Here’s a quick little savory snack, appetizer or side dish for lunch or crunch: Brie, Asparagus and Prosciutto Pastries. They use store-bought frozen puff pastry and can be ready in just about 30-45 minutes, and can also be eaten hot or at room temperature. Pretty and have an “early summer” vibe with the asparagus. Don’t like brie? You can sub out swiss cheese too!
Like I said last week already, it’s getting to be strawberry season, but before I go full on into the berries (that will be next week), I was gifted an armful of young tender rhubarb, so I decided to make this jam. It is lovely and tart and not too sweet and very delicious. I know that some people can be allergic to rhubarb (and to ginger too), so be aware that this is pretty much pure rhubarb. Enjoy!
The local strawberry season will soon be here in Eastern Massachusetts — Some of the PYO places are already opening this weekend, though I suspect that it will be at least another 10 days (hopefully even 2 weeks) for my planning purposes, before they are at peak.In the meantime, I found two types of “unique” baking chips — strawberry chips and cream cheese chips, so I invented these Strawberry Cheesecake Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Almost even healthy! Definitely have some strawberry flavor and are small enough for a quick two bite snack.
Cookies that could be as good as Christmas Cookies as they are here in the summer-time: Chocolate-dipped Salted Caramel-candied Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies! Yes, that’s a mouthful to say (and to eat, har har). Hazelnut shortbread, dipped in decadent dark chocolate and then partially coated in a salted caramel hazelnut crunch — sort of like a topping that you put on ice cream or an ice cream cone. Not too sweet, just the right size for two bites. Would be a great “after dinner” dessert cookie.
Breakfast time! This is a little “cake” that I have now made for the second time in a week’s span as it was so popular in the first go around that is was gone straight away. Surprisingly it is very similar to my most of my blueberry muffin recipes, but instead of milk that those recipes use, this “breakfast cake” uses ricotta cheese. It’ very light, super-fluffy and has just the right amount of tartness from the lemon and ricotta. Also, it’s a very easy and forgiving recipe.
(modified from an Ina Garten recipe that can be found here)