Strawberry Swirled Lemon Bars

I was feeling in a rut with the foods I had been eating since I have been eating primarily so much healthy stuff. This particular afternoon I was getting ready to head to a Relay meeting, and I felt that thing..you know…that baking itch? I decided to make lemon bars since they are fairly easy and quick to make. However, since strawberries are in season I always have 1-2 quarts of them in my fridge on hand. I got to thinking of strawberry lemonade, then figured why not in my lemon bars? I took a quick Facebook poll (sad I know!) to determine if I should or not, the response was just as I had hoped…STRAWBERRIES! And so…this recipe was born and summer has officially begun in my house here in California!

I am loving nothing more and feeling so honored to be able to share this recipe for the first time with My Imperfect Kitchen readers! Sara is an amazing blogger, friend and person. I hope everyone loves this recipe as much as my Relay committee members and family did. I even snuck 3 of them into my belly!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
4 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups white sugar
1/4 cup coconut flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 lemons, juiced and seeded (zest 1 lemon first and reserve)
4 strawberries pureed with a little coconut water to thin out
Powdered sugar for dusting top (optional)

DIRECTIONS – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. In a bowl, combine butter, flours and 1/2 c of sugar. Mix well.
2. In a greased 9×13″ pan, press crust into the bottom until even.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
4. In another bowl whisk together the remaining sugar and flour, then whisk in the remaining ingredients, except strawberries (don’t forget the lemon zest).
5. Pour the filling over the warm crust.
6. In a blender or food processor puree the strawberries. Dollop 1 teaspoon at a time over the filling until it is all used up. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, drag the strawberry mixture through the lemon mixture. Be sure not to press all the way to the crust.
7. Put back in oven and bake for another 25 minutes or until center is firm. They do firm more when cooled. Dust with powdered sugar (optional) Cut into squares once completely cool and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, check out more from Sweet Heat Chefs:

• Coconut Strawberry Cake Cocktail
• Dark Chocolate Coconut Banana Bites
• Strawberry Banana Yogurt Popsicles
• Green Smoothie

Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Get your sweet tooth and pucker face ready for this super sweet and tart recipe! 

This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, The Foodie Physician. She has AH-MAZING recipes. I modified only a few ingredients and amounts on this recipe. It is so good!

INGREDIENTS

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
1 cup strawberry jam
20 ounces cream cheese (2 1/2 packages)
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 jar lemon curd (10 oz)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In an ungreased 13×9-inch baking tray, break up sugar cookie dough. With floured hands, press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Bake 12 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. 
3. Spread the jam evenly over the surface of the partially cooled crust. You should get a nice thick even layer on this part. If you can see the cookie dough, I would say it is too thin, add more. 
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the flour, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix. Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended. Pour the filling into the tray over the jam. Heat up lemon curd in microwave for about 30 seconds to thin it out. Using a spoon dollop lemon curd in 3 rows over the cream cheese filling. Using a sharp knife, skewer or toothpick swirl the lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture and down into the jam being careful not to cut into the crust. At this point I should have added more jam between the lemon curd on top to swirl too (will do this next time and use less on the bottom crust)
5. Bake in oven 40-45 minutes until filling is set. Cool 30 minutes. Cut into 4×6 rows.
6. Garnish with 1/2 of a strawberry and 1/2 of a lemon slice. Refrigerate for best results and enjoy!

 

Posted on Thursday’s Treasures over at Recipes For My Boys, such a terrific blog and Debi is an amazing woman!

Berry Naughty Whip You Up

As adults we all need a little pick me up now and then. I love sweets and this is just the answer to that calling. If you have never tried the Pinaccle Whip Cream Vodka…you are in for a real treat. BE WARNED, this drink is addicting 😀

INGREDIENTS
1 Pint Fresh Strawberries (buy local folks if possible), washed, cleaned and halved
1/2 Pint Fresh Blueberries, washed
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 Vanilla bean, split and seeded
1 750 ml bottle of Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka

DIRECTIONS

1. On stove top, in a pot, bring water and sugar to boil. 
2. Add vanilla bean seeds and simmer for 10 minutes, this is a vanilla simple syrup. 
3. Remove from heat and let cool
4. In a food processor, combine 1 cup strawberries and 1/2 cup blueberries puree until smooth. 
5. When vanilla simple syrup is cool add  3 oz to the berries and give the food processor a whirl to mix.
6. Take a glass with ice (or frozen blueberries) and add 3 -4 oz of vodka and your berry mixture
7. Garnish with more blueberries or a strawberry on the rim of the glass

Basic Crepes

 

INGREDIENTS

1 c. Flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. Milk
1/2 c. Water
1 t. Vanilla (if making sweet ones)
Strawberries
Bananas
Nutella

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk eggs in a medium sized bowl
2. Add milk, water, and vanilla (if you are using)
3. Gradually add flour and whisk until smooth
4. In a small non stick saucepan, add about 1/4 c. or less of batter to pan and swirl in a circular motion in pan until bottom is coated.
5. Continue to cook until the moisture is gone on top and flip to other side.
6. Cook for no longer than 1 minute and take out of pan
7. To the finished crepe, add 1 T. nutella and spread around crepe. 
8. Add sliced banana on top of the nutella
9. Roll the crepe up like a burrito
10. Top with additional sliced banana, strawberries, whip cream!

Nutella & banana crepes