Desserts

While I don't always post on weekends, I was in the mood to add another post this week. Here are six yummy dessert recipes to help you through the day, including Lemon Blueberry Sorbet and Supernatural Brownies. Enjoy!

NO-BAKE ESPRESSO MUD PIE

This is from Jake Cohen, a food editor on Tasting Table. Jake wrote, “When we venture into dessert territory, summer is all about pies. But when we simply can't handle the heat of turning on our ovens, this no-bake mud pie saves the day. An Oreo® crust holds layers of chocolate ganaches and espresso whipped cream for a decadently sweet pick-me-up.

“This recipe is super simple but requires some wait time while you let the layers firm up in the fridge. It's a great one to make in advance and even keep in the freezer. This way, you can cut perfect slices before the pie tempers.

"To learn more, read No Sweat.'"

This recipe stars off, “Turn your oven off for a slice of heaven.”

Yield: One 9-inch pie; Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 4 hours chilling time; Cook Time: N/A; Total Time: 30 minutes, plus 4 hours chilling time

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

One 14.3-ounce package Oreos®

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon instant espresso

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

For the Espresso Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon instant espresso

Pinch kosher salt

For the Garnish:

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso

Chocolate-covered espresso beans

Directions

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the Oreos® into fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse to incorporate. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a deep 9-inch pie tin. Keep in the refrigerator while you make the dark chocolate ganache.

Make the dark chocolate ganache: In a medium microwavable bowl, combine all the dark chocolate ganache ingredients. Microwave on high until the chips have melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Then whisk until smooth. Pour into the crust and chill until firm, 1 hour.

Make the milk chocolate ganache: In a medium microwavable bowl, combine all the milk chocolate ganache ingredients. Microwave on high until the chips have melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Then whisk until smooth. Pour over the dark chocolate ganache and chill until firm, 2 hours.

Make the espresso whipped cream: In a large bowl, combine all the whipped cream ingredients. Using an electric hand mixer, beat to stiff peaks. Spread over the chilled milk chocolate ganache. Chill the pie for 1 hour more.

For garnish: In a small bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar and instant espresso. Remove the pie from the refrigerator and, using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the top with the sugar mixture. Sprinkle with chocolate-covered espresso beans. Then slice and serve.

SUPERNATURAL BROWNIES

This is from Julia Moskin in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Julia wrote, “This recipe is an accidental creation by Nick Malgieri, who (in a rare human moment for a pastry chef) once forgot to double the flour when baking his own fudge brownie recipe. He also adds a measure of brown sugar to the basic formula. The experts are divided as to whether the brown sugar actually contributes flavor or simply makes the brownie moister (molasses, which makes brown sugar brown, is powerfully hydrophilic). It’s my belief that the slightly bitter taste of molasses acts as an invisible enhancer to the chocolate. The result is as complex and sophisticated as any terrine or truffle I have ever produced.”

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies; Time: About 1 hour

This was featured in “Simple Pleasure, American Style”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional

Preparation

Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter, chocolate and sugars together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt and vanilla.

Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Tip

For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

LEMON BLUEBERRY SORBET

This is from a long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “Lemon verbena enhances the lemon flavor of this blueberry sorbet. The rum is optional. The recipe calls for frozen blueberries, so you can make it year-round.”

Yield: 4 servings.

Ingredients

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup whole lemon verbena leaves

1 bag frozen blueberries (14 to 16 ounces)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons lemon-flavored rum (optional)

Preparation

Put sugar and lemon verbena in a food processor and process 30 seconds. Add frozen blueberries and process 1 minute.

With the processor on, pour lemon juice and rum, if using, through the feed tube; process until smooth.

Serve sorbet immediately, or transfer to a covered bowl and keep in freezer (soften slightly before serving, if necessary).

LEMON SORBET

Here’s another recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring the water and the sugar to a boil, stirring the mixture to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice and zest to the sugar syrup and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

SWEET POTATO PIE

Yield: 1 pie (8 servings)

Print version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/bin/print.cgi?ID=805

Online version: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/805.shtml

Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg yolk

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large sweet potatoes (1-1/2 pounds total), cooked, peeled, and mashed

1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

3 large egg whites

1 prepared 9-inch pie shell, unbaked

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together the margarine, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in the sweet potatoes and milk; mix again.

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them into the sweet potato mixture; pour into the pie shell.

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut the pie in 8 equal slices.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 291 ; Protein: 7 g ; Fat: 13 g ; Sodium: 313 mg; Cholesterol: 28 mg; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 17 g; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Exchanges: 2-1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 2 Fat

RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY REFRIGERATOR CAKE

We moved to a new house in Connecticut when I was 15. One of its charms was a good-sized garden; a large patch of rhubarb threatened to overrun the entire garden. While Dad claimed most of the garden (as "John’s Pea Patch"), Mom decided that the rhubarb was hers. This is one of the many rhubarb desserts we had that year. I'm not sure where Mom found the recipe, so, unfortunately, I can't give credit to wherever it came from.

6 C rhubarb, cut in 1/2" pieces

1 tsp. vanilla

3 dozen lady fingers, split

1/2 C sugar

whole fresh strawberries

2 pks. (3 oz. each) strawberry gelatin

2 C heavy cream, whipped

Combine rhubarb, sugar & 1 C water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Boil 6-8 minutes until soft. Drain 1 C syrup & save. Put rhubarb & remaining syrup in blender. Make pulp (3 1/2 C). Bring pulp to boil. Pour over gelatin & stir until dissolved. Chill until slightly thickened but not firm. Fold in whipped cream. Add vanilla. Line 9" springform pan (3" deep) with ladyfingers. Alternate layers of rhubarb mix & ladyfingers, ending with rhubarb. Chill overnight, or until firm. Top with glaze & strawberries.

Glaze: Mix reserve syrup & 1/4 C sugar. Bring to boil & stir in 1 1/2 T cornstarch. Blend with small amount of water. Boil & cook, stirring until thickened & clean. Add a few drops of red food coloring. Cool.