This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons. All opinions are 100% mine.

While I’m not the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day (*ahem* Singles Awareness Day), I can always get behind some chocolate covered strawberries, no matter the time of year! Even better — they are about the easiest treat to make and only require three ingredients.

I purchased my ingredients at my local Albertsons. But if you’re short on time, any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons, offer a wide variety of options for Valentine’s Day, including pre-made chocolate-dipped strawberries, custom floral designs, wine, meat and seafood, custom bakery treats, and more.

And if you want to make things even quicker, Albertsons and Safeway also offer Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go for convenient ways to shop! I’ve used this service before and it truly is simple, fast, and efficient.

The strawberries available at Albertsons were bright, plump and shiny — perfect for making these chocolate covered strawberries. Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips and a little coconut oil and you’re ready to rock!

First, wash the berries and make sure they’re dry. You can either let them air dry or dry them with a kitchen towel, but it’s important that they’re no longer wet, otherwise your melted chocolate won’t stick to them.

Next, melt your chocolate along with the coconut oil, taking time to stir between heating time in the microwave. After the chocolate is totally smooth, get your dry berries set to dip, and prepare a small baking tray covered with parchment paper to place your chocolate covered strawberries on.

The key to a good dip is to hold the strawberry by its green top and then dip and swirl the berry around in the melted chocolate. Try to ensure that the chocolate comes as close to the green top as possible. If you have excess chocolate on the berry after its covered, just gently wipe one side on the side of your chocolate bowl and then place that side down onto your parchment paper.

Repeat the process until all the berries are covered and then pop those beautiful little treats into your fridge to set.

Lastly, try not to eat them all before you give them as a surprise. (But I do recommend a quality control sample or two. ) And, it’s totally legit to surprise yourself with these — treating yourself well as a single person is important, too.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

 

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Prep time

3 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

6 mins

 

Chocolate covered strawberries make for an easy, fast, beautiful dessert!

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Makes: approximately 22 medium berries

Ingredients

• 16 ounces fresh strawberries
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions

1. Wash the strawberries and let them air dry completely, or dry them off with a clean dish towel or paper towel. (Chocolate won't stick to wet strawberries.)
2. Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave safe bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well after each heating, until the mixture is melted and smooth.
3. Dip strawberries into the melted chocolate, one at a time. Hold strawberry by the leaves, dip into chocolate, swirl, and coat all sides.
4. Lift the berry and allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Place the berry onto a parchment-covered baking sheet.
5. Repeat until all strawberries are chocolate-coated. Transfer the dipped strawberries to refrigerator and let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes.

Notes

Store berries in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, enjoy within one day of making.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now that autumn is here and the temperatures are rapidly dropping, is there anything that screams fall more than pumpkin pie from scratch? Pumpkin pie is such a simple, satisfying dessert to make, and in this recipe, we take it up a notch by using our own pumpkin puree from a sweet pie pumpkin!

I shopped at Albertsons in my local area for my pumpkin pie ingredients, but you can also look for similar products at any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons.

Currently, Albertsons has small pie pumpkins for sale in their Pumpkin Patch display. When I visited, there were also a variety of other baked goods to choose from, like pumpkin spice cupcakes and macaroons. So if you need a whole dessert smorgasbord to complement your pumpkin pie from scratch (think Thanksgiving or a Halloween party), there are plenty of additional options to choose from, too!

To make your pie from scratch you can prep several of the ingredients ahead of time to make things a bit easier. For your pumpkin puree, you’ll need 3 cups for your filling. You can typically get 3 cups from a small-t0-medium sized pie pumpkin. Be sure to choose a pie pumpkin instead of a jack-o-lantern, as pie pumpkins are sweeter. They’re also smaller.

If you have a pressure cooker, place the pumpkin inside with some water and pressure cook until the pumpkin is soft. If your pumpkin is too large, you can cut it in half. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can boil your pumpkin or roast its halves face down on a baking sheet to soften the flesh.

Be sure to scoop out the seeds and discard (or save if you like to eat them). Then, scrape the flesh from the skin, place it in a bowl and puree to a smooth consistency. The flesh might be a little watery – that’s ok, as long as it’s not too thin. (See the above photo, third from the top row, for an image of the consistency of the puree.)

Measure out the puree until you have 3 cups. You can either use this immediately in your pie filling or bag and freeze it so you can have from-scratch pumpkin pie whenever you’d like!

In my pies, I prefer to make my crust from scratch, too. However, if you’d like to save time by purchasing a store bought pie crust, that’s perfectly fine too. Basically, choose your favorite crust or crust recipe and line a 9-inch pie dish with it.

Mix your pie filling ingredients and pour the filling into your prepared pie shell. Instead of using evaporated milk in this pie recipe (like many pumpkin pie recipes to), I like to keep it simple and use half and half instead.

Bake following the recipe instructions found below.

Let the pie cool to set. Enjoy warm or chilled, and treat yourself to a little whipped cream topping, too!

Don’t forget to tell your friends that this pumpkin pie is made with real pumpkin! Did you know that lots of canned pumpkin is actually a mixture of winter squashes like butternut, hubbard, and golden delicious?

And, don’t forget – Albertsons and Safeway also offer Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go for convenient ways to shop if you don’t want to have to spend time shopping for your pie ingredients!

Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

From-scratch pumpkin pie is absolutely delicious!

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Makes: 12 slices

Ingredients

Pumpkin Puree

• 1 small to medium sized pie pumpkin

Pie crust of your choice

Pie Filling

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups pumpkin puree from a cooked pumpkin
• 1½ cups half and half

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extrat

Instructions

Pumpkin Puree

1. Make your pumpkin puree, either in a pressure cooker, by boiling the pumpkin, or by roasting it. The goal is to soften the pumpkin flesh until it's easy to scoop away from the skin and puree into a smooth consistency. Don't forget to remove the seeds. The easiest way to puree the pumpkin is with an immersion blender, but a standard blender will work, too.
2. Make enough puree to equal 3 cups.

Pie Crust

1. Roll out your pie dough until it is slightly larger than your pie dish. Place into your pie dish with about an inch overhang all around the edge of the dish. Flute the edges of the dough.

Pie Filling

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix all filling ingredients well using a hand whisk or electric mixer. The mixture may appear very runny, but it will thicken up in the oven.
3. Pour the filling into your pie crust.
4. Place the filled pie into your preheated oven and bake at 425 degrees F for the first 15 minutes. (Prior to placing the pie into the oven I like to put a pie shield around the crust to prevent it from over-baking and getting too dark. If you don't have a dedicated pie shield, you can simply cover the edges of your crust with a loosely-draped layer of tinfoil. I leave my pie shield on the crust for the entire duration of the bake time.)
5. After you have baked the pie at 425 degrees F for the first 15 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 45 to 60 minutes (I usually end up at about 60 minutes), until a clean knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.
6. Cool the pie.
7. While it cools, get your whipping cream ready.

Whipped Cream

1. Place all whipping cream ingredients into a bowl. Whip at high speed for about 3-4 minutes until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to over-whip, though.)
2. Top your pie slices with the whipped cream and sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon.

Notes

If you have more filling than your pie dish will hold, you can use this extra to make a few smaller crustless pies. Simply grease some smaller baking dishes, pour the extra filling in to a depth of about 2 inches and bake along with your regular pie. You'll likely need a shorter baking time for these smaller dishes, so keep an eye on the consistency of the filling and regularly test the mini pies for doneness.

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Another year has passed and I’ve yet again neglected this blog. However, I figured I can share at least one recipe here in 2018. (Nothing like waiting ’til the last minute, right?) But this Raspberry Almond Star Bread has got to be one of my most favorite recipes I’ve made this year. And it’s bread. And dessert. All rolled into one. Basically my two most favorite things ever.

In general, I think bread is about one of the prettiest things a person can make. But if you add almond cream and raspberries to that bread and then twist it up all pretty-like to resemble a beautiful star? Just watch me swoon in 3…2…1.

I originally posted a variation of this recipe on my instagram account as a brioche raspberry and almond braid, which resulted in folks asking if I’d share the recipe. So voila, here it is! Just with a slightly different look.

While there are a fair number of steps to this recipe, let me assure you, it’s most certainly not at all difficult, and it’s well worth each little step to make this luscious, beautiful thing a reality.

You’ll want to first start with your favorite brioche dough recipe (or any other favorite recipe you’ve got for enriched dough) and make sure to make 2 pounds of it. Also, whip up a batch of almond cream that you’ll be using as part of your filling. (Try not to scarf all of it down because, yes, it tastes amazing. And if you’re like me and go weak in the knees for marzipan, also known as almond paste, then this will be right up your alley.)

To get things going, divide your 2-pound piece of dough into four equal pieces and shape them into balls (you’ll likely want to dust them with a little flour to prevent stickiness).

Roll the dough balls into four rounds about 10 inches wide, and again, add more flour as you roll them out to prevent sticking.

Carefully place one of these dough rounds onto a piece of parchment paper. (You may need to re-roll the dough again once you transfer it to the parchment so it retains its 10-inch shape.) Top with one-third of your almond cream, raspberry jam, and fresh raspberries. As you add your fresh raspberries, flatten them and smoosh them out a bit so they blend into the dough a bit more and don’t stick up as giant bumps. Repeat with the next two layers of dough, almond cream, raspberry jam and raspberries. Top with the final layer of dough.

Place a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter (or any round object that size) in the center of the dough (no need to press it down – it’s just being used as a guide here). Use a knife or bench scraper to slice the circle into 16 equal sections, leaving that biscuit cutter in place so you don’t cut entirely into the center of the dough.

Now comes the most fun part about this! Time to make the star take shape! Twist two of the sections away from each other with two rotations, then pinch those sections together at their ends to form a point. Repeat with the remainder of the sections until you have eight points.

Let your newly-created star rest for 90 minutes at room temperature under a loose cover of plastic wrap. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven.

Transfer the star (along with the parchment paper beneath it) onto a baking sheet. Brush the exposed dough with egg wash and sprinkle with decorating sugar in the center of the loaf. (You can also sprinkle with raw cane sugar if you don’t have decorating sugar.)

Get a little giddy because your house is going to smell amazing and you’re about to create the most beautiful piece of edible art. Pop that star into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and set, and the filling is bubbly and hot.

Be very patient and allow your star to cool on a rack before serving. (It’s tempting to bite into this while it’s still hot from the oven, but you will burn your mouth on that hot filling! Patience, grasshoppers!)

Once cooled, indulge a little yourself, and be sure to share with others! This bread is best eaten right away as it loses a bit of its magic past baking day. (It’s still good, but not quite as incredible.)

Raspberry Almond Star Bread Recipe

Raspberry Almond Star Bread

 

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Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Bread

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of your favorite brioche bread or enriched dough recipe
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 cup raspberry jam
• 1 container fresh raspberries
• Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water), for brushing the dough
• Decorating sugar, for sprinkling on loaf (can use raw cane sugar)
  
  

½ cup almond cream

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup almond paste/marzipan (you can purchase this or make it yourself - see note below)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  

Instructions

1. Make the almond cream: cream together all the almond cream ingredients in a food processor until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
2. Take your dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Dust with flour and quickly shape the pieces into balls.
3. Roll the dough balls into 4, 10-inch rounds. Add more flour as you roll to prevent sticking.
4. Place one of the dough rounds on a piece of parchment paper. Top with one-third of the almond cream, one-third of the raspberry jam, and one-third of the fresh raspberries. Repeat with next two layers of dough and filling ingredients. Top with the final layer of dough.
5. Place a 2½-inch biscuit cutter (or anything that size and round) in the center of the dough (no need to push down as it's being used as a guide). Use a knife or bench scraper to cut the circle into 16 equal sections, leaving the biscuit cutter in place so you don't slice all the way through to the center.
6. Twist 2 sections away from each other in two rotations, then pinch the two sections together to form a point. Repeat with remaining sections until you have 8 points.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 90 minutes.
8. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, with a rack placed in the center of the oven.
9. Transfer the star and its parchment paper to a baking sheet. Brush the exposed dough with egg wash and sprinkle the center of the star with the sugar.
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and set, and the filling is bubbly and hot.
11. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.

Notes

Almond paste (otherwise known as marzipan) can be purchased; however, it's also incredibly easy to make. Simply combine 1½ cups very finely ground blanched almond meal/flour, 1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons pure almond extract, 1 teaspoon quality food grade rose water and 1 egg white in a food processor and blend until a thick dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead a few times. Form into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate. It will keep a least a month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using in any recipe. Makes about 12 ounces.

Adapted slightly from Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes a Day

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Oh dearie me – it’s been a while since this blog has seen some love. Suffice it to say, I’ve been busy running the photography business, and that’s never a bad thing of course. But as the season slows down a bit, and as I get back into baking mode and sharing those baked goods with friends and neighbors, I’ve got a little more time to dedicate to sharing some of my favorite recipes here too. These easy peppermint meringue cookies are actually new to me – but they’re so quick to whip up, and so pretty, that they’ll definitely remain in my holiday season cookie arsenal.

I think my favorite thing about these is the happy little stripes, though. I mean, just look at how cute they are! The nice thing about this effect is that it’s as simple as striping the inside of your piping bag with some red gel food coloring. The first few meringues you pipe will likely not have these stripes showing, but after the first few, the stripe effect really begins to appear. To stripe my large piping bag, I just dipped a long, bamboo skewer into some red gel food coloring and then dragged the skewer up four sides of the piping bag (you could also use a clean paintbrush for this, but I was sans brush). The thicker the stripes are, the thicker they’ll be on your meringues. (Mine were pretty thin stripes.)

I made my meringue cookies about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter and piped them onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I used a large, open star piping tip (also known as a “pastry tube”) to help create the ridge effect on the cookies.

It’s important to note that to infuse these with peppermint flavor, you’ll want to use peppermint extract, NOT peppermint oil. Any oils or residual grease in your mixing bowl when whipping up the egg whites will have a detrimental effect on your desired outcome (i.e. you’ll likely not be able to get any sort of “fluff” to your whites at all). I know some folks who wipe both their mixing bowl and wire whisk with lemon juice prior to making meringue to make absolutely sure all oils have been removed (not a bad idea).

To increase the ease in successfully whipping your egg whites, it’s also helpful to have the whites at room temperature before starting the process, though it’s not absolutely necessary. (I was impatient with these and used pretty cold whites, and things still whipped up just fine.)

Once these darling little cookies come out of the oven (make sure you don’t let them brown), they’ll cool quickly, and will give you the most delightful, airy crunch. These meringues can be stored in an airtight container for a week or two, but I’m willing to bet they’ll be devoured way before the two week mark.

Last, but not least, this recipe requires three egg whites, which means you’ll have three egg yolks leftover. What to do with those? Save them for my Creme Brulee for Two recipe coming your way soon!

Easy Peppermint Meringue Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

Author: Big Sky, Little Kitchen

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Holiday

Makes: 36

Ingredients

• 3 large egg whites (ideally at room temperature)
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract (do NOT use peppermint oil!)
• a dash of salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees F. Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside (I used two). Prep your large piping bag with red stripes by painting vertical stripes up the inside of the bag with red gel food coloring.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites, ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar, a dash of salt, and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract until soft peaks form. Slowly add ¾ cup sugar, and keep beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.
3. Fill your large pastry bag with the meringue mixture and pipe 1-inch rounds onto the parchment paper.
4. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes (mine were done at 75 and probably could have been taken out sooner than that), but watch the cookies so as to not let them brown. Remove the cookies and allow to cool completely. Meringues will be crunchy. Store the cookies in an airtight container, and use before two weeks.

Notes

Recipe from Skip To My Lou

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