RASPBERRY PEACH CRISP FOR THE SLOW COOKER

INGREDIENTS:

Raspberry Peach filling

3 cups peaches, sliced and peeled

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon nutmeg, optional

¾ teaspoon apple pie spice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon powdered vanilla

 ½ cup sugar

7 tablespoons flour (or THICK GEL – a modified cornstarch product)

6 oz. raspberries

Streusel/Crisp Topping

1 cup quick cook steel cut oat flour (steal cut oats put through a food chopper)

2 cups quick cook steel cut oats

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

 ¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla powder

¼ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup butter, cubed

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Line a slow cooker  with a Reynolds’s crock pot liner.  Prepare peaches by washing , peeling and slicing them into thin slices. Wash and drain raspberries. Place peaches in a medium mixing bowl. Add seasonings, lemon juice, sugar, almond extract, and THICK GEL and mix together. Add raspberries and gently stir. Pour into lined slow cooker.

In a large bowl, add the oat flour oats, sugar, almond extract,  brown sugar, apple pie spice and brown sugar. With a pastry fork, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the pecans. .  Pour the streusel over the raspberry peach mixture.  Cook on High 2 hours or on Low for 4 hours.  For the last hour of cooking remove the lid partially so that the crisp will get crisp.  Serve with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Ingrdients

Peaches

All Mixed

In Slow Cooker

Cooking

Crispy and Ready

YUM!

FRESH RASPBERRY PEACH SLUSHY - SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:

6 medium peaches, peeled, sliced, pureed

6 oz. fresh raspberries, washed and drained

4 cups crushed ice

6 tablespoons sugar

8 tablespoons light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, puree the peaches, add the raspberries, puree.  Add the sugar and mix in.  Take one cup of the fruit mixture and add to a blender.  Add 4 cups ice and light corn syrup.  Repeat the process with the remaining fruit mixture.  Garnish with a raspberry and whipping cream (optional). Serve with a straw or a spoon/straw.   Makes about 8 servings.

Raspberry Peach Puree

Ready to Blend

Ready to Serve

RASPBERRY BUTTER

INGREDIENTS:

1 (6 oz.) container fresh raspberries

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (brought to room temperature and cubed)

4 tablespoons sugar (I used extra fine baker’s sugar)

1/8  teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, electric food chopper or blender, and gently puree raspberries.  Add the sugar and mix into the puree. In a food processor or blender, cream the butter.  Add the salt and mix into the creamed butter.  Slowly add the pureed raspberries to the creamed butter.  Mix until well blended. Remove from food processor and put into a tightly covered container.    If you would like to make it look elegant, pipe it into your serving container.  Store in the refrigerator…but let it soften for about 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with biscuits, bread, toast, Easy Sweet Rolls and Bread Dough, or anything else that sounds divine.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups raspberry  butter

WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1 cup white chocolate (I used premium Selbourne brand white chocolate from Europe, but white chocolate chips will work)

5 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 tsp – 2 teaspoons Raspberry extract

1 or 2 drops red food coloring, optional

White Sparkling Sugar, Pink Sparkling Sugar

Directions:

Melt chocolate, butter and cream over a double boiler or in a microwave. Stir until smooth.

Stir in extract and optional food coloring. Allow to cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

With a small  melon baller or small spoon scoop out mixture and form into 1 inch balls. Toss in Sparkling Sugar to coat..

Store covered in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.

Makes: 24

Ingredeitns

Melted and with food coloring

Ready to roll in sugar

Tools and materials for rolling

Rolling In Sugar

3 BERRY FREEZER JAM

3 Berry Freezer Jam

3 Berry Freezer Jam on Waffles

Adapted from the Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin package

Ingredients:

2 cups washed, hulled and sliced strawberries

2 cups washed and drained raspberries

2 cups washed, drained and mashed blackberries (you can put them through the food chopper)

8 cups sugar (or 4 cups sugar and 4 cups apple juice), divided (set one cup of the sugar aside to mix with pectin)

2 boxes Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin

Directions:

1.       Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids.  Use 2 to 4 cup size containers.

2.       Prepare strawberries, raspberries and blackberries (wash, hull, and slice, drain, food chop, etc.)

3.       Measure exact amount (6 cups) of prepared berries.

4.       Measure exactly 7 cups of sugar into a separate bowl.

5.       Stir 7 cups sugar into the fruit.  Mix well.  Let stand for 10 minutes; stir occasionally.

6.       Pour the pectin into a medium mixing bowl and add the remaining 1 cup sugar.  Mix well.

7.       Stir the pectin/sugar mixture and 1 ½ cups water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

8.       In a large stockpot cook berries on low with the sugar mixture.  Stir constantly.  If desired, use a potato masher and mash strawberries until desired consistency.

9.       Stir pectin mixture into fruit.  Mix well.

10.   Pour into prepared containers, leaving ½ inch space at the top for expansion during freezing;  Using a spatula, scrape the insides of the containers to help remove bubbles.  Repeat the bubble removing process two times. cover.

11.   Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set.  Refrigerate up to 3 weeks.  Otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year.  Thaw in the refrigerator.

Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate Bliss Cups

Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate Bliss Cups - (dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, and pure awesomeness) Easy to make. These are little delights that are a refreshing treat. Fairly healthy for a delicious mini frosty morsel. Serve these at a gathering and your guests will not be disappointed.

My friend Jenn and I developed these little delicious gems.  Both of us are trying to come up with healthier desserts to offer our families.


Ingredients:

1 10 oz. bag high quality dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chips)

2 6 oz. containers Greek yogurt, naturally flavored, not plain (I used raspberry flavor)

16 Fresh Raspberries, washed and drained

Ziploc quart size freezer bag

Decorating tip and attachment

Cooking Spray

Mini Cupcake Papers

Yield: 16 mini cups

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring with a spatula.  The chocolate should be smooth and velvety.  Arrange your cupcake papers onto a baking sheet and lightly mist with cooking spray (be sure to coat the sides of the papers with spray, too).  Spoon (I used a mini teaspoon) the melted chocolate into the cupcake papers, coating the bottoms and sides entirely.  Put an extra spoon full of melted chocolate at the bottom of each cup.  Once all cupcake papers are coated, place the tray in the refrigerator to cool for about five to ten minutes.  Pipe(I used a quart size Ziploc freezer bag, stuffed the yogurt in it to one corner and then cut the corner at the tip and fastened the decorating tip to the bag** ) or spoon the yogurt mixture into the cooled chocolate cups. Place a single upside down raspberry in the center of each filled cup.  Cover with plastic wrap or one of those shower cap food covers and place the tray in the freezer for a 2 to 2 ½ hours or so to freeze completely.  Keep frozen and eat them immediately after they are served.

** a decorating tip is not essential, it will just make your little yogurt cups more festive.

Any flavor yogurt may be used.  Strawberry – garnish with a strawberry slice.  Blackberry – garnish with a single blackberry.  Cherry, garnish with a pitted cherry, etc.

Milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate may also be substituted.

Tip – the raspberry may get frosty when you take them out of the freezer.  To take the frost off, make sure your hands are clean and dip your fingers in some warm water, then gently rub the raspberry with the warm water.  Serve immediately.

Variation: Chocolate Covered Frozen Yogurt Bliss Cups

When melting chocolate, melt about 5 oz. more.  Follow the directions above, but after you add the raspberry, add some melted  chocolate to cover the yogurt.  Partially submerge the raspberry in the chocolate covering.  Freeze as directed and enjoy.  See picture on bottom of page.

Ingredients

Cooking Spray Sprayed Cupcake Liners

Ziplock for Piping

Chocolate for Melting in Makeshift Double Boiler

Melted Chocolate

Chocolate Lined Cupcake Liner

Chocolate lined Cupcake Liner

Chocolate Cup Cake Liners on the Cookie Sheet

Yogurt in the Ziploc

Chocolate just out of the Refrigerator

With Yogurt Raspberry Piped In

Garnished with Raspberry ready to Freeze

Ready to Freeze

Just out of the Freezer

Ready to Eat

Chocolate Covered Variation: Ready to Freeze.  Chocolate had already begun to set when I took the photo.

Chocolate Covered Variation: Ready to Eat.  I hope to get a better photo of this.