Desserts
How was your weekend? If it's like mine, it went by too quickly. But there's always next weekend.
In the meantime, here are six yummy desserts to get your week started off just right, including 7Up Cake and Salted Caramel Brownies. Enjoy!
SUMMER FRUIT “CREAM” WITH LADYFINGERS
This is from the July/August 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 33). It begins, “Elegant and creamy, this fruit dessert comes together in a snap. You can make it ahead and refrigerate it, or assemble it while the coffee perks.”
Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
12 plain ladyfingers
1 12.3-oz. pkg. silken soft tofu
1/2 12.3-oz. pkg. silken firm tofu
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed
1/2 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed
1 3-oz. pkg. dried tart cherries
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preparation
Line bottom of 3-qt. bowl with ladyfingers; set aside.
Put all tofu into food processor or blender, and purée until smooth (or beat with electric mixer until smooth). Add extracts and confectioners’ sugar, and blend well. Transfer to large bowl, and gently stir in berries.
Pour mixture over ladyfingers, and top with dried cherries. If making ahead, chill. Before serving, garnish with almonds.
EASY CHOCOLATE SAUCEPAN BROWNIES
This is from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “Chocolate saucepan brownies are a quick, super-easy and delicious preparation. Just melt the butter and chocolate, beat in the sugar, eggs, and dry ingredients, then bake. That's all there is to it!”
Total: 35 mins; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 25 mins; Yield: 16 Brownies (16 servings)
To view this yummy brownie online, click here.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Directions
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. With a whisk, beat in the vanilla and sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir flour, measure into a small bowl, and stir in the baking powder and salt, blending well. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the first mixture.
Stir in the chopped nuts, if using, blending well. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes.
Recipe Variations
Add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
7UP CAKE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “I love a clandestine soda in the preparation of food, a flash of carbonation where the French might use wine, or brandy. It may be transgressive to say so, but I’m hardly alone, for all those who cringe at the thought. Page through church or community cookbooks and you’ll find examples: Coke-spiked Jell-O situations, root beer-glazed fillets of salmon, beans simmered in Moxie. This recipe for a lemon-and-lime soda cake came to me a while back from a Times reader who thought I’d appreciate it (I did!). She said she’d gotten it from a grandmother down south, who stored it on an index card placed in her copy of the cookbook published by the Symphony League of Jackson, Miss., in 1971. The original called for oleo and Crisco oil. I swapped these out for dairy and neutral oil, and a little less soda, and an additional 15 minutes in the oven. This leaves the cake toast-brown and glistening, glossy-crumbed and high-risen, a marvelous moist yellow within. I’m no shill for Big Soda. You could just as easily make it with plain sparkling water and a spritz of lemon or lime. You could make it with sparkling wine!”
Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “The Secret to Poundcake That Really Pops”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020510-7up-cake.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus additional for greasing
1/2 cup vegetable, canola or other neutral oil
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup 7Up
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, blending until incorporated, then blend in the lemon, vanilla and almond extracts. Add half the 7Up, blending until combined, then half the flour; repeat with the remaining 7Up, then the remaining flour until evenly blended.
Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with butter; add cake batter. Bake until golden on top and firm to the touch, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter, and let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
HOT CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
This is from Leah Maroney on The Spruce Eats. Leah wrote, " A cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day is the perfect treat, and our recipe takes this beloved beverage one step further, transforming it into a decadent cake in less than five minutes. If you need a bite of cake and don't have the time to bake a big one, this single-person mug cake is prepped and cooked without making a whole lot of mess in your kitchen.
"You can easily double the recipe to make it a dessert for two, plus once you get the base technique down, get adventurous and try new flavors or add-ins. Grab a spoon because this is going to be ready in no time."
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/hot-chocolate-mug-cake-4177438.
Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
Directions
Gather your ingredients.
In an average-sized mug, mix together the flour, hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips until they are completely combined.
In a different mug, whisk together the butter and milk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until they are completely combined and there are no lumps. Scrape the edges to make sure you get all of the batter well mixed.
Place the mug in the microwave and cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until the top is no longer runny and is just slightly sticky. If it's not done after the initial cooking time, cook in 30-second increments until done. Not all microwaves have the same power and cooking times might vary.
Remove from the microwave and top with mini marshmallows.
Serve while warm and enjoy!
Different Flavors and Toppings
Here are other combinations and toppings to try:
Mexican Hot Chocolate: Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients before you mix the batter together.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Add 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the milk and butter before you mix all of the ingredients together. Top the cooked cake with crushed peppermint sticks and marshmallows.
Bailey's: Add a teaspoon of caramel syrup to the cake before cooking. Once done, top it with 1 tablespoon Bailey's and the ice cream of your choice.
Affogato: Pour onto the cake a shot of strong espresso and top with sweetened condensed milk until the cake is soaked in this sugary mix.
Peanut Butter: Mix 2 servings of powdered peanut butter with milk until creamy and top the cake with it. Crush some salted pretzels on top for crunch.
Other toppings: Top your mug cake with whipped cream, chocolate fudge, marshmallow fluff, sliced strawberries, crushed cookies, caramel sauce, dulce de leche, fruit compote.
CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE CAKE
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it looks like it's probably originally from Kraft.
Prep Time: 10 min; Total Time: 1 hr 10 min; Makes: 18 servings, 1 slice each
Ingredients
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix, any variety
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
4 eggs
1 container (8 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
18 small candy canes, coarsely crushed (about 1 cup), divided
1 tub (8 oz. ) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in chopped chocolate and 2 Tbsp. of the crushed candy canes. Spoon batter intoprepared pan.
BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. on wire rack. Loosen cake from side of pan with spatula or knife. Invert cake onto rack; gently remove pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
PLACE 1 of the cake layers on serving plate. Spread evenly with 1 cup of the whipped topping. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping. Garnish with remaining crushed candy canes. Cut into 18 slices to serve.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
Size It Up
Savor a serving of this indulgent, special occasion dessert that is perfect for a party. This festive cake makes enough for 18 servings.
Great Substitute
Prepare as directed, using BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream.
SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIES
This comes from Seattle's (Washington) Macrina Bakery's monthly email. It I ever have the chance to take a road trip around the U.S., this is one place I plan to visit.
This recipe begins, "With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we thought it was an excellent time to send out the recipe for this decadent treat. For chocolate lovers, there’s not much better than the densely-textured, fudgy taste of a brownie. These brownies marry sweet, salty and bitter better than nearly any dessert we’ve tried. Bitter ground coffee finds balance in the caramel, as does the semisweet chocolate in the sea salt. The caramel cream cheese may have you wondering just how many brownies are too many. The caramel sauce is simple to make, but Fran's Caramel Sauce is an excellent substitution if you're in a rush."
Makes nine 3 X 3-inch brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground coffee
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup caramel sauce, room temperature
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coarsely ground Himalayan or Hawaiian pink sea salt
Brownies
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Line the base of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment. Brush the pan sides with canola oil and lightly dust with flour, so the brownies release easily.
Place a stainless steel bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of boiling water to create a double boiler. Add the butter and unsweetened chocolate to the bowl. Melt until combined and remove from the heat. Add the sugars, coffee, salt and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until each is fully incorporated before adding another. Using a spatula, fold in the flour and semisweet chocolate chips until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. A toothpick should come out dry when the brownies are set.
Let cool for 30 minutes. Remove from pan.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the caramel sauce, brown sugar and vanilla. Cream until smooth and without any lumps.
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownies and sprinkle with pink sea salt. Cut into 9 pieces. Enjoy!
In the meantime, here are six yummy desserts to get your week started off just right, including 7Up Cake and Salted Caramel Brownies. Enjoy!
SUMMER FRUIT “CREAM” WITH LADYFINGERS
This is from the July/August 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 33). It begins, “Elegant and creamy, this fruit dessert comes together in a snap. You can make it ahead and refrigerate it, or assemble it while the coffee perks.”
Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
12 plain ladyfingers
1 12.3-oz. pkg. silken soft tofu
1/2 12.3-oz. pkg. silken firm tofu
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed
1/2 pint fresh blackberries, rinsed
1 3-oz. pkg. dried tart cherries
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preparation
Line bottom of 3-qt. bowl with ladyfingers; set aside.
Put all tofu into food processor or blender, and purée until smooth (or beat with electric mixer until smooth). Add extracts and confectioners’ sugar, and blend well. Transfer to large bowl, and gently stir in berries.
Pour mixture over ladyfingers, and top with dried cherries. If making ahead, chill. Before serving, garnish with almonds.
EASY CHOCOLATE SAUCEPAN BROWNIES
This is from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “Chocolate saucepan brownies are a quick, super-easy and delicious preparation. Just melt the butter and chocolate, beat in the sugar, eggs, and dry ingredients, then bake. That's all there is to it!”
Total: 35 mins; Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 25 mins; Yield: 16 Brownies (16 servings)
To view this yummy brownie online, click here.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Directions
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. With a whisk, beat in the vanilla and sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir flour, measure into a small bowl, and stir in the baking powder and salt, blending well. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the first mixture.
Stir in the chopped nuts, if using, blending well. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes.
Recipe Variations
Add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
7UP CAKE
This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “I love a clandestine soda in the preparation of food, a flash of carbonation where the French might use wine, or brandy. It may be transgressive to say so, but I’m hardly alone, for all those who cringe at the thought. Page through church or community cookbooks and you’ll find examples: Coke-spiked Jell-O situations, root beer-glazed fillets of salmon, beans simmered in Moxie. This recipe for a lemon-and-lime soda cake came to me a while back from a Times reader who thought I’d appreciate it (I did!). She said she’d gotten it from a grandmother down south, who stored it on an index card placed in her copy of the cookbook published by the Symphony League of Jackson, Miss., in 1971. The original called for oleo and Crisco oil. I swapped these out for dairy and neutral oil, and a little less soda, and an additional 15 minutes in the oven. This leaves the cake toast-brown and glistening, glossy-crumbed and high-risen, a marvelous moist yellow within. I’m no shill for Big Soda. You could just as easily make it with plain sparkling water and a spritz of lemon or lime. You could make it with sparkling wine!”
Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “The Secret to Poundcake That Really Pops”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020510-7up-cake.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus additional for greasing
1/2 cup vegetable, canola or other neutral oil
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup 7Up
3 cups all-purpose flour
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil and sugar at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, blending until incorporated, then blend in the lemon, vanilla and almond extracts. Add half the 7Up, blending until combined, then half the flour; repeat with the remaining 7Up, then the remaining flour until evenly blended.
Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with butter; add cake batter. Bake until golden on top and firm to the touch, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter, and let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
HOT CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
This is from Leah Maroney on The Spruce Eats. Leah wrote, " A cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day is the perfect treat, and our recipe takes this beloved beverage one step further, transforming it into a decadent cake in less than five minutes. If you need a bite of cake and don't have the time to bake a big one, this single-person mug cake is prepped and cooked without making a whole lot of mess in your kitchen.
"You can easily double the recipe to make it a dessert for two, plus once you get the base technique down, get adventurous and try new flavors or add-ins. Grab a spoon because this is going to be ready in no time."
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/hot-chocolate-mug-cake-4177438.
Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
Directions
Gather your ingredients.
In an average-sized mug, mix together the flour, hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips until they are completely combined.
In a different mug, whisk together the butter and milk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until they are completely combined and there are no lumps. Scrape the edges to make sure you get all of the batter well mixed.
Place the mug in the microwave and cook for 1 minute and 30 seconds, or until the top is no longer runny and is just slightly sticky. If it's not done after the initial cooking time, cook in 30-second increments until done. Not all microwaves have the same power and cooking times might vary.
Remove from the microwave and top with mini marshmallows.
Serve while warm and enjoy!
Different Flavors and Toppings
Here are other combinations and toppings to try:
Mexican Hot Chocolate: Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients before you mix the batter together.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Add 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the milk and butter before you mix all of the ingredients together. Top the cooked cake with crushed peppermint sticks and marshmallows.
Bailey's: Add a teaspoon of caramel syrup to the cake before cooking. Once done, top it with 1 tablespoon Bailey's and the ice cream of your choice.
Affogato: Pour onto the cake a shot of strong espresso and top with sweetened condensed milk until the cake is soaked in this sugary mix.
Peanut Butter: Mix 2 servings of powdered peanut butter with milk until creamy and top the cake with it. Crush some salted pretzels on top for crunch.
Other toppings: Top your mug cake with whipped cream, chocolate fudge, marshmallow fluff, sliced strawberries, crushed cookies, caramel sauce, dulce de leche, fruit compote.
CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE CAKE
This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though it looks like it's probably originally from Kraft.
Prep Time: 10 min; Total Time: 1 hr 10 min; Makes: 18 servings, 1 slice each
Ingredients
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix, any variety
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
4 eggs
1 container (8 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, chopped
18 small candy canes, coarsely crushed (about 1 cup), divided
1 tub (8 oz. ) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in chopped chocolate and 2 Tbsp. of the crushed candy canes. Spoon batter intoprepared pan.
BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. on wire rack. Loosen cake from side of pan with spatula or knife. Invert cake onto rack; gently remove pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
PLACE 1 of the cake layers on serving plate. Spread evenly with 1 cup of the whipped topping. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping. Garnish with remaining crushed candy canes. Cut into 18 slices to serve.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
Size It Up
Savor a serving of this indulgent, special occasion dessert that is perfect for a party. This festive cake makes enough for 18 servings.
Great Substitute
Prepare as directed, using BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream.
SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIES
This comes from Seattle's (Washington) Macrina Bakery's monthly email. It I ever have the chance to take a road trip around the U.S., this is one place I plan to visit.
This recipe begins, "With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we thought it was an excellent time to send out the recipe for this decadent treat. For chocolate lovers, there’s not much better than the densely-textured, fudgy taste of a brownie. These brownies marry sweet, salty and bitter better than nearly any dessert we’ve tried. Bitter ground coffee finds balance in the caramel, as does the semisweet chocolate in the sea salt. The caramel cream cheese may have you wondering just how many brownies are too many. The caramel sauce is simple to make, but Fran's Caramel Sauce is an excellent substitution if you're in a rush."
Makes nine 3 X 3-inch brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground coffee
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup caramel sauce, room temperature
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coarsely ground Himalayan or Hawaiian pink sea salt
Brownies
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Line the base of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment. Brush the pan sides with canola oil and lightly dust with flour, so the brownies release easily.
Place a stainless steel bowl over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of boiling water to create a double boiler. Add the butter and unsweetened chocolate to the bowl. Melt until combined and remove from the heat. Add the sugars, coffee, salt and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking until each is fully incorporated before adding another. Using a spatula, fold in the flour and semisweet chocolate chips until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. A toothpick should come out dry when the brownies are set.
Let cool for 30 minutes. Remove from pan.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the caramel sauce, brown sugar and vanilla. Cream until smooth and without any lumps.
Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownies and sprinkle with pink sea salt. Cut into 9 pieces. Enjoy!
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