Dessert - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with yummy desserts, including Mini Cherry Pies and Buckeye Roll-Ups. Enjoy!

CREAMY RICE PUDDING

This comes from Fiona Haynes on The Spruce Eats. She wrote, “I adore rice pudding, and I wasn't prepared to give it up just because I wanted to eat low fat. The answer was straightforward enough: substitute whole milk and cream with fat-free milk and evaporated fat-free milk. Add your own flavor, such as cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger, if vanilla isn't enough, and stir in some of your favorite dried fruit. Enjoy your rice pudding warm (as I do) or chilled.” Cook Time: 25 minutes. Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

1-12 ounce can evaporated fat-free milk

1-1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup brown sugar

Preparation:

Heat rice, milk, vanilla and sugar in a small saucepan on medium heat, gradually bringing to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until rice is tender and the pudding is thick and creamy. Serve warm or chilled. Stir in extra milk before serving if desired.

Per Serving: Calories 209, Calories from Fat 4, Total Fat 0.4g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 3mg, Sodium 100mg, Carbohydrate 42.8g, Fiber 0.4g, Protein 8.4g

BANANA BREAD PUDDING

Another desert recipe from Fiona Haynes, who wrote, “Here's a great way to use up over-ripe bananas, especially in the autumn and winter months. This easy-to-make low fat banana bread pudding is the perfect antidote to a cold and wet day.” Cook Time: 40 minutes. Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 ounces day-old French or Italian bread, cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 small bananas, mashed

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 11 X 7 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and cover with half and half. Toss so the bread can absorb the liquid.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and mashed bananas. Add banana mixture to soaked bread and combine.

Empty into baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes until set.

Per Serving: Calories 215, Calories from Fat 27, Total Fat 2.9g (sat 1.1g), Cholesterol 55mg, Sodium 250mg, Carbohydrate 41.2g, Fiber 1.9g, Protein 5.7g

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MINI TACO BOWLS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "Looking for a dessert big on flavor but small in portion? These individual strawberry shortcakes are a delicious match. Strawberry shortcake tacos are perfect for summer desserts, picnics, potlucks, or as a snack when you need to satisfy a sweet craving! Fresh strawberries, whipped cream and crushed shortbread cookies are nestled in an Old El Paso™ Soft Tortilla Mini Bowl. Enjoy the sweet flavors and delightful crunch of a mini strawberry shortcake."

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 10 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/strawberry-shortcake-mini-taco-bowls.

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries, sliced (4 cups)

7 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

10 Old El Paso™ Taco Bowls™ mini soft flour tortillas (1 sleeve from Party Pack)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup crushed shortbread cookies

Mint leaves

Preparation

Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons of the sugar; refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Lightly brush melted butter on all sides of each bowl. Place 3 tablespoons of the sugar in large resealable food-storage plastic bag. Place bowls, a few at a time, into bag, and gently shake until bowls are coated in sugar. Place bowls on cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until browned on edges and firm to the touch. Bowls will crisp as cooled. Remove to cooling rack to cool.

In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Use slotted spoon to divide strawberries among bowls. Top with a dollop of whipped cream; garnish with crushed shortbread cookies and mint leaves.

Expert Tips

If you like your strawberries with chocolate, drizzle the filled mini strawberry shortcake bowls with a little chocolate sauce.

Sliced bananas make a nice addition to the strawberry filling in the strawberry shortcake tacos.

If your strawberries are less ripe, refrigerate them with the sugar for longer, up to overnight. The sugar will help soften and break down the fruit.

MINI CHERRY PIES

This is from Anne Thornton on the Food Network.

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Inactive Time: 1 hour; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours; Yield: 24 mini pies; Level: Intermediate

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-thornton/mini-cherry-pies-recipe-2047351.

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for bench and cutters

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed

Filling:

4 cups fresh pitted cherries

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

Cooking spray

Special equipment: 1 1/2-inch and 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutters

Directions

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse the processor until the mixture resembles fine sand. Remove the lid and add the ice water to the mixture. Run the processor just until the mixture rolls itself into a little ball. If the mixture is a bit dry, add more ice water by the tablespoonful until it comes together. Gather the dough into a ball. With a bench scraper or knife, divide the mixture evenly in half. Shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

Cook's Note: At this point you can keep the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for later use.

For the filling: In a saucepan, combine the pitted cherries and 1 cup water over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Using a whisk, swirl the ingredients together, making sure that there aren't any lumps in the cornstarch. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and lemon zest to the cherries. Cook the cherry mixture until it comes to a rolling boil. Cook 1 minute more, until thickened. Allow the cherry filling to cool slightly while you prepare the crust.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin or 2 (12 cup) mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

Roll the dough disks out into 10-inch rounds on a well-floured work surface. With a 1 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, edge lightly dipped in flour, cut 24 rounds from the first rolled out disk. With a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, edge lightly dipped in flour, cut 24 rounds from the second rolled out disk. You should have a total of 24 (1 1/2-inch) rounds and 24 (2-inch) rounds for matching top and bottom crusts.

Gently fit the 2-inch dough rounds into the bottom of the prepared mini muffin tin. Make sure to pat down the bottom and the excess coming up the sides. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon cooled pie filling into each crust-lined cup. Fit the top of each mini pie with a 1 1/2-inch dough round, pushing down gently and sealing the bottom crust and top crust by crimping the edges together with a fork. With a sharp paring knife, make 3 small incisions on the top crust, to allow the steam to escape.

Bake until the edges are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack, and then remove from the muffin tin.

FUDGE-GLAZED FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Eastern European bakers have a long tradition of using nut flours in place of wheat flour for rich, decadent pastries that happen to be gluten-free. The shiny glaze for this flourless chocolate cake is made like homemade fudge by cooking the chocolate in a sugar syrup until it’s thick and glossy."

Makes 8 servings

You can view this online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/fudge-glazed-flourless-chocolate-cake/.

Ingredients

Cake

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

3 oz. butter (6 Tbs.), cut into small pieces

6 Tbs. sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1 cup almond flour or ground hazelnuts

Glaze

1/2 cup sugar

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

Preparation

To make Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heart-shaped or 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.

Melt chocolate and butter in large bowl set over saucepan of simmering water.

Meanwhile, whisk together sugar and egg yolks 1 minute, or until pale yellow. Whisk yolks into chocolate mixture, then whisk in almond flour or ground hazelnuts.

Beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold 1/2 cup egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold remaining egg whites into chocolate in two additions until no streaks remain. Spread in prepared pan, and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then unmold, and cool completely on wire rack.

To make Glaze: Bring sugar, chocolate, and 1⁄4 cup water to a boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, and cook mixture 5 minutes, or until temperature reaches 233–234°F on candy thermometer. Cool 1 minute.

Place Cake on rack over sheet of parchment or wax paper. Pour Glaze on top of Cake, and gently spread to cover top and drip over sides. Let Glaze cool, then serve.

BUCKEYE ROLL-UPS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "You can make these addictive peanut butter and chocolate roll-ups a full day ahead for maximum convenience — but will you be able to resist the sweet and salty deliciousness for 24 whole hours?"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes; Makes 32 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/buckeye-roll-ups.

Ingredients

1 container (8 oz) whipped cream cheese

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 package (11 oz) Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas; 8 inch)

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped salted roasted peanuts

1 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa

Preparation

In small bowl, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar. Divide peanut butter among tortillas, spreading evenly over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border. Divide cream cheese mixture evenly among tortillas, gently spreading over peanut butter. Top half of each tortilla with chocolate chips and peanuts.

Starting from side with toppings, roll up very tightly. Wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

To serve, cut 1 inch from end of each roll, and discard. Cut each roll into 4 (1 1/2-inch) slices. Sprinkle with cocoa.

Expert Tips

The whipped cream cheese is a cinch to combine with the powdered sugar, and it spreads easily straight from the refrigerator.

For best results, use a small offset spatula for spreading the peanut butter and cream cheese mixture.

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