Monday Desserts
It's the last Monday of 2022. To that end, here are six yummy Monday Desserts, including Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies and Gourmet S'Mores. Enjoy!
CINNAMON-APPLE BROWN BETTY
This is from Heather Demeritte of Scottsdale, Arizona, and posted on Taste of Home. Heather wrote, "If I had to define the 'Betty' of Apple Brown Betty, she'd be a smart and thrifty Southern gal with a knack for creating simple, soul-comforting desserts. In this sweet dish, spiced apples are slow-cooked between layers of cinnamon-raisin bread cubes for a wonderful twist on the traditional oven-baked classic."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cinnamon-apple-brown-betty/.
Ingredients
5 medium tart apples, cubed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons butter, melted
6 cups cubed day-old cinnamon-raisin bread (about 10 slices)
Sweetened whipped cream, optional
Directions
In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. In a large bowl, drizzle butter over bread cubes; toss to coat.
Place 2 cups bread cubes in a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Layer with half of the apple mixture and 2 cups bread cubes. Repeat layers. Cook, covered, on low 2-3 hours or until apples are tender. Stir before serving. If desired, top with whipped cream.
BLACKBERRY FOOL
This is from Vallery Lomas in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Vallery wrote, "Whipping up this dessert may be the wisest decision you’ll make in the summer: It comes together quickly and uses only five ingredients. Mashed juicy berries folded into lightly whipped cream results in a simple dish that manages to feel both decadent and light. Macerating ripe in-season blackberries in sugar extracts their natural sweetness and goodness. Serve this dish with shortbread cookies for a buttery crumble to contrast the creamy blend."
Yield: 6 servings; Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022353-blackberry-fool.
Ingredients
1 pint fresh blackberries (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Shortbread cookies, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Place the blackberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar, then drizzle with the vanilla. Toss lightly to evenly coat. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then mash the blackberries until they release their juices and form a thick pulp.
Combine the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in another medium bowl. Use an electric stand or hand mixer or whisk to whip the cream to medium peaks. (When you lift the beater or whisk, the cream should hold a peak for a moment.)
Pour the berry mixture over the cream and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined. You can leave streaks of the berry mixture or completely incorporate it. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, scoop into glasses or dishes and top with cookies if desired.
SHORTBREAD, 10 WAYS
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, "Shortbread is not only one of the easiest desserts you can possibly make, it’s also one of the most adaptable. As long as you keep the butter-to-flour ratio constant (1 stick butter to 1 cup flour), everything else is negotiable. You can reduce or increase the sugar and salt, or mix in any type of flavoring from citrus zest to vanilla to herbs and spices. You can even alter the type of flour, swapping in some rice flour for all-purpose flour for increased crunch, or cornmeal for a nubby texture. Just be cautious about adding liquid to the dough; any more than one tablespoon could interfere with the texture. Here we give a master recipe and nine variations to play around with."
Yield: 24 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling
This was featured in "The Simplest Shortbread You Can Bake", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018784-shortbread-10-ways.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks/1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
Preparation
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess; the dough should be somewhat crumbly. (You can also mix the dough in a bowl using two knives or a pastry cutter.)
Press dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan, or a 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch square or pie pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.
Tips
Here are nine variations for the master shortbread recipe above.
Scottish Shortbread: Use 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup white rice flour.
Tender Shortbread: Substitute confectioners' sugar for the granulated sugar, and 1/3 cup cornstarch for 1/3 cup of flour.
Vanilla Bean Shortbread: Split a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the back of a knife to scrape out the pulp. Pulse the pulp into the flour-sugar mixture before adding butter. Or add up to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with the butter.
Citrus Shortbread: Add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon, lime or orange zest with the flour. Add up to 1 teaspoon orange blossom water with the butter if desired. These are classic with poppy seeds.
Nut Shortbread: Grind 1/2 cup toasted nuts in the food processor with the flour before combining with remaining ingredients.
Spice or Seed Shortbread: Add up to 1 teaspoon spices, like ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cardamom, or seeds like caraway or anise. Or add up to 3 tablespoons poppy or sesame seeds.
Brown or Maple Sugar Shortbread: Substitute 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar or maple sugar for the granulated. This yields a slightly softer shortbread.
Cornmeal or Whole Wheat Shortbread: Substitute up to 1/2 cup cornmeal or whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. Season with spices, seeds, citrus or rosemary if desired.
Buckwheat Shortbread: Substitute up to 1/3 cup buckwheat flour for 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour.
APPLE-LEMON FRITTERS
This is from the October 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It begins, "These puffy, fruit-filled gems turn breakfast or brunch into a festive meal. Serve them with warmed applesauce, maple syrup or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Offer plenty of hot coffee and hot cider."
While the magazine states it makes 4 to 6 servings, the website leaves it at 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-lemon-fritters/.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk or soymilk
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or soy margarine
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (about 1-1/2 apples) diced apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
Preparation
Place milk, eggs and butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until well combined. Fold in cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well combined. Fold in apples, cinnamon, lemon zest and sugar.
Heat oil in large skillet or deep saucepan over medium heat. When hot, spoon fritter batter into oil, about 1/4 cup at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and place on several layers of paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat until batter is used up.
To serve, place fritters on individual plates, and pass with selection of toppings.
GOURMET S'MORES
This is from the July/August 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 67. It begins, "You don't need a campfire to make s'mores! Pull these out of the oven at your next summer get-together and you'll win raves from kids and adults alike." Makes 12 s'mores in 30 minutes or less
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a link for this.
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp. sugar
6 low-fat graham crackers, broken in half
1 4-oz. bar milk chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 banana, thinly sliced on an angle
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff
Directions
Preheat broiler. Toss berries with sugar in bowl, and let stand 10 minutes.
Place graham cracker halves on baking sheet, and top with chocolate pieces.
Set 2 or 3 banana slices over eacj pf 6 s'mores with raspberries.
Spread 2 Tbs. Marshmallow Fluff over each s'more. Place 6 to 8 inches under broiler, and broil 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, or until chocolate is melted and fluff is toasty and browned. Serve immediately.
CREAM CHEESE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
These yummy cookies are from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, "These thumbprint cookies are made with rich butter and cream cheese dough. Press your thumb into the center of each ball of cookie dough and fill them with your favorite fruit preserves or jam. Strawberry or seedless raspberry jam is an excellent choice, or use apricot preserves.
"The cookies are made with the addition of chopped pecans. The cookies may be rolled in extra chopped pecans before filling. Chopped almonds or walnuts may be substituted."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 48 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/cream-cheese-thumbprint-cookies-3052207.
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Heat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.
Add flour and baking soda; mix well.
Fold in the chopped pecans; mix well; chill dough for 30 minutes.
Shape the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Make an indentation in the center of each ball with a thumb or finger. Fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon of the preserves.
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 to 5 dozen.
Tips and Variations
Use walnuts or chopped almonds in place of the pecans, or omit the nuts.
Instead of adding nuts to the dough, coat the cookies with chopped nuts. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Roll the dough balls in the egg mixture, then in chopped nuts or coconut. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and make the thumbprint indentation in each cookie; fill with preserves.
Instead of chopped nuts, fold crumbled toasted coconut into the cookie dough.
CINNAMON-APPLE BROWN BETTY
This is from Heather Demeritte of Scottsdale, Arizona, and posted on Taste of Home. Heather wrote, "If I had to define the 'Betty' of Apple Brown Betty, she'd be a smart and thrifty Southern gal with a knack for creating simple, soul-comforting desserts. In this sweet dish, spiced apples are slow-cooked between layers of cinnamon-raisin bread cubes for a wonderful twist on the traditional oven-baked classic."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cinnamon-apple-brown-betty/.
Ingredients
5 medium tart apples, cubed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons butter, melted
6 cups cubed day-old cinnamon-raisin bread (about 10 slices)
Sweetened whipped cream, optional
Directions
In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apple mixture and toss to coat. In a large bowl, drizzle butter over bread cubes; toss to coat.
Place 2 cups bread cubes in a greased 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker. Layer with half of the apple mixture and 2 cups bread cubes. Repeat layers. Cook, covered, on low 2-3 hours or until apples are tender. Stir before serving. If desired, top with whipped cream.
BLACKBERRY FOOL
This is from Vallery Lomas in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Vallery wrote, "Whipping up this dessert may be the wisest decision you’ll make in the summer: It comes together quickly and uses only five ingredients. Mashed juicy berries folded into lightly whipped cream results in a simple dish that manages to feel both decadent and light. Macerating ripe in-season blackberries in sugar extracts their natural sweetness and goodness. Serve this dish with shortbread cookies for a buttery crumble to contrast the creamy blend."
Yield: 6 servings; Time: 15 minutes
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022353-blackberry-fool.
Ingredients
1 pint fresh blackberries (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Shortbread cookies, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Place the blackberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the granulated sugar, then drizzle with the vanilla. Toss lightly to evenly coat. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then mash the blackberries until they release their juices and form a thick pulp.
Combine the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in another medium bowl. Use an electric stand or hand mixer or whisk to whip the cream to medium peaks. (When you lift the beater or whisk, the cream should hold a peak for a moment.)
Pour the berry mixture over the cream and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined. You can leave streaks of the berry mixture or completely incorporate it. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, scoop into glasses or dishes and top with cookies if desired.
SHORTBREAD, 10 WAYS
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, "Shortbread is not only one of the easiest desserts you can possibly make, it’s also one of the most adaptable. As long as you keep the butter-to-flour ratio constant (1 stick butter to 1 cup flour), everything else is negotiable. You can reduce or increase the sugar and salt, or mix in any type of flavoring from citrus zest to vanilla to herbs and spices. You can even alter the type of flour, swapping in some rice flour for all-purpose flour for increased crunch, or cornmeal for a nubby texture. Just be cautious about adding liquid to the dough; any more than one tablespoon could interfere with the texture. Here we give a master recipe and nine variations to play around with."
Yield: 24 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus cooling
This was featured in "The Simplest Shortbread You Can Bake", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018784-shortbread-10-ways.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 sticks/1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
Preparation
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess; the dough should be somewhat crumbly. (You can also mix the dough in a bowl using two knives or a pastry cutter.)
Press dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan, or a 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch square or pie pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.
Tips
Here are nine variations for the master shortbread recipe above.
Scottish Shortbread: Use 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup white rice flour.
Tender Shortbread: Substitute confectioners' sugar for the granulated sugar, and 1/3 cup cornstarch for 1/3 cup of flour.
Vanilla Bean Shortbread: Split a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the back of a knife to scrape out the pulp. Pulse the pulp into the flour-sugar mixture before adding butter. Or add up to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with the butter.
Citrus Shortbread: Add 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon, lime or orange zest with the flour. Add up to 1 teaspoon orange blossom water with the butter if desired. These are classic with poppy seeds.
Nut Shortbread: Grind 1/2 cup toasted nuts in the food processor with the flour before combining with remaining ingredients.
Spice or Seed Shortbread: Add up to 1 teaspoon spices, like ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cardamom, or seeds like caraway or anise. Or add up to 3 tablespoons poppy or sesame seeds.
Brown or Maple Sugar Shortbread: Substitute 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar or maple sugar for the granulated. This yields a slightly softer shortbread.
Cornmeal or Whole Wheat Shortbread: Substitute up to 1/2 cup cornmeal or whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour. Season with spices, seeds, citrus or rosemary if desired.
Buckwheat Shortbread: Substitute up to 1/3 cup buckwheat flour for 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour.
APPLE-LEMON FRITTERS
This is from the October 2003 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 59. It begins, "These puffy, fruit-filled gems turn breakfast or brunch into a festive meal. Serve them with warmed applesauce, maple syrup or a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Offer plenty of hot coffee and hot cider."
While the magazine states it makes 4 to 6 servings, the website leaves it at 4 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/apple-lemon-fritters/.
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk or soymilk
3 large eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or soy margarine
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups (about 1-1/2 apples) diced apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or more as needed
Preparation
Place milk, eggs and butter in large mixing bowl, and beat until well combined. Fold in cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until well combined. Fold in apples, cinnamon, lemon zest and sugar.
Heat oil in large skillet or deep saucepan over medium heat. When hot, spoon fritter batter into oil, about 1/4 cup at a time, and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil, and place on several layers of paper towels to blot excess oil. Repeat until batter is used up.
To serve, place fritters on individual plates, and pass with selection of toppings.
GOURMET S'MORES
This is from the July/August 2016 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 67. It begins, "You don't need a campfire to make s'mores! Pull these out of the oven at your next summer get-together and you'll win raves from kids and adults alike." Makes 12 s'mores in 30 minutes or less
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a link for this.
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp. sugar
6 low-fat graham crackers, broken in half
1 4-oz. bar milk chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 banana, thinly sliced on an angle
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff
Directions
Preheat broiler. Toss berries with sugar in bowl, and let stand 10 minutes.
Place graham cracker halves on baking sheet, and top with chocolate pieces.
Set 2 or 3 banana slices over eacj pf 6 s'mores with raspberries.
Spread 2 Tbs. Marshmallow Fluff over each s'more. Place 6 to 8 inches under broiler, and broil 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, or until chocolate is melted and fluff is toasty and browned. Serve immediately.
CREAM CHEESE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
These yummy cookies are from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, "These thumbprint cookies are made with rich butter and cream cheese dough. Press your thumb into the center of each ball of cookie dough and fill them with your favorite fruit preserves or jam. Strawberry or seedless raspberry jam is an excellent choice, or use apricot preserves.
"The cookies are made with the addition of chopped pecans. The cookies may be rolled in extra chopped pecans before filling. Chopped almonds or walnuts may be substituted."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 48 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/cream-cheese-thumbprint-cookies-3052207.
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Heat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Beat the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.
Add flour and baking soda; mix well.
Fold in the chopped pecans; mix well; chill dough for 30 minutes.
Shape the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets.
Make an indentation in the center of each ball with a thumb or finger. Fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon of the preserves.
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 to 5 dozen.
Tips and Variations
Use walnuts or chopped almonds in place of the pecans, or omit the nuts.
Instead of adding nuts to the dough, coat the cookies with chopped nuts. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Roll the dough balls in the egg mixture, then in chopped nuts or coconut. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet and make the thumbprint indentation in each cookie; fill with preserves.
Instead of chopped nuts, fold crumbled toasted coconut into the cookie dough.
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