All about EASY desserts to impress

[Syrah]

Syllabub can be made in advance and in pretty glasses is a very impressive dessert. Google for recipes. I have a lemon one that I like, but I'm not sure what flavours you're going for.

[sickchangeup]

This is my current "goto" easy dessert:

http://aveceric.com/2008/08/08/raspberry-clafouti/

I can literally make it after dinner, especially with a little mis-en-place, or an extra hand, although not even that is necessary.

I've made it probably 5-6 times. I've used stone fruits and berries, most recently lightly cooked cranberries with some sugar and oj. Raw berries are fine, I just cooked the cranberries to remove the tartness. Also, be more careful if you make a single large batch, the cooking and cooking time is much trickier, since this is somewhat like a super easy souffle in a way. I think individual is the way to go.

[sheetz]

Lemon and coffee granita.

[Darienne]

Just re-read this topic from the start and I'm drooling pools on the floor like one of our dogs. So yummy...how can I lose? Thanks, all.

...except that now I have to look up mise-en-place....got it. Great idea. ...learn, learn, learn....

Edited December 12, 2008 by Darienne (log)

[fooey]

Flacoman beat me to Bananas Foster, so simple, so tasty, and elegant too!

http://www.brennansneworleans.com/r_bananasfoster.html

You can't go wrong with french toast and ice cream. Cold french toast is as good as the "just off the griddle" kind, but the warm/cold is just great.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeniee/136091250/

Another fun one is beignets and coffee. It's easy to make the dough before. When ready, heat the oil, cut dough dimonds, and deep fry. Serve with lots of powdered sugar...and coffee! One huge plate is an "ooh, ahh, affair" and it's just a fancy donut!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81226325@N00/475818998/

When strawberries are in season, few things are better or simpler than a big bowl strawberries and a pan of warm, chocolate ganache to dip them. It's best to do it like a fondu event, as dipping them before and refrigerating never turns out quite right.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheezemaster/136242844/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorsten-photography/534777939/

[merstar]

Raspberry, strawberry or mango fools are delicious and easy. They're simply pureed fruit, sweetened with a little sugar, and folded into whipped cream. Served in goblets.

Dark chocolate mousse is great too.

Edited December 13, 2008 by merstar (log)

[Darienne]

Flacoman beat me to Bananas Foster, so simple, so tasty, and elegant too!

 

I'm just now feeling sorry for myself. All the bananas in Moab need at least two days to even be ripe. There IS a great banana conspiracy in the world. I know it.

We'll have lemon cheese pie with a chocolate ganache. We'll survive.

[prasantrin]

prasantrin: Ahh I was thinking of the Chinese mango puddings you get served at Yum Cha/Dim Sum. Those are almost always served with evaporated milk (I like plenty of it!). Is your version similar to the Chinese-style?

On the Chinese episode of Food Safari, another version of mango pudding (the typically Chinese way maybe? Not sure as various yum cha establishments make it differently) was made. No evaporated milk drizzled over this time but there was a gooey centre...YUM.

Check the recipe and video included here

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They won't let me watch the video! I don't understand why I have to be in Australia to watch it online--or at least not in Japan. Maybe other countries can watch it, just not mine!

But my mango pudding is like the ones at dim sum, but much richer and mango-y. I actually don't like dim sum mango puddings, because my first experience with mango pudding was my own, and it's so much better!

[Shelby]

I made a rum cake yesterday using a cake mix.

It

is

sooooooo

good

and it's EASY.

I got the recipe from a friend in an email.

Rum Cake 350 50-60 min.

Prepare a 12 cup bundt pan (Pam) and sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans evenly on the bottom.

Mix Together

1 Pkg Yellow Cake Mix (Duncan Hines)

1 sm pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix.

4 Eggs

1/2 cup Water

1/2 cup Oil

1/2 cup Dark Rum

Pour into prepared pan and bake.

Remove from oven - cool 5 minutes

Carefully pour HOT Glaze over cake while still in the pan using all but 1/2 cup (approx) glaze.

Cool 10 minutes and then turn cake onto platter. Pour remaining glaze over the top of the cake and on any place that seems dry.

Glaze

1 Stick Butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup Sugar

1/4 cup water

Bring to a boil and boil gently, stirring often 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/3 cup dark rum.

--------------------------

I doubled the glaze--you don't have to, but it makes it all the more yummy!

[Eden]

Raspberry, strawberry or mango fools are delicious and easy. They're simply pureed fruit, sweetened with a little sugar, and folded into whipped cream. Served in goblets.

Dark chocolate mousse is great too.

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Black currant foole is my absolute favorite, and so lovely with that dark lavendar colour...

[gregnz]

How about Fat Guy's macerated fruit with whipped cream served in a brandy snap cup?

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1078754

Instead of rolling the cooked, caramelised batter into a tube, leave them to set in a muffin tray, and you get individual cups to put the fruit in, then top with cream.

One of my favourite desserts is pannacotta - again in muffin trays. I like a very wobbly, not-too-rich pannacotta. Proportions and method are as follows:

1 milk : 1 cream, then 1g of gelatin per 100mL.

Bring milk and cream to boil, add a little salt, vanilla and sugar to taste (noting that sugar is less perceptable at higher temperatures. Sprinkle gelatin over, using a sieve, and stir to combine. Add flavourings and allow to seep. Strain out (or not) flavourings* and pour in to non-stick muffin trays and allow to set in fridge.

I know that conventional wisdom says that you have to use leaf gelatin for a good result - but I have had far worse pannacotta that those that I make.

*last time's was grated root ginger and star anise, served with an intense dark chocolate sauce.

[LizD518]

Fat Guy: Ahh those. I'll probably have to settle with my electric mixer...for now. Not only am I a poor student, but I'm saving money for my o'seas trip so that'll have to wait (and damn it to the recession!).

Do you prefer to have the fruits & cream served in small individual dishes for everyone or in a single large bowl with people spooning portions onto their plates?

LizD518: Mmm crispppp! Sorry I just like that word.

What kind of texture am I looking at for the topping?

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You're looking or a kind of sandy / pebbley texture, like when you are cutting butter into flour for pie crust, before adding the water.

[John DePaula]

Poaching pears in wine and port is a good one too :-)

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Yes, I do that one, too. Very impressive and so simple. I love it and yes, even my VEGAN friends enjoy it.

[LoneSavant]

I love doing a semifreddo for a quick dessert.

I just fold equal masses of french meringue with whipped cream, flavor it with whatever I feel (the most recent one I served was saffron-and-vanilla bean), freeze it (either individually or in a large mold), and then top it with something (I topped the saffron one with vanilla-poached apples).