Some might remember when I was looking for ideas

O

orchid

Well-known member
for something to take to the Condo meeting after we moved in. I made the coffee cake which was a huge hit and each month I have made something that John takes over with him. So now people ask all the time if I’ll be sending something or can’t wait to see what I’ll make. It doesn’t take much to make these old loner’s happy. Anyway, they have been out for the summer and I thought it would be fun to make these sugar cookie and fruit tacos. The cookie was a disaster! Now I need to figure out something else. Here’s the link to the tacos so you can see what I was trying to make.

http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/fruit-dessert/sugar-cookie-fresh-fruit-tacos.html

http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/fruit-dessert/sugar-cookie-fresh-fruit-tacos.html

 
orchid, I think these are more suited to last minute assembly. Don't think they will hold up well

overnight. I think you could do all the prep ahead and then assemble the next day, just before sending them to the board meeting.

 
How about Rec: Fruit Pizza

Similar components to your fruit tacos. You could make the "pizza dough aka cookie crust" the day before and then spread with the filling and top with the fruit before sending it to the board meeting. It's quite tasty and something different.

Fruit Pizza
Makes 1 fruit pizza

A cookie dough crust, cream cheese filling, and fruit topping. Tip: For a quick crust, you may use one package of ready made sugar cookie dough rolled out to fit a pizza pan. (Pat's note: I made the dough.) Use your own assortment of fresh fruit such as bananas, peaches, blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, and strawberries.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in eggs. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan. (I used a cookie sheet.)
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust. Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill. Makes 1 fruit pizza

Source: MariaD

Maria's Note's: To ensure the pizzas wouldn't get mushy I prepped everything the night before, but didn't assemble til about an hour before we left. Also, to make this easy to transport I slid each pizza on a 12-inch round cake cardboard, covered with plastic wrap and I was good to go. Everyone loved this and you didn't need plates or utensils - I'm going to make this again for a beach party. It was too easy. For the 4th of July I made this with strawberries and blueberries that I decorated as a red star on a field of blue and since I double this making two pizzas I did the reverse also. For the two, I used one small basket of strawberries sliced and one and a half pints of blueberries.

Pat’s question: I don't have a round pizza pan should I just shape it round on a rectangular cookie sheet or break down and spend the $$ and get a round jobbie?

Maria’s note: Me neither - I just shaped it round on a cookie sheet - came out about 10-12". Also since I was taking them someplace, I talked the lady at the bakery section of the grocery store to let me buy a few of the cardboard rounds so I didn't have to go to the cake supply store. Slid the pizzas on that and covered with plastic wrap - worked perfect.

Dia/OKC’s notes: Divine! My only tweak was to add the zest of an orange to the cream cheese mixture, and everyone was full of compliments over it. I used nectarines, strawberry slices, and blueberries. Heavenly! Used the refrigerated cookie dough and it was just perfect. And, strictly for research purposes because someone at the Swap asked how far in advance you can make 'em, I had the last slice for breakfast the following day (a good 14 hours after I assembled it) and it was still mighty delicious. The crust was the slightest bit flexible ... but yum, yum! The fruit was fine and the cream cheese mixture just heavenly! The E-Z Foil disposal aluminum pans (3 to a pack) work well (they’re about 12-inch diameter).

lmm's note: I am interested in doing this as a dessert for a picnic, but would have to assemble it at least 5 hours in advance. Do you think it would get too mushy in that amount of time? Maria’s answer: It should be okay if kept in a cooler. Mine was in the cooler or fridge for about 4 hours and was fine -so I think you'll be ok.

 
Yeah, that's what I figured. As Amanda said a few days ago..."if

you have to ask, you probably already know the answer". Drat. I really don't want to do it in the morning. Oh well. Thanks Pat.

 
Whatever I make it needs to be just a very easy pick up from the

table. I put cookies in a basket, or if it's on the messy side, in a muffin liner. This seems like it might be a bit messy. These people are all 75 and up. They just take it and go sit at a table to eat it. But they sure do appreciate whatever I make! Thanks though.

 
Nah, this is just a monthly building meeting for everyone in our

building. This is a HUGE Condo complex! Although, the president of our building just died 2 weeks ago. He was just sitting at my table one morning 4 days before. 85, sweetest guy I have ever met! He was at the pool with his wife and just died while in the water. So they really are looking for someone to take the job over. I don't us to do it because we just haven't been here long enough. They are just all so old that it really might be a problem.

 
These chocolate dipped cheesecake strawberries looks fabulous - I'm making them next week

Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 10

Ingredients

1 pint strawberries
1/2 bag chocolate chips
8 oz. cream cheese
1 T. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
sliced almonds (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the strawberries. Then, slice the bottom point off the strawberry, so that it can stand up straight. Next, pluck the stem off. Using a paring knife or strawberry huller, scoop out the top to make room for the cheesecake.

2. This is the most important step…dry off the strawberries individually with paper towels. If the strawberries are wet, the chocolate will not stick.

3. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or microwave. (Note: if using a microwave, only melt it in 20-second increments to make sure it doesn’t burn). I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips.

4. Line a cookie sheet (that will fit in your freezer) with waxed paper or a Silpat. Dip the bottom half of each strawberry into the melted chocolate and place on the lined pan. Once the pan is full, place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.

5. While the chocolate is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk, until smooth. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk.

6. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, scoop it into a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Remove the strawberries from the freezer and pipe in the cheesecake filling. Top with a slivered almond and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

http://www.zestuous.com/2011/06/chocolate-dipped-cheesecake-filled-strawberries/

 
Or these Cookie dough cheesecake bars

Cookie dough cheesecake bars

Yields: 16 bars

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling:

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

2. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the crust into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.

3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. On low speed, mix in the flour until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

4. To make the cheesecake filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Spread the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps, using all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.

5. Bake 28-30 minutes, until the top cookie dough layer feels dry and firm and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature.

http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/06/08/cookie-dough-cheesecake-bars/

 
I've been seeing a renewed interest (and recipes) for fools -the dessert...not the man-on-the-street

It's just basically pudding lightened with whipped cream and layered with more whipped cream and stewed fruit. I would serve it in individual clear cups with a spoon stuck in it - easy to make ahead - easy to serve - and neat.

This one looks especially good, although I would try strawberry or peach instead of rhubarb:


In Nigel Slater’s newest book, Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard (the companion to last year’s vegetable-heavy Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Garden), the beloved British food writer tackles cooking with fruit. The book’s release is timed well: Crimson stalks of rhubarb are sprouting and are the star of Slater’s rhubarb fool, an easy dessert. To make it, Slater cooks the tart stalks in sugar and water before folding the tender rhubarb into whipped cream and custard. To finish, the barely sweet dessert is drizzled with the brilliant pink poaching liquid. Whether we’re joining Slater in pulling up our own rhubarb or stopping by the market to buy some, we’re down with fooling around.

Rhubarb Custard Fool with Rhubarb Syrup
Recipe adapted from Ripe, Nigel Slater (Ten Speed Press)

Yield: Serves 6

Cook Time: 40 minutes, plus 1 hour, 30 minutes cooling time

INGREDIENTS
Fool-
14 ounces rhubarb stalks (about 6 large stalks), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Custard-
3½ cups heavy cream, divided
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon superfine or granulated sugar


DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb with the water and sugar. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the softened stalks from the syrup; set the stalks aside. Pour the syrup into a container and refrigerate.
2. Make the custard: In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, add 2½ of the cream and vanilla bean. Just before the mixture begins to boil, remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks turn pale in color, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour the warm cream over the eggs; discard the vanilla bean and stir to combine. Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of cream until it forms soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold 1 cup of the cooled custard into the whipped cream; reserve the rest of the custard for another use. Add the cooked rhubarb and fold in gently, so that the fruit forms pale pink streaks through the custard and cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then spoon into glasses and serve, pouring a little of the reserved rhubarb syrup over each portion.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/cheezz%20-%20desserts/fool.jpg

 
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