Strawberry Jello Cream Pie

I bought a flat of strawberries, Louisiana strawberries.  They're the best, ya know.  Strawberries are kind of a big deal around here.  Lots of strawberry farms equals lots of fresh, sweet, delicious strawberries.  Every year I buy a flat or two.  I put several bags in the freezer to use for smoothies.  Instead of using ice, I just throw in whole frozen strawberries.  They don't get watered down that way.  I also make lots of strawberry desserts, like this one.

STRAWBERRY JELLO CREAM PIE

1 graham cracker crust
1 (3oz) pkg strawberry jello
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold sliced strawberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBS powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl with a pour spout, mix jello and boiling water.  Stir for 2 minutes to dissolve.

Add cold sliced strawberries.

Stir together then put in the fridge to chill for about 20-30 minutes (to cool it off).

Then pour it into the graham cracker crust.

Chill until set, at least several hours.  (You can make it the day before you need it and chill overnight).

After it's set, whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract with a mixer or a whisk until thick.  (You could substitute Ready Whip or Cool Whip if you don't want to whip the cream yourself).

Spread over the chilled pie.

Garnish with crushed graham crackers or fresh berries.

Chill until ready to serve.

This is a simple, old-fashioned dessert.  Perfect for a warm summer evening.  Kids love it!  Kids at heart love it, too.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is quick, easy and versatile.  It's perfect for a week night dessert or when you've got company dropping by for coffee.  Once you've got the recipe down, you can change it up by substituting different kinds of preserves.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 TBS butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt (a pinch)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup strawberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8x8 baking dish.  Set aside.  I like to use shortening for this but you can use cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth.  A mixer works best, but you can do it by hand with a whisk if you like.  

Add egg and vanilla extract.  Mix until smooth and fluffy.  

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  With mixer on low, add in half the flour, then all the milk, then the other half of the flour.  Mix just until combined.

Pour into prepared baking dish.

Spoon the preserves in 9 portions on top of the batter.

With a butter knife, swirl preserves into the batter creating a marbled effect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

This coffee cake is moist and tender.  It's not overly sweet and has just a hint of tang from the cream cheese.  Delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.  You can substitute any flavor preserves (cherry or peach would be great).  You could even use peanut butter or Nutella!  Or just leave out the preserves and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top instead.  Very versatile.  Give this one a try.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

My Mama's peach cobbler is the best dessert on the planet (according to me, anyway).  Her blackberry cobbler is a close second.  Cobbler is a big deal in the South.  There are many different ways to make it.  Some are cake-like, some are more like crumbles, some even have a biscuit-like topping.  My Mama's cobbler is sort of a mix between a cake and a pie.  It has a thickened fruit filling with a sweet, crunchy, cakey crust.  And the best part is... it's super easy to make!

I have made many variations of my Mama's cobbler.  This one has strawberries and cream cheese.  Nothing wrong with that.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE COBBLER

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup sugar

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 TBS powdered sugar

1 stick butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place sliced strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over them.  Toss gently and set aside.  This breaks down the berries a bit and creates juice.

Pour melted butter into a 9 inch square baking dish (I used a square cast iron skillet and let the butter melt in the oven while it preheated).

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.  Add sugar, milk and vanilla extract.  Stir just until the lumps are gone.  Do not over mix or you will get a tough cobbler!  Pour the batter over the butter in the baking dish.

Next, evenly distribute the strawberries and their juice over the batter.

In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese and 1 TBS powdered sugar thoroughly.  Dollop this mixture over the strawberries.

Bake in a hot oven (preheated to 350 degrees) for 45 minutes.  The cobbler will be almost set (still a little bit jiggly in the middle) and golden brown.  Tip:  place a cookie sheet with sides under your baking dish in case it bubbles over!

Let this sit and rest for about 20 minutes.  It will smell phenomenal and you will want to dig in immediately.  Don't.  It needs time to firm up.  I promise it will be worth the wait.

If you like strawberry cheesecake, you will like this cobbler.  It hits all those flavor notes but is so simple to throw together.  Top it with a scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream and you might just have perfection on a plate.  Enjoy!