Honestly, I’m not one for summer heat. I’m a Kiwi girl at heart, and grew up in New Zealand, where a temperature over 25°C (~75°F) in the summer was deemed dangerously too hot. What I do love about summer though is the ready supply of fruits. SO. MANY. FRUITS.

And inevitably, we end up with having to find creative ways to use up all those fruits – and this caramelized peach and thyme tart is going to come in handy when those beautiful ripe peaches come into season soon.

So you live on the other side of the world, and summer is already behind you? No problem! What’s great about this recipe is that you can still make this fruit tart with frozen fruits too. Plus you could use any stone fruits that are available to you like plums, cherries, nectarines etc. instead of or in addition to peaches. This Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart is simple to make, it’s fresh, fruity, and delicious. Your family will love it!

For the crust, I used my homemade sweet shortcrust pastry recipe (recipe and video coming soon!), but you can also use ready-made shortcrust or  pie crust too. Whichever is convenient to you.

The one addition that I made to this fruit tart to make the flavours pop even more is to add some aged cheddar cheese to the base of the tart. It adds a delightfully creamy, salty, tangy flavour profile that contrasts really well with the sweet fruity filling!

To make this dessert even better, serve it with a dollop of ice cream on top. Or to kick it up a few more notches, serve it with some Lime Sherbet instead! Creamy, sweet, tangy lime sherbet is the perfect accompaniment to this sweet, fresh tart and you can find the recipe for this easy Salted Lime Sherbet right here on my blog.

Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart Recipe

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Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart

Servings 1 8 inch tart

Author Dini (The Flavor Bender)

Ingredients

Tart

• 1 lb of Shortcrust Pastry or Pie Crust or an 8 inch unbaked or blindbaked tart crust
• 16 oz peaches frozen is fine, but thaw them before use, OR about 3 - 4 fresh, ripe peaches
• ¼ cup brown sugar 55g
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• Pinch of salt

Custard (you may end up not using all of it)

• ¾ cup milk
• 1 yolk
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Tart

• Grease a tart pan and preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
• Prepare the pie crust (homemade or store-bought) and shape it into an 8 inch tart mold and blind-bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes.
• Add the thawed peaches, thyme leaves and brown sugar to a pan, and heat gently (on low to medium) and mix until the brown sugar melts. Then, turn the heat to medium high and cook the peaches until they are caramelized on one side.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Once the pie crust has been blind-baked, place thin shaves of cheddar cheese on the bottom. Layer the peaches on top of the cheese. Add berries to decorate if you like.
• Pour the custard to cover the fruits half way (do not fill right to the brim).
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. If the edges of the pie crust are burning, cover the tart with foil and keep baking.
• Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle some white sugar on top and return to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let the tart cool. You can chill the tart in the fridge at this point if you prefer.
• Serve at room temperature or chilled with Lime Sherbet or ice cream or some creme fraiche.

Did you love this Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart? Do you want more ideas on how to use up extra fruits??

Here are some from The Flavor Bender!

Salted Lime Sherbet

3 Ingredient Easy Fruit Sorbet – 4 flavours (and more!)

Spiced Banana Cupcakes

The post Cheddar, Caramelized Peach and Thyme Tart appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Easter is never the same for me, without some fabulous Easter-themed baked treats gracing the table for Easter Brunch. Whether it’s beautifully rich, decadent bread, cakes, cupcakes, or cookies – baked goods are an essential part of my Easter brunch menu!

And if you feel the same, I got you covered!

So without further ado, here are 22 AMAZING Easter Themed Baked Treats PERFECT for Easter. There are some fantastic kid friendly projects here too – so make sure you check them all out

22 Easter Themed Baked Treats

Spiced Banana Cupcake with Apricot Frosting from The Flavor Bender. A cupcake version of a Hot Cross Buns – Deliciously moist, perfectly spiced, and easy to make!

Easter Bunny Cupcakes with Light Coconut Cream from The Creative Bite

Little Lamb Cupcakes from The Recipe Rebel

Cadbury Caramel Egg Brownies from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Spring Chick Cupcakes from Persnickety Plates

Hot Cross Buns Bread Pudding from Sidewalk Shoes

Breudher Cake with Blood Orange Glaze from The Flavor Bender

Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls from Live Eat Learn

Easter Carrot Cupcakes with Bunny Cookie Toppers from I Sugar Coat It

Challah with Cinnamon Honey Butter from Gather For Bread

Easter Simnel Cake with Marzipan Pastry from Super Golden Bakes

Easter Blossom Sugar Cookies from My Kitchen Craze

Watercolour Cake Roll from Liv For Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake from Dinner at the Zoo

Gluten Free Lemon Cookie Nests from Fearless Dining

Funfetti Cheesecake Stuffed Crescent Rolls from The Chunky Chef

Sourdough Walnut Cinnamon Rolls from Served From Scratch

Creme Egg Anti Gravity Easter Brownie Nest from Giraffes Can Bake

Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl from Alidas Kitchen

Gluten Free Carrot Cake from What the Fork Food Blog

Creme Egg Double Chocolate Muffins from  From Plate to Pen

Pink Glazed Easter Doughnuts from Marsha’s Baking Addiction

Which one of these 22 Easter Themed Baked Treats was your favourite?

You can also find me on all of the following Social Media platforms too.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | GOOGLE-PLUS  |  YOU TUBE

Here are some more delicious recipes from The Flavor Bender

Spinach and Mushroom Polenta Stacks

Rosemary infused Chocolate Mousse

Butter Chicken (made without cream)

The post 22 Easter Themed Baked Treats appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Hey Everyone! It’s Dini from The Flavor Bender again! I hope you guys have had an amazing February so far and a very romantic Valentine’s Day weekend as well. I’m not too big on Valentine’s day, but any excuse for chocolate is a good one for me and that’s exactly what I did these last couple of weeks with this Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding, Rosemary infused French Chocolate Mousse and these Chocolate Eclairs! Today, I’m sharing another one of my favorite desserts coming your way from Italy – Layered Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta! With a beautiful, buttery butterscotch layer and a deliciously creamy chocolate layer, this panna cotta is perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a fancy dinner party or just a family gathering.

Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta: An easy to make layered Panna Cotta dessert, perfect as an everyday dessert or for a special occasion!

I do have a soft spot for panna cotta because they are a simple yet very impressive dessert to put together and can be personalized with different flavours and ingredients. Check out this White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Hibiscus syrup and this Coconut and, Lychee and Orange jelly that I have shared on my blog previously. But this Layered Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta is divine!

The base in this Layered Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta (the butterscotch base) is divided into two, and then chocolate is added to one and then butter with an extra bit of brown sugar are added to the other. Then you let the panna cotta set in a glass or a mold, and then either serve it in the same glass or unmold in onto a separate dish.

It’s super simple. This Layered Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta recipe will make 2 very generous portions or 4 smaller dessert portions.

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Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta

Servings 2 larger / 4 mini portions

Author Dini

Ingredients

• 220 mL / 1 cup whipping cream
• 150 mL / 5 fl oz half and half
• 3 tbsp cold water
• 1 ¼ tsp powdered gelatin
• 115 g / 4 oz brown sugar plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 42 g / 1.5 oz semi sweet chocolate chopped
• 2 tbsp half and half
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• Salt

Instructions

• Add the cold water to a small bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin evenly on top. Leave it to bloom (about 15 minutes).
• Lightly coat your molds with some vegetable oil. Use either two large 1 cup capacity glasses, or four ½ cup capacity molds.
• Combine the cream, half and half, a generous pinch of salt and 4 oz of brown sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat while stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Add the bloomed gelatin into the warm milk mix and stir until the gelatin has melted. DO NOT BOIL. Divide this cream-gelatin mix into two and set aside.
• Place the butter in the empty saucepan and heat until melted. You could heat it further to turn it into brown butter if you like. Add the extra brown sugar, plus one portion of the cream-gelatin mix. Remove from the heat and whisk to combine. (You don’t want the oil in the butter to be floating on top. If this happens - whisk vigorously OR place the mix in an empty bottle with a secure lid and shake it well to emulsify the mix).
• Divide this butterscotch layer into the prepared molds. Place them in the freezer for about 40 minutes, or until the surface has just set.
• Combine the chopped chocolate with the 2 tbsp of cream in the saucepan and melt the chocolate over medium heat to get a smooth sauce.
• Add the second portion of the cream-gelatin mix in a stream while whisking, to completely incorporate the cream-gelatin mix into the chocolate. Do not boil. Set aside to cool down.
• When the butterscotch layer has just set, gently pour the warm chocolate layer on top. Divide evenly between the molds. (Adding warm chocolate will help it stick to the butterscotch layer at the bottom so that they will not separate when you unmold the panna cotta).
• Let it cool down to room temperature. Then cover and let it set in the fridge overnight till completely set and chilled.
• To unmold, place the glass or mold in hot water for a few seconds, OR under running water for a few seconds. Then hold it over a dish and gently shake to loosen it. If it’s doesn’t come out, wrap the glass or mold with a warm paper towel to warm up the panna cotta.
• Serve with whipped cream and berries.

You can also find me on all of the following Social Media platforms too.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | GOOGLE-PLUS  |  YOU TUBE

Here are some more recipes from The Flavor Bender

White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Hibiscus Syrup Pearls

Cinnamon Dessert Nachos

Mango Jalapeno Jam

The post Layered Butterscotch and Chocolate Panna Cotta appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

Hi! My name is Dini and I’m the blogger behind The Flavor Bender! I’m so excited to be a contributor to Made From Pinterest and I hope you guys enjoy this recipe just as much, or even more than I did, creating it! But first, let me quickly introduce myself.

I was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand, and lived in Australia before moving to the US a couple of years ago. I have moved many times on top of that, but the one constant in my life has always been my love of cooking and baking! The result of that was The Flavor Bender, which I launched in late 2014. As the name suggests, my blog is all about flavors and all the wonderful ways in which I combine those flavors in new and wildly creative ways. My blog slogan is “because it’s OK to play with food”, and that truly reflects how I approach my cooking and baking. As important as food is for our subsistence, and as much as we all love to eat great food, I think it’s also important to enjoy the process of cooking those meals. And if you’re looking for recipes and recipe ideas that bring together great flavors and show you how to have fun with your food, head on over to The Flavor Bender!

As my first contribution to Made From Pinterest, I thought I’d share with you guys one of my original recipes (I mostly have original recipes on my blog) that is also quite simple, yet produce exceptionally delicious results! These Gluten Free Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Bites with Sea Salt are a classic flavor combination.

Since they are made with good-quality Valrhona cocoa powder, they have a deep, rich chocolate flavour. Valrhona is a type of premium French chocolate with complex yet balanced flavours. I promise, just one whiff of it and you’re hooked. Of course you’re more than welcome to use regular cocoa powder instead, but if you can get your hands on some Valrhona, I most definitely recommend it!

I also incorporated raw almonds in this fudgy chocolate brownie bites because I wanted them to have a nutty taste and texture as well. You can use ground almonds or almond flour, although I do prefer getting whole almonds and then processing them myself. They really add an irresistible flavour and texture to these brownie bites.

Chocolate and sea salt are a classic pairing of course. So nothing fancy there. Salt both enhances the sweetness and also provides a contrasting flavour profile. Plus they extract a depth of flavour from chocolate like nothing else. And each of these delectable brownie bites has crispy edges and a rich, fudgy little center with little bits of almond. Take my word for it, they are absolutely addictive.

And as if that wasn’t enough, you can give these chocolate brownie bites and extra decadent touch by dipping each one in a luscious chocolate glaze and then sprinkle some sea salt flakes on top. It’s something to even get your kids involved with, although I do recommend some adult supervision! Otherwise these brownie bites will all disappear before you can say chocolate.

They are super easy to make, plus they are gluten-free too. So go ahead and enjoy them with a glass of milk. I’m sure you’ll be making these again and again.

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Chocolate Brownie Bites

Author The Flavor Bender

Ingredients

Brownie Bites

• 3.5 oz/ 100g Melted warm butter should not be hot, plus extra melted butter to brush the mini muffin pan.
• 2.5 oz / 70g about 2 Egg whites, lightly beaten
• 4 oz / 115g Raw Almonds or Ground almonds
• 1 oz / 30g Valrhona Cocoa Powder or Regular Cocoa Powder
• 3.5 oz / 100g Icing sugar confectioners sugar
• 2.5 oz / 70g Brown sugar
• ½ tsp Vanilla extract

Chocolate glaze

• 3 oz / 85g in weight whipping cream
• 3 oz / 85g semi sweet chocolate chopped finely
• generous ½ tsp sea salt I used Maldon
• 2 tbsp brown sugar optional
• Extra sea salt to sprinkle ontop

Instructions

Brownie Bites

• Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Generously brush melted butter in the mini muffin wells of a mini muffin pan.
• Place the almonds in a food processor, if using whole almonds, and process till they’re chopped very finely (like coarse sand).
• Add the icing sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder and pulse a few times, until the dry ingredients have mixed well. (Alternatively, you can mix all the ingredients in a bowl using a whisk - just make sure there are no lumps).
• Transfer the dry ingredients to a bowl. Add the lightly beaten egg whites and using a spatula mix this through the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla and melted butter and fold through the batter until mixed through.
• Using a spoon or mini scoop to fill each mini muffin well, almost to the top - leaving some room for them to rise.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until the edges look a little crisp, the middle is slightly risen, but looks fudgy.
• Let it cool completely and pop them out of the muffin pan. While the brownie bites are cooling, make the Chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

• Place the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
• In a small saucepan place the cream, sugar, and salt. Heat gently until you start to see it simmering. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and cover the bowl for 1 minute.
• Using a small whisk, mix the chocolate and cream until melted and shiny. Let it cool slightly, till it’s a little thick.
• Dip the cooled brownie bites (bottoms or tops - whichever you prefer) - Dip all of the brownie bites, and then go back and sprinkle the sea salt on top. (this allows the glaze to set slightly before the salt is sprinkled. Can be stored in an air tight container for a few days (if they last that long)

If you’d like to check out some other popular recipes on The Flavor Bender, here are three of them.

Caramelized Apple and Fennel, Pork Sausage Rolls

Sri Lankan Watalappan (Cardamom spiced Coconut Custard)

Breakfast Sausage Frittata with Persimmon Salsa

You can also find me on all of the following Social Media platforms too.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | GOOGLE-PLUS

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