Food
Super-Fast
Quick desserts for the holidays, or any time.
Eileen Goltz
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
W
e've all had that moment of
panic when we think that
the amount of food prepared
for our yom toy guests isn't going to be
enough. This is called the "crazy factor!'
Crazy is probably in the eye of the
beholder and I guess I'm old school when
it comes to the sweet stuff at the end of a
meal. More is marvelous and leftovers are
lovely (seems like there's always another
yom tov next week we could use it for).
So, with that in mind I'm offering you
these simple yet extraordinarily different
desserts that can all be made in half an
hour or less and will keep in the freezer or
fridge until you need them.
FIVE MINUTE TIRAMISU
Dairy or pareve.
14 chocolate chunk cookies
1 /3 to 1/2 cup coffee liqueur
4 bananas, sliced
1/2 to 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped
topping, thawed
Cocoa or chocolate shavings
Quickly dip each cookie in a bowl with
the liqueur and line the bottom of a 10-
inch square dish with seven cookies. Slice
2 bananas over cookies and cover with
half the whipped topping. Repeat layers.
Sprinkle with cocoa and pecans and cover
with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2
hours. Serves 10 to 12.
-
CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI
CUPCAKES
Dairy or pareve.
2 1/2 cups flour, unsifted
1 /2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 /2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Glaze:
B40
September 25 • 2008
iN
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. milk or nondairy substitute
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the
flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and
cinnamon; set aside. With a mixer, beat
together the butter and the sugar until
they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs
to the butter and sugar mixture one at
a time, beating well after each addition.
With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange
peel and zucchini. Alternately stir the set-
aside dry ingredients and the milk into the
zucchini mixture, including the nuts with
the last addition.
Pour the batter into a greased and flour-
dusted (or use paper liners) cup-cake pan.
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes
(test at 20 minutes!) or until a wooden
pick inserted in the center comes out
clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; place on
wire rack to cool thoroughly.
Make glaze: Mix together powdered
sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Drizzle glaze over cup cakes. Makes 12
servings.
MINI BLACK-BOTTOM
CHEESECAKES
Dairy.
24 plain chocolate wafer cookies (Oreos
work great)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, at room tempera-
ture
1 /4 cup sugar
2 /3 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 /4 cup seedless raspberry preserves,
warmed
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a stan-
dard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking
cups.
In a food processor, crush the chocolate
wafer cookies. Add the butter and process
until fine crumbs form. Spoon the choco-
late cookie crumbs into the prepared bak-
ing cups and press down with your fingers
to compact it. Bake for 5 minutes, or until
almost set. Leave the oven on.
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the
cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the
sour cream, then add the eggs and vanilla
and beat until smooth. Pour the cheese-
cake batter into the baking cups, filling
them three-quarters full. Bake the cheese-
cakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jig-
gly in the center. Remove from the oven
and spread 1 tsp. of the warmed raspberry
preserves on top of each cheesecake.
Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer
and chill the cheesecakes until set, about
15 minutes. Remove the cheesecakes from
the pan and peel off the foil baking cups.
Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and
serve.
BAKED PEACHES
WITH ALMOND PASTE
Dairy or pareve. Puree the almond mix-
ture ahead of time if you like, but wait
until the last minute to cut and stuff the
peaches, or they'll turn brown.
4 peaches, halved and pitted
6 oz. almond paste (about 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp. hot water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. cold butter or margarine, cut
into 8 pieces
Heat the oven to 400F. Put a rack on a
baking sheet and then put the peaches
on the rack, skin-side down.
In a food processor, puree the almond
paste, water and lemon juice. Spoon the
almond mixture into the centers of the
peaches. Top each mound of almond
paste with a piece of the butter.
Bake in the lower third of the oven
until the peaches are tender and the
almond paste is golden brown, about 25
minutes. Serve warm. Serves 8.
BANANA CHOCOLATE
SPRING ROLLS
Dairy or pareve.
2 medium bananas
Eight 7 1/2-inch-square spring-roll
(egg roll) wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
32 semisweet chocolate chips
8 tsp. shredded, sweetened coconut
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners' sugar and cocoa, for
dusting
Cut each banana in half lengthwise
and halve each piece crosswise. Work
with 1 wrapper at a time; cover the rest
with a damp paper towel.
Lay 1 wrapper on a work surface and
lightly brush the edge with beaten egg
white. Place a banana quarter 2 inches
from the bottom of the wrapper and top
it with 4 to 6 chocolate chips and 1 tsp.
of coconut.
Fold the bottom edge over the filling
and roll up 1 complete turn. Fold in the
sides and continue rolling to form a
tight cylinder. Repeat with the remain-
ing ingredients.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches
of vegetable oil to 350F. Add 2 spring
rolls at a time and fry until golden
brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain
on paper towels. Dust the spring rolls
with the sugar and cocoa and serve.
Serves 8.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE
ALMOND CRACKER TOFFEE
Dairy or pareve.
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (6 oz.)
Approximately 60 saltine crackers
(not low-sodium)
11/2 cups sugar
3 sticks (3/4 pound) unsalted butter or
margarine
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 /2 pound bittersweet chocolate,
chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
Preheat the oven to 350F, spread the
almonds on a baking sheet and toast for
about 6 minutes, until golden.
Line a 12-by-17-inch rimmed bak-
ing sheet with a silicone mat or lightly
buttered parchment paper. Arrange the
saltine crackers on the baking sheet in
a single layer, patching any holes with
cracker bits; slight gaps are okay.
In a medium saucepan, combine the
sugar, butter and corn syrup and cook
over low heat until the sugar is melted.
Brush the side of the pan with a moist-
ened pastry brush to wash down any
sugar crystals. Cook the syrup over
moderate heat without stirring until it
starts to brown around the edge, about
5 minutes.
Insert a candy thermometer into
the syrup and simmer, stirring with a
wooden spoon, until honey-colored car-
amel forms and the temperature reaches
300F, about 6 minutes longer.
Slowly and carefully pour the caramel
over the crackers, being sure to cover
most of them evenly. Using an offset
spatula, spread the caramel to cover
any gaps. Let cool for 3 minutes, then
sprinkle the chopped chocolate evenly
on top. Let stand until the chocolate is
melted, about 3 minutes, then spread