Indulge In {Strawberry Nutella Crostinis}

Crostinis are one of my favorite appetizers. They are easy to pick up, bite sized treats full of endless flavor possibilities. For those of you who might not know what a crostini is, allow me to explain. Basically it's a small toasted open faced sandwich. Combine, veggies, meat, and cheese in some flavor mix that you love over top a crunchy round of baguette for the perfect appetizer. Although, I'm starting to see more and more dessert crostinis. Some of my favorite combinations include marscapone honey and this beauty, strawberry Nutella. The chocolate hazelnut spread is divine especially combined with sweet seasonal strawberries. Plus, who doesn't love a dessert they can eat on the go? Here's the easy, party friendly recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
French Baguette, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
Nutella
Fresh Sliced Strawberries

:: Directions ::
1. In a 350 degree oven, toast baguette rounds until crisp.
2. Spread with Nutella, top with fresh sliced strawberries and enjoy!

Indulge In {S'mores Cupcakes}

One of the things I'm most excited about this fall is bonfires. They remind me of Friday nights in high school after football games when we would all gather around the flames and bask in the glory of victory and cool fall nights. Of course, these get togethers all included everybody's favorite bonfire treat, s'mores. The slightly burnt marshmallow between two graham crackers with a piece of dark chocolate is like a piece of fall flavor heaven. Now, I often find myself craving the treat more often than I'm around a bonfire. I wanted to create a version that can easily be made indoors and still remind me of the great times spent around the fire. The solution, s'mores cupcakes! The plus, they are incredibly to make! We're talking easy like box cake. In fact I used a Duncan Hines dark chocolate cake. I love using box cakes when I'm in a big hurry and don't have the time to whip up a cake from scratch. These s'mores cupcakes are a perfect party treat because they make a big impact with little effort. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
1 Box Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Cake (and appropriate ingredients to mix)
12 Large Marshmallows
Graham Crackers

:: Directions ::
1. Mix cake according to box directions.
2. Fill cupcake tin 3/4 full and bake at 325 (for dark & non-stick pans) for 13 minutes.
3. Place marshmallow in the center of each cupcake and bake for 5 more minutes.
4. Remove from oven and top with graham cracker crumbs and piece.

Indulge In {Strawberry Pie}

I often find myself in the situation of heading out of town with food in the fridge that never got used that will most certainly go bad before I get back. Does this happen to anyone else? Call it poor planning  or life getting in the way of grand plans to eat at home for every meal, but it never fails. This past weekend, we were heading out for a couple days at R's parent's house with a two pound box of strawberries just hanging out in the fridge. After a quick call to R's mom, it was decided that we would find some use for the lingering strawberries. With the help of Google, we finally landed on strawberry pie. I've never had it before but let me tell you it's major delicious! Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Water
6 Tablespoons Strawberry Gelatin Mix
2 Pounds Fresh Strawberries
3 Heaping + 3 Regular Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Pie Crust Cooked and Cooled

:: Directions ::
1. In a sauce pan, mix together sugar, strawberry gelatin, and cornstarch
2. Add water and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until thick and clear. Set aside and let cool completely.
3. Slice strawberries in quarters and set aside till gelatin mixture is cool.
4. Once cool, mix strawberries in with gelatin mixture. Pour into pie crust and put in fridge until ready to serve.

Indulge In {Chocolate Raspberry Mousse}

This is truly an indulgence, and an easy to make one at that. Heading to a friend's house for celebratory apps and cocktails a few weeks ago, I needed something quick and delicious to throw together. Making a traditional chocolate mousse was out of the question, but this quick, easy, and yummy version is just the trick. A perfectly balanced combo homemade whipped cream and sugar free chocolate pudding piped in a flaky tartlet is simple enough to make in a flash and a great way to impress diners. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
1/2 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
5 Containers Sugar Free Jello Pudding
Phyllo Tartlets
Fresh Raspberries

:: Directions ::
1. Place metal mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for approximately 10 minutes.
2. Remove bowl and beaters from freezer. Pour in heavy whipping cream and beat on high until stiff peaks begin to form.
3. Add powdered sugar and beat on high for another 2 minutes.
4. 1 container at a time, add the pudding, beating each until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 45 seconds.
5. Using a piping bag (or plastic bag) pipe the mixture into each tartlet. Top with a raspberry and serve immediately.

Indulge In {Fruit & Yogurt}

In the middle of a heat wave, nothing beats fresh seasonal fruit. Full of flavor, utterly delicious, and not to mention healthy, it's a yummy mid day snack. Inspired by this month's issue of Rachael Ray Magazine, I've found a new way to take fresh fruit to a whole new level. I'm always searching for new creative dessert ideas that everyone will enjoy. It's hard when some people don't like cake or others can't each ice cream, but this indulgence makes it easy. Everybody can have it there way. Fresh fruit, greek yogurt and a variety of toppings make for a stress free hands on dessert. Guest can pick their fruit, dip in yogurt, and dip in the toppings of their choosing. Today I did pineapple with honey Greek yogurt and dark chocolate shavings, almond pieces and sprinkles. It was major delicious and took 5 minutes to prepare. Something like this is perfect for a dinner party because it allows you to enjoy and spend more time with guests!

Enjoy!