Sunday, December 21, 2008

Alternative Desserts For Holiday Meals

Hi again folks. I'm thinking of food (as usual) and thought if some of you are going to try alternative dinners, then perhaps I could share a couple alternative dessert ideas from Amy Bouchard and another from a local eatery. Bon appetit!
The First One From Amy
BOSTON CREAM PIECAKE: 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup) softened 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 cups cake flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cup milk
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8" or 9" round cake pans. Mix sugar, butter, eggs & vanilla until fluffy. Beat in flour, baking powder, salt & milk until well blended. Pour evenly into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.
CREAM FILLING INGREDIENTS: 1 box instant vanilla pudding 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sour cream
DIRECTIONS: Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer until fluffy (about double in size).
CHOCOLATE GANACHE: INGREDIENTS:6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (I like to use the squares) 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 cups confectioners sugar
DIRECTIONS: Melt chocolate and cream together in microwave then add confectioners sugar. Whip or use hand mixer until well blended. Place the chocolate icing in the fridge to firm up. Place cream filling in the center of two cooled cakes then spread chocolate icing on top of the cake. Store in refrigerator.

Second One From The Delightful Amy

Amy Bouchard's Easy Ice Cream 1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups whipping cream

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla. Directions:

In a large mixing bowl mix together condensed milk, water, and vanilla. (Tip: Before mixing the whipping cream use a metal bowl and put in freezer for at least 15 minutes along with the beaters from your mixer as this will help the cream whip better.) Whip your whipping cream until fluffy then fold into your condensed milk. Optional:

Fold in 1 1/2 cups fresh berries, candy pieces, or chopped cookies. To make Chocolate Ice-cream:

Same as above just add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate (melted and cooled) to the condensed milk mixer.

To make Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream: Use 2 teaspoons peppermint extract in place of vanilla, and add 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips after the whipping cream. Pour into a foil lined loaf pan or cake pan, put in freezer for 6 hours or overnight. Fun for kids: You will need small plastic container's ( 1/2 - 1cup size) larger plastic container's ( 2-3 cup size) crushed ice salt Put ice-cream mixer in small container then place the lid on tight. Put the small container in the bigger container fill with crushed ice and 1/2 cup salt. Put the lid on the bigger container and shake for 7- 10 minutes. You will have soft serve ice-cream.

From a Local Eatery

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars Makes 16 bars Mixing time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 325 degrees F. for about 30 minutes

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup (4 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie dough for filling:

5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake filling:

10 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Baking:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square pan with heavy-duty foil, letting the foil extend over the edges. Butter the foil. In a medium bowl, stir the crumbs and melted butter together until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake 6 minutes. Set aside. Leave the oven on at 325 degrees F.

Cookie dough:

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium speed until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low speed and add the flour, mixing just to incorporate it. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low speed just until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla, beating just to blend them in. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of the reserved cookie dough over the top of the batter.

Bake about 30 minutes until the top feels dry and firm and looks set if given a gentle shake.

Put the remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of a double boiler). Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Use a teaspoon to gently drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate over the top of the bars.

Cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. The chocolate topping will be set when the bars are cool.

Using the aluminum foil edges, lift the cooled bars from the pan and peel away the foil from the sides of bars. Use a large knife to cut the bars into16 pieces, wiping the knife as needed, and slide the bars off the foil. Be careful to hold the knife blade away from you when wiping it.

Serve cold or at room temperature. The bars can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

And so, until the next 'Weighing-In', ENJOY!!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Yeah, post this just a few days after my doctor told me I must loose 40# or else. I'm not sure, but as good as all those desserts look, they must be forbidden. Linda & Caleb will have to eat my share.

Syd said...

Mike, you are KILLING ME!!!!

I can't decide if I'm sad or glad that we don't live near each other.

We'd eat ourselves to death! (ooooh, that sounds really naughty)

Muhd Imran said...

This is probably the hardest post I had to endure reading... well, looking at those delicious cakes!

Yep. I've been doing it all wrong all these years alright! Heck, I can now weigh myself with a full load haversack on my back!

Just to be careful to balance it properly with my feet... not a pretty sight if it fell flat on my face... then I won't be able to look myself in the mirror.

Anonymous said...

Whoa. Those desserts all look really fine, Mike. If you are going to commit a calorie sin, go first class! Those will help. Thanks. Hehehehehe.

Anonymous said...

T. Creeper...Who lovely lady on scale??? Or should I say, with scale on her?....Anyway, I free all this week and next and come to think of it, all next year too. Mike, give her my number...thanks :)

Anonymous said...

GREAT DESSERTS!!!! CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CHEESECAKE BARS!!!...LOVE IT!!! and all the rest too, (just not as much)....Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn down any of it!!! ;)...

...MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL...

tweetey30 said...

Happy Holidays Mike..

Kay said...

This is all pretty much forbidden food for me but I LOVE to look at them. Yuuummmm!

Sandy said...

You crack me up! No pun intended. I'm going for the dessert, this time of year is the "go card" for dessert, and I'm taking advantage of it. January I fast though to make up for the gained weight. Any dietition would kringe, or is that cringe, at the way I eat.

Merry Christmas Mike! Enjoy your holiday!

MissKris said...

Do you know, I have Bouchard ancestors from Quebec! Merry Merry Christmas, Mike! I'm sorry I don't get around to commenting much but I always enjoy your comments and your site so very much. Have a joyous Christmas!

tshsmom said...

That cheesecake looks amazing! I'll definitely be trying out that recipe!

Here, we're having Swedish Cream. I'll post the recipe sometime this week.

A Blessed Christmas to you and yours Mike!

Muhd Imran said...

It's Christmas Day now in Singapore.

Merry Christmas to you and family.