Showing posts with label Summer Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer Desserts. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

My wonderful husband Tim celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago. When I saw this recipe on One Perfect Bite, I immediately bookmarked it to make for his birthday. Butter Pecan is Tim's favorite ice cream! Never having made Butter Pecan Ice Cream before, I was looking forward to making this recipe. The fact that I don't really care for Butter Pecan didn't hurt either. I knew I wouldn't be spooning out taste scoops straight from the freezer like I did with the Cake Batter Ice Cream a few weeks ago.

I substituted skim milk for the whipping cream and the recipe turned out great. I've found you make ice cream base with any combination of milk, half and half or cream. Even though butter pecan isn't my favorite flavor, I did try try a bite or two. This is a rich, delicious ice cream. If you like Butter Pecan, give this recipe a try!


As a side note, the beautiful blue dish and spoon were part of a set I won over at A Musing Potpourri. Thanks La for the fun prize!

Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Recipe Courtesy of One Perfect Bite

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Melt butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. Add pecans and toast until lightly brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool.
2) Heat half-and-half in a large heavy saucepan set over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of 175 degrees F. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
3) Whisk a small amount of hot cream mixture into eggs. Add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160 degrees F and coats a metal spoon. Remove from heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Stir in toasted pecans.
4) Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full. Freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerator freezer for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: 1 quart.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday, Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake

One of my favorite signs of Springtime is rhubarb. Although rhubarb desserts aren't my first choice, I like them better than I did as a kid. There's so many great recipes using rhubarb. My favorite rhubarb recipes are those that combine rhubarb and another fruit. When I ran across this recipe over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen, I bookmarked it to try.

If you have rhubarb in your garden, give this recipe a try. This cake has great flavor and the coconut gives the topping a nice crunch.



Grandma's Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake
Recipe courtesy of Finding Joy in My Kitchen

4 C rhubarb
1 C sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 box (4 servings) Strawberry Jello
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 box dry yellow cake mix
1/2 C butter
1/2 C coconut

Combine rhubarb, sugar and cornstarch in a pan and heat until warm; stirring frequently as rhubarb cooks and becomes thick. When thicken, pour rhubarb into a 9x13 glass pan. Sprinkle with strawberry jello and 1 can of crushed pineapple (do not drain, use the juice!).

Meanwhile, mix together cake mix and butter until crumbly. Stir in coconut. Sprinkle over the rhubarb mixture.

Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes.

*If you wish to make a bottom crust, place 1/2 of the cake mixture over the bottom of the cake pan and press to form. Bake crust for 10 minutes at 350. Then pour cooked rhubarb over the top and follow the directions above.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday's at the Table.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Rhubarb Dessert - Revisited


The past couple of weeks I have featured recipes from some of the "Mom's" who have touched my life. There was Nana's Chocolate Cake and Mrs. Flint's Banana Bread. Today, I am featuring my Mother In Law, Bernie's Rhubarb Dessert.

You can find the original post and recipe here!

I am linking this to Foodie Friday!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

I use my slow cooker all the time for main dishes and every once in a while for side dishes but I've never made a dessert in it. Recently I've seen several recipes for cobblers or crisps made in the slow cooker. Curious, I decided to give it a try.

I cooked this on low for about four hours. I removed the lid and placed a towel underneath to help remove the moisture and increase the "crispness". The addition of the butterscotch pudding gives this a wonderful caramel flavor. While this doesn't have quite the same crunch and as one baked in the oven, it makes a delicious dessert and you can't beat the smell of the apples cooking in the kitchen.



Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
Recipe courtesy of CD Kitchen

5 large sliced peeled tart apples
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 package (3-1/2-ounce size) cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
Vanilla ice cream or Whipping Cream -- optional


PREPARATION:

Place apples in a 3-qt. slow cooker.

In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, pudding mix and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or until apples are tender. Serve with ice cream or whipping cream, if desired.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday Night Supper Club.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Cherry Crisp

Don't forget to join Gnee of Singing With Birds and me for our End of Summer BlogBBQ!

I've never baked much with cherries. Last summer I purchased a few cherries from the Farmer's Market and made this. I used an opened up paper clip as my cherry pitter. While it worked okay, I wanted a real cherry pitter. I bought this one. If you have a lot of cherries to pit, get this one, it's awesome!

I was looking forward to making a cold soup with those cherries. When Tim heard that, in a very disappointed voice he said he was hoping I would make a dessert. Since I am challenged, when it comes to pie crusts, I decided to make a crisp.


Cherry Crisp

4 cups pitted sour cherries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, combine cherries, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, and 4 tablespoons flour. Pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, oats, and brown sugar. Cut in butter and shortening until crumbly. Sprinkle over cherries.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Blueberry Crunch

Blueberries are my favorite berry. Have you ever picked blueberries? When I lived in Kansas City, we would equate Fourth of July with blueberry season. We would go early on a Saturday morning, before the heat of the summer day, and pick buckets of blueberries. The berries were huge. The berries would be covered with the morning dew and taste amazing. Since I moved to Nebraska, I've been in search of a berry farm. There aren't any close by so I have to settle for the ones in the grocery store.

This recipe from Tomatoes on the Vine reminds me of my sister in law's cobbler recipe. You could substitute any fresh fruit for the blueberries. I decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup and just used a sprinkle in the topping.

Blueberry Crunch
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 can crushed pineapple, 20 ounces, do not drain
3 cups fresh blueberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Butter a 9X13-inch baking dish
Layer 1: Put crushed pineapple on the bottom of the pan
Layer 2: Pour blueberries over the pineapple
Layer 3: Pour dry cake mix over blueberries
Layer 4: Sprinkle 1/4 sugar and chopped pecans on top
Layer 5: Pour melted butter over top
Optional: Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar in between each layer ( if you like it really sweet!)

Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes
Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Rhubarb Cake

I am not a rhubarb fan, so my recipe files don’t contain rhubarb recipes. Tim loves rhubarb, especially rhubarb desserts. On an envelope in his scribbles is his mother’s rhubarb dessert recipe.

I didn’t have cream so I substituted evaporated milk. I remember Tim’s daughter making this a few years ago and thinking it was a little runny, so I didn’t put in two full cups of milk.

Tim says this dessert is a yummy combination of cake and rhubarb. Even with the decreased amount of milk, it was still a little runny. Maybe it’s just supposed to be that way? Since this recipe was scribbled on an envelope, it didn’t have any instructions for storage. I think it keeps longer if you store it in the fridge.

Rhubarb Cake

Yellow Cake Mix
4 cups rhubarb, sliced
1 cup sugar
1 pint of cream or half and half

Mix cake mix as directed on the box. Pour in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Put rhubarb on top of cake mix. Sprinkle sugar over rhubarb. Pour cream over the top. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Triple Berry Crisp

Tim requested a crisp for Father's Day dessert. With berries reasonable and plentiful, a crisp seemed like the perfect dessert. You can use any combination of berries, I used blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. I served this with my favorite homemade vanilla ice cream, Alton Brown's Serious Vanilla Ice Cream.

Triple Berry Crisp
Adapted from All Recipes

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups butter
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, gently toss together blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and white sugar; set aside.
3.In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
4.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.



I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Rhubarb Pie - Foodie Friday

What do you think of when you think of Rhubarb? Everything I’ve been reading recently describes rhubarb as the pie plant. When I think of pies, I think of custard and chocolate. I can’t make a good pie crust, so I don’t bake many pies. Pie crust is on my list of cooking challenges to conquer.

Our good friend, Lynn gave me a large bag of rhubarb from his garden. The night he gave it to me, we discussed what we thought of when thinking of rhubarb. Lynn’s answer was pie. When I think of rhubarb pie, I think of strawberry/rhubarb pie. I asked Lynn and he said nope just plain rhubarb. I chopped it all up and began contemplating what to make. I made a Rhubarb Betty and had enough to make Lynn his plain rhubarb pie.

I started searching for rhubarb pie recipes and was amazed at how simple they all are. I settled on Martha Stewart’s recipe. I liked that it had a crumble topping instead of a second crust. I wish I could say, I worked on conquering that fear of pie crust with this pie but not so much! When you give someone a pie, you want it to be good, right? To be sure the crust was good; I purchased the ready made kind in the box.

I had leftover rhubarb mixture and crumble, so I made a couple of crumbles. Not being a big rhubarb fan, I wasn’t sure if I would like the crumble. I enjoyed this dessert. It was tart but not too tart and had a nice flavor. Lynn said the pie was awesome and wondered what I was bringing him for dessert next week next week.



I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Honey Rhubarb Betty - Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday!!!

Did you know rhubarb is really a vegetable? I always thought it was a fruit!! Rhubarb is one of those foods I've always said I don't love. Maybe it's because of how I ate it as a kid. My mom always stewed it for my dad. She just cut it up, added a little water and sugar and cooked it until it was mushy. YUCK! As an adult, I've discovered lots of the other delicious ways to use rhubarb. Last Spring I made this Rhubarb Crisp. I talked about the yucky stewed rhubarb in that post, too. I've always heard talk of a betty but I hadn't ever made one. I wasn't even sure I knew what it was. A betty is similar to a cobbler but reminded me more of a bread pudding.




Honey Rhubarb Betty
Adapted from Southern Food
1 pound rhubarb, cut in 1/2-inch slices (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash salt
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup honey
4 cups bread cubes (about 5 slices)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine sliced rhubarb, sugar, nutmeg, salt, and water. In a small bowl, blend butter and honey; stir in bread cubes. Spoon bread cubes in the bottom of a 8 x 8 baking dish. Pour rhubarb mixture evenly over the top of the bread crumbs. Spoon the remaining bread crumbs over the top of the rhubarb. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bread topping is lightly browned. Cover with foil and bake an additional 10minutes. Makes 6 servings.

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet The Sound.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Apple Orchard Pecan Crumble - SMS

A quick note before we get to this weeks Sweet Melissa Sundays. I love chocolate and want to start a baking group around Chocolate Epiphany. I'd like to keep the group small and bake once a month. If you're interested, please leave me a comment.
When I saw this week's Sweet Melissa Sunday's recipe was Apple Orchard Pecan Crumble, the timing couldn't have been better. I have two buckets of apples from our tree and I needed a dessert to serve Saturday night. Recently I was listening to Martha Stewart Radio and the host was talking about how we tend to not use our dining rooms and our good china. As I was setting the table for last night's dinner, our friend Larry said I've never eaten in your dining room. Karen and Larry have been my best friends for more than 30 years, they're more like family. I tend to use my dining room for holiday dinners and large dinner parties but I've never used it when Karen and Larry come to visit. I immediately set the table with the good china and the candles. It was a lovely dinner and reminded me we should use the dining room more often.

Melissa Murphy suggested serving the Apple Orchard Pecan Crumble with Brown Sugar Vanilla Ice Cream or whipping cream. I decided to make the homemade ice cream and I am so glad I did. The ice cream was a wonderful compliment to the crumble.



Thanks to Christine of Cooking With Christine for choosing a recipe that was a delicious ending to our lovely evening. You can find all of the other Sweet Melissa Sunday's bakers here.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Peach Crumble

My husband enjoyed the Fresh Peach Muffins but commented I thought you were going to make a cobbler or crisp. The old standby's are his favorites. I had a few peaches remaining from our trip to the orchard, so Tim this crumble is for you!!!

I checked the refrigerator and realized I didn't have any lemons. I do have the bottled lemon juice but don't like to use it in baked goods. I see this bottle of limoncello we purchased after enjoying limoncello on a cruise. Why is it the limoncello we had on the cruise was much tastier than the bottled variety. Maybe it was the ocean air or maybe the bottle of wine we had with dinner?? Anyway, I decided to try limoncello in this recipe as a substution for lemon juice.



Peach Crumble

4 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
3 tablespoons of Limoncello
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into thin pieces
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Arrange the peach slices in a buttered shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the limoncello, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, blend the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the oats and sprinkle the mixture on top of the sliced peaches. Bake until the peaches are soft and the topping is brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream!