Here’s a recipe that’ll give you the sweet and simple taste of summer, Ginger-Lime -Watermelon Beer Cocktail.
For this recipe, you’ll want a lager like Dust Bowl Brewing Company’s Taco Truck or their namesake lager brew, or NA options like Athletic Brewing Company’s Mexican-Style Atlética or Golden.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups seedless watermelon, diced small
2 cup water, divided
½ – 1 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
32 oz Light or light-flavored beer
½ cup Ginger-Honey Syrup
Mint sprigs for garnish
Ginger-Honey Syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup water
4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled/chopped
Directions
Make Ginger-Honey Syrup: Combine honey, ginger and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil so honey fully dissolves. Remove pan from heat and allow to steep/cool at least 30 minutes and up to a day. Strain out ginger and transfer to a clean glass jar. Will keep in fridge for a month.
Blend watermelon and 1 cup water 10-20 seconds until puréed.
In a pitcher/large jar, mix watermelon juice, lime juice, ½ cup Ginger-Honey Syrup and beer.
Pour into serving glasses and garnish with mint sprigs.
Atole (“ah-toh-leh) is a popular beverage in Mexico, made with masa harina, cinnamon, brown sugar and milk or water. Folks enjoy it at breakfast, with an afternoon snack, lending a taste of tradition and comforting hominess to both every day and celebratory events like Day of the Dead and, with the Mascogos, Juneteenth.
It’s usually made with piloncillo, big brown cones of sugar. Here we use substitutes in case you don’t have an easy source for it.
Ingredients
5 cups combo of water/milk or unsweetened almond, oat, cashew milk
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
5 Tbsp sucanat panela, or combo of this and pitted medjool dates (sub 2 for each Tbsp panela)
½ cup masa harina
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1 –2 Tbsp Spicy Cocoa – like Equal Exchange
Directions
If using dates as part/all of sweetener, pit then soak 4 hours – overnight.
Blend all ingredients except vanilla and salt in a blender until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Note: If using Spicy Cocoa, lower the amount of other sweetener by 1-2 tsp per Tbsp used.
Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
When mixture reaches a boil, lower the temperature and whisk steadily for five minutes as masa harina thickens.
Remove atole from heat, stir in vanilla and pinch of salt. Adjust sweetness using reserved water from soaking dates, stirring well between each addition.
Best served immediately. Can be stored in fridge for up to two days; it’ll thicken so add a little water/milk before reheating.
Have you ever had this much fun in the kitchen without turning on the stove? Fresh berries come together with graham crackers, cinnamon-scented mascarpone and a hint of lemon in the blueberry filling.
Ingredients
3-4 cups fresh blueberries
13 oz blueberry jam
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 lemon – zested, then juiced
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
8 oz mascarpone
½ cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
12-14 graham crackers – about 3 sleeves
Directions
Set aside ¾ – 1 cup blueberries and ¼ of lemon zest for decoration.
Mix together blueberry jam, remaining blueberries, lemon juice and remaining zest.
Using an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip heavy cream for about 3 minutes, until medium-stiff peaks form. Remove and set aside in a separate bowl.
Add mascarpone, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt to mixing bowl. Whip about 2 minutes until smooth, scraping bowl down once halfway through.
Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone filling until completely combined.
Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream, making sure not to deflate it. Reserve about 1 cup of mascarpone filling in the refrigerator in an airtight container until cake is ready to serve.
Line 9” square baking dish with two pieces parchment paper to make a sling to remove finished cake, leaving some overhang to pull up on and release cake once chilled. Line the entire bottom of prepared baking dish with one layer graham crackers, cutting as needed to fit in snugly.
Spread half of remaining mascarpone filling evenly on top of graham crackers, followed by half of the blueberry mixture. Place another layer of graham crackers on top.
Repeat the process with one more layer mascarpone filling, then blueberry mixture and then another layer graham crackers.
Cover dish and refrigerator 8-12 hours. Transfer dish to freezer for 1 hour before serving.
When ready to serve, run a hot knife around cake edges to release it from the baking dish. Carefully lift cake from the pan and put on serving plate. Spread reserved mascarpone filling on top layer and decorate with reserved fresh blueberries and lemon zest.
Let cake sit about 10 minutes to soften before slicing/serving.
This recipe is delicious and fun, and if you can’t wait for the gingersnaps to get soft, you can enjoy it immediately.
Ingredients
9 – 10 oz tub So Delicious or TruWhip non-dairy whipped topping, thawed per instructions
6 – 8 oz lemon curd (we like Bonne Maman)
25 – 30 ginger snap cookies
6 oz raspberries
2 oz crystallized ginger pieces, chopped or sliced into strips, for garnish
Directions
Using a food processor, pulse ginger snaps into small chunks. If you’re using a baking dish instead of individual glasses, you don’t have to break the cookies into small chunks, or leave them whole.
Using individual glasses with about 1 ½ cups capacity/bowls or a 9” x 9” baking dish, place a layer of whipped topping. Use two spoons, one to scoop the topping from the tub and the other to scrape the topping off the other spoon and direct it where it needs to go to make the layer even. Repeat this two-spoon process with about 1/3 of the lemon curd, making coverage as even as possible.
Place a few raspberries, pushing them down slightly into the whipped topping/lemon curd along the edge so they’re visible and look pretty.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the ginger snap chunks/crumbs on top of everything else. Repeat this layering one or two more times, depending on how much room you have in your glasses/baking dish, finishing with a thin layer of ginger snap crumbs.
Place a dollop (or dollops of whipped topping if using a baking dish), on top of crumbs, and raspberries on top of each dollop. Place a few pieces of crystallized ginger near each raspberry in an attractive way.
Chill in refrigerator, covered, for at least 8-12 hours, so cookies soften into a cake-like consistency.
The bright flavor of cornmeal goes great with summer’s bounty of fresh peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cherries. And remember, raspberries and blackberries are stone fruits too!
Add in some orange zest for a gentle, warming zing.
Ingredients
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 Tbsp)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp salt
3 cups fresh stone fruits, pitted and sliced ½ inch
1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and ½ tsp salt. Cook/stir until the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, let cool slightly.
Arrange fruit in a circular pattern in bottom of skillet. Set aside.
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and ½ tsp salt in a small bowl.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment – or a hand mixer – beat remaining butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each addition.
On low speed, add half the dry ingredients, half the milk, the remaining dry ingredients, then remaining milk. Increase speed to medium, beat just until well mixed, scraping down bowl once. Make sure no dry ingredients are stuck at the bottom of the bowl.
Drop big dollops of batter over fruit, then smooth it out with a spatula without disturbing fruit.
Bake 40-45 minutes, until top is golden brown, puffed and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. With cake still warm, run butter knife around edges, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm.
Cookies for breakfast? When they’re cookies like this, why not!
These are perfect for anytime you need a quick grab-and-go snack.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
1 large egg
1/3 coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated apple
1 medium banana
1/3 cup chocolate chips, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone mat.
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder/soda, cinnamon).
In a small bowl, beat the egg. Add vanilla extract, honey, orange juice and melted coconut oil and stir together. Add this mixture to the large bowl with dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
Add grated carrot, grated apple and mashed banana. Stir again until everything is well mixed. Add in chocolate chips, if using.
Roll dough into 1″ balls, you should get about 20. Place each on cookie sheet and press down lightly with a fork.
