Tag: Desserts
Pavlova with Fresh Berries
Awhile back, when I hosted my In-Home Yoga Ladies’ Night, I was faced with a dilemma common to many of us these days: the need to make a dessert (or any shareable dish, really) for a group of people with various food allergies and avoidances. I won’t go into my strong opinions on the current trends in food avoidances just now–I’ll save that frothing-at-the-mouth rant for another post. Suffice it to say that regardless of my opinions on other people’s food choices, when I invite them to eat at my home, I want to at least make some kind of effort to accommodate their modified diets, if I can keep track of them. In this particular instance, the goal was to create a dessert that was both gluten and lactose-free (and still actually tasted like a dessert, not a ball of wax). Well hmmmm, I thought, that knocks out just about every one of my personal favorite desserts. Ix-nay on the ownies-bray right there, as well as the ie-pay and the ookies-cay. Even the ice cream and udding-pay! What’s left?
I’ll tell you what’s left: SUGAR. No one’s allergic to sugar! But setting out a bowl of sugar for guests to dive into like a free-for-all dog dish really doesn’t scream elegance. Thankfully a thought in the back of my brain came along to whisper “Pavlova!” Pavlova is a meringue, which means its primary ingredients are egg whites and sugar whipped into a frenzy to create what I would describe as a “crusty pillow” if that didn’t sound so gross. Because really, this dessert is divine, and not at all like a crusty pillow, except that it has a lovely crunchy outside crust and a pillowy, marshmallow-y inside. Pavlova, if you’ve never heard of it and are wondering why it has a Russian name, was named for the ballerina Anna Pavlova, presumably because of her airy, delicate grace (“pillow”) and maybe because she became a crusty old broad later in life (“crust”)? Don’t quote me on that. Legend has it that a New Zealand chef created this dessert in her honor, and it has apparently become the national dessert of New Zealand. P.S. There is no national dessert for the U.S. Please write your congressman immediately.
For my yoga ladies’ night, this delicate dessert was a definite hit, and I must say everyone was surprised and very pleased to discover they could eat it, even with their modified diets. My kids also went nuts for it the next day when they were allowed to eat the leftovers. My 7-year-old even requested it for his next birthday cake. So the next time you’re on the hunt for a gluten and lactose-free dessert, keep pavlova in mind for something with pretty presentation and amazing taste. Let’s just hope no one’s allergic to eggs, cause in that case, I got nothin’.
Pavlova with Fresh Berries
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
4 egg whites (carefully separated so that not even a speck of yolk is included)
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. cornstarch
10 oz. container TruWhip whipped topping*
3/4 c. fresh blueberries
1/2 c. fresh raspberries
*Note: TruWhip is lactose-free, but does contain a trace amount of milk protein. Bear this in mind when preparing this to be allergy-friendly.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. Trace a circle around a 9-inch pie pan on the parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. (This means small peaks will stand up on the end of your beaters when you turn the mixer off.) Add sugar gradually, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, beating after each addition. By the end, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
- Gently fold in vanilla, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
- Spoon mixture into the pre-drawn circle on the baking sheet, smoothing with the back of a spoon to build up a slight edge around the outside.
- Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
- When cooled, transfer to a serving platter, spread evenly with TruWhip, and top with berries.
Serves 8.
Shamrock Shake
This may come off sounding snobby, but I pretty much refuse to eat at McDonald’s, except under extreme duress. (Basically, only on road trips through the middle of nowhere with zero other options and/or urgent need to use their bathroom). I could list a whole lot of reasons for this, but suffice it to say, McDonald’s and I are just not on the same page environmentally, nutritionally, or ideologically.
BUT….
There is one other exception to this rule besides the starving/gotta pee scenario. And that, my friends, is the Shamrock Shake. Every year around St. Patrick’s Day, McD’s rolls out this seasonal treat of minty deliciousness and I lose all common sense and decide I NEEEEEED one, like:
The thing is, I’m still not crazy about actually patronizing McDonald’s, and I never really know the timeframe of when they offer the Shamrock Shake, or if it’s only available at select locations. Plus, these things are (unfortunately) astronomically high in calories. A small Shamrock Shake will run you 530 calories–a small! This year I finally realized I might as well just try making my own.
Using just Breyer’s Homemade Vanilla ice cream, milk, a little green food coloring, and a few drops of peppermint extract (just enough to make it nice and minty but not toothpasty), this DIY version totally hit the spot. And at about 250 calories instead of 530, this will be my new go-to Shamrock Shake.
Craving satisfied, internal psycho Gollum voice quieted….until next year.
Shamrock Shake
(A Love Letter to Food Original)
Ingredients:
3/4 c. vanilla ice cream
3 Tbsp. milk
3 drops peppermint extract
4 drops green food coloring
Whipped cream, for topping
Directions:
Blend ice cream, milk, peppermint extract, and food coloring until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream.
Serves 1.
Banana Gingersnap Trifle
When asked their favorite dessert flavor, how many people immediately stand up and shout,
“BANANA!!”?
Well, except for these guys:
Not being a Minion, I myself wouldn’t typically place banana at the top of my list of dessert options. There are too many other amazing flavors to try, mostly revolving around chocolate. But every great once in awhile, I see a photo (or an article like this “Banana Pudding Recipes That’ll Take You Way Back to Childhood”) that makes banana pudding something I absolutely need to eat, like, immediately. As in, numbers 3, 4, and 7 in that article. NEED. And I didn’t even grow up with banana pudding, so I am clearly not the target market here.
Apparently, according to this oddly exhaustive article on the subject, banana pudding is a traditional Southern dessert, which explains its limited presence in my childhood. Arizona does not count as the South. So when I decided to make a banana pudding-based banana gingersnap trifle for a New Year’s Eve party with some dear friends of ours, I could only hope I would do it right.
Still, I have made many a pudding before, so I had that going for me. See? It’s good to have an arsenal of puddings up your sleeve. Nothing weird about having a microwave chocolate pudding for one recipe memorized. And–here’s a little secret about most banana puddings–there’s nothing actually banana-y about them until you top them with bananas. The pudding itself is basically just an uncomplicated vanilla. I know, we’ve all been lied to.
So, with a lot of past pudding experience and a little kitchen science, this banana gingersnap trifle took shape as a party buffet dessert. Ultimately, it must have been a success, because several people at the party commented on how much they enjoyed it–and who says that about banana desserts? One guy (who I don’t even know) actually interrupted me in a conversation to tell me how delicious it was before he left the party. I take that as a good sign! And I know I would certainly eat it again. A buttery gingersnap crust layered with silky pudding and whipped cream, adorned with the pretty presentation of sliced bananas–what’s not to like?
So I say:
Banana Gingersnap Trifle
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe
Ingredients:
For the pudding layer:
1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 c. 2% milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
For the gingersnap layer:
3/4 c. crushed gingersnap cookies
3/4 c. crushed graham crackers
1/3 c. crushed pecans
1/4 melted butter
For the whipped cream:
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 large bananas, sliced thin
Directions:
- Make the pudding: in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add egg yolks and egg and stir to combine, then stir in milk and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently so as not to let it curdle, until the mixture begins to thicken. (A whisk should leave a defined trail in the pudding when it is done.) Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Make the gingersnap layer: in a medium bowl, combine gingersnaps, graham crackers, pecans, and butter. Set aside.
- Make the whipped cream: in a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar on high with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble the trifle: in the bottom of a trifle dish, place a layer of gingersnap mixture (about 1/3 of the total mixture). Cover with a layer of half the prepared pudding, then a layer of half the prepared whipped cream. Top with slices of 1 banana. Repeat this layering once more, using another third of the gingersnap mixture, the second half of the pudding, and the second half of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with the remaining third of gingersnap mixture and arrange slices of 1 banana around the edges of the trifle.
Serves about 10.
Cranberry Apple Pie
Does your family have classic holiday foods? Things you or your mom or your Aunt Gladys have been making for Christmas for years that everyone still looks forward to? (Or maybe doesn’t look forward to, depending on the dish and its maker? *cough* blueberry Jell-O salad *cough*) For our family, there are a handful of foods I’ve been making for years, even as far back as our first married Christmas eleven years ago. Back then, food blogs weren’t really a thing and Pinterest was just a glint in some now-millionaire’s eye, so people still mostly relied on cookbooks for recipes. Hard to remember that time, right?
One of my first cookbooks was one I got at my bridal shower: Betty Crocker’s Bridal Edition Cookbook. Somehow I ended up trying this cranberry apple pie from the Dessert chapter of Betty Crocker that first year of my wifehood (probably because it only calls for 6 ingredients), and it was such a hit I’ve been making it ever since. I’ve taken it to playgroup potlucks, served it for neighbors, and made it for Thanksgiving, often getting requests for the recipe. The tartness of fresh cranberries as they burst their juice onto sweet baked apples in a gift wrap of flaky crust is pretty irresistible. If you’ve got a New Year’s party you want to squeak a tasty Christmasy dessert into, here’s your chance.
Cranberry Apple Pie
(Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Bridal Edition Cookbook)
Ingredients:
2 store-bought or homemade pie crusts
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. peeled Granny Smith apples, sliced thin
2 c. fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp. butter
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one pie crust.
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Arrange one third of the sliced apples in a layer on the crust, followed by half of the cranberries. Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. Repeat this process once, then add the remaining one third of the apples.* Cut butter into small pieces and dot over the top of the apples.
- Cover with the remaining pie crust, cutting slits in the top with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Seal and flute crust. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.
- Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue to bake another 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and least 2 hours.
*Note: Feel free to go easy on the sugar mixture if you prefer a tarter pie.
Serves 8.
Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Oh, boy. Here comes a dessert recipe, and it’s a big one. Do you have a special occasion handy? You’re gonna want to find one fast. Like, um, Columbus Day. Everyone celebrates Columbus Day with a giant cake, right? Let’s make that a thing. Or, according to this Bizarre Holidays calendar, just six days from now it’s “Moment of Frustration Day.” You’re definitely gonna need cake for that.
I’ve got you covered.
This Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting is an over-the-top delicious way to celebrate Columbus Day, or National Dessert Day (October 14th! Perfect!)–or just to savor the apple-cinnamon flavors we Northern Hemisphere-ites associate with fall.
Having loaded up on 15 pounds of apples at Date Creek Ranch during their apple picking festival last month, I’ve been on the prowl for apple recipes. It’s been applesauce/apple tart/pork chops and apples mania around here, and surprisingly, none of us seems to be sick of it yet. I actually made this special occasion apple cake for my mom’s birthday back in August, but am considering it for our hurrah with the one pound or so of Date Creek Ranch apples we have left.
This cake is dense, rich, and chock full of apples. The sweet praline frosting and cream cheese layer offset the density of the cake itself with a smooth sweetness. It would be delicious with or without the cream cheese layer, too, so feel free to leave that out if cream cheese isn’t your fave.
So however you need to justify it, I say make this cake. I mean, after all, National Count Your Buttons Day is only two weeks away. I think it should be obvious what that calls for…
…APPLE CREAM CHEESE BUNDT CAKE!
Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting
(Adapted from Southern Living)
Ingredients:
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Apple Cake Batter:
1 c. finely chopped pecans
3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. white sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c. canola oil
3/4 c. applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. apples, peeled and diced
Praline Frosting:
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. powdered sugar
Extra pecans, for garnish
Directions:
- Make the cream cheese filling: in a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, butter, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.
- Make the cake batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in a shallow baking pan and bake 5-7 minutes until toasted, stirring once halfway through. In a large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Stir in eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until just combined. Fold in apples and toasted pecans.
- Grease and flour a 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon 2/3 of the apple cake batter into the pan, then top with entire cream cheese mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of the pan. Use a skewer, toothpick, or paring knife to swirl the two mixtures together slightly (or skip this step if you don’t care for a marbled effect.) Spoon remaining apple cake batter on top of cream cheese mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven 1 hour 15 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool to room temperature on the wire rack.
- Make the praline frosting: in a small saucepan, bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil and whisk 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Stir gently for a few minutes until mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly. Drizzle over cake immediately. (For a cleaner look, pour the frosting in a squeeze bottle and use it to drizzle.)
Serves 12.