I have no excuse for this pie. Absolutely none. I could maybe defend it by pointing out the use of fresh fruit, but I’m aware that this is just not something I should be showing you in the dead of summer, also known as Bathing Suit Season.  Maybe I can place the blame elsewhere…specifically, to Saluda Grade Café, the restaurant that I worked at in high school, and the place that gave me the inspiration for this recipe.

The funny thing is, this was not a popular dessert there. It only  showed up for maybe 2 months out of the year, and when it did those pies would sit and sell so slowly that eventually I would take some home to keep it from going to waste. Not that I ever once complained about this. Except when I had to put on a bathing suit. Damn those pies.

I’m convinced that the reason these pies weren’t big sellers is because instead of having our desserts in a display case, customers made their decisions based on a list that we wrote on a chalkboard at the back of the restaurant. Even I will admit that it’s hard to choose “Blueberry Cream Pie” when it’s written next to “Double Chocolate Fudge Cake.”

However, I think that if everyone had realized that “blueberries” meant fresh-picked North Carolina mountain blueberries delivered that morning, and that by “cream” we were talking about the equivalent of melted cheesecake, they may have changed their minds. This pie that I only got to eat twice a year was the absolute highlight of my summers. And totally worth forgoing a bathing suit for.

Blueberry Cream Pie

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This is a recipe that I came up with on my own, but it tastes exactly like the one at Saluda Grade.

1 baked pie shell
½ cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

In a bowl, beat the whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form.

In a larger bowl beat together the rest of the sugar, cream cheese and vanilla extract. Once everything is well combined and the cream cheese is smooth and creamy, slowly fold in the whipping cream. Once everything is combined gently fold in the blueberries.

Pour the filling into a prepared pie shell and chill for at least and hour to allow the pie to set up. Now try to stop yourself from eating the whole thing at once.

Growing up, I was a total tomboy who had to be bribed with candy to wear dresses, or fancy shoes, or anything remotely girly. And even now, I wouldn’t consider myself a super girly-girl. But every now and then, I totally give in and embrace it.  Case in point: Thursday night a friend scored tickets to the Twilight premiere, and yes I’m going. I have this weird love/hate thing with the Twilight series and am sort of excited to laugh my way through the movie.  I’ll be doing what any normal person would do at the premiere:  tweeting pictures, of course.  So if I end up getting tackled by some security dude, I’ll just blame it on all of you…

Back to cupcakes…these things taste down-right pretty;  they’re baby pink, paired with cream cheese frosting, and topped with shredded coconut. Try them. Embrace your girliness for gosh sakes, even if you’re a dude. Trust me–they’re worth it.

Here are a few other girly things I’m loving right now…

{Some of the season’s last peonies.}

{My favorite lace skirt.}

{My new pair of shoes.}

{A baby pink, gingham hair ribbon.}

{Berry baskets from the Farmer’s market. They’re so pretty and country-like.}

{…And the best tasting, most pretty batter in the world.}

Pink Lady Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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Yields two dozen cupcakes

CUPCAKES

2 1/4 cake flour (*see below for instructions on how to make cake flour)

1 1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tsp of salt

3/4 cup pureed strawberries

4 egg whites

1/3 cup milk

1 drop red food dye

CREAM CHEESE ICING

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

3 ounces unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350»F. Place liners in a standard muffin/cupcake tin.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point. (Adrianna note: In the original recipe, Deb warned to not try the batter, and of course, I did.  And it was incredible. Since then, I’ve been tempted to skip the baking part and just eat a cup of batter. Gross.)

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter amongst the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes inside the muffin tins and then transfer to wire racks until throughly cooled.

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, ice each cupcake and top with shredded coconut, if desired.

*Let’s make cake flour! Grab a bowl and measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sift twice.  Then measure out whatever flour you need from there.

For this recipe I needed 2 1/4 cake flour.  I measured out two cups of all-purpose and added to a bowl.  I then added 4 tablespoons of corn starch and sifted it twice.  I then measured out 2 1/4 cups of the cake flour mixture from the bowl and I only had a smidgen left over.  If I botched the explanation, click for Deb’s explanation.

We’re friends right? I mean, I like you, and if you like me then I guess that means we’re friends. So I can tell you about my guilty pleasures. What exactly is a guilty pleasure? It’s something that you know without a shadow of a doubt is bad for you and has no business being in your life, and you still think it’s wonderful. When it comes to TV shows, I am obsessed with the Real Housewives on Bravo. Notice how I didn’t specify a specific city? That’s cause I love all of them. Regardless of how loudly Chase or my friends tell me that these shows are trash TV and are a dredge on society, I still can’t help but be enthralled with the meaningless drama that consumes these women’s lives. Go ahead and judge me, I’m used to it. (Oh, and for anyone that watches, I’m totally on Team Bethanny)

Now, my food equivalent of a guilty pleasure is fettuccine Alfredo. Maybe you’re wondering why Alfredo is a guilty pleasure and not chocolate cake? Here’s the thing about unhealthy foods, you have your items like cookies and cake, that make no pretense of what they are: sugar and fat, plain and simple. Then you have things like fettuccine Alfredo that tries to convince you that it’s dinner, perhaps even part of a well balanced diet. Don’t be fooled though, this entire meal is two things: starch and heavy cream and I LOVE it. All you health nuts can yell at me all you want, you can tell me how fattening it is, how each bite is clogging my arteries, you can give me your estimates on how long it’s going to take me to exercise off this fat, and I will smile at you over my plate of steaming pasta, complete undeterred from eating the whole thing.

However, the other day I decided to try and make my guilty pleasure food just a tad healthier. This recipe uses whole wheat pasta, which pumps up the nutrition factor. It also calls for milk instead of heavy cream, which tones down the fat. So, here’s an Alfredo that you can feel just a little less guilty about. Don’t get me wrong though, calling this a “healthy” dish would be like saying that apple pie is healthy because it has fruit in it. But if it makes you feel better, you can call it whatever you want.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Adapted from Cooking Light

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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups milk
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 ¼ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
4 cups (roughly ½ lb) hot cooked whole wheat fettuccine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk until fully blended. Stir constantly and cook 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Add in cream cheese and cook for 2 more minutes. Add 1 cup of the parmesan fresh black pepper and stir until cheese melts. Pour the sauce over the fettuccine and top with parsley, remaining cheese and toss well to coat. Enjoy it and don’t worry, you don’t have to tell anyone.

I sometimes wish I could have conversations with my past, younger self…here’s a conversation between Little and Big Adrianna that I wish I could have:

Big Adrianna: Hey…geez you’re tiny.

Little Adrianna: You’re tiny too and you’re supposed to be a grown adult. Umm…I don’t mean to be a harsh, but you don’t look like Cindy Crawford. People tell me I’m gonna grow up to look like her.

Big Adrianna:  I know I know, disappointing.  I’m not as rich either. Oh and by the way, sweet punch stain on your upper lip. Classy.

Little Adrianna: I like Hawaiian Punch, sue me. Hmm…well, your hair is pretty.

Big A: Oh yea…way nicer. I mean, I have to blow it straight and I need this fancy straightening cream and a flat iron…but it works, you know.

Little A: Yeah, totally…well, you look really happy.

Big A: I am…really happy.

Little A: Is it as hard as they say? You know, life…

Big A: (sigh) Yea totally…unfortunately.  Childhood is hard. Teenage years are hard. (sigh) Love is hard.

Little A: Love?

Big A: Yea, that’s right…you’ll fall in love, be loved and have your heartbroken.  But it’s awesome. So awesome. You’ll want to do it again…over and over, no matter what.

Little A: Hmmm…what else?

Big A: Well…lets see. Mom and Dad are cool…you still love them a whole lot. Dad still tells you what to do, but you sorta like it and strangely listen. Daniel is your friend.  He calls you for girl advice and you think that’s fun.

Oh! You like coffee now…you love it, actually. You like all sorts of vegetables now, too…all kinds.

Little A: Weird. Even carrots?

Big A: Yeah, you totally love carrots. Especially when they’re roasted with honey…and even raw ones…and when they’re in cookies and cakes. I made these cookies for you just to prove to you that you can like ‘em too.

Little A: Oh yea…they’re not bad. Not bad at all…kind of amazing, actually. Uh…thanks.

Big A: Yea, no problem.  (pause)

Oh and if you ever get really sad while sitting in your room listening to Brian McKnight, writing poetry with your Hello Kitty pencil just remember this: you’ll be loved. It’ll make the hard stuff alright. Trust me on this.

Little A: Umm…okay.  Thanks.

Big A: See you on the flip side, chiquita.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

Recipe from The Craft of Baking

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Cookies:

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup roughly grated carrots (about 1 1/2 medium carrots

Filling
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoons granlated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Grind the oats in a food processor or blender to make a fine flour.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until well combined. Add the egg and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the dry ingredients in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each one.  Add the carrots and mix until just to combine.  The dough will be very sticky.

Drop 1-tablespoon mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Bake, rotating the sheets once halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown and spring back when gently touched in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies completely, on the baking sheets set on a wire rack, before filling.

To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, sugar, and salt on medium speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (The filling can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Let it come to room temperature before using.)

Using a small spoon or spatula, spread 1 teaspoon of the filling over the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with the remaining cookies, flat sides together.

The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Okay, I know this probably isn’t the prettiest pie crust you’ve ever seen, however, you know what makes this one so interesting? It IS the first one that you’ve ever seen that was made by me! Yes, you are looking at my first attempt at making a homemade pie crust. What do I think after all this? That making the crust took twice as long as making the whole rest of the pie, including the baking & cooling time. However, I can’t recall ever eating a flakier pie crust in my life, so for me, this was worth the extra time and effort.

If you’re debating on whether you should take on such an endeavor yourself there are a couple things to consider. If you’re looking for a recipe that is quick and easy, I wouldn’t put this on my “to do” list. However, if you’re aiming for highest-quality possible, then homemade pie crust is the only way to go.

This particular recipe was stolen from Martha Stewart, which can be both a blessing and a curse. When taking something from MS, there is a certain amount of trust that you have in the quality of the recipe. However, attempting to recreate the beautiful fluted edges that appear in the magazine and that they make sound impossibly simple in the accompanying directions left me with a slight sense of failure when the end result turned out like my above photo.

You know what though? Even with dough that appears to have been made by a 5-year old, this was some really tasty crust. And if you make sure to fill it with something distractingly delicious, no one will notice those uneven edges. I’m not going to tell you what my next post will fill this with, but here’s a sneak peak:

*Updated* Check out my Chocolate Chip Pecan

Cream Cheese Pie Crust

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

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The name of the game in making crust is “cold.” It is absolutely critical that you keep the butter and cream cheese cold, even once it’s kneaded into the dough. If you start to over-handle the dough and the butter begins to soften and melt, stick it in the fridge and leave for an hour before continuing on. This ensures that when your crust goes into a hot oven, the bits of butter will evaporate and form those beautiful flaky layers.

3 teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon cold apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
4 oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 oz cold cream cheese, cut into small pieces

Mix together the water & vinegar in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine flour and salt. Using your fingers, knead the butter and cream cheese into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the water & vinegar to the dough and mix together until the dough begins to hold together. You can also pulse the mixture in a food processor just until everything combines.

Turn the dough onto plastic wrap and wrap well. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a disc and refrigerate until firm. (I actually did this twice, removing the dough from the fridge, rolling it back into a ball and then rolling it back down with the rolling pin) From this point, you can actually freeze the dough up to one month to be used later. If you freeze it, be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator before using.

Roll dough into a 12-inch round circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit the dough over a greased 9-inch pie dish. Trim the edges, leaving a 1-inch over hang. Using your knuckles, flute the edges. Take it from me, if these flutes don’t look pretty the taste of the crust won’t be affected. Refrigerate the dough for another 15 minutes, and then fill with something tasty.

It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in LA. Well, kind of. For a few brief days a cold front will settle in and I actually have to reach into the back of my closet to find a jacket to wear. Then, the summer heat will come back with a vengeance and I immediately trade in the jacket for a tank top and flip flops. However, on those few brisk days I’ve finally found myself with the desire to embrace the autumn season in my recipe choices.

During such a period of chilly weather I found myself wanting to re-make a long-favorite appetizer.  It’s one of my best kept secrets: you take 8oz of cream cheese and just pour any type of jam over it, then serve with crackers. I guarantee you everyone will be raving about it, and you’ll be laughing inside with the knowledge that it took approximately 30 seconds to make. However, after watching my heroine Ina Garten make a savory version of Coeur a la Crème, I thought to try and make a similar version with pumpkin butter, and take my stand-by recipe to a new level. Coeur a la Creme translates literally to mean “cream heart” and is a typically sweet cream cheese spread molded into the shape of a heart. I didn’t have a heart mold on hand, but it tasted just fine in a circular shape, so don’t sweat it.

Mmmmm… this was good, and worth the extra effort required to get to the finished product. The flavors of lemon, cinnamon and nutmeg really complement the pumpkin butter, and, I now have a great fall appetizer to bring to any party or gathering. If you ever wished you could have pumpkin pie both before AND after dinner, (and seriously, who doesn’t think this?) then this is something for you to try.

Pumpkin Coeur a la Creme

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I used pumpkin butter obviously, but I honestly can’t think of any jam or jelly that wouldn’t work with this. However, if you go with another spread I would consider cutting back or eliminating altogether the cinnamon and/or nutmeg, as the flavors may not go together as well.

8oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half & half
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Pumpkin butter

Blend together all ingredients except for the pumpkin butter.

Line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the sieve, fold the paper towels over it and place over a bowl so it can drain. Leave in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator and unfold the paper towels. Place a plate over the sieve and flip the cream cheese onto the plate. Pour pumpkin butter over top and serve with crackers. Prepare yourself to make new friends.

When I was in elementary school my mother made me French toast for the first time. For 2 months straight after I refused to eat anything else for breakfast. I would get up for school every morning and happily cover every square inch of delicious toast in powdered sugar and then devour it before the sugar had time to dissolve in the butter from the bread. I’m in my 20s now and have discovered stuffed French toast. It’s basically like eating a hot, melting cheese Danish, and what can beat that?

For Valentine’s day this year I decided that I would spruce it up and add strawberries, and now I feel the same way I did when I was a kid. I want to eat this every day, all day. The homemade strawberry cream cheese is what really puts it over the top. This spread is so good that the next day I made another batch and was gleefully spreading it on toast all morning long. Also, I like that by adding fresh fruit it allows me to trick myself into thinking this is somehow not fattening in any way.

As an added gift to my Southern-fried boyfriend I used a buttermilk bread and cream in this recipe, but you can certainly go healthier by using a whole wheat bread and fat-free milk. It will taste just as delicious.

Strawberries & Cream Stuffed French Toast

Strawberry Cream Cheese:

4 oz plain cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup chopped fresh strawberries

Mix together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Gently stir in strawberries.

For the French Toast:

4 pieces of bread
2 eggs
¼ cup cream or milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Strawberry Cream Cheese
Syrup (recommended: Strawberry Syrup)

Divide the cream cheese and spread onto two pieces of bread to make two cream cheese “sandwiches.” Mix together eggs, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Dunk the sandwiches in the batter, thoroughly coating. Cook on a skillet over medium heat, flipping over once. Serve with syrup and enjoy!

Strawberry Syrup:

1/4 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
1 teaspoon of cornstarch

Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once it has reached a boil reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the syrup has thickened and developed a dark red color.