Think fast! You've just been invited to a Memorial Day barbecue that promises to be fun and fabulous. The hostess asked you to bring a dessert. What do you make? Instead of picking up an expensive store-bought confection, head to the local market and get the ingredients to make this easy and uncomplicated strawberry shortcake trifle. The winning combination of fluffy vanilla cake, sweet, juicy Read more

If you've never had a pavlova, a delicious dessert made with meringue, whipped cream, and fresh fruit, you've got to make one this weekend. Seriously, this is one special dessert! I've recently introduced it to my parents and friends and they were blown away by its scrumptiousness. Don't be intimidated by the meringue; it may sound fancy, but it's simply egg whites mixed with sugar. It can be Read more

I've always been baffled when forced to choose between heavy and whipped cream at the grocery store. Isn't all cream more or less the same thing? Not exactly, I discovered when I finally searched for the answer. There are differences in milk fat content. All cream contains at least 18 percent milk fat: "whipping cream" is made up of 30 percent, while cartons labeled "heavy cream" or "heavy Read more

Homemade whipped cream is one of those dishes that I've made so many times that I don't consider it a recipe. Once you know the basic proportions, you can get creative and flavor the whipped cream with everything from extracts to liqueurs to spices. Experimenting with different kinds of sugar will also result in varied texture and flavor. The most important thing to remember when whipping cream Read more

Although it's almost the end of Summer, we aren't ready to give up our beloved berries just yet. Thus, for the next two weeks, we'll be devoting our attention to perfectly pink raspberries. To kick off the fun, I made these amazing cupcakes. Basically they are a vanilla cupcake filled with lemon curd and topped with a whipped raspberry frosting. It's a somewhat laborious process, but the final Read more

I am eating as many berries as I can until Fall comes and takes them away from me. I love them in my yogurt and cereal, on top of waffles, and especially in desserts. And as much as I wished it wasn't so, berries pair amazingly with fresh whipped cream. Always on the hunt for healthy food swaps, I've been trying to find ways to lighten up my use of heavy whipping cream, and once again Greek Read more

There's been no greater way to celebrate the season's berry bounty than by dedicating each Summer month to a different berry — May for strawberries, June for cherries, July for blueberries, and now August for blackberries, which are currently at their peak. I'm starting things off with a dessert that treasures blackberries at their freshest. I've got a weakness for whipped English desserts Read more

No Fourth of July party is complete without a red, white, and blueberry dessert. Instead of serving a dish that requires last minute preparation, select something like a layered trifle. The longer the whipped cream, mixed berries, and liquor-soaked bread sit, the better the trifle will taste. This recipe is easily adaptable, so feel free to use whatever berries and alcohol you prefer. Want to Read more

Amongst my group of friends, I am the birthday cake maker. Thus, when a friend told me she was hosting a "Swedish" dinner party to celebrate her 25th year, she asked if my contribution would be the cake. "Yes" was my immediate answer, and I suggested a princess cake. A princess cake is no easy dessert; it involves six components: sponge cake, whipped cream, pastry cream, raspberry jam, simple Read more