Desserts

OLD-FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

8-10 heels of bread
3 eggs
1-1/2 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
4 C milk
1 t vanilla
1 C raisins
butter

Moisten heels in water, squeeze dry and crumble into greased baking dish. Beat eggs and sugar, spices, milk and vanilla. Add raisins to bread and pour liquid ingredients over mixture; stir until well blended. Pour into greased, 14 x 14 inch casserole. Dot w/butter. Bake at 350 until set and top is brown. Yield: 12 servings.

MERINGUE SHELLS

4 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 t cream of tartar
1 C granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 250. Combine cream of tarter and 4 egg whites. Beat egg whites until foamy on medium speed. Gradually add sugar while still beat. Keep beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Rub a little meringue between fingers to be sure sugar is dissolved. Line a large cookie sheet w/brown mailing paper (or cut up an unwrinkled grocery bag). Place meringue on paper-lined cookie sheet in 1/3 Cup mounds 1/2" apart. With back of a soup spoon make a well in middle of each mound. Bake until firm and very lightly browned, about 50 minutes. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven for 1 hour. Meringues may be placed in a freezer bag and frozen. When ready to use, remove from freezer 45 minutes before serving and place in 200 oven until warm and dry. Serve warm meringues filled with ice cream, sherbet or custard topped w/berries and/or whipped cream; pudding or berries (plain or soaked in a liqueur) topped w/whipped cream.

THANK YOU SALAD

1 can Cherry Pie Filling (strawberry is good, too)
1 #2 can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 large container Cool Whip
1 can condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

Mix together and freeze overnight or several hours. Take out of freezer 1 hour before serving.

APPLE CRISP

4 cups peeled and sliced apples or 1 can prepared pie slices
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 well beaten egg

Mix dry ingredients well; add the egg and mix with fork till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Put apples in bottom of a buttered 9x9x2 pan. Cover apples with mixture and bake in 350 degree oven 45 - 60 minutes, or until apples are done. Serve with cream.

BUSY DAY LEMON CHEESECAKE

1 large (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
2 C milk, divided
1 pkg. Jell-O Lemon INSTANT pudding mix
1 8-inch graham cracker crust
Graham Cracker crumbs (optional)

Soften cream cheese. Blend with 1/2 C milk. Add remaining milk and the pudding mix. Beat slowly with a mixer just until well mixed (about 1 minute). Do not over beat! Pour at once into graham cracker crust. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs lightly over top (if you have made your crust from scratch). Chill about one hour.

MINI CHEESE CAKES

12 vanilla wafers
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
fruit, preserves, or chocolate curls to garnish

Line muffin tin with foil cups. Place one vanilla wafer in each liner. Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until well blended. Add eggs. Mix well. Pour over wafers, filling 3/4 full. bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from pan when cool. Chill. If desired, top with fruit, preserves or chocolate curls.

BAKLAVA

1 lb. Filo Pastry Dough
3/4 lb. Sweet Butter (Unsalted); Melted
2-1/2 to 3 cups Walnuts and/or Almonds; Finely Chopped or Ground
2 Tbs. Granulated Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon
Syrup
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup Water
1 Cinnamon Stick
Juice from 1 Lemon Slice
1/2 cup Honey

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-minutes. Add honey and return to boiling. Remove immediately from heat and set aside. Skim any foam off the top of the syrup if formed during heating.

In a small mixing bowl, combine nuts with sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Butter a 9" x 13" inch ovenproof baking dish. Place a sheet of Filo on bottom of pan and brush with melted butter. Either fold over or trim any excess Filo.

Repeat process for another 8 sheets, buttering each. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of nut mixture evenly over the Filo and cover with 2 more sheets, buttering each. Continue sprinkling nuts every 2 sheet-layer until all but 8 sheets are used between four nut-filing layers.

Use remaining 8 sheets for the top layers, buttering each sheet of Filo. Before buttering the last sheet, tuck in all loose edges or trim neatly, and press down the layers with palms of your hands. Pour remaining butter over top. Cut into 5 strips lengthwise, about a 1/2-inch deep.

Bake at 350-F degrees for about 50 to 60-minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately pour cooled syrup over Baklava. Allow to cool thoroughly. Cut strips diagonally to form diamond shapes and serve.

Syrup Variation:

Prepare your syrup as directed with 1 oz. Praline or Butter Pecan Syrup, 1/2 oz. Hazelnut Syrup, 1/2 oz. Maple Syrup, a dash of fresh lemon juice and 2 tsp. Honey.

Traditionally prepared with walnuts, this recipes calls for a combination of walnuts and almonds, if so desired. You may elect to use pecans or even pistachios. If you really enjoy a nutty flavor, you may also utilize more nuts than directed, using up to 4-cups in-between the Filo dough layers.

RICE PUDDING

1 qt. half & half
1 qt water
1/4 C butter or margarine
1 C sugar
1 C long grain white rice
2 eggs beaten - add enough water to equal 1 cup
1/2 t vanilla

Place first 5 ingredients in large pan and bring to a boil. Simmer about 40 min., stir frequently. Pudding will begin to thicken and heavily coat spoon. Remove from heat,....quickly & thoroughly mix in eggs-water mixture, and vanilla. Pour into dish, sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar.

Sandy

QUICK DESSERT

FIRST LAYER:

1 C flour
1/2 C margarine
1/2 C chopped nuts

Mix and press into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool.

SECOND LAYER:

1 C powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 (8 oz) container Cool Whip

Blend with mixer until smooth. Spread on cooled crust.

THIRD LAYER:

2 (3 oz) pkg instant lemon, chocolate or butter pecan pudding
3 C milk

Mix together and spread on second layer.

FOURTH LAYER:

Spread remaining Cool Whip on third layer. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Serves 12 to 15.

TEXAS SALAD

1 can condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 large container Cool Whip
1 16-oz can fruit mix (drained)
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 can cherry pie filling
1/2 bag of little marshmallows
Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

Mix together and freeze overnight or several hours. Take out of freezer 1 hour before serving. Can also be refrigerated instead of freezing, but needs to be kept cold.