Desserts

This is one of my favorite cookies, the kids and the family seem to like it as well. It is simple and quick and we almost always have the ingredients on hand. I love no bake cookies because sometimes you just don't feel like putting the cookies in the oven (that one extra step - is sometimes just enough to not make any cookies. There might be one person in my family that doesn't care for these cookies and that would be my dad. He doesn't always care for anything with peanut butter in it, except for, of course, peanut butter sandwiches.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies 

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
and waxed paper

Directions
In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk to a boil. When it reaches a boil allow it to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal and stir until well mixed. Drop by the spoonful on a sheet of waxed paper and allow to cool until hardened.


Contributed by Globewatcher
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 Crust-less Low-sugar Cheesecake

     I love cheesecake!  Well, I love anything with cheese of any type, so being ga-ga over cheesecake would be a given.  BUT!  I can't handle huge amounts of sugar any more.  I've been slowly weaning myself of the need for a high sugar/high sweet content in my foods, and it's starting to pay dividends, finally!!  So in the interests of combining my love of cheese and a need for a "sweet" that isn't too sweet, I've modified this old standby.  This version is a crust-less cheesecake, as I've never been too fond of either the graham cracker or nut based crusts.  Mine always come out tasting slightly burnt...
     The beauty of cheesecake is that it is so versatile according to personal tastes.  Top yours with just about anything you can think of to pair with it and your dessert will be a hit for you as well!  My only problem with cheesecake?  I have never had one that didn't crack or split on the top.  I solved it this time by cheating.  I covered it with whipped cream. (not the best topping choice, but it was what I had on hand at nine o'clock at night!)

Crust-less Cheesecake

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2  8-oz pkg cream cheese softened
3 eggs
1/3 Cup sour cream
Pinch of salt
3 TBS flour
2 tsp Splenda/ favorite sweetener
1 tsp vanilla

Topping
1/2 Cup whipped cream
unsweetened cocoa powder
crushed pecans
white chocolate chips

 Butter/grease your choice of glass pie pan or springform pan.  This allows the cheesecake to release from the bottom of your baking dish.  Beat eggs, one at a time into softened cream cheese.  Add sour cream and salt.  Then gently mix flour slowly into batter.  Add vanilla and Splenda (or your favorite sweetener).  You may find that you prefer a sweeter cheesecake, just play around with your proportions.  Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Allow to cool.  I topped mine with Cool whip and dusted it with unsweetened cocoa powder, then sprinkled crushed pecans and white chocolate chips.

 I've always preferred that the topping contain the sweetness and condensed flavors to counter the cheesy-ness of the cake.  But make this to your tastes, and enjoy!



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Orange Almond Biscotti

I’ve never been a fan of biscotti, mainly because the “coffee shop” types I’ve always tried were, frankly, pretty terrible.  But I was in a baking mood and decided I’d try out a basic recipe and if it didn’t work then we’d have a good door stop…or something along those lines.  And because I can never leave a recipe alone, I added a few touches of my own along the way.  They turned out…awesome!  *pat on back*

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2-3 teaspoons finely shredded orange or lemon peel (optional)

1 ½  tsp orange extract

1 cup coarsely chopped / or slivered almonds

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease two cookie sheets; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Place eggs and egg yolks in the well and stir into the flour mixture. Add butter, orange peel, and orange extract; stir until dough starts to form a ball. Stir in about ¾ cup of almonds.  Ok, here I had a bit of a problem.  I didn’t have enough slivered baking almonds, but I did have salted roasted almonds for salads.  So…., I rinsed off the salt and tossed them in too! Problem solved…

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide into three equal portions.

Shape each portion into a 14-inch-long log. Note: dough will be extremely dry and difficult to form.  Use care when transferring to cookie sheets as it may tend to fall apart.

Place logs about 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets; flatten logs slightly until about 1-1/2 inches wide. Carefully press the remaining almonds along the surface of the logs.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and light brown. Remove from oven and place cookie sheets on wire racks; cool 15 minutes.

 Transfer logs to cutting board. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch slices Note: biscotti logs will easily crumble, cut lightly with your knife to avoid crumbling them too much. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake 5-8 minutes more or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire racks and let cool.

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Since it is already September, I thought I'd kick the desserts page off with one of my fall favorites: Apple Dumpling.  While I love summer, I also enjoy the color and crispness of fall, and apples are just beginning to get that right amount of crispness that complements the season.  Apple Dumplings really are just a mini-me version of apple pie.  I try to make them a reasonable, personal size, so I just use half of a medium sized apple per dumpling. 

I make a single batch of pie dough equal to one bottom pie crust, to make four dumplings.  It's just a simple basic pie dough recipe.  I've gotten into the habit of making this dough without really following a strict set of directions, at least as far as the water amount and salt goes.  Flour amount and shortening amount though should remain the same ratio.

Pie Dough
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 tsp salt
Mix thoroughly, then add:
1/3 cup shortening
Cut into flour mix until pea sized crumbs form.
Add 3 Tbs water and mix until dough forms.  If dry, add water 1 Tbs at a time until a moist, but not sticky, dough ball forms.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface until about 1/8 in thick and fairly even in shape.  I cut the dough into quarters.

Dumplings in progress!

**Preheat oven to 375F
Apple Dumpling
For the sugar/spice mixture, in a small bowl combine the following:
2 Tbs flour
1 Tbs granulated sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves.
Mix.  (On a side note I've never really had a standard measure for a "pinch".  It always turned into a "sprinkle until it looks good"...)

On each quarter of dough, place about 1-1.5 Tbs of the spice mix.
Cut 1 Tbs of butter into fourths and place a pat on each quarter.
Peel, halve, and core two medium sized baking apples.  I've been using McIntosh.
Place a half on top of the spice mixture on each quarter and carefully wrap the sides of the dough over the top of the apple and press to seal the dough.

Place dumplings in a greased pan without touching, and brush the tops with milk and dust with sugar.
Bake at 375F about 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

I like mine served hot with milk in a bowl, but they're great with ice cream too!  Oohh! Right now I'm dreaming of the smell of warm cinnamon wafting from the oven...Okay I gotta go make some more right now...!