Dessert Thread

This is really easy and can be made fat free if you want:
1 16oz tub of sour cream
1 package of vanilla instant pudding
1 can of crushed pineapple, drained
1 pre-made grahm cracker crust

Follow directions for instant pudding, mix sour cream and pineapple, pour into shell and refrigerate for 20 minutes. So simple, but so good!

Very easy!!!!! Most people love it!

One box of yellow cake mix,make by the directions on the box, except in place of whatever amount of water it calls for, use 1/2 water and 1/2 orange juice. Bake in a bundt pan for the presentation. When it is almost ready to come out of the oven, mix in a saucepan......
1/2 c. each of OJ,sugar, butter. Pour over the cake when hot. Let cool and serve.
Delicous, and easy to make last minute!

I think we should rename this thread, Kathy's awesome dessert thread!!!!! You really have worked hard on this one!!! Thanks sooo much!

How about Linzer Tarts?

In this terrific take on the classic Linzer-torte, an almond-cinnamon cookie crust is the delicious base for layers of chocolate and raspberries with raspberry jam. Cookie-crust stars top the whole thing off.
Crust
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup ground toasted blanched almonds (about 2 1/2 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt


Filling
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
1 1/2-pint basket raspberries
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam


Powdered sugar
Lightly sweetened whipped cream

For crust:
Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and egg in medium bowl until creamy. Add flour, almonds, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; beat just until well blended. Measure 3/4 cup of dough; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill. Using floured fingertips, press remaining dough over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce dough in several places with fork. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until light golden, piercing with toothpick if crust bubbles, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Roll out chilled dough disk on generously floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into stars, using 2-inch and 3-inch star cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to baking sheet. Bake until cookies are light golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. Maintain oven temperature.


For Filling:
Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler set over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Spread chocolate over bottom of crust. Arrange berries over chocolate, spacing evenly. Stir jam in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Spoon jam over raspberries.

Bake tart until crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes (filling will still appear slightly liquid but will set up as tart cools.) Transfer tart to rack and cool. Arrange stars atop tart, overlapping points. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream.

Serves 8.

2/3 cup hazelnuts (filberts)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, slightly softened

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Confectioners' sugar (optional)





1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place hazelnuts in 9' by 9' metal baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until toasted. Wrap hot hazelnuts in clean cloth towel. With hands, roll hazelnuts back and forth to remove most of skins. Cool completely. Turn off oven.

2. In food processor with knife blade attached, or in blender, pulse nuts with 1/4 cup flour until nuts are finely ground.

3. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat brown sugar and butter until blended. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping bowl with rubber spatula.

4. Reduce speed to medium and beat in egg and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add ground nut mixture, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and remaining 1 cup flour; beat just until combined.

5. With floured hands, press two-thirds of dough into bottom and up side of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom (1/4 inch below edge of pan). Wrap tart shell and remaining dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, or until firm.

6. Preheat oven to 375° F. Spread raspberry jam over bottom of tart shell to 1/4 inch from edge. Divide remaining dough into 10 equal pieces. On lightly floured surface, with floured hands, roll each piece into an 8 1/2-inch-long rope. Place 5 ropes, about 1 1/2 inches apart, over filling; do not seal ends. Make lattice top (if you're not sure how to do this, pick up a copy of the new Good Housekeeping Great Baking cookbook -- available online and in stores now) with remaining 5 ropes. Trim ends of ropes even with edge of tart; press ends to seal. With any remaining trimmings, make rope for tart shell and press around inside edge of tart. Make decorative edge with fork, if desired.

7. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until filling is hot and bubbly and crust is lightly browned. Cool on wire rack at least 1 hour. Sprinkle tart with confectioners' sugar, if desired. When cool, carefully remove side of pan.

1 prepared pound cake, from bakery section or frozen foods, defrosted
3 ounces sambuca, or other anise liqueur
1/2 pint strawberries, halved or sliced
2 teaspoons sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1 pint whipping cream
Chocolate syrup, for drizzling
1 bar good quality dark bittersweet chocolate

Place 2-inch-thick slices of pound cake on dessert plates. Douse cake slices with sambuca or other anise liqueur.
Slice berries and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar, then toss and reserve.

Beat whipping cream with 2 tablespoons sugar with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.

Top cake with berries and drizzle with zigzags of syrup. Top cake and berries with whipped cream. Using a vegetable peeler, shave dark chocolate over each dessert plate and serve.

1/2 cup chopped English toffee candy bar (Recommended: Heath Bar)
1 pint vanilla ice cream, slightly softened in the microwave
16 chocolate chip cookies
Multi-colored candy sprinkles


Mix the candy into the ice cream.
Using an ice cream scoop, divide the ice cream among the flat sides of 8 of the cookies. Top the ice cream with the remaining cookies, flat sides down, and press down gently. Roll the edges of the sandwiches in the candy sprinkles. Freeze the ice-cream sandwiches, covered, for at least 1 hour or overnight.

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2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup raw cane sugar (Turbinado)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pureed prunes or unsweetened applesauce
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coffee

Accompaniment: fat-free frozen yogurt or raspberry sauce and powdered sugar.
Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and dust with additional cocoa powder, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, combine the prune puree, egg whites, vanilla, and coffee. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and pour into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 14 wedges to serve.

3 cups milk
1/2 cup chocolate milk powder
2 tablespoons malted milk powder
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

In a blender combine the milk, chocolate milk powder, malt powder, and corn syrup and blend well. Pour into a popsicle mold with lids, insert wooden sticks, and then freeze.

6 peaches, pitted and cut into quarters or eighths
6 plums or Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered or halved
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the peaches and plums snugly in a single layer, cut side up, in 2 glass or porcelain oven-proof baking dishes. Sprinkle with the sugar, and then top with the raspberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

Heat the broiler and place the fruit about 5 inches below the heat and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until the berries release some of their juices.

Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with orange juice. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled

Thanks Kathy

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a saucepan, melt the butter but don't let it brown. Mix in the sugar and corn syrup and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the eggs. Mix well. Stir in the pecans. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 1 hour or until firm when shaken

1 cup butter
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips or shaved white chocolate (premium imported
brand)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups premium chocolate chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9 by 13 inch baking pan by greasing with butter or spraying with a cooking spray (such as Pam). Melt butter in a large saucepan. Over low heat add unsweetened chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, mix in sugar (in saucepan). Add eggs and vanilla, stir until incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir just till flour is mixed in. Gently stir in white chocolate. Spread mixture in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes just until brownies begin to pull away from the sides. Remove from oven and let cool completely. While brownies are baking, prepare ganache topping. Over low heat in a medium saucepan, bring heavy cream to the boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Let sit for a few minutes to melt chocolate. Stir until all chocolate is melted. Let mixture cool and thicken, stirring occasionally for about 20 to 30 minutes. Spread chocolate ganache over completely cooled bownies. Press chopped, toasted pecans into the ganache. Let ganache harden and then cut into squares and then into triangles. Carefully remove from pan and serve on a garnished plate.

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup each white and dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup toasted ground pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. When the chocolate is just melted, remove from the heat. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, chips and pecans, and mix well. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a well-greased sheet pan. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or just until the cookies are set. Let cool on the pan at least 5 minutes, then remove.

Coffee ice cream:
Decaffeinated coffee crystals
12 egg yolks
12 ounces sugar
2 pints whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch salt
1 pint heavy cream
Chocolate Brownie:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
1 egg

Whipped cream:
2 pints heavy cream
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate sauce or hot fudge, as an accompaniment
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, as an accompaniment


For the ice cream: Reconstitute several tablespoons of the coffee crystals in very small amount of hot water and allow to cool. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in bowl, and whip until thick and light. Scald milk in saucepan, remove from heat, and gradually beat into egg mixture. Place the custard in top of a large double boiler and heat, stirring, until custard is thickened and smooth.
Remove from heat and blend in vanilla, salt, heavy cream, and reconstituted coffee crystals to desired coffee flavor intensity. Chill the custard for at least 6 hours or overnight, then freeze in ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Return to freezer until ready to assemble mud pie.

While ice cream is freezing prepare Chocolate Brownie: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the flour and baking soda.

In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, and butter. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and half the chocolate morsels and mix well until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature.

Stir the egg into cooled mixture and beat well. Add the flour mixture and stir to blend. Fold in remaining chocolate chips. Pour into a greased, 9-inch baking pan, round or square. (You may wish to line pan with parchment paper to ease removal, or use a non-stick pan.) Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the Whipped Cream: Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in a chilled bowl and whip to stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Carefully remove entire brownie from pan onto serving plate. Top with an even, thick layer of ice cream. Top with a layer of whipped cream. Can be refrozen at this point and held for up to 1 week. Serve wedges drizzled with chocolate sauce or fudge and a sprinkle of toasted pecans.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
Powdered sugar for serving, if desired

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. If you plan to bake the brownies, and butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Otherwise, preheat a waffle iron. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and milk. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. Add the unsweetened chocolate and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Place into a pan of cold water to cool the mixture to room temperature.
With an electric mixer, beat in the eggs. Gradually blend in the flour mixture until smooth.

(Spread evenly into the prepared pan if you are baking the brownies. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the center is just set and feels firm when touched. Cool completely before attempting to cut, these are very rich and gooey! Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.)

To make brownies in waffle iron: Drop rounded spoonfuls of the brownie mixture into the preheated waffle iron. Close the iron and cook for about 2 minutes until the brownies are done. Remove and cool on a rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.