Desserts
Chocolate Bread Pudding
When you get to those last few slices in a loaf of bread, don’t throw them away just because they’re not really fresh. Dress them up with semi-sweet chocolate, in this old-fashioned dessert gone festive.
1¼ cups soft bread crumbs
1 6-oz. package (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
½ cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
Combine bread crumbs, ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, ¼ cup sugar and 1½ cups milk in top of double boiler. Cook over hot water until mixture is smooth. Beat egg yolks slightly, add remaining milk, butter and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and continue cooking about 3 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Turn into shallow baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 10 minutes. While pudding is baking, beat egg whites until stiff; gradually add remaining sugar and vanilla; continue beating until very stiff. Fold in half the remaining chocolate. Drop by tablespoons on top of the pudding. Sprinkle meringue with remaining chocolate. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer. Serves 6.
Famous Sweet Potato Pudding - 1828
The Southern cook truly deserves all the laurels she has earned for her way with a sweet potato. Here is a superb sweet potato recipe that has been handed down through several generations in one Southern family.
1 lb. cooked and peeled sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
½ cup margarine, melted
6 egg yolks, well beaten
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
¼ teaspoon mace
1 cup orange juice
6 egg whites
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon slivered citron
Rub the sweet potatoes through a sieve. Add one cup of sugar and margarine. Combine with beaten egg yolks, lemon rind, mace and orange juice. Beat the whites until stiff and fold carefully into the sweet potato mixture. Pour the pudding into a well-margarined three-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of sugar and slivered citron. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about one hour.
Christmas Rice Almond Pudding
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
½ cup cream sherry
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
2 cups fluffy, cooked rice at room temperature
1 cup canned, sliced, blanched almonds
2 cups whipping cream
Soften gelatin in sherry. Dissolve over hot water. Add salt and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add to rice. Mix well. Stir in sliced almonds. Add in one whole almond. Whip cream; fold in gently, but thoroughly. Spoon into 5-cup mold. Chill until set. Unmold. Serve with canned lingonberries or cranberry sauce. Makes 8 servings.
Steamed Pumpkin Pudding
Pumpkin makes a wonderful flavoring for a steamed pudding, as this recipe proves. Make it up as you would a cake, using the creaming method, and spicing it subtly with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Directions are given for steaming pudding.
1¾ cups sifted enriched flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup sour milk
½ cup cooked pumpkin
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. All flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk and pumpkin. Pour into greased 1½-quart mold. Steam. To steam pudding, put about 2 quarts of water into large covered kettle with a rack in the bottom. Bring water to boil. Place pudding on rack and cover with double layer of waxed paper. Cover kettle and reduce heat so that steaming is steady but gentle. Steam 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove pudding from kettle and allow to cool 10 minutes before unmolding. Serve with hard sauce or whipped cream. Makes 1 pudding.
Hot Fudge Pudding
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar, and milk to make ½ cup
1 square bitter chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons shortening, melted
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup brown sugar
2 squares bitter chocolate, melted
1¾ cups boiling water
Sift flour, baking soda, salt, sugar together in mixing bowl. Add vinegar and milk, 1 square melted chocolate, shortening and walnuts. Stir until well blended. Turn into greased 8-inch square pan, 2 inches deep. Sprinkle brown sugar over batter. Mix together 2 squares melted chocolate and boiling water. Pour over batter. Bake at 350 degrees (moderate oven) 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with sauce from pan.
Double Chocolate Pudding Cups
Especially for the chocolate lovers in your family are these Double Chocolate Pudding Cups. Rich little chocolate cakes bake atop a chocolate sauce flavored with almond extract to delight all those who prefer this popular flavor.
1 cup chocolate syrup
1 cup boiling water
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ sifted enriched flour
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
3 tablespoons melted shortening or oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons slivered blanched almonds
Set out 8 individual soufflé or 6-ounce custard cups. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Blend chocolate syrup, water and almond extract; pour ¼ cupful into each cup and set aside. Into medium-sized mixing bowl sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend egg, milk, shortening or oil and vanilla. Add liquid all at once to flour mixture, stirring until well blended. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls over chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Note: If self-rising flour is used, omit baking powder and salt.
Mystery Pudding
Most families like puddings. And they’re as economical a desert as any. But these days when minutes are precious, the recipe has to be good and simple. So here are three you’ll want to try. They all have one unique “mystery” ingredient... Milky Way bars. The sweet chocolate and caramel flavoring adds excitement to all three desserts. (Double Candy Mousse and Chocolate Bread Pudding recipes using Milky Way bars follows after this recipe for Mystery Pudding- Editor)
1 package prepared vanilla pudding
1 Milky Way candy bar
Prepare pudding according to directions on the package. Set aside to cool slightly. Cut a Milky Way bar lengthwise and then in eight slices cross-wise. Stir gently into the pudding so that the chocolate pieces partially melt but keep their identity.
Peach Dumplings
Once you’ve tried this recipe, you’re bound to add Peach Dumplings to your favorite ways to serve fresh peaches.
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ cup sugar
2 cups sliced fresh peaches
dash salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ cups boiling water
1 cup sifted enriched flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk
Combine butter or margarine, sugar, peaches, salt, cinnamon and water in heavy skillet or saucepan. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer gently about 5 minutes. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut or rub in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Add vanilla extract to milk. Add milk to flour mixture to make a soft dough, stirring only until flour is well moistened. Drop by spoonfuls into simmering sauce. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes. Cover and steam gently 15 minutes longer. Serve dumplings warm with the sauce. Makes 4 servings.
Petite Apple Tarts
1 cup milk
4 cups unsifted flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Fleischmann’s Margarine
¼ cup warm water (105º-115º)
1 package or cake Fleischmann’s Yeast
active dry or compressed
2 eggs, beaten
Apple Filling (see recipe below)
Crumb Topping (see recipe below)
confectioners sugar frosting
Scald milk; cool to lukewarm. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, orange peel and salt. Cut in margarine until like coarse meal. Measure warm water into small warm bowl. Sprinkle or crumble in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add yeast, lukewarm milk and beaten eggs to flour mixture. Cover tightly; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Divide dough in half (dough will be soft and sticky). On a well-floured board, roll ½ the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into 5-inch circles. Place circles in ungreased tart shells. Spoon in half the Apple Filling, filling the shells about half full. Sprinkle with half the Crumb Topping. Repeat with remaining dough, filling and topping.
Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 15-20 minutes, or until done. Remove from tart shells and frost with confectioners sugar frosting, serve warm.
Apple Filling: Combine 1 can (1 lb. 4 oz.) sliced apples or 3 cups sliced fresh cooking apples, ¼ firmly packed cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoons grated orange peel, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix well.
Crumb Topping: Combine two-thirds cup sugar, ½ unsifted cup flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 6 tablespoons Fleischmann’s Margarine. Mix until crumbly.
Double Candy Mousse
2 Milky Way bars
12 marshmallows
1 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
½ cup heavy cream
Melt 2 Milky Way bars and 12 marshmallows with 1 teaspoon peppermint flavoring in top of double broiler. Whip ½ cup heavy cream until stiff. Mix with chocolate and marshmallow mixture. Pour into a mold, chill until firm. Unmold, by dipping the mold briefly in hot water, and then upend on plate.
Chocolate Bread Pudding
2 Milky Way candy bars
3 tablespoons water
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
2 cups milk
1 beaten egg
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Melt Milky Way bars in the top of a double broiler with 3 tablespoons water. Add ¾ cup dry bread crumbs and mix well. Scald 2 cups milk, allow to cool slightly. Add 1 beaten egg, a pinch of salt and flavoring to milk and mix well. Pour into a baking dish and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about ½ hour or until the custard is set and a knife inserted comes out clean.
Applesauce Chocolate Chip Loaf
Wonderful cake for holiday eating and for holiday giving as well. It’s a cake made of a luscious mixture of glazed chocolate chips, pecans, raisins, applesauce and spice - everything good for good eating - and it’s easy to make, too.
1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup shortening*
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
thick sweetened canned applesauce*
½ cup dark seedless raisins
½ cup chopped pecans
1 package (6 oz.) glazed chocolate chips
* With vegetable shortening, use 1 cup applesauce. With butter, use ¾ cup applesauce. Do not use margarine.
Sift together flour, soda, salt, and spices. Cream shortening, gradually add sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Then add flour mixture alternately with applesauce in small amounts, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in raisins, nuts and half of the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into 9x5x3-inch loaf pan which had been lined on bottom with wax paper. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top of batter. Bake in slow oven (325 degrees) about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake, wrap in foil, and store overnight. Cake cuts better the next day.
Chocolate Cream Fudge
2 cups sugar
1 cup light cream
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped Brazil nuts
Mix the sugar, cream, chocolate and confectioners sugar together in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and cook without stirring until mixture forms a soft ball in cold water, or candy thermometer. Beat by hand until mixture is thick and still glossy. Add ¾ cup Brazil nuts and continue beating until mixture begins to lose its shine. Pour into an 8x8x2-inch buttered pan. Top with remaining Brazil nuts. Chill. Cut into squares. Makes about 1½ pounds of candy.
Fudge Frosting
3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
1½ teaspoons vanilla
Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt, milk and chocolate in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. (Mixture will look grainy until final beating.) Continue cooking until mixture forms a very soft ball in cold water (or to a temperature of 232 to 234 degrees), stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla without stirring and cool until the bottom of the saucepan feels lukewarm (or to a temperature of 110 degrees), about 1 hour. Then beat until frosting is smooth, creamy and barely holds it shape. Spread quickly on cake. (If frosting stiffens during spreading, beat in a small amount of hot milk or water. Makes about 2½ cups, or enough frosting for the tops and sides of two 8-inch layers.
Baked Apples ala Mode
6 medium cooking apples
½ cup light or dark corn syrup
½ cup water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Core apples and peel upper half. Place in shallow baking dish. Combine corn syrup, eater and cinnamon; pour over apples. Bake in 350 degrees (moderate) oven until apples are tender, about an hour. Serve warm or cold topped with ice cream. Makes 6 servings.
“(NCR) President Patterson has always insisted that the first rule of health is to have good ancestors.” -
A. A. Thomas, The NCR, May 1904
Chewy Cherry Brownies
3 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
½ cup shortening
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sifted enriched flour
1 can (3½ oz.) flaked coconut
18 candied cherries, cut in half
In top of double broiler melt together chocolate and shortening. Cool to lukewarm. Grease 9x13-inch pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In mixing bowl beat together eggs and salt until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating until light. Blend in cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour and beat well. Fold in coconut. Turn into pan, spreading evenly. Press cherry halves into batter, cut side down, about one inch apart. bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. When cool, cut into 36 bars. Store in loosely covered container.
Saucy Apple Dumplings
Time to revive a popular dessert - apple dumplings. Those that mother used to make had whole apples baked in a pastry wrap. Here’s a new treatment using flaky biscuit to create apple roll dumplings.
With their apple richness and spicy sauce, apple roll dumplings are sure to be in demand as long as apples are in season and that’s most of the year. (Recipe for Cinnamon Candy sauce follows after this recipe- Editor)
2 cups sifted enriched flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons shortening
½ to ¾ cup milk
½ cup brown sugar
4 medium apples
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut or rub in shortening. Add milk to make a soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured board and knead gently one-half minute. Roll into rectangular sheet about one-eighth inch thick. Pare and core apples and chop coarsely. Spread evenly over dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Roll up like jelly roll and seal edge. Cut into two-inch slices. Place in greased baking pan. Pour one cup Cinnamon Candy sauce over slices in pan. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) 40 minutes. Makes 8 dumplings.
Cinnamon Candy Sauce
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup red cinnamon candies
2½ cups water
Mix together cornstarch and brown sugar. Add candies and water. Cook until clear and thickened, stirring constantly. Serve warm or cold over dumplings. Makes enough sauce for 8 servings, one-fourth cup each.
Return to "Delicious Recipes and Food For Thought" Home Page
