Yummy Desserts

There are some days when one wants nothing more than a yummy dessert to finish off a meal. To that end, feel free to try any of the following recipes. Enjoy!

RASPBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Makes 9 servings

1/4 cup margarine or butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups raspberries

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 1/2 cups Bisquick® Original baking mix

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk or water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 350°. Heat margarine in round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, or square pan, 8x8x2 inches, in oven until melted. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over melted margarine. Arrange raspberries with open ends up over sugar mixture; sprinkle with almonds. Beat remaining ingredients except whipped cream in medium bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over raspberries. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof serving plate; leave pan over cake a few minutes. Remove pan. Let cake stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Not recommended for use.

SOFT LEMONADE COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate, divided

Additional sugar

In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Combine the flour and the baking soda. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate. Beat well after each addition. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 F for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Brush with the remaining lemonade concentrate. Sprinkle with the sugar. Allow to cool. Makes 6 dozen.

LEMON RICOTTA GRANITA

This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis, from The Food Network.

Prep Time: 20 min; Inactive Prep Time: 5 hr 0 min; Cook Time: 5 min.; Level: Easy; Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup water

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

Pinch salt

1 lemon, for zesting

Directions

Stir the water and 3/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat just until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the lemon juice. Pour the lemon mixture into an 8-inch square glass dish. Cover and freeze, stirring occasionally, until the liquid just becomes slushy, about 2 hours. Using a fork, scrape the granita every 30 minutes until it is completely made up of ice crystals. (The granita can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen, and scrape every so often so that the crystals stay loose.)

Whisk the ricotta, remaining sugar, and pinch of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Spoon the granita into dessert bowls. Top with a dollop of the ricotta. Zest the lemon peel over the desserts and serve.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CUPS

Another recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 5 min; Cook Time: 15 min; Serves: 4 to 6 servings (6 cups)

Ingredients

5 cups whole milk

1/2 cup espresso

8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Heat the milk in a medium pot over high heat until hot, but not boiling. Reduce the heat to very low and add the espresso, chocolate, sugar, and vanilla. Using a whisk, stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted. Continue to whisk the chocolate mixture until frothy every few minutes for about 8 minutes, until the chocolate has completely dissolved into the milk. Pour into mugs and serve immediately.

APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP

2 pounds Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Butter an 8 inch square baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix together apples, cranberries, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place evenly into baking dish.

In the same bowl, combine oats, flour and brown sugar. With a fork, mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until topping is golden brown, and apples are tender.