Posts from the ‘Desserts’ Category

FAVORITE FALL FRUIT DESSERTS

As we move further into fall, we seem to lose our craving for fresh fruit, especially as snacks and desserts. It’s as if we consider that, along with the other trappings of Summer, to be over. But that’s just not so! There’s as much variety, and perhaps more diversity, in the fruit crops of autumn as there is in those of Spring or Summer.

Apples, grapes, pears and cranberries are all fall fruits. Maybe because they’re available all year, grapes and apples, except for their presentation candied on sticks, seem to have lost a bit of seasonal identity.  Fresh pears, once very popular, have become considered more of a gourmet item, possibly because their juice has found such wide commercial use. Fresh cranberries visibility has also shrunk from a couple of months to a few weeks in November, again possibly because their juice is in demand. (TIP: Grab a few extra bags while they’re in market and throw them in the freezer. They keep beautifully for months, just in their bags and make great winter desserts)

Juice is a uniquely distinguishing feature of fall fruits from that of other seasons.  Each of these fruits produces enough juice to support manufacture of widely distributed commercial beverages. Grapes and apples go further, providing not only apple jack, cider, juices and wine, but also vinegars. Cranberry juice is popular as a tasty, healthy drink and as a ‘mixer’ but the surprise is pear juice. It is the base of most of the fruit drinks on the market, especially the ‘juice boxes’ sold in packs.

So why do we seem so hesitant to showcase the fall fruits in other than their traditionally accepted ways? Apples show up in pie, or like cranberries in sauce; grapes and pears are thought of as ‘snacks’ or salad ingredients. But they can be so much more, contributing to all courses of meals. The embedded links below will take you to posts with lots of suggested recipes for different dishes using fall fruits. This post will start you on the way by giving you a sampling of recipes for my favorite fall fruit desserts, more are in the linked posts. Remember, these desserts are also wonderful holiday options for those who don’t like pumpkin.

RECIPES

GRAPES   Oct. 29, 2020      Nov. 7, 2019
Red Grape Clafoutis: Serves 4-From Frenchmomcooking.com
1 lb. red seedless grapes (the darker, the better)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
5 Tbs.  sugar  
4 Tbs butter
5 Tbs.  flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Pluck grapes and wash them. Melt the butter in a 1 ½ qt. baking dish in the oven. Whisk or beat the eggs in a large bowl, mix in the salt and sugar, add vanilla and flour and mix until well incorporated. Add the melted butter to the bowl. Use a paper towel to spread the residual butter, greasing the dish. Gradually stir in the milk to the egg mix, lastly stir in the grapes. Pour the batter into the dish and bake for 45 min. Let the clafoutis cool a bit and eat while warm, or chill. Either way optionally garnish with powdered sugar.

Grapes in Sweet Sour Cream: Serves 4
2 lb. seedless grapes –red makes a better presentation
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup sugar- or to taste
¼ tsp. cinnamon-or to taste
Remove grapes from stems, wash and dry well. Stir the cream, sugar and cinnamon together and taste to adjust seasonings. Gently stir in the grapes and chill well. Serve in compotes. Can be transported separately and mixed before serving. Cream can be mixed a day or two in advance. Garnish with more cinnamon sprinkled  lightly over.

PEARS     Dec. 3, 2020,   Nov.16, 2017
Pear-Ginger Upside-Down Cake: Serves 8-10
6 pear halves preferably fresh from 3 Anjou pears. (1) 16to17oz can of pear halves can be
used, see below **
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup – -pancake can be used
½ cup chopped pecans Or 6 tablespoons craisins
1 box gingerbread mix
If using canned pears, skip this paragraph. Peel, halve and core the pears. Place cut side
up in a microwave safe dish, with enough water to cover half way up the sides and ¼ cup
sugar. Cook on high, @ 3 to 4 min., depending on the oven wattage, or until just fork
tender. Allow to cool in the liquid.
Preheat the oven as per cake box directions, and grease a spring form pan well. Melt the butter, mix in the sugar and syrup, blending well, and pour into the bottom of the cake pan. Drain the pears, reserving the juice, and arrange them, cut side down, attractively in the bottom of the pan, on top of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle the nuts, or craisins, in the spaces between the pears.
Mix the cake according to directions, substituting the pear juice for equal amount of
required liquid. Pour the batter on top of the pears. Bake according to directions, plus five
minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake to
cool in the pan for at least 20 min. allowing the bottom to set. Invert pan on a plate to
remove the cake.
*Fitting the pan bottom with a round of greased parchment paper helps the cake to
flip out easily. Once it’s plated, simply peel off the paper
** Fresh pears are better for this cake, because, once cooked, pears are very fragile.
Canned ones, having been boiled until soft, are harder to handle, and might not
support the weight of the batter, or additional cooking as well as fresh.

Pears Poached in Red Wine: Serves 6
6 pears-ripe but still firm-peeled but uncored-stems on-bottoms trimmed slightly to stand upright
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 bottle red wine
½ cup sugar
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of a small lemon
Zest of a small orange
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 Tbs . of wine. Heat the rest of the wine with the spices, zests and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and poach gently 25-30 min. until tender, turning occasionally. With a slotted spoon remove the pears to a deep serving dish. Strain the wine and return to the pot, adding the cornstarch mix. Simmer and stirring until sauce thickens, pour it over the pears and leave to soak until cold. Serve room temp or chilled.

APPLES   Oct. 1, 2020,   Sept. 27, 2018    Nov. 2, 2017     Oct. 26,2017

 Easy Apple Strudel: Serves 6-8-FromRecipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
2 ½ cups compote
5 Tbs. unsalted butter-melted
7 sheets phyllo dough
lay sheets of phyllo on a flat surface and coat each lightly with butter using a pastry brush, restacking them as you do. Spoon apple compote parallel to one of the short sides of the phyllo leaving a 3 inch margin. Roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Place, seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush top with remaining butter and bake in a 375 deg. oven for 25min. Cool and serve in slices. Best within 3 hrs. of baking, do NOT refrigerate, not even leftovers.

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*Apple Compote: Yield 3 cups—It’s useful in desserts as an ingredient, but can be served as alone as a fruit course, as an accompaniment to meat or as a dessert with whipped or ice cream. A few tablespoons can be stirred into hot or cold cereal.

It’s useful in desserts as an ingredient, but can be served as alone as a fruit course, as an accompaniment to meat or as a dessert with whipped or ice cream. A few tablespoons can be stirred into hot or cold cereal.
6 large cooking apples –Golden (NOT Red) Delicious, Granny Smith, Rome etc.
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ cup raisins—optional
¼ tsp. cinnamon—optional
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts-for optional garnish
Peel, core and dice apples in ½ inch chunks. Bring sugar and water to a boil; add apples, raisins and juice. Cook until fruit is tender but not mushy. Taste if more sugar

French Apple Pie: Serves 6-8

3-4 lb. cooking apples-peeled, cored in ¼ inch slices
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Successively layer the apple slices so they lay flat, in the pie shell; a circular pattern looks best for presentation. Sprinkle each layer with some sugar and cinnamon. When the crust is filled, pour the melted butter over all, and then garnish with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven 10 min, then at 350 deg. for 30-40 min. until apples are tender and crust is crisp. Best done serving day, but can be done the day before. Store at room temperature.

* My Crust Recipe for single crust pie   
1 cup flour
1/3 cup shortening- Crisco
3 Tbs. + if needed ICE water
In a deep bowl, cut shortening into flour with 2 knives until pea sized crumbs form. Add the water a Tbs. at a time mixing until dough holds together. Form into a ball cover and chill 30 min. Roll on a floured surface until slightly larger than the pan. Line the pan with the dough, cutting off or tucking excess under and crimping edges. Crust can be frozen, chilled or baked ahead according to pie directions.

CRANBERRIES    Dec. 17, 2020     Nov.29, 2018     Dec. 7, 2017       Nov. 30,  2017

My Cranberry Orange Walnut Ice Cream: Serves 6-Very quick and easy to make.
2 cups cranberries
¾ cup sugar
1 orange –quartered, seeds removed
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 pint vanilla ice cream- softened
Coarsely chop berries and orange, with rind. Stir in sugar and blend fruit mix, making sure the orange rind is pulverized, add walnuts and stir into softened ice cream. Pour into a mold and freeze until firm. Unmold and serve garnished with cranberries and walnuts. Or spoon ice cream into a freezer container; a couple of hours before serving fill a decorative freezer-proof bowl with individual scoops of ice cream and spoon them into dessert dishes at table
*This ice cream recipe is packed with fruit. I love it this way but some people, especially children, may prefer it if the quantity of vanilla ice cream is doubled in proportion to the fruit.
NOTE: Keeps as long as commercial ice cream in the freezer.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pie: Serves 6-8-From The Journal Cookbook
(1) 9 inch pie shell-almost baked
20 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 ½ Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. EACH orange and lemon zest
Pinch Salt
3 eggs, +1 egg white
2 Tbs. cream
½ tsp. vanilla
TOPPING
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. EACH lemon juice and zest
Whip the cheese fluffy; add the next 4 ingredients and beat to mix well. Add the eggs and white separately, beating well after each; add the cream and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour in the pie shell and bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven 7 min. Reduce heat to200 deg. and bake 15 min. Cool.

Combine first 3 topping ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until clear; blend in juice and zest. Cool and spread over cheese filling. Chill until serving.

FUN WITH FROZEN DOUGHS-A BONUS IN SUMMER

For months, the restrictions of social distancing requirements, especially in food markets, has had people compiling lists of needs for longer periods, requiring fewer shopping trips. Actually, teaching how to be organized enough to do this habitually, one trip, minimally per week optimally to only one market,  is the opening of the first step of my 3 step behavior modification program explained in How to  Control Food Bills, which results in savings of time, stress and money.

Whenever I discuss this program, questions of freshness come up, particularly concerning pastry and bread. My solution to the storing of bread and assuring its freshness is two-fold. Commercial loaves can be frozen. Some specialty ones, like Jewish Rye, develop a wonderfully crisp crust if thawed and baked in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10-15 min.

However, fresh bread is a daily household need, and I, personally don’t care for plastic-sleeved, pre-sliced loaves. I prefer fresh baked, artisan-style breads and I can get them using frozen bread dough, as well as delightful rolls and breakfast buns, such as designer cinnamon buns and Hot Cross buns for Easter. I’m listing the basics of working with frozen bread dough, and some of my favorite recipes below but check the May 25, 2016 posting to see the ways it can be used pizzas, bread bowls, Stromboli…..

Pastry is another category where frozen dough is miraculous in helping to give baked goods that fresh, delicious appeal, especially if you learn to work with puff pastry. Alone it can make croissants, layers for filings, and crusts for cream pies (try it for Lemon Meringue!!), but in tandem with other ingredients it creates turnovers, pinwheels, bear’s claws and many more elegant, delicious dishes for every course of a meal. As with the bread dough, I’m listing the basics of working with puff pastry below, along with some favorite recipes. For more information, go to the post of May 24, 2018.

RECIPES
Bread

Baking Tips:

• Let the dough rise in a rectangular pan for long or stuffed breads-it’s easier to roll, or shape.
• To cover the dough as it rises, place a piece of plastic wrap over the dough, lightly spray with cooking spray and flip the wrap over, this way the dough won’t stick to the cover as it rises
• To avoid hands and/or utensils sticking to the dough when working it, spray them with cooking spray
• Slash the top of the loaf with a razor or sharp knife before baking so the crust won’t split
• A baking stone dispenses heat evenly for better, faster baking. Save money and buy an unvarnished quarry stone from a home-supply store. Preheat stone 45-60 min.
• Thaw dough in the refrigerator overnight, it shortens the rising time.
• To speed rising time, place covered bowl of dough in the microwave with a glass of water. Heat on low 3 min., rest 2 min. heat again 3 min, and rest 8 min. Bulk will have doubled
• Use warm water to clean work surfaces. Hot water will bake the dough to them.

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Basic baking information:

• After dough has risen, punch it down to disperse air bubbles, then let it rise again. This aerates the dough and makes the bread lighter, without large holes, for even baking
• After the first rising is the time to add ingredients and/or shape the dough and/or to stuff it
• If forming rolls, after punching, allow dough to rest 5-8 min., shape and place in a pan barely touching. Allow to rise 5-10min. more and bake.
• To save over risen dough, punch it down and let it rise again-reason room temperature too warm
• To save under risen dough bake it and serve in thin slices.-reason, room temperature too cool.

Glazing and topping advice: different glazes will produce a variety of crusts

• For a plain rustic look, simply place the toppings, seeds, herbs etc. on a piece of paper on the counter and lightly dip the top of the unbaked dough into it.
• Egg yolk browns, Egg white adds sheen. Whole eggs give both
• Milk combined with butter or oil yields a soft crust
• Water crisps the crust. For extra crispy spray again 10 before done
• Water mixed with whole eggs gives a shiny, brown crisp crust
• Honey or molasses makes the crust soft and sweet
• To make toppings stick, spray or bush on glaze, add toppings and bake. Re-apply glaze 10 min before done.

Recipes:
Note: To flavor bead, per 1 lb. loaf size, allow to thaw and rise.  Punch down and knead in 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs or 1/2 cup pitted, chopped olives or 2/3 cup sautéed vegetables, such as peppers, onions, celery. The latter will also keep bread moist. Allow to rise again. Bake as directed on package.
To make Cheese Bread, after thawing, knead in 1 cup grated sharp cheese and work in ½ cup of the same cheese diced. Allow to rise until double its size. Bake according to package directions.

Focaccia
1lb. loaf of frozen bread dough
2Tbs.oil
2Tbs. dried rosemary
1Tbs.kosher salt
1 egg-optional
6 black olives halved – optional
Baked with tomatoes on top or packed separately in the lunch pail with cheese, this bread is the original pizza. It’s easy to make with frozen dough and you might want to try incorporating herbs or vegetables into the dough for extra taste.  Let the dough rise, punch it down and knead it briefly on a lightly floured surface. Form into a 12 inch circle, cover and let rise for 30 min. Alternately, roll into a 9X13 in rectangle. Indent the top with a spoon handle at 1 inch intervals, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary. Optionally stud the top with olive halves, or sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary. Optionally stud the top with olive halves, or apply an egg glaze for sheen. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 30-35 min.

The Very Best Cinnamon Buns
1 lb. loaf frozen bread dough
2 Tbs. butter or margarine –melted
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs. cinnamon
½ cup raisins
6 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
After first rising, roll dough into an 18 X 14 inch rectangle . Leaving a ½ inch margin all around, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Starting from a long side, roll up and leave seam side down while topping is mixed. Cream remaining sugar and butter and spread in the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan, sprinkle on the nuts. Cut dough roll into 1 inch slices, and place barely touching in the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 30+ min. until double in volume. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 25-20min. until golden. Let cool 3 min. and invert onto serving plate. Spoon over any topping still in pan.

Rolled Dough

Bread Sticks
Allow a 1 lb. loaf of frozen bread dough to rise, punch it down, knead it slightly, optionally adding 2 tsp. caraway seeds or dried herbs and divide into 4 parts. Roll each part into a rope about ½ to ¾ inch in diameter; cut into 6 inch segments, squaring ends.  The width of the rope you roll will determine the thickness of the bread sticks, so remember when doing this step that they will have a second rise. Optionally roll the segments into seeds and/or sprinkle with salt.  Place them on a lightly floured towel, cover with another and let rise 15 min. Optionally, lightly spray with water to help seed and salt coating, if using, adhere and crisp the crust. Bake on a sheet in a 425 deg. preheated oven for 10 min. until golden.

Soft Pretzels*
Let dough rise, punch down and roll into 12 inch ropes about ½ inch thick. On a lightly floured board, make a loop in the center of the rope, using about 1/3 the length. Twist the ends and bring them down over the loop to form the traditional shape, pressing to make them stick. Place the pretzels on a lightly greased baking sheet and freeze for about 20 min. if you don’t want them to rise again and lose their shape.  Spray lightly with water and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake in a preheated 300 deg. oven 11-12 min until golden.
Alternatively drop into boiling water for 30sec.to set the shape. Place on the lightly greased sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake as above.
As a note: soft pretzels don’t have to just be topped with salt. Any of the other bread toppings or glazes will do including changing it up and substituting sugar and cinnamon or adding a sugar glaze after baking.
*For explicit directions and to use Pillsbury breadsticks in place of frozen bread dough and twisting the dough -visit tablespoon.com/recipes/homemade-soft-pretzels/    OR dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/breadsbakery/

Puff Pastry is notoriously time and labor intensive to make, with often ‘iffy’ results for the inexperienced which is why I prefer the frozen. The tedious folding process creates those wonderful ‘leaves’ which also require some special considerations in working with the dough.

• Always thaw puff pastry before cutting it or it will crack jaggedly, but don’t worry it refreezes
• Never slice the pastry. Use a pizza cutter or the point of a sharp knife in a series of straight cuts
• Don’t press scraps into a ball to save them. Gently press the edges together with a mist of water and roll to seal the seam. Freeze to keep.
• When baking make sure the sheet is lightly oiled, greased or covered with parchment. For single layers, to insure that the top surface stays smooth and flat, cover with a second piece of parchment and weigh with another baking sheet or pie pan.
• Puff pastry edges tend to be more even than pie dough, but trim them if necessary to form a straight ‘clean’ line before starting to cut shapes.
• Before baking, it’s nice to ‘riff’ the edges every inch or so with a knife point to make sure they aren’t crimped and allow the air to escape and the layers to rise or ‘puff’ .
• Avoid using cookie cutters. They are too dull and they crimp the pastry edges, preventing the puff.
• Always chill the pastry well before using, and always place in a preheated oven.

Now that all the ‘Don’ts’ are out, let’s get into the fun side of working with puff pastry. I’m going to format this differently, concentrating on the pastry presentations rather than flavorings and/or fillings. So there will be more texts and suggestions, to illustrate how easy it is to use and all it can do and I’m listing the examples by shapes rather than recipes.

STRIPS

Parmesan Pinwheels: Makes 20-24

9 oz. puff pastry
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh herbs of choice
1 egg beaten
Mix the cheese and herbs in a bowl. Roll the pastry out to an 8 inch square and sprinkle with half the cheese mix. Roll it again to a 10 inch square, brush with ¾ of the egg, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese mix and carefully roll it into a log. Seal the seam with the rest of the egg. Cut the log into ½ inch slices and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 425 deg. oven for 10 min. until golden and crisp. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight tin.

Pinwheel Cookies: Makes 20-24
Substitute ¼ cup granulated sugar for the cheese and 1Tbs. ground cinnamon for the herbs. Follow the above directions. TIP: brushing the surface of the cookies with egg will make it shine.
NOTE- to make Bear Claws a.k.a. Pig’s Ears: Rather than rolling from one direction, do it from both sides in towards the center until they meet. Then slice as directed above and bake.

Bread Sticks: Makes 24

RECTANGLES

Fresh Tomato Tarts: Makes 6- From Party Food by Paragon Publishing
9 oz. puff pastry
¼ cup pesto sauce
2 pts. Cherry tomatoes-halved OR 6 plum tomatoes sliced
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten

Fresh herbs of choice for garnish
Roll the pastry out to a 12 x 10 rectangle on a floured board. Cut in half to make (2) 5 inch pieces, then cut them to make (6) 5 x 6 inch pieces. With a fork, score the edges of the pieces and brush with egg. Spread the centers with the pesto and top with the tomatoes, cut side up. Season lightly and bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for 15-20 min. until puffed and golden. Serve garnished with herbs.

Napoleons: Serves 12 – This is a modern, low-fat version of a French classic
1 sheet puff pastry
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. whipped topping
3 Tbs. toasted, chopped almonds
1 can chocolate frosting
1 egg beaten

Roll pastry into a 12×12 inch square and divide into (3) 4 x12 inch strips. Prepare and cook as directed for Mille Feuille and cool. Beat whipped topping and cheese until smooth, divide in half and add nuts and extract to half. Spread, spoon or pipe the cheese mix with the nuts down one strip of pastry, cover with a 2nd strip and spread, spoon or pipe with the plain cheese mix. Spread the frosting on the 3rd strip and place on top. Chill several hours until hardened. When ready to serve, slice into 1x 4 inch slices and place flat on the plates.

SQUARES
There are lots of interesting ways to use this shape.

Appetizers:

For appetizers simply cut the pastry into 3 inch squares and place a scant 1-1 ½ tsp. filling in the center; fold over diagonally and using egg as a sealant, press the edges together . Cut a small slit in the top of each and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for about 20 min. until golden. Can be made and frozen 1-2 weeks ahead, thaw before cooking. Suggestion for fillings:

• Meat pate-liver, ham, chicken, crab or shrimp.
• Thawed, chopped spinach mixed with a little cream cheese and nutmeg to taste
• Sautéed chopped onion and mushrooms with a dash of Teriyaki sauce for flavor

Turnovers: Serves 4

For these, roll a sheet of puff pastry into a 12×12 inch square and divide in 4 equal pieces. Place about ¼ cup filling in the center and fold over diagonally, using egg to seal the edges. Slash 3 vent holes in the top and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 30 min. until golden.

Turnovers are wonderfully useful. Filled with meat and/or cheese they can replace sandwiches.

However, they’re better known as a dessert and one of my favorites, filled with fruit, washed with egg and sprinkled with sugar to give a lovely, sweet glaze. Some suggestions for fillings are;

• Slices of ham and cheese, with a smear of mustard, or slices of chicken or turkey, and a touch of chutney.
• Cooked ground meat with optional seasonings.
• Diced fruit, tossed with a bit of cornstarch, a sliver of butter and some sugar
• Cooked fruit compote
• Ready-made pie filling

Square Stars: Serves 6

These can be made in many sizes, but for this example: roll the pastry to a 10 x 15 inch rectangle and divide into (2) 5 inch strips, then cut them into 3rds making (6) 5 inch squares. Using a glass or jar lid, lightly indent a 2 inch circle in the center of each. With a square directly in front of you, calculate, or visualize the length of one side in 1/3s. (For that size piece, it’s about 1 ½ inches.) Now make a diagonal cut across the middle 1/3^rd from the rim of the center indented circle to the outside edge of the square and curl the pointed piece under the top end of the slash over the corner behind it. Repeat with the other 3 sides and bake in a preheated 425 deg. oven for 10-12 min. until golden. Cool and fill the centers with any number of options; fresh or cooked fruit with custard, whipped topping and/or ice cream, tuna or another salad, a dip or pate, even a creamed entrée in place of toast.

CIRCLES

Patti Shells

The best known of this shape are Patti shells, which like the puff pastry sheets are available in the freezer section of most markets and of such high quality that considering other options is ridiculous. Just follow the directions for oven temperatures and cooking times. These are excellent vehicles for creamed entrees, Chicken a la King, Creamed Chipped Beef, with pearl onions, mushrooms and peas added to upgrade it. They’re also good with Asian dishes. 

The shells also do dessert duty, filled with fresh fruit, cooked fruit compote or even canned pie filling (just cook the filling in a microwave about 5 min. first and then chill it or serve warm)

Galettes

Puff pastry makes a wonderful Galette crust. Roll out a sheet to a 12 x 12 inch square and round off the corners. Use a plate to indent an 8 inch circle in the center, and fill with fruit. Lift up the 2 inch margin and pleat it to enclose the fruit. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake in a 375 deg. oven 30-40 min. until bubbling and golden.

NOTE; This is great way to showcase the summer stone fruits. Don’t slice, halve plums or apricots, peeled peaches, dust them with cornstarch, add a few slivers of butter and top with a bit of sugar. They pile neatly in the crust and it’s easy to hold them in place while folding up the sides. It adds to the appearance to brush the sides with egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Pie Shells

I knew a woman who, wanting to monetize her hobby, rented a tiny, tiny shop in a food mall. She hung 3 signs; one over the door: The Pie Lady, a second on the door: Open 10 A.M-6 P.M. Friday and Saturday and a third in the window: Pies Made on Order Only.  She soon had a waiting list and had to hire help. Everyone raved about her custard pies, especially Lemon Meringue. Her secret was making the shells of puff pastry. They were light, tasty and remained crisp longer even refrigerated. Her trick was to roll it thin, about ¼ inch, brush with beaten egg, poke some holes in the bottom with a fork, and cover it with oiled parchment paper weighted with rice, dry beans or pie weights, even another pie plate. Bake in a 450 deg. preheated oven about 12 min.

ICY DIY GRANITAS

These recipes are ‘older’ in the sense that they’re classics, but they do showcase seasonal fruit, they’re easy to make, are perfect cooling snacks and can be dressed up to fit a particular occasion. Their only fault is that they do require time to chill. On the other hand, they can be prepared, not just ahead but waaaay ahead, and popped out of the freezer at will, ideal for feeding any sized group.

Properly called ‘Granitas’ we know them as ‘Water Ice’.  Developed in Naples, Italy in the mid-1500s, actually the grandparents of ice cream, they are healthy frozen sweets, consisting only of mashed fruit or juice, water and optional amounts of sugar. They are also the simplest to make, basically requiring only an ice tray or pan and a fork. Later the Italians added whipped egg whites to the mix to smooth the texture, creating sherbet. Then they substituted a cooked custard base for the sugar and water and Vola! Ice Cream!  To see examples of the three go to the post for June 22, 2016.

I love granitas. If they melt they can be re-frozen or consumed as a drink but most of all, they’re cooling, non-filling and almost guilt free calorically.  The big bonus is that if you make your own, the flavor variety is endless and the caloric content is negotiable because the sugar quantity is to taste and the use of substitute sweeteners optional.

The recipes below are some of my favorites, especially the one I developed using canned fruit because it opens so many possibilities. I will warn you, especially if you go the canned fruit route, chilling dulls taste, so when you choose a fruit, make a list of possible spices, herbs, extracts and/or liqueurs you can add to punch up the flavor. And don’t forget with all granitas, you have to fork fluff or re-blend them at least once during the freezing process to achieve the right texture.

RECIPES

Basic Granita: Serves 4
1 ½ cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cup juice or other flavoring liquid- or extract squeezed from pureed fruit*
¼ cup lemon or lime juice
Pinch salt – optional
Additional flavorings-spices, herbs and/or garnishes—optional
Over low heat dissolve sugar in water, remove from heat and add flavoring liquid and juice, cool and put into a metal 9 X 13 inch pan. Freeze, scraping with a fork to break up every 20-30 min., for 2-3 hours until resembles fluffy shaved ice. Store in a covered container in the freezer for 1 week. Scrape to fluff before serving. (The ice chips don’t clump during storage.)
*I often make this with cranberry juice, but other juices and liquids like coffee, green tea (matcha) even flat soda pop and pureed, strained fruits can be used as well. For example, it can be made with meat from ½ a watermelon, blended and squeezed through a sieve. Small amounts of liquor can also be added but beware the alcohol prevents freezing so use only enough to give taste. With some mixtures a dash of pepper is nice. The flavoring options are endless.

Orange-Campari Granita: Serves 4-6*
Juice of 3-4 large oranges strained, to make ½ cup*
½ cup superfine or bar sugar-or slightly more to taste
2 ½  cups water
2 Tbs. Campari
Mint leaves to garnish
If using fresh oranges, remove peel, without white pith, from 3 of them. Dissolve sugar in water over low heat then boil for 2 min. without stirring, wiping down pan sides with a wet brush. Pour mixture into a non-metallic shallow, freezer safe container with a cover and add orange peel to steep while mixture cools. When cool add strained orange juice and Campari; cover and chill for at least 30 min. Remove zest and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer mixture to a bowl and beat to break-up ice crystals . Return to freezer container and freeze for 30 min. Repeat twice more. Store covered for 2 months. Serve by the scoop.
*Strained commercial juice can be used and flavors are optional—omitting the Campari.

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Melon Granita: Serves 6-8
1 medium melon-cantaloupe, casaba or sugar baby watermelon
Juice of ½ lemon
6 oz., sugar-super-fine or ’bar’ sugar is best
¼ -1/2 cup cherries or berries for garnish-optional –See Berry Puree recipe below
Fresh mint leaves for garnish-optional
Cut the melon in half, in a zigzag pattern if to be used it for serving. Remove seeds and cube meat. Blend with the lemon juice until smooth. Pour into a 1 ½ quart container and freeze until beginning to set. the scoopful, in the melon shell or dishes . Garnish with fruit and/or mint. Keeps frozen about 1 month.
NOTE: Choose overripe fruit or blanch it if not quite ripe. It freezes smoother.

Granita di Lemone: Serves 6
1 cup lemon juice-fresh squeeze
1 cup sugar or more to taste
2 cups water
Dissolve the sugar in the water by bringing to a boil and simmer for 5 min. until syrupy. Cool. Then add the lemon juice and freeze as described in the directions for basic granita above. Scoop to serve n garnish with mint or Lemon Balm.

Granita di Fragole: Serves 6-8
2 lb. fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries mashed to equal 2 cups pulp
1 cup sugar or to taste
1 cup water
½ EACH 1 lemon and 1 orange-juice only

Dissolve sugar in water to make a syrup as described above.  When cool, add juices and pulp and freeze as directed above.

Granita al Café: Serves 6
6 oz. espresso granules
6-7 Tbs. sugar-to taste
2 pints water
Put the sugar and the coffee in the top of a double boiler. Bring the 2 pints of water to a boil and pour over them. Allow them to steep and infuse over water kept at a low simmer for 30 min. Cool and strain, then freeze as for any granita. Serve in bowls, optionally topped with a bit of cream.

My Easy Plum Granita:  Serves 4
1) 30 oz. can of purple plums, pits removed, OR any other canned fruit
Pinch ginger-optional OR seasonings appropriate to the fruit used
Process the fruit to a puree, adding only enough syrup to get the proper texture. I use all of it with plums, but not with pears. Place the puree in a sealed container, freeze for 1 hr. and stir well, you may have to re-blend it if it’s very thick or seems too icy. Repeat until entire container is of equal texture. Keep sealed in the freezer. Keeps as long as a commercial product.
NOTE: This can be made into an elegant dessert by punching a hole in the center of a scoop with a wooden spoon handle and filling it with a complimentary flavored liqueur.
Can also be made with fresh, roasted peach halves and very ripe pears. 

Berry Puree: Yield –about 1 ½ cups-This puree is a real asset to have on hand.
2 cups blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Combine the berries and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust sugar if necessary. Strain through a mesh strainer. Can be frozen in ice cube trays and the cubes stored in bags. Thawed it makes a wonderful topping (1 cube per serving) or swirl in ice cream, cream or as a cake filling. It’s also a ready flavoring for basic granita or drinks.

THE ULTIMATE ICE CREAM TREAT-THE SODA

A few years ago, I wrote one of my most popular posts about that most iconic of ice cream treats, the ice cream soda. At one time, sodas were the epitome of ice cream confections. They are easily and quickly made, actually built, and always served at once. Unfortunately, that was probably part of their downfall. They couldn’t be made ahead and poured from a spigot for the ‘fast food’ trade. The ice cream soda disappeared with soda fountains and the white capped ‘jerks’ who manned them.

However, all homes have freezers now, ice cream is available in stores, as is a wide range of syrups. Above all, people are interested in preparing foods. There is no reason not to reinvent the ice cream soda, in a whole new variety of flavors and enjoy them once again.

So in memory of the ice cream soda, and in hopes of hastening its return, I’m re-printing my post of June 28, 2018 rather than re-writing it because I couldn’t say it any better now than I did then.

“HEY REMEMBER ICE CREAM SODAS?

I got one of those ‘Do you remember?’ Facebook messages yesterday, about soda fountains. I don’t remember them in their hay day, when Soda Jerks made coke by the glass from syrup and seltzer, but I do remember the iconic Ice Cream Soda. Nowadays, the only way we sip ice cream through a straw is with milk shakes. I like shakes but most are made from a prepared mix, not from scratch by blending ice cream, syrup and milk to a froth, as they used to be.

Sadly, sodas seem to have disappeared from popularity along with the fountains. The Ice Cream Soda was a special treat, built by hand, opulent, gleaming and overflowing the glass, served with an ice tea spoon and a straw, it took time to eat. It offered contrasts in taste and texture down to the last drop, and left you feeling satisfied, not just filled.

It always seemed the ideal dish for the Fourth of July, as appropriate to the holiday as pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving. My association is also linked to childhood memories. My Aunt and Cousin always arrived July 1^st for the summer and every Friday night, they, my Grandmother, my Mother and I went to the movies and afterward to a popular ice cream parlor for sodas. Nothing tasted so good as the soda on that first Friday, which was always within a few days of the 4^th.

I can still remember the choices. My cousin and I stood by our usuals, chocolate for me, strawberry for her, but the women varied their orders regularly. Grandmother liked all vanilla, or asked for peach ice cream or one scoop peach and one strawberry. My Aunt picked a chocolate soda with a ripple ice cream, fudge, caramel or peanut, because she liked the taste tweaks as she ate. My Mother chose a chocolate soda with coffee, pistachio or mint chip ice cream, creating different flavors.

Every so often, at this time of year, I used wax nostalgic and make sodas for my kids and their friends, but mine didn’t generously overflow. I wasn’t into cleaning dippy messes and something else was missing. The kids loved them and were always happy I made them, but to children used to soft-serve cones and take-out shakes everywhere, to whom an ‘ice cream fix’ was opening the freezer door, the ‘special’ magic wasn’t there.

I really would like to see the Ice Cream Soda make a comeback. Anyone can make one. All they need is an ice cream scoop and the flavor options are limitless. If my relatives could consider 11 combinations normal in those conservative food years, when Howard Johnson’s 28 flavors was thought exotic, imagine what could be concocted today. Moreover, it’s easy to create new ones with home machines.

There are also many favors of syrups in the markets now. Additionally, we may not be the basic ’from scratch’ cooks our grandmothers were, but we are adept at accessorizing our dishes and that includes making syrups. I make coffee syrup frequently for Tiramisu. Simple syrup is equally easy and can be flavored with pureed fruit and/or extracts. Lemon curd is available and it’s always possible to turn to old standbys like maple syrup or butterscotch sauce to improvise.

Then there’s the huge variety of flavored seltzers in markets today, white grape, peach, raspberry, lime to name just a few. They can provide interesting contrasts in tastes as well. Using flavored soda isn’t a novel idea either. The famous ‘Brown Cow’ was chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream and coke.

Which brings me to the ‘kissing cousin’ of the ice cream soda, the Float; simpler than the soda, it’s simply a soda pop, originally, I think, root beer, or other carbonated beverage even beer and ale, poured over a scoop of ice cream. Does anyone still remember root beer? Apparently, however, floats aren’t such dinosaurs as ice cream sodas. Guinness features one made with ale in its current recipe book.

So here’s an idea. July 4th is this week. Why not celebrate a truly American holiday by remembering a traditional American drink? You can even make a party of it, kinda like a sundae party, by offering different ice creams, a variety of seltzers and syrups, even some toppings, whipped cream, cherries, jimmies. Line up the options and let people make their own. It doesn’t have to be a large group, in fact smaller is better, but it is festive.

Just one tip; in choosing the ice cream for a soda, think twice about varieties with larger add-ins, like nuts and candy. They don’t fit in a straw, or worse, clog it, making eating difficult. I wouldn’t advise cookie cough either, not just for that reason, but the soda will partially dissolve it and, being heavy, it will sink, leaving a gummy mass in the bottom of the glass.

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Happy Sipping and Slurping!!

RECIPES

Basic Ice Cream Soda Recipe:

Single serving
20 oz. glass
3 Tbs. flavored syrup or + to taste
2 scoops of ice cream
Chilled club soda, seltzer water (Not sparkling mineral water) or other carbonated drink, cola, ginger ale or other pale soda pop.
Pour the syrup into the bottom of the glass; add about of 1 oz. soda and 1 scoop of ice cream. Stir gently around the sides of the ice cream lifting the syrup up around the scoop. Slowly add more soda to fill the glass ¾, mixing the contents gently as you pour. Add the other scoop of ice cream, and fill the glass with the soda water, creating bubbles.

Basic Ice cream Float:

Single serving
20 oz. glass
1 scoop ice cream
Carbonated beverage, including beer or ale.
Fill the glass about ½ full with the liquid, add the ice cream and then pour over the liquid to fill.

Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Combine and heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. If it seems thin, cook to evaporate water until desired consistency.

Brown Simple Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
Follow above directions.

Coffee Syrup:
Method 1) Make either above syrup with strong coffee in place of water
Method 2) Add 1 Tbs. or to taste, instant coffee as you make it. I like Instant Espresso for flavor depth.

Vanilla Syrup:
While cooking simple syrup add from 2-3 tsp. or more vanilla to taste. This amount will also be determined by whether pure extract or imitation is used. The main thing is not to let it dilute the syrup recipe, so the length of cooking time will depend on the degree the fluid needs reducing to achieve the right consistency.

Fresh Fruit Syrups:

Examples of how fresh fruits can be used. Always store chilled. Traditionally these directions would have included straining, but I like the rustic appearance of a rougher texture.
Strawberry
Marinate sliced berries in sugar as for shortcake topping, then puree.
Peach
Method 1) about ½ cup peeled, sliced fruit and 1Tbs. simple syrup, or to consistency, pureed
Method 2) Roasted peach half(halves-depending on quantity wanted) pureed with simple syrup, if needed. Gives a more intense flavor

Blueberry
½ cup blueberries and 1+? Tbs. simple syrup microwaved at 1 min. intervals for 3 min. or until soft, then pureed.

Feel free to experiment—perhaps chopped apple, with cinnamon treated as blueberries or plums substituted for peaches. A few drops of liqueur or extract or a pinch of spice can add to the taste as well.”

SPRING PARTY DESSERTS

It’s now been a full year of pandemic ‘infected’ holidays, of canceled activities, restricted gatherings and interrupted traditions. The holidays have been difficult but as a friend recently observed, at least in winter there are specific decorations, like a tree, and music to  infuse spirit. She hopes for an early, sunny spring to get her in the mood, because her Easter ‘outfit’ will be slacks instead of jeans and her dinner guests, as with the other holidays this year, will be the household.

Therein lies a large part of the problem. The holiday tables aren’t the ‘groaning boards’ we loved, holding large roasts and favorite casseroles, surrounded by familiar faces. The menus have had to adjust to fewer participants and less labor intensive dishes. The conversation, without fresh input, is simply daily exchange. 

So it’s up to the food to light the holiday spark, to make the dinner, and hopefully, the day, special with its own pleasant memories without nostalgia.  Because the spring holidays are less steeped in tradition, changing the menus, trying new dishes, even experimenting with other cuisines is more accepted. That will guarantee new memories, whether of success or failure of the recipes and provide fresh topics of conversation, at least for the day.

One of the best ways to achieve this, this spring, is to make a special dessert for the holiday dinner. Something that is glamorous, definitely not regular fare, but with a sufficiently uncomplicated recipe that anyone in the family can pitch in. It provides group activity, an anticipated shared reward, a definite topic of conversation, a special memory and, fingers crossed, a desire to repeat the experience.

I’ve written on this subject before, (see posts for April 9. 2020,   May 9, 2019,   May 16, 2019,    April 12, 2018, and  May 18, 2017.) However here are 8 spring desserts which fill the special requirements for this year.  Several feature strawberries, the main seasonal fruit, but others are inspired by treats for these holidays-think chocolate –and two are appropriate colors. However all are great joint ventures requiring little cooking time and simple prep. Come on, set up a fun, family project for the holiday…..

RECIPES

Strawberry Charlotte Romanoff*: **Serves 6-8
(1) 3 oz. pkg. ladyfingers
¾ cup non-fat dry milk powder
1 cup cold water
1Tbs. unflavored gelatin
¼ cup sugar
(2) 10 oz. pkg. frozen sliced strawberries
¾ cup boiling water
Red food coloring
*3Tbs. orange liqueur – This is an option. To exercise it substitute 3Tbs.liqueur for 3 Tbs. cold water
Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise and line the sides of a buttered 2 qt. bowl. Beat ¾ cup cold water with milk powder on high until stiff about 6-8 min. Chill. Pour ¼ cup cold water over gelatin in a bowl and soak for 8 min.  Place strawberries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and separate with a fork. Pour boiling water (minus 3 Tbs. if using liqueur) over gelatin and stir to dissolve then add liqueur if using. Pour gelatin into strawberries, mix well and chill until a small amount mounds when dropped. Fold in whipped milk and add red food coloring to taste (for a spring pink omit coloring) Fill ladyfinger lined bowl with strawberry mixture and chill several hours. Unmold on a serving plate and serve at once or keep chilled.

Raspberry Soufflé: Serve 4- From Gourmet Cooking 5 Ingredients by Deborah Anderson
(1) 10oz. pkg. frozen raspberries-thawed
5 egg whites-divided
½ cup sugar
½ cup + 2 tsp. whipping cream – chilled
2 Tbs. Chambord liqueur-(optional)
Brush the inside of (4) 3 ½ ramekins or individual soufflé dishes with some of the egg white (about 1 egg white) and coat with sugar.  Blend the raspberries until smooth. Beat the egg whites until stiff then still beating add the sugar in about 3 portions at a time until glossy peaks form. Fold the eggs into the raspberries and divide mixture among prepared dishes. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven 13-15 mi. until puffy. Remove and top with cream beaten with liqueur until stiff. Serve at once.

White Chocolate Cheesecake Bites: Yield 25- From Gourmet Cooking 5 Ingredients by Deborah Anderson
(1) 12 0z. pkg. white chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
(2) 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup strawberry or raspberry jam
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Beat cheese and sugar until creamy. Melt chocolate over low heat or in microwave, stirring until smooth. Combine cheese and chocolate, blend well-mix should be smooth. Pour batter into an 8 inch pan lined with a double layer of parchment paper. Freeze until firm, cut into 25 squares, and remove to a plate with a spatula-chill. Combine jam and lemon juice over heat stirring until it reaches a boil. Remove and strain. Pour warm glaze over squares, Keep chilled until serving.

Chocolate Godiva Tart: Serves 8– From Gourmet Cooking 5 Ingredients by Deborah Anderson
CRUST-Optional a commercial 9 inch chocolate crust can be used
2 cups chocolate wafer cookies
4Tbs. butter melted
Process the cookies to crumbs and blend in the butter. Press into pie pan with fingers and bake at 400 deg. for 5-7 min. Remove and cool to harden.
FILLING
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate divided
1 ½ cups whipping cream
3 Tbs. Godiva liqueur-chocolate sauce can be substituted
Grate 1 oz. chocolate for garnish
Heat 1 cup whipping cream to a simmer, reduce heat and add half the reserved chocolate, stirring until smooth. Repeat with remaining chocolate. When smooth and creamy, stir in liqueur. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 12-15 min. Whip remaining cream to stiff peaks and serve on top of tart garnished with chocolate shavings.

My Ice Cream Cake: **Serves 8-10- This cake can be made in many flavor and color combinations
(1) 2 1/2 quart freezer proof mold or large round, deep mixing bowl
2 Layer pans, or 1 sheet cake pan to bake the cake
1 box of cake mix, cooked according to directions, cooled and removed from the pan(s)
½ gal—Or 1.5 qt. container ice cream.
Bake the cake according to box directions, remove from pans and allow to cool, then break or cut into very large chunks. Soften ice cream to consistency of whipped topping. Rinse bowl or mold with water and shake out excess but do not dry. The film of water freezes and forms a protective coating on the container that makes it easier to unmold the finished dessert. Smear a dollop of softened ice cream over the bottom of the mold. If it has a decorative top be sure to fill it all in. Then smear a thin film of Ice cream over the insides of the mold and chill until set. Begin to fit chunks of the cake into the mold in layers, separating the layers of cake and the pieces of cake in the layers from each other and the sides of the mold with enough ice cream so that they don’t stick together or become exposed when the dessert is unmolded. Leave a thick enough layer of ice cream on the bottom of the mold to form a firm base when plated for serving. Freeze the mold for several hours or overnight.  Remove from freezer and dip the mold in a larger bowl, or pan, of hot water, for the count of ten (10). Cover the bottom with a serving plate and invert to unmold. Serve at once or store in the freezer until needed.
Pass any appropriate toppings: whipped cream, wet nuts, sauce, fruit etc. on the side.

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My Key Lime Pie: Serves 8-10

(1) 9 inch baked pie shell. Home made or purchased, regular or graham cracker.

(1) 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk MIXED WITH

Sufficient sour cream to equal 2 cups – about 2/3 cup

1/2 cup fresh Key Lime juice

1 Tbs. lime zest
½ envelope unflavored gelatin
Whipped cream
Soften the gelatin by soaking 5 min. in the lime juice in a bowl. Combine the Condensed Milk, sour cream and lime zest in a bowl. Dissolve the gelatin by heating the lime juice in the microwave 30 sec. If it

doesn’t dissolve easily, heat it an additional 5 sec. or so, but be sure it is completely liquid before proceeding. Add the lime juice with gelatin to the bowl with the milk, sour cream and zest. Wisk well to incorporate. Pour the filling mixture into the pie shell and chill at least 2 hours until well set. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Strawberry 3-Layer Cake/Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Serves 16- From The Cake Doctor by Anne Bryn

1 box plain white cake mix
1 box (3 oz. ) strawberry gelatin
1 ½ cups fresh strawberries to equal 1 cup mashed with juice
½ cup whole milk
1 cup oil-not olive
4 large eggs
1 cup frozen unsweetened , grated coconut-thawed
½ cup chopped pecans
FROSTING
1 pkg.(8 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
(8 Tbs.) butter=1 stick-at room temperature
3 ½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup fresh strawberries mashed to make ½ cup then well drained
½ cup chopped pecans
½  frozen, unsweetened, grated coconut-thawed
Grease and dust with flour (3) 9 inch cake pans. Place the first 6 cake ingredients in a bowl and mix on low 1 min. scraping down bowl sides, then mix on medium 2 min. scraping sides, until berries are well blended. Fold in coconut and pecans. Divide batter among pans and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 28-30 min. until cakes are light brown and start to pull away from sides. If  necessary rotate on shelves half way through cooking or bake in shifts. Cool on racks 10 min. then invert onto plates and coo completely, about 30-45 min.
Beat cheese and butter on loe 30 sec. to combine. Add sugar and berries and continue on ow until well incorporated. Switch to medium and beat until frosting is light and fluffy 2-3 min. more. Fold in pecand and coconut.
Place one cake layer right side up on serving platter and frost top, cover with second layer and repeat. Top with third layer and frost top and sides. To calculate the quantity, the 2 inside layers will require about 2/5^th of the frosting. Chill until the frosting sets, about 20 min. then cover and store, chilled, for 1 week or freeze.

Strawberry Bavarian Cream Mousse: **Serves 8-10
(2) 12 oz. frozen sliced strawberries-thawed
½ cup cold water
1 ½ Tbs. unflavored gelatin
6 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. almond extract
1 ¾ cups chilled whipping cream
Red food coloring to taste-I don’t use it preferring the light pink natural color
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and allow to soften about 5 min.  Place strawberries in a large bowl and blend in sugar, extract and juice. Dissolve gelatin by microwaving 30 sec. if not completely dissolved reheat it for 5 sec. or so, but be sure it is completely fluid before proceeding. Combine gelatin and berry mix stirring well to combine, Chill until mixture thickens enough to mound when dropped from a spoon. Whip half the cream at a time with chilled beaters until soft peaks form then combine it all and fold into berry mix.  Add food coloring drop by drop until desired color is reached at this time, making sure it doesn’t streak. Pour into a lightly oiled (not olive oil) decorative  1 ½ qt.  mold and chill until firmly set-at least 4 hr. Unmold onto a serving plate and slice to serve.

**NOTE-These desserts might benefit from the addition of a quick refrigerator-made compote of sliced fresh, strawberries, marinated with sugar until they release their juice. Passed on the side it makes a lovely, decorative, tasty garnish

PEARS FOR DESSERT

In compiling the list of blogs to use as references in last week’s post on turkey, I came across this on pears from Nov.16,2017. It seemed a perfect fit for this year when trying something different could help the holidays seem a bit more special. I’m reposting it as written, because these 9 recipes need no editing or updating. The Pears Poached in Red Wine and the Sorbet with Raspberries appear especially appropriate for this season.

Perhaps it was compiling my recent posts on apples, certainly planning for the holidays, trying to hit upon that pleasing ‘special something’ or maybe a recent market flyer but I suddenly realized that pears are the truly overlooked ‘Fall’ fruit. In fact, during the past several decades, they’ve been ignored. 

Like apples, pears are available all year, but are at their best in autumn, because, unlike many fruits pears are native to milder and cool climates in Western Europe and Eastern Asia.

Pears used to be as ‘everyday’ as apples and more so than oranges, but have disappeared from our daily lives in the past few decades. Their taste is no less flavorful than other fruits. Pears are as succulent as peaches, as portable as apples and actually, have less waste than either. Though their juice isn’t a featured item, it’s every bit as useful in cooking as apple juice and, in fact, the main component in most juice mixes, especially the ones for children because they are probably the most digestible of fruits. In the same vein, pear jelly and jam was a favorite of home kitchens for centuries but unseen now, yet pears are a major ingredient of many other jellies and jams . So why are pears such ‘Wallflowers’? My guess is lack of P.R. They could go viral, be a hot item, with a bit of attention since they have so much to offer.

Known even to the cavemen, pears have been enjoyed for thousands of years, and, like apples, have many varieties, most of which go directly into commercial purposes, canning etc. The varieties we see in the market, Anjou, Bartlett, Bosc, Seckel and Cornice, ranging in color from bright yellow, some rosy cheeked, through green to brown, can be both eaten and cooked. Like bananas they should be picked under ripe and are best when allowed to ripen in the home. Choose fruit that is firm to the touch and ripen it in a paper bag on a counter. When ready to eat a pear will be slightly resistant to squeezing and softer by the stem. Once ripe, store them in the refrigerator and check them daily because unlike apples, they don’t keep for weeks.

Below are a few recipes to acquaint, or re-acquaint yourself with pears. At the rate foods are being ‘discovered’ in the food world now, I bet they’re on the short list. So take a stroll down memory lane or a walk into the future and give pears a try now while they’re at seasonal peak. The recipes below will help you on your way–

RECIPES

Pears Poached in Wine
1. In Red Wine:

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Serves 6
6 pears-ripe but still firm-peeled but uncored-stems on-bottoms trimmed slightly to stand upright
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 bottle red wine
½ cup sugar
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of a small lemon
Zest of a small orange
Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 Tbs. of wine. Heat the rest of the wine with the spices, zests and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and poach gently 25-30 min. until tender, turning occasionally . With a slotted spoon remove the pears to a deep serving dish. Strain the wine and return to the pot, adding the cornstarch mix. Simmer and stirring until sauce thickens, pour it over the pears and leave to soak until cold. Serve room temp or chilled.
2. Poached In Marsala:

Serves 4 From Rozanne Gold’s Recipes 1-2-3
4 pears as prepared above
1 cup Marsala
Water to cover
¾ cup crushed Amaretti or almond flavored cookies-about 18 small or 8-9 large ones
Place the pears in the pot with Marsala and water to cover, bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer gently for 30 min. or until tender. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and chill. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce to medium and cook until reduced to 1 cup. Cool. To serve, roll bottom of pears in cookie crumbs and place in a shallow bowl or soup plate, pouring sauce around the pears.

Baked Pears with Topping: Serves 2-This rendition offers a choice to adults and kids.
1 large Bosc pear
2 tsp. butter softened
1 Tbs. brown sugar mixed with
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Lemon juice
1 ½ oz . Blue cheese or Vanilla ice cream
Halve pear –scoop out center core with a melon baller or round spoon. Mix spice and sugar. Rub cut sides with lemon juice. Smear butter over center of an 18” x12”sheet of foil. Sprinkle the spice mix over the butter and place the pear, cut sides down on it. Close the foil by folding it over, leaving air space inside. Bake at 450 deg. for 40 min. until pears are tender. Allow packet to stand 15 min. before opening. Transfer pear halves to serving plates, pour sauce from packet over them and fill centers with small mounds of blue cheese or serve with scoops of ice cream on the side.

Pear Compote: Yield about a quart.*
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 dozen pears-peeled, cored and sliced
3 sticks cinnamon
6 oz. cranberries—optional
Bring sugar and water to a boil, add cinnamon and fruit. Continue cooking at a simmer until fruit is tender, about 20 min . Remove fruit and continue simmering liquid until it makes a syrup. Pour over the fruit and store in the refrigerator.
*Serve with meat OR in —-

Easy Pear Strudel: Serves 6-8-FromRecipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
2 ½ cups compote
5 Tbs. unsalted butter-melted
7 sheets phyllo dough
lay sheets of phyllo on a flat surface and coat each lightly with butter using a pastry brush, restacking them as you do. Spoon pear compote parallel to one of the short sides of the phyllo leaving a 3 inch margin. Roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Place, seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush top with remaining butter and bake in a 375 deg. oven for 25min. Cool and serve in slices. Best within 3 hrs. of baking, do NOT refrigerate.

Pear Kuchen: Serves 8-10
Pastry for a 9”spring form pan-if home-made add 2 Tbs. sugar to the dough
1 quart canned pear halves = (2) 16 oz. cans
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup cream or fruit juice
Line the bottom and sides of a greased spring form pan with the pastry . Drain fruit and arrange cut side down in pan. Beat eggs with sugar and liquid until light and pour over the fruit. Bake at 400 deg. for 10 min. and then at 350 deg. until custard is set about 30 min. Sprinkle with slivered toasted almonds or cool and scatter chopped almond brittle over the top. Serve with whipped cream.

Pear-Ginger Upside-Down Cake: Serves 8-10
6 pear halves preferably fresh from 3 Anjou pears. (1) 16to17oz can of pear halves can be
used, see below **
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup – -pancake can be used
½ cup chopped pecans Or 6 tablespoons craisins
1 box gingerbread mix
If using canned pears, skip this paragraph. Peel, halve and core the pears. Place cut side
up in a microwave safe dish, with enough water to cover half way up the sides and ¼ cup
sugar . Cook on high, @ 3 to 4 min., depending on the oven wattage, or until just fork
tender. Allow to cool in the liquid.
Preheat the oven as per cake box directions, and grease a spring form pan well. Melt the butter, mix in the sugar and syrup, blending well, and pour into the bottom of the cake pan. Drain the pears, reserving the juice, and arrange them, cut side down, attractively in the bottom of the pan, on top of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle the nuts, or craisins, in the spaces between the pears.
Mix the cake according to directions, substituting the pear juice for equal amount of
required liquid . Pour the batter on top of the pears. Bake according to directions, plus five
minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave the cake to
cool in the pan for at least 20 min. allowing the bottom to set. Invert pan on a plate to
remove the cake.
*Fitting the pan bottom with a round of greased parchment paper helps the cake to
flip out easily. Once it’s plated, simply peel off the paper
** Fresh pears are better for this cake, because, once cooked, pears are very fragile .
Canned ones, having been boiled until soft, are harder to handle, and might not
support the weight of the batter, or additional cooking as well as fresh.

Pear and Almond Tart: Serves 8 This is a classic dish the recipe is from Bay Books’ The Food of France
Pastry for a 9 inch loose bottom tart pan or pie shell.-If homemade add 2 Tbs. sugar to the dough
3 large pears-peeled, cored and halved
¼ cup sugar
3Tbs. apricot jam
1 vanilla pod or ¼ tsp. extract
Filling:
5 ½ oz. butter softened
2/3 cup sugar
Zest of a small lemon
2 eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup flour
Few drops of vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups ground almonds*
Put the pears, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla or pod in a pan with enough water to cover. Remove pears, bring mix to a boil, return pears and simmer until fruit is tender, about 20 min. Drain and cool pears.
Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until light and fluffy . Gradually beat in eggs, then fold in flour, zest and almonds.
Blind bake the pastry, lined with parchment and weighted with beads, beans or rice at 375 deg. for 10 min. Remove weights and paper and bake for 3-5 min. more. Pastry should be pale.
Spread ¾ of the filling in the pastry shell and arrange the pears, cut-side-down on top. Fill in the gaps with the rest of the filling. Bake at 350 deg. for 35-40 min. until filling is golden and firm.
Melt the jam with 1 tsp. water and spread over pears to glaze. Serve at room temp.
*The most practical way to buy almonds is in a full service pharmacy like Walgreen’s and grind them yourself. They’re sold in 1 lb. bags more reasonably than elsewhere. I calculate the amount needed here is about ½ lb. I prefer to buy the raw and blanch them, but the roasted will do as well here, just not the smoked.

Pear-Pepper Sorbet with Raspberries: Serves 6-This sorbet is a favorite of mine. I make it with several different fruits.
(2) 16 oz. cans of pear halves
3 Tbs. pear brandy or pear liqueur+ for serving
¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 pts. Raspberries
Puree the fruit until smooth adding the brandy slowly. Pour into a freezer container and stir in the pepper. Freeze 8 hrs. or overnight, blend again and refreeze. Serve in scoops on a bed of raspberries, with more on top. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp. liqueur.