Fresh Fruit Bruschetta makes for a beautiful breakfast or brunch dish at the weekend, especially when it is drizzled with a lush Orange-Honey Cream!
One of the things I love most about the summer months is the availability of beautiful fresh and local fruit! One of the best ways to showcase and take advantage of it is to serve it every chance you can and this beautiful bruschetta is not only a great way to do that, but its quick, easy and delicious as well!
Perfect for when you are entertaining, (not that many of us are doing that at the moment) or even for when it is just you and the family!
Like any bruschetta you begin with slices of baguette, which get brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and then toasted in a hot oven until they are beautifully crisp and golden around the edges.
Once cooled you top them with your favourite fruits. Today I have used kiwi, mango and strawberries from the garden. If you are not fond of any of those, substitute them with fruits you do like!
Any mix of ripe berries would work beautifully! Can you imagine how tasty strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries would be?
Just so long as your fruit is bite sized and the favours go together I think the sky is your limit!
These tasty Fresh Fruit Bruschetta are topped with a drizzle of Orange-Honey Cream!
If I was using blueberries I would be tempted to use lime instead of orange! Mint also goes well with most berries!
I always keep bake at home French baguettes in my freezer, ready to whip out and bake up for delicious options such as these tasty bruschetta!
If you think the Honey-Orange Cream is a bit messy for the top, keep it on the thick side and spoon it onto each brushetta before topping with the fruit.
On top or beneath, this lush cream is the perfect pairing with everything here.
It would be really fun to serve these for a special brunch with some Breakfast Taquitos and Virgin Margheritas (or real ones if you are a drinker!) Maybe throw in something lush for dessert. (Mmmm . . . cheesecake bites would be wonderful!)
Not too big, not too small . . .
These are a perfect two-bite indulgence, each bite bringing you a bit of crisp, creamy, tart, sugary and fruity deliciousness!
Fresh Fruit Bruschetta
Yield: 16 slices
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 12 Mtotal time: 22 M
Light and fresh, these delicious bruschetta are fabulous for a breakfast or brunch. Don't like the fruits suggestted? Substitute with your favourites!
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh French Baguette
- 4 TBS butter, melted
- 2 TBS castor sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 60g dairy sour cream (1/2 cup)
- 3 TBS honey
- 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
- 10 medium strawberries diced
- 1 medium ripe mango, peeled and finely diced
- 3 kiwi fruits, peeled and finely diced
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with some aluminium foil.
- Slice your baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on the baking sheet. Brush the top of each with some of the melted butter.
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the baguette slices. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely.
- While the bread is toasting, whisk together the honey, sour cream and orange zest.
- Prepare your fruits and gently combine together.
- Place your cooled baguette slices on a serving tray. Spoon some of the fruit over top of each slice. Drizzle some of the orange honey cream over top of each and serve immediately. (If the cream is too thick, you can thin it slightly with a bit of orange juice.)
What combinations of fruit would you use for these if you could? I think strawberry/blackberry/kiwi would be nice, as would raspberry and peachs or nectarines . . . . banana, pineapple, kiwi and coconut! You really can let your taste imagination go wild here!
Now that we are into the month of July, it won't be long before we are enjoying Blueberries. August ans Blueberries go together like peas and carrots and there is no better time to make a delicious blueberry pie! I like to make my own Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling rather than start with raw blueberries in the pie. I find that I have much better success this way. There are no soggy bottoms!
This Homemade Blueberry Pie filling is excellent. Its the result of many years of trial and error on my part. It is just sweet enough and just thick enough. I can make it ahead a day or two prior to when I want to bake my pie.
That way on the day all I have to do is to make my crust and filling it. I know that my filling will be perfectly cooked, and that my crust will brown evenly on the top and the bottom!
Its not too sweet and benefits from the additon of some lemon juice and zest which helps to preserve not only the colour but adds a nice freshness to the flavour.
I don't have the benefit of using wild blueberries here, which are the ultimate when it comes to making homemade blueberry pies! I grew up on wild blueberries!
Every August my mother would put the whole family to work picking them in her secret blueberry picking patch. It was somewhere behindup Paradise in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia where I am from.
A very rural area. It would be hot, hot, hot . . . the cicadas would be humming and the skeeters and black flies would be biting . . . and we were ever watchful for bears.
August is when they start fattening up for the Winter and they love wild blueberries as much as we do!
I once dropped my whole bucket of berries because my dad pretended to be a bear! He came out from behind a bush growling and up the bucket went and me with it! In any case this is a beautiful blueberry pie filling that I just hope you will enjoy as much as I do!
Homemade Blueberry Pie Filling
Yield: 8 (enough for one pie)
prep time: 5 Mcook time: 10 Mtotal time: 15 M
This is a simple to make and delicious Blueberry Pie filling. You can also use it to top cheesecake or as a pancake topping. If you like blueberries, you will LOVE this fabulously fruity filling!
Ingredients:
- 120g granulated sugar (10 TBS)
- 4 TBS cornflour (cornstarch)
- 80ml water
- pinch of salt
- the finely grated zest of one lemon
- 2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 600g fresh blueberries, divided (6 cups)
Instructions:
- Whisk the cornflour and sugar together in a saucepan until you can't see any lumps of cornflour. Stir in the water until smooth and then add 400g of the berries (4 cups).
- Bring to the boil over moderate heat, stirring. Allow to boil gently until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest along with the remaining berries. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes longer.
- Cool completely then decant to a jar or bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. I recommend using it within 2 to 3 days because of the fresh berries in it.
I always use my Butter & Lard Pastry to bake my pies. It makes such a beautifully flaky crust. To make a blueberry pie, simply make the pastry, divide it in half and then roll out the bottom crust to fit in a 9 inch pie tin.
You then fill it with the cold blueberry pie filling and top with either a full crust or try to be fanciful as I have done with a lattice crust. Not a true lattice because I was tired by then, and I couldn't be bothered to weave it in. Nevermind, it tasted some yummy. About 35 to 40 minutes at 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.
Butter Lard Pastry
Yield: makes 2 (9-inch) crusts
prep time: cook time: total time:
This is a beautiful pastry. Flaky just right. You can add a touch of sugar to it if you are making a fruit pie.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour (280g)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter (76g)
- 1/3 cup lard (or white vegetable shortening) (74g)
- 5 to 6 tablespoons of ice water
- (note: if using for a sweet pie, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar.)
Instructions:
- Mix flour with salt, and cut in butter and lard, until you have pieces of fat in the flour about the size of peas. Add ice water, one TBS at a time, tossing it in with a fork until pastry comes together. Form in to a ball and cut in two pieces. Form each into a round flat disc. Warp in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
This pie filling is so good and comes in handy for all sorts. It makes an excellent cheese cake topping and is also pretty wonderful spooned over pancakes. Just sayin'! Discuss . . .
This Baker's Dozen of delicious Summer Salad Recipes are touted to be the best on my blog. These recipes are all popular, all easy, all delicious and all have been made again and again to rave reviews!
Chosen by you, all are simple and make the best of the fabulously fresh ingredients we have available to us at this time of year! Eleven of them are main dish salads, that you can enjoy for lunch or dinner and I have included two of my most popular potato salad recipes that go down very well with any variety of grilled meats, poultry or fish.
Heck they are so tasty I even enjoy them all on their own! If you are looking for a delicious summer meal that will help to keep the heat out of your kitchen, and yet still satisfy, look no further! These are guaranteed to fit the bill on all counts!
Almost Fried Chicken Chopped Salad - This salad proves you can make a salad out of just about anything you have in the house.
A fabulous mix of textures and flavours with a tasty dressing drizzled over top. This is a meal salad.
Bacon and Egg Salad - Another whole meal salad, this salad is light and delicious with a fabulous rich creamy dressing, and yes, you CAN have your bacon and eat it too!
Steak, Mushroom & Blue Cheese - The flavour trinity of fabulous steak tastiness . . . a good piece of meat, some meaty mushrooms and blue cheese. What's not to like!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad - I rub the chicken before cooking with my own homemade Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
Bacon and Egg Salad - Another whole meal salad, this salad is light and delicious with a fabulous rich creamy dressing, and yes, you CAN have your bacon and eat it too!
Steak, Mushroom & Blue Cheese - The flavour trinity of fabulous steak tastiness . . . a good piece of meat, some meaty mushrooms and blue cheese. What's not to like!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad - I rub the chicken before cooking with my own homemade Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
Its very easy to make and tastes delicious. I love Caesar Salad full stop, but add grilled chicken and I am all over it!
Turkey, Sour Cherry & Almond Pasta Salad - This is a lovely salad with beautiful flavours, colours and textures. I like to serve on a bed of shredded lettuce.
Greek Chicken Salad - A main dish salad with grilled chicken, black olives, BACON, a lovely mix of fresh salad ingredients and a tangy Greek Yogurt dressing!
Turkey, Sour Cherry & Almond Pasta Salad - This is a lovely salad with beautiful flavours, colours and textures. I like to serve on a bed of shredded lettuce.
Greek Chicken Salad - A main dish salad with grilled chicken, black olives, BACON, a lovely mix of fresh salad ingredients and a tangy Greek Yogurt dressing!
Chicken Nicoise Salad Platter - Rotisserie Chicken with roasted fingerling potato wedges, fresh beans, cheese, olives, boiled egg with a tangy mustard vinaigrette!
Beetroot Summer Salad Bowl - This is a lovely salad that makes a nice light supper. It's easy to make, quick and we think it's quite delicious.
You don't have to use ham in this if you don't want to. You could use a
flavourful goats cheese, torn into bits, or chopped camembert, smoked
fish . . . use your imagination. Chopped cooked steak or beef is also very nice.
Tarragon, Chervil & Chive Dressed Salad - This is very adaptable. The dressing is the star. You can pair it with whatever you have to hand.
In this case I used leftover roast chicken, cracked boiled baby potatoes, boiled egg, broccoli, baby carrots and peas and some baby gem lettuce leaves.
Mom's Potato Salad - This is my favourite way
to make a mayonnaise based potato salad. It is perfect in my opinion,
with just the right amount of dressing.
Nicely flavoured with a bit of crunch from the celery and the cucumber. This is a recipe I get asked to share again, and again.
Potato, Egg & Green Bean Salad - When you dress potato salads with a vinaigrette salad while the potatoes
are still quite warm, they absorb some of the dressing which imparts a
lovely flavour to the potatoes, it doesn't just coat them. This is simply lovely.
The Classic Cobb Salad - A
deliciously interesting way to get in some of your five a day! Based on
the classic from the original signature dish of the Hollywood Brown
Derby.
It has a lovely Sherry Vinaigrette Dressing. Cheese, egg, tomato, chicken, bacon and lettuce. Yummy!
Crispy Chicken Salad with a Blueberry Vinaigrette - There is nothing about this salad that
isn't pleasing. Easy and quick to make.
Pretty to look at with all
of those colours and textures . . . delicious to eat. Plus the added
bonus of being a tasty way to use up leftovers. And pretty darned
healthy if I don't say so myself.
I hope that all my Canadian Readers had a lovely Canada Day and I wish a Happy Independance Day to all of my American Readers! I am sure it is not quite the holiday any of us planned. Life sure has a way of surprising you!
I think Pizza is one of my all time favourite food groups, so when I saw a recipe for Pizza Muffins on the Donna Hay site a while back I put it on my "to bake" list! They really appealed to me, however I did not want twelve muffins, so I have small batched it!
The muffin now makes only six delicious, flavour-filled, cheesy muffins. I also adapted the recipe a tiny bit because . . . how could I not? I just have to fiddle with things. I can't help myself.
I will put my hand up at the start and let you know, yes . . . I AM one of those miscreants that thinks ham and pineapple are good on pizza! I do not apologise for that fact. We are all different!
Her recipe had pineapple, ham and a bit of tomato paste in it, but that didn't shout pizza to me, so I added some Italian Garlic Seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese, along with the regular cheese. (Now we're talking!)
What is pizza without those two things??? You need some Italian herbs and some garlic on a pizza and Parmesan cheese . . . it is like a Pizza's best friend!
I didn't get really high crowns like I usually do on my muffins. The cheese on top probably hampered their growth. If you look at her recipe and photo, you will see that hers don't have high crowns either. In fact she baked hers in little paper loaf cases.
I did not bake mine in paper cases. I buttered my medium sized muffin tins really well instead. I have had too many things like pineapple and cheese stick to paper cases and I did not want that to happen.
It was a good call as they did not stick and I ended up with lovely crusty sides and bottoms, which contrasted well with those lovely light insides.
Adding the Italian Seasoning was another good call as I think they would have been rather bland without it. In fact if I make them again I will up it to 3/4 tsp rather than 1/2.
Make sure you cut your ham into a tiny dice. I did it 1/4-inch which is very easily done. Just cut the ham into strips, stack them and then cut crosswise into the dice.
I think you could up the ante as well by adding a few other pizza ingredients, such as chopped olives or/and red onions, or peppers. You could use crumbled crisp bacon instead of ham if you wanted to.
Leave out the ham and pineapple and use chopped pepperoni and peppers! Onions . . . peppers!
I think you could really make these over the top delicious by adding a few extras!
We enjoyed these warm with a nice salad for lunch! (Italian dressing of course.) They would also go very well with soup!
Pizza Muffins (small batch)
Yield: 6 muffins
prep time: 9 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 39 M
These are light and delicious and filled with lovely flavours. Ham, pineapple, plenty of cheese, some herbs and a bit of tomato. Scrumptious! They make a lovely light lunch!
Ingredients:
- 225g self rising flour (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic Italian seasoning
- 75g chopped ham (about 3 ounces)
- 75g crushed pineapple, well drained (1/3 cup)
- 1 TBS tomato paste
- 1 large free range egg
- 125ml milk (1/2 cup)
- 80ml vegetable oil (1/3 cup)
- 90g coarsely grated strong cheddar cheese, divided (3/4 cup)
- 1 TBS grated parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 6-cup nonstick muffin tin really well. Set aside.
- Stir the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning and 60g (1/2 cup) of the cheese ogether in a bowl. Stir in the ham, mixing all together well.
- Whisk together the oil, tomato paste, egg, milk, and pineapple to combine. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Divide between the six prepared muffin cups.
- Mix together the parmesan cheese and the remaining cheddar. Sprinkle over top of the batter in the tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.
notes:
You can easily make your own self rising flour. For every cup of pain/allpurpose flour add 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt.
What kind pizza toppings are your favourite? I love pizza with everything on it . . . Italian sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, pineapple, ham and plenty of cheese!
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