Recipes

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Pina Colada Pudding Cups

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. + chilling
YIELD: 8 servings

Betty May of Topeka, Kansas shares her recipe for a “dessert that is so simple but chock-full of refreshing pineapple and coconut flavor. A nice light treat
after a big meal with make-ahead convenience for busy hostesses.” 

Ingredients:

3 cups fat-free milk
2 envelopes whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)
2 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cans (8 ounces each) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
8 maraschino cherries

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk the milk, whipped topping and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and extract.
2. Spoon 3/4 cup pudding mixture into eight dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.
3. Sprinkle each serving with 1-1/2 teaspoons coconut and top each with a cherry.

Nutrition Facts:

3/4 cup: 149 calories, 3g fat (3g saturated fat), 2mg cholesterol, 321mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (24g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat.

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Pina Colada Pudding Shots

Pina Colada Pudding Shots transform a classic tropical cocktail into a delicious dessert. Filled with creamy rich flavor, they are a fun and festive way to get any party started!

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Chill Time: 1 hour 

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes 

 Servings: 12 2-Ounce Shots

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 8 ounces Cool Whip
• 1 cup Half and Half
• 1 cup Pina Colada Mix
• ½ cup White Rum
• Whipped Cream for garnish (optional)
• Maraschino Cherries (optional)
• Toasted Coconut (optional)
• Pineapple Chunks (optional)

Instructions:

• Place the pudding in a bowl and add the half and half, pina colada mix, and rum.
• Whisk until mixture is thickened.
• Fill up your pudding cups with the mixture. I used a frosting bag and tip at first, but then I moved to just using a spoon. It was much easier, quicker, and less messy with the spoon.
• At this point, you can either chill the shots for an hour and then garnish them before serving. Or, you can garnish and serve them immediately. This is totally up to you. Either way, enjoy!

Notes

Storage:If covered, these can store for about 4 days in the fridge.Tips:

• I think the shots taste better chilled. However, if you use cold liquids to make the mixture in the first place, it will remain cold enough to serve immediately, if desired.
• Do not garnish these shots before you chill them. If you make them ahead, just be sure to garnish them after they come out of the fridge, for best results.
• I like serving these shots with small spoons. It makes them easier to eat and is less messy than dumping them in your mouth!
• Do not go over the given liquid amounts. If you do, this can make the mixture too thin.

Nutrition:

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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Velveeta Just Released a Liquid Mac and Cheese Martini

"The Veltini" is available at BLT Steak in DC and home-delivery cocktail kits.

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NATIONAL PEACH ICE CREAM DAY | JULY 17

National Peach Ice Cream Day on July 17th sweetens the day with a few scoops at the peak of peach season. 

#PeachIceCreamDay

Since peaches begin peaking in July, this celebration comes just in time. It also lands right in the middle of National Ice Cream Month. So, it’s an excellent time to add peach ice cream to the growing list of flavors to choose from when it comes to frozen, creamy treats. 

Generally speaking, there are two types of peaches – freestone and clingstone. The difference has to do with how the flesh comes away from the stone or the pit in the middle of the peach. When the meat comes away freely from the stone, the peach is a freestone peach; if the flesh clings to it, it’s a clingstone.

While Georgia may be the first state to come to mind when we think of peaches, California actually leads the nation in production. In the United States, 20 states produce peaches commercially. Besides California and Georgia, the other two top producers are South Carolina and New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Washington grow a lot of peaches, too.

This sweet stone fruit makes delicious ice cream when it’s very ripe and full of peachy juices. However, you don’t have to use fresh peaches to make this ice cream. Buy frozen peaches if the grocery or farmer’s markets don’t have them in yet. The family will love making homemade ice cream together. The best part will be eating up the finished product on a hot summer day. 

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There are three main characteristics that would help you identify a sweet, juicy, ready-to-eat peach:

1. Color: 

This is important because you ought to know what you’re looking for! According to Farmer Al, “the real color you want to look for is the background color of the fruit and not the red, highlight.” The red color is deceptive because our brain is genetically evolved to think that the color red is delicious and sweet. He says, “Plant breeders have bred the color red into a lot of peaches grown around the world nowadays because it helps sell the fruit.” The real color you want to look for is yellow and it should be deep golden, not pale.

2. Touch: 

You can tell if a peach is ripe or not by a gentle, yet firm squeeze (not hard enough to bruise it) with your fingers. If there’s a little bit of a give there, then it means that the fruit is almost ripe but not quite. I would still leave such a peach on the kitchen counter for another 2-3 days till it is actually soft to very soft.

3. Appearance/Texture of Skin: 

This is the most telling of all three characteristics. You can tell that a peach is ready to eat by looking for signs of shriveled skin around the stem. When you see wrinkles, that's the sign of a really excellent peach. I had asked Farmer Al what the shriveling means and he explained that wrinkles develop on the skin when water starts to leave the fruit. “Water evaporates from fruit once it has been picked because the skin is very porous. It will shrivel and dry up and that will intensify the flavors and give you the best peach flavor," he explained.

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YIELD: 6

Peach Ice Cream (Quick and Easy Blender Recipe)

Quickest, easiest and most delicious peach ice cream.

PREP TIME5 minutes

ADDITIONAL TIME2 hours 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME2 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream 
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup (3 oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ⅓ cup sugar (this is on the less sweet side)
• 1 ½ large peaches cut into chunks
• (optional: cut the remaining half peach into tiny pieces, or save to garnish the ice cream)

Instructions

1. Pour the sugar into the lemon juice and stir well (it won't dissolve completely).
2. Pour the sweetened lemon juice into the blender.
3. Next, add the cream and milk into the blender container
4. Blend for about 20 to 30 seconds then add the pieces of peach.
5. Blend again for a few seconds. Pour into a metal pan and place in the freezer for about an hour. (Optional: if you'd like to add the remaining half a peach cut into tiny pieces, do so now. Just stir it into the creamy mixture in the pan.)
6. Remove from the freezer and stir with a spoon.
7. Repeat this two more times (twice in two hours.) You will see the mixture begin to take on the texture of ice cream.
8. When it's ready, scoop into bowls, cups, or cones. Serve with a peach slice, if desired.