did your parents ever bring you home some delicious cheese and fruit danish as a kid? you know, the one drizzled with frosting, so perfectly flakey and delicious. well i have been dying for one. but this little 26 week pregnant bod feels TERRIBLE when i eat too much sugar.

so as a fill in, i whipped up this more adult version with creamy ricotta cheese, honey instead of sugar a fruit filling that will please both children and adults. these little bites go down way to easy and could easily be served as a breakfast treat, a passed appetizer or a tasty dessert.

mixed berry & rhubarb + ricotta tartlets

serves: 12 tartlets

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 30 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 1 sheet of puff pastry dough (store bought works great or you could use THIS quick and easy one that i like to use). 1 tbs ricotta cheese (you can find my recipe HERE). 10 strawberries, diced. 10 blackberries, halved. 1 stick rhubarb, diced. .25 cup honey. 2 tbs orange juice + the zest of one orange. 1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped. couple pinches of kosher salt. flour for dusting. rolling pin. muffin tin. 1 tbs veggie oil or baking spray. optional: 12 edible flowers or 12 berry slice for garnish.

start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees f. in a small saucepan, combine your berries, rhubarb, honey, orange zest and juice, tarragon and the pinch of salt. stir well to combine and place it over a medium heat. once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the flame to medium low and allow the fruit to simmer till it makes a nice sauce. about 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the bottom doesn’t stick and burn.

while your berries are cooking, lightly dust a work surface with the flour and roll out your sheet of puff pastry to a large rectangle.

slice the rectangle into 12 pieces. give each piece an additional roll so they are as square as you can get them and about 1/8th and inch thick. prick each all over with a fork pretty liberally.

spray or oil your muffin tin. fill each muffin hole with a puff pastry square.

bake the tartlets for 12-15 minutes till they are lightly golden brown and puffed up. use the back of a spoon to push any really puffy centers back down into the tin.

fill each tin with 1 tbs of ricotta cheese. by now, your berries should be thick and all the liquid reduced. spoon about 1 tbs of berries into each tartlet. bake again for an additional 5-7 minutes till puff pastry is really golden and crisp on all the edges. allow the tarts to cool slightly.

top with berry or flower garnish.

serve warm or at room temperature.

xo, a

mixed berry & rhubarb + ricotta tartlets

serves: 12 tartlets

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 30 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 1 sheet of puff pastry dough (store bought works great or you could use THIS quick and easy one that i like to use). 1 tbs ricotta cheese (you can find my recipe HERE). 10 strawberries, diced. 10 blackberries, halved. 1 stick rhubarb, diced. .25 cup honey. 2 tbs orange juice + the zest of one orange. 1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped. couple pinches of kosher salt. flour for dusting. rolling pin. muffin tin. 1 tbs veggie oil or baking spray. optional: 12 edible flowers or 12 berry slice for garnish.

start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees f. in a small saucepan, combine your berries, rhubarb, honey, orange zest and juice, tarragon and the pinch of salt. stir well to combine and place it over a medium heat. once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the flame to medium low and allow the fruit to simmer till it makes a nice sauce. about 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the bottom doesn’t stick and burn. while your berries are cooking, lightly dust a work surface with the flour and roll out your sheet of puff pastry to a large rectangle. slice the rectangle into 12 pieces. give each piece an additional roll so they are as square as you can get them and about 1/8th and inch thick. prick each all over with a fork pretty liberally. spray or oil your muffin tin. fill each muffin hole with a puff pastry square. bake the tartlets for 12-15 minutes till they are lightly golden brown and puffed up. use the back of a spoon to push any really puffy centers back down into the tin. fill each tin with 1 tbs of ricotta cheese. by now, your berries should be thick and all the liquid reduced. spoon about 1 tbs of berries into each tartlet. bake again for an additional 5-7 minutes till puff pastry is really golden and crisp on all the edges. allow the tarts to cool slightly. top with berry or flower garnish and serve warm or at room temperature.

our "grilling days" are numbered my friends. 

we are mere moments away from labor day and i feel like i'm trying to soak up every last second of summer. and grilling is one of my favorite summer activities. 

i LOVE barbecuing fruit. something magical happens to fruit when the heat and the smoke hit it. and berries are no exception. try this QUICK and super EASY crowd pleasing end of summer dessert. i know the idea of grilling cake may seem weird, but you are just going to have to trust me on this one. it is epic. 

bbq'd berry shortcake

serves: 5-6

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 5 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 20 1-inch cubes of angel food cake (store bought is great, it is firm enough to hold up to the grill), 10 strawberries, greens removed (hulled). 10 large blackberries. 10 mint leaves, thinly sliced. 2 cups whipped cream. .25 cup chopped roasted & salted almonds. 2 tbs vegetable oil. 10 skewers (smaller, around 6-8 inches). 

start by soaking your skewers fully in water. you will want to soak them for 15-20 minutes so they don't burn up on the grill. while the skewers are soaking, preheat your grill to a medium heat. after the skewers have soaked, skewer one strawberry, then a cube of cake, a blackberry and the final cube of cake. repeat with all the skewers.

when your grill is hot, use a paper towel to brush the grill with the oil so the fruit and bread won't stick to the grill.

place your skewers on the grill and cook for 2 minutes each side. when the bread is lightly toasted and the fruit is nice and hot, remove the skewers to a platter. now you have a choice. if you are eating in a more buffet type scenario, serve the skewers as is with the whipped cream, mint and almonds as available garnish for people.

but if you are in a more sit down dinner environment, remove the fruit and cake from two skewers into each bowl.

top each bowl with some mint, a few dollops of whipped cream and finally the almonds.

serve warm and enjoy. 

xo, a

bbq'd berry shortcake

serves: 5-6

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 5 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 20 1-inch cubes of angel food cake (store bought is great, it is firm enough to hold up to the grill). 10 strawberries, greens removed (hulled). 10 large blackberries. 10 mint leaves, thinly sliced. 2 cups whipped cream. .25 cup chopped roasted & salted almonds. 2 tbs vegetable oil. 10 skewers (smaller, around 6-8 inches). 

start by soaking your skewers fully in water. you will want to soak them for 15-20 minutes so they don't burn up on the grill. while the skewers are soaking, preheat your grill to a medium heat. after the skewers have soaked, skewer one strawberry, then a cube of cake, a blackberry and the final cube of cake. repeat with all the skewers. when your grill is hot, use a paper towel to brush the grill with the oil so the fruit and bread won't stick to the grill. place your skewers on the grill and cook for 2 minutes each side. when the bread is lightly toasted and the fruit is nice and hot, remove the skewers to a platter. now you have a choice. if you are eating in a more buffet type scenario, serve the skewers as is with the whipped cream, mint and almonds as available garnish for people. but if you are in a more sit down dinner environment, remove the fruit and cake from two skewers into each bowl. top each bowl with some mint, a few dollops of whipped cream and finally the almonds. serve warm and enjoy.