Dessert

 

One of the missions of this webpage is to be a resource for great recipes. My goal is to include 100 of the best fruit and/or vegetable recipes for three categories: appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Your contributions are needed and welcome. E-mail or fax them to me. The address and fax number are under Contact Us.

Dessert recipes so far (scroll down to find them):

Fruit Meringue

Free Form Fruit Tart ( as seen on NHPTV)

Cranberry Crumble

Fresh Fruit Cake

Strawberry or Peach Shortcake

Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Poached Fruit

Baked Apple

Apple Crisp

Fruit Cobbler

Cherry Clafouti

Fresh Fruit Salad with Ginger Sauce

Tripple Berry Crisp

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Blueberry Freeze
Carrot Pineapple Muffins
Blueberry cake
Roasted Grapes
Blackened Banana
Upside Down Chocolate Raspberry Cobbler Pudding

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1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Using a cake pan trace a 9 inch circle on a piece of parchment paper and set aside. Combine 1/3 cup sugar with cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Beat egg whites on medium speed until they hold soft peeks. Slowly pour in sugar mixture   beat for one minute then add vanilla and beat on high speed about three minutes  until the eggs whites become stiff, glossy and can hold a high peak.
3. Spoon meringue onto the paper, spread to fill the circle and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for one hour in heated oven . After 60 minutes turn off oven and let sit for an additional 60 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully remove parchment paper and set on a platter. If you break the meringue don’t fret just piece it together - it will soon be covered with fruit.
4. Just before you are ready to serve Beat heavy cream with sugar fold in yogurt. Cover the meringue with the cream yogurt mixture and top with the prepared fruit. Slice in wedges and enjoy.

 

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1. Preheat oven 400 . On a floured board roll the pastry until it is about 12 in diameter; move to a baking sheet, turn up edges so there is a slight lip about ¼ inch high, and brush the jam on the crust. Slice the apples very thin toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Cover the crust with the apple slices (you can make a nice design if you have the time). Sprinkle with the sugar.
2. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm, cut with a pizza cutter.

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Cranberry Crumble

Cranberries are very tart and taste best when pared with other fruits as in this recipe.

Filling:

1 pkg (12 ounces) fresh cranberries (about 2 ½ cups) rinsed

2 cups peeled, chopped apples, or peaches or use pears and plums unpeeled or any      combination of these fruits equal to 2 cups

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tbsp cognac or brandy

 

Topping

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup ground oats or oat flour*

½ cup sugar

 pinch of salt

2 tbsp softened butter

 

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 2 qt baking dish.

Combine all the ingredients for the filling and put into prepared baking dish.

Combine the flour, oats, and sugar in a bowl, stir with a fork and blend in the softened butter. Sprinkle over the fruit and bake for 25 minutes. The crust will be a very light brown

 

serves eight

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Fresh Fruit Cake

This is one of those cakes that taste better the next day, the flavors seem to blend and develop, and it is an adaptation of a recipe from Gourmet magazine. I liked it because they used fresh ginger; I give the alternative for using dry ground ginger too. This recipe calls for apples but you could substitute with an equal amount of pears or peaches and ½ cup of canola oil could be used instead of the butter. 

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter

¼ cup water

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup cooking molasses

3 eggs

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried ginger

2 apples peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine first six dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Melt butter in water. In a large bowl beat together brown sugar, molasses and eggs until well blended and ginger and flour mixture. Beat until smooth until just combined. Fold in prepared fruit and pour batter into a 9-inch greased and floured cake pan. Bake about 30 minutes test for doneness by inserting a knife blade into the center- it should come out clean when done.

Cool five minutes then remove from pan. Serve warm or allow to cool.

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Strawberry (or peach) Shortcake

 

Spring, when peaches and berries are plentiful is a great time to make this dessert. In winter you can substitute with frozen, thawed fruit.

 

2- 3 cups strawberries hulled and chopped or peeled, sliced peaches

1 teaspoon sugar

 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

2 ½ tablespoons softened butter

¼ cup milk (warmed slightly)

½ cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons sugar

 

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over prepared fruit, cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare shortcake:

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl combine dry ingredients. With clean fingers or a fork blend the soft butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal.  Pour the milk and the sugar over the flour and stir until all the flour is moistened and it clumps together. Gather the dough into a ball it will be the size of a baseball. Pinch off four even size pieces and shape into a 1 inch high disc, place the pieces on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes or until biscuits just start to brown.  Allow to cool slightly then cut in half.

 

Whip cream with sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Prepare shortcake by placing an equal amount of fruit (save some fruit to use as a garnish) on the bottom half of each biscuit then top with top half and an equal amount of cream on each biscuit, top with the reserved garnish and enjoy!

 

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Raspberry Rhubarb Cobbler

When it is Rhubarb season in New England I use to make rhubarb pie but I like this cobbler much better. A cobbler has only a crust on top, making it lower in calories and fat than pie. Combining rhubarb with a more flavorful fruit like raspberries means you can use less sugar than if you were just using rhubarb alone.

 

Filling:

2 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1-inch lengths

2 cups unsweetened frozen raspberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cobbler:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium size bowl combine all the ingredients for the filling, mix well and pour into a lightly greased pie plate and set aside.

Wipe out the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and blend well. Add the softened butter and using clean fingers blend the butter into the flour until it is well distributed and resembles coarse meal. Pour in the milk, blend with a spoon and drop by spoonfuls on top of the filling. With the back of the spoon spread the topping toward the edges. It does not have to reach. Bake 40-45 minutes until it is lightly brown on top. Allow to cool serve at room temperature

 

 

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Poached Fruit

 

Pears, peaches Apricots even figs are delicious poached and served warm with a dollop of good yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream. I usually leave the skins on but they can be removed before cooking if you prefer. For an extra treat drizzle with a prepared hot fudge sauce or a caramel sauce before serving.

 

4 pears, peaches, 6-8 apricots or 6-8 fresh figs, cored and cut in half

1 cup orange juice (or peach flavored grape juice and omit the cinnamon)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick cinnamon (optional)

 

In a 4 quart saucepan combine the juice, vanilla (and cinnamon if using it).

Add the fruit cut side down, simmer covered for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove fruit and set aside. Raise the heat under the sauce pan and simmer the juices until they reduce to about ½ cup. Pour over fruit and serve.

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Baked Apple

This is so simple one barely needs a recipe.

Core as many apples as you want to cook. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place in an oven safe dish and bake at 350 for thirty minutes or microwave for 1 minute for one apple.

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Apple Crisp

This is traditionally made with apples but peaches even blueberries can replace the apples or combine equal amounts of fruit to make a truly unique and delicious dessert

4 cups fruit, peeled seeded and sliced

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (optional)

 

1.  Preheat oven 350. Place the fruit in a 9 inch pie plate or casserole dish. In a small bowl combine all  remaining ingredients and with finger tips mix the ingredients together with the butter until well blended and crumbly. Sprinkle over the fruit.
    
2. Bake 30 minutes.

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Fruit cobbler

Make this with blueberries and apples with cornmeal in the topping and the combination is superb

4 cups fresh fruit or a combination of fruit such as apples, blueberries, nectarines or peaches, pears, plums

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon instant tapioca

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Topping

1 ½ cup flour or a combination of whole grain flours (even corn meal and ground flaxseed)

½ cup sugar

2 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a soufflé or casserole dish about 8 inches round. Remove core or pits in fruit, cut the fruit into equal size pieces if needed but leave skins on. Toss with the sugar, cinnamon and tapioca. Pour into prepared dish and dot with the butter

Prepare the topping: combine the flour sugar, baking powder and with clean fingers blend the butter into the flour until it is blended and no visible pieces remain. Stir in the milk and pour the thick batter over the fruit

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Cherri Clafouti

This is a lot like a cobbler only the crust is made with eggs making the batter more pancake like.

 

1 pound cherries pits removed

 

Batter

1 cup flour

¾ cup sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ cup milk

1. Layer the fruit in an 8 inch casserole or soufflé dish that has been lightly oiled. Measure the flour and blend with the sugar. Combine the eggs and milk beat until smooth then pour ½ cup of the milk mixture over the flour and combine then gradually stir in the rest of the milk mixture. Pour over the fruit and bake at 350 40 to 50 minutes

 

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 Fresh Fruit Salad with Ginger Sauce

4 cups fresh summer fruit- berries, melon, kiwi, nectarine, peaches

3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves

4 inch piece fresh ginger

1 ½ cup water

1 cup sugar

 

• Prepare sauce:  Cut ginger into thin slices leave skin on. Combine with sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer ten minutes. Let cool fifteen minutes off the stove then refrigerate at least two hours until very cold.
• Prepare fruit by cutting into bite size pieces toss with the mint. Serve with the sauce on the side.

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Triple-Berry Crisps with Meringue Streusel

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

 

Streusel:

3 egg whites

6 tablespoons sugar

¼ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup flaked sweetened coconut

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup all- purpose flour

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

 

Filling

4 cups blueberries

2 cups blackberries

2 cups raspberries

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup orange juice

3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

2 tablespoons finely grated orange rind

Cooking spray

1)      Preheat oven to 200.

2)      To prepare streusel, place egg whites in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy (about 30 seconds). Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time beating until stiff peaks form (about two minutes). Gently fold in almonds, coconut, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Spread as evenly as possible onto a parchment lined 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.

3)      Bake 2 ½ hours. Turn oven off, cool meringue in closed oven at least 12 hours or until completely dry. Remove meringue from paper. Crumble into ¼ inch pieces.

4)      Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.  Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through ¼ teaspoon cinnamon) in a bowl cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal, Stir in meringue pieces.

5)      Preheat oven to 350

6)      To prepare filling, combine berries and next 7 ingredients (up to the orange rind) in a bowl, toss well. Spoon into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spay. Top each with meringue streusel topping. Bake for thirty minutes or until bubbly

 

Despite the butter and coconut 1/12 of recipe contains only 1.5 g saturated fat and 4.2 grams of fiber.

 

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine first six ingredients. Add sugar, oil, eggs, carrot and pineapple and mix until blended but do not over mix.
2. Place in a 12 cup muffin pan lined with paper liners. Bake 18 minutes until lightly browned on top. Remove from muffin pan and let cool ten minutes on a wire rack before serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 . Coat an 8-inch spring form pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with one tablespoon of sugar. In a medium size bowl beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, add vanilla yogurt and eggs and mix until well combined.
2. In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt add to yogurt mixture. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and toss blueberries with 2 tbsp cinnamon and sugar. Fold sugared berries into batter but do not over mix and do not stir. The berries should not break or the batter will turn blue. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
3. Bake for one hour and check to see if it is cooked by inserting a knife when it comes out clean it is done, cook ten minutes longer if needed. Cool at least fifteen minutes before removing from pan, removing it too soon will cause the cake to crumble and fall apart. 

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