.Balsamic Blueberry Crisp by How Sweet It Is
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of blueberries
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup oats
- 2/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 stick softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons coarse sugar for crunch
- vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. In a bowl, mix blueberries with sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of flour and salt. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and add blueberries. I used a 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 baking dish because I wanted a thick blueberry layer, but an 8 x would work fine too. Once the blueberries are added, toss them with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. The blueberry flavor works the best but original should be fine too.
2. In a bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add softened butter and vanilla, and mix thoroughly with a fork and your hands until it becomes clumped together. Layer crumble mixture on top of blueberries and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
3. While crisp is baking, add vinegar to a small saucepan and heat over lo heat until it reduces by half – about 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool, the mixture should thicken at this time. When blueberry crisp is finished, serve with vanilla ice cream and drizzle balsamic reduction on top.
serves 2-4
.Strawberry Cupcakes w/Chocolate Frosting by Sinfully Spicy
Ingredients:
For strawberry cupcakes:
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup pureed strawberries (frozen/fresh)
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1-2 drops of red/pink food color depending on how pink you want your cupcakes
For the Chocolate Frosting :
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp of milk or as required to thin out the frosting
Directions:
For the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.Line your cupcakes pan with cases or grease thoroughly.
2. In a medium bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the pureed strawberry until mixed. Add the flour mix to the butter mix and blend until fluffy. The batter will be thick.
4. In another bowl,beat egg whites, milk, vanilla extract and food color until light and fluffy. Fold in the whisked egg whites into the batter, divided. Keep mixing gently until whole of it is incorporated.
5. Using your cookie/ice-cream scoop, fill the cupcake pan about 3/4 full. Bake 18 – 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Mine took 20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the rack for cooling. Let cool completely before frosting.
Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting:
On a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Mix the vanilla extract and let them cool to room temperature. Cream softened butter and sour cream until well blended.Blend in melted and cooled chocolate chips until smooth. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat well. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time until desired, spreadable consistency is reached.
yields 18 cupcakes
