolate Pudding
From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
Chosen by Melissa from Its Melissa's Kitchen.
Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers here.

*Please don't remind me how horrific these pictures are... I was gone all weekend and only had Monday night to make this. **Wishes for better lighting and a new lens**

Happy Birthday to me!

My brother sent me a Williams Sonoma gift card for my birthday a few weeks ago. I tucked it away and figured some day I'd have something I wanted to buy from there. That day came a little sooner than expected when I saw THIS baby, ON SALE. Here is my new beautiful blue Emile Henry faitout. I heart her! I was so excited to come home and introduce my husband to the newest member of our family, and have my very first Emile Henry piece. (Now, if they'd only put those pie plates on sale!) If you feel so inclined, help me name her!

*Just don't ask me what you are supposed to do with it. =D