Raspberry Love

Look at those big and beautiful berries! I absolutely adore raspberries. When I was a little girl, we would go to my grandma's house and pick berries from her bushes. I would stain my mouth red eating straight from the bushes and get next to nothing in the bowl. It was the absolute best. Thankfully, my mom has carried on the tradition and we have quite a few thriving bushes in our own yard now. We have so many berries we are filling our fridge with them in ridiculous amounts. Is it possible to drown in raspberries? If so, that's how I want to go.

Since we have so many berries and they are my favorite fruit, I was bound and determined they wouldn't go to waste. We have been cooking up a raspberry storm and even if you don't have your own bushes, raspberries are super cheap in the grocery store right now so it's time to take advantage.

Raspberry Muffins

First up are raspberry muffins. My mom is so obsessed with these she literally had me make them three times in one week. They are that good. Pictured are raspberry muffin tops. They may look like cookies, but I promise they are muffins. You know the top part of the muffin everyone loves? There is actually a pan that will bake only the tops for you and it is

delightful. If you don't have a muffin top pan, a regular muffin pan will do just fine. Courtesy of the wonderful Curtis Stone, celebrity chef, we have been basking in their yumminess weekly.

Ingredients:

2 cups almond meal

2 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup regular flour

1 tsp. salt

2 sticks butter

10 egg whites

2 cups raspberries

Whisk all of the dry ingredients together. Melt the butter and thoroughly wet all the dry ingredients. With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the butter/dry ingredients mixture. After thoroughly combined, fold in raspberries. Bake at 350 degrees for 29 minutes in greased muffin (or muffin top) pans. Let cool 5 minutes and twist to release from pan.

Easy Peasy right? You are going to sing to these muffins they are so good. I promise.

Fresh Fruit Trifle

This dessert is pretty, fancy, and best of all EASY. Easy as pie doesn't even qualify for how easy this is because it is easier than pie.

Ok here's what you need:

4 cups vanilla instant pudding

6 cups combination of raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries (2 cups each)

2 cups heavy whipping cream (whip with powdered sugar to taste and 1 tsp. vanilla)

2 kiwis

1 store bought pound cake

To make the dessert all you have to do is layer! First layer pound cake, second layer fruit, third layer pudding, fourth layer cake, fifth layer fruit, sixth layer pudding, seventh layer cake, eighth layer whipped cream, with pretty kiwis on top. Serve and enjoy. Just watch who you serve it to because I promise people will try to steal more once they have had one taste.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

Ok I didn't make this but my mom did and it's the best.

Go to the store. Get Freezer Jam Pectin. Follow the directions. Freeze.

That's it, and you have delectable homemade jam.

Now go forth and cook my cronies!!