Banana Pudding Popsicles

Banana pudding is my favorite dessert, so these banana pudding popsicles are a perfect summer treat. I wish I’d thought of them, but I’m glad Mama Jade passed the recipe on to me so I can share it with you. I don’t have a photo of these yet, but I’m sure it won’t be long before I make up my own batch.

Banana Pudding Popsicles

by Mama Jade

• 1 cup Nilla wafers, crushed
• 1 cup bananas, mashed
• 1 pkg vanilla pudding
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 small tub cool whip
• Popsicle molds

Combine the pudding mix and milk and beat until smooth.  Add the bananas and nilla wafers and stir until well mixed.  Fold in 1 cup of the cool whip until well combined.  Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.  Enjoy!

Tips:

• The cool whip is not a requirement, but it does help smooth the consistency of the popsicle.
• If you like extra banana, try banana flavored pudding instead.
• Use fully ripe bananas, but not over-ripe. Bananas that are just beginning to get brown spots on the skin, like those in the picture, are ideal.

 

Related articles

• Traditional Southern Banana Pudding Recipe (easysoutherncooking.com)
• Healthy Fruit Ice Pops (easysoutherncooking.com)

Discover How To Turn Any Meal Into A Gourmet Treat – Puff Pastry

Is your family tired of the same old meals? Are you looking for an easy way to turn your old favorites into something special? Lucky for you there is one secret and easy to use ingredient that can help give some class to almost anything you serve.

You might think this magical secret ingredient would be hard to find or cost a lot of money, but it isn’t. In fact it can be found right in your local grocery store for under $5.00.

So what is this wonderful food that will transform your meals?

Frozen puff pastry. You know, that stuff that you probably never bother to use because it thought it was only reserved for Greek desserts and looks to delicate and difficult. Well it’s not, in fact, puff pastry is quite easy to use and very versatile and it’s a wonder why it is one of the most overlooked foods you can use to cook with.

Frozen puff pastry is easy and economical, it handles beautifully and needs no additional prep. It can be used to give a gourmet flair to a variety of staple meals and it works great every time.

From your Friday night family pizza to that Sunday roast lamb, puff pastry can add a bit of class to any meal and make you look like a gourmet chef.

Of course, you might be most familiar with puff pastry when used for desserts. It can be used with a variety of fillings for a light, delicious dessert. When you server a puff pastry dessert your guests will think you spent hours baking when you can whip up something like this fruit tart in about 20 minutes.

Fruit Tart

1. Thaw 1 sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4 pieces
2. Put 1 tablespoon of fruit into the middle of each of the 4 pieces
3. Fold the opposite corners of the pastry into the center and pinch together with your fingers.
4. Glaze the tart with a milk and beaten egg mixture
5. Sprinkle the top with sugar
6. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes

For variations you can add different fillings or make a while pie using one whole puff pastry sheet for the bottom and another one for the top – either in a pie dish or just flat on a cookie sheet.

There’s no limit to what you can do with puff pastry. Use cookie cutters to cut the pastry into interesting shapes – glaze and bake then use to garnish almost any dish. Put them on top of soups and stews or casseroles. Use them on chops or with eggs. The only limits are your imagination!

One great use for puff pastry that even the kids will love is to make little mini pizzas by cutting the pastry into rounds and cover each round with grated cheese, sauce and veggies. You an also use them to make little appetizers – use different shapes and top them with chili sauce, crab mix or anything you want.

Cooking with puff pastry is quite easy but there are a few things you need to be careful of in order to get them perfect every time. One of these things is to make sure you cook them at the right temperature. You should, of course, follow the directions on the package but most ready made puff pastry “puffs” at around 400 degrees F. Also, you must only give it a light glaze since if you add too much on it will cause the pastry to become soggy and not rise successfully. A light brushing of the egg wash with a pastry brush is all that is needed for perfect puff pastry.

So now that the secret is out, you better rush to the supermarket and stock up on puff pastry before it’s all gone!
Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can read more articles about gourmet foods and fine cooking.

Strawberry Dumplings

These Strawberry Dumplings are a perfect old fashioned dessert for a romantic meal. The dumplings steam and absorb the flavors from the berries.

Serve these warm with vanilla ice cream for a luscious flavor combination.

Ingredients:

Dumplings

* 4 eggs
* 4 tablespoons melted butter
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 4 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 12 tablespoons flour

Berries

* 4 cups strawberries
* 2 cups sugar

Directions:

1. Combine the dumpling ingredients to make a stiff batter.
2. Mash the berries with sugar. Bring to a boil in a large pot with a tight lid.
3. Drop the dumpling batter by spoonfuls into hot liquid, reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, for 15 minutes. Don’t lift lid – don’t peek!
4. Remove dumplings carefully to dessert dishes and spoon berries over. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Decadently Rick Chocolate Truffle Cake

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Ingredients:

For Cake

* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
* 1 large egg
* 2 teaspoons vanilla

For filling

* 1 1/2 cup walnuts
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For ganache

* 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 pound fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Make base: In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in flour, walnuts, egg, and vanilla and spread batter evenly in springform pan. Bake base in middle of oven 10 minutes, or just until firm, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Make filling: Arrange walnuts in one layer on top of base. In a small heavy saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 280°F. Remove pan from heat and add cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature and pour over walnuts, spreading evenly.

Make ganache: In a saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Finely chop chocolate. Put chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot cream over it, stirring until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks (do not overbeat or it will become grainy).

Spread ganache evenly over filling. Chill cake, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. With a large spatula transfer cake to a plate and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake

In this video, chef Kirk Leins shows you how to make a decadently rich Molten Chocolate Cake. The cake is light and moist with a molten chocolate center. Serve it warm to that special someone and you are sure to get rave reviews.

Garnish with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cake (serves 6)

Powder sugar for dusting
4 large egg yolks
4 large whole eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb. high-quality, bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cake flour (plus more for dusting)
Vegetable spray
2 sticks unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using vegetable spray, grease (6) 6-ounce ramekins and dust with cake flour.

In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks. Whisk in the cake flour.

Evenly distribute the batter among the 6 ramekins, and bake for 10 minutes or until the sides of the cakes are set but the center still jiggles.

Let the cakes cool for 2-3 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and invert onto plates. Garnish with powder sugar and serve with either vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Strawberry Cream Meringues

What can I say? Dessert is my favorite part of the meal. I especially enjoy light, sweet and luscious desserts like this one. It has been a while since I made this, but now I am craving it again. This is a real contender for Valentine’s day.

Make the meringues in a heart shape for a romantic dessert. (Mine shown are not.) The whipped cream and strawberries on a meringue shell is a light and luscious dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth with a minimum of sugar.

Don’t put the cream into the meringue shells until you are ready to serve these, the meringue will begin to melt from the moisture if they have to sit at all.

Valentine Meringue Hearts

Meringues:

3 Egg whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

1 dash Salt

1 cup Sugar

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream

3 to 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

1 pint Strawberries, sliced -reserve a few for garnish

Mint leaves for garnish- optional

Directions:

Cut a heart pattern from a 4-1/2 inch square of paper. Cover baking sheet with brown paper. (You can bake on the brown paper so make sure it is clean.) Grocery store bags without writing on them are okay. Draw 6 hearts on the brown paper using your pattern as a guide.

Beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a bit between your fingers to feel that no sugar remains undissolved.

Spread meringue over the heart shapes, 1/4 inch thick. Make into the heart shape using a spoon to push and form into correct shape. Pipe rim 3/4 inch high with pastry tube or build a rim with a spoon.

Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let meringues dry in oven for 1 more hour. DO NOT open oven door during this time.

Store meringue shells in a dry place until ready to fill. Do not refrigerate.

Add the powdered sugar to the whipping cream and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Taste the cream for sweetness, you want a barely sweet whipped cream.

Mix in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish.

Assemble:

When you are ready to serve, place a large scoop of the strawberry cream onto the meringue shell. Garnish with reserved strawberries and a little mint if desired.

More Valentines Day Recipes