Sunday Dessert – Lemon Pecan Dream Cups

Since my 86 years have started to catch up with me, I don’t cook as often, particularly experimenting with new recipes that I can share. I do still cook the family holiday meals, though, and every Sunday fix lunch for my two daughters which features a favorite recipe and is followed by 3 hours of various kinds of needlework and chatting. For these lunches, I always make something they especially like from my blogs of over 10 years and I thought it might be fun to share my Sunday desserts each week

 

We spent four days last week with my son and his family visiting from St. Louis, all centered on good food and eating, so I planned an easier, milder meal for this Sunday.  This week’s dessert is an easy chilled mousse-type dish that I devised, using what I had on hand.  I think the grated lemon adds something special.  From my 2012 post:

https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/lemon-pecan-dream-cups/

Lemon Pecan Dream Cups

• Servings: 4
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Crust:

¼ cup all -purpose flour
2 Tblsp. butter, cut in small cubes
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Filling:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup frozen topping, thawed
3.4 oz pkg lemon instant pudding (4 servings)
¾ cup milk

1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1-½ tsp. lemon juice to enhance flavor 

Topping:

½ cup frozen topping, thawed (divided)
4 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Have four oven-safe custard cups at hand

To prepare the crust:

Place the flour and butter cubes in a small bowl.

Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips. Stir in chopped pecans.

Divide this mixture between the four custard cups and press mixture down in the bottoms of the cups. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Place cups on a wire rack to cool.

To make the filling:

Place cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl.  

Stir until smooth. Stir in ½ cup frozen topping until blended. Spread this mixture on top of cooled crust in custard cups.

In the same medium bowl, place instant pudding mix and milk.  Beat until pudding starts to thicken – about one minute. Stir in lemon peel and juice. Spoon the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese mixture in the cups.

Swirl 2 Tblsp. of topping on each cup and place one pecan half in the center.

Cover and refrigerate for at least ½ hour. 

Also served:  An easy-to-prepare Beef Stroganoff with noodles.  From my 2009 post:

https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/beef-stroganoff-and-rice-pudding/

Beef Stroganoff and Rice Pudding

My youngest daughter is a busy stay-at-home mom who always finds time to get together with me on Fridays for lunch.  I try to make meals that are tasty, quick and easy, and reduced in fat and calories.  Here is the meal we had this week.

I first made this Beef Stroganoff in 1976 and it became one of our family’s favorite dishes.  In moderation and using low-fat ingredients, it’s also a good entree  when one or more of us is trying to lose weight.   The original recipe was from a Crisco cookbook, but over the years I eliminated the Crisco altogether and lightened anything I could.  It’s a traditional meal after having roast beef on Sunday.

MY ROAST BEEF STROGANOFF

• Servings: 4
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• 1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 2 Tblsp. catsup
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• 1 cup leftover roast beef, cubed

In a large skillet, place soup, sour cream, catsup, Worcestershire Sauce, pepper and onions, stirring well, and bring to a simmer.  Add leftover roast beef and continue simmering until mixture is bubbly and heated through.  Serve over noodles.

Yield:  4 servings 

Based on 4 servings of Stroganoff and 1/2 cup of cooked noodles per serving, the nutrition count per DietPower software is:  209 calories, 8.74 g fat, 49 mg cholesterol, 276 mg sodium, 615 mg potassium, 15.2 g carbohydrate, 1.44 g dietary fiber, 2.5 g sugars, 14.4 g protein.

Weight Watchers Points Plus:  5

My mother’s rice pudding was not only a childhood favorite, but an essential dish when I was sick or pregnant or otherwise indisposed.  I could eat this pudding when I couldn’t eat anything else.  I liked it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of evaporated milk (or cream for everyone else).   My youngest daughter loves anything with lemon, so now I make a lemon sauce to spoon over the rice pudding.  Delicious and not too bad calorie-wise.

GRANDMA MARTHA'S RICE PUDDING & LEMON SAUCE

• Servings: 6
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• 2 cups cooked medium grain white rice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 beaten egg

In a medium saucepan, place the rice, salt, sugar, milk and egg and mix together well.  Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and continue to cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Spoon pudding into 6 dessert dishes.

LEMON SAUCE

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 4 Tblsp. butter
• 3 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Add water and heat mixture, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If mixture appears lumpy, whisk until smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon peel.  Serve warm  over Grandma Martha’s Rice Pudding (warm or room temperature is best).

Sauce will be quite stiff when cool.  It can be warmed in the microwave or in a pan over hot water.

Yield:  1-1/2 cups sauce.  Also good over pound cake, apple cake, pie, etc.

A note in my recipe binder reads:  “From Favorite Recipes for Quilters.  We like this with Grandma Martha’s Rice Pudding.  First made 2/23/95.”

Nutrition count per DietPower software based on 6 servings of pudding and 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving:  228 calories, 5.7 g fat, 40.1 g carbohydrate, .8 g dietary fiber, 4.4 g protein.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus:  6