Sweet and Spicy Honey Grilled Shrimp Skewers

My mom wanted to have a healthy, low fat meal a few days ago, and she said she was gonna grill up some barbecue shrimp.  This "cooking" she speaks of means she uses bottled barbecue sauce to baste shrimp.  And since I've turned into a little chef over the years, and really do not prefer bottled/store bought items, I insisted that I make a light sauce instead.  She agreed, of course.  I looked up a few of the top grilled shrimp recipes throughout the web, and came up with this delicious marinade.  I absolutely LOVE the flavors that combine in this dish!  The slightly spicy kick from the red pepper mixed with the sweet honey and fruity flavors, and mixed with the tart flavors from the vinegar, lemon juice, and shrimp were totally out of this world.  I never would have thought of using "fruity" flavors like applesauce and strawberry jam, but the result was so refreshing...the {perfect summer meal}.  I recommend serving this over rice, noodles, or salad.  I had this over a salad with chopped strawberries and goat cheese.  Best salad I've ever had.  My mom told me she'll definitely make this recipe instead of her "bottled" barbecue shrimp for now on.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons honey
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or two teaspoons dried)
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:

1. Whisk together the honey, olive oil, basil, strawberry jam, red pepper flakes, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and brown sugar in a small bowl. Place and shrimp into a large resealable plastic bag or a large container with a tight lid. Pour the marinade over the shrimp, seal the bag or container, and shake to coat (if lid of container isn't very sealed, you can just stir the shrimp/marinade mixture well); refrigerate for 1.5 to 2 hours.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
3. Thread the shrimp alternately on 8 metal or soaked wooden skewers.  Reserve sauce.
4. Cook the skewers on the preheated grill until the shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes per side, basting every 2 and a half minutes with the reserved sauce.  Serve hot.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This is the best coffee cake I've ever had!  And I know I say that a lot with all of my recipes ("this is the best           I've ever had!"), but I'm telling the truth! I only post the best of the best recipes for that specific food on my blog.  So I'm telling you again: this is the best coffee cake EVER.  It's seriously a hundred times better than anything I've ever had at Starbucks or other coffee shops.  It's so good with a [cup of coffee] in the morning.  It tastes best after it sits overnight because all the strawberry-cream cheese-almond flavor from the filling seeps into the almondy-buttery-cakey layer underneath.  Coffee cakes are generally supposed to be dry so that they soak up coffee well, but this is much more moist than any coffee cake I've ever had...it's almost more like a pound cake.  It also looks so pretty and would be the perfect addition to any brunch or holiday event. Or serve it as dessert! And because it calls for strawberry jam and not fresh strawberries, you can make it any time of year and bring a nice touch of spring to your table.  The only not-so-great thing about this cake is that there's definitely nothing "light" about it, but ---> it's worth every calorie-loaded bite.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons white sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 
  
• FILLING:
• 4 ounces (half a package) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 egg
• 5 tablespoons strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Remove 1/2 cup and set aside. To the remaining crumbs, add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the sour cream, half an egg and almond extract; mix well. Spread evenly in the bottom of a greased loaf pan.
2. For the filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and half an egg until blended. Pour over batter; spoon strawberry jam on top. Sprinkle with almonds and reserved crumbs.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean (do not over bake!). Let stand for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen before slicing or removing from pan.

***note: when warm/fresh from the oven, the almond taste is almost overpowering.  It settles down when completely cooled; for best results, I would recommend serving this at room temperature.

***You can also double this recipe and bake in a 9-inch spring form pan.  If doing this, you may need to bake it another 5-10 minutes longer.

Strawberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

I made these yesterday for a New Years Eve party and they were a big hit!  They're now one of my favorite cookies.   I seriously lost count of how many I ate.  They're so perfect; I would never change a thing about them.  I didn't think I liked shortbread, because the only ones I'd ever had before these were the Girl Scout ones, but WOW! They literally melt in your mouth...especially when they're still warm from the oven.  The touch of almond makes them taste absolutely INCREDIBLE. So even if you don't like shortbread, I bet you'll like these cookies.  My mom almost didn't let me take them because she wanted them for herself.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
•  
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons almond extract
• 3 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
3. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1.5 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.