Just Desserts!

Here are six yummy dessert recipes you can put on your holiday table - or, really, whip up any time. Enjoy!

DEVIL’S FOOD MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES

This comes from Nichelle Stephens, About.com’s Cupcakes expert. Nichelle wrote, “Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Cocoa Cremes are the chocolate snack cakes that have been the dessert for kids and adults lunches for decades. However, there's a better way to get a chocolate fix by baking the cakes from scratch. The essential components are chocolate cupcake, marshmallow filling and chocolate ganache frosting.

“Tip: An easy way to make chocolate ganache is to use chocolate candy melts. I have used Chocoley's Bada Bing dark chocolate candy melts.

“This chocolate cupcake recipe is from the cookbook, Home Baked Comfort, by Kim Laidlaw.

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 18 cupcakes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Devil’s Food Cupcakes

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup natural cocoa powder

2/3 cup boiling water

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cream Filling

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp heavy cream

1/2 cup of marshmallow fluff

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup of dark chocolate candy melts

6 tbsp of heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place one 12 cupcake cavity and one 6 cavity pan with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder into the boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm, then whisk in the buttermilk. In a small bowl, pour the cocoa powder into the boiling water and whisk. Let cool and set aside. Using another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, use the attachment to butter and sugars together on medium until well combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the vanilla along with the final egg. Reduce speed to low to add the dry ingredients ins 3 additions alternately with the cocoa buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Beat until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly into 18 wells of the baking pans.

Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and slightly springy to the touch and toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean which will be about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes. Then remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the filling, in the mixing bowl, sift the sugar over the butter. Use the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow fluff, vanilla and cream. Beat until light and fluffy.

Using a paring knife or an apple corer, create a hollow about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep in the center of each cupcake. Fill each hollow with a spoonful of the filling.

To make the ganache, in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water in a saucepan. Melt the butter and chocolate with the corn syrup and cream, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.

Spread the filled cupcakes with the ganache. The filled and frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE BEAN CAKE

This comes from the MyDailyMoment.com e-newsletter. It begins, “Think you've bean there, done that? Well, you haven't until you try this protein-packed chocolate cake that's a slice of heaven. If you want a dessert that's a deviation from the norm, try this simple slice of heaven. It's a chocolate lover's dream.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Ready in: 1 hour 10 minutes; Serves 12.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 in. round cake pan.

Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.

Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This traditional British layer cake is made up of two buttery, tender spongecake rounds that sandwich a thick layer of jam and, often, a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. It’s a simple, homey confection that works as well with a cup of afternoon tea as it does for dessert. Feel free to substitute other flavors of tart jam for the raspberry. Apricot and blackberry work particularly well.” Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

This was featured in “‘The Great British Bake Off’ Changes the Way the British Bake” and can be viewed online at here.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened, more for greasing pan

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup raspberry jam, more to taste

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center. Grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in milk, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in flour mixture until combined, then scrape into prepared cake pans, smoothing the top.

Bake cakes until golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then unmold them onto a wire rack to cool completely, flat side down.

Transfer one cake (the less attractive one) to a serving platter, and spread jam evenly on top. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla just until it holds stiff peaks. Dollop about half the cream on top of jam, then top with remaining cake. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately, with the extra whipped cream on the side.

EASY LAYERED PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

This is from Diana Rattray, About.com’s Southern Food expert. Diana wrote, “ This cheesecake is completely homemade, and it takes just minutes to prepare.

“From the homemade cinnamon-spiced graham cracker crust to the luscious double layer pumpkin filling, this cheesecake will look (and taste!) like you spent half the day in the kitchen!

“The cheesecake is made in a 9 1/2- X1 3/4-inch deep dish pie plate. If your pie plate is slightly smaller, you might have a little extra filling. There's very little expansion, so you can fill it nearly to the rim. Just be careful moving it to the oven!

“If you do plan to use a smaller ‘ready’ crust, I listed the measurements for a smaller amount of filling below the recipe.

“Make this cheesecake at least 4 hours before you plan to serve it to give it plenty of chilling time.” Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 57 minutes; Total Time: 72 minutes; Yield: Serves 8.

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons melted butter (1 stick)

Vanilla and Pumpkin Filling

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

whipped cream or whipped topping for serving, optional

caramel sauce or butterscotch sauce for serving, optional

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375° F.

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 8 tablespoons of melted butter in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until all crumbs are blended into the butter.

Spread the crumbs in a 9- to 10-inch pie plate and tamp down firmly over the bottom and the sides.

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.

In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the 3/4 cup of brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until well blended. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust.

Into the remaining cream cheese mixture, beat the pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the nutmeg. Spread over the first layer.

Bake the pie for 40 to 50 minutes, until set and just slightly jiggly in the center.

Cool on a rack. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (about 3 to 4 hours) before slicing.

Serve topped with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel or butterscotch sauce, if desired.

Serves 8, or up to 12 if slices are quite small.

Filling amounts for a smaller pie:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Follow the directions above, using 1 cup of the plain vanilla filling for the bottom layer.

Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Top the whole pie with whipped cream or whipped topping before serving, or add a generous dollop to each serving.

EASY CHERRY COBBLER

This comes from the GE Appliances e-newsletter. Makes 6 servings in 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients:

1 (20 to 22 ounce) can cherry pie filling

1 (9 ounce - 1 layer size) box yellow cake mix

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped coarsely

1-teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread cherry pie filling in an 8-inch square-baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix cake mix, melted butter, nuts and cinnamon.

Sprinkle evenly over top of cherries or arrange in rows so that the cherries are visible.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until mixture is bubbly.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

BAKED APPLES

This came from an old Weight Watcher’s email, and had a points value of 3 points each. I have no idea what the new points value each serving would have now, nor do I have the exact email to find the recipe. Very yummy, though.

4 apples, small

1 C applesauce, unsweetened

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 C water

2 C vanilla nonfat yogurt

1/4 ground cinnamon

4 tsp pecans or walnuts, toasted & chopped

Core apples, leaving bottom intact so they can be filled. Place upright in small glace microwaveable baking dish. Stir applesauce, cinnamon & brown sugar. Spoon mixture into apples. Pour water into bottom of baking dish. Cover dish & microwave at medium for 12-15 minutes until apples are soft. Remove from microwave & allow to cool. Spoon yogurt over each apple, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon & toasted pecans or walnuts.