Friday Desserts
It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy desserts to help you through the weekend, including Summer Pudding With Blackberries and Peaches and Low-Calorie Black & White Brownies. Enjoy!
NO-BAKE YOGURT AND COOL WHIP PIE
This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "If you're looking for an easy no-bake dessert, this Cool Whip pie recipe is the one to try. It will be a welcome treat on a hot summer evening and can be the prettiest dessert at the next cookout; it's also the perfect recipe to get the kids involved as there is no stovetop or oven required. This pie is completely customizable since you can choose the yogurt flavor, matching it to whatever fruit happens to be in season. Consider strawberry or peach slices, cherry halves, mandarin orange segments, or whole blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. It's also a healthier dessert option so you can enjoy a piece of pie without all of the guilt.
"This recipe comes together quickly, calling for just a container of Cool Whip, flavored yogurt, a ready-made graham cracker crust, and some fresh fruit. Just keep in mind the pie will have to firm up in the freezer for about 2 hours before serving."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Freeze Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/cool-whip-pie-recipe-3376704.
Ingredients
8 ounces whipped topping
18 ounces yogurt, any flavor
1 prepared graham cracker crust
Fresh fruit (e.g., berries, peaches, oranges), for garnish
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the Cool Whip and yogurt until smooth.
Pour the yogurt and Cool Whip mixture into the pie crust. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Remove the pie from the freezer approximately 20 minutes before serving.
Slice the fruit if necessary and top the pie with the fruit.
Cover and refrigerate any leftover pie, or freeze for later.
Tips
Cool Whip is sold frozen and will need to be defrosted beforehand. This can be done in the refrigerator, microwave, or in cold water. Thawing in the refrigerator will take some planning as it needs to sit in the fridge for about 5 hours (or overnight). The microwave method is simple, but you will need to pay close attention; remove the lid and microwave on the defrost setting for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until smooth. A third method is to place the tub in a bowl filled with cold water and let it sit for 30 to 40 minutes.
To give the pie a more sophisticated look, arrange the fruit slices on top before you fully freeze the pie. Depending on the weight of the fruit, you might want to freeze the pie for an hour before adding the slices or whole fruit so they don't sink into the yogurt mixture.
What Is Cool Whip Made Of?
Cool Whip is made from water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, corn syrup, skimmed milk, and natural and artificial flavors, as well as other additives. If you'd rather not use this whipped topping, you can substitute with whipped cream.
Recipe Variations
Although a store-bought graham cracker crust is convenient, it is easy to make your own graham cracker crust or a sugar-free graham cracker crust.
Instead of a graham cracker crust, you can use a cookie crust. Vanilla cookies go nicely with a lemon yogurt filling, or a chocolate cookie crust pairs well with coconut flavored yogurt topped with coconut flakes.
This light pie is fairly low in calories for a dessert, but if you'd like to reduce the fat and calories, this recipe can be made with reduced-fat or no-sugar varieties of Cool Whip, yogurt, and graham crackers.
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.
BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM PIE
From that infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing list.
Ingredients
Crust:
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (about) ice water
Filling:
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Topping:
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
For Crust: Blend flour, butter, sugar and salt in processor until coarse meal forms. With machine running, add water by tablespoonfuls until clumps form. Gather into ball. Flatten to disk. Wrap inplastic; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim edge to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold edge under and crimp. Freeze 10 minutes. Line crustwith foil; fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans.
For Filling: Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in blueberries. Spoon into crust. Bake until filling is just set, about 25 minutes.
For Topping: Using fingertips, mix flour and butter in medium bowl until small clumps form. Mix in pecans and sugar. Spoon topping over pie. Bake until topping browns lightly, about 12 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature.
KEY LIME PIE BARS WITH VANILLA WAFER CRUST
This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking newsletter. Samantha wrote, "Some say that a Key lime’s juice is slightly more floral than that of its more well-known cousin, the Persian lime, the kind you can find in every supermarket and corner deli. Key limes are hard to find, though, so use bottled Key lime juice or conventional lime juice in this easy recipe that's great for a crowd."
Yield: 16 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling
This was featured in "A Sweet-Tart Treat for Summer", and can viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019472-key-lime-pie-bars-with-vanilla-wafer-crust.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 (11-ounce) box vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
1 3/4 cup condensed milk (1 14-ounce can plus 1/2 cup)
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup Key lime or conventional lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
For the Topping:
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In a food processor, combine vanilla wafers and sugar, and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add butter and process until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press it down into an even layer. Bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 15 to 17 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and lime zest.
Pour filling over crust (it’s O.K. if it’s still warm) and bake until the filling is set, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Use a sharp knife to release edges. Using the parchment overhang, carefully lift and transfer the bar to a cutting board. Just before serving, whip heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Top bars with whipped cream and cut into 16 squares to serve.
SUMMER PUDDING WITH BLACKBERRIES AND PEACHES
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Alison wrote, "Constructed from layers of soft, spongy sliced bread and tons of juicy, just-cooked fruit, this British dessert gets an update with a layer of barely sweetened whipped cream. It is the best thing since, well, sliced bread. Think of it as somewhere between a layer cake (where you don’t have to bake any cake) and a tiramisù (where the coffee and chocolate is replaced by burst berries and juicy peaches). While the assembly should be a relaxed, messy affair, just be sure to adequately soak the bread so it reads as custardy, not dry."
Yield: 8 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus chilling
This was featured in "What to Do With All That Summer Fruit", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020394-summer-pudding-with-blackberries-and-peaches.
Ingredients
2 pounds peaches or nectarines (about 5), pitted and sliced 1-inch thick
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (optional)
1-1/2 pounds blackberries or raspberries, plus an extra handful for garnish
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup labneh, mascarpone or full-fat Greek yogurt
1 loaf brioche, pain de mie or Pullman bread (about 1-1/4 pounds), crusts removed, bread sliced 1-inch thick
Pinch of kosher salt
Preparation
Combine peaches, 1/3 cup sugar and the ginger, if using, in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling occasionally, until the peaches have started to release their juices (but are not falling apart into mush), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl; set aside to cool completely.
Without rinsing out the pot (there’s no need), combine the berries and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling occasionally, until the berries have started to release their juices (but are not falling apart into mush), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl, separate from the peaches; set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat cream and confectioners’ sugar until spreadable, pillowy, medium peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in labneh until well blended.
Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with plastic wrap so that there is ample overhang. (A regular cake pan will also work; just make sure it has high sides or you might need to make the pudding in two vessels.)
Place one layer of sliced bread on the bottom. Cut the bread to fit as needed to make sure there is an even layer with no obvious gaps (aesthetics don’t matter here, as it’ll be covered up).
Spoon 1/3 of the berry juices onto the bread to thoroughly soak, followed by half of the berries themselves. Spoon 1/3 of the peach juices onto the bread and berries, followed by half of the peaches themselves.
Spread 1/3 of the cream mixture onto the fruit and top with another layer of bread, making sure to fill any obvious gaps with bread that’s cut to fit. Top bread with another 1/3 of the berry juices and all of the remaining berries, followed by 1/3 of the peach juices and all of the remaining peaches. Top with 1/3 of the cream mixture, setting the remaining cream mixture aside in the refrigerator.
Place another layer of bread on top, making sure to fill any obvious gaps, especially around the edges, with bread that’s cut to fit. Spoon remaining 1/3 of the blackberry and peach juices on top, making sure to stain the entire surface. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top and then place a plate on top of the plastic. Rest a heavy can (or another medium-sized, relatively heavy, food-safe object) on top to lightly compress the whole shebang. Refrigerate for at least four hours.
When you’re ready to serve, crush a handful of berries with a sprinkling of sugar; let sit for a few minutes. Remove springform sides and plastic wrap. (If using a regular cake pan, lift the pudding out by the excess plastic and transfer the entire pudding to a plate, platter or cake stand, removing plastic wrap.)
Take the remaining heavy cream mixture and top the pudding, swirling in the crushed berries to create streaks and swirls. Slice (or spoon) the pudding and serve. Pudding can be assembled three days ahead, stored tightly wrapped and refrigerated.
NO-BAKE YOGURT AND COOL WHIP PIE
This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "If you're looking for an easy no-bake dessert, this Cool Whip pie recipe is the one to try. It will be a welcome treat on a hot summer evening and can be the prettiest dessert at the next cookout; it's also the perfect recipe to get the kids involved as there is no stovetop or oven required. This pie is completely customizable since you can choose the yogurt flavor, matching it to whatever fruit happens to be in season. Consider strawberry or peach slices, cherry halves, mandarin orange segments, or whole blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. It's also a healthier dessert option so you can enjoy a piece of pie without all of the guilt.
"This recipe comes together quickly, calling for just a container of Cool Whip, flavored yogurt, a ready-made graham cracker crust, and some fresh fruit. Just keep in mind the pie will have to firm up in the freezer for about 2 hours before serving."
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 0 minutes; Freeze Time: 2 hours; Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/cool-whip-pie-recipe-3376704.
Ingredients
8 ounces whipped topping
18 ounces yogurt, any flavor
1 prepared graham cracker crust
Fresh fruit (e.g., berries, peaches, oranges), for garnish
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the Cool Whip and yogurt until smooth.
Pour the yogurt and Cool Whip mixture into the pie crust. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Remove the pie from the freezer approximately 20 minutes before serving.
Slice the fruit if necessary and top the pie with the fruit.
Cover and refrigerate any leftover pie, or freeze for later.
Tips
Cool Whip is sold frozen and will need to be defrosted beforehand. This can be done in the refrigerator, microwave, or in cold water. Thawing in the refrigerator will take some planning as it needs to sit in the fridge for about 5 hours (or overnight). The microwave method is simple, but you will need to pay close attention; remove the lid and microwave on the defrost setting for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until smooth. A third method is to place the tub in a bowl filled with cold water and let it sit for 30 to 40 minutes.
To give the pie a more sophisticated look, arrange the fruit slices on top before you fully freeze the pie. Depending on the weight of the fruit, you might want to freeze the pie for an hour before adding the slices or whole fruit so they don't sink into the yogurt mixture.
What Is Cool Whip Made Of?
Cool Whip is made from water, hydrogenated vegetable oil, corn syrup, skimmed milk, and natural and artificial flavors, as well as other additives. If you'd rather not use this whipped topping, you can substitute with whipped cream.
Recipe Variations
Although a store-bought graham cracker crust is convenient, it is easy to make your own graham cracker crust or a sugar-free graham cracker crust.
Instead of a graham cracker crust, you can use a cookie crust. Vanilla cookies go nicely with a lemon yogurt filling, or a chocolate cookie crust pairs well with coconut flavored yogurt topped with coconut flakes.
This light pie is fairly low in calories for a dessert, but if you'd like to reduce the fat and calories, this recipe can be made with reduced-fat or no-sugar varieties of Cool Whip, yogurt, and graham crackers.
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.
BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM PIE
From that infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing list.
Ingredients
Crust:
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (about) ice water
Filling:
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Topping:
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
Directions
For Crust: Blend flour, butter, sugar and salt in processor until coarse meal forms. With machine running, add water by tablespoonfuls until clumps form. Gather into ball. Flatten to disk. Wrap inplastic; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim edge to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold edge under and crimp. Freeze 10 minutes. Line crustwith foil; fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans.
For Filling: Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in blueberries. Spoon into crust. Bake until filling is just set, about 25 minutes.
For Topping: Using fingertips, mix flour and butter in medium bowl until small clumps form. Mix in pecans and sugar. Spoon topping over pie. Bake until topping browns lightly, about 12 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature.
KEY LIME PIE BARS WITH VANILLA WAFER CRUST
This is from Samantha Seneviratne at The New York Times cooking newsletter. Samantha wrote, "Some say that a Key lime’s juice is slightly more floral than that of its more well-known cousin, the Persian lime, the kind you can find in every supermarket and corner deli. Key limes are hard to find, though, so use bottled Key lime juice or conventional lime juice in this easy recipe that's great for a crowd."
Yield: 16 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling
This was featured in "A Sweet-Tart Treat for Summer", and can viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019472-key-lime-pie-bars-with-vanilla-wafer-crust.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 (11-ounce) box vanilla wafers
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
1 3/4 cup condensed milk (1 14-ounce can plus 1/2 cup)
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup Key lime or conventional lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
For the Topping:
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In a food processor, combine vanilla wafers and sugar, and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add butter and process until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press it down into an even layer. Bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 15 to 17 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and lime zest.
Pour filling over crust (it’s O.K. if it’s still warm) and bake until the filling is set, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Use a sharp knife to release edges. Using the parchment overhang, carefully lift and transfer the bar to a cutting board. Just before serving, whip heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Top bars with whipped cream and cut into 16 squares to serve.
SUMMER PUDDING WITH BLACKBERRIES AND PEACHES
This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking newsletter. Alison wrote, "Constructed from layers of soft, spongy sliced bread and tons of juicy, just-cooked fruit, this British dessert gets an update with a layer of barely sweetened whipped cream. It is the best thing since, well, sliced bread. Think of it as somewhere between a layer cake (where you don’t have to bake any cake) and a tiramisù (where the coffee and chocolate is replaced by burst berries and juicy peaches). While the assembly should be a relaxed, messy affair, just be sure to adequately soak the bread so it reads as custardy, not dry."
Yield: 8 to 12 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus chilling
This was featured in "What to Do With All That Summer Fruit", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020394-summer-pudding-with-blackberries-and-peaches.
Ingredients
2 pounds peaches or nectarines (about 5), pitted and sliced 1-inch thick
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (optional)
1-1/2 pounds blackberries or raspberries, plus an extra handful for garnish
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup labneh, mascarpone or full-fat Greek yogurt
1 loaf brioche, pain de mie or Pullman bread (about 1-1/4 pounds), crusts removed, bread sliced 1-inch thick
Pinch of kosher salt
Preparation
Combine peaches, 1/3 cup sugar and the ginger, if using, in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling occasionally, until the peaches have started to release their juices (but are not falling apart into mush), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl; set aside to cool completely.
Without rinsing out the pot (there’s no need), combine the berries and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, swirling occasionally, until the berries have started to release their juices (but are not falling apart into mush), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl, separate from the peaches; set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat cream and confectioners’ sugar until spreadable, pillowy, medium peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in labneh until well blended.
Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with plastic wrap so that there is ample overhang. (A regular cake pan will also work; just make sure it has high sides or you might need to make the pudding in two vessels.)
Place one layer of sliced bread on the bottom. Cut the bread to fit as needed to make sure there is an even layer with no obvious gaps (aesthetics don’t matter here, as it’ll be covered up).
Spoon 1/3 of the berry juices onto the bread to thoroughly soak, followed by half of the berries themselves. Spoon 1/3 of the peach juices onto the bread and berries, followed by half of the peaches themselves.
Spread 1/3 of the cream mixture onto the fruit and top with another layer of bread, making sure to fill any obvious gaps with bread that’s cut to fit. Top bread with another 1/3 of the berry juices and all of the remaining berries, followed by 1/3 of the peach juices and all of the remaining peaches. Top with 1/3 of the cream mixture, setting the remaining cream mixture aside in the refrigerator.
Place another layer of bread on top, making sure to fill any obvious gaps, especially around the edges, with bread that’s cut to fit. Spoon remaining 1/3 of the blackberry and peach juices on top, making sure to stain the entire surface. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top and then place a plate on top of the plastic. Rest a heavy can (or another medium-sized, relatively heavy, food-safe object) on top to lightly compress the whole shebang. Refrigerate for at least four hours.
When you’re ready to serve, crush a handful of berries with a sprinkling of sugar; let sit for a few minutes. Remove springform sides and plastic wrap. (If using a regular cake pan, lift the pudding out by the excess plastic and transfer the entire pudding to a plate, platter or cake stand, removing plastic wrap.)
Take the remaining heavy cream mixture and top the pudding, swirling in the crushed berries to create streaks and swirls. Slice (or spoon) the pudding and serve. Pudding can be assembled three days ahead, stored tightly wrapped and refrigerated.
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