Peach Sorbet

peach+sorbet1a Peach Sorbet
It’s  early morning and the heat index is up.
Up to what feels like 150 gazzilion degrees…
It’s hot…
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 My Hubs and I had a quick coffee on the patio – our morning tradition. We could feel the heat coming and for some reason I made hot coffee today, instead of the ice version. Won’t happen again, Sweetie! Till tomorrow, probably…
After baking cookies for CCC Monday, I knew I had to stay away from the oven… So frozen dessert it is.
Sorbet to be exact. Easy to whip up and perfect to fight the heat!
Oh, did I mention it’s made with peaches? I love peaches… When I crave a juicy fruit, it’s always peaches. My chocolate stash becomes envious, because I exclaim: “best thing ever!” and actually enjoy the juice dripping down my hands.
peaches2 Peach Sorbet
I got all giddy when I saw mounds of them in our local store. My mind was full of ideas! Clafoutis, jam, cupcakes, cake, bars!! Oh my! But hold your horses – the oven is off limits…
So, to enjoy the flavor of fresh and juicy peaches, sorbet seemed the best choice.You get the fruit and cool down with icy treat. Win win!
 Note: If your peaches are hard, simply place them in a paper bag and let sit on the counter for a day or two. It will speed up the ripening process.
peach+sorbet+2 Peach Sorbet

Peach Sorbet

2 peaches, soft to the touch, washed, skin peeled, pitted, cut into chunks
splash or two of milk ( about 2 – 3 Tbsp )
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c water

Place peach chunks on a parchment paper lined plate and freeze until firm.
Place frozen peaches in blender and mix until smooth. Adding milk will help to blend them.
In a small measuring cup mix together water and sugar until sugar dissolves.
Add to peaches and mix until well blended.
Pour into a 8″ square baking dish and freeze until firm but scoopable, about 1 hour. If the sorbet is too hard to scoop, let sit on the counter for 15 – 20 minutes.

source: adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine July 2010

peach+sorbet+3 Peach Sorbet

What is your favorite stone fruit?

xoxo,

C2D708DA70A2E148FFF417590A8C35AE Peach Sorbet

Tuesday Links

foodphotography Tuesday Links

Lately, I found myself being totally obsessed with food photography and styling. 
After kiddos go to sleep, I can browse and browse all those gorgeous pictures my favorite food bloggers have on their sites.
Mind you, I have miiiiiiiles to go with my photos and styling. But I am hoping to grow this blog and my skills. After all, playing with food is fun! Doesn’t matter what our moms told us when we were 5. icon smile Tuesday Links
Here is a short list of links that I find very informative and helpful for bloggers like me:

1. This link caught my attention on Foodbuzz. My dear foodie friend, Lizzy, shared it and I immediately bookmarked it. A must-read!
The Ardent Epicure: Food Photography “A Perspective” ( Thank you, Lizzy for sharing this link! icon smile Tuesday Links )
2. Better with Butter covers everything from camera to lighting to props.

3. For those who didn’t make it to BlogHer Food Conference this year, this post is a must-read. Stephanie shares a very interesting and delicious project called “a cake case study” to talk about current styles in food photography.

4. Matt from Wrightfood has a whole series on food photography. You will find yourself bookmarking page after page after page.
                                  Food Photography: Post Production
                                   Food Photography Compact Camera

5. Shawnda from Confections of a Foodie Bride is a genius. I learned so much from her blog, I should probably send her cookies for it. icon smile Tuesday Links You need to check out her site, if not for the photography tips, than for the recipes. Eye-candy for all!

 For more visual inspiration, you can visit my Pinterest board “Food Photography”. I am constantly adding gorgeous pictures to it!
pinterestboard1 Tuesday Links
If you have a link to share about food styling and photography, leave it in comments section.
I would love to see it!

Tomorrow, another frozen treat! Stay tuned. icon smile Tuesday Links
xoxo,

C2D708DA70A2E148FFF417590A8C35AE Tuesday Links

CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

vegan+chocolate+chip1a CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Happy Monday!
So how was your weekend? Sweet I hope. icon smile CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Boy, do I have a treat for you today! I am so excited to share this week’s CCC Monday!
vegan+chocolate+chip2 CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
 Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
 I have to say, I was drawn into this recipe for two reasons: it uses oil instead of butter and applesauce instead of eggs. I was eager to see the results. Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect. Will they be chewy or crispy? Will they turn out flat or thick? Cakey?
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    They totally exceeded my expectations! They were gorgeous to start with. I simply gasped when they came out of the oven! Then my Taste Tester came ( aka The Hubs ) and grabbed one, still warm cookie. I awaited the verdict….
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     Shut-the-front-door these are goooood!! So chewy with a slightly crispy edge. But just slightly. Give them some time in the cookie jar and the chewiness totally takes over. YUM!
    The flavor is caramel-like, perfectly balanced with the chocolate. And… yep, you got it! I sprinkled the sea salt on top! icon smile CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Perfection!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c canola or vegetable oil
6 Tbsp soy or almond milk
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt ( decrease if using sea salt to sprinkle on top )
1 c vegan ( dairy-free) semisweet chocolate chips
coarse sea salt for sprinkling on to ( optional but recommended )

No mixer required.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, baking soda and salt ).
In a large mixing bowl, mix together dark brown sugar, oil, milk, granulated sugar, applesauce and vanilla. Stir until all well combined.
Add the flour mixture and gently fold in. You do not want to over mix the dough. When about half of your flour mixture is incorporated, add the chocolate chips and fold everything in. This cuts down on mixing the dough after adding flour and prevents overmixing.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, parchment paper or silpat.
Scoop the cookie dough by tablespoons onto your prepared sheet.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes and transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

source: slightly adapted from Healthy Cooking June/July 2011

vegan+chocolate+chip CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
     If you are a chocolate chip cookie fanatic, like we are ( thanks to this series icon smile CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies ), you simply have to try this recipe. Even if you are not vegan. And if you do, please, come back and tell me how you like it. I can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say about these babies. Save the recipe for those days when you find yourself craving a cookie but don’t have butter and eggs. Anyways, make them! Share them! Be happy!
Are you vegan? Do you bake vegan style?

xoxo,

C2D708DA70A2E148FFF417590A8C35AE CCC Monday: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Weekend Wrap-Up

newlabelWW1 Weekend Wrap Up

Previously, on CCS:

Monday – well, let’s not talk about Monday

Tuesday -  mission: make you lime-obsessed; Limeade Ice Pops with Strawberries and Kiwi

Wednesday – 1st Blue Ribbon Challenge! Mousse is what’s for dessert.

Friday – getting bossy with Lime Biscuits and Blueberry Butter on the side. Sunday’s Top9 on Foodbuzz!!

See you on Monday!

xoxo,

C2D708DA70A2E148FFF417590A8C35AE Weekend Wrap Up

Lime Biscuits with Blueberry Butter

limebiscuits2 Lime Biscuits with Blueberry Butter
Let me be a little bossy today.
Hey, I have three kiddos. I know bossy!
So bossy me says: this is how you should start your day.
Freshly baked biscuits jazzed up with lime zest and smothered with blueberry butter.
Add your cup of joe and enjoy your Summer morning.
Obsessed-with-lime me had this vision of citrus-zest-packed biscuits, freshly baked in the morning, when the kiddos are still asleep. I made it happen and my Hubby and I enjoyed it on our patio, along with our morning coffee. The blueberry butter was a last minute thing, a way to use up leftover fruit. Our girls loved these too! Totally kiddo-approved. icon smile Lime Biscuits with Blueberry Butter

Lime Biscuits

10 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
3 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 heaping Tbsp lime zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c lime sour milk ( see note )

Cut up your butter and shortening into cubes and place on a plate. Refrigerate until all the other ingredients are ready.
Line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper or silpat. Set aside. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Make lime sour milk: in a measuring cup, pour enough milk that it will reach 1 cup mark. Squeeze enough lime juice that the liquid comes up to 1 1/4 c mark. For me, half lime was enough. Stir and set aside.
Note: the original recipe calls for buttermilk, which you can use, but I wanted the lime flavor to really come through, therefore my substitution.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients ( flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lime zest ).
Add the chilled fat and using pastry cutter, cut it in until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add lime sour milk ( or buttermilk ) and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
Place your dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed 8 – 10 times. Do not over knead.
Divide the dough in half so it’s easier to handle.
Roll out one half or simply flatten with your palm into a rectangle about 1/2 thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut it into squares. Place the biscuits flat side up onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400 degrees and rotate the pan. Bake for additional 10 – 13 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on the sheet for 3 minutes, cool completely on a wire rack.
Repeat with the other half of the dough.

source: adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Feed
cutting tip for square biscuits: Cook’s Illustrated

Blueberry Butter

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c fresh blueberries

Mix butter and blueberries in a food processor.
Smother on our freshly baked biscuits.
The end.

source: Crunchy Creamy Sweet aka my own kitchen

                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to Stephanie, Hannah, Soni, Ramona, Kristina, Neshanne, Ros, Dawn and Minnie for participating in my 1st Blue Ribbon Challenge. You guys totally rocked the mousse challenge! So many must-makes on my list now icon smile Lime Biscuits with Blueberry Butter . Thank you! The winner of the challenge is….
blueribbonbadge4 Lime Biscuits with Blueberry Butter
Minnie from The Lady 8 Home and her Zaffrani Mango Mousse! Congrats, Minnie! The winners badge is on it’s way to you via e-mail.
The theme for next month’s challenge will be announced soon!
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How do you start your day?

xoxo,

C2D708DA70A2E148FFF417590A8C35AE Lime Biscuits with Blueberry Butter

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