I don't even really know how to start this post about my good friend
Courtney. I'm afraid that no matter what I say, it will sound trite and won't convey how much I adore her. She is truly one of the sweetest, most genuine, adorable, and all-around-awesome girls I've ever met. When you have really great friends like Courtney, the distance doesn't really matter so much. We talk almost every day via email and/or text, so it feels like she's right here in Atlanta sometimes. But it's extra awesome when you actually get to hang out in real life. And lucky me, I've gotten to hang out with her three times!
We were roomies at Blog Her Food in Atlanta last year, and of course we stayed up way too late all weekend talking and laughing. Then, I was able to randomly meet her for lunch one day as she was passing through Atlanta with her husband and adorable dog. And finally, last weekend, a few of our blogging friends turned real life friends surprised her with a visit to Richmond! It was a virtual-shower turned real-life-shower, and was awesome to say the least. I'll be posting more about our adventures next week.
Courtney is expecting a baby girl in just a few weeks, so today I am excited to host a virtual shower for my sweet friend. Below are all the dishes that her friends and blogging-buddies contributed, so be sure to visit their blogs for the recipes. And stop by
Cook Like a Champion to congratulate Courtney and Eric on their impending bundle of joy! They are going to make the best parents, and I can't wait for them to welcome their little girl into the world!
Amy of
Sing for Your Supper has a brand new baby girl herself, so she knows exactly what Courtney has to look forward to! She mixed up a
Virgin Peach Sangria to enjoy. This looks so fruity and refreshing, and perfect for a baby shower. I loved drinking mocktails when I was pregnant, and I still do. I can't wait to try this!
Nikki of
Pennies on a Platter made these adorable
Cream Puffs with Strawberry-Mascarpone Filling. I love this play on strawberry shortcake, and I never would have thought to serve cream puffs this way. So cute!
Annie from
Annie's Eats knew that the way to Courtney's heart is through southern food, so she made a sophisticated take on fried okra:
Okra-Cornmeal Cakes with Chevre and Roasted Tomatoes. I absolutely love everything about this dish, and I definitely plan on making it myself soon!
Cate from
Cate's World Kitchen made these pretty
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. I know the mom-to-be loves lemonade, so what better way to serve it than in a cupcake? Am I right?
Karin of This Wife Bakes is the cake queen, and she baked up this
Blood Orange Marmalade Cake I have never heard of blood orange marmalade, but I'm pretty sure I need it in my life stat.
Elly of
Elly Says Opa made these absolutely awesome looking
Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Meatball Crostini. Seriously, how amazing does that sound??
Our friend Branny from
Branny Boils Over made
Nutella Swirl Blondies. Courtney, Branny, and I were out for breakfast at Blog Her Food in May when Branny tasted Nutella for the first time. Obviously that is a milestone worth remembering in one's life, so these blondies are a perfect contribution. And how cute are they? I love individual-sized desserts!
Tara of
Smells Like Home went all out with these
Sweet and Salty Cupcakes. I love the combination, and I'm pretty sure I could eat my weight in these. I also happen to know that Courtney is a big fan of salted caramel, so these are right up her alley. Great job, Tara!!
Shannon of
The Curvy Carrot contributed these gorgeous
Mushroom and Mascarpone Tarts I absolutely adore mascarpone cheese, and anything with mushrooms is always going to be a winner. Love them!
These
Strawberry Shortcake Sliders from Ryan of
Ryan Bakes are so adorable! Miniature food is always more fun, isn't it?! How cute!
Amy from
The Gastronome Tart put together these
Savory Apple Galettes with a side salad. I love savory baking, and these look insanely delicious!
Kelsey from
Apple a Day baked up these gorgeous
Raspberry White Chocolate Tartlets. White chocolate and raspberry go so well together, and I know our sweet mom-to-be would absolutely love these pretty little desserts!
And finally, for my contribution. When we visiting Courtney last weekend and were walking around Whole Foods, she let it slip that she'd never tried Brie before. We promptly threw two wheels in her cart, and told her she needed to try it ASAP. So I knew I wanted to incorporate the delicious and creamy cheese into my dish for her virtual shower. These crab and brie stuffed musrooms are pretty much the bomb. Stuffed mushrooms of any sort are always a winner in my book, but stuff them with sweet crab and creamy brie, and you pretty much have the best thing ever. I know that Courtney would love these, and my only regret is that we can't enjoy them together. I miss you, friend! I can't wait to see you again, and I really can't wait to meet that sweet baby girl!!
Crab and Brie Stuffed Mushrooms
Pink Parsley Original
- 12-16 mushrooms
- 3 Tbs olive oil, divided
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced shallot
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese (cream cheese can be substituted)
- 2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cubed brie (brie, rind removed, cut into 1/4-inch cubes)
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup lump crabmeat, picked through for shells
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop them finely, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, toss the mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet, open-side up. Set the bowl aside to use for the filling.
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Saute the shallot and reserved mushroom stems until softened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the mascarpone cheese, and transfer the mixture to the bowl.
Mix in the parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan, brie, and panko. Lightly fold in the crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps, and bake 15-20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are browned and the filling is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the mushrooms before serving.
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