Summer Berry Baby Stars with Cream Cheese Dollops EZ

These are SO good and SO quick and SO easy that you'll want to have the frozen pie crust in your freezer and a package of cream cheese in the fridge all summer so you can whip some up at a moments' notice. Very, very easy to make, l♥vely to look at and just as yummy when you pop one in your mouth! Once summer has turned into fall, these are equally delicious with a lemon custard or chocolate mousse filling.

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 pint fresh blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
  
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Unfold piecrusts; press out fold lines with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Cut piecrusts with a 2 1/2-inch star-shaped cutter, and fit into lightly greased miniature muffin pans.

Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.

Bring 1/3 cup water and next 4 ingredients to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute; remove from heat.

Stir together cream cheese and next 3 ingredients.

Spoon blackberry mixture into tart shells; pipe or dollop with cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired.

Makes about 20.

Fresh Blueberry Breakfast Muffins with Coconut Topping

Over time you'll probably see quite a few recipes with a little coconut here and a little coconut there. Why? Because I just love the taste, crunch and look of that little addition to my creations when I bake. It makes me think of feathers or ruffles or curly ribbons and those things make me happy and, whatever else, we all need a little happiness in our lives when we least expect it☺ Generally, I will double this recipe because these keep or freeze very well so you can grab one, sit down with a cup of tea and pamper yourself with a little mid-day treat.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter and flour 7 (1/2-cup) muffin cups (just butter if nonstick).

Beat together butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in cream, then flour and salt, on low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and gently stir in blueberries.

Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons of coconut.

Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean and edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Place onto a rack and cool.

We've got an easy, quick and delicious recipe for Faux Chinese Chicken Soup over at Our family attic...

♥Easy-peasy Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars♥ with a little kiss of chocolate

Summer is just around the corner and the kids' will be home looking for snacks during the day or something to wash down a glass of cold milk. These little guys are a great tummy filler that keeps well and travels well, for picnics and family BBQ times. Keep them covered in the fridge to prolong keep chocolate from melting in little hands but I guarantee you, they won't last that long in a hungry mouth! I've made these with about every kind of jam and jelly around. I like the strawberry, but cherry preserves really give them a special touch!

I've gone so far as to cut them and wrap individually in foil. Popped them in the freezer in a zip lock bag...all set for one or two or several little hands to gather up on their own.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) purchased chocolate chip cookie dough, divided
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter, plain or chunky
  
• 1/4 cup strawberry or grape jam
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease bottom of an 8-inch-square baking pan.

PLACE 14 pieces of dough in prepared pan. Allow to soften for 5 to 10 minutes. Using fingertips, pat dough gently to cover bottom. Spread with peanut butter and jelly. Crumble remaining dough in small bowl. Add flour; mix thoroughly. Sprinkle dough mixture evenly over jelly.

BAKE for 24 to 28 minutes or remove until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Blueberry Tart with White Chocolate Lining

Fresh Blueberry Tart
with White Chocolate Lining

Crust
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3-oz. white chocolate

Filling
3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Make the crust: In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg. When fully incorporated, stir in flour and salt until dough comes together. Press dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Roll chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to cover a 9 or 10-inch round pie tin (or a 4×14-inch rectangular tart pan). If the dough cracks around the edges, you can patch it with an extra piece of dough. Press into pan and up the sides. Poke bottom crust a dozen times with a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until edges just begin to turn golden. Cool completely.

When crust has cooled, melt white chocolate in a small bowl and use a small offset spatula or pastry brush to brush an even layer of chocolate on the inside base and sides of the crust. Chill until ready to use.

Make the filling: Combine 1 1/2 cups of the fresh blueberries with 3/4 cup sugar in a medium sauce pan. Whisk together water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into blueberry mixture. Cook, over medium-high heat, until berry mixture comes to a simmer and begins to thicken. Stirring occasionally, boil for about 1 minute. Transfer berry mixture to a large bowl to cool to room temperature.

When berry mixture has cooled, stir in fresh blueberries. Pour blueberry mixture into prepared crust and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate (up to 2 days) until ready to serve.

Dear God, bring to rest our fallen warriors & watch over those we have in harms' way...

Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains, and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon the Nation's gratitude—the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan. ~General Orders No. 11, Washington, DC, May 5, 1868

Please take the time to remember our dogs of war.
They gave so much for so little in return.

In all previous wars we brought home our highly trained military dogs to retire with their handler or to continue to serve EXCEPT for Vietnam. When our military was ordered out of Nam our dogs were tied to camp poles and left to watch the soldiers they loved and protected walk away and not look back. Those dogs were considered to be excess baggage.

What happened to those dogs? Most were starved to death, used for target practice or skinned alive and eaten by the Viet Cong who considered them to be a delicacy. Rumor has it that those who weren't tied, or confined, ran behind planes, waited patiently beneath helicopters for their orders, and then, when they were completely exhausted, went back to their last camp and held vigil, patiently, for their handler to come back. (If you would like to learn more, click on the War Dog graphic. It will take you to a very sobering site.) Out of 3,000 war dogs in Vietnam, about 200 came home.

More war dogs and additional information can be found at my dog's blog, Loving for a Living.

God bless America
God bless our troops

♥Deep Rich Chocolate Layer Cake♥ Well worth the time & effort

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 ounces dairy sour cream
• 4-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
• Chocolate curls (optional)
• Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting (see below)

Directions

1. Grease three 9-inch round baking pans, three 8X8X2-inch square baking pans; lightly dust each pan with 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.

3. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to chocolate mixture, beating on low speed until well mixed. (Batter will be thick.)

4. Divide batter among prepared pans; spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Make chocolate curls, if using. Arrange curls in an even layer on a waxed paper-lined tray and set aside in a cool, dry place. To assemble cake, spread Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting on tops of two of the layers; stack. Add top layer; frost the top and sides of the cake. If desired, while frosting is still moist, use a 4- to 6-inch wooden skewer or tweezers to lightly press chocolate curls into frosting around the bottom two-thirds of the cake. If desired, garnish top with either broken peppermint patties or chocolate malt balls. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Frosting: In a large saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.

♥Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie♥ You know you want a piece, don't you?

Over at Our Family Attic I have a Chocolate Pie in a Jar recipe that is absolutely scrumptious! I must be in a chocolate mood today because I couldn't resist offering this gem on my foodie blog. Or, could it be that I spent the morning looking at rich, brown dirt while I was weeding my garden? I don't know the answer for sure but I do know that if you love chocolate, both of my offerings today are fabulous!

This one is rich, so a cup of coffee, tea or milk is in order when you sit down to gobble this up after dinner or as a little treat for yourself in the evening.

• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Serve with ice cream (optional)
• * If using frozen pie shell, use deep dish style and thaw completely. Bake on baking sheet and increase baking time slightly.
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
2. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
3. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
4. Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
5. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.