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Strawberry and Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Popsicle

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:15:49 -0700

Here at Sugar HQ, everyone is crazy for the new, dangerously close frozen yogurt joint, SoGreen. After consuming a couple of SoGreen's delicious, fruity treats, I decided to experiment with my own variation. Currently I'm obsessed with Popsicles, so naturally, I was inspired to make a frozen yogurt Popsicle.

The recipe is simple with only a couple ingredients: strained yogurt, fresh fruit, and sugar. I had strawberries and golden raspberries on hand, but any fruit combination would work.

Once frozen, the bite-sized strawberry chunks were more crunchy than I would have preferred. To avoid the crunchy and hard-to-eat fruit, be sure to thinly slice all berries. Much like any other homemade Popsicle, the hardest part is waiting for them to freeze.

To learn more about making this perfect Summer treat, read more.

Strawberry & Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Popsicles
Original Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk yogurt
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/4 cup chopped raspberries
4 tbsp sugar

Directions

Strain liquid from the yogurt. To strain, place cheesecloth or paper towels in a colander. Pour yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

Chop strawberries. I chopped them into chunks but in the future, I will quarter the berries and finely slice them into paper thin slivers.

Place strawberries in a bowl and add sugar.

Chop or puree raspberries and add to strawberries, stir to combine.

Stir the strained yogurt into strawberry raspberry mixture.

Fill popsicle molds.

Wait patiently to freeze.

Makes 8 popsicles.

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Now You Can Make Neapolitan S'mores

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:03:31 -0800

This weekend I was perusing the Valentine's Day section of my local Target when I noticed a bag of ~~charcoal~~ chocolate marshmallows. At first I only noticed the NEW! banner across the top - I'm a marketer's dream - and then I noticed that it was sitting on top of a bag of strawberry-flavored marshmallows. Those were not marked new and it got me wondering what other flavors there were. According to the Kraft website, there is also a Toasted Coconut flavor. I'm slightly surprised that toasted coconut appeared before chocolate, but then again I'm not a marshmallow expert.

These festive snacks looked like a lot of fun; I'm not even a fan of marshmallows and had the urge to buy one. I bet they would be nice in hot cocoa, and could possibly add another element to s'mores. So what do you think? Has anyone out there tasted these? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Hour: Strawberry Watermelon Slushie

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:18:32 -0700

When the weather gets warm, I like to give fresh chunks of watermelon a whir in the blender. The result, a delightfully sweet and superbly cold affair, is the perfect way to beat the afternoon heat. When I was younger, I didn't think it could get much better than that, however I later learned that I was wrong. With the addition of fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and vodka, the innocent drink becomes a not-so-innocent concoction. If you've never had a Strawberry Watermelon Vodka Slushie, then do yourself a favor and get the recipe. Oh and consider yourself warned, these go down a little too easily. read more

Strawberry Watermelon Slush
From CD Kitchen

1 pint Fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups Watermelon -- seeded, cubed
1/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Vodka
1/4 cup Lemon juice
2 cups Ice cubes

In a blender container, combine all of the ingredients except the ice, and blend well.
While blending, gradually add the ice blending until smooth.
Serve immediately, garnish with watermelon slice or strawberry on edge of glass.

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Yummy Link: Gnocchi and Strawberry Sippers

YumSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 14:03:58 -0700

If you're still looking for a recipe for dinner tonight, consider ricotta & garlic gnocchi and a strawberry sipper to wash it down. It looks yum yum yum! - Never Bashful with Butter

All About Strawberries

partysugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 05:58:51 -0700

Strawberry season is almost upon us and I don't know about you guys, but I am very excited to eat luscious plump berries - especially since nothing says, "hello summer" more than a bowl full of beautiful strawberries. When purchasing strawberries, look for bright red berries with fresh and green stems. During the short 3-4 week season, purchase strawberries from your local strawberry field or farmer's market. In grocery stores look for the most plump and fragrant berries. Since strawberries do not ripen after being picked, choose ones that were picked fully ripened. Select dry, unstained containers.

As mold grows very quickly on berries, never leave a moldy one next to a good one. Out of all berries, strawberries have the most vitamin C and make a great simple delicious dessert. Strawberries were first cultivated in the year 1624 and today are most commonly grown in California and Florida. Store in the fridge uncovered in a colander to allow cold air to circulate.

One pint of fresh strawberries equals about 3 1/4 cups whole berries, or 2 1/4 cups sliced berries, or 1 2/3 cups pureed berries.

Romantic Dessert: Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

partysugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:11:31 -0700

With all of the wedding planning I've been doing over the last couple of days I hate to admit it, but I have romance on the mind... and I'm in the mood for chocolate dipped strawberries. Every week we get a new batch of fruit in the office and two weeks ago heralded the arrival of spring strawberries! The berries were plump, juicy, cool and absolutely divine. Chocolate dipped strawberries are a simply and super elegant dessert. My dad would make them at the "adult" dinner parties I would host when I was in 8th-9th grade and I thought they were the chic-est of desserts. If you've never made them before, don't be afraid, all you have to do is melt some chocolate and plunge the berries in. Make sure that the strawberries are completely dry before dunking and use your favorite type of chocolate. You'll find the recipe if you, read more

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
From How Stuff Works

2 cups (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening
12 large strawberries with stems, rinsed and dried

Line baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
Melt chips with shortening in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, stirring constantly.
Dip about half of each strawberry in chocolate. Remove excess chocolate by scraping bottom of strawberry across rim of pan. Place strawberries on prepared baking sheet. Let stand until set.
Store in refrigerator in airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

Tip: stir chopped dried fruits, raisins or nuts into any remaining chocolate; drop by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.

Variation: substitute the milk chocolate with dark or white chocolate. Melt 8 ounces white chocolate or pastel confectionery coating. Dip bottom of dipped strawberries, leaving a portion of the milk chocolate coating showing or drizzle with another type of chocolate.

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Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

partysugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:08:36 -0700

Ok, I'll admit it: I've gone strawberry crazy. It's just that I love strawberries so much that I want to take full advantage of the fact that they are in season (not to mention good for you). I've used them in salads and made the classic shortcake, but now I'm (as Emeril would say) kicking it up a notch. The weather has been so beautiful that I've been dying to take the old ice cream maker out of hibernation. You know where this is going: I want to make strawberry ice cream! Making ice cream at home is no harder than making a custard, pudding, or pastry creme and the end result is pure, creamy heaven. If you are loca for fresas (translation: crazy for strawberries, read more

Strawberry Ice Cream
From Joy of Baking

2 cups (480 ml) half-and-half
5 large egg yolks
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup Strawberry Puree:
20 ounces of fresh strawberries or 1 - 20 ounce bag (570 grams) of frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/4 - 1/3 cup (50 - 65 grams) granulated white sugar, or to taste
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, optional

Make the strawberry puree: place the unsweetened frozen strawberries in a large bowl and thaw. This may take a few hours. Or if using fresh strawberries skip yo the next step.
Once thawed, put the strawberries and their juice in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process the berries until they are pureed.
Pour the puree into a 2 cup (480 ml) measuring cup. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of puree.
Add 1/4 cup (50 grams) of the sugar to start and stir until the sugar dissolves. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Can also add a little lemon juice to taste. (Store covered in the refrigerator for one week. The sauce can also be frozen.)
In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring the half-and-half and the vanilla bean (if using) to the scalding point (the milk begins to foam up). Remove from heat, take out the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds from the bean with the back of a knife, and mix the seeds back into the half-and-half.
Meanwhile in a stainless steel bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy (about two minutes). You can do this with a wire whisk or a hand mixer.
Gradually pour the scalding half-and-half into the whipped egg yolk mixture, making sure you keep whisking constantly so the eggs don't curdle. If any lumps do form, strain the mixture first before heating.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook until the custard thickens enough that it coats the back of a spoon (170 degrees F) (77 degrees C).
Immediately remove the custard from the heat and continue to stir the custard for a few minutes so it does not overcook. At this point stir in the vanilla extract, if using. Stir in the strawberry puree.
Cover and let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate the custard until it is completely cold (several hours but preferably overnight).
Transfer the cold custard to the chilled container of your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Once made, transfer the ice cream to a chilled container and store in the freezer. If the ice cream becomes too hard place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving so it can soften.

Makes about 3 cups.

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Yummy Link: Strawberry Chocolate Chunk Shortcakes

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:15:32 -0700

I love combining two desserts to make one new, delicious dessert. In this recipe for strawberry chocolate shortcakes and chocolate-dipped strawberries meets classic strawberry shortcake. What a wonderful way to wow guests! - Eggs on Sunday

Happy Hour: Samuel Smith Strawberry Ale

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:00:32 -0700

While selecting in-season strawberries at Whole Foods the other day, an unfamiliar brewski, Samuel Smith Strawberry Ale, caught my eye. Since I was surrounded by the delicate aroma of ripe berries, I couldn't resist picking up a bottle.

I was curious about the unfamiliar label, and couldn't wait to give Samuel Smith's signature strawberry beer a taste. Brewed in Stamford, England, this certified organic ale, which is made with fresh strawberry juice, only became available stateside this year. The ale has a floral, jammy bouquet that brought me right back to sniffing strawberries at the market and notes of caramel and malt to finish. It was so refreshing that I drained the hefty-sized bottle, then proceeded to trek out and pick up a fresh one.

At $5.99 for 550 ml, this seasonal sip has become my favorite nightcap so far this Summer. Have you ever tried strawberry beer?

Count on Classic Strawberry Shortcake to Sweeten Your Day

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:15:01 -0700

If you asked me to choose between blackberries, blueberries, tayberries, raspberries, or any other type of berry, it'd be virtually impossible for me to pick just one, for I simply love them all. But, perhaps because I grew up eating them as a child, when it comes to dessert cravings, I tend to gravitate toward sweets that feature strawberries.

One evening, I had an intense craving for strawberry shortcake. I'm not referring to the sponge cake variety with layers - although I love that, too - but rather the classic version with macerated berries and whipped cream sandwiched between flaky, buttery shortcake. Since this type is surprisingly unavailable in restaurants (I've only been able to locate it at the Cheesecake Factory and Whole Foods), I made my own. The end result? Well, it was far more satisfying than anything I could've bought. Find out for yourself