Engagement Party Buffet

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Recently my sister and her boyfriend (now fiancé) got engaged and I could not be happier for them. They’ve been dating for ages and I could not wait for them to get engaged and make everything official. Her fiancé has felt like apart of my family for a long time and it’s fun to know he’ll finally be my brother next summer. This past weekend, my sister’s lovely bridesmaids and I held an engagement party for her and her fiancé out on the patio behind my condo.  
When they got engaged in May, my immediate reaction was…”I have to have an engagement party for them!” I had all sorts of appetizers and drinks in mind to make for the big party. This past Saturday, I cooked and baked up a storm for the party. And so did the other bridesmaids, my mom and my sister’s to-be mother-in-law. *thanks ladies!* Everyone worked so hard to make the party truly memorable and special for my sister and her future husband.
One of the most memorable parts of the evening was definitely the food. I am sure my sister would agree :) Even though it was swelteringly hot outside during the party, everyone managed to polish off all of the food out on the buffet table. This was somewhat upsetting since I was really looking forward to leftovers the next day. *hah* So, what was on the menu? 

First, I have to say, my favourite appetizer of the night was the Jalapeño Popper Dip. I just recently discovered how delicious jalapeño poppers are. Apparently I’ve been hiding under a rock! While searching the Annie’s Eats website for her famous Stuffed Mushrooms recipe to serve at the party, I stumbled upon the Jalapeño Popper Dip recipe. I literally jumped out of my chair and went straight to the store to get the ingredients for the dip. I just knew it would be delicious! I opted out of adding the mexican cheese and used low-fat cream cheese and mayo to try and lighten the dip up. It was still full of flavour. So much so, that people kept asking for the recipe all night.


In addition to the Jalapeño Popper Dip, I made a delicious Feta & Green Olive Dip served with simple whole grain crackers. As well as some Mexican Spring Rolls (recipe to be posted soon!) My mom made Greek Turkey Sliders with Feta Cheese on Mini Chiabatta Buns, as well as some Mini Beef Wellingtons. My sister’s future mom-in-law made a delicious homemade hummus for the vegetarians in the crowd (ie. me) and a classic taco dip. Mmmm! My sister’s friend Brandi brought one of my favourite treats – Veggie Pizza. You cannot beat puff pastry topped with creamy cheese and chopped fresh veggies. In addition to all of the mentioned goodies, we had Mozza Sticks, an awesome spread of fresh vegetables with dip, Pineapple Chicken Skewers and Fried Zucchini. Tasty!


For drinks, we had delicious Strawberry/Raspberry Sangria and beer provided by a local brewery Half Pints. And for dessert, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry buttercream. The recipe is similar to my Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting, but instead of a cream cheese frosting, I used strawberry purée in a luscious buttercream (ie. a full cup of butter and 4 cups of icing sugar!)


What is your favourite appetizer to bring to parties? Please leave appetizer suggestions in the comments. I need more ideas for my sister’s upcoming wedding showers :) Thanks!


Have a great week everyone! Thanks for reading. ^_^


Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

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Last summer, I bought a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I wanted to experiment with making various frozen desserts using cream, yogurt and/or soy. Plus, I’m a sucker for a new kitchen gadget. And what better gadget than one that makes the most delicious, fresh ice cream you’ll ever have? :) Not to mention, a gadget that allows you to experiment with various flavours and toppings?

 Last year I made a few different varieties such as cinnamon ice cream that I served on top of warm pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. I also made a delicious strawberry ice cream with fresh berries. The chocolate ice cream was extremely rich and was a favourite last summer. 

Last week I realized I had not used my ice cream maker in quite some time. And since it’s summer (ie. ice cream season), I decided it was best I made some homemade ice cream ASAP. I stumbled upon a recipe for blueberry cheesecake ice cream in the homemade ice cream bible – The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. I had to make it. So, I decided to make it to bring to my sister’s fiancés birthday dinner last night (which was breakfast for dinner, by the way. Mmmmmm!) The dessert was a huge hit with everyone. And since it is such a rich ice cream, a little goes a long way. Topped with the blueberry sauce, it was perfect! I cannot wait to experiment with other toppings for this cheesecake ice cream batter.

If you’d like to learn more about making ice cream at home, please check out The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz, Ciao Bella by F.W Pearce and The Vegan Scoop by Wheeler del Torro.



Ingredients – Cheesecake Ice Cream

  • 8 ounces of cream cheese; cut into small pieces
  • 1 lemon; zested
  • 1 cup of regular sour cream
  • 1/2 cup of half-and-half
  • 2/3 cup of white sugar
  • pinch of salt

Method – Cheesecake Ice Cream


1. Put the pieces of cream cheese in a blender or food processor. Add the lemon zest, sour cream, half-and-half, sugar, and salt, and purée until smooth.


2. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 


3. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.


Ingredients – Blueberry Sauce

  • 2 cups of blueberries; fresh or frozen
  • 1/4 cup of white sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method – Blueberry Sauce


1. In a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries and sugar until the berries begin to release their juices.


2. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and lemon juice until lump free. Then stir into the blueberry mixture.


3. Bring the blueberry sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. 


Sauce can be stored into the fridge for up to 3 days.


Finishing Touch: layer the softened cheesecake ice cream with the blueberry sauce. Freeze. Serve with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs. Enjoy!


Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Lemon Mousse Tart with Berries

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If you are looking for the perfect dessert to serve this summer, look no further. This lemon mousse tart is exactly what you you’ve been looking for. This past week, I had some good friends over for a small BBQ and I decided to serve this tart. It was a really hot day and I knew we’d need something light and refreshing for dessert. I think it is safe to say that everyone enjoyed this pretty little tart. And it was very easy to make; always a bonus! It’s light, creamy and extremely flavourful thanks to the use of both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. The lemon flavour is just subtle enough that it’s not overpowering. This tart showcases sweet berries at their peak. You could use an assortment of berries or other fruits. A strawberry & kiwi combination would be wonderful. As would a mango & pineapple variety.

Hope you are all having a great summer. Do you have any favourite summer dessert recipes to share?



Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup of unsalted butter; melted
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of whipping cream (35%); chilled
  • 12 ounces of cream cheese (at room temperature); or 1.5 blocks of cream cheese
  • 2/3 cup of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon zest; finely grated
  • 1/2 cup of real lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • fresh blueberries
  • fresh raspberries

Method


1. Combine the melted butter and the graham cracker crumbs. Stir with a fork until all of the crumbs are moist with the butter. Press the crumbs into a tart pan. Note: I used a long rectangular tart pan, but you can easily use a round or square non-stick tart pan. Bake the crust at 350’F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow tart to cool in the pan completely on a wire rack.


2. Whip the chilled cream until soft peaks form (about 5 minutes with an electric mixer on high). Chill until ready to use.


3. In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth; about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix well. You want to ensure the mixture is well combined, so you don’t have any lumps. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down to ensure the mixture is well combined. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix well.


4. Fold half of the whipped cream into the lemon-cream cheese mixture. Once well combined, add the second half of the whipped cream and then dollop the lemon mousse into the cooled crust. Spread evenly.


5. Allow the tart to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Decorate the top of the tart with fresh berries.


Remove the tart from the pan right before serving.


Source: Adapted from In the Kitchen with Anna Olson