Category Archives: Desserts

Frozen Chocolate Torte

3 egg whites
½ t cream of tartar
¾ c sugar
¾ c chopped pecans
2 c heavy cream
¾ c chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 275.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add ½ t cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until very stiff peaks form. Fold in chopped pecans.

Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an 8” plate, draw a circle onto each paper. Divide and spread meringue over each circle, shaping into flat shells.

Bake for 45 minutes. Without opening oven door, turn oven off and do not remove meringues for another 45 minutes. Then remove and cool.

When ready to assemble, beat cream until very stiff. Fold in syrup and vanilla. Spread 1 meringue layer with half of the chocolate cream. Add second meringue and cover top with remaining cream mixture. You can make swirly designs in the top cream layer with a fork and/or decorate with chocolate shavings or pecans.

Freeze at least six hours.

Remove from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes: This is a recipe I got while living in New Jersey and working at Arthur Andersen. One of my bosses bought a Junior League Cookbook from any city he visited on business, and this was in one of them, although I forget from which city. It is easy (as is anything I make!) and can be made ahead, and has always been a big hit.

Ice Cream Truffle Pie with Raspberry Sauce

Crust
14 chocolate wafer cookies, ground into crumbs
3 T butter, melted

Cake
1 pint chocolate ice cream
1 c chocolate chips
½ c heavy cream
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Chopped walnuts

Sauce
1 bag raspberries, frozen

For crust, mix ingredients until crumbs are evenly moistened and spread on the bottom of a lightly greased 9” pie plate. Freeze crust for at least 30 minutes.

Thaw chocolate ice cream until spreadable, then spread over frozen crust, smoothing top of ice cream. Freeze about one hour.

For truffle layer, combine chocolate chips and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until chocolate begins to melt, then remove from heat and stir until very smooth. Spread evenly over the frozen pie. Freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Soften vanilla ice cream and then spread over pie. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or chocolate crumbs and freeze for up to two weeks.

For sauce, defrost raspberries. Puree them in food processor or blender until smooth. Press through a strainer, discarding all seeds. Use as is, or add a little sugar, or 1 T Grand Mariner, if desired.

Notes: This is from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin. Allan doesn’t eat many desserts, but he does like this one, so I usually make it if he’s here for his birthday.

Outrageous Cookie Bars

½ c butter
1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
1 ¼ c sweetened condensed milk
2 c chocolate chips
1 c coconut
1 c walnuts (optional)

Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 13×9” pan. Add graham cracker crumbs and press into pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the crumbs. Sprinkle chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts over the milk and press in firmly. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool.

Texas Sheet Cake

Cake
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 t baking soda
1 c water
2 sticks butter
¼ c cocoa
½ c sour cream
2 eggs

Icing
1 stick butter
¼ c cocoa
6 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Combine first three ingredients for cake. Bring butter, cocoa, and water to a boil, pour over the flour and sugar mixture. Mix well. Stir in sour cream and eggs. Beat well and pour into greased 10×15” cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

For icing, combine all ingredients but powdered sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth, then spread carefully on the warm cake.

Fudge

1 jar marshmallow fluff
1 ½ c sugar
2/3 c evaporated skim milk
¼ c butter
¼ t salt
12 oz chocolate chips
½ c chopped nuts
1 t vanilla

Combine marshmallow, sugar, milk, butter, and salt. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly over moderate heat. Boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stir in the nuts and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8” pan, chill until firm.

Notes: This is the Christmas fudge recipe that Mary Louise always used and I have never found one better.

Pumpkin Bread

½ c margarine, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten well
1 ¾ c flour
½ t nutmeg
1 t baking soda
¼ t ginger
¼ t ground clove
1 t cinnamon
½ t salt
¾ c canned pumpkin
¾ c chocolate chips
¾ c chopped nuts
½ c powdered sugar
1/8 t cinnamon
1-2 T milk

Beat margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well. Combine dry ingredients and mix them in alternately with the pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into a greased long pan. Bake at 350 for 65 – 75 minutes. When cool, mix powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk for form icing, then drizzle it over the top.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

3 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 c water
2/3 c oil
2 T vinegar
2 t vanilla
1 c chocolate chips
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips

Mix ingredients up to cream cheese well in a bowl. Fill paper-lined cupcake pans half full with the mixture. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese well and add the remaining ingredients. Put about 1 T of the filling on top of the batter in the center of the cupcakes. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Notes: This easy, incredibly good recipe came from a teacher/friend of the kids’ grade school in the ’70s and we’ve made it a zillion times since. Great for potlucks and treats at work.

Strawberry Pizza

1 c self-rising flour
¼ c powdered sugar
½ c melted butter
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c lemon juice
1 t vanilla
½ c sugar
2 T cornstarch
½ c water
2 pints strawberries, halved
Few drops red food coloring (optional)

Combine flour with powdered sugar, add butter and mix well. Pat dough into a 14” pizza pan and bake at 350 for ten minutes or until light brown. Combine cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix well and spread on cooled crust and chill. Combine sugar and cornstarch in big saucepan and add water, mixing until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about five minutes. Add strawberries and food coloring. Cool completely, then spread strawberry mixture over cream cheese and crust. Chill; cut into wedges.

Unbelievable Cookies

Mom, who has the ability to find good in everything, found this recipe in the Lorain Journal. They’re great!

1 c granulated sugar
1 c peanut butter
1 egg
½ t vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes. Yields about 2 dozen.

Iowa Brownies

Reminds me of eating out in the back yard at home. The recipe, of course, comes from M.L.

½ c soft butter
1 c sugar
1 1-lb can Hershey syrup
4 eggs
1 c sifted flour
1 c chopped nuts
Frosting:
1 stick butter
1 ½ c sugar
1/3 c evaporated milk
½ c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Greast 15x10x2” jelly roll pan. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in syrup then eggs, one at a time. Beat in flour gradually. Fold in nuts. Pour into pan and bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare frosting.

In saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and evaporated milk. Bring to boil; boil one minute. Stir in bits. Heat and stir until melted. Frosting will be thin and glossy. Frost immediately after brownies come out of oven with wet knife. Can make 56 bars.