A Berry Good Summer Dessert for 2

The strawberries this summer so far have been nothing short of amazing.

One of the most fantastic things happened to me the other day while browsing the isles of Wally World...

Strawberries were on sale for 75 cents!

Say What?! 75 cents!

With a deal like that it's hard to pass up and obviously I bought a few containers with high ambitions of whipping up some delicious treats.

Needless to say, this is just the first of a few strawberry desserts you'll be seeing from this lady in the coming weeks.

It's difficult sometimes making desserts for just me and MM, mostly because making a big dessert means we have to eat the whole thing...which is quite delicious and easy, but not when you're making sure you'll still fit into your perfectly fitting wedding dress in just a few months. Not to mention, its bathing suit season.

So when I can make individual portions or cut servings in half I jump at the opportunity.

I used my favorite tart crust, cut the recipe in half and then used the small ball of dough to line the bottom of two small oven proof glass bowls (I don't have mini tart pans..yet).

I'm going to post the whole recipe in case you want to make one large tart, but I'll include my halved version as well for those of you who may not be baking for as many.

Tart Crust
Oven: 400 Bake time: 15 minutes
Full recipe fills a 9-inch tart pan

4 oz cream cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1/4 cup)
1 TBS sugar (1/2 TBS)
1/4 tsp salt (1/8 tsp)
1 1/4 cup AP flour (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)

Homemade Whipped Cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBS powdered sugar

Sliced strawberries
Fresh blackberries

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until it begins to thicken.
Slowly add powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
Place prepared whipping cream in fridge to chill.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 and spray two 3-inch tart pans or small oven safe bowls with cooking spray.
Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and salt until creamy.
Add flour and beat at low speed until soft dough forms.
Shape into disc and chill for about 20-30 minutes.
Once dough is chilled, cut dough into two pieces.

Flatten dough into each of your small pans/bowls.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Allow crusts to cool slightly before adding whipped cream.
Place heaping dollop of whipped cream on top of cooled crust and smooth out with spatula. (Add as much whipped cream as you need to cover the entire crust)

Arrange fresh fruit on top of smoothed whipped cream.

Finish off with a small dollop of whipped cream and voila! A fresh summer dessert for two!

Happy Baking!

Bite-Size S'mores

Our friends had a Summer BBQ this weekend complete with good food, good friends and a whole lot of adult bevs.

Even though the hostess told everyone not to bring anything, how could I not? I mean, I basically live for situations like this- parties are a perfect excuse for desserts! And she knows me well enough to know that I was going to bring something anyways.

I feel like s'mores have recently been making appearances all over the place in the form of cookies and bars, but I have yet to see them like this... a sort of little, mini, bite-size s'mores tart.

I like to think of these Bite-size S'mores as a more gourmet version of the summer and camping classic...don't worry, you still have your graham cracker, chocolate and toasted marshmallow, just in a more convenient one bite form...perfect for the times where some marshmallow-y goodness is necessary, but a fire just isn't happening.

This is the closest these little guys

are going to get to a fire..

Bite-size S'Mores

Oven: 375 Bake time: 15 minutes

Freezer time: 30 minutes

Makes 24 little tarts

1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 jar of Marshmallow Cream

Preheat oven to 375. Line mini cupcake pan with paper liners.

Graham Cracker Crust: In a large bowl mix crushed graham crackers (I used my food processor), melted butter and sugar until consistency of sand is reached and ingredients are well combined. Place a tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake liner and using the back of the spoon, press mixture down until compact- think graham cracker crust on a pie. Bake for 10 minutes then cool for 20 minutes on rack.

Easy Chocolate Ganache: While crusts are baking, heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in the microwave for about 1 minute (until its good and hot). Add cup of chocolate chips and whisk constantly until smooth and creamy. Set aside to cool.

After crusts and ganache are cooled, place a tablespoon of chocolate onto crusts. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes so chocolate will set.

Toasted Marshmallow: Remove tarts from freezer. Set oven to Broil. Fill a piping bag or large zip-lock bag with a jar of Marshmallow fluff (this is just to make it less of a mess, if you want to spoon it on top, by all means don't let me stop you). Place a dollop of fluff on top of each tart. To get the toasted effect place under broiler, leaving the oven door slightly cracked to tell when you've got that perfectly toasted top.

And Voila! A perfect one bite summer classic.

I love s'mores.... I truly do.  

  Please sir, can I have s'more?

Happy Baking!