Strawberry Cream Pie

Strawberry cream pie is sweet and tangy on your tongue and the graham cracker crust melts in your mouth.  Yesterday my son George forgot his homework from school so I made this strawberry cream pie for a friend in exchange for my son's homework.

Strawberry Cream Pie

Strawberry Cream Pie:
Servings: 9
Pre-heat Oven:  350 degrees

Crust:
1 1/4 cup Honey maid Graham Cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter

Mix the three ingredients together and spoon into a greased pie pan.  Using the back of a spoon smash the graham cracker crumbs together forming a crust and leaving the bottom and sides smooth.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutest or until cool.

Filling:
1 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced and divided
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream or whipping cream
1/8 cup powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Fresh Strawberries

Sliced Strawberries In Agave and Sugar

 Graham Cracker Crust

 Strawberry Puree

1.  Take half of your strawberries and mash them in a food processor with the lemon rind, sugar and agave.  Take the other half of the strawberries and slice them and put one teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon agave on them.  Let them sit in a bowl for 10 minutes.

2.  Place the strawberry puree into a small pan and combine with the cornstarch.  Cook the strawberry puree on medium high until in starts to boil. Then simmer for one more minute whisking continually.  Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool in the refrigerator. The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.

3. Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks appear.  Whip in the powder sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until cream is stiff about 1 more minute.

4.  Fold 1/2 of the whip cream with the strawberry sauce.  Then place the filling into the bottom of the graham cracker crust.  Add sliced strawberries on top of the filling then add more whip cream on top.  Keep the pie refrigerated or serve immediately.

Red Fire Smoothie

The red fire smoothie is an antioxidant packed drink.  During the school week I make my kids a smoothie every day after school.  This gives them a healthy snack filled with fruit, vitamins, protein and antioxidants.  If you are looking for a sweet drink that is loaded with fresh fruit this smoothie is for you.  This recipe calls for calm magnesium which allows your muscles to relax after a hard day.  The B liquid  complex allows you to handle the stress of the day.  If you don't have the vitamins you can make the smoothie with out them.

Red Fire Smoothie:
Serves:  5

3 Tablespoons organic silken tofu
1 tablespoon stevia
2 cups coconut milk
1 banana, peeled
6 whole large frozen strawberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons natural calm magnesium powder
1 tablespoon liquid vitamin B- complex (Nature's Answer liquid vitamin B-Complex)
1/2 packet of acai frozen unsweetened smoothie pack
Whip cream for garnish


Place all the ingredients into a blend.  Blend until smooth about 2 minutes.  If the smoothie is to thick just add about 1/4 cup more orange juice.  Pour into 5 glasses and garnish with whip cream.

 Red Fire Smoothie

Valentine's Day Devil's Food Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Valentine's Day devil's food cake with sour cream frosting is a romantic little cake for two.  This cake was developed for Bon Appetit and is the perfect small cake for two to share on Valentine's day.  The chocolate sour cream frosting melts in your mouth and the cake is moist from the buttermilk.  I use a dark cacao powder from Mayan Superfood's (amazon).  This cocoa is rich in  antioxidants, iron and magnesium.  I also deleted the corn syrup and white flour from this recipe and used agave and whole wheat white flour in exchange.

Valentine's Day Devil's Food Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Valentine's Day Devil's Food Cake With Sour Cream Frosting:
Serves:  6
Pre-Heat Oven:  350 degrees

Cake:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (like Mayan Superfood cacao)
1 ounce high quality milk chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup whole wheat white flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup organic cane sugar or white sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
8 ounces of Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips
1/4 cup  (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup sour cream
3 teaspoons agave

Garnish:
6 whole strawberries, washed and patted dry
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli)

Cake:
1.  Add the boiling water to the cocoa powder and the chopped milk chocolate.  Stir until all the chocolate has melted.
2.  In a mixer with a paddle attachment cream the canola oil, white sugar and brown sugar.  Add the egg and mix one minute or until light and fluffy.  Add the buttermilk, salt, baking soda, corn starch, melted chocolate and flour.  Mix until all the ingredients have been incorporated about 2 minutes.
3.  Pour the batter into a greased pan (like pam with flour) that is 6" across and 5" inches high.  Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Frosting:
1.  Place the Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips into a microwaveable safe bowl.  Heat the chips on high for one minute and then stir with a spoon.  Cook the chips on high for one more minute and then stir.  All the chips should be melted (if they are still hard microwave for 30 more seconds).  Cut the butter into small pieces and stir them into the melted chocolate.  Whisk in the agave and sour cream.  Allow the frosting to set up for 10 minutes before you frost your cake.

Whisking In the Sour Cream And Agave

2.  Cut the cooled cake into 3 layers.  Add 1/3 of the frosting to the bottom layer, then add another 1/3 of the frosting to the middle layer.  Finally add the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake.

Frosting the First Layer Of Cake

3.  Garnish the cake with chocolate covered strawberries:  melt 1 cup of Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet chips in the microwave for one minute and stir with a spoon.  Microwave another minute on high and stir the chips.  All the chips should be melted.  Dip the washed strawberries into the melted chocolate.  Allow the the strawberries to set up on a piece of parchment paper for 15 minutes or until set.  Decorate the cake with chocolate covered strawberries.

Valentine's Day Dipped Chocolate Strawberries

Valentine's Day dipped chocolate strawberries are a family tradition at my house.  My kids love dipping the fresh strawberries into the rich dark chocolate.  Try it with your kids tonight and have a delicious treat for Valentine's day.

Valentine's Day Dipped Chocolate Strawberries:

Serving size:  4

12 large whole strawberries, washed and dried

1 cup dark chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli double chocolate bittersweet)

1.  Wash and dry the fresh strawberries.  In a microwaveable bowl, place the chocolate chips and heat on high for 1 minute in the microwave.  Stir the chocolate chips with a spoon.  Place the chocolate chips back into the microwave and heat for 1 more minute.  All the chocolate chips should be melted if not put them back in for 30 seconds more. 

2.  Dipp the strawberries into the melted chocolate coating the sides of the strawberries about half way.  Allow the strawberries to cool on a piece of waxed paper for 10 minutes or until the chocolate has set. 

Valentine's Day Dipped Chocolate Strawberries

familychefmate

Banana Crunch Muffins

Banana crunch muffins are both sweet and crunchy and make a perfect morning snack.  The inspiration for this recipe came from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Gart but I tried to make this recipe healthier by using two different whole grain flours, lowering the saturated fat and reducing the sugar with agave.  These muffins are best made with ripe bananas and homemade granola.  If you don't want to make your own granola just add in your favorite granola from the store.

Banana Crunch Muffins:
Makes:  18 muffins
Pre-Heat Oven: 350 degrees

1 1/2 cups Oat flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour (King Arthur's Whole Wheat White)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup agave
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk, 1% fat
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup pureed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup granola
1 cup shredded coconut

1.  In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, agave and sugar together for two minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix for 2 minutes.  Add the vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, buttermilk, coconut and pureed banana to the batter.  Finally mix in the flour and the granola and mix well.

2.  Spoon the batter into greased paper liners and fill them to the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the muffins are brown on the top and a toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the muffins to cool on a wire rack.

(These muffins freeze well in a air tight container for up to 2 weeks).

Banana Crunch Muffins

Coconut Cream Pie With A Black Bottom Crust

Coconut pie  with a black bottom crust is fun to make with the kids.  My kids love stirring the custard over the stove and then stirring the custard in an ice bath.  Forget the box pudding!  This coconut cream pie is loaded with omega 3 rich eggs not yellow die.  I use none fat milk so you feel good that this dessert is lower in calories then the ones you buy in the store.  So if you want a  healthy dessert this is the pie for you. You can use this custard base to make banana cream pie as well.  The black bottom refers to the pie crust that you paint with melted chocolate.  The chocolate keeps the crust crust from becoming soggy.

Coconut Cream Pie With A Black Bottom Crust:
Pre-Heat Oven:  400 Degrees
Servings:  9

Pudding:
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
pinch of salt
3 cups cold none fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 egg yolks (like egg lands best or eggs with omega 3s)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups Baker's Coconut, toasted
1 Deep dish pie crust (like Marie Callender's)
Pudding recipe above
1 cup melted dark chocolate (like Ghirardelli's bitter sweet chips)
Whip cream

1.  Bake your Marie Callender's deep dish pie crust at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Make sure you either prick the bottom of the crust with a fork or place a piece of parchment paper in the middle of the crust and fill the paper with dried beans.  This is called blind baking your crust.  Then remove the parchment paper and dried beans and allow the crust to bake for another 7 minutes or until golden brown.

2.  In a medium saucepan over medium high heat add the cold milk, corn starch, sugar and a pinch of salt.  Using a wire whisk stir all the ingredients together.  Bring the mixture up to a bowl whisking continually. Bring the milk mixture up to simmer and the pudding begins  to thicken (the pudding will coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pudding from the heat.

3. In two small bowls separate out your eggs.  Whisk the egg yolks together.  Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking at all times. This is called tempering so you don't scrabbled the eggs.  Then whisk the yolk mixture slowly back into the hot milk mixture.  Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer and allow the pudding to cook 2 more minutes or until thick.  Remove front the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. In a large bowl put some cold water and ice to make an ice bath.  Place the pan you cooked the pudding into the ice bath and continue to whisk occasionally until the pudding cools off.  Then remove the pudding from the pan and place in the refrigerator in a sealed container.  Allow pudding to cool for one hour before using.

4.  Toast 2 cups of coconut in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  Stir the coconut half way through cooking it.  Watch the coconut near the end because it will burn very easily.
Allow coconut to cool on a wire rack.

5.  Assembling the pie.  Place your chocolate chips into a microwave save dish.  Microwave the chips on high for 1 minute then stir the chocolate.  Then microwave for another minute and stir.  Your chocolate should be fully melted.  Using a pastry brush, paint the bottom of the crust with the melted chocolate.  Put into the freezer for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is hard.  Mix in one cup of coconut with your pudding.  Then spoon the pudding mixture into the crust.  Then add the other cup of coconut on top of the pudding.  Garnish the coconut cream pie with whip cream.

Addition notes: If you want to make it a banana cream pie, just don't add in the coconut to the pudding or on the top of the pie.  Instead slice bananas and place them on the bottom of the pie crust.  Add the pudding on top and garnish with whip cream.

Coconut Cream Pie With A Black Bottom Crust

Whisking The Hot Milk Mixture

Pudding Cooling In An Ice Bath

Painting The Pie Crust With Melted Chocolate