Posts filed under ‘Dessert’
Recipe of the Week – Kentucky Dark Fruitcake
(From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Kentucky Dark Fruitcake
Frequent readers will recall that I try to create recipes that mimic what people tell me they had and liked. It has become a game for me to take a description of a cake or cookie or meal that I have not had and probably not even seen and make it. This is how I got the “urge” to try to re-create this dark, moist fruitcake that my mother-in-law has mentioned on recent trips back to New Jersey. She tells me she had it as a child and didn’t think back then to get the recipe. Researching all the options on the internet and asking my neighbor for any she has from growing up near Lexington, KY, I came up with a few that looked promising.
My instructions from my mother-in-law were that the cake was very dark, very moist and had some seeds in it. My first try came out really good tasting but a little dry and too light in color to pass the test. The second try came out just right, or just right as far as I think. The proof will be after my m-i-l receives her pieces in the mail (going out today) and lets me know how I did.
If you haven’t had this as a child you should give this recipe a try. It is about perfect for those lazy coffee and morning-bread summer breakfasts on the deck or as dessert with a little cinnamon ice cream on the side.
Kentucky Dark Fruitcake
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 0.5 | cup | raisins |
| 0.5 | cup | Dates, dried, chopped |
| 0.5 | cup | figs, chopped |
| 2 | Tb | bourbon, Jack Daniels |
| 1 | cup | butter, unsalted |
| 1 | cup | sugar, brown |
| 2 | large | egg |
| 0.33 | cup | molasses |
| 1 | cup | blackberry, jam |
| 8 | oz | apple sauce |
| 1.75 | cups | flour, all-purpose |
| 0.5 | cup | flour, whole wheat |
| 0.5 | tsp | baking soda |
| 2 | tsp | cinnamon. ground |
| 0.5 | tsp | allspice, ground |
| 0.5 | tsp | cloves, ground |
| 0.5 | tsp | nutmeg, ground |
| 1 | cup | pecans, toasted |
| 2 | oz | bourbon, Jack Daniels |
Combine raisins, chopped dates and chopped figs in a bowl with the bourbon; allow to sit for an hour, stirring occasionally. Cream butter with brown sugar, beat eggs and combine with jam, molasses and apple sauce. Add slowly to the butter mixture and mix. In a separate bowl combine the flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and the spices and add to wet mixture. Mix to combine, add the raisins, dates and fig along with the toasted, chopped pecans and stir to blend. Spoon into a greased and floured bundt pan, bake at 375 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes; until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool prior to serving. You may sprinkle additional bourbon on the top at this time.
More breakfast ideas and some bourbon ideas at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Strawberry Pie
(From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Strawberry Pie
We are spoiled; strawberries are available all year-long in the local grocery. I love strawberries. One of my earliest memories is climbing into my aunt’s backyard growing up and eating the fresh strawberries in June. She would come out with a bowl of sugar and we would dip the fresh, ripe, red berries in the sugar bowl and our chins would be covered with juice. I must have been all of 3 at the time.
It’s hard to walk through the market and not pick up a quart of strawberries. This weekend there was a special on them so I picked up 3 quarts. My mind was set on making a strawberry pie. We were unable to find any gelatin so I tried with pectin; not a good idea. Good idea for jam not for pies. Not to be deterred I found the gelatin today and started over. Here is the result of my efforts. While the first one was tasty and really, really juicy the second hit right on the mark.
I guess practice makes perfect. Maybe you should get a little practice in; your family will love you for it!
Strawberry Pie
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 10 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1 | recipe | Pie Dough |
| 3 | qt | strawberries, sliced |
| 2 | cups | sugar, granulated |
| 1 | Tb | gelatin |
| 2 | Tb | lemon, juice of |
| 2 | oz | water |
| 1 | Tb | sugar, finishing |
Prepare a baked pie crust. Heat 2/3rds of the sliced strawberries; retaining remaining for decoration, in a pot on medium heat. Add sugar and cook until the strawberries cook down and the sugar forms a syrup, about 20 minutes. In a separate bowl mix the gelatin, lemon juice and water; add to the cooked berries. Allow to cool. Spoon into the pie crust and cut the remaining berries in half and place around the top of the pie. Sprinkle the finishing sugar over the top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
More great pies and desserts at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Quick Strawberry Pastry
(From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Quick Strawberry Pastry
I usually like to make everything from scratch but once in a while I “cheat” to save time. With 14 coming for brunch on Easter I am looking for any opportunity to make a great dessert with as little time invested as possible. This recipe uses vanilla pudding and frozen puff pastry dough. Add some strawberries and a bit of whipped cream and you have a dessert worthy of the best corner bakery. You don’t have to tell anyone it was quick and easy.
I like easy; I think you will too!
Quick Strawberry Pastry
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 0.5 | package | puff pastry, frozen |
| 1 | box | instant pudding, vanilla |
| 1 | pt | strawberries, whole |
| 1 | Tb | sugar, granulated |
| 1 | 7 oz can | whipped cream, canned |
| 1 | Tb | sugar, powdered |
Cut one sheet of frozen puff pastry into thirds, thaw and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cut strawberries in half and place in bowl, sprinkle sugar on top. Make pudding according to instructions on the box.
To assemble: Cut each puff pastry into a top and bottom piece. Place 1/3rd of the pudding in each bottom ,spread evenly, place 1/3rd of the strawberries on top of pudding. Spread whipped cream evenly on top of berries. Cover with pastry top and sprinkle with powered sugar. Cut in 6 pieces and serve.
More great desserts at emealsforyou.com. now with a new lower subscription price.
The Ultimate Chocolate Cake
(From the Dessert Collection at emealsforyou.com)
Chocolate Cake
- Try this cake when you need to feed a crowd or just want to see if you can eat enough chocolate cake to get it out of your system.
Mary’s Special Birthday Cake
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | N/A |
| 3 | oz | chocolate, semi-sweet bits |
| 1.5 | cup | coffee, fresh brewed |
| 3 | cup | sugar, white |
| 2.5 | cup | flour, all-purpose |
| 1.5 | cup | cocoa powder, unsweetened |
| 0.75 | tsp | baking powder |
| 2 | tsp | baking soda |
| 1.25 | tsp | salt, table |
| 3 | large | egg |
| 0.75 | cup | oil, vegetable |
| 1.5 | cup | buttermilk |
| 0.75 | tsp | vanilla |
| 1 | lb | chocolate, semi-sweet bits |
| 1 | cup | cream, heavy |
| 2 | Tb | sugar, white |
| 2 | Tb | corn syrup, light |
| 0.25 | cup | butter, unsalted |
Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease pans (two 10 inch cake pans or three 9 inch cake pans), line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and grease paper.
Place chocolate in a bowl and combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes ) Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature. Ckae may also be frozen at this point.
Make frosting:
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency.
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature to serve.
Also try the Flourless Chocolate Cake for a Gluten-free chocolate cake at emealsforyou.com a full year of meal planning with shopping lists for $17.95.
Creme Brulee or What to do with all those extra egg yolks
From the Dessert Category at emealsforyou.com.
Creme Brulee
After I made the Strawberry Angel Cakes I was left with a ton of egg yolks. I just couldn’t dump them down the drain so I decided to make some Creme Brulee. This is a very easy recipe and worth the few minutes it takes to make it. I dressed it up with a sliced strawberry. The crunch that the caramelized sugar makes on top adds up to a special dessert that everyone will love and they don’t have to know you were just being frugal.
Creme Brulee
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 6 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 1 | large | egg |
| 4 | large | egg, yolks |
| 0.5 | cup | sugar, white |
| 2 | cups | cream, half and half |
| 1 | cup | milk, 2 % |
| 3 | Tb | sugar, white |
| 1 | tsp | vanilla |
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the half and half and milk in a small saucepan until it’s very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. (Internal Temperature of 170 degrees) Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
Sprinkle .5 Tb of sugar on top of each creme brulee and place under the broiler until just starting to brown. Carefully, very hot, remove from broiler and cool to serve.
Look for more great and easy recipes at emealsforyou.com.
Strawberries – Year-Round
From the Dessert Category at emealsforyou.com.
Strawberry Angel Food Cakes
Ever have one of those days? Well I am working on day 2 of one of those days. I originally thought about writing about Bourbon Slushes, but then I thought you would think I was taking the easy way out. Anyway, growing up we had strawberries at the most a couple of months out of the year, usually sometime between March and May. Now the strawberries, and I am talking pretty good strawberries are available all year round. I am not sure just where they are coming from, Chile or Florida or wherever, but those pretty little fruits are plentiful and sweet.
Here is a recipe for individual strawberry short cakes, at least we called it strawberry short cake, even though it wasn’t short or crunchy but soft as an angel’s pillow.
BTW – if you want that Bourbon Slush recipe send me an email; just click on the email chef jake on the top, right corner of the blog homepage.
Angel Food Cakes
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | Other (General) |
| 1.75 | cup | sugar, white, divided |
| 0.25 | tsp | salt, table |
| 1 | cup | flour, cake |
| 12 | large | egg, whites |
| 0.33 | cup | water |
| 1 | tsp | vanilla |
| 1.5 | tsp | cream of tartar |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt and the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.
In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, vanilla, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes, checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).
Cool at least an hour before removing from pan.
Fill with berries or fruit.
More of these at emealsforyou.com.
Recipe of the Week – Biscotti
From the Dessert Category at emealsforyou.com.
Biscotti
Colds and the flu have wrecked our attempts at weight loss; well these and the football playoffs, Super Bowl and maybe Valentine’s Day. Tough as it is to lose weight once you start down the path of small indulgences it is doubly tough to get back on the weight loss bandwagon. A good way to ease into watching your weight again is to allow yourself an occasional treat. This may sound counter intuitive but really when you are “jonesing” for a hot fudge sundae a single miniature snickers bar may take the edge off. With this in mind I offer up the biscotti; crunchy, a little sweet, a little nutty, the perfect snack for those of us who are dreading the fashion challenge that is called Spring.
Try these, as Julia would say, “in moderation”. Bet you can eat only one.
Biscotti
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 8 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | Party Dessert Tray (Theme Meal Plans) |
| 0.75 | cup | almonds, whole |
| 0.66 | cup | sugar, white |
| 2 | large | egg |
| 1 | tsp | vanilla |
| 0.75 | tsp | baking powder |
| 1.75 | cup | flour |
| 0.125 | tsp | salt, kosher |
| 4 | oz | chocolate, semi-sweet bits |
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly toast almonds on cookie sheet in oven for 8 minutes. Beat eggs and sugar together until pale and thick (5 minutes). Add in vanilla and mix quickly. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl; add to egg mixture and blend. Fold in nuts and chocolate bits. Place dough on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper; wet hands and shape dough into a log 3” X 12”. Bake in oven until lightly brown about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool. Cut biscotti on a diagonal into ½” wide strips, place cut side down back on parchment papered sheet and bake 10 minutes, turn over and bake 10 more minutes.
Look for more ideas for fitting into that bathing suit at emealsforyou.com.
The Super Bowl of Desserts – Croissant Bread Pudding
From the Dessert Category at emealsforyou.com.
Croissant Bread Pudding
I have been going over the options for desserts for the many Superbowl parties my readers are planning. I wanted something that was easy to make in advance, serve a ton of people and something that the “guys” would like. The bread pudding comes together in a few minutes and once it is baked you can serve it warm or at room temperature. You can leave it out for the duration of the game and your guests will be able to serve themselves; freeing you up to watch as much of the game as you wish.
Whether you are serving wings, pizza or a full course meal this is one dessert that everyone will appreciate. Besides, after all that beer a little bourbon poured over the top of the bread pudding is a welcomed change.
Croissant Bread Pudding
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | New Neighbors (Share-a-Meal Plans) |
| 3 | large | egg |
| 8 | large | egg, yolks |
| 5 | cup | cream, half and half |
| 1.5 | cup | sugar, white |
| 1 | Tb | cinnamon. ground |
| 1.5 | tsp | vanilla |
| 1 | cup | raisins |
| 2 | oz | bourbon, Jack Daniels |
| 6 | large | croissants |
| 1 | spritz | PAM |
Slice croissants and leave on counter overnight. Mix all remaining ingredients in large bowl. Dip croissants in the mixture, place in a large, greased, oven-proof pan, and pour remaining mixture over the top. Bake 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until lightly brown. Pour a little more Jack Daniels over the top to serve.
More Super desserts at emealsforyou.com.
Who Says Gluten Free is Boring?
From the Dessert Category at emealsforyou.com.
New York Style Cheesecake
I was mixing the ingredients for a cheesecake to serve along with my other desserts for the holidays when it dawned on me that there was no flour in the recipe. Now I have made this cheesecake for about 20 years and never given it a thought. With my current efforts to create recipes and mealplans for those who have serious difficulties planning meals without ingredients that most of us take for granted; I have become, I hope, more cognizant of their needs. A month or so ago I highlighted a recipe of the week, Flourless Chocolate Cake and got many responses from gluten intolerant readers. It didn’t dawn on me at that time that the cheesecake was also gluten-free; maybe because it doesn’t say Flourless Cheesecake.
If this cheesecake is boring, then let me be bored.
NY Style Cheesecake
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Meal: | Holiday Dinner (Celebration Meal Plans) |
| 48 | oz | cream cheese |
| 8 | large | egg |
| 4 | large | egg, whites |
| 2 | cup | sugar, white |
| 2 | tsp | vanilla |
Have everything at room temperature. Mix together until very smooth. Pour into springform pan, place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit ( in oven) for 1 hour. This is best if made the day before and refrigerated over night.
Add any topping you wish.
This recipe serves 12; if you scale the recipe to 8 or less bake 20 minutes less.
More Gluten-free, Diabetic Healthy and Low Sodium recipes at emealsforyou.com.
Christmas Baking
From the Bread Category at emealsforyou.com.
Palmiers
The whole gang is coming for Christmas this year and I thought I would solicit requests for desserts for the various celebration meals. The only problem with this theory is that I like to please everyone so we will have about 7 or so desserts by the time Christmas rolls around. I find that one recipe, say for a key lime pie, will call for 6 egg yolks. That leaves me with 6 egg whites. What to do with the egg whites? This goes on and on until I have a fridge full of baked goods and my “big” pants don’t fit anymore.
Just for the record here is what I have so far: chocolate fudge, butter cookies, hazelnut toffee, Fleur de Sel caramels, a tart shell made from the cookie dough and chocolate macaroon jam tarts. I have a cheesecake and a pecan pie left to go. This doesn’t take in to consideration the sweet rolls, sticky buns, muffins, date nut bread and palmiers set to go for breakfasts. If you think you are overwhelmed you should see my kitchen floor.
Here is the easy recipe for the palmiers; you can find the other recipes over at emealsforyou.com
Have a great holiday!
Palmiers
| Complexity: | Easy |
| Serves: | 12 |
| Category: | Breads |
| Meal: | other (General) |
| 2 | cups | sugar, white |
| 1 | pinch | salt, kosher |
| 1 | package | puff pastry, frozen |
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Allow puff pastry sheets to thaw until you are just able to unfold them. Mix the salt into the sugar. On a very clean work surface spread one fourth of the sugar mixture evenly to approximate the size of the unfolded pastry sheet. Place one sheet of the pastry over the sugar and sprinkle another fourth of the sugar evenly on the top of the pastry. Roll the sugar into the pastry until the pastry is 13 inches by 13 inches and the sugar is pressed into the pastry. Gently fold one edge of the pastry halfway to the center; repeat with the other side. Fold them both again to meet in the center. Now fold the pastry in half. Cut into 3/8 inch slices, cut side up, and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Repeat the procedure with the other sheet of puff pastry.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden. May be frozen and gently reheated in a warm oven to serve.
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