Ice Cream Parfait

A life lived in fear, is a life half lived.

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This is a childhood favorite dessert. We used to have some kind of jello type dish at every family gathering and Sunday lunch. It is so simple to make and fits into a busy lifestyle, offering a light and refreshing dessert anytime of the year, especially in the summer when you don't feel like heating up the house. I hope you enjoy it too. I think that I can credit this to my mom or my mom's sisters. Who knows who started the tradition, it would be interesting to see how they remember it. So ladies who started it?

• 1- small pkg jello any flavour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups ice cream

1. Dissolve jello in the boiling water, stir well until it is all dissolved.


2. Add 2 cups ice cream and stir until the ice cream is melted into the jello.


3. Pour into dessert dishes.


4. Let sit in the refrigerator until set.


5. Dig in and enjoy your company, even if you are your own company.
   

Peach Almond Pie

I was inspired by a recipe I found in a little recipe book called PIES, published in the UK. By the time I finished with my version, I could not really say that it was the same recipe, but the model is there. With the peaches on our tree reminding me that this is the season, I thought it was a good time to take a photo.

Crust Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
¼ cup baking cocoa
1/3 cup Crisco shortening or butter
2 Tbsp coarsely ground almonds
few drops almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cold water

Method:

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Cut in the butter with pastry blender just to make it crumbly.
3. Sprinkle with water and almond extract, then stir with fork until it holds together and you can shape it into a ball.
4. Sprinkle rolling surface with flour. Flatten dough with hands and shape into a circle.
5. Sprinkle with flour and roll into circular shape, flipping once and adding a little flour as needed.
6. Roll up with rolling pin and unroll into pie plate.
   This pastry may be fragile, but you can patch it up. Flute edges as desired.

Filling Ingredients:

1 ½ cups blanched almonds
½ - ¾ cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter
3 eggs
few drops almond extract
ripe peaches, apricots or canned peaches

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 º F. Put an empty baking sheet on middle oven rack.
2. Process the almonds in a food processor or blender.
   Add sugar, butter, eggs and almond extract, processing until smooth.
3. Pour or spoon into prepared pie plate.
4. Cover with one layer of thick slices of pealed or canned peaches, spreading out slightly like spokes on a wheel.
5. Place pie on sheet in oven rack and bake 50 min. If it gets to a nice golden brown sooner,
   tent loosely with foil.
6. Serve warm or cooled with whipped cream.
   

Cherry-go-round

I found this recipe in the food section of the news paper. It makes a really nice addition to any brunch or coffee and dessert evening with friends. The filling is sour cherry that makes this a special treat and just a bit different from a traditional cinnamon loaf.



Dough

-3 3/4 cups of flour
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 pkg quick rise yeast

-1 tsp salt
-1 cup milk
-1/4 cup water
-1/2 cup butter or margarine
-1 large egg

1- Combine 1 1/4 cup flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt.

2- Heat milk water and butter til very warm and butter is melted.

3- Gradually add to dry ingredients.

4- Beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl.

5- Add egg and 1/2 cup flour. Beat 2 more minutes, adding enough flour to make stiff batter.

6- Cover with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

7- Divide dough in half.

8- Roll each half into a 18x10 in rectangle.

9- Spread with cherry filling to 1/2" from the edge.

10-Roll up and pinch to seal, make a ring.

11- Place on greased baking sheets.

12- Cut in 1" intervals 2/3 through. Twist each section sideways.

13- Cover till double about 1 hour.

14- Bake at 375 for 20-25 min.

15- Remove to rack to cool.

16- Drizzle with glaze


Cherry Filling

Combine-
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 flour
-1/2 cup chopped pecans

ADD
1-398 ml. can of tart pitted cherries, drained
(I used 2 cans)

Glaze
-1 cup icing sugar
1-2 tbsp. milk

Ice Cream Dessert

This is a very simple dessert to make with very little fuss for a birthday or any other special occasion. This time I made it for my son's birthday party.

24 vanilla ice cream sandwiches
Whipping cream, whipped and sweetened..approx 3/4 litre of whipping cream
Chocolate shavings

In a 9 x 13" pan (2" high).. layer 12 ice cream bars, then a layer of whipped cream, another layer of 12 ice cream bars and another layer of whipped cream.
Sprinkle top with bits of chocolate shavings.
Place in freezer and allow to freeze for a few hours, till the whipped cream is frozen. Keep frozen until time to serve it.
Perfect dessert for a hot day:)

Smooth Vanilla Cheesecake

I've always loved the smooth creamy taste of a baked cheesecake .. . .

I've experimented with many different methods and I've found the secret.

No cracks. . . not a one.

It is one of the easiest and classiest desserts to serve.

Creamy Vanilla Cheesecake

• Preheat oven to 325

Roughly cut a piece of parchment paper to fit larger than a 9 inch spring form pan. Lay the parchment paper on to the bottom and put the edge around and squeeze the pan shut leaving the excess paper on the outside of the pan. I do this because it makes it really easy to transfer onto a serving plate once it is very well chilled. .

• 1 1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together the crumbs and the butter and press into the pan. I use a flat bottomed glass to make it nice and smooth and firmly pressed.

Bake the crumbs in the pan for about 10 minutes or until they are a bit fragrant.

Filling

• 4 packages cream cheese. . . total 2 pounds .. . . room temperature
• 5 farm fresh eggs
• 1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a squeeze fresh lemon juice. . maybe a couple of teaspoons

Topping

• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Make sure that all your ingredients are room temperature.

Preheat oven to 500 F

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low for a minute or two until it is smooth and creamy.

Add the salt and the sugar and beat another minute or two until it is smooth. Never beat the cheese to death. Incorporating too much air will cause your cheesecake to rise and then fall and the .. .well you know what happened to humpty dumpty.

Stop your mixer in between to scrape down the sides so that all the cream cheese and sugar is evenly mixed.

Add the flour and mix until incorporated. . .not more than a minute. Now. . you don't really absolutely need flour but it helps to bind the custard. . .and keep the cheesecake stable.

Now. . .the eggs should be cracked into a bowl and at room temperature. Add one egg at a time. . they'll naturally slip in one at a time if you don't dump your bowl to quickly.

Mix the eggs in just until smooth. Add the cream and and the vanilla and lemon juice. . .another mix for half a minute.

Take your pan with the cooled crumb crust and wrap it in heavy aluminum foil. It doesn't need to be anything fancy .. .sometimes the fat will ooze a bit and the foil also helps to insulate the pan a bit. (well that's why I do it)

Now. . .

Gently pour the cheesecake batter into your pan and set it in the 500 degree oven. Set your timer for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes turn your oven to 200 degrees. Bake for another hour and 10 minutes. Don't peek.

While the cheesecake is baking, stir together your sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

After the hour and ten, the cake should be fairly set. . open up the oven and pour your topping (which really is optional but I love it) on your cake smooth it out and put it back in your oven for another 10 minutes.

Put an instant read thermometer in the center of the cheesecake. Your aim is to have it read 150.

The total baking time shouldn't be more than about an hour and a half up to an hour and forty minutes but you really need the instant read thermometer to help you with knowing when it is done. The jiggly in the center is also a good judge but it is hard to get it perfect with this test. I hate to say the exact time because every oven is a wee bit different. . you need the thermometer .. .150

Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it sit in a draft free room temperature spot for a few hours and then chill it completely in the fridge.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2-3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar or to taste
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water

Combine all this and cover and put in the microwave for a minute, stir and cook for another minute or two until bubbly.

I also made some raspberry coulis which is 2 cups of raspberries and a half cup of sugar in the blender. .

Pool a little raspberry sauce on your plate, put on your cheesecake and cover with a good tablespoon or two of blueberry sauce. . .and a dollop of whipped cream for good measure.

Have ONE piece. . .and share the rest. ( that is my heart healthy tip)

Rhubarb Orange Almond Cake

This delightful cake caught my eye a couple of months ago in the spring/summer issue of Appeal Magazine put out by Save-On Foods. I knew then that it would be a perfect birthday cake for my husband...whose birthday it is today! As I was not familiar with the recipe I did not change a single thing. Therefore all the credit goes to the magazine EXCEPT for the photos...which were a HUGE hit as a slide show in my home this afternoon while anticipating the cake later on.

4 stalks fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
(okay I DID change something...
I only had frozen rhubarb so that would be about four cups that I used.)
1 cup granulated sugar - later divided into two
1/2 cup butter at room temp.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose four (I used unbleached)
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup ground almonds
Finely grated peel of 1 small orange, plus 2 Tbsp juice
1/4 cup blanched sliced almonds.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9" springform pan and line the base with parchment paper. Place the rhubarb in a bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Let stand while you prepare the cake batter. Mix butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and beat well.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Gently fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in the orange peel and juice. Sitr the sugared rhubarb into the cake batter and spoon into prepared springform pan. Spread batter evenly in pan; sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds. Bake cake for 25 minutes. Then reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees and bake another 20 - 25 minutes or until the cake is FIRM!!!!

Let cool in pan for at least ten minutes....slide knife along inner sides of edge of springform pan. Remove edge of pan. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of whipped or ice cream!!! YUM!

...easy fresh fruit trifle with a twist....

As anyone knows, it is so easy to make a beautiful trifle in as many ways as there are fruits of the season. Here is one I made this evening in a quick hurry for a party tomorrow. Most ingredients or easy substitutes are in your kitchen. The 'twist'? Instead of just a custard....have a layer of cream cheese, mascarpone and cream all whipped together for a rich bonus.

Ingredients (by layers)

Pound cake, angle food cake, sponge cake, Italian biscuits or similar white cake

Some jam (a great way to use up old jam) (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry)

A wee bit of liquor or orange juice

Custard - you can make your own, use vanilla pudding (hmmm not as good) or buy Bavarian creme already made - My choice is Bavarian cream although Birds Custard is truly the best

For the Twist - Cream cheese, whipping cream, mascarpone, lemon juice, sugar & vanilla

Fresh fruit (or frozen if well drained)(only canned if peaches or similar fruit which holds its shape) I used fresh raspberries and blue berries over top of canned peaches well drained for a colorful effect.

Whipping Cream (real whipped cream is truly the best-don't let anyone tell you otherwise)




Cut cake layer into rough 1 inch cubes. (I used sponge cake I had on hand. Some prefer to soak this in liquor...it just depends on your taste buds...doesn't really need it)

Mix jam (I had leftover 1/4 cup blueberry) with liquor or orange juice ( I used port...all that I had handy so I used a few tbsp...enough to make the jam mixture JUST runny enough to drizzle)

Cream 1 brick cream cheese with 1/2 cup mascarpone, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Beat well. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream. Mix till thick and creamy. When refridgerated this layer will slightly harden allowing for a more stable layer to keep the fruits and juices separated. An easier 'serve' on a hot day.

Line the bottom of a glass trifle bowl with cubed cake layer
Drizzle a bit of jam mixture over cake
Put a layer of custard over this
Next a layer of the cream cheese mixture
Place a layer of fruit next- depending on how deep your bowl is you may wish to put 2/3 of the fruit mixture in this layer
Put another layer of cake
Drizzle remaining jam mixture
Layer the custard
Next the cream cheese
Add fruit to decorate.

You may add 'dollops' of fresh whipped cream on top of this if you so wish.

Let sit in fridge for at least 4 hours and overnight is fine too. Don't add the whipped cream on top until just before you serve.

Try and experiment with trifle...there is certainly no right or wrong and each time I make it, it is different..but always yummy!

FRUIT PIZZA

Fruit pizza is a perfect summer time dessert. It has a cookie base that is covered with a cream cheese spread, and then topped with seasonal fresh fruit and a glaze. The cookie base recipe is enough for 2 pizza pans. If you are only making one this dough freezes well.

LEMON POPPY SEED COOKIE BASE

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup Crisco shortening

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

1/2 cup sour milk (to make sour add 1/2 tbsp vinegar and let it stand several minutes)

Cream together shortenings and sugars. Add egg, vanilla, Poppy seeds and lemon rind. Mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until blended.

Spread cookie dough onto lightly greased pizza pan.

Bake at 350for 8-10 minutes. The base will be golden brown. Let cool.

CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

1 8oz brick cream cheese softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together and spread on cooled cookie.

Choose your favorite fresh fruit and arrange it on top of the spread in a decorative pattern.

I used kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots and plums.

GLAZE

1 cup orange juice (or any flavor fruit juice you enjoy. In the summer I like to keep some juice boxes handy as they are exactly 1 cup and very handy for a quick glaze for desserts)

1 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp corn starch

Stir well and heat in microwave until bubbly. It will be shinny and smooth. Allow to almost cool and pour over fruit. I use a brush to make sure that all the fruit is covered.

Place it in the fridge for and hour. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.

This dessert is best the day it is made. The cookie doesn't get to soft and the fruit is fresh.

Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are a favorite dessert of our family. We like them served with whipped cream and peaches or strawberries or with a vanilla pudding, whipped cream and chocolate drizzled on top.
This recipe can be doubled and you may want to because they disappear really fast!

Cream Puffs

1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs

Yields 9 med size puffs

Boil water and butter till butter is melted, mix flour, sugar and salt in a small bowl and add all at one time stirring constantly till mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat.

Scrape into mixing bowl and beat for a few min on low to release steam from dough. Let sit for a few more min then add slightly beaten eggs and beat till dough is a thick and smooth paste.

Spoon on pan a couple of inches apart and place in preheated 400 oven for 15 min and then lower heat to 350 for another 30 min.

Turn oven off and with oven door slightly ajar let puffs dry out for another 10 min. Remove from oven and cool. When cool cut them in half, putting a good dollop of whipped cream on the bottom half, add peaches or strawberries and cover with top half. Dust with icing sugar.

Peach Custard Tart

This  continues to be one of my favourite desserts.  You can make it in tart pans with removable bottoms or make it in a cookie sheet to make it easy to take along for a summer BBQ potluck. 

• 1 cup butter
• 2 farm fresh eggs
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
2. Stir together dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
3. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. 
4. Stir in beaten eggs.
5.  Press into 10 X 15 inch pan.

•  4 cups of sliced peaches
•  2 teaspoons of tapioca
•  Raspberry jam 

1. Mix together sliced peaches and tapioca.
2. Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam over crust and arrange sliced peaches over jam. 
3. Bake for 25 minutes.

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Mix together topping ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour over partially baked crust.
3.  Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until set. 
4. Cool and then refrigerate until serving time. 

Serve with whipped cream.