*You Deserve Dessert*

*YOU DESERVE DESSERT*

Since we were little, we've all heard about the foods that are good for us: milk for strong bones and teeth, carrots for sharp eyes, protein-rich meat to build muscles, pasta and breads for energy.  Most of us can recite many more items from that long list.

But there's one glaring absence from the litany of "good for you" things, one important food item that never really qualified for the list : dessert.  No kidding!!

How can dessert be good for someone?  What does dessert take care of in the scheme of things?  Simple.  Dessert makes you feel good...an important food for the soul, a little break from reality and rules.

Yes, there's usually sugar involved, which means some calories.  But it tastes great, you love eating it and it makes you feel good, what's wrong with something sweet...a little dessert...now and again?  You deserve it!  Those are my simple sentiments as I prepare this blog entry.  You work hard, and love to cook.  Don't shy away from one of the foods you love that also makes you happy.  You deserve DESSERT!!

*Blueberry Tea Cake w/Lemon Sauce*

Ingredients

"Cake"

2 cups A/P Flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup fresh blueberries

"Sauce"

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

3 tsp lemon juice

1 cup water

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp butter

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt : mix in butter. Add milk, beat by hand 2 minutes.  Add egg and beat additional 1 minute.  Fold in blueberries and pour into pan.

3. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 30 minutes in pan on wire rack

4. To prepare sauce, stir together sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and water in medium saucepan. Stir until smooth.  Add lemon peel. Cook over medium heat until mixture thicken and becomes clear, stirring often.  Remove from heat.  Add butter and stir until butter melts and is well incorporated.  Serve over cake.

*Red Velvet Cake*

"Red-tinted chocolate cake is covered with contrasting fluffy frosting for a stunning presentation."

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 cup milk
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.
2. Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.
3. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To Make Icing: In a saucepan, combine the milk and 5 tablespoons flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in the cooled milk and flour mixture, beating until icing reaches spreading consistency.

*Black Forest Cake*

"Dark chocolate cake layers are filled with cherry pie filling spiked with cherry liqueur. If using this recipe to make a 9x13 inch cake, increase the baking time to 40 minutes."                



Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1/2 cup cherry liqueur

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Make sour milk by combining milk and vinegar. Set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, coffee and vanilla. Stir in the sour milk. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool completely before filling.
4. To make the cherry filling: Combine the cherry pie filling and cherry liquor. Refrigerate cherry mixture until chilled, then fill cake.

 

*Caramel Apple Pie*

Ingredients

4 cups apples, peeled, cored & thinly sliced

2 tbs apple juice

1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie shell

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tbs A/P flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

20 vanilla caramels

3 tbs milk

1/4 tsp rum extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large saucepan, combine apples and apple juice; simmer  10 minutes. Pour mixture into large bowl to cool.  Pour cooled mixture into pie shell.

2. In another large bowl, combine brown sugar, cracker crumbs, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and butter.  Sprinkle evenly over apples.  Bake 20 minutes or until apples are tender.  Remove from oven but do not turn oven off.

3. To prepare sauce, combine caramels and milk in medium saucepan over low heat.  Stir until melted and smooth; stir in rum extract. Pour hot caramel over pie and return to oven.  Bake an additional 10 minutes.  Cool pie on wire rack.

*Chocolate Chess Pie*

"A southern recipe for a rich chocolate pie with pecans."

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
2.  
3. Pour nut mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake for 30 minutes.

*Sour Cream Lemon Pie*

"This pie is a favorite at many gatherings. Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream if you like. 1/4 of a cup of cornstarch may substituted for the flour."

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, and cook and stir 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Beat yolks slightly. Gradually stir 1 cup of mix into yolks. Return yolk mixture to saucepan, and bring to gentle boil. Cook and stir 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, peel, and juice. Fold in sour cream.
3. Pour filling into baked pie shell, and cool. Top with whipped cream if desired.

 

**CHEESECAKE**

Who doesn't love cheesecake.  Making one at home may seem like an impossible task but, let me assure you, it's not.

Here are some simple tips to help you make that perfect cheesecake right in your own kitchen.

1. As you assemble your springform pan, make sure it's right side up.  The raised edge should sit face up in the pan to create a tight seal.

2. For a water bath, line the outside of the springform pan with foil to prevent leaks.  Set the cheesecake in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Add enough boiling water to come 1/2 way up the springform pan.

3. Baking a cheesecake without a water bath?  Lightly grease you baking dish and line with foil, letting it hang about one inch over the edge.  Once the cheesecake is cooled it will easily come out of the pan.

4. How can you tell when your cheesecake is done?  Turn off the oven when the center is still a little wobbly.  The cake will continue to cook in the residual heat of the oven.

*How to Prevent Cheesecake from Cracking*

 The big bugaboo with cheesecake is cracking. Cheesecakes, like custards, rely heavily on eggs to set, which means they must cook gently and slowly. Otherwise the eggs puff, overcook and get grainy, then constrict when cooled, resulting in an undesirable split in your smooth cake.

The main trick with cheesecake is gentle, coaxing heat. Just as you want them to cook slowly, you also want them to cool gradually. Quick changes of temperature upset the structure of the cake, causing cracks. For a moister, creamier cake, turn off the heat when the center's still loose and let cool in the oven.

*Storing Cheesecake*

Because of the high fat content, most cheesecakes freeze well for up to two weeks if wrapped tightly in both film and foil. But cheesecakes with a high water content, such as our Fresh Cream Cheesecake or Passion Fruit Cheesecake, will become icy, so freezing is not advised.

*Ricotta Cheesecake with Warmed Cherries*

Ingredients

Cheesecake:

• Butter or oil for pan
• 1 pound whole milk ricotta
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs,
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch fine salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about1 1/2 lemons)

Cherries:

• 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen dark sweet cherries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Pinch fine salt
• 2 tablespoons golden rum
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter or oil a 4-cup glass loaf pan. Line the bottom and ends of the pan with a long piece of parchment paper.

Blend the ricotta, milk, sour cream, eggs, yolks, sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest in the blender or food processor, until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until just set and barely golden, about 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Cherries: Toss the cherries, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Cook cherry mixture over medium-high heat until they soften and the juice gets syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and lemon juice.

Lift cheesecake out of the pan by the paper and transfer to a cutting board. Slice into serving pieces and place on a platter. Spoon the warm or room temperature cherries on top. Serve.

*Classic Cheesecake*

"This is a classic cheesecake -- velvety, rich, sweet and so satisfying. I am major fan of a thin sour cream cap on top of cheesecakes; it's the perfect balance to this rich cake."

Ingredients

Crust:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch fine salt

Filling:

• 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons vanilla paste or extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
•  
• Berries, optional

Directions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.

For the crust: Melt the butter, covered in the microwave, in a medium microwave safe bowl, or a saucepan. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly into the edges. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and put in a roasting pan.

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar and beat just until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Slowly beat in 3/4 cup sour cream, then eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla and both citrus zests; take care not to over whip. Pour into the cooled crust.

Bring a medium saucepan or kettle of water to a boil. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour in enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 10 minutes---the outside of the cake will set but the center will still be loose.

Meanwhile, stir together the remaining sour cream, sugar and vanilla paste. Spread over the top of the cooked cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the oven off, cook the cheesecake in the residual heat in the oven for 1 hour. This gentle finish minimizes the risk of the dreaded crack in your cheese cake.

Remove cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water, wipe dry before slicing each piece. Serve with berries, if desired.

I hope you try and, of course, enjoy these yummy dessert recipes. And always remember....

You Deserve DESSERT