Desserts

I was talking with a friend of mine who was surprised to learn that I lean toward vegetarianism. About the only time I have trouble being a vegetarian is at the holidays. Those turkey dinners with all the left-overs start calling me. As I told a friend who knew, "I guess I'll have to wing it."

But back to the friend who'd asked about going veg...this particular friend mentioned that his downfall was dessert. He loved puddings, cakes, cookies, stuff ladened with eggs and milk...the works. "There's only so many times you can have a banana and call it dessert!" he informed me, like he'd try explaining to a five-year-old.

Fortunately, I found an email one afternoon from Vegetarian Times. The first three recipes are vegan, while the last one does for an egg and milk. If you're a vegan – a move I'm slowly inching towards – you could always use soy milk and egg replacer.

Here are the six desserts to help you through the day, including Raspberry Buckle and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries. Enjoy!

PLUM CRUMBLE (vegan)

Serves 8

The Vegetarian Times email stated, "This dessert can be prepared with whatever fruits are in season. We used plums, but you could also choose apples, pears, or frozen berries." Recipe by Carolyn Trompeter.

Plum Filling

1/3 cup apple juice

1 Tbs. arrowroot powder

6 cups thinly sliced plums (3 lb.)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup whole rolled oats

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup corn oil

1/4 cup rice syrup

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8-inch square baking pan with oil and flour, and set aside.

To make Plum Filling: Place apple juice in mixing bowl. Add arrowroot, and stir to dissolve. Add plums, and toss gently. Transfer to prepared pan, sprinkle with nutmeg, and set aside.

To make Crumble: Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Rub oil into mixture with your fingers, then drizzle in rice syrup while mixing with fork. Distribute evenly over Plum Filling.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until topping is golden and fruit is bubbling. Serve warm.

from the October 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times

nutritional information

Per serving:

Calories: 257, Protein: 4 g, Total Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Carbohydrates: 44 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 163 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 19 g

PEAR CRISP WITH DRIED CHERRIES (vegan)

Serves 8

This recipe begins, "Dried fruit adds tang, texture, and color to crisps, crumbles, and pies."

2 Tbs. blanched almonds

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbs. light brown sugar

1 tsp. grated orange zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbs. soy margarine

4 large pears (2 1/4 lb.), peeled and quartered

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.

Place almonds in separate skillet, and toast over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Cool.

Grind almonds to coarse crumbs in food processor. Add flour, brown sugar, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Pulse to combine. Add margarine, and pulse until mixture is combined.

Spread pears over bottom of prepared skillet. Scatter cherries over pears. Top with crumb mixture. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until top has browned.

from the March 2011 issue, p.73

nutritional information Per 1/2-cup serving:

Calories: 194, Protein: 2 g, Total Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 36 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 48 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 20 g

GINGERED APPLE-BERRY COBBLER (vegan)

SERVES 12

This one starts, "Crowned with a hazelnut-gingerbread topping, this scrumptious cobbler is heavenly when served with a dollop of vegan whipped cream."

Filling

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted

4 large or 6 medium-sized Granny Smith apples (24 oz.), peeled and sliced

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen unsweetened strawberries

1 cup frozen white grape juice concentrate

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup light brown muscovado sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. cold water

Gingerbread Topping

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/3 cup prune purée

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 Tbs. powdered egg replacer

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup plain soymilk

Preheat oven to 275F.

To make Filling: Place hazelnuts on baking sheet in single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted, taking care not to burn. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 400F.

Wrap nuts in clean kitchen towel, and set aside for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle. Rub gently to remove excess skin—some skin will remain. Set aside.

Cut apples into pieces 1-inch wide and 1/4-inch thick, and place in large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, and set aside. Combine strawberries and juice concentrate in 3-quart heat-proof casserole. Cover, and cook over medium heat, 5 minutes, or until berries are thawed. Add apples and cranberries. Reduce heat to low, and add brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl, and add to fruit. Cook 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat, and set aside.

To make Gingerbread Topping: Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in bowl, and set aside.

Beat prune purée, cane juice and fresh ginger with fork.

Combine egg replacer and water in small bowl. Add egg mixture and soymilk to prune mixture.

Fold flour mixture into prune mixture, and stir in hazelnuts. Spoon batter over fruit filling.

Bake uncovered on center rack 25 minutes, or until topping springs back and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven, and serve.

from the October 2003 issue

nutritional information

Per Serving:

Calories: 318, Protein: 3 g, Total Fat: 4 g, Carbohydrates: 56 g, Sodium: 181 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 57 g

RASPBERRY BUCKLE

Serves 10

This recipe begins, "As this old-school American dessert cools, the top “buckles,” which is how the treat got its name. Frozen or fresh, raspberries are an excellent source of heart-healthful, cancer-fighting poly-phenols and anthocyanins."

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1 stick) nonhydrogenated margarine or butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup nonfat milk

2 cups frozen raspberries

1 tsp. confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F, and coat 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.

Beat sugar and margarine in bowl with electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then egg. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to batter. Fold in raspberries. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold, and cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

from the April 2010 issue, p.53

nutritional information Per Slice:

Calories: 217, Protein: 4 g, Total Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Cholesterol: 22 mg, Sodium: 202 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 17 g

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 3 strawberries

Print version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=754

Online version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/754.shtml

Ingredients

2 pint baskets California strawberries

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Finely chopped toasted almonds or pistachios (optional)

Directions

Line large baking sheet with waxed paper. Rinse strawberries and pat dry with paper towels.

In separate small, microwave-safe bowls (such as custard cups) melt chocolates, one at a time, in microwave at 50-percent (medium) power, allowing 1-1/2 to 2 minutes each. Stir until smooth. (If not completely melted, microwave a few seconds longer.) Or, melt chocolate as package directs.

Holding strawberry by stem end, dip into chocolate to cover about three-fourths of berry; dip into nuts, if desired, and lay on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strawberries, chocolate and nuts.

Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

For Double- and Triple- Dipped Strawberries:

After first coating of chocolate is set, dip into contrasting chocolate, leaving part of the first chocolate exposed. Repeat with third chocolate, if you wish, allowing each layer to set between dips.

To Drizzle Strawberries with Chocolate:

Microwave chocolate in small plastic bag until melted; squeeze into one corner of bag. Lay strawberries close together on baking sheet. With scissors, cut a small hole in corner of bag, and move back and forth over strawberries, squeezing bag gently. Or, drizzle contrasting chocolate over strawberries that have been dipped. Refrigerate until set.

NOTES: Microwave melting times vary with amount of chocolate and wattage of your oven. Chocolate amounts are approximate; amount needed depends on size of strawberries, and whether or not they are single, double, triple-dipped or drizzled.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 193; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 13 g; Sodium: 59 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 22 g

ESPRESSO BROWNIES

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network’s Everyday Italian.

Total: 1 hr 17 min; Active: 12 min; Yield: 36 bite-size brownies; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/espresso-brownies-recipe.

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk 1/3 cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.