Happy Valentine's Day! Regardless of what you have planned, you're sure to spread the love if you whip up this gorgeous lemon raspberry fizz cocktail. We promise the marriage of limoncello, berries, and sparkling wine is not only beautiful, but also delicious — and the festive drink can be easily multiplied if you're hosting for a crowd. Watch the video to learn how to make the cocktail.
Though I've made many a soufflé in my years — I distinctly remember tackling goat cheese soufflés at the tender age of 11, oblivious about their diva reputation — each and every time I pull a batch out of the oven, my heart goes aflutter. These lofty, lemony, and all around lovely soufflés are no exception. Something magical happens as they undergo their heat-induced transformation from frothy, fluffy batter to delicate and airy pastry. And while they're utterly lovely unadorned, a drizzle of bright and tangy raspberry coulis takes them over the top, with a minimum of fuss — seriously, if you have five minutes to spare, you have time to make the sauce.
So what are you waiting for? Put your soufflé skepticism aside and whip them up posthaste — they're (and you're) worth it. Experience the magical transformation from batter to beauty yourself.
I know what you're thinking: what the heck is a coulis, and why should I care? Put simply, a coulis is a silky-smooth, uncooked sauce that can be made up of fruits or vegetables (though fruit is more common). In regards to why you should care, few recipes provide more jaw-dropping results for the amount of effort expended. Little more than a whir in the blender and a pass through a strainer separates you from a versatile flavor-packed sauce that can perk up a variety of treats.
I've been known to eat it straight from the jar, but for a more refined option, try drizzling raspberry coulis on nearly anything sweet. Some of my favorite ways to use up the ruby-hued beauty of a sauce include drizzled over lemon soufflés, vanilla ice cream, or angel food cake; I even love it swirled into plain yogurt or atop a bowl of fresh fruit.
Craving a beer with a real sense of place? Look no further than lambic, a Belgian style of beer exclusive to a region near Brussels roughly 15 by 75 miles in size. This style of beer is made in a rather unique process involving no added yeast; rather, it's fermented with naturally occurring yeast native to the air in the region where it's brewed, much in the same way that sourdough bread is produced.
Perhaps the most popular version of lambic stateside is a raspberry-based dessert iteration: Lindemans Framboise Lambic ($12). Fermented in a two-part process, this vibrant ruby-hued brew gets its start as a traditional lambic, with an initial ferment of a mash of malted barley, unmalted wheat, and wild yeast; later, raspberries are added for a secondary fermentation, all in all lasting more than two years. Background aside, what does it taste like?
Berry season is right around the corner, and if a big bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries didn't excite you before, maybe this news will: eating at least two servings of berries per week can help delay age-related memory loss in women. A recent Harvard study followed 16,010 women over the age of 70, finding those who ate berries slowed memory loss by almost three years. Researchers cite the plethora of antioxidants packed into these small fruits as being the reason. If preventing memory loss weren't enough, here are five more reasons why you should up your berry intake.
Amped up for berry season yet? Mix things up by making one of these healthy berry recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktail hour!
If you're a Dr. Oz fan, you may have heard of the latest news in weight loss — raspberry ketone. The supplement, according to a weight-loss expert on The Dr. Oz Show, will help your body "think it's thin" and burn body fat in as little as five days of taking the supplement daily.
Raspberry ketone pills are derived from raspberries, which are known for having metabolism-boosting properties. According to Dr. Oz's show, raspberry ketone pills contain the concentrated benefits of 90 pounds of raspberries, so just 100 mg a day of the supplement will supposedly help your body burn fat.
So, does it work? Studies have found that it does (at least in mice!). One study found that mice fed a high-fat diet did not gain weight after regularly being given a dose of the supplement; another study found that raspberry ketone, in mice, increased the amount of adiponectin, a hormone that "naturally tricks your body into acting like it's thin," according to Dr. Oz.
In general, raspberry ketone pills are known to be safe, but of course finding the right, trustworthy brand is key (especially since dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA), and it's important to note that no long-term studies have been done in humans. And while Dr. Oz touts the benefits of raspberry ketone, even he is quick to note that taking the supplement isn't a substitute for diet and exercise, but rather a way to help "get you over the hump" when starting a weight-loss routine.
Are you buying the so-called benefits of raspberry ketone? Let us know if you've tried it and what you think in the comments!
Source: Flickr User Muffet
Greek yogurt is wildly popular, so why not use it for the perfect refreshing Summer treat: Greek frozen yogurt with raspberry swirl. This thick yogurt is easy to employ as an ice cream base — especially since you avoid the temperamental custard process. If you can't find Greek yogurt, you can actually make your own by simply straining regular yogurt.
This tangy and sweet frozen yogurt is a great base for just about any seasonal fruit or berry, so feel free to experiment with other combinations. There are two ways to achieve the perfect swirl; one is to layer the frozen yogurt and fruit puree several times, and when you scoop it out, it will swirl on its own. The second technique is to very gently mix the frozen yogurt and fruit puree in a large bowl, but the key here is to undermix it, to ensure a swirl in the end. Stay cool these last days of Summer with homemade froyo! Read more for the recipe.
Everyone has culinary issues and one that I'm constantly working on is my fear of dough. Pizza dough, bread dough, pasta dough, pie dough — I'm totally intimidated by it all. However, last Summer, in an attempt to face my (irrational) fear, I started making pies. Peach pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie, raspberry pie. With each pie I made, it became a little easier.
It's been months since I made a pie, but with the bounty of ripe fruit at the market calling to me, I was inspired to try this chocolate raspberry pie. From the ultimate pie queens at Martha Stewart Living, this pie is divine. The dough is chocolate pate sucree and the filling is a layer of chocolate ganache covered with a luscious raspberry topping.
Although I ran into a little difficulty with the dough, it was rewarding to slice into the finished pie. Want to show off your pie-making skills with this decadent dessert? Check out the recipe.
The start of a long weekend calls for a celebratory cocktail, and today I'm toasting with this fizzy, raspberry mojito! It's got all of the usual suspects of a classic mojito — rum, lime juice, and mint — but it's given a girlie twist with the addition of raspberries and sparkling wine. The libation is fruity, refreshing, and downright delicious. The only problem with it? It's too easy to drink! Start making a second round before you've finished the first and you'll be good to go. Here's the easy recipe.
When the weather is hot, we love easy no-bake desserts! Here, Gabriela Une Vie Saine shares her favorite no-bake treat, an uncomplicated raspberry nutella pie.
A decadent no-bake pie with Nutella and raspberries as the star ingredients!
Get the recipe on her blog and don't forget to share your dishes in the YumSugar Community.
