dessert – LILLIAN'S CUPBOARD

Sunday Dinner Dessert – Baked Pineapple Cups

Since my 85 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.

Since we’ll be having a big cookout lunch for Labor Day tomorrow (with apple pies), dessert for this Sunday was simpler and lighter. These pineapple cups are from a 1940 Better Homes & Gardens reader and she describes the dish as, “ Double surprise! Comes cake, then custard hiding pineapple!” It’s easy to make and is a great light dessert. Note: The recipe is for 3 servings – it would be easy to double all ingredients and make 6 servings. From my 2010 blog post: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/summer-lunch-for-the-ladies/

Pineapple Cups

Servings: 3
Print

8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve juice)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
1/3 cup juice drained from an 8 oz. can of pineapple tidbits
1-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 Tblsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tblsp. butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. milk
2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Have 3 small ungreased individual baking dishes at hand. Boil water to pour into a flat pan with a lip that will hold the 3 dishes.

Drain juice from pineapple can into a cup – should measure approximately 1/3 cup. Set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and salt. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, cooled melted butter and milk, whisking until smooth. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Place tidbits in the bottom of three individual casseroles. Divide batter among the three dishes and pour over the pineapple. Place the dishes in a pan with a lip containing an inch of hot water. Bake @ 325 degrees F for 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Pineapple cups are best served warm or at room temperature.

Also served, as in the original post: Corn-on-the-cob and Pecan Spinach Toss Salad from my post of 2010. https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/summer-lunch-for-the-ladies/

Sunday Dinner Dessert – Blueberry Crumb Cake

Our Sunday dessert this week is taking advantage of the wonderful blueberries available at our farm market and making use of a recipe that has been a favorite since 1995. It’s an easy cake to put together and always so good. The optional topping just adds an extra halo. From my 2013 post: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/blueberry-yogurt-crumb-cake/

Blueberry Yogurt Crumb Cake

Servings: 6 to 8
Print

2-½ cups (1 pt.) blueberries, divided
½ tsp grated lemon peel
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup (1-½ sticks) butter
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup blueberry yogurt (two 4 oz. packets)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Butter 10-inch baking dish or 10-inch spring form pan.

In a medium bowl, toss berries with lemon peel. Set aside

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour with sugar. Cut in butter. Set 1-½ cups of this mixture aside for crumb topping.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ¼ cup flour with soda. Add to mealy mixture in large bowl and rub in.

In the same small bowl, beat egg lightly. Stir in yogurt and lemon juice. Add to dry ingredients in large bowl and stir briefly with wooden spoon until blended. Fold in 1 cup blueberries.

Spread batter in prepared pan and scatter remaining blueberries on top.

Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake @ 400 degrees F approximately 45-60 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Delicious plain or with the following tangy yogurt cream on the side.

YOGURT CREAM

2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup of blueberry yogurt (4 oz. packet)

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate covered at least 30 minutes before serving.

Also served: Buttered corn-on-the-cob and spicy Sirloin strips with homemade soft wrap bread – the bread recipe from my 2011 post is here: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/good-soft-wrap-bread/

Sunday Dessert – Cappuccino Chip Muffins with Espresso Spread

This week’s Sunday dinner is different because my youngest granddaughter is celebrating her 15th birthday and we’ll be at her house for the occasion.

I thought my older daughter and I could have something light here at home in the evening and made my favorite muffins. I always say if I were asked to contribute something to a luncheon for a queen or princess, I would serve these muffins. I would hope her majesty likes coffee because they have a strong coffee flavor. The chocolate chips and the cream cheese spread just add to the enjoyment. From 2010: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/cappuccino-chip-muffins-and-spread/

Cappuccino Muffins with Espresso Spread

Servings: 12
Print

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips)
Preheat oven @ 375 degrees F

Grease or place paper cups or silicone liners in a 12-cup muffin tin

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso coffee powder, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg and vanilla until blended.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; add milk mixture and stir just to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups; bake approximately 20 minutes @ 375 degrees F or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffin tin to wire rack. Cool 5 minutes before removing muffins from cups. If using silicone liners, remove the muffins in the liners to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from liners. Continue cooling muffins on the rack.

These muffins freeze well.

They are delicious plain or extra-delicious served with an Espresso Spread:

ESPRESSO SPREAD

Servings: 3/4 cup
Print

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tblsp. chocolate chips (Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips)
1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mixing can be done by hand, but a small food processor makes quick work of it. Place the chocolate chips in the food processor and grind into small pieces. Add sugar and espresso powder and process to blend. Add cream cheese and vanilla and process until smooth

Remove spread to a small bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. To serve, let stand 10 minutes at room temperature to soften.

Sunday Dessert – Alabama Peanut Butter Pie

Since my 85 years have started to catch up with me, I don’t cook as often as I used to, particularly in 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 a favorite dessert and I thought it might be fun to share my Sunday desserts each week.

This week’s dessert was an old favorite going back to the 1970s – Alabama Peanut Butter Pie. The original post is here: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/alabama-peanut-butter-pie/

Whenever I give my daughters a choice of pie, it is either Lemon Meringue or Alabama Peanut Butter. So, this week I decided on Peanut Butter Pie, which is not difficult to make but a little time-consuming.

ALABAMA PEANUT BUTTER PIE

Servings: 6
Print

Baked 9 inch pie shell

Base and topping:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter

Filling:

1/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 egg yolks
1 cup cold milk
1 cup hot milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tblsp. butter

Meringue:

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tblsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

To Make the Base and Topping: Mix confectioners’ sugar with peanut butter to form crumbs. Spread half of the mixture in the bottom of the baked pie shell. Reserve the other half for the topping.

To Make the Filling: In a medium size saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the egg yolks, mixing well, then add the cup of cold milk. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in hot milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and continue cooking and whisking for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool slightly while preparing the meringue.

To Make the Meringue: In a large mixer bowl with wire beater, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until whites begin to thicken. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff and glossy. Stir in vanilla.

Spoon the hot filling on top of the crumb base in the baked shell.

Spread the meringue on top of the filling, extending the meringue to the crust to seal.

Set the pie on a flat sheet to catch crumbs, and sprinkle the reserved peanut butter mixture on top.

Bake @ 325 degrees for 10 minutes to brown meringue. Cool on wire rack.

Also served: Shannon’s Curry Chicken Salad: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/shannons-curry-chicken-salad/
on toasted Spicy Honey Raisin Yeast Bread: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2007/09/29/spicy-honey-raisin-yeast-bread/

Mixed Fruit Lasagne

For Sunday dinner, I had intended to bake an old favorite, Peach Lasagne, using leftover Italian bread and some beautiful peaches from the farm market. Unfortunately, the peaches I had bought most recently weren’t ripe enough and the three peaches leftover from the previous week didn’t equal the four cups I needed for the recipe. I decided to add some leftover strawberries and drained, canned pineapple tidbits. I also substituted toasted pecans for the almonds in my original recipe and the dessert was delicious. My daughters loved it.

This is the original recipe: https://lillianscupboard.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/peach-lasagne/

Mixed Fruit Lasagne

Servings: 6
Print

Fruit Layer:
4 cups mixed fruit (I used equal amounts of strawberries, peaches and pineapple)
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Bread Layer:
6 Tblsp. butter
8 slices hearty bread, sliced fairly thin
1-1/2 Tblsp. granulated sugar

Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
4 Tblsp. butter
3 Tblsp. toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees F

Cut fruit into bite-sized pieces, add granulated sugar, mix and set aside.
Spread butter on both sides of 8 slices of bread. Place slices in a large skillet over medium heat and brown on each side.

Line the bottom of a 9 inch baking dish with half of the browned buttered slices – just cover the bottom without overlapping. OK to break the bread into smaller pieces to fit them in. Sprinkle ¾ Tblp. sugar over the slices. Spoon half of fruit mixture on top of bread slices, spreading to cover.

Repeat with another layer of bread slices sprinkled with sugar and the remaining half of the fruit mixture.

Crumb Topping: Mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt and cut in butter. Sprinkle the topping over the last fruit layer and top with chopped pecans.

Cover and bake @ 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.

Serve warm.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

Each summer I look forward to the wonderful, flavorful blueberries grown by a local farm/market – Blooms and Berries (Loveland, Ohio). I was looking for a sauce to be used on ice cream that would not detract from the natural flavor of these berries and came up with this very simple recipe which everyone loves. I make the sauce as I’m finishing cooking the meal, turn it off and allow it to set until we’re ready for dessert. That makes it just the right temperature for serving.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

Servings: 2 cups - 4-6 servings
Print

2 cups (one pint) fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
¼ cup plus 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
1 Tblsp. water
Dash of grated nutmeg
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Place berries, sugar, water, nutmeg and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil – approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for a half-hour or so to cool a bit. Spoon over vanilla ice cream.

Blooms and Berries just announced that their U-Pick session for blueberries begins tomorrow. My daughter will have to get down there early to pick berries and I’ll be sure we gave enough ice cream on hand. Summer is here!

Save

Raspberry Mountain

In the 1980s-90s, my husband and I lived in a rural area called Blue Jay, located on the Ohio/Indiana border. My husband had a huge garden and every kind of berry bush and fruit tree that does well in our area. My favorites were the black raspberries and we got bumper crops year after year. I used them in every conceivable way, but regret that I found this recipe after we had to leave our country home and all the wonderful berries. It’s a quick, easy way to turn 1-½ cups of fresh raspberries into a delicious dessert with a little cake and lots of berries.

Butter is melted in the oven in a 9-inch pie plate. Then cake batter is poured over the butter (no stirring) and berries are scattered on top along with a sprinkling of sugar. The cake rises up over the berries to form a thin layer and is delicious warm from the oven or at room temperature.

Raspberry Mountain

Servings: 6
Print

¼ cup butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Dash of salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¾ tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. milk
1-½ cups fresh raspberries
Additional 1-1/2 Tblsp. granulated sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and melt butter in 9-inch pie plate Heat until butter is melted but not brown.

Meanwhile, mix flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt and baking powder in bowl.

Stir in milk. Pour this batter over the melted butter – DO NOT STIR.

Drop berries over top, scattering evenly over surface. DO NOT STIR.

Sprinkle 2 Tblsp. granulated sugar on top and bake for 30 minutes @ 350 F degrees.

The butter and batter rise to make a thin top crust that is buttery, sugary and crunchy at the edges.

Delicious plain or with a bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Save

Lemon Custard Bread Pudding with Sauce

This recipe is adapted from one in a favorite cookbook from the 1970s – Redbook Cookbook (1976), offered as a premium with a subscription to Redbook magazine. This was originally a custard bread pudding recipe which I adapted by adding lemon extract and by making a favorite sauce with lemon juice and grated lemon peel. It’s lighter than most bread pudding with a delicious custard. Heavier bread like Italian, French or sourdough would be the best to use for this.

The pudding is baked in a deep casserole dish which has been placed in a shallow pan of hot water.

LEMON CUSTARD BREAD PUDDING AND SAUCE

Servings: 6
Print

4 cups day-old bread cubes
3 cups milk
¼ cup butter
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon extract

Heat oven to 350. Grease a deep 1-1/2 qt. baking dish.

Place bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Heat milk in a saucepan over low heat until little bubbles form at pan edge. Remove from heat, add butter, sugar. Stir and pour this mixture over the bread cubes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat eggs well and add salt and lemon extract. Slowly stir tje egg mixture into the bread/milk mixture. Pour into greased dish. Set dish in a baking pan and add one inch of hot water to pan. Bake for 55 minutes until set. Let cool in dish on a rack.

LEMON SAUCE (1-½ cups)
½ cup granulated sugar
2-¼ Tblsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup cold water
2 Tblsp. butter
½ cup lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and water. Stirring constantly, heat until mixture boils. Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon peel. Serve warm over bread pudding. Makes about 1-½ cups.

Refrigerate leftovers of pudding and sauce. Bring to room temperature or heat briefly in the microwave to serve.

Clementine Pudding

It’s that time of year again when we often find a few remaining Clementines and we’re tired of eating them out of hand. This is a good way to use Clementines and enjoy a bright, orange flavored dessert.

First, to prepare the Clementines:

Wash and dry three Clementines, remove stems and place in a microwave-safe dish. Cover Clementines with cold water, put a lid on the dish and microwave on high for approximately 10 minutes. Clementines should be quite soft and look something like fresh, ripe apricots. Let cool in microwave – be careful, they get very hot.

Cut the Clementines in half and process as finely as possible in a food processor or blender (remove seeds if necessary but, yes, process both rind and flesh).

Makes about ½ cup. Set aside.

Note: Clementines can also be covered with water and boiled on the stove top for two hours. Clementine puree can be frozen.

CLEMENTINE PUDDING

Servings: 6
Print

¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt

1 egg
1 cup cold milk
1 cup hot milk
1/2 cup Clementine puree (See instructions above)
1 Tblsp. undiluted orange juice concentrate

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, salt, egg and cold milk. Slowly whisk in hot milk and cook over medium high heat until mixture begins to boil. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add Clementine puree and orange juice concentrate. Stir and allow to cool in the pan, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on top.

Pour into six dessert dishes. Good at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.

Raspberry Cream Dessert

This is another take on one of my favorite chilled desserts which combines yogurt, frozen topping and cream cheese. This makes a delicious chilled dessert base which is creamy and smooth but not too sweet. The addition of raspberries makes it special.

RASPBERRY CREAM DESSERT

Servings: 4-6
Print

1 cup yogurt
1-½ cups frozen topping, thawed (Cool Whip)
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed (about 1-½ cups with juice)

Mix together the yogurt, whipped topping and cream cheese until smooth.

Stir in the raspberries.

Spoon mixture into 4-6 pretty dessert dishes.

Cover and chill for at least two hours.

Makes 4-6 servings