Tag Archives: strawberries

Strawberry Infused Granola

This Strawberry infused Granola is a real hit!

This Strawberry infused Granola is disappearing at a rate that I can barely keep up. I just can’t seem to make it fast enough, every time I want to make myself a bowl of Granola it’s almost finished again, sigh…I’m loving that though.

It’s very simple to make, there’s just one trick.

The trick to this Strawberry Granola is to literally infuse the oat flakes with pureed strawberries, this ensures that there is Strawberry flavor in each and every single bit of the Granola. After making a Strawberry puree you let the oats soak it up until the puree is completely absorbed and then bake it in the oven. It does take a little longer to bake than usual because you want it to be completely dry before storing.
And since strawberries have natural sugar in them you end up with these little clusters of crunchies with chewy strawberry bits in them, it also has a beautiful pink hue. Then to take it from awesome to super amazing, I added freeze dried strawberries and mini white chocolate chips. The white chocolate chips can be left out if you want to make a healthier version, still really delicious.
It’s really easy to make and if you love Strawberries, a must try. What a glorious way to start the day!

Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Servings : 12-14
________________________________________

INGREDIENTS:

wet:
• 1/4 cup neutral flavored oil
• 1/3 cup sugar, agave syrup, rice syrup or maple syrup
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup strawberries, crown removed, mashed to pulp or pureed

dry:
• 4 cups whole oats
• 1 cup (freeze) dried strawberries
• 1/2 cup white mini chocolate chips or more (optional)
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre heat the oven to 150° C / 300° F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Heat the oil and sugar or syrup in a saucepan until melted and combined, add the vanilla and stir, set aside and let cool.
Blend the Strawberries until you have a smooth puree. Add the puree to a bowl and add the oats, stir until completely combined. Let it sit for at least ten minutes so it can soak up all the moisture. Then add the melted oil and sugar mixture, a pinch of salt and stir to combine well.

Distribute the granola evenly over the baking tray and place in the middle of the oven, bake for about 60 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. It can take a little longer depending on how fast the granola dries, keep an eye on it and check regularly.
Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once the granola comes out of the oven, do not stir anymore so clusters can form. When it has cooled down completely, add the white chocolate chips and dried Strawberries. Serve with yogurt or milk of choice.
Store in an air tight container. Will keep for about 3 weeks.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Cheesecake mini Pies

12 Replies

Simple Strawberry Cheesecake mini Pies, are made with fresh strawberries, a quick cheesecake filling and brushed with a strawberry glaze. They come together in minutes and are so delicious.

You only have to bake the Pastry shells and the rest is done in a jiffy. I have used my Super Simple Pastry dough recipe, so once the shells are baked and cooled you just spread some cheesecake filling on top and layer with fresh strawberries. The shells could be baked the day before and stored in an air-tight container.
Serve as a dessert, snack or at parties. These are always great!

The pastry crust is a no-brainer and you can find the recipe here.

Makes 6 small tarts or one medium 20 cm / 8 inch

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe super simple pastry crust, prepared all the way.
3 cups fresh Strawberries
2 tubs of cream cheese (400 gr/ about 1 3/4 cups)
3 tbsp. of milk of choice for loosening up the cream cheese
50 grams/ 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp strawberry jam diluted with water for drizzling on top, or honey.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove the crown from the Strawberries and cut them in half.
Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until soft, adding the milk to get to process started, add the vanilla extract and the confectioners sugar. Beat until combined and fluffy.
Spread 1/6th of the cream cheese filling in each mini pie, place some strawberries on top.
Mix the strawberry jam with a tablespoon or two of water and drizzle the glaze over the strawberries. You could also drizzle with some honey instead. Assemble the mini pies close to serving time, since the pastry shells might soften if you leave them filled overnight. Serve with whipped cream (optional).

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you. And please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!

Vanilla Layer Cake with fresh Strawberries and white chocolate whipped cream cheese frosting.

3 Replies

Vanilla Layer Cake with fresh Strawberries and white chocolate whipped cream cheese frosting.

Having a good homemade vanilla cake recipe in your repertoire will make life a lot easier for you. This particular cake is easy, light and full of vanilla flavor, so delicious and tender…and it’s pretty much the best vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever make!

So why not surprise your loved one this Valentine’s Day with this delicious vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and the most fluffy white chocolate cheesecake filling you have ever tasted?
Having a good vanilla cake recipe is wonderful since you can always adapt the frosting or buttercream to adjust to your taste or mood. Making a cake from scratch is also very rewarding, just follow the steps in the recipe and before you know it… you’ve got yourself a home-made cake!
This cake is actually fairly easy to make and has the most incredible vanilla flavour, the secret to success is having all the ingredients at room temperature. Then letting the cake cool in the tin after baking, these are important steps.
The cake can also be made one day in advance and in fact I encourage you to do so, since that makes frosting even easier and there is less pressure for you.

The frosting is pure heaven, like white chocolate cheese cake but softer and spreadable.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:
2 ¾ cups / 350 gr. all purpose flour* (see note)
¼ cup / 35 gr. corn starch
2 tsp./ 10 gr baking powder
1 tsp./ 5 gr baking soda
½ tsp. / 2.5 gr. salt
1 cup / 225 gr. butter at room temperature
1 ½ / 300 gr. cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
3 tsp./ 15 ml. vanilla extract
1 cup / 225 ml. full fat (Greek) yoghurt
½ cup / 120 ml. milk of choice
½ cup / 110 gr. good quality strawberry jam
2 cups / 400 gr. fresh strawberries

White chocolate whipped cream cheese frosting:
4 oz. / 112 gr. white chocolate, chopped
1 ¾ cup / 420 gr. cream cheese at room temperature
1 ¾ cup / 420 ml. whipping cream
¼ cup / 30 gr. powdered sugar
2 tsp. / 10 ml. vanilla extract
1 tsp. / 5 gr. gelatin powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the cake:

Pre heat the oven to 175 C / 350 F.
Grease two 8”/20cm round baking tins, line them with parchment paper and grease lightly with some butter or oil.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until completely soft and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is fully incorporated.
In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
Mix the yogurt with the milk in a jug.
Now set your mixer to the lowest speed and alternate adding flour and yoghurt mixture to the bowl with the butter and eggs, stirring after each addition. End with flour, stir to combine but try not to over-mix.
Divide the batter between the pans and place in the middle of the oven on a rack.
Bake for about 40 to 45 min or until a toothpick pierced in the center of the cake comes out clean and dry.
Remove from oven and leave to cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before removing the cakes from the baking tin.
Cool the cakes completely before frosting.

If you do make the cake a day in advance, leave them in the tins and cover very well with foil when completely cooled and place in a cool place or in your fridge overnight. Leaving the cake overnight in fridge makes frosting so much easier, this is a tip I actually got in baking school.

For the white chocolate whipped cream cheese frosting;
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, for 20 seconds at a time, stirring each time in between. I do this on the defrost setting of my microwave which is about 450 watt, white chocolate burns faster than regular chocolate so you have to be careful.
Meanwhile beat the cream cheese until completely smooth and soft in your mixer.
Start adding the whipping cream in a slow stream with the mixer running on a low setting. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and gelatin. Turn th speed to medium high and whip for about 4 to 5 minutes until nice and fluffy.

To assemble the cakes, cut each layer in half, spread three layers with strawberry jam, then about half a cup of frosting, spread out carefully over the jam. Place another layer of cake on top and repeat. The top layer only has frosting and no jam.
Carefully spread more frosting all around the cake for a naked cake look.
Decorate with more strawberries and flowers on the top and around the cake.

Enjoy !
Myra XO

If you make this Vanilla Cake, be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you and if you love it, pin it. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!