DESSERTS - Casa Lulu (with Kenny)

DESSERTS

Rhubarb Crisp
I found this strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe on a box of Quaker Oats about 20 years ago. It's quick, and easier to make than pie. It's versatile, too, because you can add strawberries in spring or apples in fall. I usually pop it into the oven shortly before we sit down to eat so it's still warm for dessert! —C.E. Adams, Charlestown, New Hampshire Ingredients 3/4 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb or frozen rhubarb, thawed 2 cups sliced peeled apples or sliced strawberries 1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Vanilla ice cream, optional Directions In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add rhubarb and apples or strawberries; toss to coat. Spoon into an 8-in. cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 350° until crisp is bubbly and fruit is tender, about 45 minutes. If desired, serve warm with ice cream. Test Kitchen Tips Cinnamon comes in two basic types: Ceylon and cassia. Ceylon cinnamon’s delicate, complex flavor is ideal for ice creams and simple sauces. The spicy, bolder cassia cinnamon (often labeled simply as cinnamon) is preferred for baking. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light or golden brown sugar. The types are generally interchangeable in recipes. But if you prefer a bolder flavor, choose dark brown sugar. Get inspired by these delicious easy desserts. Editor's Note If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.
Banana Cream Cheesecake
Ingredients 1-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted FILLING: 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided 3 to 4 medium firm bananas, sliced 1-3/4 cups cold milk 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant banana cream pudding mix Directions 1. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan or 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 5-7 minutes. Cool on wire rack. 2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Arrange half of the banana slices in crust; top with half of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers. 3. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in remaining whipped topping. Pour over the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.
Pears Poached in Red Wine
Ingredients: 4 cups red wine ½ cup caster sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 2 whole star anise 1 tsp. vanilla essence or vanilla bean paste 4+ Pears Instructions: First peel the pears. Mix the caster sugar, red wine and vanilla in the slow cooker. Add the cinnamon sticks, pears and the star anise. Make sure the pears are covered in the wine mixture. Cook for 4 hours on low or until the pears are nice and tender. Before you go to serve scoop roughly a cup of the poaching liquid and transfer to a small pot. Bring to the boil and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. Serve the pears with a drizzle of the syrup over the top. Cooking Tips: If you don’t have the time to wait for the syrup to thicken up by boiling it, then a simple cornflour and water mixture will thicken it up fast. Mix in a small bowl 1 tbsp. of water and 1 tbsp. of cornflour and pour this in the syrup that’s in the pot at step 5. It should thicken up fast, cook this for about 2-3 minutes. If you core and half the pears, then you will only need to cook the pears for half the time. Don’t stress about the sugar not being dissolved at the start. You will find after 4 hours of slow cooking the sugar would have well and truly dissolved into our wine mix. [Slow cooker poached pears are a delicious sweet treat and a great way to finish off a nice dinner. In this recipe, I use a few different spices and some red wine to poach the pears. This dessert is probably one of my favorite slow cooker desserts the tender, succulent pears are just a great way to finish your meal off. Personally, I love to enjoy these with some vanilla bean ice-cream or some double cream. The pears also make for a great breakfast so if you have any leftover from dessert then just keep them in the fridge covered in the poaching liquid. I personally love to slice them up and have them with some muesli and yogurt. You can easily substitute the red wine for white wine if that’s what you prefer. You should get a very similar result, but white wine tends to be a bit sweeter. It just comes down to what you prefer.]
Apple Crisp
Ingredients: 6 cups apples, cut into chunks 1 tsp. cinnamon, ground 1 Tbsp. lemon juice Topping 1 cup plain flour 1 cup unsalted butter ½ cup brown sugar 1 cup oats 1 tsp. nutmeg, ground 1 tsp. cinnamon, ground Instructions: In a bowl, rub together the flour, butter, brown sugar, oats, nutmeg and the cinnamon using your fingers. Rub together until it resembles large breadcrumbs. In the slow cooker, add the chopped apples, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Mix, so the apple is lightly coated in the lemon juice. Add the crumble mix on top. Cook on low for 5 hours or until the apples are nice and tender. For the last hour slightly move the lid so that moisture can escape. This technique should help the topping to harden. Serve & Enjoy Cooking Tips: If you’re in a rush, then you can put the slow cooker on high for 2 hours and again removing the lid slightly for the last hour. This method should help the topping harden. Assuming you want to add a bit of crunch to your apple crisp, then try adding some chopped walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds. Both will add that extra crunch and a bit of a nutty taste as well. You can use any type of apple in this recipe. I try to use any apples that look like they’re starting to go bad if I have too many. If I need to buy apples, I usually buy Fuji or granny smith. [This slow cooker apple crisp is the perfect dessert that you can get cooking ahead of time. If you love tender apples topped off with a crunchy oat mix, then you will enjoy this dish. Another thing I love about this dish is that you up with an amazing apple and the cinnamon smell wafting through the house. There are plenty of ways you’re able to cook this dish but doing it in the slow cooker frees up time and reduces a bit of stress since it will be fine if you have it cooking for longer than the required time. Unlike in the oven where you will end up with a burnt topping. I love having my apple crisp with either some thickened cream or some ice cream. It’s also pretty good just by itself, so if you’re not a fan of adding anything extra, then you won’t be disappointed. It’s best to use fresh apples in this recipe since using canned wouldn’t make much sense. You can use any type of apple, but there are a few sorts that will work better than others]
Egg Custard
Ingredients: 3 eggs ½ cup caster sugar 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or essence 2 cups milk Instructions: Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Once combined, slowly whisk in the milk. Lightly grease each ramekin with butter or spray oil, then pour in the custard mixture. Cover each of the ramekins with foil. Place one of the following into the slow cooker: wire rack, foil balls, metal rings or something similar. Now, place the ramekins into the slow cooker. Try to get them to sit level. Fill the slow cooker to about halfway up the ramekins with hot water. Cook on low for 2 hours or until the custard is set. Sprinkle with some ground nutmeg or cinnamon. (Optional)