Make-Ahead Holiday Dessert: Fruit Cake

Image via: Flourishing Foodie

[ad#co-3]

Total time: Preparation 25 minutes + Cooking 2 hours, 10 minutes

Yields: 12-15 slices

Ingredients

1 kg mix dried fruit

1 zest of orange and juice

1 zest of lemon and juice

150 ml brandy, whisky, or rum

250 g butter, softened

200 g brown sugar

175 g plain flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons all spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

100 g almond flakes

4 eggs, large

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Image via: Kitchen Frau

Procedure

1. Put dried fruits, zests, juice, alcohol, butter, and sugar in a large pan and set over medium heat. Bring to boil then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Put the fruit mixture into a large bowl and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 150 degree Celsius. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment and then wrap a double layer of newspaper on the outside. Tie with a string to secure.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the fruit mixture and stir well. Make sure that there are no pockets of flour. Pour it into the prepared tin and level the top with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hours.
4. Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a knife or a skewer and spoon over 2 tablespoons of your preferred alcohol. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.
5. Peel off the baking parchment and then wrap well in cling film before storing. Feed the cake with 1 to 2 tablespoon of alcohol every fortnight. Don’t feed the cake during the final week to give its surface a chance to dry before icing.

We hope you enjoy this make-ahead holiday dessert recipe. Now it’s time to get baking and freezing so that you have at least one less thing to do during the fun season.

For more Christmas desserts on Stagetecture, click here.

Fall Dessert: Mini Berry Cobbler Recipe

Image via: Experience Red Tree

[ad#co-3]

Total time: 1 hour

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients

18 ounces mixed fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries) (4 cups)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold butter, cubed

1/2 cup buttermilk

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Procedure

Image via: HGTV

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together berries, sugar, butter, and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk together all-purpose flour and sugar, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut cold butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Add buttermilk, stirring just until all dry ingredients are moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 to 4 times. Now pat into a 6*4 inch rectangle. Keep it around 1 inch thick. Cut into 6 squares then cut those squares diagonally into 12 triangles.
3. Arrange 12 (3 ½ inch) lightly greased miniature cast iron skillets on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Divide the berry mixture among skillets, place 1 dough triangle over the berry mixture in each skillet.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until fruit bubbles and the crust turns golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This mini berry cobbler is a classic fall dessert, done perfectly! Tweak yours to suit your tastes even more by switching out the fruits in the recipe for your favorites. But don’t forget to let us know how it was?

For more fall dessert recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Spring Dessert: Easy Fruit Pizza

Image via: At the Pink of Perfection

[ad#co-3]

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yields: 1 pizza pie

Ingredients

18 ounce refrigerated sugar cookie dough

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

8 ounce frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

½ cup white sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon orange zest

Procedure

Image via: Fashion Edible

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). Slice cookie dough and arrange on properly greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press the dough flat into the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow it to cool.
2. Soften cream cheese in a large bowl then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. Let it chill for a while then continue by arranging fruit.
3. Begin with half sliced strawberries. Arrange in a circle around the edge. Continue working towards the middle with the fruit of your choice. If using bananas, dip them in lemon juice to avoid darkening. Then make a sauce to spoon over the fruits.
4. In a saucepan, mix sugar, corn starch, salt, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring. Cook for 1-2 minutes, bring to boil, until thickened. Remove from the heat and add grated orange rind. Allow it to cool then spoon over fruits. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Celebrate the flavors of the season with this spring dessert recipe that is full of fresh fruits. Use the ones of your choice and get creative with the arrangement. In fact, there are a lot of fun ways to arrange the fruits to give it a different vibe. Which fruits are your favorite?

For more dessert ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Winter Salad: Pomegranate and Persimmon

Image via: Bojon Gourmet

[ad#co-3]

Ingredients

4 servings

1 peeled large pomegranate (seeds separated)

2 peeled Fuyu persimmons (each of them cut into 8 pieces)

Herb salad mix (1 packet or 8 ounces)

7 tarragon leaves (fresh and thinly sliced)

Pecan halves (1/2 cup)

Cornstarch (2 teaspoons)

Extra-virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)

Honey (1 and 1/2 tablespoons)

Orange juice (3/4 cup; divided)

½ juiced lime

Ground black pepper

Salt

Image via: What Katie Ate

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C or 375°F.
2. Take the halved pecans on a baking sheet.
3. Bake the pecans for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are toasted and fragrant. Take them out and let them cool.
4. Take a small saucepan and whisk together cornstarch and ½-cup orange juice. Cook the mixture over medium heat. Stir and cook it for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens.
5. Stop cooking and stir in honey until dissolved. Then, stir lime juice, olive oil, the remaining ¼-cup orange juice, pepper, salt, and tarragon leaves into the mixture. Keep this dressing in the refrigerator and let it chill for minimum 30 minutes.
6. Take a serving bowl and put the herb salad mix into it. Now, top the salad mix with pomegranate seeds, pecan halves, and persimmons slices. Finally, drizzle the chilled dressing over it.

Tips

1. If you want the dressing to be creamy, use an immersion blender in the dressing.
2. Make the salad tastier by using some goat cheese over the dressing.

Image via: Say Yes

The juicy, fleshy Fuyu persimmons will taste like plum and apple while the pecans will give a delightful crunchy taste. The dressing may seem a bit hassle but the excellent taste will worth the labor. This winter salad recipe will be perfect for both your everyday meal or for any grand occasion.

What’s your salad recipe for this winter? Share with us!

Halloween Party: Healthy Halloween Treats

Image via: Babble

[ad#co-1]

Monster Mouths

Make monster mouths by cutting an apple in half, and then cut each half again in half until you have 8 or 16 slices. Take one slice and apply a little lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown. Apply a layer of peanut butter or some red jelly. Now use almonds slivers, yoghurt covered raisins or mini marshmallows to make the teeth. Arrange two prepared apple slices to make the monster mouth. You could even add some larger almond sliver to make vampire fangs; dip one side of them in red jelly to make them look even scarier!

Bat Appetizers

To make these fun bats you will need grapes, cheese cubes,black, blue or plain tortilla chips and toothpicks. All you have to do is to stick the toothpick in a cheese cube, spear a grape on top and use the tortilla chips as wings. Use a sharp knife to cut a small opening into the grapes to help sliding in the chips. Olives are a great alternative for making these, too.

Image via: iVillage

Cheesy Witch Brooms

This treat is great for any party as an appetizer. All you will need are pretzel sticks, slices of cheese or string cheese and fresh chives. Just use a kitchen scissor to slice the cheese, wrap it around a pretzel stick and use some fresh chive to hold the cheese in place. Use different cheeses to create a great color effect, like Gouda and Cheddar cheese.

Image via: Navy Wife Cook

Healthy Jack-O-Lanterns

Use a few oranges to make this fun treat. Hollow the oranges out and cut out eyes and mouths; fill them with anything you would find fitting. Try filling them with fruit pieces for an extra healthy snack or prepare Jell-O, cut it up when ready and pour it into the oranges to have a great effect. You can add some fruit pieces into the Jell-O, to add some vitamins to the treat!

Image via: iVillage

Yogurt Berry Creepy Mix

Another healthy option is to use Greek yogurt and red berries to make a delicious fruit salad. To make it look creepy just add some edible candy eyeballs into the mixture and use clear glasses for serving! Top it with some toasted coconut and red jelly to complete the look. For yumminess, add some sweetened whipped cream, crushed meringue and marshmallow pieces to the yogurt.

Image via: Countdown

You don’t need to skip candy altogether to celebrate Halloween, but using these healthy alternatives will help keeping the sugar count on the smaller side while maximizing fun!

For more Halloween ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Healthy Recipe: Strawberry Spinach Salad

Image via: Smart Blanace

[ad#co-3]

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 – 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach – rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries – cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Image via: Foodess

Directions

1. To make this easy salad, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, paprika, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and the onion. You could also use a blender to blend them as an alternative. Take the dressing and cover it, then chill for about an hour.
2. Combine the spinach, almonds and strawberries in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it, so the dressing can cover all the other ingredients. Put the salad in the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving it.

Image via: Zestycook

This salad can be prepared in various ways and using other ingredients. Try other fruits, like blueberries, oranges, apples or pineapple. Use balsamic vinegar for a refined taste. Add bacon bits for a heartier outcome. Also, adding cheeses, like feta, would be a great addition. Supplementing the almonds with other dried nuts is also a great way to alter this delicious and healthy salad. Enjoy!

For more healthy salad recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Spring is that time of the year when we like to begin our dinner parties. If you are hosting some this season, impress your guests with these attractive and welcoming centerpieces. From Easter themed to simple arrangements, we point you some fun centerpiece ideas that are not only inexpensive but also easy to put together. We all love gathering our friends and family to welcome in the new season, especially around food, drink and a gorgeous spring centerpiece. Take a look at how to creatively use fruit, flowers, and textures to awaken your party this spring!

Spring Centerpiece Ideas for your Next Party

Image via: Brit.co

[ad#co-1]

Fruity bowls

Fill a large odd shaped vase or a fish bowl with water and place some rocks or polished stones at the bottom. Top it up with sliced limes and lemons. This arrangement is simple but elegant, pleasing to eyes and smells wonderful.

Image via: Stephmodo

Edible centerpiece

Welcome spring with a table setting that is green, flavorful and fragrant. Instead of usual greens, use baby artichokes and asparagus. Add grapes in different colors with branches arranged inside the vase. Alternatively, a crystal bowl filled with red strawberries can make a beautiful decorative element especially when displayed among an all white décor.

Easter themed

Image via: BHG

Grab a candle holder that has various different levels like a tree. Instead of candles place a colored Easter egg in each spot. You can either match the colors of the eggs with the rest of the décor or keep them in contrast. We bet your guests will love the creativity.

Spring nest

Grace your dinner table with a decorative nest centerpiece that signals spring season’s arrival. In a medium size bowl, put some dampened moss and insert small seasonal flowers around the edge. Finally, fill a separate small bowl with speckled candy eggs and put it in the center. Make sure the rim of the bowl is well covered with flowers and moss.

Image via: Pinterest

When you think of a spring centerpiece, flowers come to mind naturally. But, a season inspired centerpiece can be much more than a bunch of flowers popped in a clear vase. Use the above ideas and tweak it with your creativity to wow your guests and make your spring parties stand out.

For more spring centerpiece ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

During the time where most of our days are chilly and a bit dreary it would be great to liven up and brighten our interiors with some beautiful inspirations.  Like fresh centerpieces to help give a revived look to our living spaces.  Centerpieces can be the focal points of the dining, kitchen or living areas.  You don’t have to put much effort into creating one just pick an idea and go for it.  Here are some tips to help you out with your very own Winter or Spring Centerpieces.

Spring Centerpieces: Transforming your Home from Winter

Image via: Elizabeth Anne Designs

[ad#co-1]

Natural Naked Branches

Some of the most elegant and eye catching centerpieces have been made from just the bare naked branch of a tree.  Gather a few branches from off of the trees around you or you can purchase some from a local craft store and bundle them together.  They can be the same height or a variety of decent sizes and get a large vase that will be able to contain them and set them wherever you would like for them to be displayed.  You can also spray paint the branches different colors or metallic to enhance the decor.

Flowers and Candy

Put a sweet and flora twist to your D.I.Y. centerpiece.  That’s right!  Take a vase that has a cylindrical or square shape to it, then pick out your favorite wrapped candy and fill the base of the vase.  Go for candies that will have bold solid colors or designs for the wrapping.  Then start inserting the flowers into the vase, wrap the flowers with a ribbon and you can choose flowers that are the same color as the candy wrappers or mix and match the two the choice is yours. For example, peppermint candy with red tulips to top.

Image via: Mazel Moments

Fruit Centerpiece Ideas

There’s nothing that is more organic and fresh than seeing a fruit filled centerpiece.  This is one of the most simplest and beautiful ways to enhance your interiors.  Just take a cylindrical glass vase and glue a thick ribbon around the glass.  The purchase some clear or lightly colored marbles and fill one layer of the base with those marbles.  Next, take the fruit that you prefer, such as pears, apples, peaches etc. and fill the vase with them.  Fill the vase with water after the fruit has been placed and will create a great soothing effect to your D.I.Y. centerpiece.

Image via: Wedpost

Centerpieces illuminate the room in such an inspiring way that makes you feel rejuvenated.  Your D.I.Y. centerpiece will be unique and fit to your personal unique style.  You don’t have to go out a splurge or put in so much intense work into creating your centerpiece.  So take a look above at some of the ideas to use for your home and go for it!

For more spring decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Warm Holiday Orange Mulled Wine

[ad#co-1]

Ingredients

1 large orange
Seeds from 8 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
8 to 9 tbsp. sugar, divided
2 bottles (750 ml. each) dry red wine
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
Thin orange slices (optional)

Procedure

1. With a vegetable peeler, pare 8 thin strips zest (4 in. by 1/2 in.) from orange. Juice orange and reserve juice.
2. Wrap cardamom and coriander seeds and ginger in a piece of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine.
3. In a nonreactive saucepan, crush orange zest and 7 tbsp. sugar with a wooden spoon to release oils from zest. Add reserved orange juice, wine, and spice packet. Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered, 30 minutes. Discard spice packet and orange zest.
4. To serve, heat wine, covered, over medium heat just until steaming. If you like, stir in liqueur and more sugar to taste. Ladle into heatproof glasses. Garnish with thin orange slices if you like.

The whole ingredients should give you at least 9 heartwarming Autumn Orange Mulled Wine. So, enjoy the scenic view of your patio with your loved ones this holiday season. Make it more romantic by lighting up a candle on your table with sumptuous menu to complete the setting. Don’t worry about the cold breeze, the Holiday Orange Mulled Wine Recipe will keep you warm.

For more drink recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

There is no better way to end a long work week than with a fruity cocktail recipe and lots of friends or family to ring in the weekend, right? As they say – “It’s five o’clock somewhere” Right? Well, no matter the time of day this drink recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine will provide a much-needed reprieve from daily stresses. So, wind down and take a sip of this:

Sherry Grapefruit Cocktail

Image via Pinterest

[ad#co-1]

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounce Aperol

3/4 ounce Sherry

1 ounce grapefruit or lemon juice or a mixture of both

1/4 ounce honey

Directions:

1. Mix in a cocktail shaker or whatever covered container you have available.

2. Fill with ice and shake some more. Then drink up!

Put in a movie and wind down after a long week of work. Enjoy!

For more food recipes on Stagetecture, click here.