Strawberry Jello Trifle

I made this dessert a long time ago for a co-workers birthday and it was so, so good!  It really wasn't that hard to make.  It does take a few steps but it is well worth it.

Strawberry Jello Trifle
from Flour Me With Love

Shortbread:

1 C butter, softened

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 C flour 1/2 tsp. salt

Layers:

4 small boxes of (sugar-free) strawberry jello

4 C boiling water

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

16 ounces frozen whipped topping (cool whip)

1 pint fresh strawberries, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cookie sheet.

Mix together the boiling water and jello; stir until dissolved.  Place in the fridge to start setting up (you don't want it to set up completely).  Cream together the butter, powdered sugar, flour and salt.  Spread evenly onto prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown; set aside to cool.  Cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Fold in the frozen whipped topping (cool whip); set aside.  Take the cooled shortbread and break it into crumbs.  Place a layer of crumbs into the bottom of a trifle bowl.  Spread an even layer of the cream cheese mixture on top of the crumbs.  Add an even layer of jello.  Then a layer of strawberries.  Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are gone. Place in the fridge to allow the jello to finish setting up; about an hour.

 

Tarts

I've been baking again.  Cooking healthy, not so much, but baking yes, yes, yes.  For my last book discussion I wanted to make an almond crumble cherry pie but didn't get around to it the night before.  So the day of I improvised and made tarts.  I have made streusel topping several times but I liked the idea of this one since it was different.  It called to use marzipan which is a mixture of almond paste, egg whites, and sugar.  I couldn't find marzipan so I just used almond paste and the crumble turned out fine.  The tarts turned out great.  They are so simple to make.  Since I have to keep my co-workers fed and happy I had to make the tarts again since not all of them got it the first time.  The second time around I wanted to make a strawberry tart as well.  I used a short cut and went with the pre-made glaze but I think it turned out fine.  Next time I'm going to make homemade.  My spoiled staff at CN got a taste as well.  Like I said I have to keep them fed.

Almond Crumble Cherry Tart
from Betty Crocker

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• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
• 8 oz Almond paste
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling
•  1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl place the almond paste and butter.  Cut together with a pastry blender or fork until well blended.  Add the oats and flour until crumbly.  You may need to add more flour until you get the right consistency. 

On a baking sheet unroll one of the pie crusts and place it on one side of the pan.  Open one can of the cherry pie filling and mix in 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.  Pour the cherry filling onto the middle of the crust.  Sprinkle half of the crumble mixture over the filling and fold up the crust around the filling to seal it in.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  You can fit two tarts on a large baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is cooked through.


 













Strawberry Tart
A Lacey Creation

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• 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
• 2 pints fresh strawberries
• 2 containers strawberry glaze
• 1 8oz light cream cheese
• 1 8oz light cool whip
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Slice strawberries in half.  Place them in a bowl and mix with glaze.  On a baking sheet unroll a pie crust.  Arrange strawberries cut side down all around the middle.  Spoon some more glaze over the strawberries.  Fold the crust over the filling to seal it in.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  You can fit two tarts on a large baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is cooked through.

In a bowl mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended.  Add the cool whip.  Once the tarts are cool garnish with the cream cheese mixture.

I'm Back with Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I swear I haven't fallen off the face of the planet I just took a break.  For awhile I wasn't feeling very good but now I'm feeling so much better.  Once they figured out some of my health issues I felt like a brand new girl!  Which is a good thing.

I wanted to share some of the amazing, wonderful things going on in my life.  First off I went to Anaheim, California for a library conference.  It was such an amazing experience.  My friend Jessica and her mom Joy got to meet me there.  We had a great time getting to go to Disney Land and California Adventure.  At my conference I got to meet so many wonderful authors like Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer.  Chris Colfer from Glee was there.  I love him.  I just got so inspired by all the programs I went to and the other librarians I talked to.

Jessica and I with the Goofy Statue at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel

Me with Stich (He was very mischievous)

I also became a new mommy to Sadie Deville.  I forgot what it is like to have a kitten.  She is so loving and playful.  My hands and arms are all scratched up but its worth it.  My other babies are slowly starting to like her.  Her and Sage are bonding.  I found them today in the laundry basket together.  Of course they were on top of my clean clothes, but that's what I get for leaving them out.

Sadie says Hi

Today I got a promotion at work.  I am now the Hobart Township Manager.  I am really going to miss working with Carol on a day to day basis but life changes and you have to change with it.  She is off to Central and they are lucky to get her.  I am very happy to stay at Hobart.

A Vision in Red

On to the food.  This Strawberry Shortcake Cake is so good.  It would be great to take to a summer party, just don't leave it outside.  It does better keeping it in a cooler environment.  Everyone who eats this will be really impressed and will think you slaved away over it in reality it's super simple.



Strawberry Shortcake Cake
as found on The Country Cook

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1 box white cake mix prepared according to the directions on the box in a 9x13 pan, cooled
1 (8 oz.) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
1 (13.5 oz.) container strawberry glaze
3 cups fresh strawberries cut into bite size pieces

In a mixing bowl mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Mix in Cool Whip.  Spread over the cooled cake.  In another bowl mix together the strawberries and glaze.  Spread it over the Cool Whip mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Strawberries and Cream Trifles

Isn't that pretty? It was so yummy and guilt free. I found this delectable treat on Dashing Dish. She really has some great healthy recipes. I made this for work today and instead of making it in a trifle bowl I decided to do individual servings. I don't have a trifle bowl but one day I would like to get one. I thought the individual servings were cute and made knowing how many points I was eating a snap. I made 15 small cups but I think I could have easily been able to make 20-24. I made angel food cake from a box and used my mini bundt cake pan. That made 24 mini angel food cakes. I did evenly distribute the cake between the 15 cups but I'm sure I could have used one cake per cup. I had left over pudding and whipped cream so I think I could have gotten 24 cups.

I think I will be making these quite often.


Strawberries and Cream Trifles
from Dashing Dish

15 servings, 3 WW points per serving
24 servings, 2 WW points per serving

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1 package sugar free fat free vanilla pudding
2 cups skim milk
1 Angel food cake, cut into 1" cubes or (1 box of Angel Food cake mix)
1 (16 oz) package fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced lengthwise
1 (16 oz) container light or fat free cool whip

Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions. To the pudding mixture, add half of the cool whip. (Set the rest of the cool whip aside to garnish on top of each trifle). Make layers in clear glass cups (or in a trifle dish/big glass bowl if you prefer) starting with the angel food cake, pudding/cool whip mix, and strawberries. Repeat until the cups (or trifle dish/bowl) are full. Garnish with the left over whipped topping, a few strawberries. Cover and chill in the fridge at least 4 hours before serving.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cupcakes

A co-worker of mine said that these were a little slice of heaven. Score. You can't beat a compliment like that. A month or so ago when I made those Strawberries and Cream Mini Pies I had some filling left over. I used that left over filling to stuff some chocolate cupcakes and topped them with a cool whip cream cheese mixture. They were fabulous. I knew I wanted to try the filling in yellow cupcakes with whipped cream icing.

These were fabulous too. Like a strawberry shortcake.


Strawberry Whipped Cream Cupcakes
a Lacey creation

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24 yellow cupcakes, (I used a yellow cake boxed mix)
1 cup mashed strawberries
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
16 oz heavy cream
2 cups powder sugar

In a small saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add the strawberries and water. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Cook for three minutes or until it thickens. I didn't time it but it didn't take long for the mixture to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.

While that's cooling make the whipped cream. I used my kitchen aide to make my icings. I placed my mixing bowl in the fridge to get cold. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl and use the paddle attachment to beat the cream. Set on medium and let it beat for 5 minutes. Add in the powder sugar and let beat until it starts to thicken. If it doesn't add more powder sugar a little at a time.

Strawberries and Cream Mini Pies

I have been dreaming these up for awhile. I was inspired by a strawberry pie I saw on Our Best Bites website but these babies are very different. These babies are oh so good. I thought my co-workers were going to fight over these and they didn't last long. These were very easy to make.

Strawberries and Cream Mini Pies
a Lacey original

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2 ready to use refrigerated pie crusts (This time I only used 1 because I was experimenting but the filling should be enough for all two)
flour for dusting
1 cup mashed strawberries
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 8 oz Cool Whip

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

Lightly dust your work space with flour and roll out one of the pie crusts. Using a rolling pin flatten out the pie crust to thin it out a bit more. Using a round cookie cutter cut out as many rounds as you can. Place each round into a well of a mini muffin pan. Take the scraps and re-roll out until the pie dough is gone. I was able to get 23 rounds from one pie crust so you should get 46 from 2. Lightly pierce the bottom of each round of dough with a fork to keep the dough from puffing up when baking. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add the strawberries and water. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Cook for three minutes or until it thickens. I didn't time it but it didn't take long for the mixture to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.

While that is cooling in a mixing bowl using a mixer beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Once combined fold in the cool whip.

To assemble: Fill each pie shell with strawberry filling. Top off with a dollop of whipped topping. If you want the pretty swirl like the picture I used a piping bag with a star tip.

I'm thinking little French silk pies next. Yum, yum.