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Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts

24 July 2014

Summer Recipe: Cool Fake Watermelon Cheesecake

Photo provided by Family Features --  Serve up a hot Fourth of July with fun treats, clockwise, from left, Cool Watermelon Cheesecake; Red, White and Blue Treat Pops and Sweet Sliders.
Photo: Family Features 

From Denny:  This is such a fun colorful cheesecake to make that is sure to impress for any special holiday or occasion!  While it looks like watermelon it's really a strawberry flavored cheesecake supported by a delicious coconut and pistachio crumble crust that imitates the watermelon rind.  How clever is that?  And you know it sure tastes better than the rind. :) To imitate the look of the watermelon seeds you garnish the cheesecake with mini chocolate chips.  

The beauty of this cheesecake is that you don't have to bake it.  Everything is done on the stove top and then chilled.  Well, I'm sold; ready to start cooking?  

With some extra effort - on a slow lazy weekend when you have some time - this might be fun to make in small mini cheesecakes.  It could be one of those special treats you can pull out at the last minute when unexpected company shows up for a visit and you don't have the time to stop and shop. 

You could probably freeze this cheesecake (the large or the mini versions) before garnishing with the mini chocolate chips, especially if you are only cooking for two and just can't eat an entire cheesecake.  I wouldn't freeze it with the chocolate chips as chocolate tends to get an unattractive bloom on it when frozen and then thawed.  It's your call.  I often freeze cheesecakes I make as we like smaller portions at our house  to control the calories and because we find cheesecake so rich a dessert.  Sometimes I freeze cheesecake in well wrapped slices or take the time to make the smaller tart size.

Kid Friendly Recipe:  This recipe would be fun to do with older children to help teach them more about cooking.  They could easily help make the crust and help mix the cream cheese mixture.  You would have to supervise the stove top cooking of the frozen strawberries and dealing with the red food coloring as that could get quite messy. :)  But kids could help sprinkle the gelatin over the pan of cooked strawberries and help you stir until dissolved.  You might want to be the one to add the red food coloring and let them stir it into the mixture.  Kids are definitely up to helping decorate with the mini chocolate chips - though you may find quite a few missing before they land on the cheesecake!



Retro Sunburst 17" Laptop Sleeve
Check out this happy design and a blast from the retro past - Available in other sizes, also in bedding and much more!
From Louisiana artist Denny Lyon
Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new! 

25 January 2012

Unusual 2 Tasty: Chocolate Pudding In The Raw


RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine


Unusual 2 Tasty: Chocolate Pudding In The Raw: From Denny: There are devoted fans of the raw food diet. While not everyone can partake of this lifestyle there are many recipes anyone can enjoy. This Raw Chocolate Pudding is one of them - and so easy and quick to make!

Who doesn't love the taste pairing of chocolate and coconut? An added bonus is that in place of refined sugar the recipe uses agave nectar which is far superior on the glucose meter for diabetes and others sensitive to sugar.

The raw food diet, and this very simple and quick version of chocolate pudding, may seem unusual but it sure is tasty!
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23 October 2009

Videos and Recipes: Italy's Chocolate Bread Parfait, Chocolate Caramel Banana Upside Down Cake, Chocolate Coconut Bread

From Denny: Once you have seen the video, you see how beautiful that bread looks soaked in chocolate to the point you might think it started off as chocolate bread, wow! Another winner of an easy recipe from Lidia!



*** Note: I have the pasta recipes on this video parked over at another food blog: Unusual 2 Tasty, go here.

Chocolate bread parfait (pane di cioccolato al cucchiaio)

Chef shares authentic, regional tastes of Italy in her new cookbook

From: "Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy" by Lidia Bastianich
Makes: 6 servings

This recalls for me the chocolate-and-bread sandwiches that sometimes were my lunch, and always a special treat. And it is another inventive way surplus is used in Umbrian cuisine, with leftover country bread serving as the foundation of an elegant layered dessert. Though it is soaked with chocolate and espresso sauce and buried in whipped cream, the bread doesn’t disintegrate, and provides a pleasing textural contrast in every heavenly spoonful.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8 ounces country-style white bread, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl set in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. When the chocolate begins to melt, stir until completely smooth. Keep it warm, over the water, off the heat.

Slice the bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and lay them flat in one layer, close together, on the tray or baking sheet.

Pour the warm espresso into a spouted measuring cup, stir in the rum and sugar until sugar dissolves, then stir in half the melted chocolate. Pour the sauce all over the bread slices, then flip them over and turn them on the tray, to make sure all the surfaces are coated. Let the bread absorb the sauce for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks form, by hand or with an electric mixer.

To assemble the parfaits: Break the bread into 1-inch pieces. Use half the pieces to make the bottom parfait layer in the six serving glasses, dropping an equal amount of chocolatey bread into each. Scrape up some of the unabsorbed chocolate sauce that remains on the baking sheet, and drizzle a bit over the bread layers. Next, drop a layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using up half the cream. Top the cream layer with toasted almonds, using half the nuts.

Repeat the layering sequence: Drop more soaked bread into each glass, drizzle over it the chocolate sauce from the tray and the remaining melted chocolate. Dollop another layer of whipped cream in the glasses, using it all up, and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of each parfait.

This dessert is best when served immediately while the melted chocolate is still warm and runny.



From Denny: Upside down cakes are so ridiculously easy they are a great introduction for beginner bakers or kids to enjoy success! With autumn here, caramel comes to mind and this is the first recipe I've seen combining the favorite tastes of many into an easy upside down cake. Give it a try in your home this cold weather season!

Chocolate-caramel-banana upside-down cake

From: "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman
Makes: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

Topping:

• 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices

Cake:

• 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2⁄3 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Topping:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch round nonstick pan and dust with flour.

2. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low, and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the banana slices in concentric circles on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.

Cake:

1. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is light and increased in volume, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

4. With the mixer on low, stir in 1⁄3 of the flour mixture. Stir in 1⁄2 of the buttermilk. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the batter on high speed for 30 seconds.

5. Pour the batter over the bananas, gently spreading it into an even layer.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand for 5 minutes. Holding the pan and a plate together with oven mitts, immediately invert the hot cake onto the plate. If necessary, replace any fruit stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Let the cake cool for 20 minutes and serve warm, or serve at room temperature.

TIPS

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper, or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.



From Denny: I've always loved to bake bread in the cold winter months. The smell of baking bread wafting through the house is nothing short of heavenly! Surely, Heaven must smell like warm chocolate chip cookies and baking bread... :)

It's a great video but they never put up the recipe online. (Makes you want to growl a perfectly intoned unhappy grrrr...) If you already know how to bake sweet bread, just add the chocolate chunks and fresh shaved coconut. But, hey! The video ends up looking like funny slapstick, unintentionally, as the news crew was getting punchy at the end of their day, so I put it up here. Also, you get a chance to see the finished product and see if you want to purchase the baker's new cookbook with the recipe in it. Either way, it's still informative and entertaining!

20 October 2009

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Macaroons



Photo by Kraft Food

From Denny: Killer combination here of white and dark chocolate, coconut and pecans make the perfect cookie! Park this in your holiday recipe file for quick easy crowd pleasers.

From: Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 27 min
Makes: About 2 dozen cookies or 24 servings

Ingredients:

2 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate, chopped
2 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
1 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans (or buy local for freshest)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Microwave unsweetened chocolate and milk in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

STIR in remaining ingredients. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto greased baking sheets.

BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Immediately remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Size-Wise


Sweets can add enjoyment to a balanced diet, but remember to keep tabs on portions.

Storage Know-How

Store in tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

30 June 2009

Recipe: Hot Fudge Coconut Pudding



From Denny: We all know and love the folks over at the Hershey's Chocolate kitchens! As a child I learned to bake from their simple recipes and have been loving chocolate ever since. Are you as big a fan of chocolate and coconut as I am? Usually, when coconut is in a recipe I reduce the sugar level - here I would only use 1/3 cup as opposed to what the recipe calls for: 2/3 cup. Your sweetness level is your choice; some folks like things really sweet.



Hershey's Chocolate Cookbook

(Featured in the Romancing The Chocolate Amazon store, just click on the title. Found dozens of various Hershey chocolate cookbooks. These guys have been busy over the years! I have several of their books on my shelves.)

Hot Fudge Coconut Pudding

From:Hershey’s Chocolate Treasury: A Special Collection From America’s Chocolate Authority”

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 (3-1/8-oz.) pkg. vanilla pudding and pie filling mix, not the instant mix variety

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1-1/2 cups boiling water

Vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in large mixing bowl.

2. Blend in milk, oil and vanilla. Stir in nuts.

3. Spread in greased 8-inch square pan or 1-1/2-quart shallow baking dish.

4. Combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, dry pudding and pie filling mix and coconut; sprinkle over batter.

5. Carefully pour boiling water over mixture; do not stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; serve warm with vanilla ice cream.


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05 June 2009

Recipe: Easy 7 Layer Cookie Bars



From Denny: The kids can help you make these easy cookie bars! Great for the weekend; make ahead, freeze, then pull out when you need them. Nothing could be easier!

Some folks call these “hello dollies.” For a change, substitute peanut butter chips and peanuts for the butterscotch chips and pecans. - Meridith Ford Goldman


Hands on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: Makes 40 bars


Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

1 (12-ounce) package milk chocolate chips

1 (12-ounce) package butterscotch chips

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Spray sides of 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. Pour butter into pan. Sprinkle crumbs evenly on butter, then pat them down to even out. Sprinkle semisweet, milk chocolate and butterscotch chips evenly over crumbs. Sprinkle with coconut, then nuts. Pour milk over layers. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until mixture bubbles and browns on top. Let cool on a rack; cut into squares.

Nutrition:

Per serving:
263 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 3 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 14 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 19 milligrams cholesterol, 70 milligrams sodium.

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10 March 2009

Recipe: Chocolate Banana Coconut Cream Pie

What’s the tantalizing secret to this cream pie? A chocolate layer is spread over the pie shell like a hidden secret under piles of banana slices and fluffy coconut filling. This is a fast filling for the convenience oriented so this pie comes together quickly, chilling for about four hours.

Tomorrow: Romantic Chocolate Fondue for Two


Chocolate Banana Coconut Cream Pie


Yield:
8 servings

From: Kraft Foods


Ingredients:


2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate

1 Tablespoon milk

1 Tablespoon butter

1 baked pastry shell (9-inch), cooled

2 bananas, sliced

1 ½ cups cold milk

1 package (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

1 ½ cups coconut

1 ½ cups thawed whipped topping

Coconut, toasted


Directions: Microwave chocolate, milk and butter in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread evenly in pastry shell. Arrange banana slices over chocolate.

Pour cold milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups coconut. Spoon over banana slices. Spread whipped topping over pie. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Store leftover pie in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.

Tomorrow: Romantic Chocolate Fondue for Two

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09 January 2009

Recipe: Macaroon Kiss Cookies

Macaroon Kiss cookies

This is a long time favorite cookie here in America! Who doesn't love the wonderful synergistic combination of coconut and chocolate?

Ever since Hawaii became an American state this country has had a love affair with their food products like coconut. Europeans especially love the Hawaii hazelnut and use it extensively in their chocolates.



Ingredients:


1/3 cup butter, softened

3oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

5 cups flaked coconut

Chocolate kisses


Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, gradually add to creamed mixture.

Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover tightly and chill 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1" balls, roll in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.


Remove from oven; immediately top with a chocolate kiss. Let cool on a wire rack.

Note: For other recipes visit my other fun blog:
Comfort Food From Louisiana
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