Category Archives: desserts

March 16, 2024 · 6:18 pm

Clementine Cake

This isn’t an easy or quick recipe, but I’m in search of a hasty, tasty version. This one is a bit labor-intensive, yet delicious.

First, what is a clementine? It’s the smallest of the mandarin variety of oranges. Some are marketed under the name ”Cuties.®️”

A few things make Clementine Cake unique. First—and this first grabbed me as a hasty tasty feature—clementines are cooked in their peels in the microwave oven for three minutes then drained. They’re puréed whole, not peeled or zested.

Butter and sugar are creamed together before adding dry ingredients. Eggs are added one at a time.

All purpose flour is combined with ground roasted almonds (you could substitute almond flour but you’d lose some of the texture) and puréed whole clementines.

The cake is finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, or a glaze. I opted for a chocolate ganache (also prepared in the microwave oven).

This is not a figure-friendly recipe. However, it makes 12 servings so you don’t consume so many calories per serving. When you bite into a slice of the finished cake, it’s a delicious treat, mindful of those orange crème chocolates in the assorted candy boxes.

Recipe:

Clementine Cake With Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

Cake Ingredients:

  • 3-4 Clementines, cooked 3 minutes in the microwave oven then puréed.
  • Sliced almonds, roasted and ground into 1 cup meal, or 1 cup almond flour.
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp. Baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 5 eggs
  • 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened.
  • 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar.

Ganache ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp. corn syrup

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a 9” cake pan with oil and parchment paper.
  • Combine almond flour and all purpose flour with the salt and baking powder.
  • In a separate bowl, cream sugar with the softened butter until fluffy.
  • With mixer running, add each egg separately and blend well.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture until all is mixed in.
  • Fold in the clementine purée until combined.
  • Pour batter into a 9” round cake pan.
  • Bake 50-60 minutes. Check for doneness.
  • Cool cake at least an hour before glazing. Carefully loosen cake from pan and remove parchment paper. Move to a plate.

Ganache Directions:

  • In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cream and chocolate chips. Cover and heat 75 seconds.
  • Gently stir to combine chocolate and cream. Add corn syrup and whip until glossy and thick.
  • Spread over the top of the cooled cake.

Enjoy!

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June 15, 2022 · 12:49 pm

Hasty Tasty Apple Cobbler

If you follow me, you’ve guessed by now that I prefer easy yet healthier cooking. I can’t claim apple cobbler is figure-friendly, but I did lighten it a bit. Here’s how to make my HastyTasty Apple Cobbler.

Ingredients:

  • One Krusteaz Cinnamon Swirl Crumb Cake & Muffin Mix
  • One can apple pie filling (no HFCS*)
  • Half tablespoon butter
  • One serving egg substitute or one egg
  • Three-fourths cup liquid (water, milk, or buttermilk)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Grease a 9X9” baking pan with butter.
  • Cover bottom of the pan with apple pie filling.
  • Remove the cinnamon sugar pouch from the muffin mix and sprinkle about one-third over the apples.
  • In a large bowl, mix together egg and liquid. Add one-third of the cinnamon sugar and stir.
  • Stir in the batter mix with the egg and liquid. Batter will be stiff.
  • Drop spoons full over all the apple pie filling.
  • Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over batter and gently press in until apple filling is completely covered.
  • Bake 40-45 minutes. Rotate pan after 20 minutes for even baking.
  • Allow finished cobbler to cool ten minutes.
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, if desired.
Spread apple pie filling on bottom.
Batter will be stiff.
Drop scoops of batter over the apples.
Top with cinnamon mixture.

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July 5, 2020 · 3:57 pm

Cheesecake under Pressure

Cheesecake is delicious but fattening, so I had never made one. Also, cheesecake baking is labor-intensive, with its water bath and springform pan. Then I read about pressure cooker cheesecake. Now cheesecake can be a Hasty Tasty dish.

You can lighten the cheesecake by substituting Neufchâtel cheese for the cream cheese, but I don’t recommend other low fat substitutions. For me, cheesecake is a decadent dessert I save for a rare treat or to give as an impressive gift.

I made plain cheesecake and topped it with fresh berries. I used a 7” pan and my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus.

Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. Neufchâtel cheese (room temperature)
  • 2 oz. sour cream
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1/2 sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Graham cracker crumbs for crust
  • 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, melted, for crust
A 7” springform pan in a silicone sling fits my 6 quart Instant Pot.

Directions:

  • Prepare crust by combining Graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press mixture into a 7” springform pan.
  • Place crust in freezer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Combine sour cream and Neufchâtel cheese with sugar and beat, but don’t over beat.
  • Add eggs one at a time.
  • Add vanilla extract and stir just until combined.
  • Pour filling into prepared crust.
  • Using a sling, place pan into pressure cooker on a trivet over 10 oz. water.
  • Seal cooker. Cook under pressure for 28-30 minutes.
  • Quick-release pressure and carefully remove cheesecake from the pot. Check for doneness. if edges aren’t set and center jiggles, it’s done. If not, return the pan and trivet to the pressure cooker and cook 5 minutes additional.
  • Cool cheesecake completely on a rack. Cool another 4 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator.
  • Slice cheesecake into 8 pieces, top (optional), and serve.
  • Cheesecake should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 4 days. (It won’t last that long!) 😋

I want to thank Barbara Schrieving for her excellent tutorial on foolproof cheesecake. If you don’t follow her Pressure Cooking Today site, I recommend you subscribe.

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February 3, 2016 · 1:41 pm

Stop the Rumors!

Legendary Cookies

 

Long before the Internet or social media, an urban legend circulated about a woman charged $250 when she asked Neiman Marcus Cafe for its cookie recipe. Her revenge was to circulate the recipe worldwide. Neiman Marcus is innocent of gouging anyone for a recipe and now prints it online for all to enjoy, but this urban legend persists. You’ll find it in Facebook posts and emails. In fact, I saw it again today on Facebook. 
Stop the rumors! Share this post with your friends.

The cookie recipe is a good one, although I reserve baking these cookies for the holidays. Too rich with calories for me! The first time I baked these, I took them to a covered dish Christmas party at our church. They disappeared quickly, and I had numerous requests for my secret recipe.

Here it is typed from my tattered Xerox copy I got in my Atlanta office in 1991. A tin of these cookies makes a terrific gift.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups butter 
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla 
  • 4 cups flour
  • 5 cups oatmeal (blended to a fine powder)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 24 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 8 oz.-Hershey chocolate bar, grated
  • 3 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Cream butter and both sugars.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla.
  4. Mix in flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. 
  6. Roll into balls (approximately 3/4″ diameter) and arrange two inches apart on a cookie sheet.
  7. Bake for 10 minutes.

Yield: 100+ cookies

 

Note: This recipe is neither hasty nor healthful, but it sure is tasty!

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