Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Fruit Ices

1/2 cup each, sugar and water
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Fruit of your choice (see options below)

1. If you're not using bagged frozen fruit, freeze chopped fresh fruit on a plastic cutting board or a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, then boil until sugar is dissolved. Let cool; stir in lemon juice. Place frozen fruit in food processor and puree while slowly adding sugar syrup.
3. Transfer to container or ice-pop molds and freeze or eat soft.

Fruit:
5 cups strawberries (or 20 oz. frozen bag)
3 cups sliced peaches (or 10 oz. frozen bag)
2 cups blueberries (or 16 oz. frozen bag) plus 1 banana
4 cups diced watermelon
1 cored fresh pineapple
4 cups seedles green grapes
4 cups diced cantaloupe
4 cups diced honeydew

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Stars and Stripes Torte

submitted by Pamela Smith

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.3 ounces) instant white chocolate pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1-2/3 cups raspberry pie filling
1-2/3 cups blueberry pie filling
Fresh blueberries and raspberries, optional

Directions:

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Beat in extract. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Fold in whipped cream.

Split each cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a cake plate; spread with raspberry pie filling. top with second cake layer; spread with 1-2/3 cups of pudding mixture. Top with third cake layer; spread with blueberry pie filling. Top with remaining cake layer and pudding mixture. If desired, place blueberries around top edge of cake and form a star with blueberries and raspberries.

Yield: 10-14 servings.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Jam

submitted by Pamela Smith

2 quarts strawberries, washed and stemmed
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin
6-3/4 cups sugar

Crush strawberries and measure 4-1/2 cups berries into a large saucepan. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.


Yield:
about 7 half-pints.