Easy and Summery Fruit Tart 
Serves 4 to 6

This stunning tart is a great way to use the colorful fresh fruit available only in the summer. Any combination works. I used strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. While it may look and taste like something worthy of a pastry chef, this tart is easy and fast to make. Here's how:

Ingredients: 

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (about 9 x 9 inch)
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup smooth strawberry jelly

*4 oz. cream cheese 

*2 tbs. smooth strawberry jelly
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups fresh berries


Directions: 

1) Adjust oven to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the puff pastry onto the prepared baking sheet.

2) To make an edge for the tart, start by brushing a 1/2 inch border along the edges of the pastry with water. Fold the edges over onto the tart. Cut a line lengthwise into the tart by scoring the outer edge of the pastry with a paring knife. To keep the pastry from puffing up during baking, poke (many) holes into the dough with a fork.

3) Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture over the uncooked pastry shell. Place the shell into the oven and bake until deeply golden brown. If the center of the pastry puffs up over the designated sides, poke it a bit more with a fork and continue baking. This should take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes.

4) While the shell is baking, stir the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons jelly, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The cheese mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance.)

5) Allow the shell to cool. Spread the cream cheese mixture inside the cooled tart shell. Place the remaining 1/2 cup smooth strawberry jelly into the microwave in a microwave safe bowl until it melts, about 25 seconds. Add the berries to the bowl and toss gently to coat. Spoon the berries over the cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until the jelly is set, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

6) Let the tart sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Serve.

*A variation of this would be to replace the starred ingredients and step four entirely for a boxed mix of pudding or custard.

Until Next Recipe...
~Ally

Oatmeal and Dried Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies 

These cookies are simple, hearty, and even a bit healthy. Bright red cranberries provide a playfully colorful pop of flavor. Enjoy by themselves, with a glass of milk, or crumbled over a bowl of Greek yogurt with fruit.

Ingredients: 
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp salt
15 oz. dried cranberries
2/3 cup white or semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Directions: 
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.
3) Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each.
4) Stir in dried cranberries and chocolate.
5) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
6) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

~Until Next Recipe~
            Ally

Potato and Quinoa Cakes 

So, technically this isn't a recipe that requires baking of any kind, but it is so easy and simple and delicious, that I have to share it with you. The entire dish takes about fifteen minutes total.

They should look something like this ^ 

Ingredients:

Canola oil + brush
About 2 cups shredded potatoes (I used dried potatoes and dehydrated them)
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1) In bowl, combine potatoes, quinoa, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly mixed, but try not to break apart the potato shreds.

2) Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brush oil onto pan when hot and place tablespoon sized balls into the pan. (Important: if you are using an ice cream scoop or something similar, make sure to gently press the ball together before placing it in the pan.) Press the balls down so that they become squat cakes.

3) Cook the patties until crisp and medium-brown on one side, and then flip it to do the same on the other.

4) Remove cakes from pan and let drain on paper towel, preferably on a cooling rack. Continue this procedure for the rest of the mixture, making sure to oil the pan before each new batch.

5) Serve warm with hummus, yogurt, chicken, or anything else you'd like. These patties are very healthy and are delicious for any meal of the day.


Until next recipe...
~Ally~

Simple Phyllo Dough and Chocolate Cream Cheese Dessert

This recipe is so simple, so decadent, and so perfect for any special occasion. It looks and tastes gourmet, fit to challenge anything at a five-star restaurant. If you are not familiar with phyllo dough, prepare to be amazed at your own skills.

Step 1: Phyllo Dough
Ingredients: 1 package fresh prepared phyllo dough
                  Melted butter
                  Cinnamon Sugar (Add more cinnamon to the mix if you're a fan)
Directions:
Prepare your work space before rolling out the dough. Have a cookie sheet and a lightly damp towel at the ready. Roll out the phyllo dough from package. (Keep covered with dampened towel when not in use.) Making sure to Cut through all of the layers, make three by three inch squares (or any other consistent shape) with pizza cutter or knife. Separate into groups of about four layers and place on a new cookie sheet. Carefully brush a bit of melted butter onto top sheets and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake in oven according to the directions on the package. Take them out when the top sheets are crisp and golden brown.

Step 2: Chocolate Cream Cheese "Filling" (Can be made in advance) 
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese
                 1/4 cup powdered sugar
                 1/4 cup heavy cream
                 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or darker chips, for a more "mature" dessert)
Directions:
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the cream, stirring continuously. (Make sure that the bowl does not get too hot in fear of getting a grainy mixture. Feel free to take the bowl off of the heat when necessary.) When the chocolate is completely melted and the cream incorporated, take the bowl off of the heat. In a new bowl, cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Slowly fold in a small amount of the chocolate mixture. Once it is consistent, add in the rest of the chocolate mixture. Scoop into plastic Zip bag or a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 3: Assembly (Must be done right before serving)
Ingredients: baked phyllo dough squares
                  chocolate cream cheese mixture
                  flat-sliced strawberries (optional, but preferred)
                  fresh mint leaves for garnish (if accessible)
Directions:

Finely slice dough, brush with butter and sprinkle sugar for
phyllo dough nests. They make a great topper!

Place one stack of phyllo squares onto the serving plate. Carefully pipe or plop with a spoon (or whatever strikes your fancy) some of the chocolate mixture on top. Smooth down the filling if necessary. You may add strawberries now if desired, as long as they lay flat. Place another square on top of this. There should be at least a quarter inch of filling in between. Add another layer of the chocolate [and strawberries], then another square, and then finish off the top with more chocolate and perhaps a fanned strawberry and some fresh mint leaves.

You've just made yourself a lovely dessert worthy of any professional kitchen. Feel free to tweak the recipe for your own likes; perhaps you'll try a different fruit, or lighten the mixture a bit with some whipped cream, or use a different type of chocolate... the possibilities are as unlimited as the imagination. Tell me what you do with this in the comments below.

Until next recipe...
~Ally

It's like Christmas in December! Oh wait...

Simple Chocolate Covered Caramel Brownie Bites!

I walked around my school with a tray of these delicacies and everyone seemed to like them.

The brownies:
Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix (prepared as directed but with an extra egg)
Caramel Cubes

Chocolate coating:
Ghiradelli Candy And Coating Chocolate

Directions:
Make the brownies as directed, making sure not to over-beat the mixture. Add an extra egg to make the end product more cake like, which will help when you cover them in the chocolate coating. Before tossing them in the oven, microwave a few of the caramels for 5-10 seconds until very soft. Pull pieces of the caramel off or cut it with a knife and press a small piece into each brownie.

Depending on the size of the cavities for the molds, bake around twenty minutes or less, checking once in a while by pressing the top of the brownie. Once the Top springs back, it is baked.

Let the brownies cool and repeat the process with any remaining mixture.

Melt the chocolate in a deep bowl. I used a microwave oppose to a double boiler since it is faster. Microwave the chocolate at half power for small intervals, (30 seconds for the first time, stir, and then 15 seconds until almost completely melted.)

When the brownies are cool and the chocolate is smoothly flowing, it is time to cover them. My first idea was to have them all on top of a cooling rack above a piece of wax paper, but too it was not very good for a thin, even coat. Instead, I switched to refrigerating the brownies and then putting them on a fork one and a time and dipping them in the chocolate. Since the bites are cold, the chocolate surrounding them will harden almost immediately, while the outer chocolate will take longer to harden, allowing you to shake off the access and create a lovely thin shell.

This recipe can be changed for your liking. Use your own brownie recipe, switch the caramel for peanut butter or Nutella. For a lighter option, omit the chocolate coating for a light dusting of powdered sugar. Feel free to vary this recipe and tell me what you added to make them your own!

Until next recipe...
~Ally  

Caramel Brownies with a light dusting of powdered sugar. 

Brownies plus chocolate cream cheese frosting equals awesome. Don't take my word for it though, make it in your home!

I just used a regular brownie recipe for this, so it can be milk or dark chocolate.
Cream Cheese Frosting: (approximate)
1/2 lb. cream cheese
1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 c. powdered sugar
splash of real vanilla
1 tsp. cocoa powder

Beat cream cheese and butter together with electric mixer until smooth. Mix in sugar one cup at a time and the cocoa all at once, making sure to break apart any large clumps. Once combined, add the vanilla.

Once the brownies are cooled, take them out of the pan and set on top of a cooling rack with a tray underneath. Cover the brownies with the frosting, using a spatula to smooth the top. (Or, make spikes or swirls to make interesting shapes.)

Cut into individual pieces and drizzle with melted chocolate. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Until next recipe,
~Ally~

Hello, hello. This week's post is about a pouch of custard mix, a box of old lady fingers, and cocoa all about thirty to sixty years old. My job? Revive it all to make a delightful tiramisu.
Challenge Accepted
So, as you may imagine, this took quite a bit of coffee and alcohol. I was going along with the directions when my mother tells me that will never work. I tweak it a bit and continue, my mood rapidly becoming less positive. My mother and brother aren't helping much, telling me that it'll be awful since it was so old, and that I shouldn't try. I do though, soaking the lady fingers and folding homemade whipped cream into the dense and dusty custard mixture.
Eventually it all comes together. I place it in the refrigerator to chill.
Two and a half hours later I pull it out of the fridge and decorate the top with a cocoa/sugar mix. When I serve it, it's rather un-sturdy. I suppose I should have whipped the custard another minute before adding the whipped cream.
I take a little bite and think it's rather good. I read the box again to check for the date and see that i'm allergic to the custard mix. All those hours... at least it tasted good.

Tiramisu 

Until next recipe....

~Ally~

PS: Have any recipes you want me to try? Tell me in the comments!

Hey, guys! If baking is your passion too, I'm sure we've both come across the same problem when baking pies; the crust sticks to the pan. I've tried a million things, greasing and flouring, but many of these made the poor crust oily or heavy. Lemon meringue is a definite favorite in my house, so I make it all the time. usually I make a standard pie crust, but this time, graham crackers were a must. I thought the crust would fail me, and as I pressed it into the glassware I had no idea what a success it would be. Here is a rough recipe that I was using.

Wonderfully Easy Graham Cracker Crust (with extra for freezing or minis in ramekins)
Ingredients 

• About two stacks of graham cracker "bars" 
• One melted stick of butter (1/2 cup, add an extra tablespoon if you don't want the crust to be too crumbly)
• A few tablespoons of sugar, not a lot though, and I think that too much sugar takes the spotlight from the tart lemon curd

Instructions

1. Crush graham crackers into fine-ish crumbs. (fine-ish = sand with a few pieces of gravel.) 
2. Mix sugar into the crumbs and then add melted butter. 
3. Press into pie dish evenly
4. Bake at 350 degrees until the edges are nicely browned. 



Nom nom nom 

5. Add cooled lemon curd (or anything else ) and smooth meringue gently on top. 
6. CHILL (overnight if possible) THEN EAT! 

  Until Next Recipe... 

       ~ Ally 

I've been experimenting a lot lately to figure out great tastes and color combos. The other day, I made a basic vanilla cupcake and messed around with the frosting. So, I made a simple chocolate frosting, though found it very commercial tasting. That's not good enough, Ally! Step up your game! So that's exactly what I did. I added concentrated coffee but found it tasted too coffee-y  so I added Bailey's Cream. Not too much, and just enough to give it a creaminess with a little zing at the end. If you want to step up your chocolate frosting from a can, add some Bailey's or some coffee.

Until next recipe,
~Ally

I've been baking a lot. In winter I can do that 'cause the oven warms up the house. Today's blog post is about a organic and gluten free chocolate cake for a going away party. My sister's friend was heading off to Israel and I wanted to make a cake for her. She's allergic to gluten and I am allergic to tree nuts so there goes almond flour. I played with the recipe until I had a delicious two layered chocolate cake with filling and icing. I used white chocolate almond bark and melted it. Then, I colored it and piped it on wax over a paper with the design I wanted. I made a dove and wrote "see you again" in Hebrew. All in all, a really great cake; (If I may say so myself.) Please comment and tell me what you think! 

Until next recipe, 

~Ally 

     Hey guys! It's been a long time since my last post because of school starting and me being unable to get into my account... but anywhoo.
     For my friend's birthday I made red velvet surprise cupcakes. Each one had three Starburst candies decorated to look like gifts on the top around a central candle. (Really cute idea for birthday  or surprise parties!)
     Also, I made watermelon shaped sugar cookies. Green food coloring dyed dough surrounding a tube of red food coloring dyed dough in the freezer and then cut into slices, and into fourths. Baked with mini chocolate chips inside for charming seeds, this treat can be perfect for any season, especially summer, when you cannot get your hands on a fresh watermelon.
   
      Until next recipe...
            ~Ally~

Watermelon cookies and snakes with the extra green!! 

         I love cheesecake, but it's not the healthiest dessert in the book. Plus, once you eat one small slice because you're being "good," you just have to have another one; saying the first one was "small." With these facts in tow, I made personal cheesecake cupcakes. I swirled some cherry preserves through the filling and made a concentrated cherry sauce to put on top. This recipe is easy and fun to make, with a browned sugar cookie for a crust. Each person gets their own, and it is already portion controlled.

Until next recipe,
~Ally~

P.S.  These would be a great idea for a party!

I made lemon cheesecake. Yes, CHEESECAKE! It was a huge success. I used a Williams Sonoma cookbook with a recipe for Lemon Cheesecake. The crust was half gram cracker crumbs and half lemon square crust crumbs. The filling was thick and I added extra citric acid to make it super citrusy. Then I refrigerated it overnight. My family and my neighbors loved it! Shirley, my neighbor, said that it tastes silky but was disappointed that I only made one. I definitely recommend making this great summery treat. 

Williams Sonoma; Cakes and Cheesecakes

Until next recipe...

~Ally~

P.S.  If you enjoy this blog, comment and follow it! 

Today, at 2:00 in the morning, I decided to bake tiramisu cupcakes. Half of the batter was made with coffee and the other without coffee, and then I marbled them together. When they were done baking, I filled them with a mixture of mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, whipped cream (In which I made myself), and powdered sugar. Then, I made my frosting with cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and some more whipped cream to make it light and fluffy. Using a spatula, oppose to piping it on, I added it to the cupcakes and sprinkled on some shaved dark chocolate. All in all, a pretty tasty cupcake. Trust me, it tastes as good as it looks, (If not better.)

Until next recipe...
~Ally~

Chocolate Mousse

     Chocolate Mousse today! I just bought a new recipe book with Everything; All the basics. And in this nifty little book was a nifty little recipe for Chocolate Mousse.
     I used a makeshift double-boiler to melt the chocolate and butter together. I whipped all of the other ingredients to either soft or stiff peaks. I poured the fluffy mixture into small wine glasses and put them into the refrigerator to set up for a few hours. ~ About 3-4 hours later, they weren't really cold enough, (Or at least as cold as I wanted them), so i put them in the freezer. About 20 minutes later we took them out and served them with raspberries.
     And let me tell you, Delicious! I think the key is to make everything well "fluffed." It'll make for a lighter mousse. Without being too dense, this recipe is chocolaty enough to not be overpowering. I defiantly recommend making it.

Until next recipe...
~Ally~  

You can fin the recipe that I used in this book: How to Cook Everything: The Basics. All You Need to Make Great Food by Mark Bittman

I liked how I made the last cake with the fondant, so I decided to make another cake similarly. It has chocolate and vanilla layers like the last one, but it is one tier and is decorated for Summer. Orange butterflies and polka dots make it as nice to look at as it is to eat!! (My camera wasn't working, so I'll try to upload some new pics tomorrow if I have time.)

Until tomorrow's recipe...
~Ally~

This pink lump is- in fact- the first tier of the
 cake.  (Sorry about the bad picture quality)

~Part 2 of 2~
The cake was a success! Even though the fondant was rather difficult to work with without the proper tools, I made it work.  I made my own dowels because all of the shops in town were closed today. (Memorial Day) Eight layers of cake? Yum!!

This cake was a lot of work, but it was so worth it! I have eaten enough sugar for the whole week, but, Until tomorrow's recipe....
~Ally~

Fondant Layer Cake      ~Part 1 of 2~
    I decided to fancy it up this time around. I'm making a two tier cake, with four layers each. On and off chocolate and vanilla cake. Sandwiched between the layers is my very own butter-cream icing. As if that didn't sound delicious enough already, I'm going to cover it with colored homemade marshmallow fondant. (My first ever batch-and definitely not my last!)
    Today I completed the first tier and crumb coated it. I used two batches of icing and two sheet cakes. I also successfully dirtied every dish and tool in the house with frosting and runaway pieces of cake.
    Tomorrow I plan to complete the second tier and cover it all with fondant and Spring decorations. I'll include some pictures of the finished cake and the process, too.
    P.S. (This cake has many 'firsts' for me. It's the first time I've made fondant a cake with more than one tier. )
    Until tomorrows recipe, and part 2,
    ~Ally~
 

Raw Cookie Dough!

Today I made the most simple recipe in the kitchen: Chocolate Chip Cookies! I tried a recipe from Cookies! but found that it wasn't very flavorful, even with an added splash of vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon. So, I tried a Nestle Toll House recipe. This time, it was thick and buttery. It held the chocolate chips well, but needed to stay in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before baking. Without the cooling in the refrigerator, they spread out too much while baking and the cookie was made very thin.

Until tomorrow's recipe...
~ Ally ~                                

I am 13 years old and my hobbies are baking and writing, so this blog should be great! This is my first blog, but people have been telling me to start a blog for some time now. "They're all mommy blogs now! There should be more blogs by kids." Over this summer, I have designed a challenge for myself. I will use my baking cookbooks as guidelines and my readers for inspiration. I am going to bake simple to complex recipes and will write and provide pictures of them in this blog. My sister will take pictures and I'll bake the goodies! Give any suggestions or recipe recommendations in the comment box. I'll be baking as soon as I can!