Very yummy pie, but the way to make it totally irresistible is to make a Nutter Butter crust. Substitute splendor sweetener for the ranulated sugar, substitute a low sugar graham cracker crust or make your own no sugar chocolate cookie crust like I did using store bought chocolate cookies crumbs with melted butter and pressed into a pie plate. The whipped topping from the store is already low sugar and then top with pieces of sugar free Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and drizzled with sugar-free chocolate sauce my family and friends never knew when I served it up that it was low sugar until I told them. Also you can chop up peanut butter cups and fold them into the pie mixture. I used Whey Low powdered sugar, low fat natural peanut butter, skim milk, and Neuchâtel cheese. I love peanut butter pie with graham cracker crust and fudge layer. This peanut butter pie has a graham cracker crust, a thin layer of fudge, and a cream cheese - peanut butter filling. Beat lightly for a few minutes, pour into bottom of pie crust. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk. At you annual church dinner this will be the first to go, it’s that good. Once you sink your teeth into one of these pies you will keep coming back. This is such a good combination of a big cookies and peanut butter.

Directions in a large bowl, mix cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until creamy. Fold in whipped topping Pour into prepared pie crusts. Garnish this pie with chocolate curls, chopped nuts or chocolate syrup and enjoy - it’s a creamy and flavorful dessert or snack. You can have the cookie wrapped around the peanut butter cup it’s perfect. There are many different toppings you can use, peanut butter, chocolate chunk,Macadamia Nut Cookies. Top it any way you like, but mini chocolate chips seem to go so well with the peanut butter.

3 cups fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In an 8-inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add in the flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

=> Blueberry Muffin Recipe: Basic Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins taste great hot out of the oven with fresh butter on them.

1 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup white sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, stir together milk, egg, and oil. Add flour, baking powder, sugar, and blueberries. Gently mix the batter with only a few strokes. Spoon batter into cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

=> Blueberry Crumble Recipe: Easy Blueberry Crumble Pie

Blueberry crumble is a good ole country style recipe featuring blueberry pie filling, sugar and oats.

1 ( 6 oz.) Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 ( 21 oz.) can blueberry pie filling
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup quick cooking oats
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush bottom and sides of pie crust with egg yolk; bake on baking sheet until light brown, about 5 minutes.

Pour blueberry pie filling into crust.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and oats. Mix in melted margarine. Spoon over pie filling.

Bake on baking sheet for 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned.

When it comes to baking in the summer, fruit is often the centerpiece. Strawberries, mangoes, limes and a wide variety of melons are commonplace. Homemade cream mixed with berries also finds its way into many summertime desserts. Muffins and pastries with exotic fruit flavors also stand out this time of year. Then there are the cakes. From decadent to fun, there is an abundance of variety available when it comes to summertime cakes.

Using fruit for baking is wildly popular in the summer. The sweet juicy flavors refresh the palate and provide a wonderful touch to recipes that fit the warm weather. Making jam is also popular in the summer. Taking your favorite fruits and turning them into jams and preserves is not only delicious, but also relatively easy. It is a baking activity fit for the entire family. If you really want to make the activity outstanding, bake your own bread to go along with the jam. You can even bake the bread over a fire when you are out camping for a perfect culinary adventure. Pies are also a popular use for sweet, summertime fruits. If a classic pie does not quite fit your style, you can use piecrusts, cookie dough or even basic pizza dough to make fruit pizza. Make the dough yourself, use yogurt or a similar spreadable food for your sauce and spread fruit around the dough to make an irresistibly sweet delight.

Muffins and pastries are also very popular baked goods for the summertime. Mixing your favorite fruits into your favorite variety of muffin dough can make a perfect summer breakfast. Peaches, strawberries, raisins and bananas make for wonderful ingredients in your muffins and pastries with these fruits are a perfect baked good for your sweet tooth. Kiwi, pineapple and blueberries also go wonderfully in your muffins and pastries in the summertime.

A great part of summer baking is cakes. Fresh fruits find their way into cakes as well. Banana cakes, strawberry shortcake, pineapple cakes and others are all extremely popular when the weather heats up. Fruit filled cheesecakes also tend to be baked frequently in the summertime. Including ice-cream with your cakes is a great way to keep everybody cool. Another summertime trend is making cakes in exotic shapes. Whether it is a watermelon cake both in flavor and in design or a towering castle of confectionary delight, the options for cake design in the summer are infinite. Other popular elements of design are flowers, butterflies, vines and collections of fruit.

As if the fruit muffins, pastries and cakes are not enough, summertime baking also features includes ice cream. Bake some French toast or Belgium waffles then add your favorite ice cream, fresh fruits and any other toppings you may enjoy. You will have yourself a dish to cool the summer heat and delight your taste buds simultaneously.

When you have exhausted these recipes, you can try making your own scones or fried dough. Another option is to make your own jam to go with your dough. If there is still more that you want to do, try fondue. Melt some chocolate or peanut butter and add in your homemade jams, this allows you have all the dips you could need. Bake some fried dough, mix in fresh fruit, and dip it all together to liquefy your dessert.

Baking in the summer has endless possibilities. However, in the end it all boils down to using a wide variety of fresh fruits. Whether you are making jam, bread, muffins, pastries, and cakes or enhancing your ice cream, the key to baking in the summer is in the fruit.

1 cup vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix softened ice cream with flour. Fold in blueberries. Spoon mixture into six greased muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Brush muffin tops with butter and sprinkle on sugar while muffins are still hot. Serve warm.

For people who are on a diet, a very important information about blueberries is that it is one of the best ways of reducing belly fat as compared to any type of low fat diet. As there are so many health benefits of blueberries, it is important that they should be made a part of your daily diet. However, eating blueberries everyday may make you feel tired of it and therefore, it is better to try out certain recipes with blueberries. One such idea is blueberry muffins which are perfect for breakfast or even for a quick snack in the evening. Though most people use muffin mixes to make muffins at home, I say that blueberry muffins from scratch are the best. Prepackaged mixes may have certain ingredients that are not good for health and moreover, if you try making them, you will also get the satisfaction of making the muffins all by yourself. So, here are some blueberry muffin recipes from scratch that you and your family will truly enjoy.

How to make Blueberry Muffins from Scratch

Blueberry Muffin with Almond

This blueberry muffins recipe from scratch gets its delicious taste from the combination of blueberry and almonds.

Ingredients

* 16 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries
* 2 large eggs
* 4 ounces milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 ounces butter
* 3 teaspoons sugar + ½ teaspoon cinnamon
* ¼ teaspoon almond extract
* 8½ ounces whole wheat flour
* 5 ¼ ounces sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Take butter in a large mixing bowl and blend it well with sugar till the mixture becomes fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, stirring after every addition. In another medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder together. Once all these ingredients are blended thoroughly, transfer them to the larger bowl which has the creamed mixture. Add the vanilla and milk and continue stirring till the whole mixture becomes smooth and then add the blueberries. Grease the muffin cups with a vegetable oil spray and fill them with the batter. Dust each of the muffin cup with cinnamon sugar and bake in 375 degrees preheated oven for at least thirty minutes. Keep them for cooling on a rack for ten minutes, after which try to remove them with a knife. If they crumble, keep them cooling for some more time, otherwise, take all the muffins and keep them for cooling completely on a wire rack before serving.

Blueberry Muffins with Orange

This is one of the blueberry muffins recipes that has the tangy taste of orange.

Ingredients

* 12 ounces blueberries, frozen or fresh
* 8 ounces oatmeal, uncooked
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 8 ounces vegetable oil
* 8 ounces sugar
* 3 beaten eggs
* 3 teaspoons orange peel, grated
* 8 ounces orange juice
* 4 ounces walnuts, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 ounces, all purpose flour
* 1/3 cup sugar
* ½ teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Take uncooked oatmeal in a medium sized mixing bowl, mix it with orange juice and keep aside. In another mixing bowl, mix baking powder, flour, sugar and baking soda. Create a hole in the center and pour beaten eggs, oatmeal mixture and oil into it. Stir continuously till all the ingredients blend well. Once the muffin batter becomes moistened, add the orange peel and the blueberries. Grease muffin cups or tins and pour the muffin batter into it. Take chopped walnuts, cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and garnish the muffin cups with them. Place the muffin tins in the oven and let it bake at a temperature of 400 degrees F. After 15-20 minutes, take them out and conduct the toothpick test to see whether the muffins are fully baked.

Cheese Blueberry Muffins Recipes

This blueberry muffins from scratch recipe is a little different as it has delicious cheese filling.

Ingredients

* 32 ounces all purpose flour
* 4 ounces butter/margarine
* 16 ounces blueberries
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 8 ounces sugar
* 16 ounces milk
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* 2 eggs

For Filling:

* 1/3 cup sugar
* 8 ounces softened cream cheese
* dash of salt
* 1 egg

Directions

Combine all the dry ingredients, including baking powder, flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Beat together eggs, butter and milk in another bowl and add the whole thing into the the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Put in the blueberries and set aside. To prepare the filling, take cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt in a small bowl and mix together until all the ingredients are fully blended. Pour two tablespoons of muffin batter into greased muffin cups, followed by one teaspoon cream cheese mixture and again with the muffin batter. Place the muffin cups in the oven and bake at a temperature of 375 degrees F for at least 20 minutes. Let it cool for ten minutes before use.

Rice is a grain that is naturally gluten free. Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps is a favorite gluten free snack which will help satisfy that need for crunchy foods. They’re packed with amazing flavor in every bite and you can eat them plain or with your favorite gluten free dip.

Rice Chex can be used to make many healthy and low calorie gluten free snacks. General Mills has replaced the barley malt in this cereal with molasses making it gluten free. Combine this cereal with honey, ginger, banana chips, and almonds then bake it in the oven for a healthy low calorie snack.

Carrot muffins can be made with brown rice flour and you can lower the calories if you use the natural sweeteners found in raisins and other fruits instead of sugar or sugar substitutes. Try a twist on these muffins by using bananas, pumpkin and blueberries for a great low calorie taste.

Many companies are now offering low calorie, low carb, and sugar free snacks that are gluten free. Some of these prepared snacks are flax seed mixes, garlic crackers, cheese chips, almond crunches, and rosemary cheese snacks. You can find a multitude of these types of products online.

Here are two snacks and appetizers that are low in calories and gluten free.

• Baked banana bread using chia seeds and whey.
• Mushroom appetizers can be made with gluten free ingredients and stay yummy yet gluten free and low in calories.

For hot snacks, use your imagination and combine black or other beans or soy products with salsa or Pico de Gallo. These create a wonderful dipping sauce that can be used with gluten free crackers or tortilla chips. Good for afternoon snacks or party appetizers, these are filled with flavor.

Put a twist on your snack biscuits by using ingredients such as yogurt, lemon zest, and flax seeds.

Other great snacks that are gluten free and low calorie include:

• Dried fruits and nuts
• Rice crackers with tomato or salsa
• Low fat microwave popcorn
• Fresh fruits

Looking through your local health or grocery store you can also find gluten free low calorie snack bars and tasty treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.

There are many ways to enjoy gluten free snacks that are also low in calories. Your entire family will enjoy low calorie and gluten free snacks and at the same time will be eating healthy and interesting flavors. Search the Internet, buy a cookbook, talk with friends or start your own gluten free, low calorie blog to keep your diet low in calories and carbs while still enjoying delicious gluten free foods.

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup warm water
1 (1/4 ounce active dry yeast)
2 eggs beaten
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cup confectioners sugar
Whole candied cherries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease a 1 1/2 quart mold pan or a deep cake pan then dust with flour Scald 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan, stir in sugar, salt and butter until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted them cool to lukewarm. pour warm water into a large bowl sprinkle yeast into warm water, stir until yeast is dissolved.

Add lukewarm milk mixture eggs and flour, beat vigerousely for 5 minutes, cover and let rise in a warm place free from draft for 1 1/2 hours or until double in bulk Beat in almonds, raisins, and lemon rind.

Pour batter into prepared pan, bake for 50 minutes.Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes then remove from pan and finish cooling. Beat confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl to form a glaze. Place cake on a serving platter and drizzle glaze on top and decorate with cherries.

Recipe 1 - Blueberry and Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients (makers 12):

200 g blueberries;
6 large strawberries, halved;
1 apple, grated;
220 g plain flour;
2 teaspoons baking powder;
1 egg;
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk;
3/4 cup vegetable oil;
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease muffin tin with oil.

2. Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon and stir in sugar.

3. Mix egg, milk and oil together.

4. Make a well in center of flour and stir in liquid mixture.

5. Add blueberries, grated apple and strawberries and combined well.

6. Spoon mixture into individual muffin tins. Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

7. Remove from tray and serve slightly warm with butter and jam.

Recipe 2 - Peach Melba

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 fresh peaches or canned peaches;
250 ml water;
80 g fine sugar;
Juice of one fresh lime;
1 tablespoon sweet liqueur;
1 tablespoon fine sugar;
Small tub of vanilla ice cream;
Small packet of walnuts/macadamia nuts.

Methods:

1. Cook the peaches in boiling water for one minute or until fairly soft.

2. Peel and remove the seeds. Cut the peaches in half. Do not discard the water.

3. Add in 80 g of fine sugar to the same water in the pan. Bring to boil.

4. Poach the peaches for about 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Remove and refrigerate the peaches.

6. Add in liqueur and lime juice to make syrup. Add in more sugar if needed.

7. Scoop ice cream into dessert bowls, place half a peach in each bowl, over the ice cream and pour in some of the syrup.

I hope you will find these two snacks both tasty and healthy. With your creativity coupled with some research, I am sure you may come up with your own recipes using other purple-colored and orange-colored fruits to prepare delicious and healthy snacks.

Select a low-fat hot cereal. Find a breakfast cereal that will take a while to digest. Sugary cereals that are not warm don’t help to keep you feeling full. Instead, why not try oatmeal - don’t add sugar. Cooking your oatmeal in apple juice instead of water can make it more palatable. Opt for fruit like blueberries or peaches and mix them into your oatmeal - that is a perfect start to your day.

Eat some eggs. Eggs are a good breakfast food. They can be cooked in a variety of ways and they are high in protein. They also contain lots of vitamins B and K as well as folic acid. Eggs will be the best for you when consumed poached or boiled, although if you want to feel like you ate more, scrambled eggs, omelets and eggs that are sunny side up will do the trick. Be careful about side dishes - go for lean ham or turkey bacon instead of regular bacon to keep it healthy.

Bran muffin. All muffins are not made equal! Obviously there are healthy and unhealthy muffins. If you have a muffin for breakfast, you want one that has a range of wholesome ingredients that will last you all morning. For a healthy breakfast, try a muffin made from bran - make sure it’s not dripping in butter! Pretty much any muffin made with whole wheat flour and just a little sugar is a healthy breakfast option. This is a convenient and portable and healthy breakfast that is going to last much longer than any bowl of sugary cereal!

Another outstanding alternative for that all-important first meal of the day is cereal, but make it one of the good kinds, not that sugar fluff. There are just as many healthy cereal options as unhealthy ones, so find one that is 100% whole grain. Become accustomed to reading the side of the box where the ingredients are listed. A good breakfast cereal has no more than 5gms of sugar per serve. See if you can find one that contains at least 4 gms of fiber per serve too. Some good options are Bran Flakes and Kashi GoLean.

Low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt can be good also. Eating a breakfast which consists of diary products and eggs will keep you satisfied longer. So you may want to get either some low-fat or fat-free yogurt. Buy the variety that is made with as little sugar as possible. The more fruit you put into your diet, the better! Cottage cheese is also full of protein and tastes great with sugar-free applesauce and fresh fruit. This will help you to create a nutritious breakfast that will keep you satisfied until lunch.

When your body retires in the evening, it slows your metabolism while you sleep as your body, rests, relaxes and slowly works on repairing damaged muscle. Upon awakening, your body needs to refuel in order to give you the energy necessary to get through a hectic day filled with work, errands and family responsibilities.

Eating breakfast is a great way to jumpstart your entire system by raising your metabolism and “turn everything on” for the rigors of the day ahead.

It is true, eating breakfast can make you smarter, healthier, more creative, more patient, more energetic, plus it can even help you live longer!

Eating a well-balanced and nutritious breakfast can also set the tone for everything else you eat throughout the day. If you grab a donut on the way out the door in the morning, the odds are you will have sugar rush that lasts just long enough to get to work and get started on your first project, but then a decrease in glucose levels will send you hunting for a quick snack before midmorning, followed by lunch at noon. People who take the time to eat a good breakfast normally don’t need much of a snack in the morning and when they do, they are more apt to grab something that’s good for them like an apple or banana.

What if you’re simply not hungry? Should you force yourself to eat breakfast? Yes! One way to ensure that you will be hungry in the morning is to avoid that late night nibbling.

To begin your day on the right nutrition path, remember to include plenty of fruit, fiber and protein in your breakfast choices. But avoid fatty foods such as bacon, sausage and fried potatoes.

Here are a few additional breakfast tips:

Make Breakfast simple. Mornings are hectic, so make breakfast easy by laying out everything you need the night before. Eat easy to grab items like low-fat yogurt, whole-wheat muffins and bagels and lots of fresh fruit. Cereal is a good choice to, as long as it is high in fiber and low in sugar. Top it with some fresh blueberries, strawberries or banana, along with a glass of orange or cranberry juice and you” have already satisfied nearly half of your fresh fruit requirements for the entire day!

Avoid prepackaged bakery items such as Danish, donuts, croissants, etc

In a hurry?

Grab a half a bagel and an apple to eat on the way.

Your mother always told you it was important, and now you know the truth - she was right - breakfast is the most important meal of your day!