Angel Food Cake Roll with Vanilla Strawberry Filling

This is one of the few things I tried making for a Valentine's Day bake-off competition. I chose my top three from a wide variety of online resources and did a test run. This one came out amazingly delicious, but it is harder than you might think to get it to roll up all pretty. So for aesthetic reasons this one didn't make the cut. If you're curious, the other of the top three were my Dark Chocolate Cherry Truffles, and my favorite, which did win the baking competition, were the I Choose You Pokeball red velvet cupcakes. Anywho, if you don't care what it looks like, but only what it tastes like, or are an expert roller, then please try this! It was splendid.

Ingredients:
1 box angel food cake mix
Water
1 container whipped topping
1 box vanilla pudding mix
1 cup strawberry yogurt
Food coloring (optional)

Step 1: Mix the angel food cake and water (you can make an angel food cake from scratch, and bless your heart if you can!) and bake in a 9x13 pan. It was recommended that you line the pan with wax paper, and I really wish I had because that cake sticks.

 Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the pudding, whipped topping and yogurt. Add red food coloring if you want brighter pink filling.

Step 3: Let the cake cool a bit, rolled in a wax-paper-covered paper towel. Then unroll, and spread the filling over it. Sprinkle the wax paper with powdered sugar as well.

 Step 4: Roll it back up, and freeze for about 30 minutes. You can leave it in there, just thaw for a few minutes before cutting.

 The filling was just slightly strawberry, light and fluffy without being overly sweet. It was a perfect balance to the airy angel food cake.

I had one slice alone, then another with vanilla ice cream. It would also be delicious with cut up strawberries. I may pull this one out again in the summertime too.

mmmmmm....

Fresh-picked raspberry and peach crumble

There is a farm near me where you can pick your own berries. They vary by season and demand from blueberries and strawberries to raspberries and even apples. There is also a small market where they sell farm-grown produce, pastured chicken eggs and meat. Needless to say I've found a little patch of heaven. So I took advantage of a beautiful Saturday morning to go berry picking with my oh so patient boyfriend, and came home with two gorgeous pints of raspberries. I had one more pie crust I'd picked up cheaply last month, so naturally I made a pie with them.

Ingredients:
1 pint rinsed raspberries
1 can peaches
1 pie crust

1 cup flour + 2 tbsp
1 cup sugar + 1 tbsp
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, oats, baking soda and powder,  and a pinch of salt.

 Step 2: Add the cold butter in chunks, mix well. I'm not cool enough to have a pastry cutter, so I just squished it all together with my hands until well mixed. It should be a crumbly, tasty mess.

Step 3: Drain the peaches, place in a bowl with the raspberries. Sprinkle on 1 tbsp vanilla, 2 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp salt, mix.
Step 4: Pour the fruit mix into the pie crust and cover with the crumble mixture.

This is what it looks like just before going in the oven. Drool.

 Step 5: Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, until crisp is browned and fruits are bubbly.

 YES PLEASE.

 The pie crust cover conveniently doubled as a lid. The day after, the berry juices start to pool. Anyone know how to avoid this, besides cornstarch?

This would be simply amazing served warm over french vanilla ice cream. In fact, I'll be going to the store later today...

August's new food: Young Thai coconut pina cooladas

I have a friend who is Asian, and as such eats some foods I, as an American, have not yet tried. I was over her family's house, and I was offered coconut milk. I said sure, not realizing they meant a real coconut, which her aunt promptly chopped open with a giant butcher knife, stuck in a straw and handed to me. Fresh, raw coconut water is strange at first, but very refreshing. It has a hint of sweetness, and is supposed to be helpful in reducing inflammation and fever because of its cooling properties.

So now my friend and I had two young coconuts to take home, and I had to make something out of them. I considered coconut cream pie (not the kinda cheater version I made earlier) but it usually uses a more mature coconut because the flavor gets stronger with age. So the other thing that naturally comes to mind (for those of age) was pina cooladas. I'd never liked them much, but hey, it's probably better when I make it, most things are. =)

 Ingredients:
Meat of 2 young coconuts
1 can pineapple chunks with juice
~1/4 cup lemon/lime juice
~1/3 cup cherry rum
Lots of ice

 Step 1: Cut at an angle around the top of the coconut. Then stick a knife point into the hull, and cut a circle out of the top. Pop the top off with the knife and enjoy the tasty juice, or use it in the drink or other smoothies.

 Step 2: Scoop out all the meat with a spoon and put it into a bowl or right into the blender.

 It might be difficult, so use the spoon to pry the meat from the edges first.

 Step 2: Add the coconut meat, pineapple, lemon or lime juice and rum. (To taste)

Step 3: Add ice and blend well. Pour into a beverage container and enjoy!

This would be adorable for a party with some pineapple wedges or maraschino cherries. I read some recipes that used cherry juice or cherries too, hence the cherry rum. The coconut is smooth and cool, the pineapple acidic and bright, the cherry sweet and tart and the lemon juice adds that citrus zing. A great summertime beverage, and quite healthy for you too (minus the booze part).