Desserts

Today's desserts include a little of this, a little of that (and a whole lot of yumminess) to get the week started off just right. Check out the Frozen Lemonade Pie, the No-Bake Chocolate Mousse Bars, or the Puff Puff (even the name sounds yummy!), as well as the rest of today's recipes. Enjoy!

MANGO AND PINEAPPLE CRUMBLE

This was posted at Vegetarian Times on July 11, 2019, and begins, “A home-style dessert gets a tropical twist by baking spiced mangoes and pineapple beneath a crunchy crumble topping. Serve with non-dairy, vanilla ice cream.”

Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup plus 3 Tbs. packed light brown sugar, divided

1-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

3/4 tsp. grated nutmeg, divided

1/4 tsp. ground allspice, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

5 Tbs. chilled vegan margarine, cut into pieces, divided

1/2 cup raw pecans, coarsely chopped

2 Tbs. unsweetened shredded coconut

3 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch cubes (2-1/2 cups)

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes (2-1/2 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 8-inch-square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. allspice, and salt in medium bowl. Add 4 Tbs. margarine, and rub with fingertips until mixture forms coarse meal. Press together until mixture begins to form moist clumps. Stir in pecans and coconut.

Combine remaining 3 Tbs. brown sugar, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp. allspice in large bowl. Add mangoes and pineapple, and toss to coat. Transfer to prepared baking dish; dot top with remaining 1 Tbs. margarine. Sprinkle oat topping over mango mixture.

Bake 40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and juices bubble. Cool 10 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE BARS

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Samantha wrote, “Ethereal and ready to melt in your mouth, chocolate mousse bars are easy to make and even easier to eat. With so few ingredients, it’s important to use a chocolate you would be perfectly happy to snack out of hand. The instant espresso powder is optional but adds depth to this simple dessert. To cut beautiful, neat slices, use a long sharp knife warmed in hot water and wiped clean before each cut.”

Yield: 24 servings; Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling.

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019316-no-bake-chocolate-mousse-bars.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

18 whole graham crackers (about 9-1/2 ounces)

8 tablespoons (1 stick), melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling:

1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for serving

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Whipped cream (optional)

Preparation

Make the crust: Line a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. In a food processor, or in a resealable plastic bag, crush the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs (but stop before you have dust). You should have about 2-1/4 cups. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the butter, sugar and salt and stir until evenly moistened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them down into an even layer on the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling: Set the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, espresso powder and salt until hot but not boiling. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let it stand for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 2 cups heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Add the chocolate mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust, and spread it out into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. To serve, cut the two edges without parchment free with a sharp knife then use the parchment overhang to transfer the bar to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

STRAWBERRY 'ICE CREAM' CAKE

Of course, it does help to have the occasional dessert, right? This one, from page 80 of the March 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, starts off, “Sssshhh … don’t tell kids this delicious dessert is actually just good-for-them yogurt and fruit with a few graham crackers and waffle cones thrown in for crunch.” I'm not telling, if you're not! Serves 12.

To view this yummy recipe online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/strawberry-ice-cream-cake/.

15 full graham crackers

5 waffle cones

1 20-oz. bag whole frozen strawberries

1 32-oz. container honey-flavored Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. honey

Line 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

Pulse graham crackers in food processor with 1 to 2 tsp. water until crumbly and moist. Transfer to bowl.

Pulse waffle cones in food processor until crumbly. Transfer to separate bowl.

Bring strawberries to a simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft and liquid starts to fill bottom of pan. Cool completely.

Stir together yogurt and honey. Set aside.

Press graham cracker crumbs on bottom of prepared springform pan. Spread half of yogurt, then half of strawberries, then half of crumbled waffle cones in pan. Repeat layering, ending with a sprinkling of waffle cones. Freeze at least 3 hours, or until frozen. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

nutritional information Per Per slice: Calories: 250; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 39 g; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Sodium: 107 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 25 g

PUFF PUFF

This is from Yewande Komolafe in the The New York Times cooking email. Yewande wrote, “The genius of puff puff is in the simplicity of the dough: A nutmeg-spiked batter, a bit of patience for the yeast to rise and time to fry up the balls will result in the most delightful little puffs. If the batter seems wet, you are on the right track. The consistency should be similar to a yeasted pancake or waffle batter. Tossing the fried dough in spiced sugar is optional, but recommended: The added layer creates an irresistible crunch. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings (about 32 puffs); Time: 30 minutes, plus rising

This was featured in “Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes” and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020287-puff-puff.

Ingredients

For the Puff Puff:

1-1/2 cups warm water or whole milk (110 degrees)

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

3 to 4 cups canola oil or other neutral oil, for frying

For the Spiced Sugar:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

Preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until foamy, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and the remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture once it’s foamy. Combine, stirring with a wooden spoon, to incorporate all the ingredients into a smooth batter. The batter should be wet and slightly loose, similar to a yeasted waffle batter.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and allow dough to double in size, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the spiced sugar: In a medium bowl, toss the sugar, nutmeg, allspice and cloves to combine; set aside.

Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep skillet. Line a baking sheet with a rack or paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Once the batter has doubled in size, heat the oil over medium-high to 350 degrees. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid crowding the skillet. Fry the puff puff, turning frequently until golden brown all over and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. (Be careful not to let the oil get too hot or the exteriors will become overly dark before the interiors are cooked through.) Move the puff puff to the rack or paper towels to drain and repeat the process until all the batter has been fried.

Toss the puff puff in the spiced sugar to coat while still warm. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

FROZEN LEMONADE PIE

This comes from Pat and Gina Neely from The Food Network's Down Home with the Neelys. Total Time: 8 hr 18 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 8 hr; Cook: 8 min; Yield: 8 servings

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/frozen-lemonade-pie-recipe.html?oc=linkback

For the Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

2 cups heavy cream

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate (do not thaw)

For the Topping:

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.

Make the filling: In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen lemonade. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour the filling into the crust; freeze overnight.

About an hour before you serve the pie, make the topping: Toss the berries in a medium bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.

Let the pie come to room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE-ZUCCHINI BREAD

This comes from Deb Wise on MyRecipes. She wrote, “Got a boatload of zucchini? A loaf of so-simple quick bread is a delightful, kid-friendly way to put it to use. This decadent twist spices up classic zucchini bread with cocoa powder, cinnamon, a rich chocolate glaze, and roasted pepitas. Easy-to-make, incredibly moist, and intensely chocolatey, this Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Bread is sure to be a new favorite.”

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes; Yield: Serves: 10 (serving size: 1 slice)

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-chocolate-zucchini-bread.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini

1-2/3 cups (about 7-1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. roasted and salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), divided

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped

1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Place eggs in a large bowl; lightly whisk. Add granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in grated zucchini.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl just until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pepitas into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top with spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool bread in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of pan to loosen bread. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.

Combine cream and bittersweet chocolate in a medium-size microwaveable bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM until chocolate melts, about 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds. Add powdered sugar, and stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled bread. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pepitas.

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