Category Archives: Desserts

Lots of tasty treats, the perfect end to a meal! (Some even low-fat!)

Desserts, Recipe

Mini-Carrot Cakes

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Mini Carrot Cakelettes

2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or real vanilla extract)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups self rising flour
3 cups finely grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream sugar and oil until smooth (5-7 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add remainder of ingredients, making sure to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl.

Turn into prepared muffin cups, heart shaped baking pans, or mini-bundt pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool and remove from pans. Makes 30 cakelettes.

Now, when you’re working with something like shredded carrots and intricate molds such as the mini-bundts, there will be some cakelettes that simply will not loosen and come out in one piece. Have no fear, do what any good chef would do — Improvise!

Layered in a martini glass with sugar free, fat free vanilla yogurt, this makes for an elegant and tasty trifle. And no one need know this was a “mistake”!

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Desserts, Recipe

Crème Brulé

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Crème Brulé

6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream or 18% coffee cream
1/2 tsp. good-quality vanilla (I used Madagascar vanilla bean paste, in which you can see the teeny seeds from the vanilla pod)
sugar, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the cream and vanilla.

Divide among 6 small ramekins, and put them into a roasting pan or 9″x13″ pan; pour water in so that the water comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This will sort of insulate them so that they cook gently and evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custards are set but still just slightly jiggly in the middle (you’ll get a feel for this!). Take them out, let them cool and then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, until nice and cold.

Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each dish and caramelize with a torch or transfer to a cookie sheet and place under the broiler in the oven for about 2 minutes, just until the sugar is caramelized and golden. Turn the sheet around, if you need to, to help them caramelize evenly. Refrigerate again, or just let them sit on the countertop while you eat dinner or make coffee, just until the sugar is set and crackly.

Serves 6.

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Desserts, Recipe

Pavlovas

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Pavlovas

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
6 large egg whites
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
Fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and/or sliced strawberries, peaches, plums, apricots, kiwi or whatever fruit you like
Additional sugar for tossing with fruit (optional)

Preheat oven to 250° F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment. Set aside about a tablespoon of the sugar, and stir the cornstarch into the rest.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture, beating until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.

To make one large Pavlova, spoon the meringue onto the baking sheet and spread out with the bottom of a spoon to form a 9″-10″ circle with a slight indent in the middle and raised edges, like a nest. To make individual Pavlovas, spoon 8-10 mounds of meringue about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until crisp but still soft inside. If the meringues aren’t crisp, turn the oven off and leave them inside for another hour.

Transfer Pavlova(s) to a rack and cool completely. Beat the cream with the remaining tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form. Mound into the middle of the cooled Pavlova(s) and top with fruit.

Serves 8-10

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Desserts, Recipe

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons good quality brandy
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment and cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and brandy and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, sift flour and soda together, add in increments with the mixer on low until just combined. Remove paddle and scrape down. Using a spatula, mix in cranberries and white chocolate chips. Using two tablespoons, drop healing teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. It’s okay for the cookies to look slightly undercooked when you remove them from the oven. Allow them to cool, on the foil, for 3-4 minutes, then using a spatula, transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely (they will crisp up slightly as they cool).

Makes 20-24 cookies.

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Desserts, Recipe

Strawberry Mousse Chocolat

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Strawberry Mousse Chocolat

Chocolate Base:
1/2 cup Regular Shortening
3 squares Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
1 pkg (425 g) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
1 pouch Knox Gelatine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups whipping cream
Fresh strawberries

Chocolate Base: Melt shortening and chocolate in saucepan on low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, stirring until well blended. Spread in greased 9″ springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan.

Filling: Drain strawberries. Add water to liquid to make 1 ¼ cups. Combine gelatine and sugar in saucepan. Stir in strawberry liquid and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar and gelatine. Remove from heat. Chill until starting to set. Beat 1 1/4 cups whipping cream to stiff peaks. Beat gelatine mixture in small bowl on high speed of electric mixer until light in colour. Fold in whipped cream. Fold in drained strawberries. Spread evenly over base in pan. Chill until set, 1 1/2 hours or overnight.

To serve, beat remaining whipped cream to stiff peaks. To unpan, run a blunt knife all the way around the outside of the dessert prior to releasing the springform pan. Decorate attractively with cream and berries.

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Desserts, Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

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Chocolate Pudding

5 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt
2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined, put in a saucepan and add 1/2 cup milk, stirring to create a smooth mixture. Slowly stir in the remaining milk and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla, and pour into 4 dessert dishes and chill until set, about 4 hours. Add a swirl of fresh whipped topping.

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