Category Archives: Desserts

Poached Pears

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,
Poached Pears

Poached Pears

Necessity is the mother of invention.  You’ve heard that saying before haven’t you?

Well, in my refrigerator were four pears that had gotten quite ripe while I was away, and it was necessary that I find a way to use them up.  I had read an article some time ago about poaching pears in red wine, and thought at the time that they were very pretty because they became tinted pink.  Not having any red wine readily available, I “invented” this recipe for poached pears using cranberry ginger ale.  Since orange is also a good match-up with cranberry,  I added some orange slices and threw in some whole cloves.  The results, as you can see, were tender pears, tinted a nice pink, and further flavored by the orange and cloves.   And the best part?   There’s no sugar in this recipe.  I just relied on the sweetness of the ginger ale and the pears themselves to carry the dish.

After being cooked they are a lovely pink color.

After being cooked they are a lovely pink color.

This is an easy-peasy dessert.  It can be served warm or chilled.  Mr. D. loved these pears, and I must say that I find them pretty darn good too.  If your New Year’s resolution has something to do with weight loss or eating less sugar, these pears are for you!!

This is everything you will need.

This is everything you will need.

POACHED PEARS

Yield:   4 -6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium pears, ripe, but not too soft.  I used Anjou pears
  • 1 orange
  • several whole cloves,  about 6
  • a bottle cranberry ginger ale, or cranberry juice

Directions:

1.   Peel and core the pears.  Cut each one into eighths.  Place into a medium-size sauce pan.

2.  Slice 3-4 slices from the orange, and cut each one in half.   Juice the rest of the orange and add the juice to the pan with the fruit.

Cut-up pears, orange slices and cloves in the saucepan.

Cut-up pears, orange slices and cloves in the saucepan.

3.  Add the cloves to the pan with the fruit.

4.  Pour in the ginger ale just to the point where the pears are not quite covered.   Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife.  This took about 15 minutes.

5.   Drain the pears reserving the juice, but removing the cloves and orange slices.  Cool and serve pears with some of the juice.

Serve warm or chilled for a low calorie dessert.

Serve warm or chilled for a low calorie dessert.

SOURCE:   Carolyn’s Originals

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,
Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheese Cake.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheese Cake.

Not too long ago a member of my family was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity.  So for Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a dessert that she particularly likes and could eat.  Pumpkin pie has always been a favorite, so I knew that anything with pumpkin would work out well.  I also needed it to be something that didn’t have a crust.

Remembering a cheesecake recipe that I have made in the past that was crustless,  I devised this recipe for a cheesecake that is crustless, but gives all the flavor of a pumpkin pie.  We all loved it.  So for anyone who needs a gluten-free dessert, this one is very good.  You can also reduce the fat content by using low-fat cream cheese and low-fat sour cream.  It mixes up easily and can be all made in a little over an hour.  Chill until ready to serve.

Oh, soooo good.

Oh, soooo good.

GLUTEN-FREE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Yield:  serves 8

Ingredients:

Looks like someone's making a pumpkin cheesecake!

Looks like someone’s making a pumpkin cheesecake!

  • 2  (8-oz.) packages cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 4 eggs

Topping:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Spray or grease a 9-inch deep pie pan, or 10-inch regular pie pan.

2.  In the large bowl of an electric mixer,  put in cream cheese and sugar.  Beat until smooth and thick. Add eggs one at a time beating smooth.  Add vanilla, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.  Blend in well.  Pour into prepared pie pan.  I had enough filling for a 9-inch deep dish pie plate plus 3 custard cups.

This makes a lot of filling. Use a 10" pan or several extra custard cups.

This makes a lot of filling. Use a 10″ pan or several extra custard cups.

3.  Bake at 350*F for 40- 45 minutes.   Test center for doneness.  The cheesecake may develop cracks in the top, but this will be covered by the sour cream topping.

It will puff up as it bakes and may crack like this one did.

It will puff up as it bakes and may crack like this one did.

4.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.  While cooling the center will become slightly depressed.

A depression forms in the center as it cools a bit.

A depression forms in the center as it cools a bit.

Meanwhile mix up the topping mixture using a bowl and whisk.  Pour over cheesecake, and bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes.  The topping should fill the depression in the cheesecake, creating a white center with raised edges that are light pumpkin color.  A pretty effect!

Before baking--fill center with sour cream topping.

Before baking–fill center with sour cream topping.

After baking.

After baking.

5.  Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

A light and fluffy texture.

A light and fluffy texture.

Oh, soooo good.

Oh, soooo good.

SOURCE:   a  Carolyn’s Original

Cranberry-Pear Crisp

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with , , , , ,
Cranberry and pear crisp.

Cranberry and pear crisp.

If I were to ask you to name the “fruits of fall”,  surely apples would likely be the first you would mention, and then maybe pears would be a close second.  Where would cranberries fall on that list of fall fruits?  Fresh cranberries are in season now, bagged and sold by the pound.  I usually get several bags of them and put them into the freezer for use later on when they’re no longer available at the supermarket.  They are so useful in both sweet and savory dishes.

We think of cranberries when we’re planning the Thanksgiving menu, because cranberry sauce, whether canned or home made is a natural with turkey.  But cranberries seem to get neglected when it comes to baking or making a dessert for the holiday table.  So today I have a recipe that attempts to change that.

This tart-sweet dessert combines fresh cranberries  with dried cranberries and fresh diced pears, plus lovely spices.  It gets topped with a crumble that is made from flour, sugar, oats, chopped nuts and melted butter.  Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, it could be the grand finale to your holiday dinner, if not this month, maybe next.  The colors are so festive, they remind me of Christmas jewels and ornaments.

Love the color, and it tastes great, too.

Love the color, and it tastes great, too.

CRANBERRY-PEAR CRISP

Yield:   Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound cranberries, thawed if frozen

    The colors of these two fruits are so pretty together!

    The colors of these two fruits are so pretty together!

  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 firm pears (such as Bosc), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • pinch of ground allspice
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts of choice
  • 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Lightly grease or spray a 3-quart baking dish.

2.  Combine the fresh and dried cranberries in a large bowl.  Add 1 cup sugar,  3 Tbsp. water and the vanilla and toss to coat.  Lightly mash with a potato masher or fork to burst some of the cranberries.

Mix cranberries with sugar and vanilla.

Mix cranberries with sugar and vanilla.

Add the pears, cinnamon, allspice and 2 Tbsp. flour and toss to coat.

Add chopped pears and spices.

Add chopped pears and spices.

Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Arrange mixed fruits in a baking dish.

Arrange mixed fruits in a baking dish.

3.   Make the topping:  Mix the remaining 1 cup flour, the nuts, oats, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the salt in a medium bowl,  then stir in the melted butter.

Add melted butter to dry ingredients for crumble topping.

Add melted butter to dry ingredients for crumble topping.

Use your fingers to pinch the topping into small clumps and sprinkle it over the fruit.

Sprinkle on crumble topping.

Sprinkle on crumble topping.

4.  Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Golden and bubbly after it has baked.

Golden and bubbly after it has baked.

A little sweet, a little tart, a lot of delicious!

A little sweet, a little tart, a lotta delicious!

SOURCE:  Food Network Magazine

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Here we are well into the month of November with Thanksgiving looming just ahead.  If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking of your menu for the big day, and maybe trying out a new recipe or two.  That’s what I do.  We seem to want the traditional foods, but I try to give a new twist to one or two of those dishes.

In this case it’s a somewhat different way of enjoying pumpkin pie.  These are individual little “cupcakes” that taste just like pumpkin pie, but without the bother of a crust.  These are pretty easy to make.  They go together in only two steps and are baked in muffin tins.  The only thing you need to be concerned about is to make sure you spray the muffin cups well with non-stick spray or line them with foil liners.  Paper liners make if difficult to remove the “cupcakes” from the muffin tins and are hard to peel away from the pumpkin filling.IMG_5636

I’ve also read a review of this recipe with suggestions for making it very low cal. so I am including those suggestions here for any of you who must maintain a low sugar/calorie intake.

PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES

Yield:   Makes 12

Ingredients:

All the same ingredients as for pumpkin pie filling.

All the same ingredients as for pumpkin pie filling.

wet:

  • 1   15oz.can pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup all natural Stevia in the raw)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk, fat free is Ok. (or use 3/4 cup 1% milk with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch whisked in.)

dry:

  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.   Line a 12 cup muffin tin with foil liners, or spray well with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a bowl with a pouring spout (batter bowl) whisk together all the wet ingredients.   In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

3.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and blend well.  Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them almost to the tops.  (mine hold 1/3 cup batter each, and this amount filled them to the top).

4.  Bake for 20 minutes.  They will puff up as they bake, but will fall slightly as they cool.  Cool for 20 minutes, them refrigerate to chill until ready to serve.

See how they puff up in the oven--they will fall a little when you take them out.

See how they puff up in the oven–they will fall a little when you take them out.

5.  Carefully run a knife around the edge of each cupcake to remove from the tin.  Top each serving with whipped cream or whipped topping and a sprinkle of more pie spice.   Delicious!!

Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pie spice.

Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pie spice.

One is not enough :D

One is not enough 😀

SOURCE:   Allrecipes.com

Brown Sugar Toffee Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , , ,

You know those hard little nuggets of sugar you sometimes get in a bag of brown sugar?   Ya know what I do with them?  I eat them!!   Yup!  In fact whenever I open a new bag of brown sugar I look for them first, so I can give myself a little treat.  Around here I do all the cooking and baking so a girl’s got to reward herself once in a while.

Brown Sugar Toffee Bars

Brown Sugar Toffee Bars

Today I was wishing for something made with brown sugar so I came up with  this idea for brown sugar bars with toffee bits mixed in.  Thus….. Brown Sugar Toffee Bars.  These bars are so simple really, but they have flavors that are so outstanding.  Chewy, buttery, and rich.  They are deceptively delicious.

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The Leaning Tower of Toffee Bars 😀

If you’re not as nuts-o for dark brown sugar as I am then by all means use light brown sugar, you’ll get a somewhat milder flavor, and lighter colored bar.  All the other usual pals go into these bars like butter, eggs, vanilla, etc, but you’ll also need a bag of toffee bits.  I wanted to use the kind that are covered in milk chocolate but didn’t have any on hand.  Went to my grocery store but they didn’t have them so I used the plain toffee bits, and added about 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  You can use  the plain toffee bits, chocolate covered bits, or add chocolate chips as I did.  It’s totally up to you.

This is what I used.

This is what I used.

The batter mixes up quickly, stir in the toffee, spread in a baking pan and pop into the oven.  Before long your tummy will be thanking you in a big way.

Here’s what your bars will look like……

IMG_5603

BROWN SUGAR TOFFEE BARS

Yield:  Makes approximately 30 bars

All this good stuff goes into these fab bars.

All this good stuff goes into these fab bars.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter ( 2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla
  • 2  1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 (8oz)bag of Toffee Bits (Heath Toffee Bits, with or without chocolate covering)

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.   Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with cooking spray.

2.  With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together, about 2 minutes on medium speed until combined and fluffy…..

Cream together the brown sugar and butter.

Cream together the brown sugar and butter.

Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated.

3.  Turn mixer to low speed and add in baking soda, salt and flour, mixing until incorporated.

4.  Pour in the toffee bits and stir until evenly combined…..

Add in all those yummy toffee bits and chocolate chips.

Add in all those yummy toffee bits and chocolate chips.

5.  Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden and center is just set.  Don’t over bake.

6.  Cool pan on wire rack and cut into squares when ready to serve.

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SOURCE:   A major adaptation of a recipe for Toffee Squares from Taste of Home Baking Book

Swedish Apple Pie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Pies, Pastry and tagged with , , , , ,
Swedish Apple Pie

Swedish Apple Pie

This past weekend I made some time for a fall activity I particularly enjoy–apple picking.  Many of the nearby orchards offer “pick-your-own” and it’s become somewhat of a tradition.  There’s something so satisfying about going into the orchard, and plucking those rosy, beautiful apples right off the tree and into your basket.  My problem is that I don’t seem to know when to stop.  I plan to pick a few, primarily for eating, ( lunches, ect.), and to bake a pie, or other dessert,  but somehow when I get home I have way more than I planned on.  Fortunately my unheated sunroom turns into “cold storage” room during cold weather, so apples keep quite well out there.

IMG_5539

Apple Pie is always on the agenda of what to make with the apples.  But this recipe, though called Apple Pie,  is out of the ordinary in that there is no bottom crust, and what looks like a crust on top is more like a big sugar cookie.  This recipe is one that I tend to forget about until something reminds me of it.  It originally came to my attention when it was included in a cookbook put together by the ladies of my church several years ago.  I really don’t know its history, or why its called “Swedish Apple Pie”, but being half Swedish myself I decided to claim it, make it and share it with you. If anyone out there knows its history please let me know.IMG_5547

Any firm, tart apple can be used, so that the acidity stands up to the rich batter.  The orchard I visited had Macouns and Cortlands available for picking, and I got some of each.  I used three Cortlands for this pie, but I really don’t think it matters what kind of apple you use.  You really can’t go wrong with apple pie.IMG_5548

Swedish Apple Pie is very easy to make.  Basically you slice the apples into a pie dish, sprinkle them with a sugar-cinnamon mixture, mix up the batter and spread it over the apples.  Bake till nice and brown.  The crust is very much like a sweet, chewy cookie,  somewhat like an apple crisp, but not quite.  Start to finish it takes about an hour to make, and soon after that you’ll be spooning up a warm apple dessert that is particularly good served with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese, another New England tradition not to miss.  It is also very nice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

IMG_5554

SWEDISH APPLE PIE

Servings:   6 – 8

Ingredients:

  • 3 large, or 4 medium firm-tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon plus 1 cup flour
  • 2 Tablespoons plus  2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 10 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Grease a 9 – inch pie plate.

2.  Place the sliced apples into the pie plate, arranging them to fit.  The pie plate will be nearly full.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together the 1 Tbsp. flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Sprinkle over the apples.

Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the apples in a pie dish.

Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the apples in a pie dish.

4.  In a large bowl,  whisk together the 1 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the beaten egg, and melted butter. Stir just to mix well.  Spoon over the apples and spread to cover as well as possible.  I just “plop” it all over the top, and then with a spatula spread it out as much as possible.  It may not cover completely.

"Plop" spoonfuls of dough over the apples.

“Plop” spoonfuls of dough over the apples.

Spread dough out to cover apples as much as you can.

Spread dough out to cover apples as much as you can.

5.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Serve warm.

Bake till brown on top.

Bake till golden brown on top.

Serve with a wedge of cheddar cheese or a scoop of ice cream.

Serve with a wedge of cheddar cheese or a scoop of ice cream.

SOURCE:   First Church cookbook:  “Home Cooking”

There’s What in the Cake?

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Cakes, Desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,

Bettcha can’t guess what’s in this cake!  A secret ingredient that provides that extra moisture.  Hint:  Theme Thursday?  Tomatoes?

A moist and flavorful apice cake.

A moist and flavorful spice cake.

Some of you may have guessed it by now, but maybe some of you have never heard of  this  recipe for Tomato Soup Cake that dates back quite a few years.  It was popular when my Mom and Dad were young, and my mother used to make it when I was growing up.  She got the recipe from my Dad’s mother.  She made it about once a year, since it was my favorite cake and I always wanted it for my birthday.  I loved it with walnuts and raisins in it and lots of cream cheese frosting.

The recipe got lost after a while, and when my children were young I wanted to make it for them, but couldn’t find the recipe.  I was thrilled to find it on a web site called Heritage Recipes.  We had a family birthday get-together last weekend, and I made this cake.  The flavor and spiciness are just as I remember.  It was like meeting an old friend again.    If you are somewhat put off by using tomato soup in a cake, I promise you will never know its there.  It just tastes like a wonderful spice cake.  You must try it.

Tomato Soup Spice Cake

Tomato Soup Spice Cake

After having written the above introduction to this recipe I found another version of it using a spice cake mix, tomato soup, eggs and water.  So that is the one I actually made since it was quick, but I am including both recipes here because I really want to save the original so it doesn’t get lost again.   You can take your pick about which one to make, the quick version was also very moist and intensely spice flavored.

TOMATO SOUP SPICE CAKE

Yield:

Ingredients:IMG_5199

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ( 10.75 ounce ) can tomato soup, undiluted
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. cloves
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Lightly grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch cake pan.

2.  Cream the shortening with the sugar using an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Stir baking soda into the tomato soup and add to shortening/sugar mixture.

3.  Whisk together dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.  Beat to blend well.

4.  Stir in raisins and nuts.

4.  Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350*F for 45-50 minutes, testing with a cake tester or toothpick for doneness.

5.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Quick Version:IMG_5181

  • 1 ( 18.25 oz.) box Spice Cake Mix
  • 1 ( 10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Lightly grease 2  8″  or 9″-round cake pans, or a 13 X 9″ cake pan.

Mix cake mix, soup, water and eggs as per package directions.

Mix all 4 ingredients together at medium speed.

Mix all 4 ingredients together at medium speed.

Pour into prepared pan(s), and—-

Bake  for 30 -35 minutes till it tests done with a toothpick.

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Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

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SOURCES:  Heritage Recipes,  and CampbellSoup.com

Grilled Peach Cobbler

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with , , , , ,
Grilled Peach Cobbler

Grilled Peach Cobbler

As mentioned in an earlier post, I’m not done with fresh peaches yet.  This recipe was #1 on my list of peach recipes that I still am  anxious to try before the season is over.   With the holiday weekend just past, when we were using the outdoor grill anyway,  I decided to make this peach cobbler, and cook it on the grill.   This was so easy, and I didn’t have to turn on my oven.

Crushed pretzels add to the crunch of the topping.

Crushed pretzels add to the crunch of the topping.

Most cobblers are topped with a biscuit, or a crumb topping using oatmeal with the flour and brown sugar, but this recipe uses crushed pretzels instead.  That plus the addition of caramel ice cream topping with the peaches, makes for an interesting combination; sweetness and salty all rolled into one delicious bite.  This recipe is definitely a keeper for me, one that I’ll be making again.  Oh, and when grilling season is over you can just as easily bake it in the oven, and use frozen, unsweetened peaches.  A very versatile recipe, indeed.

Make it really sinful and add some ice cream. :D

Make it really sinful and add some ice cream. 😀

Full disclaimer:   Don’t say I didn’t warn you–this recipe is NOT low cal, low carb, low fat, a dieter’s dream or gluten-free.  What it is is just plain awesome !

GRILLED PEACH COBBLER

Yield:   Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 5  medium fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced, or 5 cups frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed.

    Cutting up the peaches.

    Cutting up the peaches.

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
  • 3/4 cup coarsely crushed pretzels
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup butter

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine peaches, granulated sugar, lemon juice, tapioca, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Place this mixture in a 2-quart foil baking pan (to cook on the grill), or a similar  size baking dish if oven baking.

Pour peach mixture into baking pan.

Pour peach mixture into baking pan.

Drizzle the 1/3 cup caramel topping over the peaches in the pan.  Cover tightly with foil if baking on the grill, otherwise leave uncovered.

Pour caramel topping over the peaches.

Pour caramel topping over the peaches.

2.  Make topping:  In a medium bowl stir together crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and flour.  Using a pastry cutter, your fingers or a fork, work in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.   Refrigerate until read to use.

Work the butter into the flour-pretzel mixture.

Work the butter into the flour-pretzel mixture.

3.   To cook on a grill:   Preheat grill.   Reduce heat to medium.  Adjust for indirect cooking, ( one side lit, one side off).  Place foil pan on grill rack over the burner that is turned off.  Cover and grill for 30 minutes.   Uncover foil pan.  Sprinkle topping evenly over peach mixture.  Cover grill; cook for 10 to 15 minutes more or until mixture is bubbly and topping is light brown.

Sprinkle crumb topping over partially cooked peaches.

Sprinkle crumb topping over partially cooked peaches.

4.  To oven bake:  Place baking dish with peach mixture in the oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until peaches are tender.  Top with crumb topping and bake for an additional  15 minutes, till topping is brown and bubbly.

Topping gets browned and crunchy..

Topping gets browned and crunchy..

To serve:   top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with a little more caramel topping.

Soooo Good!

Soooo Good!

SOURCE:  Better Homes and Gardens.com

Peaches and Cream Popsicles

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Desserts, Snacks and tagged with , , , , , ,
Peaches and cream popsicles

Peaches and cream popsicles

Aren’t sweet, juicy, ripe peaches wonderful?  They smell like summer to me.  I think fresh peaches are my favorite fruit.  So today I thought I would make popsicles featuring peaches combined with yogurt, almond milk and almond extract to make a frosty cool treat.

As we head toward the last official weekend of summer you might be wondering why I’m still making popsicles. In my opinion you can never have too many recipes for peaches, so this is one more little way of enjoying them while they are still plentiful juicy and sweet.  I have a feeling there may be a few more peach recipes popping up here before peach season is over, because I’m not done with them yet.   Just like I’m not done with summer yet, either.  There’s plenty of time before we get swept away by all the apples and squash starting to appear at the Farmer’s Market—-much too soon for me.

In the fruit bowl in my kitchen are some peaches bought recently at the market.    They are ripening quickly, so I decided to experiment with another flavor of popsicle.  That’s how I came up with this combination that features peaches mixed with almond milk, a little sugar, yogurt , and almond flavoring.  Not too sweet, I let the tanginess of the yogurt assert itself.  We found them to be very light and refreshing.

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Just a side note here:  I noticed just recently that a variety of popsicle molds are being put on clearance in some stores, now that the end of summer is near, so this is a good time to get one if you been thinking along those lines, but have hesitated, wondering how much you will really use it.  If you would like to try these, but don’t have a popsicle mold you might try pouring the mixture into paper cups.  Put them on a tray or in a small baking pan and freeze them.  When they are partially frozen, insert the sticks, and continue with freezing until firm.  To eat, just peel away the paper cup, or run the cup under hot water briefly until it slips off.

PEACHES AND CREAM POPSICLES

Yield:   depends on size of molds.  I got 8 with mine.IMG_4600

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium, ripe peaches
  • 1/2 cup 2 % Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup sugar, or your favorite sweetener
  • 1/3 cup  vanilla unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp, almond extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt.

Directions:

1.  Halve and pit the peaches.  Cut  into rough chunks and place in the blender container.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.

3,  Divide the mixture evenly into the popsicle molds, or disposable paper or plastic cups.  Insert the sticks and freeze until solid, at least 5 to 6 hours.

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SOURCE:  a  Carolyn Original

Jamocha Silk Pie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Pies, Pastry and tagged with , , , , , , ,
Jamocha Silk Pie

Jamocha Silk Pie

This pie is so incredibly good it’s hard to know where to begin describing it.  There are many layers of flavor that all come together to produce a uniquely rich flavor profile and texture, and one slice is totally satisfying.

It is very easy to make, and only takes about 10 minutes to assemble.   It starts with a tofu base to which cocoa, coffee, melted chocolate, coconut flakes and almond milk are added  Then it all gets poured into a crumb crust. A short time in the freezer to firm up and you are ready to cut and enjoy this creation.

If you love chocolate you will love this pie!!

If you love chocolate you will love this pie!!

The pie’s texture comes from the addition of unsweetened coconut flakes to the other ingredients in the blender, but it does not get blended completely smooth.  Then chopped pecans get stirred in at the end.  So what you get is the smooth, dark richness of chocolate, a rough texture and flavor from coconut and a bit of chew from the pecans.  An interesting mix that somehow works.  All of us at my house devoured this pie at one sitting.  No one even guessed it contained tofu, and although I haven’t tried it,  I believe you could get the same great results using an equal amount of cream cheese in its place.

JAMOCHA SILK PIE

Yield:   8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 12.3 oz. silken tofu  (one package)

    Assemble all the ingredients.

    Assemble all the ingredients.

  • 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbsp. almond milk (add a little more if your blender needs extra liquid to get going)
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup brewed strong coffee
  • 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp. brewed coffee
  • 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1 graham cracker or chocolate crumb crust
  • whipped topping, optional

To Make:

1.  In a blender container, combine tofu, cocoa powder, almond milk, vanilla, coffee, and flaked coconut.  That’s not a mistake, the coconut makes the texture awesome when it all gets blended in.  Blend until smooth.

2.  In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and a tablespoon of brewed coffee.  Melt and stir until smooth.  Let cool down a bit and add to the blender mixture.  Then add agave nectar to desired sweetness and the pinch salt.  Taste and adjust to desired sweetness and consistency.  The pie is intended to be rich and bittersweet.

3.  Pour into a bowl, and manually stir in the pecans.   Pour into the crumb crust.

Pour the chocolate filling into a crumb crust.

Pour the chocolate filling into a crumb crust.

Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. Or place in refrigerator if serving at a later time.

Chilled pie ready to be cut and served.

Chilled pie ready to be cut and served.

4.  Once the pie has reached desired firmness, cut into 8 equal serving pieces and crown with whipped topping of choice.

Deeee--lish!

Deeee–lish!

This pie will keep well for a week when covered and stored in the fridge.

SOURCE:   VegKitchen with Nava Atlas