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Recipes > Sample Sweet Treats

Hot Fudge Pudding-Cake

Serves 6

Andrea discovered this recipe while looking through a magazine.  It was an instant hit--quick, easy, chocolate . . . what else could one want on a cold winter night?  Serve with a scoop of ice cream, a splash of whipped cream or milk poured on the side.  Recipe can easily be doubled, using a 9X13-inch (23X33 cm) pan.

        1 C. (125 g) flour
    2/3 C. (150 g) sugar
    2 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. cinnamon (opt.)
    1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder (divided)
    1/2 C. (125 ml) milk
    2 T. melted butter
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 C. (250 g) brown sugar
    1 1/2 C. (375 ml) boiling water

  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and 1/4 C. cocoa in a medium bowl.  Whisk in milk, butter and vanilla.  Batter will be thick.  Spread in a greased 8X8-inch. (20 cm) baking dish.
  In small bowl, mix brown sugar and additional 1/4 C. cocoa; sprinkle evenly over batter.  
  Carefully pour 1 1/2 C. (375 ml) boiling water over mixture; do not stir.
  Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 30 minutes.  Cool in pan.  
  Serve warm or at room temperature.  The dessert will separate into cake and pudding layers as it bakes.  The cooler the cake, the thicker the pudding will be.

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Mascarpone Tart
Serves 6

This is a casual, rustic dessert as the shape is not perfect and exact. 
I love the combination of flaky crust, creamy mascarpone and sweet fruit. 

    1 unbaked pastry crust (see below)
    1 C. (250 g) mascarpone
    1/4 C. (60 g) sugar
    1/4 C. (20 g) toasted almond slices
    1 C. (approximately 100 g) fresh berries, canned or fresh peaches or
            apricots

  Roll out the crust a little larger than you would use in a pin tin.  Set the crust on a cookie sheet.  (I've found it easier to put it on a Corelle dinner plate so that any juices which "escape" the crust don't run all over the cookie sheet.  The slope of the plate keeps everything in the center.)
  Mix together the mascarpone and sugar and spoon the mixture onto the crust, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) edge.  Arrange fruit over mascarpone mixture and  sprinkle with toasted almonds. 
  Fold the edge of the crust over, leaving a 4-5 inch (10-12 cm) section uncovered with crust in the center. 
  Bake at 375° F (190° C) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 

No Fail Pie Crust

Makes four or five pastry crusts 
If you’ve always been afraid to try making a pastry crust, this one’s for you! 
I love the fact that it makes 4-5 crusts at a time, depending on how big your pie plate is and how much edge you like to have for crimping.
    5 C. (625 g) flour
    2 C. (460 g) vegetable shortening
    2 tsp. salt
    1 egg, beaten

    2 tsp. vinegar

  Combine flour, shortening, and salt.  Cut together  (with two knives, a pastry blender or in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 
  Break the egg into a 1 C. measuring cup.  Add vinegar; then fill the cup with very cold tap water.  Add all at once to flour mixture and combine, using hands to mix if necessary.  If mixing in a food processor, process just until mixture forms a ball going around the bowl.  Pastry crust should be handled as little as possible for tenderness and flakiness. 
  Divide the crust into 4-5 equal pieces.  Roll out each piece between two pieces of waxed paper or clear plastic wrap.  (Can be stored in the refrigerator up to two weeks or placed in freezer 6 months.) When ready to bake, place in 9 or 10-inch pie plate.  If recipe calls for a pre-baked crust, trim edges, crimp if desired and prick crust with fork tines; bake at 450° F (230° C) for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. 
  Any leftover or cut scraps can be rolled between waxed paper, then placed on cookie sheet and cut into strips.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake as above.  My daughter, Andrea, loves these “Crust Cookies”--bet you will too!

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