Berriesandstars Recipes

BERRY SHORTCAKE STARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in 1 1/2 cups milk just until blended.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. Gently smooth into a ball. Knead 20 to 25 times. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 10 stars with floured 3-inch star-shaped cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Make pudding mix as directed on package for pudding, using 4 cups milk. Split warm shortcakes. Fill and top shortcakes with pudding, raspberries and blueberries.

BERRIES AND STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Roll one sheet onto baking sheet.
• Roll out second sheet and cut 4 1-inch strips (to edge the rectangle) from second sheet.
• Reserve remaining dough.
• Brush edges of pastry on pan with water.
• Lay your strips of pastry over edges to form an outer rim.
• Trim off any excess dough.
• Prick entire bottom of pastry.
• Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Center may puff but will flatten.
• Cut star shapes from remaining dough with cookie cutter.
• Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake separately for 12 minutes.
• Zest and juice lemons.
• Combine zest, juice and condensed milk.
• Fold in one cup Cool Whip.
• Fill pastry with filling top with fruit.
• Top with pastry stars.
• Decorate with remaining Cool Whip.

BERRIES N BITS

Steps:

• Combine milk, water, and pudding. Mix well.
• Let chill for 5 minutes.
• Add cool whip to mixture and mix well.
• Layer vanilla wafers, pudding mixture, sliced strawberries, and chocolate chips.

MERINGUE STARS

Steps:

• Make vanilla and coffee meringues:
• Preheat oven to 200°F with racks in upper, middle, and lower thirds of oven (or use 2 racks and bake in batches). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat 1 egg white with vanilla (for vanilla meringues) and a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in 2 tablespoons superfine sugar gently but thoroughly.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with tip, then dab some meringue under corners of parchment on all baking sheets to secure to sheets. Pipe 1-inch-wide stars (1 inch high) about 1/2 inch apart.
• Make coffee meringues using same amounts and procedure as above but using espresso powder (1 1/2 teaspoons) in place of vanilla.
• Make chocolate meringues:
• Sift cocoa through a fine-mesh sieve and whisk together with 2 tablespoons superfine sugar.
• Beat remaining egg white with a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in cocoa mixture gently but thoroughly.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag and pipe more stars.
• Bake meringues:
• Bake, switching position of upper and lower sheets halfway through baking, until dry, crisp, and firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Meringues are done when they release from parchment.)
• Turn off oven and cool meringues in oven with door propped open about 1/2 inch using handle of a wooden spoon 1 hour, then slide parchment with meringues onto racks to cool completely.
• Dip meringues in chocolate:
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
• Stir together chocolate and vegetable oil until completely smooth. Peel meringues off parchment, then dip bottom of each into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer meringues to lined baking sheet, arranging as close together as possible, and when baking sheet is full, freeze meringues just until chocolate is set, about 3 minutes. Remove meringues from freezer.

STARS AND FLOWERS

Steps:

• Cut tortillas and Cheddar cheese into star and flower shapes using cookie cutters. Place ham between tortilla and cheese shapes to make sandwiches.
• Spread pimento cheese over celery sticks and cut into smaller pieces.
• Assemble bento box with sandwiches, celery pieces, baby carrots, black olives, and mixed nuts.