Easy Summer Pastries- No Mixing Involved
This week the topic is desserts again but now it’s more finger-friendly ones, which appear baked, but aren’t and hold up well on hot days. Last week, I wrote about summer dessert recipes that were coolly refreshing, a bit of a change from our regular choices, easy to carry and eat, but were hundreds of years old yet still being served, proving they do their job well.
The following recipes, with the exception of the berry pudding, are more recent innovations, but they too serve their purpose, which is standing up to summer’s heat without spoiling. The dairy products used as garnishes or in the dipping sauce can be replaced by non-dairy items like whipped topping or even meringue made with Wilton’s Meringue Powder. Depending on the individual recipe, the amounts of sugar may need to be altered, but there’s no reason that any of the flavorings should be changed.
The use of prepared products, like wraps and bread give the impression of a home-made dish but it’s a lot easier, and faster, than mixing a batter, or prebaking a crust, especially on a hot day After all, the point of researching summer meals.is not only to find ways to use the season’s bounty, but to find ways to prepare it that are tasty, appealing and don’t require undue exertion in the heat.
So desserts that look baked, taste baked, satisfy the appetite and the eye yet still stand up to a hot summer afternoon fit all the requirements. Of course if they have those qualities, there’s nothing to say they can’t be served in other seasons as well. The fruits can be changed or frozen substituted for fresh/ Several can be served hot and time savers are time savers any time of year. So give these a try. You might discover a new favorite, or experiment a bit and create one.
Honey Nachos— Serves 4
(2) 8 inch flour tortillas
2 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
Honey for pouring
Powdered sugar for dusting –optional
Cooking oil spray
Cut the tortillas in 3rds crosswise and lengthwise making 9 pieces each. Put the pieces on a foil covered cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking oil. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and salt. Bake in a 350 deg. oven for 5-8 min. until slightly curled and golden. Cool. When ready to serve, loosely pile on a plate and drizzle with honey. Lightly dust with powdered sugar to decorate if desired. The flavor of the honey is all important to the success of this dish.
Wonton Cups – Serves 4-6 * From Prevention Cooking
12 wonton wrappers
1 Tbs. melted butter
¼ cup fruit spread or jam –suggested berry based
½ cup flavored yogurt or cool whip or pudding
¾ cup fresh berries – preferably mixed for presentation
6cup muffin tin
Line muffin cups with a wonton wrapper. Brush with butter and top with a second wrapper placed diagonally across the first so the points form a flower. Brush with the remaining butter. Bake in a 350deg.oven 10 min. until golden. Cool and remove from pan. Reserve a few berries for garnish and fold the others into the yogurt. Chill. Just before serving, spread the jam on the bottoms of the wonton cups, divide the yogurt mix among them and garnish with the reserved berries.
Cake a la Mode Serves 4
4 slices of pound cake at least 1 inch thick, toasted
1 pt. berries- mixed makes a nice presentation
2 Tbs. sugar
¼ cup sweet wine, like Marsala, vermouth, port etc. .or orange juice
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup topping of choice – whipped cream, Cool Whip, ricotta, ice cream or yogurt
Marinate the berries in the next 3 ingredients, chilled, for at least 30 min. Place the cake slices on plates and mound the berries next to, or slightly over them. Spoon the topping over the berries and drizzle any accumulated syrup over that as garnish.
*NOTE: This dessert can be made finger friendly by cutting the cake slice in half, spreading the topping on one half, mounding slightly drained berries on that and covering with the other half slice of cake to make a sandwich.
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2 lbs. mixed berries-strawberries sliced if large
8 oz. raspberries
¾ cup sugar
8 slices white bread
Topping of choice to serve
Cut the crusts off the bread and use it to line the bottom and sides of a 41/2 cup. bowl, making sure there are no gaps between slices. Bring the fruit and the sugar to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 8 min stirring once. Spoon the fruit into the lined bowl, add in as much juice as it will hold, making sure some gets around the sides of the bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with the remaining bread and place in a pan to catch juice overflow. Put a plate on top of the bowl and weigh it down with cans. Refrigerate overnight. Puree the 8 oz. raspberries with enough of the remaining berry juice.to have a sauce consistency. Strain and chill. When ready to serve, unmold the pudding on a serving plate and pour some sauce over. Garnish with a dollop of topping and offer the rest and the sauce in bowls to add. Cut in slices to serve.
Banana Turnovers –Serves 4 * From Practical Cookery
8 sheets phyllo dough cut in half lengthwise OR 4 squares of puff pastry 4 inches per side
2 ripe bananas
61/2oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 tsp. sugar
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 Tbs. melted butter
Sugar and ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Powdered sugar for dusting
Cooking oil spray
Spray a cookie sheet with the oil. Peel and dice the bananas and marinate in a bowl with the sugar, lemon juice and chocolate. Keeping the rest moist with a damp towel, lay one sheet of phyllo out, brush with butter and place 1-2 tsp. of fruit mixture in one corner of the short side. Fold over into a triangle and continue folding flag-style until the sheet of pastry is used up. If using puff pastry, simply fold over into a triangle and crimp edges to press together. Dust with the sugar and cinnamon and place on the cookie sheet. Continue until all the pastry is filled Bake at 375 deg. for 15 min. Dust with powdered sugar to decorate and serve hot or warm. These are great to serve on a hot day because the temperature keeps the filling from hardening.
Tortilla Fruit Wraps Serves 4 * From Prevention Cooking
The apples aren’t a summer fruit but they give the finished mixture needed body. This recipe can be made with canned fruit in winter, just don’t pre-cook canned items.
(4) 8 inch flour tortillas
2 cooking apples peeled and sliced
2 peaches peeled and sliced
1 cup sliced strawberries OR 4 slices canned pineapple – halved
1 Tbs. orange juice – 2 Tbs. if using pineapple
4 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Toss fruit with the juice, sugar and spice and spread in a single layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet—DON”T include strawberries in this step. Bake at 400 deg. for 10 min or until fruit is soft.
Place a quarter of the fruit in a line down each tortilla and roll the wrap up in traditional fashion, folding the ends over to enclose the filling. Place filled tortillas seam side down on a non-stick baking pan or lightly oiled foil-covered sheet. Bake at 425 deg. for 8-10 min. until golden. Cut each wrap diagonally in half while still hot. Serve warm or at room temperature with dipping sauce.
Sauce
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 Tbs. orange juice
2 tsp. chopped crystallized ginger
Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to meld flavors. Serve cold.
