Desserts

Here are six yummy desserts to start your weekend off just right, including Molten Chocolate Cake and Quick Vegan Crock Pot Apple Crumble. Enjoy!

NUTELLA® GANACHE BROWNIES

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, “Next time you need a party dessert or just want to pamper someone special (you’re special, by the way), this is your recipe. Betty’s perfect brownies get topped with a glossy ganache and pretty sprinkle of toasted hazelnut for an impressive look that also hints at the secret ingredient: Nutella™! This delectable chocolate-hazelnut spread gets added to the ganache—a fudgy frosting made of chocolate and heavy cream—giving it extra chocolaty flavor, hint of nuttiness, and a lot of ooey-gooey texture. This simple ganache is made in the microwave, so it’s extra quick, and Betty’s brownies start with a mix, which means this spectacular dessert is actually super easy—only 15 minutes of hands-on time required!”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes; Servings: 16

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

1/2 cup Nutella® hazelnut spread with cocoa

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts), toasted, skinned

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.

Bake 28 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

In medium microwavable bowl, microwave hazelnut spread, chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on High 30 seconds. Stir; continue to microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth. Pour hazelnut mixture over baked brownie; spread over top. Sprinkle nuts over top. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until hazelnut mixture is set. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Expert Tips

Removing hazelnut skins can be time-consuming, but we’ve got a method that makes it efficient. Toast nuts at 375°F 10 to 12 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Then, pour nuts into clean kitchen towel, and gather tightly into a bundle. Rub vigorously with towel to remove skins.

If you want to skip a step, look for skinned hazelnuts. Hint: They’re sometimes called filberts. To toast skinned hazelnuts, set oven to 350°F. Spread skinned hazelnuts on ungreased baking sheet. Bake uncovered 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Keep a close eye on toasting nuts, as they can quickly become too dark.

No matter what, don’t skip the toasting step. It adds depth of flavor and brings out the richness of the nuts while also giving them a pretty warm brown color.

Microwave ovens vary, so carefully watch ganache mixture during this step. We highly recommend following the directions to help avoid burning.

The trick to cleanly removing brownies from the pan is to line it with foil. To easily do so, flip your pan upside down. Wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan, leaving a little extra length on either side—this length will serve as “handles” later—then cut your piece. When you turn the pan over, you’ll have the perfect-sized and preshaped piece of foil. After baking, allow brownies to cool completely before lifting out of pan by foil “handles.”

To serve clean-cut pieces, cut with sharp knife, and clean blade after each cut.

Nutella® is a chocolate-hazelnut spread usually found in the same aisle as peanut butter, jellies and jams.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is from Mark Bittman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Mark wrote, “Here is a can’t-fail version of the chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s warm, soft chocolate cake. He says more than a thousand of these cakes are made in his restaurants every day. The ingredient list is short — butter, chocolate, eggs, sugar and flour — and the video that accompanies this recipe shows exactly how the magic of the chocolate-oozing molten cake comes to be.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes

This was featured in “Operation: Mother’s Day”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014719-molten-chocolate-cake.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the molds

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

4 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons flour, plus more for dusting the molds

Preparation

Put the butter in a medium bowl and melt it in the microwave. Add the chocolate to the hot butter and stir until melted.

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, and add 2 more yolks (discard the extra whites). Add the sugar, and beat or whisk until light and thick, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and 2 teaspoons flour to the melted chocolate; beat until combined.

Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds or ramekins (make sure not to miss any spots, or the cakes will stick). Tap out the excess flour. Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate them for up to 3 hours; just bring them back to room temperature before baking.)

When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 450. Put the molds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cakes have puffed up a bit, the tops are barely set and the cakes still jiggle slightly when shaken, 7 to 9 minutes (better underbaked than overbaked). Let sit for 1 minute.

Put a plate on top of the ramekin and (with a potholder to protect your hand) carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let it sit for 10 seconds, then lift up the ramekin. Serve immediately, with ice cream, sorbet or whipped cream.

THE BEST EVER COCONUT PIE

This is from Diana Rattray, who writes for The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, "The pie is baked in a pastry crust.

"Unfortunately, custard-based pies don't freeze well, but it probably won't last long anyway!

"Use a frozen prepared crust, a refrigerated pie dough, or your favorite homemade pie pastry."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes; Total Time: 65 minutes; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 eggs (beaten)

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter (or margarine, melted)

4 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch salt

1-1/3 cups/3 ounces grated coconut

1 unbaked pie pastry (9-inch)

Whipped cream, to serve.

Directions

Gather the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a mixing bowl combine the beaten eggs with the sugar, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt; mix well.

Stir in coconut.

Then pour into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes.

Shield the crust edge with a pie shield ring or fashion one with aluminum foil and place over the edge. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes longer, until the filling is set and no longer jiggly.

As the pie bakes, a golden topping will form on the surface.

Chill thoroughly before serving.

Serve topped with whipped cream, and enjoy!

MADE-IN-THE-PAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

This wonderful vegan cake is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, "This surprisingly tender vegan chocolate cake is made entirely in an 8-by-8-inch baking pan: Just toss in the ingredients, stir until you don’t see any flour streaks, then bake. For flourish, add a small handful of chocolate chips before baking or sprinkle the finished cake with a little confectioners’ sugar. Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s 'Honest Pretzels: And 64 Other Amazing Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook,' this recipe was developed for kids, but adults love it, too. It’s an ideal snacking cake, or you could gussy it up with a simple ganache frosting."

Yield: 9 to 12 servings; Time: 45 minutes.

This was featured in "The Best Cookbooks for Kids", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020063-made-in-the-pan-chocolate-cake.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

2 tablespoons semisweet or vegan chocolate chips (optional)

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting on top (optional)

Preparations

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to an 8-by-8-inch square glass or metal baking dish. Whisk the mixture together until uniform in color. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps.

Add 1 cup water along with the oil, vanilla extract and vinegar. Stir slowly with a fork or a whisk in small circles to blend. Mash, scrape and stir with a fork and spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth and uniform batter.

Scrape the sides of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spread the batter in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using.

Use a damp paper towel to wipe the edges of the baking dish clean. Carefully transfer the dish to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter comes out mostly clean, 28 to 33 minutes. (Instead of looking like you dipped the toothpick in chocolate frosting, it should look like it has some chocolate cake crumbs clinging to it.)

Remove from the oven, let cool, then cut the cake into squares. If you’re feeling fancy, this tastes good (and looks pretty) with some confectioners’ sugar dusted on top.

QUICK VEGAN CROCK POT APPLE CRUMBLE

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “A quick and easy recipe for a vegan apple crumble (just like an apple crisp, if you prefer!) that you can make in your crockpot or slow cooker. Make sure to read the ingredients of whatever kind of granola you use, as many are not vegan.

“Refined sugar-free and vegan, this apple crumble or apple crisp recipe takes just minutes to prepare. It's made from fresh sliced apples sweetened with a bit of maple syrup (use real maple syrup, not bottled flavored corn syrup!) and topped off with a crumble granola, cinnamon and nutmeg topping. Using granola for the top of this apple crumble means that there's no bowls to get dirty and nothing to mix. Just sprinkle everything over the top of your crock pot or slow cooker.

“Like waking up to a hot and delicious breakfast or coming home to a sweet dessert already ready to go? You might also want to try this recipe for crockpot peach cobbler or scroll down for a few more vegetarian and vegan crockpot recipes including a few desserts.

“Enjoy!” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 8 hours; Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes; Yield: about 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Note: Jolinda’s Cranberry Peach Cobbler recipe follows immediately after this recipe.

Ingredients

4 apples, sliced

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp margarine

2 cups granola

Preparation

Place apples in your crock pot or slow cooker. Drizzle with maple syrup, spices and margarine, then cover with granola.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

CRANBERRY PEACH COBBLER

This also comes from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “Crock Pot Cranberry Peach Cobbler makes for a sweet breakfast treat or a light dessert. The cranberries add texture and color, making for a vibrant and tasty recipe. Serve your crockpot peach cobbler recipe plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan.”

I had found this years ago on About.com, which has since morphed into .dash (dotdash), which The Spruce Eats is part of. Unfortunately, this recipe doesn't seem to have transferred over with many of Jolinda's other recipes. But since it was definitely one of her's, I did want to give her credit for it.

Ingredients

5-6 peaches, sliced

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup water

3 tbsp melted margarine

3/4 cup brown sugar

Preparation

Toss the peaches in the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the cranberries, cinnamon and oats.

Place the water and peach mixture into the crock pot or slow cooker. Pour the the margarine over the peaches and and sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until peaches are tender.

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