If you have a creative bent like me (I’ve always gravitated toward artistic pursuits), you’ll enjoy the process of making these blueberry creamsicles. Swirl the layers together for a beautiful blend of flavors and colors – honeyed blueberries layered with tangy-sweet yogurt makes one irresistible combination. Be prepared to make a bit of a mess, though that’s simply part of the fun!

Blueberry Creamsicles
1 1/2 cups plain fat-free Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup honey

Place yogurt in an ultra-fine sieve or a strainer lined with cheesecloth and strain over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Combine yogurt, honey and vanilla in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Pour mixture into a squeeze bottle or liquid measuring cup; wipe processor clean.

Combine blueberries and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Place blueberry mixture in food processor and puree until smooth. Pour mixture into a squeeze bottle or liquid measuring cup.

Fill popsicle molds with alternating layers of yogurt and blueberry mixtures, leaving a 1/2-inch of space at the top of each mold. Swirl layers together with a metal skewer. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before unmolding.

Yield – 8 creamsicles
Calories – 110 (per creamsicle)
Carbs – 25

I know I inherited my love of chocolate from my dad, but more recently, I’ve come to realize my infatuation with peanut butter must be genetic as well. Aren’t dads the best? They teach us things we’d never know otherwise, like how satisfying a toasted peanut butter and honey sandwich can be, or that a sense of humor is absolutely essential to navigating life.

These mini chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes are dedicated to my dad. Stuffed with a mini peanut butter cup and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, they make a dream dessert for peanut butter lovers. (More Father’s Day ideas: chocolate pound cake, malt ball bark, or peanut butter swirl brownies.)

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! You are truly the best!

Mini Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp instant espresso
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
48 mini peanut butter cups

Peanut Butter Frosting
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
pinch of salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp low-fat milk
48 mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup mini muffin pans with baking cups. Whisk together boiling water, cocoa, and espresso, then cool completely. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with cooled cocoa mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).

Fill each baking cup half full of batter; add a mini peanut butter cup plus just enough batter to cover the cup completely. Bake for 13 minutes, until tops spring back to the touch. Cool cupcakes for 2 minutes in pans on a wire rack, then carefully remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat well, scraping down bowl as needed. Add milk and beat on medium-high speed until light and airy. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe frosting onto each cupcake; top with a mini peanut butter cup. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield – 48 mini cupcakes
Calories – 160 (per cupcake)
Carbs – 23

Did you have an Easy Bake Oven as a child? Ironically, I never did. For much of my life, I wasn’t very interested in baking or cooking (how things have changed!). My first real foray into the subject began in my college apartment with my roommate. Our Thursday night ritual was dinner followed by a cookie baking session – we’d mix up our peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough, then settle in to watch Grey’s Anatomy while the cookies baked. Those college days seem far removed now, but made one great impression on me: baking equals comfort.

This blueberry-almond cake is one of those simple summer cakes that comes together quickly and deliciously, my kind of comfort. Flavored with almond and cinnamon and studded with juicy blueberries, this is best served warm. While I enjoyed a slice as an after-dinner treat, I loved it even more for breakfast. Don’t skip the topping – white chocolate chips and sliced almonds add a tasty crunch.

Blueberry-Almond Cake
2 cups cake flour*
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup blueberries

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, and extracts in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk (begin and end with flour mixture); beat just until smooth. Toss blueberries with 1 teaspoon flour, then fold in. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and smooth with an offset spatula.

Top with blueberries, white chocolate chips, and sliced almonds. Bake for 24 to 25 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch and begins to pull away from edges of the pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days; serve warm.

*Make your own cake flour: place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch.

Yield – 18 squares
Calories – 175 (per square)
Carbs – 27

Once you begin making macarons, the sandwich cookies quickly become addictive. After a successful first round (see my tips here), I decided to try a flavored version. Freeze dried strawberries (available at Trader Joe’s or online) give the shells an intense strawberry essence without changing the final texture.

To balance the sweet strawberry cookies, I used tangy cream cheese frosting as the filling. I gave a few of the macs a quick roll in pearlized sprinkles to complete the dreamy look (though I’m certain the French would frown on my adornment!). Embellished or not, each bite offers the ultimate taste of strawberries and cream.

Strawberries & Cream Macarons
Adapted from Brave Tart
3/4 ounce freeze dried strawberries
115g almond flour
230g powdered sugar
144g egg whites, at room temperature
72g sugar
2g (1/2 tsp) salt
1 or 2 drops burgundy gel food coloring (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 280°F and fit a large disposable pastry bag with a round tip. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a third sheet of parchment paper, trace out 24 1.5-inch circles (use a round cookie cutter or stencil as a guide), spaced 1 inch apart. Set aside as a master guide.

Process freeze dried strawberries and almond flour in a food processor until finely ground. Use a fine mesh sieve or sifter to sift strawberry-almond flour mixture and powdered sugar together twice; use a firm spatula to push any large particles through. Set aside.

Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large mixer bowl fitted with wire whip attachment. Whip for 3 minutes on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid), until egg whites begin to foam. Increase speed to medium-high (7 on a KitchenAid) and whip for 3 minutes, until meringue forms soft peaks. Increase speed to 8 and whip for another 3 minutes. Turn off mixer and add gel food coloring; whip another 1 to 2 minutes on high speed to evenly distribute color until meringue is stiff and dry. The meringue should clump in the center of the wire whip attachment; knock against mixer bowl to release.

Add dry ingredients to meringue all at once. Use a rubber spatula to fold dry mixture into meringue, smearing the mixture against the side of the bowl to knock the air out (you want to deflate the whites, so don’t worry about folding them gently). After 25 folds, your mixture may still look lumpy. Continue to fold about 10 to 12 more times, checking texture after each fold. The batter is ready when it holds its shape when spooned onto itself and slowly flattens out after 15 to 20 seconds. If the batter is stiff and doesn’t flatten out, it’s undermixed. If the batter is runny and fluid, it’s overmixed and won’t hold a shape.

Transfer half the batter to pastry bag. Slide master guide of circles between baking sheet and parchment paper. Hold piping bag vertically and pipe batter to within 1/8″ from the edge of the circle. Carefully remove master guide from underneath piped circles and transfer to second baking sheet, repeating with remaining batter. Remove guide and save for future use. Tap pans sharply on counter; rotate 90 degrees and tap two more times (to deflate air bubbles and prevent cracked shells).

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until you can cleanly peel the parchment paper away from the macaron. Place pans on wire racks and cool completely before removing shells. For the cream cheese frosting, beat butter, cream cheese and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; gradually add powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time and beat just until smooth.

When ready to assemble, fit a large disposable pastry bag with a round tip and fill with frosting. Pipe about a tablespoon of frosting onto the bottom of half the shells, then sandwich with remaining shells. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to three days.

Yield – 64 shells, 32 macarons
Calories – 104 (per macaron)
Carbs – 15

There’s hardly a summertime treat more nostalgic or fun than the ice cream sandwich. I’m also well aware that it’s officially bikini season, so I opted for petite sandwiches filled with cherry-vanilla frozen yogurt for reduced guilt. Triple chocolate cookies make these three-bite froyo sandwiches richly satisfying.

Time-saving tip: make the frozen yogurt and cookie dough a day ahead of baking the cookies and assembling the sandwiches. You’ll have more yogurt than you’ll need for one batch of cookies, though I’m sure you’ll find a use for it!

I’m sharing this recipe for the June Chocolate Party. This month’s theme is chocolate cherry; see more creations below the recipe.

Chocolate & Cherry Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches
Cherry Frozen Yogurt
2 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt
2 1/2 cups cherries, pitted
6 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vodka
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Place yogurt in an ultra-fine sieve or a strainer lined with cheesecloth and strain over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight). Place cherries in a food processor and puree; strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Whisk in strained yogurt, sugar, vodka, vanilla and salt until smooth. Chill mixture for 4 hours in the refrigerator before pouring into frozen cylinder of ice cream maker; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon mixture into a freezer-safe container and freeze overnight.

Triple Chocolate Cookies
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup bread flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Whisk together flour, bread flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla and egg; beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips. Transfer dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Form 1 1/4″ balls of dough (my yield was 44) and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets; flatten dough mounds halfway with palm. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 9 minutes, until set. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To assemble sandwiches, let yogurt stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Place a small scoop (about 2 tablespoons) yogurt onto 22 cookies and sandwich with remaining cookies. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap; freeze 2 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Yield – 22 frozen yogurt sandwiches
Calories – 160 (per sandwich)
Carbs – 24

Join the Chocolate Party! Here’s how to participate (the rules):

1. Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose. It can be a simple no bake treat or a sophisticated layer cake, the complexity level of the recipe is totally up to you.

2. Include a link back to this post or the Chocolate party page. Optional, add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar.

3. Your recipe must be published during the current month. Please do not link old recipes, they will be deleted.

At last we’re on the cusp of summer; months of warm days filled with brilliant sunshine unfold before us. I’m back to my old habits of blueberry picking, and while most of the blueberries are eaten in their natural state, I always reserve a few cups from every bucket for baking.

First up are these mini blueberry-lemon bundt cakes (I used this pan; the molds are just over 2 inches wide.). Bursting with juicy blueberries and topped with a sweet lemon drizzle, the cakes are the epitome of blueberry bliss.

Mini Blueberry-Lemon Bundt Cakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1 large egg
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Meyer lemon zest
1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a mini bundt pan with nonstick spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until well blended; add egg and beat well. Combine buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture; fold in blueberries.

Fill each mold just over half full. Bake for 16 minutes, until edges are golden and cake springs back to the touch. Cool in pan on wire rack for 4 minutes before popping mini cakes out of pan to cool completely. To prepare glaze, whisk together powder sugar, lemon zest, and juice in a small bowl. Set rack with mini bundt cakes over a piece of wax paper and drizzle with glaze; let set before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days; serve warm.

Yield – 28 mini bundt cakes
Calories – 72 (per cake)
Carbs – 12

Some recipes are so delicious that you repeat them as often as possible (and you dream about them the rest of the year). These brown butter cherry bars are one of the best things to ever come out of my oven, and if you only baked one treat with fresh cherries during the too short season, these bars are all you need.

I first posted the bars two years ago; I’m revisiting them now because I just made my first pan of the year, swapping the shortbread crust for a cinnamon-graham crust. As for the filling, it’s essentially fresh cherries enveloped with brown butter custard. As I wrote previously, the only way to describe these is glorious. Bonus: I’ve never met anyone that didn’t fall for them with one bite.

Don’t miss my giveaway below the recipe for an OXO cherry pitter!

Brown Butter Cherry Bars
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup graham flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
6 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
4 cups fresh cherries, pitted

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Whisk together flours, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Combine melted butter, sugars, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture and fold in until incorporated. Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish and bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.

To prepare filling, cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Pour browned butter into a glass measuring cup to cool slightly. Whisk eggs, sugar and extracts in a medium bowl; add flour and salt and whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in cooled brown butter; whisk until completely blended.

Pour filling over crust; arrange cherries in a single layer across the top, gently pressing them in. Bake for 37 to 38 minutes, until filling is puffed and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Just before cutting, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Carefully lift parchment to remove bars from pan and place on a cutting board; cut into squares using a serrated knife. Store bars in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator; let come to room temperature before serving.

Yield – 32 bars
Calories – 160 (per bar)
Carbs – 18

Giveaway Details:
One winner will receive an OXO Cherry PItter. Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 8 pm PST. The winner will be selected by random.org and contacted by email. If there is no response after 48 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to US Residents.

Disclosure: OXO did not sponsor this giveaway. I received no compensation and all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Here’s a fast and fresh popsicle for you as we head into Memorial Day weekend. Strawberries and basil make a mouth-watering crostini topping; the duo works wonderfully in popsicles too! Sweet strawberry is the predominant flavor of these bright and bold pops while fresh basil adds subtle undertones of spicy cloves.

A splash of vodka keeps the popsicles from becoming too icy; omit if you prefer. Here’s to the weekend and plenty of pops! (Even more flavor ideas: Very Berry, Piña Colada and Cantaloupe. Your freezer will be filled in no time.)

Strawberry Basil Popsicles
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, crushed (to taste)
3 cups fresh strawberries, pureed
2 Tbsp vodka
pinch of salt

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil then simmer until sugar has completely dissolved, 5-6 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and stir in basil leaves; let steep 30 minutes. Stir in strawberry puree. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids.

Stir in vodka and salt. Fill each popsicle mold with 1/3 cup mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch of space at the top of each mold. Let freeze one hour before inserting popsicle sticks; continue to freeze until completely firm, 4 to 6 hours more. Run molds under hot water 30 to 45 seconds before unmolding, or let stand at room temperature 5 minutes. Wrap popsicles individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer up to 3 weeks.

Yield – 10 popsicles
Calories – 60
Carbs – 13