Blueberry & Peach Marscarpone Tart

I recently saw a recipe for a tart using only berries and decided to make one that is similar, but only using the fruit I had on hand. Texas peaches just came into season and blueberries are always in abundance at my house...so the blueberry peach tart was born. This is truly summer on a spoon. Serve it with this, and you've got yourself a summer night on the patio.

1 cup mascarpone cheese (about 8 ounces)

1/3 cup well-chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar plus 1 T. for sprinkling on fruit

1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, diced

1 cup blueberries

2 tsp. almond extract

Prepare pastry dough and blind bake. While the crust is cooling, toss the peaches and blueberries with 1 T. sugar and almond extract. In a mixer with the whip attachment, start whipping the marscarpone, cream, and sugar until soft peaks form. Layer cream on the cooled crust. Place fruit mixture on top of the cream and serve. I garnished with fresh mint from the garden!

Sweet pastry dough:

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups flour--I used King Arthur soft winter whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-size) lumps. In a small bowl or cup stir together yolk and ice water. Drizzle yolk mixture over flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork until incorporated, and gently form mixture into a ball. Turn mixture out onto a floured work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating on work surface, into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

I used this one: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sweet-Pastry-Dough-15183#ixzz2V06Pchbs

For my gluten free friends, here is an awesome almond flour recipe for the crust:

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 egg

1. Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly
2. Add coconut oil and egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball
3. Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish
4. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes

Avocado Ice Cream {Helado de Aguacate}

We have probably all done the guacamole thing with avocados–and why not, guac is definitely the MVP in avocado recipes. Jessica here, and this Cinco de Mayo, we propose putting those avocados to a slightly sweeter, unexpected, and refreshing use by whipping up some avocado ice cream, or helado de aguacate.

"¡No bueno!" to the idea of avocado in ice cream, you say?! Let's not forget that the avocado is in the fruit family. Luscious avocado milkshakes are common fare with our South American friends, so why not? Made with coconut milk, vanilla, and lime, the avocados add creaminess and a retro green color to the end of a meal. It is surprisingly the perfect finale to your tacos & margaritas.

• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 2 ripe avocados, chilled
• 2 T. lime juice and the zest of one lime
• 1/3 c. sugar
  
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• We used an ice cream maker

Place sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a potato masher or pastry cutter into the sugar and salt. Add coconut milk and heavy cream, mix well. Add lime juice, zest, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the contents into the pre-frozen ice cream maker bowl. The machine should run about 20 minutes. Pour ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze for about 4 hours. When ready to serve, scoop and enjoy immediately!

Luxe {Homemade} Skin Cream

With all of my babies I only used raw organic coconut oil on their skin every night after their baths. As the girls have gotten older, they have gravitated towards lotions and creams with more scents and fancier packaging. I was constantly reading labels, making sure what they were wanting to buy was healthy for their skin. 

This winter, my mom put together this recipe using ingredients she purchased at Natural Grocers and made us a jar in her kitchen. It has a slight "chocolatey almond" smell and a silky smooth texture. It is the perfect addition to a night-time post bath routine and leaves our skin soft and sweet. 

She shares her recipe here:

• 7 ounces 100% organic pure shea butter
• 7 ounces organic 100% cocoa butter
• 2 ounces almond oil
• 2 ounces jojoba oil

Warm the shea butter and cocoa butter on the stove until it is liquid--be careful not to burn. Add oils and mix. Pour into containers and let cool. It will be a firm consistency once cooled. Use a little amount and warm in the palms of hands to apply easily.

Neon Lips

This definitely wouldn't be a look for everyday, but the spring & summer neon lips trend has me remembering my grade school days wearing my neon pink biker shorts. I came across this tutorial video on ElleTV and it looks super easy and fun. Magenta Madness and Red Electric Mac pigments were used to create this, but several other less expensive options exist too (Maybelline Vivids Collection could be an option).

Image Credit

Succulent Dish Garden

My girls and I put together a succulent dish garden this weekend. We did one big pot and one smaller pot. They had a lot of fun learning about the varieties of succulents--most native to Mexico and South Africa--and will thrive in the upcoming Texas summer heat. "Moonglow", "Babytoes", and "Firebird" are some of the names of our plants. We would love any dish gardening advice!

Step 1: They filled a pot with rocks to ensure good drainage

Step 2: A layer of potting soil specific to cacti and citrus (very dry with food added)

Step 3: they arranged their plants the way they thought looked pretty (strong opinions ensued!)

Step 4: Fill the gaps and top off with more soil

Step 5: water

Step 6: Embellish...We chose a glass hummingbird, porcelain owl, and a ceramic mushroom

The girls kept their labels so they could remember all of the names!

Easter Treat:: Banoffee Pie

Chris got his first taste of Banoffee (Banana Toffee) Pie while visiting my brother in Scotland while he was studying at St. Andrew's. When it came time for my sister and I to throw together our Easter menu, Chris requested the sweet pie he hadn't tasted in several years. I tackled it, but I made a much less sweet version that turned out to surely be in heavy rotation when it comes time for a treat. I used this Saveur recipe, but left out all sugar so the only added sweet is in the sweetened condensed milk. I also blind baked my old standby pie crust, but replaced half of the flour with ground almonds. A crust with texture, toffee like custard, layers of fresh bananas, topped with unsweetened whipping cream and chocolate shavings. Someone (not naming names!) had three servings....

Shamrock Whoopie Pies

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I wanted to do something fun this year for St. Patrick's Day, but with a big move across town in a few days I was stumped for something easy and festive. I will still make the traditional corned beef and cabbage with Irish soda bread dinner my family looks forward to, but with my girls getting older and more competent in the kitchen I wanted to introduce them to a new dessert. Enter the whoopie pie. Not just any whoopie pie, a shamrock shaped one with a hint of marshmallow cream in the middle.

CAKE:

• 1 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cups cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 T. unsalted butter
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
  
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
  

FILLING:

• 8 ounces whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. marshmallow cream (jarred)
  
• 2 T. Bailey's Irish Cream (omit if making for kids!)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar. When light and fluffy, add in egg.
4. Add vanilla and buttermilk. Add the espresso powder the very last minute and stir well.
   
5. Combine the flour mixture with the batter.
6. Spray mold liberally with cooking spray. They will release very easily without breaking once cooled. Using a cookie scoop, fill each shamrock about half way with chocolate batter.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Take out and let cool completely.
   
8. While cakes are baking, prepare the filling. First, whip cream into peaks. Gently fold in marshmallow cream and vanilla. Add the Bailey's last and stir gently. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the whoopie pies.
9. Gently take the shamrocks out of the mold. Using a serrated knife, slice the top of all the whoopie pie cakes so it is flat on both sides. Layer icing on the sliced side (the side that was the bottom of the mold will be on the outside of the assembled pie). Press together and there you have it!

Shamrock mold made by Wilton

Valentine's Day

Happy Love Day!

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1. angel food cake squares
2. strawberries (or any fruit), washed & hulled
3. dark chocolate, melted --I used Guittard chips
   
4. bamboo skewers

Skewer ingredients. Drizzle chocolate in a messy fashion over all of the kebobs. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

These are awesome for a class party for kids. I made 15 of these for my 1st grader's Valentine party. I added pineapple along with the strawberries, and they looked delicious!

Pots de Créme

Valentine's Day is in the air and I love to make these small, silky (very rich) desserts that are single serve and perfect to serve at the end of a candlelit dinner. Traditionally, pots de créme are served in tiny pots with lids, but ramekins or espresso cups are pretty too.

What is on your Valentine menu this year?

2 cups heavy cream
3/4 pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped; I used Green & Blacks
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional), can substitute 2 tsp. vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream until bubbly. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl, then whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot chocolate cream. Add into the saucepan and whisk constantly until smooth. Stir in the rum and butter. Pour the custard into eight 4 oz. ramekins or espresso cups and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.

I styled a very embellished version of this recipe (photo above) over on Brit+Co. Check it out!

Intentional Beauty

I'm guesting over at my friend Rachel's blog, Thriving Home about some beauty inspiration for 2013. An exfoliation recipe, bronzing recs, and bold lip color are just a few things I am dishing about. What are your beauty intentions for this year?