Hot & Spicy - Desserts and Cakes

Warm spices, such as nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom, are added to fresh fruit salads, pastries, hot desserts and cakes.  The selection ranges from sweet spicy Baklava to Cinnamon Buns to Spiced Apple-Cinnamon Bread Pudding and even Ice Cream.   Try these at home.  If you're a diabetic like me, try a sugar substitute, like Splenda, whenever possible...

*Cinnamon Buns*

*Baklava*

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups pistachio nuts, ground

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tbs ground cardamom

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 lb filo pastry

FOR SYRUP

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups water

2 tbs rose water

1.  First make syrup : put sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil, then simmer until syrupy.  Stir in rose water and set aside to cool.

2.Mix together pistachio nuts, confectioner's sugar and ground cardamom.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and brush a large baking pan with a little melted butter.

3.  Taking one sheet of filo dough at a time...brush with butter and lay on bottom of pan.  Continue until you have you have six buttered layers.  Spread half of nut mixture over, pressing down with a wooden spoon.

4.  Take another six sheets of filo dough, brush each with butter and lay over nut mixture.  Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over and top with remaining six sheets of filo dough each buttered again with butter.Cut the pastry diagonally into small lozenge shapes.  Pour remaining melted butter over top.

5.  Bake for 20 minutes, then increase heat to 400 degrees and bake about 15 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden.

6.  Remove from oven and drizzle about 3/4 of syrup over pastry.  Arrange on a platter and serve with remaining syrup.

*Apple-Cinnamon Bread Pudding*

*Spiced Date & Walnut Cake*

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups whole wheat self-rising flour

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 tbs sunflower oil

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

walnut halves to decorate

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and line a 2 pound loaf pan with parchment paper.

2.  Sift together flour and spices.  Stir in dates and walnuts.

3.  Mix the oil, brown sugar and milk.  Stir into dry ingredients.  Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan.

4.  Arrange walnut halves over top of cake mixture.

5.  Turn out cake, remove parchment papper and cool.

*Coconut and Nutmeg Ice Cream*

INGREDIENTS

14-ounce can evaporated milk

14-ounce can condensed milk

14-ounce can coconut milk

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

1 tsp almond extract

fresh mint, shredded coconut and lime slices for garnish

1.  Mix together the three milks in a large freezerproof bowl and stir in the nutmeg and almond extract.

2.  Chill milk mixture in freezer for an hour or two until it is semi-frozen.

3.  Remove from freezer and whisk until fluffy and almost doubled in volume.

4.  Pour into a freezer container, cover and freeze.

5.  Serve garnished with mint, shredded coconut and lime slices.