Alex's Lemonade Stand & Sparkling Lemonade Fruit Pops

I know I have been MIA for quite awhile but whenever I’m given the opportunity to help a charity or fundraiser via my blog, I always try to make an extra effort to set aside some time to help. I myself do not have children yet but after seeing how my amazing mother and grandmother raised me, I can only imagine how difficult yet rewarding being a parent can be. You can hope that your raise your kids to become intelligent, courageous, compassionate, and hardworking adults.   

Alexandra “Alex” Scott had those qualities at the age of 4. The young founder of this foundation decided that after she got out of the hospital after a battle with cancer, she wanted to help other kids and their families by having a lemonade stand to raise funds. At the age of 8, Alex lost her battle with cancer but her dream continues on with this annual event.

 

 

Event info: This lemonade stand is the biggest fundraiser in California and one of the top ten Alex's Lemonade Stands in the country. Since its inception, Alex's Lemonade Stand has raised over $80 million for childhood cancer, and has funded more than 450 research projects at 94 institutions. They also help families struggling with childhood cancer by providing a Travel Fund and an annual Educational Symposium.   Come join us for our 9th annual Alex's Lemonade Stand in Normal Heights on Adams!  The grand stand offers lemonade, a silent auction, opportunity drawing, kids’ activities, and live music.  

If you can’t attend, click here to donate. Your donation of $50 funds one hour of research. Let’s help the Miller Tribe reach their goal of $15,000 this year, getting them to $100,000 for the nine years they’ve been running.

San Diego Food Bloggers Lemonade Challenge, sponsored by Melissa’s Produce
More than a dozen San Diego Food Bloggers will be cooking with lemons in support of Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Check out their lemony recipes online between July 21-28, and make a donation to the Stand through links on their blogs.

A Purpose Driven Wife
BakeLoveGive
Becky Charms
Confessions of a Foodie
Deleting the Adjectives
Family Spice
Frugal Nutrition
Golden State Mom
Jinxi Eats
Kirbie’s Cravings
Making It Sweet
Recipe Renovator
The H Blog
The Plain Jane
The Seaside Baker
Three Dog Kitchen

I had to stare at my Melissa’s Produce box for awhile to figure out what I wanted to make. I felt like a “Chopped” contestant for a minute! To get inspired, I sampled everything in the box and I’m not even joking, this had to be some of the best produce I have ever tasted. Sweet juicy plums, two varieties of grapes popping with flavor, bright green key limes, and of course two types of lemons. It’s been hot and humid in San Diego and I wanted to make something that would reflect the season, highlight the fruit, and not be too heavy in the hot weather. I was inspired by the lemonade stand so I started with a lemonade base which turned into a non-alcoholic sangria which then turned into the final product: Sparkling Lemonade Fruit Pops!  

Sparkling Lemonade Fruit Pops  

1 cup lemon juice
2.5 cups sparkling juice, such as Welch’s Sparkling Mango Passionfruit
3 cups water (still)
1 cup grapes, sliced in half
1 cup of sliced plums 2-3 key limes, cut into thin wheel slices
2 tsp of sugar (optional)  

1) In a pitcher, stir together water and juices. Add sugar if you’d like if your juices tend to be on the tart side. Add fruit & limes to the pitcher and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the fruit to “marinate.”
2)Spoon the fruit into the bottom of a popsicle mold. Add liquid. Drop in a couple of lime wheels. These will float and add a fun twist to your popsicle.
3) Due to the carbonated juice, these popsicles will take longer to freeze. I recommend freezing overnight.      

Sueshine Notes
Have fun with these pops! Experiment with different fruits and sparkling juices. You can also control the amount of sugar that is added to the pops. Sparkling juices already have added sugar so adjust the mixture to your taste.  

Aren’t the colors pretty! Since my poor older AC unit couldn’t keep up, it was a little over 80 degrees in my house and the pops started to melt really fast. Not a problem! The cold, tart pops were so refreshing and the melting liquid running down my fingers reminded me of summers in my childhood.  

Thanks to all the partners of this fundraiser
Alex’s Lemonade Stand
Adams Avenue Business Association
Blind Lady Ale House
FM 94.9, broadcasting live all day
Melissa’s Produce

Special thanks to Stephanie Weaver, The Recipe Renovator, for coordinating the challenge! We hope to see you on Saturday!

 

Taste of Summer - Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I often remember coming home late from school and before I even dropped my backpack at the door, being instantly hit by the sweet and buttery smell of cake. This particular cake was one of my family's favorite desserts not just because of the smell or how fluffy soft the cake was or even the slight crunch of the brown sugar "crust", but because it was easy for my mom to make after she came home from a long day at work, had cooked dinner, and watched over my then 1 year old brother.
 

 

"What did you mom make for dinner?"

"(insert Filipino dish here). "

"That sounds good."

"Oh and she made pineapple upside down cake."

"I'll be right over."

 

That was a pretty common reaction with my various extended family members. If for some reason they couldn't make over to our house, I was always instructed to "save a piece." Yeah, like there would be anything left over....

 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

in a 13x9 non-stick pan

 

1- box of yellow cake mix

3- eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1- 20oz can of pineapple rings (in its own juice)

1- small jar of maraschino cherries

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 golden brown sugar








 

1) Preheat oven to 350*F. Place butter in non-stick baking pan and place in preheating oven to melt.

2) Pour all pineapple juice from canned pineapple rings into a measuring cup up to 1 cup. If the juice does not measure to 1 cup, fill remainder of the measuring cup with water. Combine cake mix, eggs, juice, and vegetable oil. Set aside.

3) Carefully remove pan from oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple rings in the butter and sugar. Place a cherry in the middle of each ring.

4) Slowly pour batter evenly over the pineapple rings. Bake for 25 minutes.

5) Allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes. Place a serving plate firmly over the pan and flip. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Sueshine Notes

As you can see, I used a 13x9 pan because I wanted to bring it to work....much to my coworkers' delight. When my mom would make it, it was always in two 9-inch rounds meaning you would just need to split the butter evenly and adjust the baking time according to the directions on your cake mix.

When making any kind of upside down cake, I think the flipping scares people the most. Tips to a good flip is to 1) use a good non-stick pan or in my case, I lined the pan with parchment paper, 2) allow the cake to cool and 3) commit!! Don't hesitate when flipping your cake....just hold your serving plate firmly against the pan and do it fast. The cake will just slide right out.

Don't distress if your cake cracks a little. Believe me, most people won't even notice once they start eating!

Cutting back on the sugar but still want an easy dessert? I would recommend using more water than pineapple juice, use a sugar free cake mix like Pillsbury, or use Splenda sugar blend. Or just eat a smaller piece.

 

 t was my mom's birthday a few weeks ago and I decided to make it in her honor. My mom doesn't make the cake very often anymore because she can't have it and it's one of the few sweets she admits she has a hard time resisting (even though she just lost an incredible 20+ pounds in less than a month! Zumba away mom! You can spare a piece of cake!). Instead of indulging in the cake, I decided to share this one with my co-workers. It was welcomed with enthusiasm and was gone within 15-20 minutes of my placing it in the kitchen. A few people asked me for the recipe and I explained how easy it was.

 

"You make it sound so easy. Like tada....cake!" said one of my co-workers.

 

Don't be fooled. This cake really is that easy. Just remember...commit to the flip!!

 

 

Drawer Full of Snacks - Cranberry Orange Hand Pies

Everyone has been freaking out about "The Great Twinkie Shortage of 2012" but honestly, Twinkies weren't my favorite Hostess treat back when I use to eat full powered (ie regular sugary) sweets. My favorites were the fruit or pudding pies. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're the ones with the "fruit" in the bright mystery gel encrusted in a white sugar flaked crust? My favorite were the lemon ones. Those didn't even have fruit...just the dayglo yellow gel!

 

Hm, now that I think about, that doesn't sound as appetizing as it did when I was ten. Yet, the idea of having a homemade hand pie does sound appealing. Those Hostess pies are also known as hand pies...pies that fit conveniently in your hand with no utensils required. Especially with it being Thanksgiving week, what better drawer snack to share with you than a cranberry orange hand pie.

 

Cranberry Orange Hand Pies

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup stevia sugar blend

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 cup fresh cranberries, cut in halves

1 package of ready pie crust (usually comes with 2-9in rounds)

egg wash (1 egg, 1 tablespoon water)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a medium saucepan, heat orange juice, sugar, orange zest, and cornstarch over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add cranberries and coat with sugar glaze. Heat until the cranberries soften but remain whole, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Unroll the pie crust rounds. With a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut shapes front crust and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon cranberry orange filling onto half of the crust cutouts, leaving enough edge to seal. Top the pie filling with another crust cutout. Seal along the edges with a fork.

Lightly brush the top of the crust with the egg wash. Poke small holes or cut a tiny slit in the middle of the pie to vent.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool before serving.

Have fun with the cookie cutters. I used a maple leaf cutter for the season but they were rather large and only made 4 pies. I ended up with lots of crust scraps so I took one of my mini cutters and made bite size pies so not to waste all the flaky goodness. The very next day, I placed two of them in a plastic baggie and took them to work. They sat in my desk drawer until snack time and I have to confess how my weird mind works sometimes: The image of a whole pie...or even a slice of pie...sitting in my desk drawer just made me smirk. Anyways, I tore myself away from my work computer, took a break to eat my pies. The tart cranberries and sweet orange flavor went nicely with a cup of hot tea in my Little Miss Sunshine mug. They were delicious and perfect for a Fall afternoon. So if you aren't completely tired of pie or cranberries after Thanksgiving, take the time to make these super easy hand pies which I'm positive are more appealing (and healthier) then the neon gel pies.

Last Bite of Summer - Olive Oil Blackberry Lemon Shortbread

 

 

It's been a very warm summer in San Diego. The AC in my tiny red kitchen often read in the high 80s, low 90s and the few times I did dare to turn on the oven, it would slowly approach the 100s. Even after the oven was off, it would take hours for my house to "cool" down. I started baking at night but then I wouldn't have the light to take pictures to share with all of you. I missed out on making quite a few summery treats because I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

A few weekends ago, I couldn't resist the urge anymore. The oven was just calling to me! If I was going to brave the heat, I was going to make something summery. Last Spring, I tried a shortbread recipe that used olive oil rather than butter. Isn't that what makes shortbread so tasty....all that buttery goodness? This couldn't possibly be as good but to my surprise, although it tasted pretty different from traditional shortbread, I enjoyed it. But what could I do to the recipe to bring it up another level, still stay a little healthier, and remind me of summer. When I saw the fresh blackberries in the market, I knew I wanted to make something reminiscent of a berry lemonade with fresh mint.



Olive Oil Blackberry Lemon Shortbread

Shortbread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup Stevia)
1/3 cup light olive oil
1 large egg
2 1/2  tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup blackberries, sliced in half

Glaze
3/4 cups Stevia
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3-5 mint leaves, crushed

 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine baking soda, flour, salt (Do not sift) on a large piece of parchment paper.

Separately, beat sugar, egg, olive oil, and honey until combined. Add lemon zest and using the parchment paper, gradually add the dry ingredients. Incorporate the blackberries.

Place dough on the parchment paper. Press the dough together with the parchment paper and make into a log. Twists the ends and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Cut the log into 1 inch thick rounds. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan on low heat, combine all ingredients for the glaze. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it bubbles. Remove from heat. Brush glaze onto cooled shortbread. Allow the glaze to cool on the shortbread before serving.

Sueshine Notes

Measurements and ingredients have been changed from the original recipe to make it my own and to bring up the sweetness level.

After you add the flour mixture, the dough will be very dry. Do not panic. The blackberries will moisten the dough and will help bring it together in the parchment paper.

Another option for the cookies it to roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to make different shapes rather than the log.

The color of the dough and finished cookies will be a little shocking and maybe not so appetizing when you first take them out of the oven. I wondered how on earth I could make this look good for you guys but after I brushed on the glaze and let the cookies sit for a bit, the lovely purple color came out.

Sometimes I wonder if I really am a San Diego native because I'm glad summer (at least this miserably humid summer) is drawing to a close. I cannot wait for Fall (my favorite season) to start! I have the next 3 months planned so I hope you're ready to see my oven finally go into overdrive!

Satisfied Cravings: Bananas Foster

Cravings are a constant challenge when you have dietary restrictions. You know that saying, "You always want what you can't have"? What I usually want is dessert and for the first time, the dessert I craved was something that I've never actually ordered, made, or even have a special memory of. I just knew that I had to have it.

 

If you've read my blog for awhile, you know that I love puff pastry. While I was looking for new recipes on puffpastry.com, I ran across a recipe for bananas foster. Bananas Foster is bananas covered in buttery-cinnamon-rum-caramelly (yes, not a word but it should be) goodness. Traditionally bananas foster goes over vanilla ice cream and although ice cream sounds delicious during these recent hot summer days in San Diego, sugar-free ice cream is one of those few items that I don't think has been mastered just yet. I crave bananas a lot but like a lot of fruit, I have to limit my intake because of the natural sugars and in the case of bananas, the starch.  I looked over the recipe and decided to make a few adjustments to the ingredients and the portion size to see if I could make it a little more friendly.

 

 

Bananas Foster with Puff Pastry

heavily adapted from puffpastry.com

 

1 package of mini puff pastry shells

egg wash - beat 1 egg, 2 tablespoons water

3 ripe, but firm, bananas

1/2 cup sugar substitute*

2 tablespoons light maple syrup

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt

 

 

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place pastry shells on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the egg wash onto the puff pastry shells. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut bananas into rounds.

In a skillet, combine the sugar, syrup, butter, lemon juice, rum, and cinnamon over medium heat. Stir until the sauce thickens. Add the bananas and coat until caramelized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the centers of the puff pastry shells. Spoon in the Greek yogurt and add the banana mixture to the top. Add another layer of yogurt to top if you would like.

 

Sueshine Note

*The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar. Instead, I used C&H Light which is a combination of real sugar and stevia and the 2 tablespoons of light maple syrup. This sugar substitute does not measure equal to real sugar (1/2 cup = 1/4 cup) so make sure you adjust to whatever substitute you are using.

*Worried about the alcohol? It burns off but if you are worried about the sugars in the rum, you can use imitation rum extract.

 

I decided to go with the smaller puff pastry shells because it lends itself to a smaller portion. I believe one of these is the perfect size dessert for after dinner and there is a little less guilt involved. Did I mention how easy this recipe was too? You can whip this up in a matter of 15 minutes and even less time if you are just making the bananas foster portion. I actually had some extra bananas so I might save it for that sugar free ice cream that needs improvement.

 

 

 

I forgot to show what the puff pastry shell looks like when it's baked as well as the hollowed section filled with yogurt but I just got too excited to pour on the bananas and sauce! Do I have you craving bananas foster now? :)

 

 

 

Please note as with all my attempts in making a recipe more friendly, I'm not an expert. Please make sure you take into account your personal diet. Only you can make the right decisions.

 

Happy Birthday, Julia - Cherry Clafoutis

Friday, July 13, 2012...in my little red kitchen I stared down at one of the saddest baking attempts I've done since I started my blog. It was the day before the next San Diego Food Blogger's meeting and it was declared that there would be extra points if you could make something in honor of Bastille Day. I'll be honest with you...I had to look it up Bastille Day. Hmm....I didn't know much about French food so dessert it is. Back to the internet and I finally decided on a cherry clafoutis (cla-foo-tee) because in the end, I wanted to have an excuse to buy a bag of pricey cherries. I gathered my ingredients and made my atttempt at making a random French ,dessert which I had never even tried before. It wasn't an epic fail (it actually tasted really delicious) but in looks, it was definitely a fail. I brought a creamy avocado dip and pita chips to the meeting...hehe.

So what is a clafoutis? The best way to describe it is a cross between a pancake and a flan. Juding by all the receipes I found, there are several versions but most were pretty basic and straighforward. Traditionally it's made with unpitted cherries to give it an almond-like flavor but I decided I better pit mine. Let's just say my hands were a little stained afterwards. As I said, I enjoyed the flavors of the failed clafoutis so I knew I would eventually revisit it again in the future.

I would try it a lot sooner than expected. A little birdie had emailed me and told me about a local restaurant that was holding a special dinner for Julia Child's 100th birthday. I honestly haven't thought much about Julia Child in recent years but I do have memories of sitting on my grandmother's couch and watching cooking shows like In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefson PBS *gasp* pre-Food Network. I can tell you I am no expert at French cuisine and I can only dream to master a few French pasteries. When she wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia introduced Americans to fine dining and that as long as you liked to cook or wanted to learn to cook, you could do it. Today is Julia Child's 100th birthday in in the spirit of wanting to learn how to cook/bake, I decided to try the clafoutis a second time.

Julia Child's Cherry Clafoutis

from Epicurious.com

• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups cherries, pitted
• powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a blender, combine the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend.

Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of the blended mixture over the bottom. Set remaining batter aside.

Place dish into the oven for about 7-10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan but the mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (but don’t turn the oven off, yet).

Distribute the pitted cherries over the set batter in the pan, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven 60 minutes, until the clafouti is puffed and brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

As I've stated in previous posts, I will always be honest with you when I try baking something new. I'm not a professionally trained baker or a master at pasteries...I'm just an everyday at home baker, learning as I go. I think a lot of you are in the same boat as I am. The cherry clafoutis didn't turn out super pretty (better than my original attempt though) but it was so good. Mine did not turn out puffy like a pancake but leaned more towards a firm custard which I believe I prefer. The tart cherries were a contrast to the sweet eggy batter and I had to stop myself from spooning more into my mouth. Who knows why my clafoutis turned out the way it did...maybe it was my sugar (I used C&H Light which is a sugar/stevia blend and not an exact measure to real sugar) or maybe it was my baking dish (glass) or it could even be my oven. Either way, I'm glad I tried again and I'm sure I will try it a third time later down the road. In Julia's words:

"Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes."

Happy 100th birthday, Julia! All the chefs, bakers, and everyday cooks that you have inspired thank you. Bon Apetite!

Sweets for your Sweetie - Easy Stuffed & Dipped Strawberries

Have you purchased a gift for your special someone yet for Valentine's Day?? No? DO.NOT.PANIC. I have an easy solution for you and a way for your to earn bonus points with your loved one. Chocolate dipped strawberries are one of the easiest desserts to make. Impress your hunny by taking that extra step to stuff them by following these instructions.

Easy Stuffed & Dipped Strawberries

What you will need: 

2 pounds of large strawberries

1 8oz package of sugar free chocolate chips

1 8oz tub of sugar free or french vanilla Cool Whip, frozen

1 quart size ziplock bag, wax or parchment paper 

1) With a paring knife, cut a small "+" at the tapered end, halfway through the strawberry.

2) Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. If the chocolate is not melted, only heat 10 seconds at a time or it will burn.

3) Spoon half the Cool Whip into the ziplock bag.  Cut one of the bottom corners of the ziplock bag (be sure not to make the hole too big). Gently insert the tip of the ziplock into the strawberry and slowly fill until the stuffing just begins to come out the sides.

4) Dip 2/3 of the strawberry into the melted chocolate. Place on a tray covered with wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The directions above are for a version that involves no sugar added or sugar free products but there are endless possibilities on what you can stuff the strawberries with. Other filling ideas include:

As with any sugar free or no sugar added products, only your doctor and you know what's right for your diabetic diet plan.

-Vanilla curd (ready made in a jar is available at some stores)

-Pudding

-Cheesecake

-Mousse (sugar free options such as Jello Temptations in flavors of caramel, dark or regular chocolate)

-Nutella

Get creative with these and I guarantee there won't be anything left by the end of the night. If you are anti-Valentine's Day, well I think you should still make these anyways. Who needs an excuse to have chocolate dipped strawberries when they are this easy to make? I'm sending much love your way, whether you celebrate it or not. Happy Heart Day!

Caramel Asian Pear Bread Pudding

A lot of baked items that I write about and make on this blog have a memory attached to them. Unfortunately, I can't remember the first time or the first place that I had bread pudding. It couldn't have been that memorable then. I do know that I like bread pudding and I do know I've never made it before. So when I saw a recipe for it on Diabetic Living Online, I thought I'd try something new. But it felt weird to be making something that I had no real connection to. The recipe called for red pears and and I thought I'd change it up a little.

I do have memories attached to Asian pears. Usually fairly expensive (local grocery stores here in San Diego can charge up to $2.00 per pear), my mom, knowing they were one of my favorite fruits, would buy me one as a treat. I often remember carrying the round, slightly rough-skinned, yellow fruit in my hands in the special spongy wrap while my mom finished her grocery shopping, trying my best to resist biting into it. I was finally allowed to eat it when we got home because often times I would make a mess as I bit into it, getting the juice all over myself. That didn't stop me from munching happily away at the crunchy flesh. If you've never had an Asian pear, it's exactly what you would think a pear and apple would be like if they had kids.

Caramel Asian Pear Bread Pudding

3 large day old or dried bagels of your choice

3 tbsps margarine, melted

2 Asian pear (peel, core, and cube 1 pear into small pieces)

2 cups fat-free milk

3 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup sugar-free caramel ice cream topping

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1) Preheat oven to 300F. Cut bagels into cubes. If using fresh bagels, place on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 minutes or until slightly crispy.
2) Turn oven up to 350F. Spray 5-6 large ramekins with cooking spray. Place bagel cubes into a bowl and pour melted margarine over cubes. Mix until completely coated. Mix in the cubed pears. Place bagel pieces into the ramekins.
3) In a bowl, mix milk, eggs, caramel, and cinnamon together. Pour over the bagel mixture to slightly below the edge of the dish. Let the bagels soak in the liquid for approximately 5 minutes. Press down on the mixture gently with the back of a spoon.
4) Bake for 50-60 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
5) Garnish with extra pear slices and caramel topping.

Inspired by recipe on DiabeticLivingOnline.com

Sueshine notes about this recipe

Experiment with your bagels. Since it's fall, I used a seasonal bagel (cranberry walnut) from a local bagel shop. If a similar bagel is not available, you can always add dried cranberries or nuts into the bread/pear mixture for texture.

If you do not have access to Asian pears, you can always use regular pears. The original recipe called for red pears but I would pick a pear variety that is firm and crunchy so it can stand up to the baking.

Let the bagel soak in the liquid mixture. If you do not, you may end up with bread pudding with a side of scrambled eggs, especially if you are using a larger dish rather than ramekins.



I wasn't too sure how my first attempt at bread pudding would turn out. I'm actually very picky about my bread pudding,. I am not a fan of super eggy (Is that a word? You know what I mean though) bread pudding or when it's nothing but a bowl of mush. The bagels added a softness on the inside but a slight chewiness outside. The nuts and pears add a little crunch. The caramel adds the right amount of sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth and contrast to the tartness of the cranberries. Best part about it? It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to make. I'm very pleased with how it turned and I think I created another new baking memory.



Hello Autumn! - Spiced Apple French Macaroons

Fall has always been my favorite season because I've created so many great memories during this time of year:

When I was little, seeing all my friends after a long summer break from school.

The start of football season...both professional and getting to see my younger brother play for his
 high school team.

Going to Julian for a slice of apple pie.

Getting ready for the holidays with my giant Filipino family.

A much needed relief from the Southern California heat.

Added a little beagle to our family 7 years ago

Called Scott my husband for the first time.

This year, my first real vacation in over 15+ years.

Fall also means being able to bake some of my favorite comfort items and adding new favorites to my recipe box. I wanted to start Fall out right by trying to make something I have never made before but with a traditional Fall flavor.

Ever since my cousin got engaged, she's been showing me all kinds of treats that she would love for her wedding. I did notice the one item that she really wanted were French macaroons. French macaroons are extremely popular wedding favors because they come in a variety of colors to match your wedding and also come in a variety of flavors. I wanted to surprise her and see if I could make macaroons. The problem was that I knew what the taste and texture of a traditional macaroon was (you know...like a coconut haystack) but I've never had the chance to try a French macaroon. Heck, I'm not even sure of the correct spelling. Is it macaroon or macaron? Do I have to say it with a French accent? So when in question, what do I do?

Moooooooom!!!

I was at my parents house a couple of weeks ago and showing my mom pictures of macaroons on the Internet. I told her I wasn't sure how to make it and what the consistency should be with the meringue then the batter or even the size of the cookies. Talk about scary. "I remember making something like these," she said. "We have something like these in the Philippines that I really like." Oh yeah....she's falling into my trap. "It'll be easy to make the meringue on my stand mixer." Score! "Can I come over on Saturday and make macaroons?" "Sure." Okay, so I kinda tricked my mom into helping me make macaroons but who better to have a learning experience with than with your own mom? With lots of guidance and tips from my mom, I made a batch of macaroons, dyed them a really pale pink, and filled them with Nutella. I shared them with my cousin the next day and she loved them.

So with my new found talent for making macaroons, I decided to blog about them. But I wanted to make special ones for Fall. Luckily, the macaroon cookbook I bought had a recipe for spiced apple macaroons and here's how you make them:

Spiced Apple Macaroons

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond flour (available in bulk at Sprouts or made by Red Mill)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 extra large egg whites

1/4 cup superfine sugar

Filling

1 lb granny smith apples (cored, peeled, and chopped)

3 tbsp superfine sugar

1 tbsp water

Sift powdered sugar, almond flour, and cinnamon on a large piece of parchment paper. Set aside.

Place egg whites in a bowl and whip until holding soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar to make a firm, glossy meringue. (This step is much easier if you have a stand mixer)

Using a spatula, fold in dry ingredients one-third at a time. (If using a stand mixer, change to a paddle and set on the lowest speed) Fold until the mixture forms a shiny batter and forms a thick, ribbon like consistency.

Pour batter into a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch tip. Pipe 24 circles onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Tap the baking sheet to remove air bubbles.

Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375*F

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then carefully peel the macaroons off the parchment paper. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make the filling, place apples, sugar, and water in a small pan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until soft, careful to stir occasionally so the sugar does not burn. Mash with a fork to make a puree. Cool and use to sandwich two cookies together.

Adapted from Macaroons: 30 recipes for perfect bite-sized treats

Sueshine notes to making successful macaroons:

1) There are a few items you're going to need other than the ingredients to make macaroons: piping bag, Wilton tip #12 (or similar round), baking sheet, parchment paper, and a stand mixer is helpful when making the meringue but by no means a requirement. You will need some kind of mixer with several speed settings.

2) Use my template. I designed this to make mini macaroons and regular sized macaroons for myself but I thought I would share because sharing is caring. Place the printed sheet under the parchment paper, using as a guide to pipe the batter (stay inside the circle or your macaroons will be too close) then carefully slip the paper out from under the parchment paper. This will help you make equally sized macaroons.

3) If you are going to color your macaroons with liquid, gel, or paste food coloring, don't be shy to use a lot when you are mixing it into the meringue. Although your batter may look really dark, the color of your macaroons will lighten up as they bake.

Macaroons are not the easiest cookies to make because there are a lot of steps. When people tell you that measurements need to be exact in baking, macaroons are one cookie you do not want to stray from that rule. I found that the the macaroon cookbook I bought had very clear instructions and had a whole section on helpful tips. I did not list their tips but only list my observations while making the cookies.

I brought these bite-sized Fall treats to work and they were a big hit. I plan on making more macaroons in the future (maybe my cousin's wedding?) because I had so much fun making them and they rank right up there with my chocolate chip cookies! Another Fall memory created: Made my first French Macaroon!

Holding onto Summer - Mini Pineapple Mango Tarts

As summer comes to an end in Southern California, I wanted to make something that reminded me of summer...something reminiscent of a tropical fruity drink. Also coming to a close is my 6th month of blogging. For those of you who don't know, Blogger tracks your stats and what key words brought readers to your site. The top search for my site was for puff pastry recipes. It's good to know you all have the same love for puff pastry as I do! I mean, I did devote a week to it HERE. So in celebration, I made a super easy mini pineapple mango tart that just about anyone can make.

Mini Pineapple Mango Tarts

Ingredients

1 large ripe mango, peeled & diced (about 1 1/2 cup)

1 4oz can of cubed pineapple in natural juice (fresh can be used if available)

1 lime

1 1/2 tbsp butter

2 1/2 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 sheet of puff pastry dough

1/2 cup whipped cream or frozen whipped topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Grate 1 1/2 tsp lime zest  (optional) and squeeze 1/2 of lime (add more to taste).

Spray a muffin pan with a non stick spray.Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet to remove the fold marks. Using a round cutter (a glass or cup can also be used), cut into 8-12 rounds. Roll rounds thin and shape into muffin tin. Edges should slightly come over the top of the hole. Refrigerate.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and lime juice and cook until the mixture boils. Stir occasionally. Add the mango and pineapple, coating the fruit. Remove from heat.

Spoon fruit mixture into the pastry cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool then remove from pan. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime zest.

Adapted from puffpastry.com



Sueshine notes

1) Please flour your surface and rolling pin or the puff pastry will stick to it and everything near it, including you!

2) Please please spray your muffin pan. The tarts may stick if you don't do it.

3) Please please please wash your saucepan immediately. Even though I used a non stick pan, as soon as the sugar starts to cool, it will start sticking to your pan. Are you seeing a trend in my notes for this recipe? :)

The whipped cream is not pictured in this post just because the day I made them, I was taking it to the San Diego Food Blogger's Roundtable brunch and I wasn't sure if it would hold up. I would add the whipped cream. What's a fruity drink without the whipped cream, right? Here's to the end of summer and many more blog posts to come! Cheers!