Today is National Raspberries and Cream Day!

Please don’t confuse this momentous day of celebration with National Raspberry Cream Pie Day (that was August 1)… or National Raspberry Cake Day (that’s observed on July 31)… or National Raspberry Popover Day (long passed… May 3)… or National Raspberry Bombe Day (that’s not until next week).

(Come to think of it…who comes up with these “National Days” anyway?)

This is the day to buy pints and pints of beautifully luscious raspberries and pair them with rich, sweet cream for your own little bit of heaven on earth. Move fast because raspberry season officially ends in just a few weeks.

Raspberries are low in saturated fat and cholesterol and a great source of fiber, vitamin C and magnesium. But you won’t be thinking of that when you dive into these incredible Raspberry Whipped Cream Puffs.

I flavored the whipping cream with raspberry jam, which really makes the filling smooth and creamy (no seeds in sight but lots of raspberry flavor). You can make the puffs the day before and store them in an airtight container. Don’t fill them until just before serving so they don’t get soggy.

Now get moving! You have no time to waste…there’s another raspberry holiday right around the corner!

       Print this recipe.    

If you liked this recipe, here are some more great recipes with raspberries:

Coconut Raspberry Ice Pops

Black and Red Raspberry Tarts

Raspberry Jam Cookies

Pam asks: I followed your recipe for waffles, but they didn’t turn out crisp. Oh, and I added a mashed banana, too.

Well, Pam, it could be a couple of different things, which I’ll talk about in a bit… but I’m willing to bet adding the banana, without adding more flour, may have made the waffles a bit softer than you wanted.

But, I’ll bet they still had terrific flavor!

For every cup of mashed banana, add ¼ cup flour so your waffles can crisp up on the griddle. You only need to add extra flour if  you are using bananas. With most fruit, you can stir it right into the batter. I prefer topping the waffles with fruit, rather than adding it to the mixture, because the waffles can end up looking like something from the “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”  (if you use strawberries, for example).

Here are a few more waffle-related tips so you’ll have wonderful waffles:

• Make sure the waffle iron is clean before you begin… bits of  last month’s batch of waffles will burn (and a dirty appliance is incredibly gross).

• Use a waffle iron with a nonstick coating. If needed, brush with oil or anti-stick spray. Don’t over grease the griddle!

• Mix the batter in a pitcher to make for easier pouring. If the batter is in a bowl, use a measuring cup to equally portion out the batter.

• When pouring the waffle batter on the griddle, use just enough to fill the griddle compartment. Don’t overfill onto the middle separator or off the sides.

• Use chopsticks or wooden skewers to lift waffles from the waffle griddle to help keep the griddle scratch free.

• Keep waffles warm in a single layer on a rack in a 225°F oven. Don’t stack or wrap them… the steam will make them soggy.

• Clean your waffle iron (when it’s cool) with a toothbrush and a damp cloth. Don’t use abrasive cleaners and NEVER submerge an electric waffle griddle.

For light as air waffles: separate the egg and beat the whites to stiff peaks. Then fold the beaten whites into the batter.

For crispy thin waffles: increase the amount of oil by 1 to 2 teaspoons. Use just enough batter to coat the bottom of the waffle griddle.

My fresh vegetables always turn out soft after I cook them, even if I cook them for less time than I am supposed to. It doesn’t matter if I boil or steam them … they are always limp!

Limpness can be a drag… even when it comes to vegetables. But fortunately, there’s an easy solution, and one that will also bring more color to your plate, too.

What you add to the water will really affect the final appearance of the vegetables. Look at the chart below. For colors that really pop on the plate, try adding either an acid (like vinegar, citrus juice or milk) or salt to the water before boiling or steaming.

You’ve fixed the water, now it’s time to blanch the vegetables to get them perfectly al dente (tender, but firm with no hard core). Blanching means that you stop cooking the vegetables (either boiling or steaming) a few minutes before they are completely done.

Immediately after blanching, shock your vegetables by putting them into a bowl filled with ice and cold water. You can either drain the vegetables in a colander and then plunge them into the icy water… or remove the vegetables with tongs and drop them in the cold water. Shocking stops the cooking and keeps the colors bright.

After a few shocking minutes, drain the vegetables thoroughly (you don’t want soggy vegetables, remember?) and set aside until you are ready to finish them. Finishing means you reheat and season them by sautéing, glazing or adding a sauce. I like to keep it simple and drop them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds and then finish them with a few squeezes of lemon juice and a little bit of salt.

What you wind up with are beautiful, colorful vegetables that don’t droop when you pick them up… slightly crisp and delicious.