Just Desserts

When I was growing up, my parents - and many of my friends' parents - would hold dessert up as the ultimate threat; if we didn't finish our entire meal, we couldn't have dessert. This was not a problem if we were having something we loved for dinner. But if the meal consisted of something we really didn't like, or outright detested (in my case, liver and onions), there might be a problem. It helped that we had a cat and dog who were smart enough to sit under the table between my sister and me; we'd scrape off the onions (they weren't too bad), cut the liver up in small pieces and slip them under the table to the more-than-willing clean-up crew. Later, I married someone whose idea of heaven was (you guessed it!) liver and onions! Fortunately, he'd wait until we went to our favorite Mom-and-Pop diner to eat that. (Phew!)

With these desserts, you won't have to clean your dinner plate to eat dessert. Just follow the recipes. Enjoy!

COCONUT CREAM PIE

This comes from Carroll Pellegrinelli, About.com's Desserts and Baking guide. Carroll writes, "Using cream of coconut makes this pie really flavorful and the lime juice and zest cut down on some of the sweetness." (To view this recipe online, click here.)

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/4 cup cornstarch

Zest and juice from 1 lime (or 3 tablespoons lime juice concentrate)

2 eggs, beaten

1 (15-ounce) can Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut

1 cup flaked coconut, divided

1 (10-inch or 9-inch deep dish) pie shell, baked

1 cup heavy cream, sweetened and whipped (or 4-ounce container frozen whipped topping)

Preparation:

In heavy saucepan, combine water, cornstarch, lime juice and zest. Mix well. Add eggs and cream of coconut. Completely combine. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and pour into pie shell. Mix rest of coconut into whipped cream. Spread cream on top of pie. Chill before serving. Store in refrigerator.

COCONUT ICE CREAM

This is also from Carroll Pellegrinelli's blog. She writes, "This Coconut Ice Cream is incredibly creamy." To view this online, click here.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 1 to 1-1/2 Quarts

Ingredients:

15 ounces cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez)

1 cup milk

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup packed coconut

Preparation:

Mix cream of coconut and milk until completely combined. Mix in heavy cream. Refrigerate while setting up ice cream maker. Freeze according to ice cream maker’s directions. Quickly stir-in coconut before putting into a container for freezing.

OLD FASHIONED BROWNED BUTTER COOKIES

This one was from one of the emailing lists that I was on years ago. Not sure who sent it to the list.

1 C. butter

3/4 C. sugar

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

2 C. all purpose flour

colored sugars

Heat oven to 350. In heavy 2 qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Continue cooking, watching closely, until butter foams and turns a golden color (3-5 minutes). Immediately remove from heat, refrigerate 30 minutes.

In large mixer bowl, combine browned butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Continue beating gradually, adding flour, until well mixed.

Roll dough into 1" balls. Roll balls in colored sugars. Place 2" apart on cookie sheets. Flatten with tines of fork.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely. Top with colored sugars.

ONE BOWL COCOA BROWNIES

From Food Network Kitchens.

Prep Time: 15 minInactive; Prep Time: 45 minCook; Time: 35 min; Level: Easy; Serves: 16 brownies

Recipe starts, “Customize these low-impact brownies with different combinations of your family's favorite toppings--and make everyone happy.”

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the foil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

Suggested topping combinations: white chocolate chips and toasted chopped walnuts; cashews and dried cranberries; chopped pretzels and raisins; toasted coconut and chopped dried pineapple; or any combination of chopped dried fruit, toasted nuts, mini marshmallows, chopped graham crackers or candy pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Stir together the sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder all at once and stir until just combined. Stir in half of the semisweet chocolate chips and spread the mixture in the prepared pan.

Bake until the brownies begin to pull away from the edge of the pan and set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining semisweet chocolate chips and let stand until the chips are melted, about 5 minutes. Spread the melted chips evenly over the top of the brownies with a spatula. Let the chocolate cool for about 10 minutes and then sprinkle with whatever combination of toppings you choose, pressing the toppings gently into the chocolate to adhere. Lift the brownies out of the pan with the foil and cool completely on a rack. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

ORANGE ICEBOX PIE

Another from Carroll Pellegrinelli, the Desserts and Baking guide, who writes, “Here is a recipe for Orange Icebox Pie. It's the perfect cool and creamy dessert to serve on a warm summer night.”

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Yield: One 9-inch Pie

Ingredients:

One 9-inch graham cracker crust

8 ounces cream cheese room temperature

one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

one 6-ounce can frozen orange juice, thawed

1 pint whipping cream

1/3 cup sugar

zest from 1 orange, optional

Preparation:

Beat cream cheese until creamy. Beat in sweetened condensed milk and frozen orange juice. Beat whipped cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold one half whipped cream into orange mixture until white disappears. Scoop into pie shell. Top with remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle with optional orange zest.

LEMON GINGERSNAP SQUARES

Elizabeth LaBau, About.com's candy blog guide, writes, “Lemon Gingersnap Squares are intensely flavored lemon and ginger candies that are deceptively simple to make, but so flavorful and delicious. Lemon zest and gingersnap crumbs are worked into small candy squares that are dipped in white chocolate and topped with candied ginger.” This recipe yields 36 Lemon Gingersnap Squares

Ingredients:

2.5 cups finely ground gingersnap cookie crumbs (about one 14-oz box)

6 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

zest of one lemon, finely grated

1 tsp lemon extract

1 lb yellow candy coating

1/4 cup white candy coating, for decoration (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil, and set aside for now.

Combine the softened cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon zest, and lemon extract in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until well-mixed and smooth. Add the gingersnap crumbs and mix just until everything is incorporated.

Scrape the candy out into the 8x8 pan and press it into a thin, even layer. Refrigerate the candy for an hour to firm it up.

Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the candy into six rows, then cut the rows into 6 pieces, yielding 36 candies.

Melt the yellow candy coating. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating.

Once the coating is melted, use a fork or dipping tools to dunk a square in the coating, submerging it completely. Bring it up out of the coating and drag the bottom across the lip of the bowl to remove excess coating. Place it on a foil-lined baking sheet, and repeat with remaining squares and candy coating.

Once all of the squares have been dipped, melt the white candy coating. Pour it into a plastic bag, and snip a small hole in the corner. Drizzle the white coating over the dipped candies. Place the tray in the refrigerator to set the coating for about 15 minutes.

Store the candies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For the best taste and texture, bring them to room temperature before serving.