Simply Delicious Desserts » desserts

Pears and Cranberries

sweetness — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:56:34 +0000

The vitamin C in pears and cranberries is proven to increase our resilience to stress and is linked to warding off depression. Here’s a dessert you and your family will love.

Heat oven to 400°F. Place 4 sliced pears (cut side down) and 3/4 cup frozen cranberries in a glass pan. Pour 1/4 cup of orange juice over fruits. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cook for 20 minutes or until tender. You’ll love it with ice cream!

Mixed Berry Crisp

sweetness — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:54:51 +0000

For this recipe you will need:

3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 lemon, zested
6 cups mixed berries like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F. In bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest. Add berries; toss to coat evenly. Divide mixture evenly among six ramekins set in jelly roll pan or in an 8×4 baking dish.
In bowl, combine remaining sugar, flour and cinnamon. Using fork, blend butter into sugar mixture until coarse crumbs form.
Sprinkle mixture evenly over berry mix. Bake 15 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and crumbs are golden.

Peachy-Keen Pudding

sweetness — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:44:40 +0000

Want to lose weight? Then enjoy gelatin. It contains arganine, an amino acid that enhances the oxidation of fat and glucose and boosts metabolism.

For this recipe you will need:

1 box (3 oz.) pineapple gelatin mix
1/2 cup peach nectar (optional)
2 containers (6 oz. each) nonfat peach yogurt
3/4 cup fat-free whipped topping

Directions:

In large bowl, combine pineapple gelatin mix and 1 cup boiling water; let sit 2 minutes, or until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in peach nectar, if desired Whisk in peach yogurt until blended. Gently fold in whipped topping. Chill 4 hours, or until set. Just before serving, whisk gelatin mixture until smooth. Divide gelatin mixture evenly among 6 serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with fresh mint and thinly sliced peaches if desired.

Chocolate Soufflé

sweetness — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 06:38:03 +0000

For this recipe you will need:

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
1/16 teaspoon salt
Butter
Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter 6 individual soufflé ramekins and sprinkle with sugar; set aside.

2. Melt chocolate pieces in a metal bowl over barely simmering water, constantly stirring. (Even a small amount of overheated chocolate will ruin an entire recipe.) Once the chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from heat and stir in the egg yolks.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt on medium high speed until they hold soft glossy peaks. Continue beating egg whites on high speed, gradually adding the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, until the egg whites hold stiff glossy peaks.

4. Gently stir 1/3 of the eggs whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. The chocolate mixture should be light and bubbly, and even colored, without egg white streaks.

5. Spoon your soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekins and allow to rest for up to 30 minutes or bake right away for 12 – 15 minutes (slightly longer at high altitudes) until risen with a crusty exterior. Serve with a dusting of cocoa or powdered sugar if desired.

Waffle Parfait

sweetness — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:54:56 +0000

Toast a frozen whole-grain waffle; cut into cubes and sticks. Place waffle cubes in bottom of parfait glass. Add fresh berries or chopped fresh fruit. Spoon in 2 tablespoons low-fat vanilla yogurt. Garnish with fresh berries on top and waffle sticks.

Fruit Salad Wrap

sweetness — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:09:35 +0000

In bowl, combine 1 small banana, thinly sliced, and 1/2 cup each blueberries, fresh mango slices and low-fat yogurt. Spoon into a large soft tortilla. Roll up and enjoy.

Creme Brulee

sweetness — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:17:09 +0000

For this recipe you will need:

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

4. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Brownies

sweetness — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:12:15 +0000

For the Brownies, you will need:

1 1/2 cups flour (self-rising)
1 tsp. salt
2 cups white sugar
8 tbsp. cocoa
2 tbsps. vanilla
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped cashew nuts

Procedure:

Mix all ingredients. Pour batter in 11 x 13 ungreased pan and bake at 350º oven for 25 minutes. Do not over bake or your brownies will be dry. Let cool before slicing.

Baked Mochi

sweetness — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:51:26 +0000

Every time my mom and dad would go to Pampanga ( a province in the north), my kids would ask them to bring them mochi. It’s a popular dessert in the province made from glutinous rice, red beans and coconut milk. I had to ask my aunt for the recipe because I wanted to try making them on my own. Here it is.

For the mochi, you will need:

1 kg glutinous/sticky rice
1/4 kg dried red kidney beans
1 kg granulated sugar
grated dry coconut meat from 2 medium-sized coconuts
previously boiled hot water

1) Soak the red kidney beans in water for five hours, then discard the water.

2) In a pot filled with water, boil the beans for about an hour. Discard the water again.

3) Return the beans to the pot and add water, then add half of the sugar. Boil for another hour or longer, or until beans become mushy.

3) Using a masher or a fork, mash the beans finely, then set aside.

For the mochi:

1) Soak glutinous rice in water overnight. Discard the rice water, then ground (ground glutinous rice can be bought in most wet markets or groceries).

2) Knead the rice dough into a long, thin roll, then cut into three-inch pieces.
Flatten each piece into rectangles, spoon in some filling, then roll. Seal the edges by crimping the dough closed on both ends of the roll. Arrange the rolls in a ceramic baking pan.

3) Soak the grated coconut meat in about five cups of hot water for a few minutes, then squeeze out the cream. Sieve the meat and set the coconut cream aside. This is the first extraction.

4) Repeat the process, this time using a fresh batch of hot water, about six to eight cups. This is the second extraction. Dissolve the remaining sugar, or adjust depending on how sweet you want it, in this cream.

5) Pour the coconut cream from the second extraction onto the prepared mochi rolls. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake on high for about 15-20 minutes. During the last five minutes of baking, uncover the pan, and pour in the coconut cream from the first extraction.