Desserts

“It's so beautifully arranged on the plate – you know someone's fingers have been all over it.” - Julia Childs

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 43.

I hope no one objects to the Julia Child quote. She was so iconic, for so many reasons, not the least being her cooking.

Now, on to today's recipes.

What do you do when a snack attack hits? Think about desserts. Hre are six dessert recipes to help you through the day, including Cast-Iron Apple and Blackberry Crumble and Lemon-Spice Visiting Cake. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY MARGARITA CHEESECAKE MINIS

This is from Better Homes & Gardens, and begins, “With plenty of strawberry, lime, and even a pretzel crust (for a nod to the salty rim!) there's only thing missing from this mini cheesecake recipe to make it just like a strawberry margarita: a shot of tequila!”

Prep: 1 hr; Bake: 15 mins at 325°; Cool: 10 mins; Chill: 4 hrs to 1 day; Yield: 36 mini cheesecakes

View this online here.

Ingredients

1 recipe Salted Pretzel Crust (below)

1 1/2 8 ounces tubs cream cheese spread, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons finely shredded lime peel

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 cup sliced small strawberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

Finely shredded lime peel (optional)

Salted Pretzel Crust Ingredients

1 3/4 cups pretzel sticks

1/4 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Place pretzel sticks in a resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Crush pretzels with a rolling pin until fine crumbs form (you should have 1 cup). In a medium bowl stir together crushed pretzels, butter, and sugar.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line thirty-six 1 3/4-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside. Prepare Salted Pretzel Crust. Press about 1 1/2 teaspoons pretzel mixture into the bottom and up the side of each muffin cup. Bake for 5 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, flour, the 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add egg; beat on low speed just until combined.

Spoon filling into muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until filling is set. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cheesecakes from cups. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Before serving, in a small bowl stir together strawberries, the 1 tablespoon sugar, and lime juice. Spoon on top of cheesecakes. If desired, sprinkle with additional lime peel.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 68 calories, (3 g saturated fat, 0 g polyunsaturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 119 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 1 g protein.

LEMON-SPICE VISITING CAKE

This comes from Dorie Greenspan on The New York Times cooking emailing list. Dorie wrote, “Whether you pack this cake as a gift or have it ready when visitors come to you, the imperative to share is implicit in its name. The cake is built for comfort and durability – make it on Thursday or Friday and have it all weekend. And if it stales, toast it; the heat will intensify the lemon and spice deliciously. The cake is easy to make (no machines needed) and, like all spice cakes, better after a day’s rest. Giving it a swish of warmed marmalade when it comes out of the oven is optional. What shouldn't be passed up is what I call the ‘lemon trick’: Use your fingertips to rub the recipe’s lemon and sugar together until the sugar is moist and aromatic. This easy step transfers everything essential from the lemon to the cake. Think of it as aromatherapy for the cake and you.”

Yield: 10 servings; Time: 85 minutes.

This yumminess was featured in “A Cake You Can Take With You Anywhere” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

Butter and flour for the pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large (or 2 small) lemons

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup marmalade (for optional glaze)

1/2 teaspoon water (for optional glaze)

Preparation

Center a rack in the oven, and preheat it to 350. Butter an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan (Pyrex works well), dust with flour and tap out the excess. (For this cake, bakers’ spray isn’t as good as butter and flour.) Place on a baking sheet.

Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, cardamom, ginger and salt together.

Put the sugar in a large bowl, and grate the zest of the lemon(s) over the sugar. Squeeze the lemon(s) to produce 3 tablespoons juice, and set this aside. Using your fingers, rub the sugar and zest together until the mixture is moist and aromatic. One at a time, add the eggs, whisking well after each. Whisk in the juice, followed by the heavy cream. Still using the whisk, gently stir the dry ingredients into the batter in two additions. Stir the vanilla into the melted butter, and then gradually blend the butter into the batter. The batter will be thick and have a beautiful sheen. Scrape it into the loaf pan.

Bake for 70 to 75 minutes (if the cake looks as if it’s getting too dark too quickly, tent it loosely with foil) or until a tester inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack, let rest for 5 minutes and then carefully run a blunt knife between the sides of the cake and the pan. Invert onto the rack, and turn over. Glaze now, or cool to room temperature.

For the glaze: Bring the marmalade and water to a boil. Brush the glaze over the top of the warm cake, and allow to it to set for 2 hours. The glaze will remain slightly tacky.

When the cake is completely cool, wrap in plastic to store. If it’s glazed, wrap loosely on top.

CRANBERRY-PECAN BAKED PEACHES

This also comes from the November 2014 issue of Heart Insight Magazine. It begins, “Fresh peaches are halved and baked with a tantalizing blend of dried cranberries and finely chopped pecans.” Serves 4; 2 peach halves and 2 tablespoons cranberry mixture per serving.

To view this online, go to http://heartinsight.heart.org/November-2014/Cranberry-Pecan-Baked-Peaches/.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

4 medium unpeeled peaches, nectarines, or pears, halved, pitted, and skin pierced in several places with a fork

2 teaspoons light tub margarine

1/2 teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Pour the honey into the pan. Heat the pan in the oven for 2 minutes, or until the honey is slightly runny. Remove from the oven, tilting the pan and swirling so the honey lightly coats the bottom.

Sprinkle the cranberries and pecans in the pan. Place the peaches with the cut side down over the cranberry mixture. (Some of the mixture may not be covered.) Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the peaches are tender.

Arrange the peaches with the cut side up on a serving plate. Stir the margarine and gingerroot into the pan juices. Spoon the cranberry mixture into the cavities in the peaches. Spoon the pan juices over all. Serve warm or at room temperature.

THE CAKE

This recipe was given to my mom by a friend, who worked as a lawyer for years. She was married to an Episcopal priest; both were involved in the civil rights movement.

This is one of the recipes from Off The Wall Cooking.

Ingredients

1 package (18 oz.) yellow cake mix

1 egg, unbeaten

3/4 C oil

1 package (small) vanilla pudding

3/4 C sherry

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Put ingredients in bowl. Beat for 5 minutes. Pour into greased tube cake pan or mold. Bake for 45 minutes.

FUDGY ZUCCHINI BROWNIES

This comes from Audra, otherwise known as The Baker Chick. If you haven’t check out her site, you really, really should. (Hint, hint.)

Anyway, Audra write, “I put green vegetables in your brownies - please don’t hate me.” She then goes on to talk about putting zucchini in her brownies. What can I saw, but I love her comments, as well as these brownies.

To view this online (and to check out Audra’s comments), go to http://www.thebakerchick.com/2014/08/fudgy-zucchini-brownies/.

Recipe adapted from: All Recipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil (another vegetable oil will work as well)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups finely shredded zucchini*

For the Frosting:

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray or grease a 9x13 baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth and well-combined. Sprinkle the flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt over the wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. (The batter will be dry at this point- worry.)

Fold in the zucchini and mix for just a few seconds or until batter is well combined.

Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

In a medium-large bowl, stir together the butter and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the milk. Stir in the vanilla.

Spread frosting over cooled brownies and enjoy!

Notes

*Finely shredding the zucchini helps it release more liquid leading to the right texture of brownies. If your batter seems extremely dry after combining all the ingredients, your zucchini may be on the dry side. You can add a tablespoon of water at a time until the batter comes together. The zucchini will release a lot of water during baking and help bind the brownies and give them their rich and fudgy texture!

CAST-IRON APPLE AND BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE

This is from Matt Abdoo and was posted on the TODAY Show’s site. Matt wrote, “My dad used to make this for me growing up! Apples from upstate New York are some of the best in the country. They always added the perfect amount of tartness and sweetness to this crispy crumble.

“Technique tip: Use your favorite apples for a signature taste and to make it your own.

“Swap option: Pears work great and so do peaches! You can also use a 10- by 15-inch baking dish if not using the grill.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Servings: 12

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/cast-iron-apple-blackberry-crumble-recipe-t154818.

Ingredients

Crumble Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 packs (1 cup) apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, grated

Apple Filling

2 pounds honey crisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 pound granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 pint blackberries

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Pre-heat oven or grill to 350°F.

For the crumble topping:

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine flour, apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal, chopped pecans, light brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cold grated butter until it forms a coarse crumble.

For the apple filling:

In another large mixing bowl combine the apples with melted butter, flour, corn starch, lemon juice, light brown sugar, salt and spices and toss to fully coat the apples. Next fold in the blackberries and pour the apple mixture into a 12-inch cast iron pan.

To assemble:

Fully coat the top of the apple mixture with the crumble topping and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.

Allow the crumble to cool slightly, and then serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Or chill overnight and serve cold.