Category Archives: Desserts

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp

There is something about Apple Crisp that pulls on the heart strings.

4 cups sliced Apples, Peeled, or unpeeled
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Rolled Oats
3/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/3 cup Butter

Preheat oven to 375F
Arrange apples in greased 8x8x2″ square baking dish.
In small bowl, combine flour and spices; cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add brown sugar and rolled oats and rub Flour mixture through to coat Rolled Oats.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples.
Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes.
Server warm with Whipped Cream or Ice Cream

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake is synonymous with my youngest son Michael’s birthday and Canada Day though I think Michael is shifting towards something resembling a Strawberry Trifle. 

Shortcake:
2 1/4 cup Flour
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Shortening, cold
1 Egg
2/3 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Whipped Cream:
1 litre Whipping Cream
Vanilla
Icing Sugar
Macerated Strawberries:
5 cups Sliced Strawberries, divided
1/4 cup Honey
Lemon Juice
or
Amaretto
8 Whole Strawberries, washed, leave stems on
Macerated Strawberries:
Place 4 cups of Sliced Strawberries into a bowl, drizzle with 1/4 cup of Honey, a scant amount of Lemon Juice or Amaretto, stir.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavours blend; I recommend doing this the day before.
Whipped Cream:
Whip cream in cold bowl using cold beaters.
As cream starts to slightly thicken, add a generous splash of Vanilla and icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time, to taste. I usually use about 3 Tablespoons.
Remove 1 cup of whipping cream to make the filling, cover remainder of the whipping cream with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Filling:
1 1/2 cups Bavarian Creme <- I always get mine at Save on Foods, in the Bulk section
1 cup Fresh Strawberries, chopped
1 cup Fresh Whipped Cream
Combine bavarian creme, chopped strawberries and 1 cup of whipped cream.
Shortcake
Preheat oven to 425F (220C)
Prepare baking sheet by lightly spraying with vegetable oil spray and dusting ever so lightly with cornmeal.
In mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Using pastry blender, cut in cold shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Measure out milk, add egg and vanilla, using a fork, stir well to combine.
Add liquid ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and stir until the dough gathers and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and gently knead 10 times.
Gently pat down into a 10″ (25cm) circle or ever so gently roll out and cut with the large scalloped side of the top right cutter, for individual shortcakes.
Place on prepared baking sheet, score the 10″ (25cm) (keeping in mind you will be splitting the shortcake so very light scoring) circle into 8 wedges and bake in hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes, rotating pan(s) at 8 minutes. Continue baking until lightly golden.
Remove from oven and transfer shortcake(s) to wire rack to cool completely.
Building your Shortcake
When cooled, split shortcake(s).
Place bottom half of shortcake on serving platter.
Spread filling to cover, leaving an inch on the outside border.
Load large CLEAN piping bag (if there is any grease residue from say, Buttercream Icing, it will compromise the Whipped Cream!) with fresh whipped cream and pipe a high border around the filling.
Gently spoon a cup of macerated berries over the filling.
Gently refresh score lines.
Gently place scored top layer over filled bottom layer.
Pipe a border around the top and bottom of the cake.
Spoon remaining macerated strawberries on top of the cake and spread to fill area inside piped border.
Decorate with remaining whole strawberries.
If making the individual shortcakes, follow same procedure on each shortcake except that you don’t have to score them. (I usually make individual Shortcakes)

 

Saucy Mocha Pudding

Sometimes I have a little bit of coffee left over in the morning; if it is dribs and drabs, I can shamelessly pour it down the drain or if I am in desperate need of a little caffeine hit, I might gulp it down cold! The other day, however, I had quite a bit of coffee left over and I just couldn’t throw it out; then I remembered this dessert we used to have from time to time, way back when!

Saucy Mocha Pudding

 

Preheat oven to 350F

Combine in top of double boiler:
1/4 cup Cocoa
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

Gradually stir in:
2 cups Hot Coffee
Keep hot, over simmering water.

Cake Batter

In small mixing bowl, combine and set aside.
1 cup Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
In large mixing bowl cream together:
1/3 cup Shortening
2 cups Granulated Sugar
Add:
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with-
1/3 cup Milk
-beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Beat for a couple of minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Place an  8inch Square pan that has been lightly sprayed with Vegetable Oil spray on a cookie sheet. Then Scrape batter from bowl and spread evenly  into the baking dish.
Pour Hot Mocha mixture over cake batter.
Bake in 350F oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve while warm with fresh Whipped Cream or a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.