There’s a local pastry chef in my area who I’m kinda obsessed with. Everything she makes is divine. I practically stalk her every weekend to get my macaron fix. A few weeks ago, she had cake jars for sale. I bought one on a whim because I have no will power when it comes to cake in portable packaging. It was a strawberry shortcake cake jar with sponge cake, silky frosting, sweet macerated strawberries and a surprise ingredient – salty buttery Ritz crackers.

Have I mentioned that, aside from chocolate and cheese, Ritz crackers are my major weakness?

It. was. heaven. I devoured it.

Then I immediately decided to steal the idea and put my own twist on it.

And so these Salty Sweet Strawberry Crisps were born.

This is a dessert of contrasts. As if the contrast of soft, juicy, sweet strawberries and the crispy, crunchy, salty topping wasn’t enough, I felt it needed one more component. Something creamy and cold to compliment the warm crisp. Something like… basil ice cream, made the lazy way.

Store bought vanilla ice cream + fresh basil = lazy basil ice cream.

I love the contrasts in this dessert and I love that it’s easy to throw together. You can even bake it ahead of time, making it great for spring / summer entertaining. I can see myself making this one over and over again!

Salty Sweet Strawberry Crisp with Lazy Basil Ice Cream

Serves 4

Adjust the sugar according to the sweetness of your strawberries. Prepare the ice cream just before serving. Use the best quality vanilla ice cream you can afford for best results – one with just a few whole food ingredients and real vanilla beans.

Salty Sweet Strawberry Crisp Ingredients

2 heaping cups hulled & diced fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons sugar (depending on berries)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

15 Ritz crackers
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup raw almonds, finely chopped
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
pinch of coarse salt

Lazy Basil Ice Cream Ingredients

1 cup good vanilla ice cream
6-8 large basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 4 6-ounce ramekins on a foil lined baking sheet.

Toss strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl. Divide evenly among ramekins.

Using your hands, crumble crackers into roughly pea sized pieces a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, almonds, salt and melted butter. Toss together until damp and evenly mixed. Top ramekins with mixture.

Bake ramekins uncovered on foiled lined baking sheet at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and top is browned.

About 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve the crisps, remove ice cream container from freezer and sit at room temp to soften. Roll basil leaves into a cigar-shape and slice finely (aka chiffonade), then chop finely into small pieces. Scoop about 1 cup of softened ice cream into a small bowl and fold in basil with a spatula. Serve immediately over warm strawberry crisps.

To make ahead: You can bake the crisp several hours ahead of time. Cool, then keep loosely covered at room temperature. (I don’t recommend refrigerating, as the topping will get soggy.) Reheat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until warm.

Unfortunately, not everything I make is amazing. Those cookies? They were just meh. They weren’t bad but they weren’t what I wanted either. Back to the drawing board with that recipe.

You know what is amazing though? This Meyer lemon curd! Emphasis on the ‘zing’. Like all lemon curds it’s has that wonderful bright lemony tartness, but it also has a hint of orange and a more complex flavor than regular lemon curd.

I cannot stop eating it.

I realize we may be approaching the end of Meyer lemon season now (I couldn’t find any last weekend) but if you can still get Meyer lemons, I highly recommend making this curd. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, no worries. According to Gourmet, you can use this same recipe with regular lemons if you up the sugar to 3/4 cup.

It’s so easy to make – no tempering, no egg separating, just dump all the ingredients in one pot and stir. For something so effortless, the payoff is major. There are a million things you can do with lemon curd, but right now I’m enjoying it with fresh strawberries and plain Greek yogurt for breakfast. Divine.

Quick & Easy Meyer Lemon Curd

Adapted from Gourmet
Makes about 1 cup

This recipe is very easy, but the key is patience. You must cook the curd on LOW heat very slowly and you must whisk constantly. For reference, my electric stove burners range from 1 to 9. I cooked my curd on 3 for 10+ minutes. If substituting regular lemons, increase sugar to 3/4 cup.

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice (about 3-4 large lemons)
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

Directions

Add all ingredients except butter to a saucepan over Low heat. Whisk to combine. Add butter. Continue whisking gently but constantly, heating slowly, until curd thickens and reaches 160°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from heat.

For the smoothest curd, pour through a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to a storage container. Cover and refrigerate overnight before use. Curd keeps up to 1 week in the fridge.

Since my world revolves around food, I always bring snacks when we go hiking. Sometimes it’s whatever I can find in my pantry. Sometimes it’s cake. (True story.)

Sometimes it’s my favorite snack bars from KIND. This is not an advertisement or endorsement, I just like them. I like that they’re made out of real food and I like that they taste good. My favorite so far is the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew bar because, duh, chocolate.

I ate one recently and found myself marveling over the delicious simplicity of fruit and nuts in a perfectly transportable bar when it hit me – I could easily make these myself!

With a little help from Jen’s own energy bar recipe on her website Use Real Butter (which you should check out, by the way) and guidance from the KIND ingredients list, I did just that.

It was as simple as pulsing some dried fruit in the food processor until it formed this rather unappealing looking gummy mass…

… then mixing in some nuts…

… drizzling with metled chocolate and BAM. Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars. If you play your cards right, you won’t even have to turn on your oven.

One thing I noted about the KIND Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars is that they don’t taste specifically cherry-y or cashew-y, and I find my bars turned out the same way. They are flavorful and satisfying though.

The dried fruit makes the bars just sweet enough and a bit chewy while the nuts give them some good crunch. I was a little afraid the chocolate would melt, but during a test hike over the weekend the bars held up just fine in my bag while we hiked through sunshine and enjoyed the nearly 80 degree weather. (80 degrees! In March!) Don’t leave them out in direct sun unless you want a big melty mess on your hands though.

Oh, and I highly recommend eating them with a view.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars

Adapted from Use Real Butter and KIND Bars
Makes about 14 KIND-sized (roughly 1 inch x 4 inch) bars

The dried fruit in this recipe is super sticky, which is great for holding the bars together but can be difficult to work with. To make it easier, spray all utensils, bowls and pans liberally with oil.

Ingredients

vegetable or olive oil spray
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews
1 1/4 cups (10-12 whole) medjool dates, pitted
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup almonds, roasted *see note below
1/2 cup crisped rice
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

* You can purchase your almonds already roasted if you don’t want to turn your oven on. Or, buy raw almonds, spread out evenly on a sheet pan and bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!

Line an 8×8 baking pan with two layers of foil, leaving some overhang, and spray with oil. Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with oil spray. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse cashews until roughly chopped (no smaller than pea-sized pieces). Add to prepared mixing bowl. Spray food processor blade generously with oil. Add all fruits to food processor (dates through cranberries) and pulse until a sticky paste forms, scraping down sides as needed.

Add fruit paste to cashew pieces in mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup almonds and crisp rice. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Press mixture firmly into prepared ban. Press remaining 1/2 cup almonds firmly into top. Chill in freezer for about 30 minutes.

Spray a sharp knife with oil. Remove bars by foil overhang, place on cutting board and cut into 14 bars.

Place chocolate chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals until chips start to melt. Continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring well between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cut bars. Set at room temperature until chocolate is firm, 15-30 minutes.

Bars can be individually wrapped and stored at room temperature for a few weeks. If storing longer, place individually wrapped bars in a freezer bag and freeze. Remove from freezer 1 hour before eating.

Wait, where are you going? Don’t leave! There isn’t even a whole stick of butter in it!

OK. Just hear me out.

Back in the day (2007) before I knew food blogging was even a thing, I liked to bake and I would sometimes take photos of my baking adventures. Shocking, I know. One particular adventure was with Paula Deen’s Lemon Blossoms. The photos were… not good. But we all have to start somewhere, right?

More important than the photos, the lemon blossoms were awesome. I managed to get some friends hooked on them too. After some trial and error, I learned that the mini muffin sized ones were best. They taste like bright lemony donut holes and being so small, they’re infinitely pop-able.

I haven’t had lemon blossoms in years, but thanks to the early warm weather we’re having I’ve been craving them lately. This time I decided to skip the boxed cake mix so I could scale the recipe to more manageable size. I also shook things up by using in-season Meyer lemons. (Never heard of Meyer lemons? They’re a less tart cross between lemons and oranges.)

I’m happy to report these Meyer Lemon Blossoms are just as bright and addictive as the Paula Deen version. I find myself walking past the container I’ve stashed them in, thinking “Oh, I’ll just have one…” and before I know it, I’ve “just had” half a dozen. I think they’d make perfect little tea cakes for a shower or luncheon, or you can eat them my way – two at a time over standing over the kitchen counter.

Meyer Lemon Blossoms

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Paula Deen
Makes 20-24 mini muffins

While I haven’t tested it, these blossoms should be just as delicious made with regular lemons if you can’t find Meyer lemons. They bake quickly, so keep a close eye on them to avoid over baking – start checking them around 8 minutes. Do NOT skimp on the glaze. It adds a big punch of flavor and helps keep the blossoms moist, so really lay it on thick.

Cake Ingredients

1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest from 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (approximately) milk
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1 large egg, at room temperature

Glaze Ingredients

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1 tablespoon vegetable / canola oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 – 4 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a non-stick, 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Place Meyer lemon zest and sugar in bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice into a 1 or 2-cup measuring cup, then add milk to reach 1/2 cup. Stir and set aside.

Using the paddle attachment on medium speed, mix sugar and zest together until fragrant and damp, 1-2 minutes. Add butter and beat until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and lemon extracts and egg, beat to combine. Add milk mixture and beat to combine. Lastly, add flour mixture 1/3 at a time, beating just until combined and scraping down sides if needed.

Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon (or less) of batter into each cup of the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes (checking after 8), or until top springs back to the touch. Cool in pan for 2 minutes, then flip onto wire wrack to cool completely.

To glaze, lay wax paper under a wire rack. Add powdered sugar, zest, oil and vanilla extract to a small bowl. Whisk in 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, then test consistency (you want it thick but fluid enough to spread) by dipping the top of one muffin in the glaze and setting it upright on the prepared rack. If the glaze runs slowly down the sides of the muffin, it’s perfect. If it’s still too thick, whisk in 1/2 tablespoon more of lemon juice and retest, up to 4 tablespoons. Spoon glaze over cooled muffins or dunk muffins in glaze, and set on wire rack to harden.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Craving More?

I realize St. Patrick’s Day is coming up this weekend, so here are a few recipes to help you celebrate:

• Cheesy Potato Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
• Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting
• Bailey’s Brownies
• Chocolate Stout Cookies with Salted Caramel Frosting & Pretzels

If you’re craving more lemon-y goodness, try these recipes:

• Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Lemon Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
• Limoncello and Mint Sorbet
• Lemon Curd and Cream Layer Cake
• Lemon Blackberry Kuchen

But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

You might have heard me rave about my addiction to Greek yogurt once or twice or two thousand times. Wanna hear a secret?

I used to hate yogurt.

Then I found pineapple Chobani. I can’t remember now what inspired me to try it – if my mom or a friend told me about it, or if the pineapple just caught my eye at the store – but it’s been a non-stop Greek yogurt fest in my house ever since. And after listening to me rave about it for months and months, even my husband is hooked on it now! You could say I’m a little obsessed.

Ok, maybe a lot obsessed.

When I heard Chobani was rolling out 3 new flavors in 2012, suddenly it was the only thing I could think about. I had to try those new flavors. After weeks of searching and disappointment, I finally found myself in the dairy aisle face-to-face with a freshly stocked shelf of Chobani and all three new flavors. I could not believe my luck.

Now I expected to love the Apple Cinnamon flavor, but the Blood Orange Chobani took me by surprise. Who knew blood orange yogurt could be so good? It’s something about the combination of tangy blood orange and rich, creamy Greek yogurt. I was suddenly inspired!

“Wouldn’t this make a fantastic cheesecake?”, I asked myself while I contemplated licking the now empty container.

“It would… but only if it also had a chocolate crust.”, I answered myself.

I firmly believe chocolate makes everything better.

My first attempt at making these cheesecakes was meant to feature blood orange red hearts for Valentine’s Day. Awwww.

But plans went awry.

After baking, the hearts looked like smudges.

I tried to fix them. (I made it worse.)

Exasperated, I shoved the cheesecakes in the freezer and started over, sans hearts. Thankfully my second attempt was less cute but much more successful.

At first bite you taste the vanilla cheesecake and chocolate crust, but as the blood orange gelatin on top melts, it hits your tongue with that floral, slightly bitter blood orange flavor. You get creamy, rich, crunchy and zesty all in one bite.

Not to mention that color will brighten any dreary winter day instantly.

It’s a good thing they’re small or I would have devoured a whole 9-inch cheesecake by myself.

But wait! I almost forgot to mention the best part. On top of getting this lovely recipe from me, Chobani wants to send one of you lucky readers 12 cups of the new flavors – that’s 4 Apple Cinnamon, 4 Blood Orange, and 4 Passion Fruit yogurts! They’re still hard to find in stores (they keep selling out at my store) so you’ll want to jump on this. All you have to do is follow the rules below.

Chobani Giveaway Rules

• This giveaway is open to US residents only.
• One entry per person, please.
• Winner will be chosen at random from all entries received.
• Entries will be accepted until 5:00pm EST Monday, February 20th, 2012.
• Winner will be announced no later than 5:00pm EST Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012.
• TO ENTER: Simply leave me a comment with your favorite Chobani flavor or the one you’re most looking forward to trying. Easy.
  (PS. Use a real email address so I can contact you later to claim your prize!)

Full Disclosure: Chobani sent me a case of the new flavors too. All opinions in this post are my own. I only like Valentine’s Day as an excuse to eat more chocolate. I have a terrible sense of direction. Beagles are my favorite. Also, I really need someone to come over to my house and help me eat all these cheesecakes.

The giveaway is closed and we have our winner – Congratulations Kerry!

Blood Orange No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes with Chocolate Crust

Adapted from Art of Dessert and Martha Stewart
Makes 9 mini-cheesecakes

I highly recommend using a mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms for this recipe. Technically you bake the crust for these mini cheesecakes, but the cheesecakes themselves are unbaked which is why the blood orange gelatin sets so prettily on top. There are several cooling steps, however, so be sure to read through and plan ahead accordingly! These should definitely be made in advance.

Ingredients

4 – 5 sheets chocolate graham crackers, crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted

4 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons low or no-fat plain Greek yogurt
pinch of salt

7 tablespoons fresh squeezed blood-orange juice, strained
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder (less than 1/2 packet)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup cheesecake pan with removable bottoms generously with baking spray.

Break graham cracker sheets apart along scored lines and place in food processor. Pulse until reduced to fine crumbs. With the processor running, pour in melted butter. Continue to pulse until blended. Crumbs should stick when pressed together.

Divide crumbs evenly among 9 cups of the prepared 12-cup pan, about 1 tablespoon of crumbs each. Press crust firmly into place. (The bottom of a shot glass ended up being perfect for this task.) Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, Greek yogurt and salt. Beat on low until smooth. Divide cheesecake mixture evenly among crusts. Smooth tops. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once cheesecakes are firm, prepare blood orange topping. In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons blood orange juice and sprinkle with unflavored gelatin powder. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 4 tablespoons blood orange juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. In a small cup or glass, stir together remaining 1 tablespoon blood orange juice and cornstarch. Whisk into boiling mixture. Remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatin. Cool until warm, 5-10 minutes. (While waiting, you can further smooth the tops of your cheesecakes with a damp finger, if needed.)

Pour gelatin mixture evenly over prepared cheesecakes, about 1/2 tablespoon each. Refrigerate until gelatin is set, at least 20 minutes. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Garnish with blood orange zest if desired.

Store covered in refrigerator.

I can’t stop making and eating caramel this fall. On cupcakes. With pudding. In my morning breakfast yogurt. With my fingers. (What?)

In the last recipe I mentioned that I made cranberry caramel, but I think it got a little outshined by the pumpkin pie pudding. So I decided to feature the caramel on it’s own because, you guys – this stuff is amazing. Life changing. Soul saving. Heavens open up and sing when you taste it. It’s that good.

I know it’s the day before Thanksgiving and you already have a million things to make between today and tomorrow, but if you find yourself with a spare hour or so, make this cranberry caramel. It’s sweet and tart. Flecked with vanilla bean. It has so many layers of flavor and it tastes great on almost anything. If it was legal, I would run off to Vegas and marry it. (Sorry, husband.)

This caramel is extremely versatile because i’s firm, yet soft and spoonable straight out of the fridge, making it a perfect topping for cold desserts (like pumpkin pie pudding). Warmed, it would be fantastic drizzled over pumpkin or pecan pie, or just plain vanilla ice cream.

Or if you come back next week I’ll give you another recipe you can use it for. One with chocolate.

That is, if you don’t eat it all with a spoon first.

Cranberry Vanilla Bean Caramel

Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes about 1 1/4 cups

A word of caution: Making caramel is tricky. Have patience and have all of your ingredients ready to go. Caramel also gets very, very hot. Much hotter than boiling water. It will spatter, so be careful. Wear long sleeves, use a deep pan or pot, and do not try to taste the hot caramel no matter how much you want to! David Lebovitz has some great tips for making caramel.

Ingredients

1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

Directions

Split vanilla bean, scrape seeds into cream. Chop cranberries. Set aside.

Cook sugar in a deep saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula until sugar has melted. Once melted, STOP stirring. Continue to cook sugar until it is deep amber in color and smells caramelized. Remove from heat and immediately add cream. (Caution: Sugar will bubble violently, be careful!) Sugar will likely sieze and harden at this point. Place back over med-low heat and stir occasionally until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add chopped fresh cranberries. Return to low heat (do not boil) and cook, stirring frequently, until caramel darkens and tastes slightly tart from cranberries, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes. Use as is with cranberries, or strain through a mesh sieve for a smooth caramel. Use immediately or store in a covered, heat-proof container in refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks.

New York was gorgeous. Positively glowing with fall colors.

We spent our days hiking to plunging, splashing, cascading waterfalls and the evenings dining on the culinary gems of the Finger Lakes region. We ate so much good food – wines, cheeses, waffles with peanut butter and banana, brie stuffed French toast, and more. But my favorite meal of them all was at the place I least expected: Moosewood. Don’t get me wrong – I had heard Moosewood has excellent food, but I had also heard that they were all about healthy, natural, vegetarian foods. I’m not opposed to any of those things. They just aren’t really words that get my mouth watering in anticipation, you know? However, the hype intrigued me so I decided we should check it out anyway.

I am so glad we did. I loved everything I ate that night, from the tea to the roasted dumpling squash. In fact, I loved it so much I asked for the recipes right then and there and then bought two of their cookbooks as soon as I got home. Who knew vegetables could taste so fantastic?

The tea. Wow. That chilly night there were several really good sounding drinks on the menu but when my husband noticed the ginger tea, I just had to have it. It was sweet and citrus-y with a warm, slightly spicy finish from the ginger. At the first sip I immediately I knew I would need the recipe to make at home again and again.

Once we got back home to Virginia, I thought I would have a few more weeks before the weather really cooled enough to try making ginger tea. I mean, it was still nearly 70 degrees during the day.

And then it snowed. Wait, what?

Yeah, that happened. Snow. In Virginia. In October. The only way I was going to get through this was with some ginger tea.

To my delight, Moosewood’s Ginger Orange Tea is utterly simple to make and takes only slightly longer than steeping a regular tea bag. This tea is packed with vitamin C and flavor, making it perfect for whenever you’re feeling under the weather. It can be served chilled over ice, which mellows the flavors some, but I prefer to enjoy it piping hot next to a window with a view on a snowy day.

Ginger Orange Tea

Adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health Cookbook
Serves 4

Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. While fresh squeezed orange juice is ideal, I took the lazy way out and used store bought, not from concentrate, 100% orange juice. After some experimenting, I discovered ginger is best grated with the large holes of a box grater, but a microplane zester can be used in a pinch.

Ingredients

2 heaping tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cups water
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons honey, to taste

Directions

Place water and grated ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Steep for at least 5 minutes. Strain tea with a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the ginger with the back of a spoon to squeeze out all the liquid. Return tea to pot. Stir in orange juice, lemon juice, and honey. Reheat to serve warm, or chill to serve over ice.

I was thinking about how often apples get overshadowed by pumpkin a few weeks ago when my husband asked me if I wanted to attend a dinner party with some of his coworkers. “Hrmmm. Maybe…”, I said. “They asked us to bring some kind of food to share”, he said. That was all I needed to hear. Not one to pass up an opportunity, I agreed, “I’ll go… but only if I can bring dessert.” I had visions of apples and caramel and cupcakes swirling in my head.

It took me a while to decide on an approach for these cupcakes. Did I want apple cupcakes with caramel frosting? Caramel cupcakes with apple frosting? Would there be enough apple flavor? I was imagining cupcakes that tasted like apple pie (but without the yucky crust) so they really needed to taste like apples.

Ultimately, I decided the best way to pack that punch of apple flavor into a cupcake was to use apple pie filling. Cinnamon cupcakes would compliment the apple filling without overwhelming it, and caramel frosting would be the icing on the cake (ha ha).

I was apprehensive while putting these cupcakes together. I’m not going to lie – they’re pretty labor intensive and not exactly easy. I had doubts about whether they would be worth all the effort, whether they would taste as good as I imagined they would.

In the end, they didn’t.

They tasted approximately a million times better than I had imagined.

I was hoping for good cupcakes, but these were amazing. Fantastic. They got rave reviews at the party, but I thought maybe everyone was just being nice. Until I tasted one myself. I believe I uttered the phrase, “OMG. These are my new favorite cupcakes ever… and they’re not even chocolate!” So yeah. They’re that good. Totally worth every minute they took to create. You won’t find cupcakes like this in a box at the grocery store!

Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes

Printable Recipe (Includes all sub-recipes)
Makes about 24 cupcakes

There are several steps to complete before assembling the cupcakes, but some can be done a day ahead to speed things up. The caramel and apple filling can both be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Let them come to room temperature (or gently warm caramel) before using. You won’t need the whole batch of caramel, so feel free to half it if you don’t want a bunch leftover. Any leftover pie filling or caramel sauce makes a fantastic breakfast/snack mixed with Greek yogurt, or a delicious topping for ice cream!

Ingredients

2 cups Apple Filling (below)
1 cup Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce (below)
24 Cinnamon Cupcakes (below)
1 batch of Caramel Swiss Buttercream Frosting (below)

Directions

Working with completely cooled, use a small paring knife to cut out a cone shaped wedge from the center of each cupcake. (Like when cutting the lid off of a jack-o-lantern.) Save the “lids”. If needed, scrape out a little bit of cake from each hole to make more room for filling – just don’t go too far or your cupcakes will fall apart. Fill each hole not quite to the top with Apple Filling (about 1/2 tablespoon). Replace “lids”, trimming off the bottoms of the “lids” if necessary.

Pipe frosting on cupcakes. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Serve same day as assembled, or freeze for long term storage.

Apple Filling

Printable Recipe
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1.5 pounds (approx.) Honey Crisp apples (about 4 medium), peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Directions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apples, sugars, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook until apples are tender and release their juices – about 10 minutes. In a small bowl or glass, combine cornstarch and water. Add to apples and stir, cooking until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. (Cover and refrigerate overnight if making ahead.)

Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Printable Recipe
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes 2 1/2 cups

A word of caution: Making caramel is tricky. Have patience and have all of your ingredients ready to go. Caramel also gets very, very hot. Much hotter than boiling water. It will spatter, so be careful. Wear long sleeves, use a deep pan or pot, and do not try to taste the hot caramel no matter how much you want to! David Lebovitz has some great tips for making caramel.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Directions

Measure heavy cream in a measuring cup. Scrape out vanilla bean seeds and add to cream. Set aside.

Spread sugar in an even layer on the bottom of a heavy, tall-sided sauce pan or pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently with a heat-proof spatula or whisk to promote even browning, until sugar melts. Once the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring.

Watch carefully. When the caramel turns a rich amber color and smells like caramel, remove from heat and immediately whisk in cream. (Caution: Caramel will bubble violently!) If any sugar has hardened, return to low heat and whisk until smooth.

Cool to room temperature. To store or make ahead, transfer to an air-tight container and keep refrigerated. Caramel can be re-warmed in microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, if needed.

Cinnamon Cupcakes

Printable Recipe
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick ribbons form, about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture and beat on low just until incorporated. Add milk mixture and vanilla, and beat until blended.

Divide evenly among baking tins. Bake at 350°F for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Caramel Swiss Buttercream Frosting

Printable Recipe
Adapted from Flour Child
Makes enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes

It’s very important that your caramel be no warmer than room temperature when you add it to the frosting, or your frosting will melt.

Ingredients

6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Pinch of coarse salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup Vanilla Bean Caramel sauce (above), cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Place a saucepan with about 2 inches of water over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in the metal bowl of a stand mixer. Place bowl over pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until mixture an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F. (Sugar will be dissolved and mixture will start to resemble marshmallow fluff.)

Remove bowl from heat and attach to stand mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment until stiff meringue peaks form and the outside of the bowl no longer feels warm, about 10 minutes. Switch to paddle attachment. On low speed, add one cube of butter at a time, waiting until incorporated before adding the next. Once all butter is added, on low speed slowly pour in caramel. Add vanilla and continue beating until smooth. (If frosting curdles, just keep beating! If frosting is soupy, place mixer bowl in fridge for 10-15 minutes and beat until smooth. Repeat if necessary.)

I got tired of my brain nagging me with thoughts like, “Wouldn’t those fresh peaches be great with some vanilla pasty cream?” and “I bet peaches and gingersnaps taste awesome together”, so to shut it up I made these tarts. Turns out my brain was right.

What I had in mind was a cookie-like crust filled with cool, creamy vanilla bean pastry cream, topped with fresh peach slices… and that’s exactly how these tarts turned out. Instead of using graham crackers for the crust, I decided to use gingersnaps for a little gingery kick. The crust has just the right amount of spice without overpowering the peaches or pastry cream. Each bite of the finished tarts has a delightful balance of crunchiness from the crust and silkiness from the pastry cream. They’re wonderful.

Hurry up and make some of these before peach season ends!

Peach Pastry Cream Tarts

Makes 4 4-inch miniature tarts

For easy entertaining, bake the crust and make the pastry cream the day before. Refrigerate pastry cream and store the crusts in a zip-top plastic bag at room temperature overnight. The day of serving, fill the tarts with pastry cream, top with peach slices and serve.

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons plain non-fat Greek yogurt

2 cups (approx.) gingersnap crumbs
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 small, fresh peaches

Directions

In a medium saucepan, warm milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt over medium heat. Bring to just about a simmer (do not boil) and remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Whisk in remaining milk mixture, then pour everything back into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. (Instant read thermometer will read about 160°F.) Remove from heat. Discard vanilla bean pod.

Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Set a fine mesh strainer over medium bowl. Strain pastry cream into medium bowl. Whisk in butter and yogurt. Set bowl in ice water bath and whisk until cool, about 5 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Combine gingersnap crumbs and pecans in food processor. Pulse until finely ground. With the food processor running, pour in melted butter. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Divide among 4 non-stick tart pans. Using the back of a measuring cup, press crumb mixture firmly into tart pans. Set filled tart pans on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire wrack. (Do not remove from pans.) Can be stored overnight in an airtight plastic bag.

To assemble, spoon pastry cream into cooled crusts (you may have some left over) and top with sliced fresh peaches.

See?

OK they aren’t really supposed to look like that. I’m just easily amused.

Here’s what you need to know: Fresh cherries. Cream cheese. Sugar. Puff pastry.

These turnovers are yet another product of my summer cherry obsession. I hate pie crust (seriously) but cherry pies are so quintessentially summer that I kind of wanted to make one. I was also craving something kind of like a danish, so I decided to make a cherry turnover with the addition of sweetened cream cheese.

The flaky crust just begs you to bite into it, where you’re rewarded with a hint of creaminess and a burst of fresh cherries like summer sunshine. Best of all, they’re quick and easy to throw together. I love unfussy, casual, eat-them-with-your-hands desserts. The turnovers puff way, way up on the oven, and one might even burst open (see first photo) but don’t sweat it. They’ll taste good no matter what.

Cherry Cream Cheese Turnovers make a great ending to a summer meal or a sweet breakfast treat. (Not that I would know because who eats turnovers for breakfast? *cough*)

Cherry Cream Cheese Turnovers

Adapted from Food and Wine
Makes about 4 turnovers

These are best enjoyed the same day they’re made. If using store bought puff pastry, be sure to only roll it out once.

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2.5 ounces (about 1/4 cup) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons milk or cream
raw sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Lightly dust a clean counter top with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry very thin – about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out circles. (I used an upside down bowl to cut out four identical 6-inch circles.) Place puff pastry circles on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate.

Add cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until cherries release their juices and have softened, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl stir together water and cornstarch. Add to cherries and stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined.

To Assemble: Beat yolk and milk together in a small bowl. Working on just half of each chilled puff pastry circle, spread a thin layer of cream cheese mixture and top with cherry mixture. Brush edges with egg wash and fold over to close. Crimp edges with a fork. Chill for 15 minutes. Brush egg wash on top of turnovers and sprinkle with raw sugar. Cut 2 or 3 slits in each turnover with a sharp knife.

Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until browned. Cool to room temperature and serve.