Friday Desserts
It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy desserts to help you through the weekend, including Mint Cheesecake Bars and Homemade Baked Churros. Enjoy!
MAPLE-CIDER OVEN DOUGHNUTS
This is from March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 69), and begins, "Hard cider adds zip to this traditional Vermont doughnut." Makes 12 doughnuts
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/maple-cider-oven-doughnuts/.
Ingredients
Doughnuts
1 12-oz. bottle hard cider
1 cup maple syrup, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Topping
1/2 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preparation
To make Doughnuts: Bring hard cider and 1/4 cup maple syrup to a boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 30 minutes, or until mixture has cooked down to 1/3 cup. Cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F, and coat 12-cup doughnut or muffin pan with cooking spray.
Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Make well in center, and add egg, melted butter, remaining 3/4 cup maple syrup, buttermilk, and hard cider syrup; mix until just combined.
Scoop batter into prepared molds, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until Doughnuts spring back when lightly touched. Cool.
To make Topping: Combine maple sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour melted butter into shallow soup plate. Dip top of each Doughnut into melted butter, then dip into sugar mixture.
MINT CHEESECAKE BARS
Recipe Yield: 20 Servings
Source: Splenda
Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.
You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/mint-cheesecake-bars.
Ingredients
Crust
2 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup light butter, melted
Filling
12 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 drops green food color
Chocolate Drizzle
12 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray one eight-inch square pan with baking spray. Set aside.
Mix crust ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Press into prepared pan. Bake 8 minutes or until firm.
Mix cream cheese and SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, mint extract and green food coloring; mix well.
Pour over prepared crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until firm.
Refrigerate cheesecake bars 2 hours or until chilled and firm. Melt chocolate and drizzle over the top.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 170; Calories from fat: 100; Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 105 mg; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Protein: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Sugars: 11 g
HOMEMADE BAKED CHURROS
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "These homemade churros take just 15 minutes of prep time so that you can enjoy the flavor of classic Mexican churros without all the frying fuss. What's the trick? Use Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls to turn them into crescent churros! They're simple to pull together; brush the crescent rolls with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and twist for a fun and easy way to make a churro. Melted chocolate adds even more decadence to this sweet baked churros treat."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/homemade-baked-churros.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls (8 count)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
On lightly floured work surface, unroll dough; press into 13x8-inch rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. Brush top of dough with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on one half of short side of rectangle.
Fold dough over top. Press to seal. With rolling pin, lightly roll dough to press layers together. Brush remaining butter on top. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut lengthwise into 8 strips. Twist each strip 3 times; place on ungreased large cookie sheet.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 60 seconds, stirring halfway through, until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut small tip from corner of bag; drizzle melted chocolate over tops.
Expert tips
Traditional churros are strips of dough that are deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. We simplify them by sprinkling cinnamon sugar on crescent dough, twisting it into strips, and baking.
For a more casual look for your Homemade Baked Churros, dip the fork into the melted chocolate, and quickly move your wrist back and forth to create a zigzag pattern.
It’s handy to keep a kitchen ruler nearby, so you can make sure your rectangle turns out the right size.
If you love these Baked Crescent Churros, try these Mini Churro Doughnut Holes. It's the cinnamon-sugar fair food you can make right in your kitchen.
Looking for something a little more decadent? Try this recipe for Dulce de Leche Mocha Ice Cream Dessert. It's a make-ahead treat that will go fast!
BLACKOUT CAKE
This recipe, on The New York Times cooking site wis from Ebinger's, and adapted by The New York Times. It begins, "This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O'Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business. Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil's food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day. This recipe isn't authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms. O'Neill claims in her book, 'The New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants,' that this version got the thumbs-up from 'a panel of twelve Ebingerites.' That's enough for us."
Yield: 1 cake; Time: 3 hours plus chilling
This recipe was featured in "The Cake Box From Heaven (Brooklyn, of Course) is Back" and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018772-blackout-cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
For the frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.
Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.
ORANGE CHESS PIE
This comes from Diana Rattray, who writes for The Spruce Eats. For this recipe, Diana wrote, “This refreshing orange chess pie is an amazing dessert, and it can be enjoyed any time of the year! With fresh orange juice and grated zest and fresh lemon juice, it is bright and bursting with citrus flavor.
“I've included a simple pie crust recipe, but you can use a frozen crust or refrigerated pie dough. Follow the instructions for partially baking a pie crust.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 65 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 8 Servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Pie Crust (or use a purchased 9-inch pie shell)
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces chilled butter, cut in small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant teaspoon granulated sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons of ice water
Filling
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half of a lemon)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation
Pie Crust
Put the 1-1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add half of the chilled butter pieces and pulse 5 or 6 times. Add the remaining chilled butter pieces and pulse another 5 or 6 times. You should have visible pieces of butter in the mixture with some the size of peas.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour and pulse a few times.
Add more water, about 2 to 3 teaspoons at a time, pulsing a couple of times after each addition. When the mixture begins to clump together, turn it out onto a floured surface.
With your hands, knead just enough to shape the dough into a disk. Overworking the dough can cause shrinkage when the pie is pre-baked, so handle it as little as possible.
Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375° F.
Roll the disk out into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Keep checking and adding flour to the work surface if you notice any sticking.
Fit the pastry into the pie plate and crimp the edge as desired.
Line the pastry with parchment paper or foil and fill about 2/3 full with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment or foil with the pie weights. Prick the dough all over, and then bake for about 5 minutes longer, or just until you begin to see a little color. Remove the crust to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.
Orange Filling
In a mixing bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, cornmeal, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, the milk, orange zest and juice, the lemon juice, and the lightly beaten eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
Pour the orange filling mixture into the partially baked pie crust. Bake at 350° F for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until set. Check the pie for browning after about 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, put a pie shield or homemade foil ring over the edges of the crust to prevent over-browning.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Chill before serving.
Serve this pie with freshly whipped cream or thawed whipped topping.
CREAM CHEESE TIRAMISU
This is from Betty Crocker kitchens, and begins, "Make your kitchen game a whole lot stronger with this decadent Tiramisu dessert! It's an elevated showstopper, made with cream cheese, and is the perfect pairing to any great meal. Creamy, comforting, and downright delicious! You know what they say, 'leave the best for last'!"
Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes; Makes 9 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cream-cheese-tiramisu/7e944cbf-d9ce-4641-9c5c-c669d188eb2a.
Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons light rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 package (3 ounces) ladyfingers, (12 ladyfingers)
1/2 cup cold prepared espresso or strong coffee
2 teaspoons baking cocoa
Directions
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in rum on low speed; set aside.
Beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
Split ladyfingers horizontally in half. Arrange half of the ladyfingers, cut sides up, on bottom of ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches, or round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the espresso over ladyfingers. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers.
Arrange remaining ladyfingers, cut sides up, on cream cheese mixture. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup espresso. Spread with remaining cream cheese mixture.
Sift or sprinkle cocoa over top. Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours or until filling is firm. Store covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
For 9 grams of fat and 170 calories per serving, substitute reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) for the regular cream cheese. Substitute 2 cups frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping for the beaten whipping cream.
“Carry me up” is the translation for tiramisu, pronounced tir-ruh-mee-SOO. This rich Italian dessert is usually made with mascarpone, a buttery rich, slightly sweet and smooth Italian cream cheese.
Look for mascarpone in the cheese case in large supermarkets, specialty cheese shops or gourmet food stores.
MAPLE-CIDER OVEN DOUGHNUTS
This is from March 2015 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 69), and begins, "Hard cider adds zip to this traditional Vermont doughnut." Makes 12 doughnuts
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/maple-cider-oven-doughnuts/.
Ingredients
Doughnuts
1 12-oz. bottle hard cider
1 cup maple syrup, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Topping
1/2 cup maple sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preparation
To make Doughnuts: Bring hard cider and 1/4 cup maple syrup to a boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook 30 minutes, or until mixture has cooked down to 1/3 cup. Cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F, and coat 12-cup doughnut or muffin pan with cooking spray.
Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Make well in center, and add egg, melted butter, remaining 3/4 cup maple syrup, buttermilk, and hard cider syrup; mix until just combined.
Scoop batter into prepared molds, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until Doughnuts spring back when lightly touched. Cool.
To make Topping: Combine maple sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour melted butter into shallow soup plate. Dip top of each Doughnut into melted butter, then dip into sugar mixture.
MINT CHEESECAKE BARS
Recipe Yield: 20 Servings
Source: Splenda
Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.
You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/mint-cheesecake-bars.
Ingredients
Crust
2 tablespoons SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup light butter, melted
Filling
12 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 drops green food color
Chocolate Drizzle
12 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray one eight-inch square pan with baking spray. Set aside.
Mix crust ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Press into prepared pan. Bake 8 minutes or until firm.
Mix cream cheese and SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, mint extract and green food coloring; mix well.
Pour over prepared crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until firm.
Refrigerate cheesecake bars 2 hours or until chilled and firm. Melt chocolate and drizzle over the top.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 170; Calories from fat: 100; Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 105 mg; Cholesterol: 35 mg; Protein: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g; Sugars: 11 g
HOMEMADE BAKED CHURROS
This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "These homemade churros take just 15 minutes of prep time so that you can enjoy the flavor of classic Mexican churros without all the frying fuss. What's the trick? Use Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls to turn them into crescent churros! They're simple to pull together; brush the crescent rolls with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and twist for a fun and easy way to make a churro. Melted chocolate adds even more decadence to this sweet baked churros treat."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/homemade-baked-churros.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls (8 count)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
On lightly floured work surface, unroll dough; press into 13x8-inch rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. Brush top of dough with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on one half of short side of rectangle.
Fold dough over top. Press to seal. With rolling pin, lightly roll dough to press layers together. Brush remaining butter on top. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut lengthwise into 8 strips. Twist each strip 3 times; place on ungreased large cookie sheet.
Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 60 seconds, stirring halfway through, until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut small tip from corner of bag; drizzle melted chocolate over tops.
Expert tips
Traditional churros are strips of dough that are deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. We simplify them by sprinkling cinnamon sugar on crescent dough, twisting it into strips, and baking.
For a more casual look for your Homemade Baked Churros, dip the fork into the melted chocolate, and quickly move your wrist back and forth to create a zigzag pattern.
It’s handy to keep a kitchen ruler nearby, so you can make sure your rectangle turns out the right size.
If you love these Baked Crescent Churros, try these Mini Churro Doughnut Holes. It's the cinnamon-sugar fair food you can make right in your kitchen.
Looking for something a little more decadent? Try this recipe for Dulce de Leche Mocha Ice Cream Dessert. It's a make-ahead treat that will go fast!
BLACKOUT CAKE
This recipe, on The New York Times cooking site wis from Ebinger's, and adapted by The New York Times. It begins, "This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O'Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business. Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil's food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day. This recipe isn't authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms. O'Neill claims in her book, 'The New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants,' that this version got the thumbs-up from 'a panel of twelve Ebingerites.' That's enough for us."
Yield: 1 cake; Time: 3 hours plus chilling
This recipe was featured in "The Cake Box From Heaven (Brooklyn, of Course) is Back" and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018772-blackout-cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
For the frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preparation
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.
In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.
Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.
Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.
ORANGE CHESS PIE
This comes from Diana Rattray, who writes for The Spruce Eats. For this recipe, Diana wrote, “This refreshing orange chess pie is an amazing dessert, and it can be enjoyed any time of the year! With fresh orange juice and grated zest and fresh lemon juice, it is bright and bursting with citrus flavor.
“I've included a simple pie crust recipe, but you can use a frozen crust or refrigerated pie dough. Follow the instructions for partially baking a pie crust.” Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 65 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: 8 Servings
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Pie Crust (or use a purchased 9-inch pie shell)
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces chilled butter, cut in small pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant teaspoon granulated sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons of ice water
Filling
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half of a lemon)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation
Pie Crust
Put the 1-1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add half of the chilled butter pieces and pulse 5 or 6 times. Add the remaining chilled butter pieces and pulse another 5 or 6 times. You should have visible pieces of butter in the mixture with some the size of peas.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour and pulse a few times.
Add more water, about 2 to 3 teaspoons at a time, pulsing a couple of times after each addition. When the mixture begins to clump together, turn it out onto a floured surface.
With your hands, knead just enough to shape the dough into a disk. Overworking the dough can cause shrinkage when the pie is pre-baked, so handle it as little as possible.
Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375° F.
Roll the disk out into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Keep checking and adding flour to the work surface if you notice any sticking.
Fit the pastry into the pie plate and crimp the edge as desired.
Line the pastry with parchment paper or foil and fill about 2/3 full with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment or foil with the pie weights. Prick the dough all over, and then bake for about 5 minutes longer, or just until you begin to see a little color. Remove the crust to a rack and reduce the oven temperature to 350° F.
Orange Filling
In a mixing bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, cornmeal, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, the milk, orange zest and juice, the lemon juice, and the lightly beaten eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
Pour the orange filling mixture into the partially baked pie crust. Bake at 350° F for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until set. Check the pie for browning after about 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, put a pie shield or homemade foil ring over the edges of the crust to prevent over-browning.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Chill before serving.
Serve this pie with freshly whipped cream or thawed whipped topping.
CREAM CHEESE TIRAMISU
This is from Betty Crocker kitchens, and begins, "Make your kitchen game a whole lot stronger with this decadent Tiramisu dessert! It's an elevated showstopper, made with cream cheese, and is the perfect pairing to any great meal. Creamy, comforting, and downright delicious! You know what they say, 'leave the best for last'!"
Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes; Makes 9 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cream-cheese-tiramisu/7e944cbf-d9ce-4641-9c5c-c669d188eb2a.
Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons light rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 package (3 ounces) ladyfingers, (12 ladyfingers)
1/2 cup cold prepared espresso or strong coffee
2 teaspoons baking cocoa
Directions
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in rum on low speed; set aside.
Beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
Split ladyfingers horizontally in half. Arrange half of the ladyfingers, cut sides up, on bottom of ungreased square pan, 8x8x2 inches, or round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the espresso over ladyfingers. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers.
Arrange remaining ladyfingers, cut sides up, on cream cheese mixture. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup espresso. Spread with remaining cream cheese mixture.
Sift or sprinkle cocoa over top. Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours or until filling is firm. Store covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
For 9 grams of fat and 170 calories per serving, substitute reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) for the regular cream cheese. Substitute 2 cups frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping for the beaten whipping cream.
“Carry me up” is the translation for tiramisu, pronounced tir-ruh-mee-SOO. This rich Italian dessert is usually made with mascarpone, a buttery rich, slightly sweet and smooth Italian cream cheese.
Look for mascarpone in the cheese case in large supermarkets, specialty cheese shops or gourmet food stores.
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