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Every year at the Del Mar Fair I get these flavored extracts and oil from a booth I can’t remember the name of, but the label says the company is Watkins Extracts. They are just incredible and the variety is amazing. I just mix some in with plain yogurt and Splenda and it makes the best topping for chopped fruit.

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 2 seeded and chopped papayas
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 2 tsp Watkins Mango extract
• 1 Splenda

In a mixing bowl add the yogurt, extract and Splenda and mix thoroughly with a whisk to incorporate completely. Let stand while you chop your favorite fruit. Toss to coat well and serve cold with a sprig of mint.

Tags: Fruit, yogurt
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Candied ginger is such a sweet yet potent flavor. I like to incorporate it in certain desserts to impart the bite and the aroma that only ginger can give. With an over abundance of pears on the market right now and the regular apple crisp stand by recipe to use, this fits the bill.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 toasted, chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
• 5 pears, cored and cut into chunks
• 3 apples – Granny Smith (for tart) or Golden Delicious (for sweeter)
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Peel, core and slice the apples into bite size pieces as well as the pears. Chop the candied ginger and set aside. In a frying pan toast the walnuts for a few minutes, do not burn. Coarsely chop and set aside. Place all of these ingredients in the same bowl and mix well to incorporate. Pour in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda until it becomes a crumbled mixture. Toss in the rolled oats and mix again loosely. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and pears . Melt the butter, drizzle over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tags: apple, candied ginger, pears
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I love the tangy taste of rhubarb. It looks similar to celery, but is dark red in color. Good old Wikipedia says “Although the leaves are toxic, various parts of the plants have medicinal uses. Fresh raw stalks are crisp (similar to celery) with a strong tart taste; most commonly the plant’s stalks are cooked and used in pies and other foods for their tart flavor.”

In this recipe I will make a crisp, crumbled dessert that is baked. The result is wonderful when mixed with some apples.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5 large stalks of fresh rhubarb
• 3 apples – Granny Smith (for tart) or Golden Delicious (for sweeter)
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Rinse and cut off the ends of the rhubarb and chop into 1/2″ pieces. Peel, core and slice the apples into bite size pieces. Place in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda until it becomes a crumbled mixture. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples. Melt the butter, drizzle over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tags: rhubarb
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In trying to keep the sugar levels down and make a delicious cake nonetheless, this recipe does the trick. Chocolate is a favorite, and paired with a little espresso, it bumps the flavor to another level.

The texture and flavor is unbelievable. I added a creamed butter frosting to top it off. The cake is low in sugar and calories, but I can’t say the same for the frosting. To keep it low as well, you could eliminate the frosting and add berries and a whipped topping.

• PAM non-stick spray
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp instant coffee crystals
• 4 oz chocolate chip morsels
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 5 egg whites

Frosting:

• 1 cube softened butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• or 1 1/2 cups fresh mixed berries
• Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray the PAM nonstick cooing spray in a 9-inch springform pan.

In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, water, coffee crystals – bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate morsels and whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. In a small bowl whisk the yolks and the vanilla. Slowly add the chocolate mixture and whisk thoroughly to blend. Set aside.

In another bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and baking powder. With a whisk, mix dry ingredients. Slowly whisk in the egg yolk and chocolate mixture until smooth.

In a larger bowl add the egg whites and beat on high until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, slowly fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites, folding over to incorporate until all are mixed thoroughly and the mixture is light.

Do not over mix! Spread the mixture into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back to the touch. It make appear cracked and will fall slightly when cooling. This is to be expected.

While cooking, beat together the softened butter and powdered sugar to form a thick frosting. I used a whisk to incorporate this slowly. It may appear too thick at first, but the butter will dissolve the powdered sugar. Continue to whisk until smooth.

When the cake has cooled, remove from springform pan, place on a cake plate and spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake, making sure not to drag crumbs.

This makes between 6 to 12 slices, depending on the size!

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The other day a neighbor dropped off some incredible smelling fruit that happened to be Guava. They were so aromatic that the entire house was perfumed with their scent and it was amazing.

I thought about it and figured I’d make a dessert of some sorts and decided on a puree to incorporate into a mousse.

• 30 guavas
• juice from one lemon
• Sans Sucre® Low Fat Cheesecake Mousse Mix
• 3/4 cup low-fat milk

To start I sliced the guava in half and scooped out the pulp and seeds. I then pressed the fruit through a course sieve to extract the pulp and remove the seeds. A tedious task, but much needed as the seeds are small and in the heart of the fruit – not easily removed. Keep in a bowl and add a squeeze of lemon juice to keep from discoloring, and to add a bit of tartness to offset the sweet guava. Mix thoroughly to incorporate.

In another bowl, add the milk to the mouse mixture and beat per instructions with egg beaters until the mouse is airy and light. Slowly with a spatula, fold in the guava pulp and mix completely. Pour into individual small serving bowls and chill until ready to serve. Makes eight 1/2 cup servings.

Tags: guava
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Almond paste is used as a filling in pastries of many different cultures. It is similar to marzipan, but marzipan contains more sugar than almond paste, and often contains additional ingredients such as food preserves and food coloring.

• 1/2 lb raw almonds
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 1tbsp sherry

First you need to blanche the almonds by pouring boiling water over them in a pot and setting it aside for three minutes. Drain off the water and slip the skins off by squeezing the almonds between your thumb and fingers. Dry them and then toast them in an oven at 325˚ for about 10 minutes.

Next in a food processor, grind the almonds to a powder. Add the sugar to the powdered almonds and pulse until mixed. In a separate bowl whisk egg, brandy and sherry together. With the processor on, slowly add the  egg mixture in a steady stream until completely incorporated. If mixture is too moist, work in a little additional powdered sugar. If too dry, add brandy to moisten.

Tags: almonds
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This is just another rendition of my grandma’s Apple Crisp, but with my favorite fruit, strawberries and an addition of some firm pairs. I have found that by adding all off the dry ingredients in a bowl and then beat in the egg, it makes for a more crumbly mixture. Before I would beat the egg and sugar then add the dry ingredients and the outcome was a pasty, doughy mixture I had to break apart to crumble over the top of the fruit. The added oats makes it additionally crunchy.

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 pears, cored and chopped into 1″ chunks
• 1 basket of strawberries, each sliced in half
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400˚. Peel, core and slice the apples into bite size pieces. Place in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

In a mixing bowl beat the flour, sugar, egg, vanilla and baking soda until it becomes a crumbled mixture. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples. Melt the butter, drizzle over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tags: pears, strawberries
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I go to the Del Mar Fair every summer and there is this great booth that has the most amazing extracts that I mix and match with in terms of flavor combination in different recipes. There is pineapple, peach, green apple, mango and cherry. Instead of the usual vanilla that is in every kitchen these add a little extra something. This is a great recipe with the vanilla, but I like to add the peach to this one or the occasional balsamic vinegar (a great compliment to the strawberry!)

• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 2 tsp grated orange peel
• fresh mint

In a food processor blend the strawberries until smooth. In a medium saucepan place the sugar and water, bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cook this uncovered for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and stir in the vanilla (or other extract), orange juice, orange peel and strawberry puree.

Pour this mixture into a 8×8″ pan. Freeze this for 3 to 4 hours, cutting mixture through with a fork every hour. Cover and freeze until serving time. I like to serve this with a sliced strawberry on top with a sprig of mint.

Tags: sorbet, strawberries
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I haven’t made these in a while, and the lemons I recently purchased made me think of the yummy, thick custard-like filling on these easy to make bar cookies. The addition of some chopped nuts in the cookie base is a nice touch.

• 2 cubes of butter
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup chopped, skinless almonds
• 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• grated rind from 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350˚.

In a food mixer place the butter, 2 cups of flour, almonds and 1/4 cup powdered sugar and mix until this forms a ball, scrapping sides as needed to incorporate all. Press this mixture into a 13×9″ pan that has been sprayed with Pam or greased with butter. Form a 1/2″ rim around the edges and bake for 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, baking powder, lemon juice, and lemon rind until smooth. Pour this mixture over the cooked dough and spread to cover completely, staying inside the rim of the cookie dough.

Bake this for another 30 minutes until the filling is set, and the edges are golden brown. Cool completely and then sift the 1/3 cup of powdered sugar evenly over the top. Cut into bars and serve.

Tags: lemon
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OK, who doesn’t love fudge candy? Here is a great version of See’s Fudge, to the best of my ability – and it is good.

• 12 oz. chocolate chips
• 1 cube butter
• 1 lb box of powdered sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan. In a large mixing bowl add the powdered sugar and eggs, mix well. Next add the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Mix thoroughly to incorporate completely. Add the nuts if desired and mix again. With a spatula pour chocolate fudge mixture into a greased 8×8: pan and refrigerate to firm. Slice into bite sized pieces and enjoy!

Tags: chocolate, fudge
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