Tuesday Desserts
How's everyone doing this morning? Hopefully, your 4th of July (here in the U.S.) was good...and safe. Ours was nice. While I didn't make homemade ice cream this year (our ice cream maker died, and I haven't replaced it yet), it was good.
Well, on to today's desserts. Check out the Quick Vegan Chocolate Pie or the Homemade Twinkies. Then go on to the rest of today's desserts. Enjoy!
STRAWBERRY MERINGUE NESTS
This was in the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Time (page 49). It begins, "Resembling pale pink clouds, these meringues have a crisp shell and a chewy, berry-flavored interior. Try to pick a day with very low to no humidity to bake these nests, or the meringues will become sticky and somewhat soft. Fill with ice cream, sorbet, or fresh summer fruit." Makes 12 servings.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/strawberry-meringue-nests/..
Ingredients
1 1.2-oz. pkg. freeze-dried strawberries
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 250°F. Grind strawberries in coffee grinder or mini food processor until powdered. Set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy and bubbles become very small. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch, and slowly add to egg whites with mixer still running. Add vinegar, vanilla, and salt, and increase speed to high. Beat 3 to 5 minutes, or until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in 4 Tbs. ground strawberries.
Dab 2 small dots of meringue mixture onto bottom corners of each of 2 baking sheets (this will help parchment paper stay put while forming nests). Lay 1 sheet parchment into each sheet pan, and press parchment to adhere to meringue dots. Use large ice cream scoop or 2 serving spoons to dollop 1/3-cup mounds of meringue (6 per baking sheet), leaving 2 inches between each mound. Use back of spoon to gently form indention in middle of each mound.
Bake 1 sheet at a time 50 to 60 minutes, or until meringues are crisp. Cool completely before serving. Store in airtight container up to 3 days.
FROZEN CRANBERRY-CREAM PIE
This was in the November 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 40). It begins, "Sweet-tart cranberry sauce is swirled together with Greek frozen yogurt for an easy holiday dessert. If you’re not a fan of allspice, try ground cloves or cinnamon instead. For a sweeter, creamier pie, double the amount of frozen yogurt." Makes 8 servings. Great for holiday table
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/frozen-cranberry-cream-pie/.
Ingredients
1 12-oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1 cup vanilla Greek frozen yogurt, softened 10 to 15 minutes
1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust
Preparation
Bring cranberries, light brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, allspice, and a dash of salt, if desired, to a simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Mash with potato masher to break up any remaining whole cranberries. Transfer to large bowl, and cool.
Fold frozen yogurt into cooled cranberry sauce. Spread in prepared crust. Freeze 2 hours, or until firm.
BUTTER MOCHI
This recipe is from Genevieve Ko on The New York Times cooking site, as well as in "Briliant Baking" cooking suppliment on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Genevieve wrote, "Tender and chewy, this big-batch dessert — as comforting as cake and as fun as bar cookies — is always a hit at parties. Mochiko, sweet rice flour, not only gives it its distinctive marshmallow-like softness, but it also lends a natural sweetness. This version of butter mochi uses only coconut milk for its richness and subtle nutty taste, but you can substitute equivalent amounts of whole milk, evaporated milk or a combination of those liquids. Butter mochi develops a crackly top that stays crunchy the day it’s baked, making it a delicious dessert to eat without adornment. But, if you’d like more crunch, you can sprinkle dried shredded coconut evenly over the top before baking, or, for a tangy, colorful top, you can coat it with the passion fruit glaze below."
Yield: 1 (9-by-13-inch) cake; Time: 2 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in "The Best Party Dessert Comes From Hawaii," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022347-butter-mochi.
Ingredients
For the Mochi:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
3 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour), like Blue Star brand
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 (13.5-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (scant 3-1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Passion Fruit Glaze (optional):
1-1/2 packed cups confectioners’ sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons passion fruit pulp or purée (see Tip)
Pink or red food coloring (optional)
Preparation
Make the mochi: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Whisk the mochiko, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Prepare the batter in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk: Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Continue whisking while pouring in the coconut milk, then the butter and vanilla. Continue whisking while gradually adding the mochiko mixture. Whisk until the batter is completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, then tap it against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake until golden brown and crackly, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1-1/2 hours. When you press the center, it should bounce back but not indent at all. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper to slide the cooled mochi out of the pan.
The mochi is delicious plain, but you can add a glaze if you’d like: Mix the confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp until smooth. It should be thick but drippy. If needed, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons pulp. If you’d like to create an ombré or sunset effect, scrape some into another bowl or multiple bowls and tint with food coloring. Spread the glaze evenly over the mochi, in stripes if you’d like, and let stand until set.
Cut the mochi into squares or bars. Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tip
You can buy pure passion fruit purée from specialty markets and some grocery stores in the frozen fruit section. If you can’t find the fruit or purée, you can substitute passion fruit juice or nectar, but it will be much sweeter. To prepare passion fruit pulp from fresh fruit, halve 2 fruits and scrape the pulp into a small microwave-safe bowl or saucepan. Warm by microwaving for 15 seconds or heating on low until loose and runny. Press through a sieve to extract the pulp from the seeds.
ARROZ CON LECHE: MEXICAN RICE PUDDING
This is from Chelsie Kenyon in The Spruce Eats. Chelsie wrote, "Rice pudding is a beloved dessert found in cuisines all over the world, including Mexico where it is called arroz con leche. This version is thick and creamy with the added warm spice of cinnamon and the welcoming chewy texture of raisins. The rice and milk combine with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, adding richness and sweetness to this comforting dessert.
"When making rice pudding, it is best to use short- or medium-grained rice, such as arborio, as it will give you the creamiest texture. In this recipe, the cinnamon flavor comes from cinnamon sticks, but if you don't have any, simply use one teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead. And be mindful that the raisins need to soak in water before being added to the rice pudding; about 30 minutes in some warm water will plump them up nicely.
"Arroz con leche is served hot with a little sprinkling of cinnamon and perhaps a pat of butter on top."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/arroz-con-leche-mexican-rice-pudding-2343000.
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
1-1/4 cups water
1 cup rice (short or medium grain)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup raisins (soaked in warm water to soften and drained)
Ground cinnamon and butter, for garnish
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Combine the whole milk and water in a large pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium-low heat.
Stir in the rice, add the cinnamon sticks, and continue cooking at barely a simmer, uncovered, until the rice is softened, for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
When the rice is soft, remove the cinnamon sticks.
Stir in the condensed milk, vanilla, salt, and raisins.
Return to a slight simmer and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice has a pudding-like consistency.
Serve hot, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dot of butter.
Enjoy.
Tip
If you don't often cook with condensed milk, you may want to familiarize yourself with the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk; they will be shelved together in the grocery store and may have similar looking labels, but they are not the same and can't always be swapped for one another. Sweetened condensed milk is evaporated milk with sugar added; if you use the unsweetened evaporated milk, the rice pudding will not be sweet.
QUICK VEGAN CHOCOLATE PIE
This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, "This super easy chocolate peanut butter tofu pie, similar to a French silk pie, is vegan and can be prepared in just a few minutes. Just be sure to use vegan chocolate. Use a gluten-free pie crust and this vegan pie can easily be made gluten-free as well.
"This one is a classic recipe that's been floating around vegan circles for decades now. Sure, you can make vegan pies much fancier than this one (with much more expensive and unique ingredients), but we like to keep it old school and simple, from time to time. Plus, all of these ingredients are things you can easily keep on hand, and once you've tried this recipe a few times, you can probably whip it up off the top of your head.
"It's tofu as a base, chocolate chips (check the ingredients if you're vegan), and peanut butter for flavor and a little bit of soy milk to mix it all together. Blend, bake, chill, and done.
"Be sure you use semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe since there's otherwise no sugar. It's not a supersweet recipe, even with the semi-sweet chocolate chips, but the richness of the peanut butter more than makes up for it, in my opinion. If you're used to super-sweet desserts, you might disagree, or, you might be pleasantly surprised with just how much you like it.
"Enjoy your chocolate tofu peanut butter pie."
Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes; Servings: 8; Yield: 1 pie
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/quick-vegan-chocolate-pie-3376759.
Ingredients
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu, or firm tofu
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy milk
1 pre-made pie crust
Directions
Melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring frequently to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn.
You can use a double boiler if you have one.
Once the chocolate is melted, blend together the silken tofu, peanut butter, chocolate, and soy milk in the blender until smooth and creamy, adding a bit more soy milk if necessary.
Pour into pie crust and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.
HOMEMADE TWINKIES
This is from Jennifer Steinhauer in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. The recipe begins, "Dispirited by the possible demise in 2012 of Hostess, the company that makes Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Hostess cupcakes, Jennifer Steinhauer began to wonder if she could make Hostess snack cakes, as well as other much-loved junk food from the past, in her own kitchen. She started with this classic, the Twinkie, by buying a canoe pan, which conveniently came with a cream injector. This recipe is a traditional sponge cake-style recipe, with whipped egg whites and sugar forming the base, then filled by cream injector with seven-minute frosting. Neighbors were delighted when she shared the results, but it was short lived. By the next day, the cake had absorbed the cream -- so make sure to eat them fast."
Yield: 12 homemade Twinkies; Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
This was featured in "It’s Not Junk if I Made It", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12328-homemade-twinkies..
Ingredients
For the Cakes:
Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs at room temperature, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
For the cakes: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
To make single-use Twinkie molds, cut 12 pieces of aluminum foil 12 inches wide by 14 inches long. Fold each piece of foil in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again to create a rectangle that’s about 6 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat to make a dozen rectangles.
Place one sheet of folded foil on a work surface with a standard-size spice jar on its side in the center of the foil. Bring the long sides of the foil up around the jar, folding the sides and ends as necessary to make a tight trough-shape from which the jar can be removed. Repeat to make 12 foil molds. Spray generously with nonstick spray or coat with vegetable oil. Place the molds on a baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Cover to keep warm.
Using a standing mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft peaks.
Transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl (there’s no need to clean the bowl). Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed for just 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter, and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl. Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.
Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared molds, filling each with about .75 inch of batter. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan containing the molds to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the molds.
For the filling: Using a mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners’ sugar and Marshmallow Fluff. Add the cream and beat just until smooth.
Just before filling the cakes, remove them from the foil. Using the end of a chopstick, poke three holes in the bottom of each cake. Wiggle the tip of the chopstick to make room for the filling. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe frosting into the holes in each cake, taking care not to overfill, until it gently expands. Unlike real Twinkies, these won’t last indefinitely. They’re best served still slightly warm.
Tip
Adapted from leitesculinaria.com
Well, on to today's desserts. Check out the Quick Vegan Chocolate Pie or the Homemade Twinkies. Then go on to the rest of today's desserts. Enjoy!
STRAWBERRY MERINGUE NESTS
This was in the July/August 2010 issue of Vegetarian Time (page 49). It begins, "Resembling pale pink clouds, these meringues have a crisp shell and a chewy, berry-flavored interior. Try to pick a day with very low to no humidity to bake these nests, or the meringues will become sticky and somewhat soft. Fill with ice cream, sorbet, or fresh summer fruit." Makes 12 servings.
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/strawberry-meringue-nests/..
Ingredients
1 1.2-oz. pkg. freeze-dried strawberries
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 250°F. Grind strawberries in coffee grinder or mini food processor until powdered. Set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy and bubbles become very small. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch, and slowly add to egg whites with mixer still running. Add vinegar, vanilla, and salt, and increase speed to high. Beat 3 to 5 minutes, or until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold in 4 Tbs. ground strawberries.
Dab 2 small dots of meringue mixture onto bottom corners of each of 2 baking sheets (this will help parchment paper stay put while forming nests). Lay 1 sheet parchment into each sheet pan, and press parchment to adhere to meringue dots. Use large ice cream scoop or 2 serving spoons to dollop 1/3-cup mounds of meringue (6 per baking sheet), leaving 2 inches between each mound. Use back of spoon to gently form indention in middle of each mound.
Bake 1 sheet at a time 50 to 60 minutes, or until meringues are crisp. Cool completely before serving. Store in airtight container up to 3 days.
FROZEN CRANBERRY-CREAM PIE
This was in the November 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 40). It begins, "Sweet-tart cranberry sauce is swirled together with Greek frozen yogurt for an easy holiday dessert. If you’re not a fan of allspice, try ground cloves or cinnamon instead. For a sweeter, creamier pie, double the amount of frozen yogurt." Makes 8 servings. Great for holiday table
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/frozen-cranberry-cream-pie/.
Ingredients
1 12-oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1 cup vanilla Greek frozen yogurt, softened 10 to 15 minutes
1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust
Preparation
Bring cranberries, light brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, allspice, and a dash of salt, if desired, to a simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Mash with potato masher to break up any remaining whole cranberries. Transfer to large bowl, and cool.
Fold frozen yogurt into cooled cranberry sauce. Spread in prepared crust. Freeze 2 hours, or until firm.
BUTTER MOCHI
This recipe is from Genevieve Ko on The New York Times cooking site, as well as in "Briliant Baking" cooking suppliment on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Genevieve wrote, "Tender and chewy, this big-batch dessert — as comforting as cake and as fun as bar cookies — is always a hit at parties. Mochiko, sweet rice flour, not only gives it its distinctive marshmallow-like softness, but it also lends a natural sweetness. This version of butter mochi uses only coconut milk for its richness and subtle nutty taste, but you can substitute equivalent amounts of whole milk, evaporated milk or a combination of those liquids. Butter mochi develops a crackly top that stays crunchy the day it’s baked, making it a delicious dessert to eat without adornment. But, if you’d like more crunch, you can sprinkle dried shredded coconut evenly over the top before baking, or, for a tangy, colorful top, you can coat it with the passion fruit glaze below."
Yield: 1 (9-by-13-inch) cake; Time: 2 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in "The Best Party Dessert Comes From Hawaii," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022347-butter-mochi.
Ingredients
For the Mochi:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
3 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour), like Blue Star brand
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
2 (13.5-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (scant 3-1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Passion Fruit Glaze (optional):
1-1/2 packed cups confectioners’ sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons passion fruit pulp or purée (see Tip)
Pink or red food coloring (optional)
Preparation
Make the mochi: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Whisk the mochiko, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Prepare the batter in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or whisk: Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and thick. Continue whisking while pouring in the coconut milk, then the butter and vanilla. Continue whisking while gradually adding the mochiko mixture. Whisk until the batter is completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan, then tap it against the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake until golden brown and crackly, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1-1/2 hours. When you press the center, it should bounce back but not indent at all. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper to slide the cooled mochi out of the pan.
The mochi is delicious plain, but you can add a glaze if you’d like: Mix the confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp until smooth. It should be thick but drippy. If needed, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons pulp. If you’d like to create an ombré or sunset effect, scrape some into another bowl or multiple bowls and tint with food coloring. Spread the glaze evenly over the mochi, in stripes if you’d like, and let stand until set.
Cut the mochi into squares or bars. Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tip
You can buy pure passion fruit purée from specialty markets and some grocery stores in the frozen fruit section. If you can’t find the fruit or purée, you can substitute passion fruit juice or nectar, but it will be much sweeter. To prepare passion fruit pulp from fresh fruit, halve 2 fruits and scrape the pulp into a small microwave-safe bowl or saucepan. Warm by microwaving for 15 seconds or heating on low until loose and runny. Press through a sieve to extract the pulp from the seeds.
ARROZ CON LECHE: MEXICAN RICE PUDDING
This is from Chelsie Kenyon in The Spruce Eats. Chelsie wrote, "Rice pudding is a beloved dessert found in cuisines all over the world, including Mexico where it is called arroz con leche. This version is thick and creamy with the added warm spice of cinnamon and the welcoming chewy texture of raisins. The rice and milk combine with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, adding richness and sweetness to this comforting dessert.
"When making rice pudding, it is best to use short- or medium-grained rice, such as arborio, as it will give you the creamiest texture. In this recipe, the cinnamon flavor comes from cinnamon sticks, but if you don't have any, simply use one teaspoon of ground cinnamon instead. And be mindful that the raisins need to soak in water before being added to the rice pudding; about 30 minutes in some warm water will plump them up nicely.
"Arroz con leche is served hot with a little sprinkling of cinnamon and perhaps a pat of butter on top."
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/arroz-con-leche-mexican-rice-pudding-2343000.
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
1-1/4 cups water
1 cup rice (short or medium grain)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup raisins (soaked in warm water to soften and drained)
Ground cinnamon and butter, for garnish
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Combine the whole milk and water in a large pot and bring to a slow simmer over medium-low heat.
Stir in the rice, add the cinnamon sticks, and continue cooking at barely a simmer, uncovered, until the rice is softened, for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
When the rice is soft, remove the cinnamon sticks.
Stir in the condensed milk, vanilla, salt, and raisins.
Return to a slight simmer and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice has a pudding-like consistency.
Serve hot, topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dot of butter.
Enjoy.
Tip
If you don't often cook with condensed milk, you may want to familiarize yourself with the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk; they will be shelved together in the grocery store and may have similar looking labels, but they are not the same and can't always be swapped for one another. Sweetened condensed milk is evaporated milk with sugar added; if you use the unsweetened evaporated milk, the rice pudding will not be sweet.
QUICK VEGAN CHOCOLATE PIE
This is from Jolinda Hackett on The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, "This super easy chocolate peanut butter tofu pie, similar to a French silk pie, is vegan and can be prepared in just a few minutes. Just be sure to use vegan chocolate. Use a gluten-free pie crust and this vegan pie can easily be made gluten-free as well.
"This one is a classic recipe that's been floating around vegan circles for decades now. Sure, you can make vegan pies much fancier than this one (with much more expensive and unique ingredients), but we like to keep it old school and simple, from time to time. Plus, all of these ingredients are things you can easily keep on hand, and once you've tried this recipe a few times, you can probably whip it up off the top of your head.
"It's tofu as a base, chocolate chips (check the ingredients if you're vegan), and peanut butter for flavor and a little bit of soy milk to mix it all together. Blend, bake, chill, and done.
"Be sure you use semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe since there's otherwise no sugar. It's not a supersweet recipe, even with the semi-sweet chocolate chips, but the richness of the peanut butter more than makes up for it, in my opinion. If you're used to super-sweet desserts, you might disagree, or, you might be pleasantly surprised with just how much you like it.
"Enjoy your chocolate tofu peanut butter pie."
Cook Time: 0 minutes; Total Time: 5 minutes; Servings: 8; Yield: 1 pie
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/quick-vegan-chocolate-pie-3376759.
Ingredients
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu, or firm tofu
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy milk
1 pre-made pie crust
Directions
Melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring frequently to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn.
You can use a double boiler if you have one.
Once the chocolate is melted, blend together the silken tofu, peanut butter, chocolate, and soy milk in the blender until smooth and creamy, adding a bit more soy milk if necessary.
Pour into pie crust and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.
HOMEMADE TWINKIES
This is from Jennifer Steinhauer in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. The recipe begins, "Dispirited by the possible demise in 2012 of Hostess, the company that makes Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Hostess cupcakes, Jennifer Steinhauer began to wonder if she could make Hostess snack cakes, as well as other much-loved junk food from the past, in her own kitchen. She started with this classic, the Twinkie, by buying a canoe pan, which conveniently came with a cream injector. This recipe is a traditional sponge cake-style recipe, with whipped egg whites and sugar forming the base, then filled by cream injector with seven-minute frosting. Neighbors were delighted when she shared the results, but it was short lived. By the next day, the cake had absorbed the cream -- so make sure to eat them fast."
Yield: 12 homemade Twinkies; Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
This was featured in "It’s Not Junk if I Made It", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12328-homemade-twinkies..
Ingredients
For the Cakes:
Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs at room temperature, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions
For the cakes: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
To make single-use Twinkie molds, cut 12 pieces of aluminum foil 12 inches wide by 14 inches long. Fold each piece of foil in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again to create a rectangle that’s about 6 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat to make a dozen rectangles.
Place one sheet of folded foil on a work surface with a standard-size spice jar on its side in the center of the foil. Bring the long sides of the foil up around the jar, folding the sides and ends as necessary to make a tight trough-shape from which the jar can be removed. Repeat to make 12 foil molds. Spray generously with nonstick spray or coat with vegetable oil. Place the molds on a baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and butter until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Cover to keep warm.
Using a standing mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft peaks.
Transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl (there’s no need to clean the bowl). Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed for just 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter, and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl. Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.
Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared molds, filling each with about .75 inch of batter. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan containing the molds to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the molds.
For the filling: Using a mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners’ sugar and Marshmallow Fluff. Add the cream and beat just until smooth.
Just before filling the cakes, remove them from the foil. Using the end of a chopstick, poke three holes in the bottom of each cake. Wiggle the tip of the chopstick to make room for the filling. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe frosting into the holes in each cake, taking care not to overfill, until it gently expands. Unlike real Twinkies, these won’t last indefinitely. They’re best served still slightly warm.
Tip
Adapted from leitesculinaria.com
Comments
Post a Comment