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We Need a Light, Refreshing Dessert


Shel_B

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Next week my GF and I are having dinner with friends and they are preparing a heavy meal – prime beef being the main course. We were asked to bring dessert, and Toots is willing to make her exceptional flan, but I’d like something different – I’ve had the flan numerous times. What I’d like is something light, perhaps even a bit acidic (thinking lemon here), or some kind of sorbet or granita. The problem with the frozen desserts is transport – they may not make the trip successfully and I don’t want to underwrite the experiment. Chocolate is something I’d like, but Toots isn’t too interested in chocolate in the evening as it keeps her awake (is there a “decaf” chocolate?)

So, what suggestions are there for a light, refreshing dessert that will travel well and not take too much time to make as our schedule between now and then is very hectic? I’m not much of a baker, so pies, cakes, etc., are not a good choice, although I do make a very nice lemon-poppy seed loaf, which I was thinking might go well with a scoop of store-bought ice cream or sherbet. Not the lightest choice, but acceptable, especially since I make it in a lower-fat version. I was also thinking about making a Parmigiano ice cream, but I’m not sure where the ice cream maker is.

Thanks!

 ... Shel


 

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right-pear.jpgpoached pears? i've served them with slightly sweetened marscapone, and wafer biscuits. Edited by tug (log)

Peter: You're a spy

Harry: I'm not a spy, I'm a shepherd

Peter: Ah! You're a shepherd's pie!

- The Goons

live well, laugh often, love much

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You could always do something like the fresh fruit that Soba suggested, or any other fruit, or tasty liqueur, or good sauce, and/or Pepperidge Farm cookies and just before you arrive at their house, stop in at a store and pick up some ice cream.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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I second the Key Lime Pie - it's delicious, refreshing, and very easy to make.

Also, here's something to check out from my to-try list:

CHILLED LIME-COCONUT PIE WITH MACADAMIA-COCONUT CRUST

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chilled-Lime-Coconut-Pie-with-Macadamia-Coconut-Crust-101823

Another suggestion - this is excellent:

MELONS WITH GINGER SYRUP

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/melons_ginger_syrup.aspx

Edited by merstar (log)
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
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fresh melon granita

if you have fresh melon that has a lot of fragrance where you live

look for galia melons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galia_%28melon%29

you cuisinart the melons. test for sugar add a little bit of fresh lime and place in a shallow pan in the freezer

you 'comb' it with a fork to get fine ice crystals and put it back in the freezer etc

eventually you scoop in a frozen glass

melons must be Tip Top!

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If you put Gran Marnier in SobaAddict's suggestion, and served w softly whipped cream, you have Strawberries Romanov, which sounds very classy indeed.

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

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There are also light, fresh approaches to "shortcake" type things that can be topped with the macerated fruits mentioned above. I have an excellent recipe for a lemon cornmeal shortcake which I'll stick in the RecipeGullet in a moment.

Even though you say you're not much of a baker, it's such an easy and stress-free cake that I teach it to young kids wanting to learn baking basics....

Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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I'd make the mango pudding recipe I have in the recipe forum (unless it was purged in the move from recipe gullet), but to make it lighter, I'd use milk instead of cream, or for at least half the cream. It's not a pudding pudding since it's made with gelatin, but it's pudding-esque.

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After a hefty meal of prime rib or steak, how about thinking of light or small portions of something to nibble on?

- port with some great chocolates, like Recchiuti chocolates.

- port with stilton and crackers.

- another special dessert wine with toasted nuts and some high-quality dried fruit (like those big extra-fancy dried apricots).

- I like the fresh fruit ideas, especially the poached pears. Sometimes I wonder how well citrus goes as a dessert for a traditional beef main course, though.

If you want citrus, oranges are still in the markets. You could slice up naval or blood oranges on a platter, and serve them with dates. The organic Medjool dates sold at WF around here are especially good. I like to stuff the dates with mascarpone and top them with toasted pinenuts or a toasted almond.

A strawberry rhubarb cobbler or crisp? Strawberry season has begun, and I would guess rhubarb is available also. (I don't remember seeing rhubarb the last time I was at the market, but then, I wasn't looking for it, either.) You could garnish it with a little whipped cream. This is a yummy Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from Joanne Weir. A friend brought it to a potluck and told me people loved it.

Here: http://www.joanneweir.com/recipes/desserts/strawberry-rhubarb-crisp.html

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Eton Mess would be nice. Macerated strawberries or raspberries folded into softly whipped cream, and stirred up with broken crumbled meringues (store-bought ones are fine for this purpose). I also like crumbling amaretti cookies on top before saving.

Or cranachan, a Scottish dessert of raspberries, cream, honey, whisky and oats.

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After a heavy meal, I usually do supremes of oranges (mix of blood, cara cara, and navel if you can get them) with simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar) with triple sec or grand marnier added. I serve them in clear glasses or on dessert plates with softly whipped cream (really softly whipped, like still pourable) and sprinkle over finely chopped dark chocolate and slivers of toasted almonds. The cream and chocolate add just enough substance to make it a dessert, but it's still really light. And if you've got one of those pesky people who are dieting, you can leave off the whipped cream and the dessert is actually pretty healthy.

Let us know what you end up making!

If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry? ~Author Unknown

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If you can get your hands on some top-notch strawberries, drizzling them with a little balsamic vinegar (use the good stuff!), and a little finely ground black pepper, is light and complex, simple and elegant, and easy and quick to make (there's no recipe, as such you just use the amount of balsamic and pepper that seem right to you); with a very little care, the ingredients are easily transported.

A few chocolates about would be good for those who have a little extra capacity to fill :smile:

Michaela, aka "Mjx"
Manager, eG Forums
mscioscia@egstaff.org

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There are also light, fresh approaches to "shortcake" type things that can be topped with the macerated fruits mentioned above. I have an excellent recipe for a lemon cornmeal shortcake which I'll stick in the RecipeGullet in a moment.

Even though you say you're not much of a baker, it's such an easy and stress-free cake that I teach it to young kids wanting to learn baking basics....

After reading that recipe, I must say it does look excellent. And interesting. I'm definitely going to put it on my "to do" list.

Thanks for posting it.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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No worries! It's one of the most popular cakes at my bakery.

I am going to make your "popular cake", exactly when I don't know, but I am not familiar with quinua flour

Is there a substitute?

Thanks

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If you can get your hands on some top-notch strawberries, drizzling them with a little balsamic vinegar (use the good stuff!), and a little finely ground black pepper, is light and complex, simple and elegant, and easy and quick to make (there's no recipe, as such you just use the amount of balsamic and pepper that seem right to you); with a very little care, the ingredients are easily transported.

A few chocolates about would be good for those who have a little extra capacity to fill :smile:

Good idea ... I've done that before, in fact, I even have a little perfume sprayer for misting the strawberries. When I did that last time, I used a 75yo balsamic. Mmmmmmm

Thanks for the reminder!

 ... Shel


 

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right-pear.jpgpoached pears? i've served them with slightly sweetened marscapone, and wafer biscuits.

Nice idea, although good, local pears are not yet available. We only buy local, in season, and organic. But I like the idea ... Thanks.

 ... Shel


 

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No worries! It's one of the most popular cakes at my bakery.

I am going to make your "popular cake", exactly when I don't know, but I am not familiar with quinua flour

Is there a substitute?

Thanks

You can substitute your regular wheat flour or use amaranth flour if you can find it. Quinua flour is dirt common down here, where quinua is a staple grain and has been used in breadmaking and baking for millenia. I keep forgetting it's a rare commodity up North.

Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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Wow! I'm so happy! It's a great dessert -- and I do recommend pouring a touch of cream over the set jello. The last time I made it, I cut the alcohol content by using 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay and 1/2 bottle of a "cooking grape juice" called ver juice or something like that. I cut the sugar to 1/4 cup bc of the sugar content in the juice.

Hope it's a hit & that you have a lovely dinner!

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