Archive for July, 2009
Easy Banana Soft Serve
Only 4 ingredients & minutes in the blender are needed for this cool treat!
I’ve spent the last week in an extreme heat wave, so when I found this recipe today I had to share it in case you’re in need of some cool relief too. Not only does this Easy Banana Soft Serve sound delicious, it’s also low in fat! Plus, this dessert uses only 4 ingredients making it both easy and quick! I especially like how you only need 1 tablespoon of sugar for 4 servings so you get to taste the natural sweetness of the bananas and ricotta cheese. This is how Kouz-Cooking.com describes this recipe: “As rich as ice cream and as smooth as frozen custard.” Doesn’t that sound deliciously refreshing in this summer heat? Enjoy!
EASY BANANA SOFT SERVE
2 Ripe, frozen bananas
1/2 cup Part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Sugar
In a food processor, combine frozen bananas with remaining ingredients. Using a steel blade, process until smooth. Divide into 4 individual serving bowls and serve right away.
Each serving provides 109 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fat, 18 g carboydrate, 39 mg sodium, 10 mg cholesteral.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Mix Perfectly In This Dessert!
Who doesn’t love the taste of chocolate and peanut butter together? It’s absolutely delicious, right? Well, I’m happy to have found a dessert that’s easy and quick to put together and contains this divine flavour combination. It’s called Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie from Examiner.com. There are four layers that only take minutes to prepare. First is the nutty crust that you must bake for 20 minutes (that’s the only baking you’ll need to do). Then there’s a layer of peanut butter cream cheese, followed by a pudding layer, then topped with Cool Whip and nuts. This is best served chilled which makes it an amazing dessert for summertime. Enjoy!
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE
Layer 1:
2/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
Blend flour and butter, add peanuts. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Layer 2:
¾ cup peanut butter
12 oz. cream cheese
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
3 cups Cool Whip
Cream peanut butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, then Cool Whip – mix well. Spread over cooled crust.
Layer 3:
2 large packages instant chocolate pudding (or use one chocolate and one vanilla, if desired)
3 cups milk
Mix and spread over Layer 2.
Layer 4:
Top with Cool Whip. Garnish with chopped peanuts and/or chocolate shavings. Serve chilled.
Brownie Ice Cream Dessert Cake
This Baskin-Robbins Replica Uses Only 5 Ingredients!
I just found a terrific article on DailyBreeze.com that shares 4 delectable ice cream cake recipes; 2 of which are replicas of restaurant desserts. When I think of ice cream cake, I think of summer parties like birthdays, showers and barbecues. And I definitely think “store-bought”. Ice cream desserts just never seem to be easy and quick to me…until now! Your guests will be so impressed when you serve these homemade simple desserts. The hardest part is waiting for the cake to freeze up. The recipe below requires only 5 ingredients and is a replica of the Brownie a la Mode Ice Cream Dessert at Baskin-Robbins. Enjoy!
BROWNIE ICE CREAM DESSERT CAKE
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
1/2 cup thick butterscotch caramel OR caramel ice cream topping (Mrs. Richardson’s brand preferred as it is thicker than others), heated slightly in microwave until of drizzling consistency (should NOT be hot)
2 (1.5-quart) containers chocolate ice cream (or other flavor as desired), softened slightly, about 10 minutes
1 cup crumbled brownies (homemade OR store-bought)
1 cup chopped Rolo candies OR other caramel chocolate candies
Line a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick foil. Sprinkle crumbs on bottom and press to make an even layer. Drizzle evenly with heated caramel topping. Place in freezer 30 minutes to firm up. Spread softened ice cream evenly over caramel, smoothing top with a knife. Sprinkle top evenly with brownie and caramel candy pieces, pressing in slightly. Freeze until firm, 4 to 5 hours. Then top with a piece of waxed paper and wrap in a double thickness of foil. Return to freezer until serving, up to 1 month.
To serve, remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature 15 to 25 minutes. Remove springform side of pan and with a large, sharp knife, cut into slices. Serve immediately. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
NOTE: The caramel in the Rolo candies becomes hard when frozen. Be sure to let dessert stand prior to serving. Or use another caramel or other candy that doesn’t harden as much.
Easy Coffee Rum Sauce
This Dessert Sauce Takes 10 Minutes To Make!
Listen up coffee lovers! I know you’re out there! I found a dessert sauce that’s easy and quick to prepare and is a great topper for ice cream and cakes. It’s from Examiner.com and it’s called Coffee Rum Sauce. You only need 4 ingredients, or 3 if you leave out the nuts, and it takes about 10 minutes to make. This recipe seems to be a spin off of Bananas Foster, which I shared in a previous post, except that it has coffee and no bananas. So if you prefer coffee over bananas, then this is the dessert for you, but if you love both, then maybe an amalgamation of recipes is in order. Please let me know if you experiment! Enjoy!
EASY COFFEE RUM SAUCE
1 cup strong, fresh-brewed coffee
1 cup sugar
¼ cup of dark rum
½ cup chopped walnuts
Combine coffee and sugar in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Let mixture cool. Stir in rum and walnuts.
Optional: Serve with unsweetened whipped cream flavored with rum.
Cathy’s Banana Bread
This Light & Moist Banana Bread Takes 10 Minutes To Prep!
I can’t count the number of banana bread and cake recipes I’ve made over the years. Many many many. But only a couple stand out in my mind and this is one of them. It’s called Cathy’s Banana Bread and I found it at Allrecipes.com. I don’t know who you are Cathy but thank you, thank you, thank you! I love this recipe because unlike my other “go to” banana bread recipe, this one is lighter in colour and feels more like a cake than a bread. Also it requires less banana and in fact today I made half this recipe and only needed 1 banana. It’s perfect when you’ve got that ignored brown banana left behind in the fruit bowl that nobody wants to eat. Best of all, this dessert is easy and quick taking only 10 minutes to prepare! I love it and I think you will too! Enjoy!
CATHY’S BANANA BREAD
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
A handful of walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9×13 inch pan, or two 7×3 inch loaf pans.
Combine banana and sour cream. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and banana mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; stir into the banana mixture. Add nuts if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan or pans.
Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Simple & Sweet Blueberry Crisp
This Easy Dessert Uses 5 Ingredients & Takes Minutes to Prepare!
I got a pint of blueberries for $2 at the market yesterday and while I don’t normally bake with them, I had to make an exception today. I found a delicious recipe for Blueberry Crisp on Allrecipes.com that only uses 5 ingredients and takes minutes to mix together! You need patience to wait the 40 minutes of baking time, but in the end you’re left with a warm fruity dessert that looks and tastes amazing! The sweet crumble on top balances the slightly tart taste of the blueberries. And even though this crisp uses mayonnaise to combine the dry ingredients, you won’t taste it at all. It sounds strange, I know, but it’s great! I also love how it stays together nicely when you serve it. But the best part about this dessert is how easy and quick it is to make. There are no excuses why you can’t make it tonight! And since it’s made with fruit, there’s no need to feel guilty…it’s healthy, right? Enjoy!
SIMPLE & SWEET BLUEBERRY CRISP
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the blueberries into an 8 inch square baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the mayonnaise until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the berries.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is lightly browned.
The BEST Oatmeal Cookies
Turn This Easy Recipe Into Ice Cream Sandwiches Too!
I don’t know what it is, but the last couple of days I’ve been craving cookies like crazy! Well, I have quite a large collection of favourite cookie recipes so I didn’t have to go far to find something good. I came across the best oatmeal cookie recipe I’ve ever found and it’s by Anna Olson, Canada’s Queen of Desserts. The recipe is easy and quick requiring all the normal cookie ingredients you should have on hand…except perhaps molasses, but that’s not hard to find. I love how moist yet dense these cookies are, packed with oats and raisins and a delicious spicy flavour. Anna does not disappoint! In fact, she also recommends using these cookies for ice cream sandwiches. Sounds like a perfect summer treat to me! Enjoy!
THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIES
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp fancy molasses
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cream together butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and blend. Stir in vanilla and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and spices. Add to butter mixture and mix in. Add oats and raisins and stir just until oats are coated with cookie batter. Drop tablespoonfuls onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until cookies start to brown around the edges and loose their shine.
Cookies will keep up to a week in an airtight container. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
VARIATION: OATMEAL COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES: You will need 6 cups maple walnut ice cream and 1 1/2 cups of walnut crumbs, toasted. For sandwiches, press a small scoop of ice cream between 2 cookies. Roll edges of ice cream in walnut crumbs and chill until ready to serve. Yield: 1 dozen sandwich cookies.
Easiest All American Trifle
This Patriotic Dessert Takes Only 20 Minutes To Make!
Although I’m Canadian, I can feel the energy and excitement for Independence Day all the way across the border. I envy the strong nationalism in the United States so much that when July 4th rolls around, I want to take part in the festivities. The best way I know how to do that is by baking a red, white and blue treat. And this year I found one so easy that I don’t even have to bake it! It’s from About.com and it’s called Patti’s All American Trifle. I altered the name a little because it really is the easiest trifle recipe I could find. It only takes 20 minutes to prep and assemble the delicious layers of vanilla pudding, whipped topping, berries and angel food cake. Not only is this dessert easy and quick, it also contains all the right colours for a patriotic celebration. Happy Independence Day!
EASIEST ALL AMERICAN TRIFLE
2 (12oz.) containers whipped topping, thawed
1 (5.9) ounce package vanilla instant pudding
1 whole angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
Sliced fresh strawberries and blueberries
Slivered almonds (optional)
Prepare instant pudding according to package directions. Layer trifle ingredients as follows from bottom of trifle bowl to top; 1/3 Cool Whip, 1/2 of cake cubes, 1/2 of pudding, strawberries, 1/3 Cool Whip, cake cubes, pudding, blueberries, remaining Cool Whip, and top with slivered almonds.