Tuesday Desserts

Today's post doesn't have a definte theme, unless having six yummy desserts can be considered a theme. There's a little of this, a little of that, and a whole lot of yum. Check out the Low-Calorie Black and White Brownies, the Caramel Apple Pizza, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!

CINNAMON APPLE QUICK BREAD WITH APPLE CIDER GLAZE

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, “Warm spices, applesauce and a shredded tart apple make this homespun loaf comforting, but the gooey apple-cider glaze makes it stand out. You might want to double the amount of glaze, and drizzle it over ice cream, pancakes or maybe even your morning oatmeal.”

Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

View this online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019659-cinnamon-apple-quick-bread-with-apple-cider-glaze.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 large Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and shredded (about 1 cup)

For the Glaze:

1 cup apple cider

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8 1/2-inch-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, sugars, eggs and apple.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely.

When the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze: Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to cook the cider until it has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Add the butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook the mixture, whisking often, until it has become syrupy and thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool until it thickens slightly.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake, and serve.

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, cut up

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/2 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup whipping cream

3-3/4 cups milk

9” baked pie crust

Directions

Cut the peanut butter into powdered sugar until crumbly. Set aside. In large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into eggs. Return to saucepan. Cook until nearly bubbly; do not boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir butter and vanilla into mixture. Sprinkle the baked crust with half of the peanut butter mixture. Mound filling on top. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks. Spread over pie filling. Sprinkle with remaining peanut butter mixture. Chill at least 2 hours, store in refrigerator.

Note: I have to add 1 to 2 Tbs. more cornstarch to keep the pie filling from being too runny.

BLACK RASPBERRY SOUR CREAM PIE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

9 ” unbaked pie shell

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup dairy sour cream

1 Tbsp. melted butter

5 Tbsp. flour

4 cups black raspberries

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Combine 1 cup sugar, dairy sour cream, flour and salt. Place black raspberries in unbaked pie shell and spread sour cream mixture over berries. Mix bread crumbs and 2 Tbsp. sugar together. Add melted butter and stir. Sprinkle crumbs over top of sour cream and berries. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

Note: I cover the edges of my pie crust with foil while baking the first 30 minutes, then remove foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

THE CRUNCHIEST SUMMER FRUIT CRUMBLE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, "The secret to this fruit crumble is to bake the sweet, cinnamon-scented topping separately, to dry it out. Then when you pile those crumbs over a mound of juicy summer fruit, they won’t absorb as much liquid, and stay crisp and cookielike. You can make the crumbs a day ahead. But the crumble is best baked on the day you serve it, preferably while still a little warm and brimming with syrupy fruit. Make sure to taste your fruit before adding the sugar. Sweeter fruit like strawberries, cherries and blueberries need less sugar than tart plums and nectarines. A spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream makes this even better."

Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1-3/4 hours, plus cooling

This was featured in "This Is the Secret to the Crunchiest Fruit Crumble", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021225-the-crunchiest-summer-fruit-crumble.

Ingredients

For the Topping:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, ginger or allspice, or use lemon zest

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

For the Filling:

2 to 5 tablespoon light brown sugar (or granulated sugar), depending on the sweetness of the fruit

2 tablespoons cornstarch

8 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen), or cubed peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, or pitted sweet cherries (or a combination)

Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugars, salt and spices. Stir in butter. Using your hands, squish mixture until coarse crumbs form. Some should be about 1/2-inch in size, some smaller.

Spread topping in one layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. (You don’t have to grease it first.) Bake until crumbs are solid when you gently poke them, and are fragrant, about 15 minutes. They won’t change appearance very much. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. (Crumbs can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Add fruit and gently toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Pour filling into an ungreased 2-quart gratin dish or 10-inch cake pan, mounding the fruit in the center.

Spoon crumbs over filling and place the crumble dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices. (You can use the same baking sheet you cooked the crumbs on.) Bake until filling bubbles energetically around the edges, about 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like. Crumble can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or warmed up briefly in a 350-degree oven.

LOW-CALORIE BLACK AND WHITE BROWNIES

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 86), and begins, "This may be the best brownie you’ve ever had—especially since it’s low calorie!" Makes 16 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/low-calorie-black-and-white-brownies/.

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sucralose-type sweetener

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup unsalted butter or soy margarine, at room temperature

2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

Stir together flour, sweetener and baking powder in bowl. Beat together butter, eggs and vanilla in separate bowl until butter is broken into little pieces. Add applesauce, and stir until blended. Fold in flour mixture until moistened. Fold in white chocolate. Measure out 1/2 cup of mixture, and drop by spoonfuls into prepared pan.

Fold cocoa powder and chocolate chips into remaining batter. Gently spoon chocolate batter over white batter. Batter is thick, so smooth out surface.

Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool before cutting into 1-1/2-inch squares.

CARAMEL APPLE PIZZA

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “Friends and family will go nuts for this simple-to-fix spicy fruit dessert.”

Ingredients

Caramel Syrup (See Below)

2 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 cup chopped nuts, toasted

Directions

Heat oven to 400ºF. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil or cooking parchment paper. Make Caramel Syrup.

Toss apples and lemon juice in medium bowl. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed until blended.

Roll each sheet of pastry into 10-inch square on foil-lined cookie sheet. Cut each sheet into 10-inch circle. Place scraps in center and roll into pastry.

Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over each pastry circle. Arrange apple slices on cream cheese. Sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle about 1/4 cup syrup over each circle.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Pour remaining syrup over hot pizzas. Serve hot.

Caramel Syrup

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1 teaspoon rum extract or Vanilla

Directions

Heat brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boiling in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened; remove from heat. Cool about 30 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and rum extract.

Time Saver

Use 1 cup caramel ice-cream topping instead of making the Caramel Syrup and don't peel the apples.

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