Dessert

I want something snacky!

Let's face it: most of us love dessert. There's something about dessert (something nicely snacky) that just hits the spot.

That said, here are six desserts to get your attention, including Homemade Baked Churros and Mini Cheesecakes with Mango-Raspberry Sauce. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE

This is from the Food Network. Prep Time: 20 minutes; Inactive: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blueberry-crumble-recipe-1956497.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened

2 pints blueberries, or any other berry

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup apple cider or orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1/2 cup toasted oats

1/2 cup chopped, toasted almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

For the filling: In a bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cider, and vanilla, Carefully mix the ingredients together with a spatula, leaving the blueberries whole. Set aside while you assemble the topping.

For the topping: In the bowl of a mixer, add the flour, sugars, and butter. Using the paddle attachment, incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks mealy or crumbly. (This can be done by hand.) Stir in the oats and nuts.

Pour the filling into an 8-inch square baking dish and evenly distribute the topping over the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool slightly and serve warm.

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH BERRY TRIFLE

This is from September 2006 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 85), and begins, "Even though you can use fresh berries in this trifle, frozen work better because they give off more juicy goodness for the chunks of pound cake to absorb." Makes 16 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/melt-in-your-mouth-berry-trifle/.

Ingredients

2 10-oz. bags organic frozen strawberries, thawed

2 10-oz. bags organic frozen blueberries, thawed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt

2/3 cup low-fat sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 16-oz. fat-free pound cake

1 cup raspberry jam

Preparation

Toss together strawberries, blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in large bowl. Combine yogurt, sour cream and vanilla in separate bowl.

Stand pound cake on side. Cut cake into 4 thin slices lengthwise. Spread first slice with 1/4 cup jam, and top with second slice. Continue with remaining slices and jam, and finish with layer of jam on top of cake. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Line bottom and sides of clear trifle dish or large glass soufflé dish with prepared cake slices. Spoon in half of fruit. Top with half of yogurt mixture. Layer with remaining cake slices, fruit and yogurt mixtures. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 4 hours, or overnight, to allow trifle to set.

MINI CHEESECAKES WITH MANGO-RASPBERRY SAUCE

This was in the September 2006 (?) issue of Vegetarian Times, page 41. It begins, "These individual cheesecakes wowed us with their simplicity and their flavor. Have both the egg and the cream cheese at room temperature before you use them to ensure a smooth texture."

Makes 2 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/mini-cheesecakes-with-mango-raspberry-sauce/.

Ingredients

Mango-raspberry sauce

1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks, thawed

1/4 cup mango-apricot nectar or orange juice

1 Tbs. sugar

Mini cheesecakes

6 oz. fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, softened

3 Tbs. fat-free condensed milk

2 Tbs. mango-apricot nectar or orange juice

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 round sugar cookies, such as Pepperidge Farm Sugar Cookies

Preparation

To make Mango-Raspberry Sauce: Purée all ingredients in blender until smooth. Strain, and set aside.

To make Mini Cheesecakes: Preheat oven to 325F. Coat 2 6-oz. ramekins with cooking spray. Beat cream cheese with electric beater until smooth. Add condensed milk, and blend until smooth. Add nectar, egg and vanilla, and beat just until smooth.

Set 1 cookie in bottom of each ramekin. Fill ramekins with cream cheese mixture. Place ramekins in 9-inch square ovenproof dish, and add hot water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Place dish in oven, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until just set.

Remove from water bath, and set on cooling rack for 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 4 hours, or up to 2 days. Serve cheesecakes with Mango-Raspberry Sauce.

HOMEMADE BAKED CHURROS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "These homemade churros take just 15 minutes of prep time so that you can enjoy the flavor of classic Mexican churros without all the frying fuss. What's the trick? Use Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls to turn them into crescent churros! They're simple to pull together; brush the crescent rolls with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and twist for a fun and easy way to make a churro. Melted chocolate adds even more decadence to this sweet baked churros treat."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/homemade-baked-churros.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls (8 count)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

On lightly floured work surface, unroll dough; press into 13x8-inch rectangle. Firmly press perforations to seal. Brush top of dough with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on one half of short side of rectangle.

Fold dough over top. Press to seal. With rolling pin, lightly roll dough to press layers together. Brush remaining butter on top. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut lengthwise into 8 strips. Twist each strip 3 times; place on ungreased large cookie sheet.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 60 seconds, stirring halfway through, until chips can be stirred smooth. Spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut small tip from corner of bag; drizzle melted chocolate over tops.

Expert tips

Traditional churros are strips of dough that are deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. We simplify them by sprinkling cinnamon sugar on crescent dough, twisting it into strips, and baking.

For a more casual look for your Homemade Baked Churros, dip the fork into the melted chocolate, and quickly move your wrist back and forth to create a zigzag pattern.

It’s handy to keep a kitchen ruler nearby, so you can make sure your rectangle turns out the right size.

If you love these Baked Crescent Churros, try these Mini Churro Doughnut Holes. It's the cinnamon-sugar fair food you can make right in your kitchen.

Looking for something a little more decadent? Try this recipe for Dulce de Leche Mocha Ice Cream Dessert. It's a make-ahead treat that will go fast!

BLACKOUT CAKE

This recipe, on The New York Times cooking site, is from Ebinger's, and adapted by The New York Times. It begins, "This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O'Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business. Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil's food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day. This recipe isn't authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms. O'Neill claims in her book, 'The New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants,' that this version got the thumbs-up from 'a panel of twelve Ebingerites.' That's enough for us."

Yield: 1 cake; Time: 3 hours plus chilling

This recipe was featured in "The Cake Box From Heaven (Brooklyn, of Course) is Back" and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018772-blackout-cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa

1/4 cup boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup milk

2 cups sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans

4 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pans

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

For the filling:

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa

2 cups boiling water

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

For the frosting:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup hot water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.

While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.

Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.

Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.

Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.

DULCE DE LECHE BANANA PIE

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "A flaky homemade pie crust complements a caramel and banana cream filling." If that doesn't sound absolutely yummy, I don't know what does!

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-banana-pie.

Ingredients

1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

1 can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche

3 ripe medium bananas

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Preparation

Heat oven to 450°F. In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and dough almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

On lightly floured surface, shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball to 1/2-inch thickness, rounding and smoothing edges. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 11-inch round, rolling from center to edge. Fold dough in half; place in 9-inch glass pie plate. Unfold; gently press in bottom and up side of plate, being careful not to stretch dough.

Fold and roll edge of dough under, even with plate; flute edge. Prick bottom and side of dough generously with fork. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Spoon contents of can of dulce de leche into center of cooled crust; gently spread to edge. Thinly slice bananas; arrange over dulce de leche.

In medium bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over bananas.

In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 seconds; knead bag to mix melted chips and unmelted chips. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer or until all chips are melted and smooth. Snip off tiny corner of bag. Pipe melted chocolate mixture over whipped cream. Store pie in refrigerator.