Homemade Buttery Crust Blueberry Pie is just what the holidays are calling for. This delicious pie is not a typical one in my world, but surely is a pleasant surprise. I love blueberries and bringing this Homemade Buttery Crust Blueberry Pie to life was super easy. Lucky for me I live in California where blueberries are plentiful all year round, but if that is not the case in your state, feel free to use frozen blueberries. They work like a charm.
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Since I was a little girl (me, pictured below in the black and white stripes) I’ve always tinkered with pie-making but making one that fits my standards now was more my aim. We’ve all bought the fresh ready made pie dough from the market, but I was looking to perfecting my own. I’m glad I was inspired to get grooving on my pie making abilities again (before the holidays). I seriously upped my ante and the results couldn’t be more satisfying. (more…)
If you’re going to post a fruitcake recipe, then make sure it’s an out-of-this-world- unbelievably delicious fruitcake recipe… if not, why bother. I’ve taken a little break (more…)
Yes, I have been known to tag along with my Mom every where she goes, and she loves to go to Walmart. Every Monday, like clockwork she makes her Walmart grocery run, and I come along and pick up the items I need too. This past Monday as we were driving, I was saying I wanted to do some kind of edible Thanksgiving craft with my son. The craft would serve as an introduction to the holiday and somewhat explain to him what the feast represents in the simplest form. My Mom asked what I was going to make, and I told her I would probably make some type of rice krispie treat since I know that is something he will definitely eat. Sometimes a food craft is the best way for me to teach my 4 year old the joys of the holidays. That’s the exact method my Mom and Aunts taught me with.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and make this cute little craft with the kids before the feast. It also would be a fun activity for the kids to partake in after the holiday dinner. Keep them busy decorating their own dessert. 🙂
Ingredients for Thanksgiving rice krispie turkey treats:
Directions:
Let’s Decorate:
First start by sliding pieces of licorice onto a pretzel stick. Leave about 1/4 of an inch at the bottom of the stick exposed. This will be the part that you stick into the rice krispie treat ball to form the feathers of the turkey.
Once all licorice feathers are in place in the back of the turkey body, it is time to work on the face. Using frosting or royal icing stick a candy corn into the front center of the ball. Then stick two candy eyes about the candy corn.
I also added two candy corn to the bottom as feet and two to the side as wings. There are no rules….. Have fun with your turkey!
What do I do when my guy asks for a coconut birthday cake? I think winter wonderland. It’s not my fault his birthday falls in December. I got to making his cake and instead of going with a traditional decoration I went the holiday route. In the end I put some birthday candles so he’d have something to blow out…. He didn’t mind, as long as he got his cake!
Ingredients for coconut almond cake:
2 1/3 – cups flour
1/2 – cup sliced almonds (coarsely chopped)
1 – teaspoon baking soda
1/2 – teaspoon salt
1 – cup buttermilk
3 – eggs
1 – cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 – teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 sugar
2 – cups sweetened shredded coconut
Ingredients for the frosting:
16 – ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1 – cup butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 – cups coconut
1/2 – cup strawberry preserves
Optional decoration:
Holiday cookies
red candies
dried cherries or cranberries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
Spray edges of (2) 8-inch round cake pans and place a round piece of wax paper at the bottom of pan for easy removal. Set to the side.
In a small bowl add flour, almonds, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a fork and set to the side.
In a mixing bowl add buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, almond extract, vanilla extract, and sugar. Mix on low speed to combine for about 2 to 3 minutes. Then slowly add in flour mixture till combined. Fold in coconut.
Fill both prepared pans with cake batter, make sure to give each pan the same amount.
Bake for 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool completely. Then remove from pans and remove wax paper bottom.
Let’s make frosting: In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter till smooth for about 2 minutes on a medium high speed. Then add in vanilla and mix for an additional minute. Next add in the powdered sugar a little at a time mixing until completely combined and fluffy.
Place one cake upside down on a cake plate and frost with cream cheese frosting, then spread strawberry preserves in the inside leaving a half inch away from the edge. Then top with the other cake. Fill with frosting all around the edges in the open space between both cakes.
Then frost entire cake. Once completely frosted place coconut on entire cake. If you wish place holiday cookies around the edge of cake and make a border with red candies and dried cranberries or cherries. Happy Holidays! Or in my man’s case, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
All photos taken by: Nicole Presley
