Category Archives: Desserts

Bon Ton Bread Pudding

03 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by in Comfort Food, Desserts, Talking Food

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The Bon Ton is a famous restaurant in New Orleans. Rick and I ate there once when I went with him on business. I have changed the sauce and recipe a bit to leave out the alcohol.

Rum Sauce:
1/2 cup apple juice
3/4 cup heavy cream
Rum flavoring to taste
6 oz dark brown sugar
7 oz granulated sugar
1/2 lb unsalted butter, cold, chopped

In a thick plastic container, place the cold chopped butter.

Combine the sugars, apple juice, cream, and rum flavoring in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally. When the mixture comes to a boil, pour 1/2 of it over the butter and whisk constantly until the butter is melted, add the rest of the hot mixture.

Place the bowl into an ice bath to cool, stirring the sauce a few times during the cooling process. Keep chilled.

When you’re ready to use, just warm it a little to take the chill off.

Bread Pudding:

1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6-7 cups)
1 qt milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (I think dried cranberries would be really good in this, too)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Press with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins into the mixture.

3 Pour butter into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.

Serve with rum sauce on the side; pour on to taste. Best fresh and eaten the day it is made. Makes 8-10 servings.

Nigella’s Peanut Butter Squares

02 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by in Desserts, Talking Food

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What is Izzie eating?????

When I saw this photo on Shannon’s blog (Ally’s friend and now mine, too) I loved it and asked Luke and Ally what she was eating. I have never seen a messy face quite so lovely in a clown smile kind of way. It reminded me of how truly wonderful Nigella’s Peanut Butter Squares are and I thought I would share the recipe that goes along with the photo. I never make these unless I have someone to share them with because they fall in the category of talking food!

Ingredients for the Base

50 grams or a scant 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
200 grams or 1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
50 grams or a scant 1/4 cup unsalted butter
200 grams or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Ingredients for the topping

200 grams or 7 ounces milk chocolate
100 grams or 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

1. Stir all the ingredients for the base together until smooth.

2. I use the paddle attachments to my mixer, but a bowl and a wooden spoon will work.

3. You will find, either way, that some of the dark brown sugar stays in very small, lumps, but don’t worry about that.

4. Press this mixture into a 9-inch square brownie pan and make the surface as even as possible.

5. To make the topping, melt the chocolates and butter together (the microwave works great for this just for a minute at a time until it is melted) stir well to combine and spread evenly over the base.

6. Put the pan in the refrigerator to set. When the chocolate has hardened, cut into small squares because it is very rich.

Bammy’s Cheesecake

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Cakes, Desserts

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Crust:
1 ¾ cups graham cracker or digestive biscuit crumbs
½ cup melted butter
¼ sugar

Cheesecake filling:
5 8-ounce packages cream or 6 200-gram packages cream cheese
1 ¾ cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest (optional)
½ teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ cup whipping cream (not whipped)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C)

Wrap the outside bottom of a 9 inch (23cm) springform pan in foil. Combine crumbs, melted butter, and sugar and press on the sides and bottom of the pan.

Blend together cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add eggs and yolks one at a time mixing well after each addition. Blend in whipping cream. Turn cream cheese mixture into springform pan and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees F (100 degrees C) and bake 1 hour. Cool in a draft-free place and then refrigerate four hours before serving.

Carruth’s Traditional Christmas Jello

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Desserts, Jello, Salads

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Layer 1
2 3-ounce packages lime Jell-O

Prepare according to package directions and pour into a 9X13 pan. Refrigerate until set.

Layer 2
1 3-ounce package lemon Jell-O
½ cup miniature marshmallows
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
½ cup whipped cream
1 cup hot water
1 can crushed pineapple

Dissolve Jell-O and cream cheese in the hot water in the top of a double boiler. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir until blended. (This would be easier in the microwave) Stir in the pineapple and fold in whipped cream. Make sure the mixture is cool and spread over the lime Jell-O.

Layer 3
2 3-ounce packages cherry Jell-O

Prepare according to package directions and allow to cool. Carefully pour over layer 2 and refrigerate until firm.

Cut into squares and serve topped with cream if desired.

Pumpkin Bars

28 Monday Sep 2009

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Blend:
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add and beat well:
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Bake in a 9”X13” pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon milk
Cream well and add 2 cups powdered sugar

Nana’s Fruit Swirl Squares

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Breakfast, Desserts

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1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine softened
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
1 can cherry pie filling

Combine the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat until well blended, scraping the bowl occasionally. Stir in the flour. Spread ½ batter
in a greased 15 ½ X10 ½ X1 inch jelly roll pan. Spread pie filling over the batter. Drop remaining batter by tablespoons onto the pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while warm. Cut into bars.

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Chocolate Topping

28 Monday Sep 2009

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1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
7/8 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, and flour; cook over low heat. Add butter, then gradually add canned milk. Bring to a boil and boil 2 ½ minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Kristina’s Amazing Chocolate Cake

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Cakes, Desserts

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1 instant chocolate pudding mix (small box)
1 devil’s food cake mix
12 ounces chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 ¾ cup milk

Mix together and bake in greased and floured Bundt pan for 50 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Cool in pan 10 minutes and remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Frosting

28 Monday Sep 2009

Posted by in Cakes, Cupcakes, Desserts, Frosting

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Butter Cream Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
Additional milk and food coloring

Beat butter until fluffy and then add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add milk and the vanilla slowly. Beat well. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and extra milk if needed.

Chocolate Butter Cream
Make as above reducing the powdered sugar to 4 cups and add 1/2 cup of cocoa

Peanut Butter Frosting 1

1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cream

Combine peanut butter and butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix well. Slowly add the cream and remaining powdered sugar. This is especially good on chocolate cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Frosting 2

1 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
cream

Cream butter until light and fluffly. Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar until it starts to get too stiff. Add a little cream a teaspoon at a time. When all the powdered sugar is added turn on high and mix then add in the peanut butter and combine well.

Nutella Frosting

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons Nutella
3 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine butter and Nutella and slowly add milk and powdered sugar until well combined.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
4- 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 2 1/2- 2 3/4 cups additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. Store cakes in refrigerator.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Make as above substituting 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and zest of one lemon for the vanilla.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

Melt chocolate with cream in a heavy saucepan and cook over very low heat until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate until cooled but not too firm, 30-45 minutes

Using a handheld mixer, beat on high speed until thick and creamy. Use immediately