Category Archives: Desserts

Cranberry Pistachio Bark

A fool proof candy for christmas gift-giving.

Cranberry Pistachio Bark
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb.(500 g) good quality white chocolate
  2. 1 cup (250 mL) dried cranberries
  3. 1 cup (250 mL)shelled pistachios (you must buy the nuts in their shells – but do buy extra as you’ll have to bribe
  4. the pistachio sheller!)
Instructions
  1. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Let cool to room tempeature. Roast pistachios at 350F (180c) for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Stir cranberries and pistachios into melted chocolate. Pour onto foil-lined 10″x15″ (25 x 38 cm) edged cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, then break into pieces. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds (750 g)
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol 1 (Page: 267)
http://www.fotosuite.com/
Santa’s elves are just a bunch of subordinate clauses.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake
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Ingredients
  1. Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
  1. Ginger snap crust
  2. 1 cup crushed ginger snaps 250 ml
  3. 3 Tbsp. Butter, melted 45 ml
  4. 1 tsp. cinnamon 5ml
  5. 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 30 ml
  6. Filling
  7. 4 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 4-250 g
  8. 1 1/2 cups sugar 375 ml
  9. 5 eggs
  10. 1/4 cup flour 60 ml
  11. 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or equal parts
  12. ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg 10 ml
  13. 1 – 14 oz. can pumpkin 398 ml
  14. 1 cup whipping cream, whipped 250 ml
  15. 2 Tbsp. rum 30 ml
Instructions
  1. Crust: combine ingredients. Lightly grease a 10″ (25 cm) springform pan and line bottom with crumb mixture. Pat firm and chill.
  2. Filling: preheat oven to 325 F. (160c). Beat softened cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour, spices, pumpkin and rum. Pour batter over crust. Bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until filling is set. Cool for an hour. Refrigerate several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serves 10-12
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 293), Grand Slam (Page: 187)
http://www.fotosuite.com/
Telling your teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath.

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

God made chocolate in heaven and the devil threw the calories in!
Chocolate Raspberry Torte
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Ingredients
Cake
  1. 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 500 mL
  2. 2 tsp. baking soda 10 mL
  3. 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
  4. 1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 mL
  5. 3 squares (1 oz. / 30 g size) unsweetened chocolate 75 g
  6. 1/2 cup butter 125 mL
  7. 2 cups light brown sugar,packed 500 mL
  8. 3 eggs
  9. 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  10. 3/4 cup sour cream 175 mL
  11. 1/2 cup strong coffee 125 mL
  12. 1/2 cup coffee flavoured liqueur 125 mL
Filling
  1. 1 cup whipping cream 250 mL
  2. 2 Tbsp. icing sugar 30 mL
  3. 1-12 oz. jar raspberry or strawberry jam 340 mL
Chocolate Sour Cream Icing
  1. 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips 375 mL
  2. 3/4 cup sour cream 175 mL
  3. dash of salt
  4. fresh raspberries or strawberries
Garnish
  1. 1 good quality dark chocolate bar (at room temperature).
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. (180 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch (1.5 L) layer cake pans. Sift dry ingredients. Melt chocolate and let cool. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and eggs at a high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternating with sour cream (in thirds). Add coffee and liqueur, blending until smooth. Pour batter into pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until surface springs back. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
  2. Filling:Beat cream with icing sugar until stiff. Refrigerate. Slice cake layers in half horizontally to make four layers. (Hint: Cake layers slice more easily if frozen first.) Place one layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup (125 mL) raspberry jam and 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipped cream mixture. Repeat with remaining layers, ending with top layer, cut side down.
  3. Icing:Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Add sour cream and salt and beat until icing is creamy and smooth. Ice top and sides of cake. Garnish: Using a vegetable peeler, shave along long side of chocolate bar to create small curls. Make lots! – and “spill” some onto the cake plate.
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 308), Winners (Page: 177)
http://www.fotosuite.com/
Keep reminding your husband that your allowance isn’t as big as your alimony payment would be.
 

Apple Pecan Phyllo Crisps

Yes! – a yummy skinny dessert!

Apple Pecan Phyllo Crisps
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Ingredients
  1. Shells
  2. 2 sheets phyllo pastry
  3. 2 tsp. butter, melted
  4. Filling
  5. 1/3 cup brown sugar
  6. 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
  7. 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  8. 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  9. 3 cups peeled, sliced apples
  10. 2 Tbsp. chopped toasted pecans
  11. icing sugar to spinkle
Instructions
  1. To prepare shells: Preheat oven to 400 F. Lay phyllo sheet on work surface and brush with half the butter. Using scissors, cut into three 5″ wide strips. Fold ends in to make a rectangle of 3 layers; gently mold into muffin cups. Repeat with remaining phyllo and butter – makes 6 shells. Bake 5 minutes, or until golden. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
  2. To prepare filling: In a heavy skillet, heat sugar, lemon rind and juice and cinnamon until bubbly. Add apples and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Spoon into prepared shells. Sprinkle with toasted pecans, then icing sugar. Serves 6.
  3. Book Reference – That’s Trump (Page: 190)
  4. In order to get a loan, you must first prove you don’t need it.
http://www.fotosuite.com/

In order to get a loan, you must first prove you don’t need it.

Brandied Peaches

Brandied Peaches
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Ingredients
  1. 1 – 28 oz. can peach halves
  2. 2 Tbsp. syrup from peaches
  3. 1/4 cup butter
  4. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  5. 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  6. 1/4 cup brandy
  7. vanilla ice cream
  8. or
  9. sour cream
  10. nutmeg to sprinkle
Instructions
  1. Drain peaches, reserving 2 Tbsp. of syrup. Place in shallow baking dish. Combine all ingredients and spoon over peaches. Bake at 350 F. for 20 – 25 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve over vanilla ice cream or with a heaping teaspoon of sour cream in the center of each peach half. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Best of Bridge (Page: 183)
http://www.fotosuite.com/

Where to bad little girls go? Bad little girls go just about anywhere they want to.

French Lemon Pie

French Lemon Pie
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Ingredients
  1. 4 eggs
  2. 1 cup light corn syrup
  3. 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
  4. 1/3 cup FRESH lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
  5. 2 Tbsp. melted butter
  6. 1/2 cup sugar
  7. 2 Tbsp. flour
  8. 1 unbaked 9″ pie shell
  9. 1/2 cup whipping cream
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, beat eggs well. Add corn syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice and melted butter. Combine sugar and flour, then stir into egg mixture. Pour into unbaked pastry shell and bake at 350 F. for 50 minutes. Chill. To serve, whip cream and mound onto pie.
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Rest of the Best – Vol. 2 (Page: 289), Grand Slam (Page: 201)
http://www.fotosuite.com/
A man claims his wife lost her credit cards, but he hasn’t reported it because whoever stole them spends less than she did!

Lemon Sorbet

Lemon Sorbet
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Ingredients
  1. This is a delightful finale to a sumptuous meal. If you really want to show off – serve between courses to “cleanse” the palate – lah-dee-dah!!
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup milk (2% or skim will do)
  2. 1 cup whipping cream
  3. 5 lemons = 1 cup lemon juice (MUST be fresh)
  4. 2/3 cup berry sugar (fine sugar)
Instructions
  1. Cut in half and squeeze lemons; save shells. Mix all ingredients together in a shallow dish and freeze for 4 hours. Stir occasionally to break up ice crystals. Spoon into lemon shells, cover and return to freezer until ready to serve. (Hint: cut ends off rinds to they won’t “rock and roll” when you serve them.) Garnish with a mint leaf.
  2. Book Reference – Grand Slam (Page: 190)
http://www.fotosuite.com/
It costs no more to go first class – you just can’t stay as long.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pecan Pie
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Ingredients
  1. 4 eggs
  2. 2 cups canned or mashed cooked pumpkin
  3. 1 cup sugar
  4. 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
  5. 1 tsp. vanilla
  6. 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  7. 1/4 tsp salt
  8. 1 unbaked 9" pie shell
  9. 1 cup chopped pecans
  10. 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Instructions
  1. Break eggs into a large bowl. Beat with a wire whisk or fork. Add pumpkin, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved and ingredients are well blended. Pour into pie shell and sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 F. for 40 minutes or until filling is set. Delicious as is, or topped with whipped cream.
Notes
  1. Book Reference - Winners (Page: 202)
http://www.fotosuite.com/
Time wounds all heels.