Desserts

Is there ever such a thing as too many desserts? I doubt it. Ask any kid - or any kid at heart - what the best part of dinner is, and you just might hear dessert a time or two.

That said, here are six yummy desserts to help you through the day, including Sweet Cherry Upside-Down Cake and Strawberry Slab Pie. Enjoy!

CLASSIC BIRTHDAY CAKE

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Alison wrote, "A birthday cake needn't be elaborate. A few layers of tender yellow cake and creamy chocolate frosting will do the trick. In this version of the classic pairing, brown sugar and buttermilk provide a sophisticated flavor to the cake, and sour cream adds a slight tang to the chocolate frosting. It’s worth noting that both the cake and frosting can be made ahead. Just make sure you bring the frosting to room temperature before assembly so that it spreads easily. One note: The buttermilk and brown sugar in the batter means that the cake might appear slightly darker on the outside after baking than your typical yellow cake, but don't worry. The inside will be tender and moist."

Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes plus chilling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019045-classic-birthday-cake.

While you're at it, check out Melissa Clark's wonderful guide, "How to Frost a Cake".

Ingredients

For the yellow cake:

Nonstick spray or butter for the pan

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus more, if necessary, for greasing the pans

3-2/3 cups all-purpose or cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

For the chocolate frosting:

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips are fine)

8 ounces sour cream, room temperature

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Generous pinch of kosher salt

Lots of sprinkles

Preparation

For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray or grease with softened butter. If your oven cannot accommodate all 3 pans on one middle rack, while the oven is still cool, arrange 2 racks as close to the middle as possible, allowing enough space between them for the cakes on the lower rack to rise without touching the one above it.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together; set aside. In a medium bowl (or a measuring cup), combine the buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; set aside.

In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and light brown sugar. Using an electric mixer (or the stand mixer) on high, beat everything together until it’s very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating between additions. Beat the batter until it’s almost doubled in volume and very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.

With the mixer on low, gently beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Before it’s fully combined, add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk until everything is well blended and no lumps remain.

Divide the cake batter equally among the three cake pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan or rack placement halfway through baking. You’ll know the cakes are done when they are golden brown, pulling away from the sides of the pan, and the tops spring back ever so slightly when you press them.

Remove the cakes from the oven and let sit for five minutes to cool slightly before inverting them onto a wire baking rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting and assemble the cake: Melt the chocolate either in a bowl in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted, or in a double boiler or makeshift double boiler (a bowl set over a bowl of barely simmering water on the stove, but not touching the water), stirring occasionally until melted. The melted chocolate should be warm but never hot, with no visible chunks left.

Add about 1/3 of the sour cream to the melted chocolate and using a spatula, combine until no white streaks remain. Repeat with another 1/3, and finally the last 1/3. The chocolate will stiffen a bit as you add the sour cream, and this is O.K.

In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Using an electric mixer (or the stand mixer) on low speed at first to avoid showering yourself with sugar, and then increasing to high speed, beat until everything is fluffy and almost pure white, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the chocolate mixture and blend. Increase the speed to high and beat until everything is very fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes.

Once cakes are cooled, transfer one layer of cake, top side up, to a large parchment-lined plate. Use an offset or regular spatula to spread frosting onto the first layer of cake. Place second layer of cake on top, bottom side up (layering the rest of cake with the flat bottoms on top makes a cake with a straight shape, rather than domed). Repeat with remaining layer.

Once all the layers are assembled, apply a thin layer of frosting all over the cake, making sure to cover the whole cake. Chill the cake for 2 hours, keeping the frosting out at room temperature.

Remove the cake from the fridge and using either an offset spatula or a butter knife, give it another coat of frosting, doing whatever decorative patterns or swirls you wish: very smooth, or peaks and valleys.

Finish and decorate with sprinkles however you please.

Tip

This cake might appear slightly darker on the outside after baking than your typical yellow cake, but don't worry. The inside will be tender and moist.

OH-SO-BLUEBERRY ICE

This comes from Vegetarian Times (July/August 2005 issue, page 62), and begins, "Serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream - yum!" Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/oh-so-blueberry-ice/.

Ingredients

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen blueberries, thawed, or 2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 1/2 cups ginger ale

Preparation

Bring blueberries, 1/2 cup water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cover, simmer 5 minutes; let cool. Purée mixture, then stir in lemonade and ginger ale. Pour in 9×9-inch baking pan; freeze 1/2 hour. Remove; scrape ice crystals into mixture. Refreeze. Scrape every 20 to 30 minutes.

Mound slush into 6 dishes; serve.

CARROT CAKE CHEESECAKE BARS

This is from the Food Network, and begins, "You'll never have to choose between carrot cake and cheesecake for springtime gatherings again. This mashup starts with a spiced shortbread crust, continues with a carrot juice curd filling that tastes just like carrot cake and finishes with a no-bake cheesecake on top. These colorful, layered bars are topped off with a quick walnut crumble made right in the microwave!"

Active Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 9 hours (includes cooling and chilling times); Yield: 16 bars; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/carrot-cake-cheesecake-bars-11850240.

Ingredients

Crust:

Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large egg

Carrot Juice Curd Filling:

1 cup carrot juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 large eggs plus 4 yolks

2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced

Walnut Crumble:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons roughly chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

No-Bake Cheesecake:

1/3 cup heavy cream

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

For the crust: Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 of the sides.

Add the flour, confectioners’ sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces. Add the egg and 1 tablespoon cold water and pulse until the dough comes together. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack, about 15 minutes.

For the carrot juice curd filling: Meanwhile, whisk the carrot juice, granulated sugar, milk, cinnamon, salt and whole eggs and yolks in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until well combined. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and making sure the butter is melted before adding more, and continue to cook until the mixture is thick, a little lighter in color and coats the back of a spoon, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the curd if any lumps form, then pour into the crust and smooth with a spatula.

Bake until the curd is set (a small part in the center may still be a little jiggly), 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

For the walnut crumble: Meanwhile, microwave the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the walnuts, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Microwave until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool in the bowl until the crumble is crunchy, about 30 minutes. Cover tightly or transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature until ready to use.

For the no-bake cheesecake: Once the curd filling is chilled, whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl with a whisk until stiff, fluffy peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes (or 1 to 2 minutes using an electric mixer on medium speed); set aside.

Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium low, add the lemon juice, sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with a large rubber spatula.

Pour the batter on top of the curd filling and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Cover tightly and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

Just before serving, sprinkle the walnut crumble on top. Cut into squares and serve cold.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods).

STRAWBERRY SLAB PIE

This is from Nicole Taylor in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Nicole wrote, "On Juneteenth, which celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States, the picnic table overflows with summertime pies and red foods, a symbol of perseverance. That makes this festive strawberry slab pie ideal for Juneteenth, though it’d be welcome anytime in berry season. The rectangular pie is made in a quarter sheet pan; if you don't have one, use a comparably sized casserole dish. Cracked black pepper in the crust and fresh ginger in the filling add a bit of spice. This isn't an especially sugary dessert, so if you want something sweeter, top it with vanilla ice cream."

Yield: 12 to 16 servings; Time: 4 hours, plus 2 hours' cooling

This was featured in "Hot Links and Red Drinks: The Rich Food Tradition of Juneteenth", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018797-strawberry-slab-pie.

Ingredients

For the crust:

2-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus more for buttering the pan

3/4 cup ice water

2 tablespoons buttermilk

For the filling:

3 pounds fresh strawberries, small berries cut in half and larger berries cut in quarters (see note)

3 to 4 tablespoons loosely packed dark brown sugar, depending on how sweet your berries are

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon grapefruit zest

1-1/2 teaspoons grapefruit juice

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Preparation

Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, the salt and the pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour until the largest pieces of butter are the size of lentils.

Sprinkle ice water over dough a tablespoon at a time, stirring and scooping the dough with your hands as you go to incorporate the water, until the dough just begins to adhere and you can gather it into an imperfect ball. (You may not need all the water.) Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap tightly and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Lightly butter a quarter sheet pan with a 1-inch rim, including the top edge of the rim, and set aside. (Quarter sheet pans are usually 8 by 11 inches or 9 by 12 inches, depending on the manufacturer.)

Lightly flour a large work surface, a rolling pin and the dough. Roll the chilled dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. From that, cut a rectangle three inches bigger than the dimensions of your pan on each side (i.e., an 11-by-14-inch rectangle for an 8-by-11-inch pan, or a 12-by-15-inch rectangle for a 9-by-12-inch pan). Reserve the extra dough.

Gently press the dough rectangle into the quarter sheet pan, trimming excess dough at the edges. The dough should go all the way up and over the top edge of the pan, if possible. Transfer pan to refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out reserved dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 1- and 2-inch biscuit cutters, cut out about 30 circles of different sizes (or use all one size if you prefer), rerolling dough as necessary. Transfer circles to parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.

Make the filling: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Set aside for about an hour, while crust chills.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. When oven is hot, paint some of the buttermilk on the edges of the pie crust. Transfer berry mixture to crust, patting the berries down into a roughly even layer. Place pan on a larger baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 30 minutes.

Paint buttermilk over reserved pastry circles and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon granulated sugar. Place circles all over the bubbling berries. Continue baking pie until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, an additional 50 to 60 minutes.

Run a small knife around the edge of the pie while it's warm. Transfer the pie in its quarter sheet pan to a wire rack. Let cool for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving from the pan.

Tip

Use smaller, fresh farm strawberries rather than conventional supermarket berries, if possible. The farm berries release less juice, which makes for a less runny filling.

SWEET CHEERY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

This is from Jerrelle Guy in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Jerrelle wrote, "There’s a little black pepper in this cake, which provides just enough heat to enhance the sweetness of the cherries. If you’re worried about the pepper, cut back on the amount called for, but if you’re excited about it, you may want to double it. This is a sweet, rustic and rich upside-down cake that’s sturdy enough to hold up to its juicy fruit topping. Once the finished cake gets inverted onto a platter, the extra cherry juice soaks back into the cake as it cools, which means it gets better as it sits. Serve the cake with lemon whipped cream made by beating cold heavy cream with the leftover lemon juice and some sugar until stiff. It’s helpful for covering up any imperfections in the cake, too!"

Time: 45 minutes; plus cooling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021265-sweet-cherry-upside-down-cake.

Note: Under "cooking notes" (below the recipe), someone wrote, "Easy and delicious. Served with vanilla ice cream instead of the leamon whipped cream..." Either way, we're talking very yummy.

Ingredients

Yields One 9-inch cake

For the Cake:

1 pound sweet cherries, halved and pitted (about 2-1/2 cups)

1/4 packed cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black or white pepper, plus more if you like

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled to room temperature

2 large eggs, whites and yolks separated

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Lemon Whipped Cream (optional):

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch cake pan (or cast-iron skillet), add the cherries, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and 2 tablespoons melted butter; toss gently to combine. Place in the oven for up to 10 minutes to begin softening the cherries while you make the cake batter.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, sour cream, vanilla and baking soda with the remaining 6 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Sprinkle the flour over top then fold it in until evenly combined and a thick batter is formed.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a medium mixing bowl with a handheld electric beater, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes or until stiff. Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold, then add the remaining egg whites and fold until fully incorporated, trying to keep as much air as possible in the whites.

Remove the hot pan from the oven, shake it gently to toss the fruit a final time, then dollop the cake batter over the top, and gently spread it evenly to the edges. (It’s OK if some fruit juice or cherries pool over the edges of the batter.)

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, run a butter knife around the edges, and then allow it to rest for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting it onto a lipped platter to catch any juices.

Once the cake has cooled, make the lemon whipped cream, if desired: In the cleaned bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a medium mixing bowl using a handheld beater, add the heavy cream, lemon juice and granulated sugar, and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds to thicken and combine, then turn the speed to high and beat until desired stiffness.

Serve the cake at room temperature, with lemon whipped cream, if using.

LOW-CALORIE BLACK AND WHITE BROWNIES

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 86), and begins, "This may be the best brownie you’ve ever had—especially since it’s low calorie!" Makes 16 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/low-calorie-black-and-white-brownies/.

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sucralose-type sweetener

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup unsalted butter or soy margarine, at room temperature

2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chunks

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

Stir together flour, sweetener and baking powder in bowl. Beat together butter, eggs and vanilla in separate bowl until butter is broken into little pieces. Add applesauce, and stir until blended. Fold in flour mixture until moistened. Fold in white chocolate. Measure out 1/2 cup of mixture, and drop by spoonfuls into prepared pan.

Fold cocoa powder and chocolate chips into remaining batter. Gently spoon chocolate batter over white batter. Batter is thick, so smooth out surface.

Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool before cutting into 1 1/2-inch squares.

Cool Desserts

August - still hot, still summer. Times like this, most of us could use a few Cool Desserts. To that end, here are six cool desserts to help you througoh the day, including Frozen Crème Brûlée and Strawberry "Nice" Cream. Enjoy!

VEGAN FROZEN CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

This comes from Vegetarian Times (July/August 2005 issue, page 63), and begins, "You could serve this at a fancy dinner party in Paris, and no one would ever guess that it’s vegan! Strong coffee gives it flavor depth. Folding in Hip Whip, a vegan whipped topping available in the frozen foods section of most natural foods stores, keeps it light, smooth and creamy when frozen." Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/vegan-frozen-chocolate-souffle/.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegan carob chips

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup hot, strong coffee

2 Tbs. maple syrup or corn syrup

1 16-oz. pkg. silken tofu, drained

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 7.5-oz. tub vegan frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

Cut strips of aluminum foil long enough to wrap around 6 3-oz. demitasse cups and high enough to make a 1-1/2-inch collar over rims. Secure with a rubber band. (Or, tear a length of foil long enough to go around a 10-oz. soufflé dish. Fold foil in half lengthwise, wind it around dish so it's at least 3 inches above rim. Tie with string.)

Put carob chips into heatproof bowl over pan of simmering water, and melt. Meanwhile, whisk together cocoa, coffee and maple syrup, and stir into melted carob mixture.

Put tofu in blender or food processor; purée 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add carob mixture and vanilla, and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

Whisk thawed whipped topping into carob-tofu mixture. Fill cups 1 inch above rim, or fill dish 2 inches above rim. Freeze 3 hours, or overnight. Remove from freezer 20 to 30 minutes before serving to soften. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

STRAWBERRY "NICE" CREAM

This is from Weight Watchers, and begins, "You only need three ingredients to make this creamy and refreshing dessert. It's perfect for when you want something cold to snack on in the summer but don't want to eat into your SmartPoints® Budget. Just be sure you have the time to completely freeze the banana and strawberries so that they blend to the right consistency."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Times: 3 hours 10 minutes; Serves: 4; Serving: 1/2 cup; Difficulty: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Unsweetened frozen strawberries, sliced

2 large ripe Bananas

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions

Peel bananas and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large zip-close plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze until frozen solid, 2 to 3 hours.

Place frozen bananas and frozen sliced strawberries in food processor; puree, scraping down side of bowl with rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract and pulse.

Serve immediately or, for a firmer texture, transfer to a container and freeze until ready to serve; allow to soften about 10 minutes at room temperature. Garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves if desired.

OH-SO-BLUEBERRY ICE

This comes from Vegetarian Times (July/August 2005 issue, page 62), and begins, "Serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream - yum!" Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/oh-so-blueberry-ice/.

Ingredients

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen blueberries, thawed, or 2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed

1-1/2 cups ginger ale

Preparation

Bring blueberries, 1/2 cup water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Cover, simmer 5 minutes; let cool. Purée mixture, then stir in lemonade and ginger ale. Pour in 9×9-inch baking pan; freeze 1/2 hour. Remove; scrape ice crystals into mixture. Refreeze. Scrape every 20 to 30 minutes.

Mound slush into 6 dishes; serve.

FROZEN CREME BRULEE

This comes from Vegetarian Times (July/August 2005 issue, page 64), and begins, "This simple recipe is a great way to showcase the premium small-batch ice creams sold at farmers' markets and grocery stores during the summer." Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/frozen-creme-brulee-recipe/.

Ingredients

2 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

Fresh berries or mint sprigs for garnish, if desired

Preparation

Spread 1/2 cup ice cream into 4 oval crème brûlée ramekins. Freeze until firm.

Meanwhile, combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to make sure sugar dissolves. Using pastry brush dipped in water, wipe down inner sides of saucepan to dissolve any sugar crystals that cling. Cook mixture about 10 minutes, or until it begins to caramelize (swirl pot to brown evenly).

Cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until caramel is medium-brown. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 Tbs. water. Let cool 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in evaporated milk. Cool completely.

Spread thin layer of cooled caramel over ice cream in ramekins. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh berries or mint sprig, if desired.

SUPER CHOCOLATE VEGAN GELATO

This is from the June 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 64. It begins, "To get the rich texture of Italian gelato, this ice cream base is thickened with cornstarch, like a pudding." Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/super-chocolate-vegan-gelato/.

Ingredients

2 cups plain soy creamer

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 Tbs. cocoa powder

3 Tbs. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation

Combine soy creamer, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly thickened, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate and vanilla until chocolate is melted.

Cover, and chill 4 hours, or overnight.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.

TRIPLE BERRY POPS

This is from the June 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 45. It begins, "Berries are excellent sources of anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that fight disease and are best preserved when frozen." Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/triple-berry-pops-recipe/.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed

1/2 to 1 cup frozen white grape juice concentrate

Preparation

Purée all ingredients in blender 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth.

Strain through a fine sieve into bowl to remove seeds. Ladle into ice pop molds, and freeze at least 4 hours.