How about a little Bundt pan history?

In 1950 Nordic Ware invented the Bundt® Pan; a ring shaped pan with fluted sides.   The pan sold somewhat slowly until the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest winner used the little-known Bundt® Pan for her Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe. This prompted a mad rush for the pans, causing them to surpass the tin Jell-O mold to become the most-sold pan in the United States. Since their introduction, more than 50 million Bundt pans have been sold by Nordic Ware.

Oh, and by the way, National Bundt Pan Day is November 15th.  And do you remember the scene in the 2002 movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when the mother of the groom-to-be comes to the home of the mother of the bride-to-be and presents to you a Bundt cake? Still makes me smile, HERE IS A LINK to a grainy video from You Tube.

This super moist yogurt cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. So simple to put together and pop in the oven… seriously delish.

FYI: I used a decorative sunflower Bundt pan in place of the traditional Bundt that has the tube in the center, so it took about 20 minutes longer to cook than this recipe states.

Fresh Blueberry Yogurt Cake

2  1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
12 ounces fresh blueberries
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir the vanilla extract and only 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Mix in half in the flour mixture, then the yogurt, then the remaining half of the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.

Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Serves 12

Bonus photo:  It takes a lot to dig to the back of the “baking” cupboard to get to my collection of Bundt pans!

Like just about everyone else I know, I love Mason jars! Check out my Mason jar Pinterest board to see just a few of the wonderful ideas clever people have come up with using these American icons. How about a little Wikipedia info on the beloved jars…

“A Mason jar is a glass jar used in canning to preserve food. It was invented and patented by John Landis Mason, a Philadelphia tinsmith in 1858. They are also called Ball jars, after Ball Corp., a popular and early manufacturer of the jars; fruit jars because they are often used to store fruit; “jam jars” or generically glass canning jars. While largely supplanted by other methods for commercial mass-production, they are still commonly used in home canning.”

I baked the cobblers for the clambake in wide-mouth (squat and fat) half-pint Kerr Mason jars and served homemade vanilla ice cream in regular-mouth (tall and thin) half-pint jars. Just as when using for canning, first sterilize the jars with boiling water – and when using for baking, place in a water bath to prevent the jars from cracking.

Mason Jar Peach and Berry Cobbler

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup  plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1 package frozen peaches, thawed and cut in half
1 package frozen mixed berries, thawed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder. Work the butter in with either your hands or two forks until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk in the well.  Use a fork to mix in milk until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, cornstarch, and water. Mix in the peaches and blueberries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Mix in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice. Continue cooking until the butter melts.

Place 8 sterilized half-pint (8-ounce) wide-mouth Mason jars in a large roasting pan. Divided the peach-berry mixture evenly between the jars. Evenly spoon the cobbler batter in mounds over the hot fruit. In a small bowl, mix together the turbinado sugar and nutmeg, and sprinkle over the batter.

Pour hot water into the roasting pan, coming up about half-way up to the height of the jars. Carefully place the roasting pan in the preheated oven. Bake cobbler for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly and a toothpick inserted into the cobbler comes out clean.

Makes 8

Individual Warm Sticky Toffee Cakes

Toffee Sauce
1  1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1  1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Ramekin Prep
Softened butter
Granulated sugar

Toffee Cakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped dates
8-ounce container mascarpone, lightly whipped

Toffee Sauce: In a large heavy saucepan, combine the cream, butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking frequently.  Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat.  Transfer mixture to a blender and blend until thickened and emulsified.   Makes about 4 cups

Ramekin Prep: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Butter ten (3-ounce) ramekins with softened butter and dust with granulated sugar. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. And place prepared ramekins on the baking sheet.

Toffee Cakes: Whisk the baking soda into the boiling water.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

In the bowl of a standing mixer beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Over low speed, add half of the dry ingredients, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remaining half; scraping again to make sure the batter is well mixed.

Over low speed, slowly stream the hot water into the batter.  Add the dates and continue mixing over low speed until the batter thickens.

Use a ladle to divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. Try to give each ramekin equal amount of dates and then go back and finish by filling about 2/3 full with the remaining batter.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cakes are a dark, caramel color, about 38 to 40 minutes.

Remove the ramekins and cool for 7 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the inside edge of each ramekin and then invert the cakes onto a rack that is set over the same foil lined baking sheet.

Pour the hot toffee sauce onto the cakes until they are saturated.  Then glaze the cakes a second time with the sauce that has pooled at the bottom of the foil lined baking sheet. Set the cakes aside for about 30 minutes to set up and cool.

To serve, place each cake into a small serving bowl, pour about 1/4 cup of the warm toffee sauce.  Serve with a generous dollop of whipped mascarpone.

The cakes can be made a few hours in advance, loosely covered with plastic wrap, and left at room temperature.

Serves 10  

Today, I offer you a last minute dessert idea for Thanksgiving. I originally made this apple crisp last week in my “Thanksgiving Leftovers” cooking class at Les Gourmettes. While I was making it, I was telling the students about the remarkable De Lujo Margarita and giving them the recipe for it. As I am going about these two tasks, measuring out the ingredients for the apple crisp and reciting the ingredients for the margarita, it dawns on me that it would be amazing to blend the two… and that is how this Margarita Apple and Oatmeal Crisp was born! A sweet and happy little marriage.

If you would rather make the original apple crisp, then use 1 1/2 cups of water in place of the first 6 ingredients in the recipe (the 3/4 cup water through the 1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier).  And be careful to keep an eye out for the ingredients that are marked “divided”.  Those ingredients are used in both the apple and the crisp parts of the recipe, so be extra mindful while reading and measuring.

Margarita Apple and Oatmeal Crisp

3/4 cup water
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Añejo tequila
1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier

1  1/2 cups brown sugar, divided in half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1  1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, divided
2  1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into wedges
1  1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the water, lemon and orange juices, vanilla extract, tequila, Grand Marnier,  3/4 cup of the brown sugar, the melted butter, 2 tablespoons of the flour, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg, whisk until smooth. Add the apples and toss to mix well.

Lightly butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish and pour the apple mixture in the pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, oatmeal, and the room temperature butter. Using your fingers, work the mixture together until it resembles a coarse crumb-like mixture.

Sprinkle the oatmeal topping over the top of the apple mixture.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Serves 12

I am finally letting my subscription to Family Fun  magazine run out.  I’ve been in denial for …oh, let’s say the past 8 years, that my family status (meaning the ages of my two remarkable and incredibly talented children) has long passed the prime target audience of this great magazine.  Kinda like a 25 year old still subscribing to Seventeen Magazine… it’s just sad!

But, if YOU happen to have young kids or grand-kids, you NEED to get this magazine!  There are SO many great ideas for crafts, vacations, recipes, backyard fun, parties, and on and on and on! But since my “kids” are 20 and nearly 24 – it is seriously time for me to let it go.

As a matter of fact, Family Fun was born the same year as Connor – founded in 1991 by Disney and it is the country’s number one magazine for families with children ages 3-12, with more than 2 millions subscribers. Now, if one of my two were to get married and have a child (BIG HEADS UP…that is the “right” order – BTW!) then, I will immediately re-subscribe! Until then, I shall reminisce with a couple of my favorite Halloween ideas taken directly from the pages of my beloved Family Fun….  Oh yeah, and here are my truly awful photos from when I could not remember how my own camera worked at 4 AM… yeah, good times!

Yummy Melted Wicked Witches

1 teaspoon water
4 drops yellow food coloring
1  1/2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons shortening, divided
36 chocolate creme-filled chocolate or orange-colored sandwich cookies (you know, like Oreos) or fudge-striped cookies
36 Bugles
3 to 4 cups white chocolate chips
36 pretzel sticks

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine water and food coloring; add coconut.Seal bag and shake to tint coconut; set aside.

In a microwave melt chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of shortening; stir until smooth.

For witches’ hats, place about 1/3 cup chocolate mixture in a resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in corner of bag. Pipe a small amount of chocolate on a cookie. Dip a Bugle in some of remaining chocolate; allow excess to drip off.

Position over chocolate on cookie, forming a witch’s hat. Set on waxed paper to dry. Repeat with remaining chocolate, Bugles, and cookies.

For melted witch puddles, melt white chocolate chips and the remaining shortening; stir until smooth. Place mixture in a large resealable heavy duty plastic bag; cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe mixture into shape of puddle onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Use a spoon to spread out puddle.

Immediately place a witch’s hat on the puddle. Place a pretzel stick alongside the hat; sprinkle reserved tinted coconut at the end of the pretzel stick. Repeat with remaining puddles, hats, and brooms. Chill for 15 minutes or until set. Store in an air tight container.

Makes about 3 dozen

Sweet Mini Acorns

Hershey’s Kisses
Semisweet or white chocolate chips, melted
Mini Vanilla Wafers
Peanut Butter chips

Unwrap a Kiss,  then attach it to a mini wafer with a bit of melted chocolate. (I mistakenly used peanut butter – once again, this was at 4AM – do as I say, not as I do.) Allow to firm up and set. Use a bit more melted chocolate to attach a peanut butter chip as the “top knot”. Allow to firm and set up. Place on platter and enjoy.   It’s really that easy!

Makes as many as you want to make

OH, and BTW… it is going to be 98 degrees today. Happy Halloween. Whatever! … sigh.

I was searching for something sweet and quick to put together today for not only this post but to bring along to a lunch date I have this afternoon. I’m meeting up with my kids’ 1st grade teacher and her daughter and two granddaughters. We’ve stayed in touch all these years later, thanks in part to Facebook and this blog. Mrs. Tunheim (Ginger, to me) was both Marissa and Connor’s favorite teacher. In fact, Connor had her three times; 1st grade, 3rd grade, and during high school he went back and was a teacher’s aide in her class for a semester… yup we all love Mrs. T! Her beautiful daughter, Kim, assisted me one summer of cooking classes back when she was a single college girl.  Kim is now married with two adorable little girls of her own, so I’m bringing along these sweets to share with them.

I also want to take this opportunity to extend exuberant, hearty, and heartfelt congratulations to my friend and colleague, Gwen Walters and her wonderful Pen & Fork, for winning Best Food Blog 2011 award given by Phoenix New Times!  Yay Gwen!!!  You can always check out Pen & Fork by just clicking on the link over there on the right side of this very page… it is AWESOME!

Finally, some of you probably LOVE to bake…. and you probably know that I really don’t… so you might be feeling hungry for more sweet recipes.  If so, the blog where I snagged this recipe from (BakerGirl) looks luscious and is probably right up your alley.  So, because I’m such a thoughtful person,  I’ve added a link to it over there on the blogroll too, so you can get your sweet-tooth on whenever you feel the urge. I had to alter the recipe to fit the items I had on hand – for instance; I mixed cinnamon and chocolate graham crackers since I did not have any regular in my pantry. I also only had regular sized marshmallows, so I just cut them into 6 pieces each to make them “mini”. Oh yeah, and I only had a couple “giant” Hershey bars in my freezer, so I used one of those instead of the 4 regular bars and just cut it into smaller pieces.  Let this be an example to you… you can always make it work if you have to!

S’mores Cracker Candy

recipe adapted from Bakergirl

16 sheets of graham crackers
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 Hershey bars (1.55-ounce), broken into pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the ends; spray foil with cooking spray. Line graham crackers on the foil, cutting any as needed to cover the pan completely.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together and is smooth and the mixture comes just to a boil (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers, spreading with an off-set spatula. Bake 6 to 7 minutes, or until bubbly.

Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle mini marshmallows, chocolate bar pieces, and chocolate chips over the crackers.

Return pan to oven for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to soften and puff up.

Cool completely. Carefully lift out the foil and place on a cutting board. Cut into squares and enjoy!

 Makes 1 to 28 servings, depending on if you want to share or not!

Remember my Maple-Bacon Cupcakes? They are SO good, that even skeptical Marissa fell for them. Well today we have another sweet item featuring bacon… toffee.  Trust me, it works. I’d heard of toffee with bacon before, but had yet to taste it, so this is my version. Trust me again, it’s good… I promise.

Bacon Pecan Brittle

1  1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar, honey, or corn syrup
Pinch salt
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 teaspoons maple syrup
4 slices maple bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and crumbled

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat or spray generously with Pam and set aside.

Place pecans into small skillet over medium low heat. Stir occasionally until fragrant and lightly toasted.  Pour in maple syrup and stir quickly until liquid is dissolved and pecans are coated with syrup. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved do not stir, but swirl the pan occasionally until the mixture reaches 325 degrees on a candy thermometer. (Caution- Keep an eye on the saucepan, this mixture boils over very easily, as you can see in the picture below, I didn’t keep an eye on it and…  Oh well, let my mistake help keep you from the same fate.)

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, baking soda, and butter.  The mixture will foam up in the pan. Separate the pecans by crushing between your fingers and stir them in, along with the bacon. Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, tipping pan in all directions to spread out thinly and evenly.

Cool completely and break or cut into chunks. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 1 pound

One of my favorite treats of all time, in the history of treats, in the entire world… Rice Krispies Treats! During pregnancy (always a good excuse!) I would eat and clean up the evidence of an entire 8×8-inch pan full before anyone even knew they had been made. This occurred while I was carrying Connor and while Marissa was at preschool. Pitiful, I know, but what the hormones want, the hormones deserve to get!

This upscale version hits a high note with the vanilla bean and the browning of the butter – pure genius! And no, I did not eat the whole pan this time… hey, if I did, I wouldn’t be able to post the recipe here – now would I?

Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Rice Krispies Treats

Inspired by Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe via ZoeBakes.com

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering baking dish
1 vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1o  to 10.5-ounce bag marshmallows
5  1/4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Butter an 8×8-inch baking dish, set aside.

In a small saucepan cook the butter over low heat, until the butter is a deep caramel colored and smells toasty.

Strain the butter into a larger saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and with the back of the paring knife, scrap out the seeds and add to the saucepan. Add the salt and marshmallows and cook over very low heat until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Stir in the cereal until it is completely coated with the vanilla marshmallow mixture.

Butter your hands and a rubber spatula and press the mixture firmly into the buttered dish.

Let it cool if you are able to keep away from them, and then cut and share.

Makes 9 large or 12 medium squares

Go AZ CARDS!

Inspiration for this recipe came to me after enjoying a white chocolate and limoncello cupcake while visiting my daughter in San Francisco. Limoncello and white chocolate are a match made in heaven. You may use store-bought limoncello or make your own with THIS RECIPE.

I brought these sweeties to a neighborhood luncheon last week to test them out, and since they were a hit, I will be making them tomorrow, along with this puff pastry appetizer, on Channel 3-  Your Life A to Z.          I hope you can tune in at 10:00 AM Tuesday morning.

Oh, and please note, there are only six ingredients – seriously, these are “easy-breezy”!

White Chocolate and Limoncello Cookies

1 cup heavy whipping cream
14-ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
2 sheets (1 package) puff pastry
1  1/2 tablespoons cold limoncello liqueur
1 teaspoon additional lemon zest

In a 4-cup glass measuring cup or a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream to the point just before it boils, between 2 and 3 minutes, depending on your microwave.  Add the white chocolate to the hot cream and let stand for 4 or 5 minutes before whisking the mixture to blend completely.

Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before using.

Combine the zest of 1 lemon with 3/4 cup of sugar.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

Sprinkle a work surface with 3 tablespoons of the lemon sugar and place one sheet of puff pastry on top.  Sprinkle the top of the puff pastry with another 3 tablespoons lemon sugar and roll out just enough to even out the seams in the dough and to press in the sugar mixture into both sides of the puff pastry dough.  Use a 2  1/2-inch round cookie cutter and cut out rounds.

Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets.  Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet and remaining lemon sugar mixture. You should end up with about 30 rounds. Prick the rounds all over with a fork and place in the oven to bake for approximately 15-18 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top.

Set aside to cool.

Remove the white chocolate cream from the refrigerator and transfer to the bowl of standing mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture until it becomes stiff.  Mix in the 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest and the limoncello, combine well.

Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a swirl onto the top of each cookie round.

Top the cookies with white chocolate shavings.  Chill until you are ready to serve.

Makes about 30 cookies

To make chocolate shavings you will need a block of white chocolate.  Heat a block of chocolate in the microwave on low for just a few seconds.  Run a vegetable peeler along the softened chocolate to create shavings.

I don’t know if any of you noticed, but this entire summer, just about any and every food themed magazine was having a heyday with pies. From Martha Stewart Living, Food & Wine, and Bon Appétit, to InStyle, and O, it was pies, pies, and more pies! Even the in-flight magazine on either Southwest Airlines or US Airways (can’t recall specifically which one, I flew both several times – yeah, because I am a jet-setter!) had a huge article with recipes for pies! What’s up with that? I mean I love pies as much as just about anybody on the planet, but I somehow missed that 2011 was designated – THE SUMMER OF PIES!

I actually put up two recipes for pies this summer, the first was a Buttermilk Pie on June 24th, during the height of kids’ cooking classes. And then again on August 22nd when I, along with hundreds of others, made a Pie for Mikey, in remembrance of a fellow food-blooger’s beloved husband. Neither one was exactly in cahoots with the rest of the food world celebrating The Wonderful World of Pies. One was created to use up the boatloads of buttermilk I was fortunate enough to get – for free – from Shamrock Farms and the other – well as I just said, it was an honor to make.

One of the most popular pies in just about all of these publications was Strawberry-Rhubarb. And for good reason, that is summer at its best! And now that summer is done and over with for most of the country (it will still feel like and be referred to as “summer” here in AZ for about 4 to 7 more weeks), I have decided to jump on the bandwagon… kind of.  In defiance, I am going to use strawberries and rhubarb to make a tart, not a pie, so take that “Summer of Pie”!

In my overt act of rebellion, I mistakenly bought way too much rhubarb. Once I started cutting it up, I remembered that 1 or 2 stalks go a long long way.  I think I purchased 8 or 9 stalks and the pie, I mean the tart, it takes one – maybe two. Oh well, the recipe for Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote will be handed over to you tomorrow. Maybe it will induce the “Fall of Compotes” revolution! Hey, you never know.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart

8-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 package), thawed
1 tablespoon milk
1 pound strawberries, hulled and divided
1 cup sliced rhubarb, trimmed (1 large rib)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon berry jam or jelly (strawberry, raspberry, or whatever you have on hand)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper. Roll the pastry into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Cut 3/4-inch wide strips from all sides. Brush the edges of the rectangle with milk and place the strips on top, pressing gently to adhere. Trim any overhang. Brush the top of the strips with milk.

Line the inside of the tart shell with a piece of aluminum foil that extends along the sides of the strips but not over, and weigh foil down with pie weights or dried beans. Fold up the edges, so that the sides, with the newly made edges, are not covered.

Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Cool on a rack.

While tart is blind-baking, Cut half of the strawberries into chunks and place them, along with the rhubarb slices, into a medium saucepan. Stir in the sugar and the berry jam and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fruit is thick about 15 minutes.

Pour fruit mixture into a food processor or blender and add the vanilla and the  butter. Puree until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and cool. Use an ice-bath if you are in a hurry.

Slice the remaining strawberries lengthwise.

Spread cooled strawberry-rhubarb mixture in the shell, up to, but not over the edges. Arrange strawberries atop.  Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Serves 6 to 8

It has been 11 days since the above hashtag* in my post title first appeared on Twitter. It was Friday, August 12, 2011 and the food blogging community came out in full force to support one of their own. I was in Florida at the time, but I witnessed a beautiful and quickly growing phenom. When I returned home, my time was all about preparations for, and then posting about, this blog’s 2nd Anniversary Party.  But that hashtag and all it means has not been far from my heart or my thoughts these past days.

I am always on time and hate being late, but for the first time it has been great to be late. Had I made the Pie For Mikey a week ago, I would not have had a chance to see the outpouring of love from all of the amazing food bloggers out there. It reinforces why I so enjoy blogging on an almost daily basis. So today, 11 days later, I want to share it with you.

First, you must leave this site to watch and listen to this beautiful video… right now, please!  Honestly, don’t press “read more” until you’ve seen the video.

Absolutely gorgeous and moving, wasn’t it? Now you hopefully realize that what the food blogging community has done these past days has been to make, share, and then post about a Pie For Mikey.  A pie to share with their loved ones and to remember that each moment in life is a precious gift and not to be taken for granted. From what I’ve read about Mikey, Jennie, and their two young daughters, they truly loved deeply and did not take one moment for granted.

How about a little comic relieve here?  I can provide that with my own story of peanut butter pie. It was more than 25 years ago that I made my first, and until today, my last PB Pie.  I do not recall where the recipe came from, but I do recall that I made it for an intimate dinner party for six. We’d finished a lovely dinner on the patio of our little townhouse and it was time for dessert. I brought out all the plates, serving pieces, and the PB Pie. I grabbed the big old knife and cut into it, and … eww, it was a runny sloppy mess. Oh well, who cares what it looks like, we all thought, it’ll still taste great.  So I slopped it onto the plates, laughing all the while.  Then… we tasted it… it was disgusting.  Honestly, it was inedible! I have no idea where it all went wrong; so we just threw it directly into the trash and I have never lived it down. To this day, my dear friend, Nancy, loves to remind me of the night I “served” that flop of a PB Pie.

So now you know my deep dark secret and why I never attempted to make a PB Pie again, until today. Many of the bloggers (such as 5 Second Rule, Eat the Love, Pen & Fork, and  Zoe Bakes) created their own versions of “Pie for Mikey” but I, understandably, played it safe and used Jennie’s recipe. The recipe and the pie are perfect!  My wish is that you will go to In Jennie’s Kitchen, get the recipe, and make it too.  And then I hope that you’ll serve it to the ones you love and remember to cherish each other and every God-given gift of moments you have together. God bless.

P.S. Just in case you want more recipes for Peanut Butter Pie, got to THIS LINK and be inspired and amazed!  And… just in case you have any problems with the link to get the pie recipe from In Jeannie’s Kitchen, I’ve pasted the recipe below.

*Hashtag:  Twitter users often prepend # to words in their Tweets to categorize them for others; so hashtags are the theme of the Tweet. Users can then click on a hashtag to see other similarly-themed Tweets.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie from In Jeannie’s Kitchen

8 ounces chocolate cookies
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs.  Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well.  Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.  Pour over bottom of cookie crust and spread to the edges using an off-set spatula.  Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to a small bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.

Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream).  Fold in the remaining whipped cream.  Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan.  Drizzle the melted chocolate on top, if using, and refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving.

Serves 10 to 12

Today I am returning from visiting Kathy and Chris Froggatt, my longtime friends,  in their new home (well it’s been about 18 months since they moved from AZ) in Jupiter, Florida.  Yes, the “crazy lady” comes out again and goes from 110 degrees in AZ to 90+ degrees plus 90% humidity… for a less than refreshing summer reprieve in FL. Whatever, it was a wonderful trip to see great friends, in their gorgeous new home, with their tropical backyard.  Do you know what that is the picture above?  Look closely…

There is nearly 100 bananas on that tree! Did you know that after a banana tree produces bananas, it dies? Before it does though, it puts out new little banana tree shoots to replace itself.  See the new little banana tree coming up between the two below?

I had no idea! So cool, and here are a couple more pictures of another tree in their backyard with a new crop of bananas.  See the pod at the bottom of all those bunches?

And here is a closer look of the newest little ones coming out of the pod. Love it!

It’s been quite some time since I put up a dessert recipe and to be perfectly honest, even longer since these were made.  The kids made them back in June during our summer classes. Since bananas are always available in the grocery store, even here in the desert, these dessert egg rolls are perfect any time of year.

Banana Egg Rolls with Caramel Sauce

12 egg roll wrappers
3 bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise, then cut into 4-inch pieces
1 jar purchased caramel sauce, heated slightly in microwave
1/4 cup toffee bits
1/4 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
Powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Arrange 4 egg roll wrappers on work surface; keep remainder covered with a dry clean towel.

Brush edges of wrappers with water.  Place 1 banana piece diagonally across 1 corner of each wrapper.  Drizzle each banana with 1 teaspoon caramel sauce, 1 teaspoon toffee bits, and 1 teaspoon walnuts. Fold in the wrapper corner closest to the banana. Roll wrapper over banana once, then fold in sides and roll up as for an enchilada, pressing ends to seal, brushing with more water, if needed.

Repeat filling and rolling remaining wrappers. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Covered tightly and chill.)

Pour enough oil into heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 3 inches or into a deep fryer. Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Working in batches, fry rolls in oil until deep golden brown, turning, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer rolls to paper towels and drain.

Arrange rolls on a platter or serving plates.  Sift powdered sugar over.  Sprinkle lightly with five-spice powder. Drizzle caramel sauce around rolls and serve immediately.

Makes 12

Fresh Fig Ice Cream

2 pounds fresh figs, ends trimmed and each cut into 6 to 8 pieces
1/2 cup of water
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Purchased caramel sauce, if desired

Place the figs, water and lemon zest into a medium, nonreactive saucepan. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the figs are tender.

Remove the lid, stir in the sugar and continue to cook until it turns into a jam-like consistency, about another 10 to 12 minutes.  

Remove from the heat and transfer fig mixture into a bowl. Place the bowl of figs in another larger bowl that is half filled with ice and water (an ice bath) and stir occasionally until mixture is cold.  Change out the water and ice if needed.  Once the figs are cold, stir in the cream and lemon juice. 

Place the mixture into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer into an air-tight container and place in freezer until firm. Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired.

Makes about 1 quart