No-Bake Vanilla Ice Cream Raspberry Sherbet Pie

Forgive me Blog Readers...it's been too long since my last post!  I was busy with my Father visiting from Buffalo and then I drove him back home for a visit with the rest of my family.  OF COURSE, I came down with some kind of awful flu while traveling, which I've been fighting for these last weeks.  Next thing I know, May has nearly passed me by.  Which brings me to now...ready to back into the swing of things with baking and blogging!

With summer nearly here, I'd wanted to try my hand at a Vanilla Ice Cream Raspberry Sherbet Pie that caught my eye.  I'm going to share the recipe with you, but I'm going to cut to the chase and share my opinion that this dessert is a lot of effort to put together and wasn't as delicious as I expected.  The flavor combination seemed like a winning one, but, for me, not so much.  It looks pretty, though ,doesn't it?!

Some of my issues may have stemmed from my lack of experience working with ice cream (that whole slightly melted vs. too melted thing).  I always seem to miss the mark of this exact science, leaving me with such a mess to clean up:

No-Bake Vanilla Ice Cream Raspberry Sherbet Pie
Recipe from "Spring Get Togethers" by Pillsbury

Crust

2 cups crushed chocolate cookies (wafer)

1/3 cup melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

Filling

1 cup chocolate fudge sauce, slightly softened

1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1 pint raspberry sherbet, slightly softened

12 oz. frozen raspberries

Topping

1 cup heavy cream/whipping cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Begin by crushing the wafer cookies.  I placed mine in a large plastic ziploc bag and used a rolling pin to crush them.  Mix in the sugar.  Put 1/4 cup of sugar/crumb mixture aside for garnish.  Add melted butter to remaining crumbs and stir until combined.  Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.  Place in refrigerator to set for 15 minutes.

Remove crust from refrigerator and spread fudge sauce over the top.

Place spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream on the fudge and spread evenly.

Next, place spoonfuls of raspberry sherbet on top of the ice cream.  Using as spoon, gently spread the sherbet into the ice cream, combining to create swirls. 

Randomly place frozen raspberries on top, pressing them into the sherbet.

To make the whipped cream topping, pour heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a chilled bowl.  Using chilled beaters, beat until stiff peaks form (about 3 minutes).  Spread whipped topping over the pie.  Garnish with reserved chocolate crumb mixture.  

Cover and freeze for at least six hours.  Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.

And here are my notes:

1.  I must have made the crust too thick since I used a pie dish instead of rectangular pan.  It was nearly impossible to cut through and did NOT produce nice, neat squares.

2.  I did not care for the sherbet taste.  If I make this again I will try raspberry ice cream for a deeper, raspberry taste that goes so nicely with chocolate.

3.  I didn't think the frozen raspberries added anything.  I would try using fresh raspberries that freeze with the ice cream in another attempt.

4.  The recipe actually used whipped topping instead of homemade whipped cream.  I made the substitution.  I didn't like the whipped cream on top -  can someone tell me if frozen whipped topping would actually be preferable to homemade when freezing??

I don't mean to be a downer about this dessert, you may love it!  If you give it a try, let me know how it worked out for you!!

Sometimes Life Is Sweets, Sometimes Life Is Sour, But Mostly Life Is Everything in Between!

I cannot imagine how two and a half weeks has passed since my last post.  A lot has gone on,  some good and some not always so great, but, oh, how I've missed baking and blogging about it!  Life Is Sweets has become such a nice constant amongst unpredictable days.

I wanted to write about Easter.  It was such an amazing day!  The majority of my family is in Buffalo so I am not able to spend most holidays with them.  My Husband's family is from Ukraine and do not celebrate holidays in general.  So, once a year I love gathering my in-laws and the rest of my Husband's family together for a Holiday meal.  This year we hosted Easter, despite the fact some family members are Jewish and others are Russian Orthodox, so their Easter is a week later.  Truthfully, it was my first Easter as a hostess, so I tried some new recipes.  Some worked, some didn't.  Case in point, the ham:

I was so excited to try a recipe I found for Dijon/Brown Sugar/Gingersnap Crusted Ham.  It seemed simple enough to do, BUT, the crust fell off in chunks and bits...basically everywhere but on the ham.  HOW DO YOU SUCCESSFULLY MAKE A CRUSTED HAM??!!  I still haven't found the answer.  The ham was delicious despite my efforts.  ;)

Another new recipe I found from Pinterest, Honey/Balsamic Glazed Baby Carrots turned out perfectly delicious:

The recipe, from So Wonderful, So Marvelous, is so easy I highly recommend it!

Balsamic Honey Glazed Roasted Baby Carrots

2 pounds baby carrots

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread carrots on cookie sheet, careful to not pile them on top of eachother.  Drizzle with some olive oil adding salt and pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and add the two tablespoons of olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar.  Roast for 5 more minutes.  Eat and enjoy!

My Husband decided our featured Easter drink would be Chocolate Martinis.  Yeah, they were super delicious!!

Before everyone arrived I made sure everything was ready in the dining room, which is fairly small.  We have a long table with both leaves inserted.  As a result, we have to turn the table sideways to fit everyone.   For this gathering we needed seating for 10 adults and 4 children.  I had ideas on an earthy tablescape, but also wanted a bit of fun for the kids.  I found the adorable string bunny and egg decorations and hung them along the curtain rod.  I thought they added some Easter cheer without being tacky.  Not only did the kids love them, my cat did, too!

I bought some loose flowers and eucalyptus leaves to make floral arrangements in three square glass vases.  I loved how they turned out, though I can definitely use some practice at arranging.  I also bought egg cups and filled them with some jasmine I snipped from a bush in my yard.  

And then there was dessert.  I made white cake mini rose cupcakes and a meant-to-be-but-not-really hydrangea cupcake.  The icing was a brighter green than I was going for, and I got overzealous with the frosting, but, hey, I tried!  At least the roses turned out cute. it was my first time trying the technique and it actually works!

Hold the cupcake in one hand and in the other a piping bag fitted with a 2D tip.  Holding the piping bag upright over the cupcake, start piping from the middle of the cupcake and slowly spiral around, ending where you begin.  So super simple!

I wish I could say these cupcakes were totally delicious, but they were dry and not very tasty.  At all.  I was completely embarrassed!  However, I made my Lemon Tarts, too, and they were a HUGE hit.  They saved the day.  :)

I made Easter baskets for my niece and nephews filled with candy, puzzles and other fun stuff.  My Secret Service Agent cat Morticia took her job seriously and guarded them closely.

My sisters-in-law brought eggs dyed and designed by the kids and a wonderful collection of pussywillow branches with colorful hanging eggs.  So cheerful!

Dinner was totally delicious with great food and tons of laughing.  It was such a gorgeous day outside...we played games, egg hunted, scavenger hunted and enjoyed the sunshine.

And then everyone went home happy!  Am I the only one who feels a sense of satisfaction of a job well done when I see a table of used dishes stacked up after a gathering?  It's not that I love the cleanup, I just enjoy the remnants of a good time had by all.  :)

I hope you had a wonderful Easter or Passover!!

"Conversation Hearts" Cherry Pies with Homemade Cherry Pie Filling

I've absolutely loved the adorable individual heart cherry pies I've been seeing on blogs and Pinterest.  I knew I wanted to give baking them a try and was excited when I remembered the conversation heart stencils I bought a few months ago.  How cute would conversation heart cherry pies be?  Pretty cute, as it turns out!

I began by making cherry pie filling.  I feel awful about this, but it was my first time making pie filling outside of  pie and I'm not 100% sure of the measurements I used because I kept adding things - a bit more cornstarch, a little more sugar, a few more cherries.  I can tell you how I started and how you can begin and tweak things to reach the consistency you want.  I learned an important lesson along the way, too, about cornstarch.  Did you know that it will NOT dissolve in hot liquid, instead it will clump in little bits?  You did?  Most of my friends knew that, too.  Me?  I learned the hard way.  Here's what happened:

I started with 2 - 24oz. jars of pitted sour cherries.  I strained them reserving the juice, setting the cherries aside.  I measured a cup and a half of the juice and poured it into a small sauce pan along with 1 cup of sugar.  After bringing it to a boil, I added 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.  It thickened nicely, but I could not get rid of the cornstarch clumps.  I dumped it out and started again.  Cherry juice, sugar, and this time I heated up a splash of water in the microwave adding the cornstarch to it.  I waited for it to dissolve in the hot water.  Nope.  Clumps.  I did not add it to the juice and sugar mixture.  I just stirred and thought about what I could do.  I did not have pectin and didn't want to go to the store.  I wanted to come to an understanding about cornstarch.  I'm not sure why I didn't just Google the answer, but eventually I had the bright idea to try and dissolve the cornstarch in room temperature water.  VOILA!  Completely dissolved.

So, here's where we are at (a.k.a. How to begin the process of making Cherry Pie Filling): 

1 1/2 cups of sour cherry juice

1 cup cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in room temperature water

Bring to a boil and let thicken.  Add 1 1/2 cups of cherries.  Let simmer until thick enough to spoon onto pie crust without making a mess.  Real scientific, huh?

I tasted the filling and found it was still too sour.  So added more sugar.  1/3 cup.  And then a little more until I thought it was sweet enough.  However, this made the filling much runnier.  So, I had to add more cornstarch to thicken it, without using too much water to dissolve it so it wouldn't make it thinner while trying to thicken it.  Are you following all of this?  This is the point where I lost the measurements since I was adding amounts at random.  So, I suggest one of two things:

1. Relax and experiment, you're only making pie filling and not  performing surgery.

2.  Just buy some canned stuff.

Either way, the pies will be cute and delicious!  Here's my finished filling (verys tasty, too!):

Conversation Cherry Pie Hearts

1 can of cherry (or other) pie filling (or homemade filling)

pie crust dough, homemade or store bought

edible color dust in pink and red

powdered sugar to dust pies, if desired

To assemble the pies, either make your own favorite crust or buy pre-made ones (I bought crust.  I admit it).  Roll out the dough and cut out heart shapes.  You will need two hearts for each pie.  Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  On the top heart, use a small craft paintbrush to brush edible color dust over a stencil placed on top of the dough., You can see this technique by clicking here.  You can buy the color dust at craft stores such as Michael's or online.

Gently lift the stencil off of the dough:

Next, place a spoonful or so of filling on the bottom heart:

After running your fingertips through water, trace around the edge of the heart with filling on it, making sure it's wet enough to create a seal after placing the top heart over it.  Press firmly around the perimeter of the heart:

To complete the process, use a fork and pressing the tines around the heart.  Lastly, use a toothpick to poke a few holes in the pie crust.

Now they are ready for baking!  I followed the instructions, preheating my oven to 425 for baking for 15 minutes, but it didn't work out:

So, I tried again baking for less time (10 minutes) and keeping an eye on them, ready to remove the pies from the oven at the first sign of light browning:

Yay!!  Exactly everything I hoped for *sigh*.  I don't mean to be dramatic, but it was a long morning of trial and error for something I thought should be pretty easy.  Don't let me scare you away from trying these.  They are easy.  Really!  My husband loved them and I did, too.  :)  

Sprinkling some powdered sugar on them makes them even sweeter, though I haven't found a way to do it in an aesthetically pleasing way with the stenciling.  I'll work on it.  In the meantime, Valentine's Day is next week and these are a pretty quick and delicious way to let someone know you love them!

I have shared this recipe with:

Things that make you say MMMMMM....Mondays

Lemon Tarts - A Mid-Winter Taste of Sunshine

Here in New York it's cold and overcast.  Having a few more months of this weather to look forward to I decided to bake something bright and summery.  Also, my Husband and his family are not fans of sweet things like chocolate, buttercream, cupcakes, etc.  And so, I am always on the lookout for desserts more to their liking for our get-togethers.  I settled on Lemon Tarts with Graham Cracker Crusts.  I had pinned this recipe on Pinterest from Kelly Neil's blog awhile ago and when I looked at the ingredient and preparation list I could not believe how easy it appeared to be.  The original recipe comes from the Feisty Chef, who actually made a Key Lime Pie.  Kelly substituted lemon for lime, which is what I did, too.  For some reason I had a ridiculous amount of lemons sitting around needing to be used.  This recipe was just perfect.  And just as easy as it looked.  AND tasted delicious!  

To make this tangy lemon treat, follow these easy directions:

Lemon Tart with Graham Cracker Crust

adapted from The Feisty Chef

Crust

1 1/4 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

4 egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup lemon juice (I squeezed fresh lemons)

Zest of one lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  The mixture will be crumbly.

Place liners in a cupcake pan and fill each one with a heaping large spoon of crumb mixture.  Press mixture flat on the bottom of the liner.  I used the bottom of a wooden spoon, as recommended by Kelly Neil and it worked great.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes and remove to cool before adding filling.

In a bowl combine lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and zest (if desired).  Whisk ingredients together for about 1 minute or so.  Mixture will be quite liquidy and only thicken slightly.  Pour on top of prepared graham crust.

Place cupcake pan back into oven and bake on 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let cool completely.  

Remove each tart from cupcake liners.  Garnish with lemon peel.  Enjoy!

I have shared this recipe on: