Category Archives: Dessert

Mexican Chocolate Brownies

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

I’ve come a long way since making box-mix brownies as a kid with my dad. I’ve learned that it’s not that much more work to make them from scratch, and you can customize them to suit your taste. This recipe is inspired by Mexican chocolate, which is sweet, cinnamony, and nutty. The chile powder adds a touch of smoky heat, but you can omit it if you like.

mexchocbrowniesrecipes1/4 cup 1 percent low-fat milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (optional)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring milk to a simmer (do not boil) in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until they melt and the mixture is smooth. (It will look like the yummiest hot chocolate ever.)

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using). Combine granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and eggs in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer.

Beat in chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake 22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over top of brownies and cut into 16 squares.

Serves 16

Kitchen MacGyver Lemon Curd

Posted on by — 9 Comments ↓

This lemon curd recipe requires no special equipment. Grate the lemon zest on the fine holes of a box grater, and use a saucepan and heatproof bowl to set up the bain-marie to gently cook the curd. Lemon curd is delicious spread on toast or scones, dolloped on pancakes or waffles, or even used in place of the cheesecake filling in Strawberry Cheesecake Tartlets. (Of course, hang onto the egg whites to make angel food cake or meringue cookies.)

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:197]

No-Bake Peanut Butter Popcorn Treats

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

This no-bake dessert really should come with a warning … it’s irresistible. I enjoyed a couple of squares and had to send them to work with Christopher. He said I was quite popular that day. I’d suggest popping the corn on the stove in just a bit of canola oil. It takes just a few minutes and has none of the preservatives or waste that microwaved popcorn does. This whole dish, in fact, comes together in minutes.

 

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:206]

Strawberry Cheesecake Tartlets

Posted on by — 7 Comments ↓

You’ve probably realized by now that we here at NOURISH Evolution love the itty mini dessert portions. And what’s not to love? In this case, you get to have your luscious strawberry cheesecake — starring first-of-season berries — but in a perfect portion-controlled tartlet size. You can enjoy all of it too . . . without worrying about overindulging.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:165]

Thin and Chewy Oatmeal-Flax Cookies

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓

These are just about my favorite cookie in the world. They’re feather light, crispy-chewy and seemingly held together with dark chocolate chips.

oat-flax-cookies-recipe3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 ounces butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, or semisweet

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together flour, flax, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar for one minute, until the mixture is smooth. Add the egg and vanilla; scrape down sides, and continue to blend until incorporated. Add flour mixture a little at a time until  incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spray three large cookie sheets with cooking spray and mound 12 rounded tablespoonfuls of batter on each sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, swapping sheets half way through, until golden. Let cool slightly, for 5 minutes, and slide cookies onto a cooling rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies (serving size, 2 cookies)

Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Macerated Strawberries

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Use room-temperature eggs, which will be easy to separate and beat to their full volume. (Hang onto the yolks to make Homemade Mayonnaise or Sweet Potato-Kale Bread Pudding.) Angel food cakes are made in an ungreased tube pan, which provides maximum surface area and traction for the cake to climb. The cake is cooled upside-down so it doesn’t lose volume as it cools. Some tube pans have little feet to hold the pan up off the counter while the cake cools. If yours doesn’t, simply invert the pan on the neck of a wine bottle or other bottle that fits into the hole of the tube pan.

choc-angel-foodcakeCake

1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
2/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
12 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Strawberries

1 pound strawberries, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Cointreau (orange-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Remaining ingredients

2 tablespoons slivered toasted almonds
Whipped cream (optional)
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

To prepare cake, sift together 3/4 cup sugar, flour, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl.

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Add salt, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle one-third of flour mixture over beaten egg whites; gently fold flour mixture into egg whites. Repeat with remaining flour mixture.

Scrape batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Gently swirl a knife through the batter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Invert pan (either on its “feet” or on the neck of a wine bottle) and cool completely. Run a knife around edges to loosen cake. Gently pull cake out of pan and slice with a serrated knife.

While cake cools, prepare strawberries. Combine strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, liqueur, and juice in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Serve with cake; sprinkle with almonds. Garnish with whipped cream and mint, if desired.

Serves 12

Blood Orange Granita

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

A granita is a light, simple, refreshing iced treat that doesn’t require an ice cream maker. Stirring the mixture periodically as it freezes gives the granita its characteristic fluffy, granular texture. Blood oranges are in season right now; they have a wonderful ruby flesh and pleasant sweet-tart juice. You can substitute regular fresh orange juice or tangerine juice. This three-ingredient dessert has an added benefit: One serving provides more than 100 percent of your vitamin C needs for the day.

blood-orange-granita-recipe2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups fresh blood orange juice (about 12 blood oranges)

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in juice. Pour mixture into an 8-inch square dish. Freeze 4 hours or until frozen, stirring with a fork every 30 minutes. Scrape surface of granita with a fork before serving.

Serves 8

By Alison Ashton

Cherry Almond Crumble

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

This cherry dessert is great to make when you’re stalled between fruit seasons. Frozen organic fruit is preserved at its peak and is a great time-saver when you want a quick dessert. Don’t let the number of ingredients fool you–this crumble comes together in a snap.

cherry-crumble-recipe4 cups fresh (pitted) or frozen (thawed) sweet cherries
2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, tossing gently to coat fruit. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine almonds and the next 7 ingredients (through extract) in another bowl. “Rub” in butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over cherry mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.

Serves 8

Chocolate Orange Pistachio Biscotti

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

By Jacqueline Church

This chocolate biscotti recipe is infused with orange flavor. Much of the vitamin C from citrus is in the pith and peel which also contain its essential oils. Use a microplane grater to remove the fragrant zest, but not the bitter pith, from a well-washed Minneola. The zest and wine or liqueur lends an additional orange boost to these delicious anytime cookies.

chocolate-biscotti-cookies-recipe1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon Minneola zest
2 tablespoons orange Muscat dessert wine or orange liqueur
1 cup shelled pistachios
3 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, cut into pieces (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a separate large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. Mix in zest and wine. Add flour mixture a little at a time, and then pistachios and chopped chocolate.

Form two flat logs about 12 x 2-1/2 inches on prepared baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes, until slightly firm.

Remove sheet from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Transfer logs to cutting board by lifting parchment, then slice logs into 3/4-inch slices. Line the baking sheet with new parchment and transfer biscotti, cut side down, onto the sheet. Bake until crisp, turning halfway through, about 10-15 minutes.

Cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 36 biscotti

Honey-Drizzled Banana Fritters

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

By Cheryl Sternman Rule

This recipe gets its sweetness from turbinado sugar, honey, and bananas, which become delightfully soft and almost custardy.  Because it’s traditional to eat foods fried in oil during Hanukkah, look no further if you celebrate this festive holiday.

banana-fritters-recipe1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons turbinado or (light or dark) brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup lowfat milk
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
6 bananas, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
Canola oil for frying
Honey for drizzling

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on a piece of waxed paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, whole egg, egg yolk, and almond extract. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and stir gently with a rubber spatula to combine.  Add banana chunks and stir to coat.

Affix a candy thermometer to a deep saucepan, and add one inch of oil. Bring oil slowly up to 375 degrees. (Adjust heat as necessary to maintain this temperature throughout frying.)  Working in batches, carefully spoon battered banana chunks into hot oil, four to six at a time, without crowding the pan. Fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side, turning them carefully as they bob. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Drizzle hot fritters with honey and serve immediately.

Makes 35-40 fritters