The Recipe Geek

Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
2. 3 large eggs
3. 1 cup granulated sugar
4. 3/4 cup self-rising cake flour
5. 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
6. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
7. 1 teaspoon ground ginger
8. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla
10. 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ICING:

1. 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2. 8-ounce package Neufachatel cheese (low-fat cream cheese)
3. 1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray and sprinkle lightly with flour.
• Dust a clean dish towel with 1 teaspoon of the confectioners’ sugar
• Combine the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and lemon juice; beat well.
• Pour into pan and bake 15 minutes.
• Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto the dish towel.  Sprinkle the cake with 1 teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar, then roll up cake and towel together, jelly -roll style

TO MAKE THE ICING:

• Cream the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Unroll the cake, spread the icing on the top, then re-roll cake without the towel.
• Refrigerate until chilled.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of confectioners’ sugar.

Makes about 24 servings.  ENJOY!

Key Lime Bars

If you cannot find fresh Key limes, use regular (Persian) limes. Do not use bottled lime juice. Grate the zest from the limes before juicing them, avoiding the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the outermost skin. The optional coconut garnish adds textural interest and tames the lime flavor for those who find it too intense. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; you will need a double layer of extra-wide foil for the pan (each sheet about 20 inches in length) and should increase the baking times by a minute or two.

Makes sixteen 2-inch bars

CRUST

5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

FILLING

2 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular

GARNISH

3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden and crisp

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut about 12-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 7 1/2-inch width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

5. Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.)

This is an easy and quick Peach Cobbler recipe that I came up with in college.  I hope you enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 roll of ready-made biscuits such as Hungry Jack
1 can of cling peaches in syrup
1/2 stick of butter
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of brown sugar 

PREPARATION:
1.  Slick a casserole dish with butter to prevent the cobbler from sticking too much during baking
2.  Separate all of the biscuits into tops and bottoms; Line the casserole dish with all of the biscuit bottoms
3.  Layer the biscuits with the cling peaches; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon
4.  Layer the peaches with the remaining biscuit tops
5.  Bake for 30 minutes on 300 degrees, or until the biscuits have browned on top

Allow to cool for another 30 minutes and serve alone or with a topping of vanilla ice cream

Serves 4-6 people