Big Coconut
Macaroons

Comfy
Conclusions

Chocolate, sweet and oh, so good

ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News

D

esserts are the coup de grace of a meal.
The finishing touch. The grand finale.
Out with a bang. Its a great way to end
a special meal and sorely missed when
left off. There are some who will eat a small piece
of chocolate after dinner just to eat something
sweet.
In the summer or after a spicy meal, fruit is
apropos, because it cleanses and freshens. When
the weather turns, we look for comfort with a
spoon — something warm or cozy. Often, we crave
chocolate as the ultimate dessert. I know a person
who insists that all desserts should be chocolate.
I like to eat desserts warm, just out of the oven.
Indeed, an oven-baked brownie, freshly cut with
vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, is just about as
perfect an ending to a meal as any I've ever had.
Many find custards comfy conclusions. Any pud-

do not skip dessert.

ding — rice or bread included — starts as custard..
Still others feel warm apples are the ultimate. Like
the old joke about a group of 10 Jews (they have
12 opinions), each has his or her own definition of
perfection when it comes to dessert.
Any way you slice them, desserts are often the
zenith of a meal. They're what you wait for, the
prize for finishing your vegetables.
The following recipes are homey and satisfying.
They're sweet, often chocolaty — great excuses to
break your diet.
Reading about them, you know these will be
good before you even take the first bite:
Apples in a creamy custard baked in a pie.
Coconut macaroons nearly as big as your fist.
Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate in the
form of a rich cake with Kahlua, cream puffs, and
a torte paired with raspberries. Nearly every recipe
benefits from a dollop of whipped cream or ice
cream. And each is easy to make. After all, aren't
the best pleasures simple ones?

APPLE CUSTARD PIE
1 deep-dish pie shell (homemade or bought)
5 large McIntosh apples (2 1/2 pounds)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a deep-dish pie plate
with the pastry. Set aside.
Peel and cut apples into 1-inch chunks. Place
apples in the prepared pie plate. Set aside.
Combine eggs, half-and-half, sugar, cinnamon
and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well. Pour
the custard mixture.over the apples.
Bake for 1 to -1 1/2 hours, until the apples are
golden. Remove from the oven and cool until
warm. Serve warm, cut into wedges.
Makes 8 large servings.

BIG COCONUT MACAROONS
1/3 cup flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
3 large eggs, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. almond extract, optional
5 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with
the parchment. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a
small bowl and stir together with a fork. Set aside.
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy.
Add the yolks, sugar and almond extract (if
using), and beat until thick and light colored.
Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorpo-
rated (do not over-beat). Fold in the coconut.
Drop large tablespoonfuls of the batter (about
12 mounds) onto the prepared baking sheet and
bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the
oven and cool. (The centers of the cookies will be
very soft).
Makes 12 large macaroons.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE-CHIP KAHLUA
BUNDT CAKE
Nonstick cooking spray
3 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 cup Kahlua or other chocolate- or coffee-
flavored liqueur
1 1/2 cups warm, strong coffee
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 10-cup bundt or
other tube pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set
aside.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking
soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir
with a fork to combine. Set aside.
Beat together the brown sugar, sugar, vegetable

10/11
2002

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