Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

376.  With Independence Day fast approaching, I have a perfect recipe for you.  It is clever in that you can color coordinate with red, white and blue.  It is a dessert with pretzels in the crust, cream cheese in the filling and strawberries and blueberries in the top jello layer.  As a child I recall this dessert at picnics and gatherings with family friends.

We have a local Strawberry patch down the road with the most sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted. I used all three pints for this recipe and placed it in a 9 X 13" baking dish.

My addition to the traditional recipe is to add pecans to the pretzel crust which gives a richer, nuttier depth of flavor.  The salt from the pretzels also adds additional nuance.

 
I chose to use sugar free jello and sugar free cool whip to slash calories and eliminate extra guilt *wink*.  You could go further and use fat free cream cheese as well...but the flavor profile changes drastically when all sources of fat and sugar are removed.  If you want to create a more pronounced color profile you could use an additional 3 oz. box of blueberry gelatin with 1 cup of water and mix separately with blueberries and pour this over the red layer after it has hardened.

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"I love berries.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything with an 'eerie' in it!"

~  Jordin Sparks

"We do not rejoice in victories.  We rejoice when a new kind of cotton is grown and when strawberries bloom in Israel."

~  Golda Meir

"Strawberries are what make life taste wonderful!"  ~ Anthony T. Hincks

Cherry Cheese Danish

343.  Sunday afternoon calls for fresh ground coffee and cheesy, fruity sweet danish.  

All you need is Puff Pastry sheets, cream cheese and some type of fruit jam, any fruit flavor.

Place one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 9 equal squares.  Cut each square as pictured above.  Brush with egg white/water wash.  Mix 4 oz. cream cheese with 1/4 cup powder sugar and 2 tsp of agave.  Dollop cream cheese into the center of each square.  If using fruit jam, dollop on top of cream cheese.

To create the crossover effect watch this video:

The cross over happens by lifting the clean cut corner up and over the filling to the opposite side. Gently press to seal the dough.  Repeat with the other side.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle sugar crystals over the dough.

Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

 Cool the danish.  Make a drizzle of 1 cup powdered sugar and a drop of vanilla extract and a few tablespoons of milk, a bit at a time, till a thick drippy consistency results.  Drizzle over the danish.  Let drizzle set then move to a serving platter.  The danish will be crispy on the bottom and sides and soft and cheesy/fruity in the center with an additional crunch from the sugar crystals.

This is perfect for a Sunday afternoon treat.  You know you need this!!

"It often runs in families, " she remarked: "just as a love for pastry does."
~ Lewis Carroll

Mini Strawberry, Blueberry and Bing Cherry Pies

280.  Just look at these adorable mini pies!  It is one easy way to enjoy bites of pie without all the extra work.  I took one cup of three different fruits:  blueberries, strawberries and bing cherries.  I seasoned each one:   
Strawberries with sugar and hint of lemon zest

Blueberries seasoned with sugar and cinnamon,

and Bing cherries with sugar and a couple drops of almond extract.

Mix each one and set it aside to "sweat" the fruit.  You could also macerate the fruit by crushing it at this point for more juice.  Sweating works better in small pies.

In the mean time, make your pie crust or purchase a pre-made pie crust.  Roll out into a rectangle of approximately 10x15 or so.  Cut the crust into squares or rectangles.

Gently push each piece of dough into a mini muffin cup.

Fill each cup with a spoonful of fruit and juice.

You can cut the extra dough into strips to make lattice across the tops of the mini pies. No need to be perfect.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or till the fruit is bubbling and crust is lightly browned.

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.  A good deed is never lost;  he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love."
~Saint Basil