Candida Diet Friendly Desserts

Although the words diet and dessert aren't typically the best partners, it is possible to enjoy some sweet treats while sticking to a candida diet. It is true that sugar and white flour are still foods to avoid, but there are carefully crafted candida dessert recipes designed to keep your body on track, fighting off candida overgrowth.

Studies have shown that people tend to fail on overly restrictive diets because they cannot stick to the plans long term. It may be possible to muster up the will power to succeed for a couple of weeks or even a couple of months, but soon the cravings start calling and it is important to have healthy alternatives to satisfy your desire.

Desserts

However, the fact remains that sugar and white flour feed candida overgrowth. Even in small amounts of foods containing these items can trigger symptom flare-ups and make life miserable, making a sugar splurge hardly worth it.

Candida Diet Friendly Desserts

The great thing is that once you start cutting back on processed foods, refined carbohydrates and excess sugars, your intense cravings for these foods will subside. Yet it may be unlikely that you will never desire another dessert again. After all, something sweet is an excellent end to a delicious meal and a perfect pairing to a cup of gourmet coffee or tea.

The key to sticking with a candida diet while enjoying dessert is to find recipes that do not promote candida growth. Many people have had success utilizing artificial sweeteners to get their sweet fix without ingesting sugar. However, certain sweeteners have earned a bad reputation and can cause side effects or even illness.

One sweetener that seems to stand above the rest in that it cooks and bakes well and does not appear to cause the same reaction as other artificial sweeteners is Stevia. This plant-derived extract has nearly 300 times the sweetness of sugar, so a little goes a long way. Stevia is popular now, because not only does it not spike blood glucose but also medical studies have shown it may treat conditions like obesity and high blood pressure.

So Stevia may be a way to have something sweet without feeding the candida like sugar does. Using it as an additive to shakes, puddings and cheesecakes, means you can experience real dessert while sticking to your candida diet plan.

Below are some dessert ideas to get you started:

Crustless Peanut Butter Pie

Combine equal parts of sugar-free natural peanut butter and cream cheese and then mix in whipped heavy whipping cream to provide a lighter texture. Sweeten with Stevia to taste. Pour into a pie pan or bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

Frozen Chocolate Pudding Dessert

Mix a package of sugar-free instant chocolate pudding (4-serving size), 1.5 cups milk, and 1 cup whipping cream. Add a small amount of stevia to taste. Pour into a pan, cover and freeze for at least four hours. Remove from freezer approximately 1 hour prior to serving.

Berries and Cream

Select fresh or frozen berries and pour heavy whipping cream on top. Add a small amount of Stevia and vanilla extract to taste. If the berries are frozen the whipping cream will freeze, creating a delicious, ice cream-like dessert.

Just because you are living with a candida condition does not mean you can't enjoy a dessert from time to time. Treat yourself on special occasions and when a major craving calls and you will be less likely to binge on damaging processed, sugary desserts.

Candida Diet Friendly Desserts

To learn more about candida diet, candida desserts and candida recipes, visit Candida Solutions.

Delicious Desserts

A "Dessert" is a meal course that usually comes after dinner. Most often Dessert foods are of sweet food but can also be of a strongly flavored food, such as cheese, like cheese cake. The world dessert comes from the Old French word "desservir", which means 'to clear the table'. Often times in the English language dessert is confused with the word desert(note only one "s"), which is a baren piece of land normally with sand as soil.

It wasn't until after the 19th-century where the rise of the middle class, and the mechanization of the sugar industry, brought the privilege of sweets into the general public and unreserved it exclusively for the aristocracy, or as rare holiday treat. This was because sugar became cheaper and more readily available to the general public. As sugar was widely spread, so was the development and popularity of desserts.

Desserts

In today's culture dessert recipes [http://www.dessert-1.com] have become a popular item for discussion, as they are a winning way to win people over at the end of any meal. This is partly because if you serve a mediocre meal, with an excellent dessert, people will remember you for the dessert and forget about the meal.

Delicious Desserts

Most cultures, have a separate final distinction between the main course, and the sweet course. This is not true however in some cultures such as Chinese, who will mix in sweet and savoury dishes throughout the entire meal. Dessert is, often times seen as a separate meal or snack, rather than a course, and can be eaten some time after the meal by many individuals. Because of it's wide spread popularity there are even some restaurants that specialize in desserts.

Some of the most common desserts are:

- Biscuits or cookies

- Ice creams

- Meringues

- Fruit

- Cakes

- Crumbles

- Custards

- Gelatin desserts

- Puddings

- Pastries

- Pies or tarts

Delicious Desserts

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Desserts in Puerto Rican Style

Desserts in Puerto Rico mostly comprise of a type of flan or egg custard. Just as usual in the Puerto Rican flag is a slice of guava jelly with white cheese (queso blanco). Chefs seize the abundant produce of fruits in Puerto Rico and make several desserts, which include banana flan, orange layer cake, guava mousse, and coconut flan. The tastiest dessert could be a freshly made fruit cocktail. Pumpkin grows abundantly in Puerto Rico so it is not just consumed as a side vegetable and used to spice up soup, but to create as well the luscious base of a popular cake in Puerto Rico. In the same way, sweet potato is both being consumed as a side vegetable and used to make a local sweet potato cake.

The most generally used ingredient in a Puerto Rican dessert is almost certainly coconut. A lot of scrumptious sweets are concocted with coconut milk or what they call leche de coco, such as coconut cake, coconut and rum flan, coconut rice and coconut ice cream. One more traditional product is boudin de pasas con coco or coco bread pudding.

Desserts

Jams and jellies are quite popular in Puerto Rico. Helping in a number of creations are both the sweet and sour guavas, including guava jelly, guava paste, guava pudding and guava shells in syrup. Papayas are also created as jams or desserts with cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar. A mango dessert is prepared with almost identical ingredients. Mangoes could be an additive for mamey preserve or could be eaten uncooked.

Desserts in Puerto Rican Style

Desserts in Puerto Rican Style

Pollux Parker is an adventurer who loves discovering secret island getaways in each country he visits. Pollux also likes to collect Puerto Rican flag and buy Puerto Rican flag.

Desserts - Dessert Ideas For Parties

Technology is a wonderful thing and when it is translated into consumer products life gets just a little bit easier. So, you may be wondering why I start off talking about technology. Well, a few years ago I saw a chocolate fountain advertised. At the time I could not really afford it, but my darling husband, knowing what a dedicated cook I am, got me one for my birthday. Yeah! It became the hit of my dessert table when I started the dark chocolate flowing and put our a platter full of fruit and cake chunks for dipping. It was so popular that all the other buffet tables were forgotten. I actually had to turn it off to get people to eat the main meal.

Now, you can purchase a small chocolate fountain for around twenty dollars. A great investment and a crowd pleaser for any party. Set out a tray of fruit, cut into bite size pieces, one inch cubes of pound cake and angel food cake, and don't forget the marshmallows. You can include cookies, pretzels, and even ruffle cut potato chips if you like. There is definitely something about the salt and chocolate combination that is quite satisfying. Try apple slices spread with peanut butter too. Yum.

Desserts

Cakes and pies are always a hit at parties. Try these adaptations that guests can eat with their fingers.

Desserts - Dessert Ideas For Parties

Make pie into 'Tartlets'. Using your favorite pie crust, roll out and cut into 3 inch circles or squares. Place about a tablespoon of pie filling into the center. Brush edges with egg wash, a mixture of beaten egg and a little milk. Place a second cutout on top and seal the edges using the tines of a fork. If you have some fancy engraved cutlery, try using the handle to imprint the design as you seal the crust. Cut a small slit in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake at about 450 degrees until lightly browned, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Turn your favorite cake batter into mini cupcakes. Cupcakes are all the rage lately. Mini cupcakes are no more difficult to make than the normal size ones. You just end up with more of them from the same volume of batter. Bake your favorite cake batter in mini muffin cups. You can usually get these from your market. If you don't have a mini muffin pan, don't worry. I have used a cookie sheet with sides, normally called a jelly roll pan. Just fill the pan with the empty cups, lined up so they are supporting each other. Fill and bake. For a surprise drop a candy kiss or a small piece of fruit into the center of the batter before baking. To Frost, did the mini cupcake, top down, into a bowl of frosting. As you lift it out make a little twisting motion, like you were turning a door knob, and as you turn the little cupcake right side up you should get a little swirl that looks like the swirl on a soft serve ice cream cone. Sprinkle with colored sugar, top with a cherry or any other garnish you like. A tray of these will bring smiles to anyone.

Mini Cheesecake

Ok, who doesn't like cheesecake, please leave the room. Well, just kidding, but these little cakes are so good you may need to double the recipe.

Pick up a box of no-bake cheesecake mix from your grocery. Follow the directions to mix the filling. You can put the crust crumbs aside and use them for something else, like a cream pie, later.
Into a cup cake paper cup place one vanilla wafer cookie. Put about a teaspoon of the custard filling onto the wafer. Place one chocolate kiss candy on top of that then finish filling the cup. Chill until set.

Options: You can replace the chocolate candy with fruit or even nuts, or just make it plain. For a party you could drizzle a little melted chocolate or caramel sauce over the top. Use your imagination. My son likes strawberry, so I use frozen strawberry right out to the freezer and drizzle the top with a little strawberry ice-cream sauce.

These are just a few ideas to help make your next party a dessert lover's dream. Enjoy.

Desserts - Dessert Ideas For Parties

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Desserts

No meal is complete without desserts. A dessert is a type of food that gives the finishing touch to at the end of the meal to make it perfect. The origin of the term is really interesting. The term "desserts" has been derived from Old French term "desservir" which means cleaning the table. Normally the desserts are sweet food. Some desserts like types of cheese have different flavors. The trend to have desserts at the end of the meal is comparatively new in the western culture. If we look back in time, we can see there was always a custom to have nuts and fruits at the end of the meal. It gradually turned into desserts. But sweet dish was comparatively new addition in the list. Common types of deserts are custards, fruits, pudding, biscuits, cookies, cakes, pastries, ice creams, gelatin desserts, pies, sherbets, soufflés, meringues, petits fours and trifles and many more.

Before the development of the sugar industry in the 19th century, sweet used to be out of reach for the middle class. It was a rare holiday delicacy. A sweet dish in the meal was a note of aristocracy at that time. After the sugar industry was mechanized, sugar became cheaper. And, as a result, it gradually took a permanent place in the full course meal. In some cuisine, dessert is not used as a separate part at the end of the meal. In those cuisines, sweet dishes are eaten during the meal. In some cultures the dessert is not at all a part of the meal. They are especially reserved for some special occasions. Desserts are often eaten as separate meal sometime after the meal. But obviously it is done when the setting has a casual tone. In American concept, any sweet dish that follows a meal can be a dessert. Be it milkshake or other drinks, there are many restaurants that are specialized in the domain of desserts.

Desserts

Desserts

Desserts

Dave Fooder runs a premiere exchange recipes network online. Visit his site http://www.cookscentral.com for Fast Free & Easy Cooking Collections and enjoy exchanging recipes.

Vanilla and Rum Sauces Make Holiday Desserts Special

My mother's parents were English and many of the meals she fixed for us reflected this heritage. Christmas dinner was always roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Dessert was always plum pudding with warm sauce. There are many recipes for plum pudding and all are labor intensive. Mom made plum pudding from scratch a few times, but it was so much work she finally bought Crosse and Blackwell pudding imported from England.

The plum pudding was served with warm vanilla or rum sauce. I did not like the rich pudding, so I only ate a spoonful. But I could have eaten an entire bowl of sauce. Mom also served apple pie with warm vanilla sauce. The combination of warm sauce and fresh pie from the oven was heavenly. With a couple of changes the vanilla sauce recipe becomes rum sauce or rum-raisin sauce.

Desserts

I have lightened the recipe by using Splenda Blend for Baking instead of sugar and elminating the half cup of butter in the original recipe. However, I have added a tablespoon of butter for flavor. Warm vanilla and rum sauce turn simple cakes -- vanilla, apple, and spice -- into special desserts. Top frozen waffles with vanilla ice cream and sauce and you have one of the best desserts on the planet. Garnish with a twist of orange peel and fresh mint to make your holiday desserts more festive.

Vanilla and Rum Sauces Make Holiday Desserts Special

WARM VANILLA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Splenda Blend for Baking

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon light salt

2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon butter (no substitutions)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

dash of freshly grated nutmeg

METHOD

Combine the Splenda Blend for Baking, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk in hot water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg. Makes 8 servings.

WARM RUM SAUCE

Omit the vanilla and nutmeg. Make the sauce and remove from heat. Add 2 teaspoons of rum extract.

WARM RUM-RAISIN SAUCE

Omit the vanilla and nutmeg. Add 1/4 cup raisins to the sauce and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons of rum extract.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

Vanilla and Rum Sauces Make Holiday Desserts Special

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Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Before she became a health writer Hodgson was a food writer for the former "Rochester Magazine" in her home town of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. Another revies is posted on the American Hospice Foundation Website under the "School Corner" heading.

Famous Russian Desserts

If you like to learn about famous international desserts and make your own, it might interest you to know a bit about famous Russian desserts. In Russia, desserts are usually served at breakfast or eaten after an entree at dinner.

Pancakes, or blinis, are very popular. You might have tried these with smoked salmon or caviar but in Russia these little buckwheat pancakes are often served with honey, jelly or sour cream. Oladi are like blinis but thicker and more filling. Tvorog is Russian cottage cheese and this is served with berry jam or honey.

Desserts

Pastries are very popular in Russia, especially apple pastries. Syrniki are made with fried cottage cheese and served with jelly, sweet dressings or honey. Russian teacakes are little cookie which are rolled in powdered sugar.

Famous Russian Desserts

How to Adapt Russian Dessert Recipes

You might like to make your own Russian desserts to surprise your family but perhaps you want to tweak the recipes a little. If you enjoy making jello recipes, what about combining it with Russian recipes?

For example, Russians love to eat fruit pastries and you can make your own pastries using jello to hold the fruit topping in place and to add flavor. Try making a strawberry pastry with fresh strawberries in a layer of strawberry jello.

You can also pour jello over Russian cakes to add flavor and texture. Another way to adapt classic Russian recipes is to change what they are served with. Honey is a popular accompaniment to Russian desserts but you can try maple syrup or your favorite ice cream syrup.

Recipe for Authentic Russian Fruit Cake

This delicious recipe is perfect for fruit cake fans. There are various types of fruit cake. Perhaps you enjoy fruit cakes with plenty of nuts and a touch of whiskey or fruit cakes with lots of cherries. This Russian fruit cake contains various fruits and nuts and sherry for flavor. This is an easy fruit cake recipe but you do need to let the fruit stand in the sherry overnight so start this cake recipe a day before you want to bake it.

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sherry
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chopped raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped candied fruits
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

How to make it:

Stir the fruits into 1/2 cup of the sherry and let them stand overnight. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Cream together the butter, spices and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then add the sourdough starter and stir the mixture. Add the almonds and fruit mixture. Sift the salt, baking soda and flour into the sourdough mixture and combine well.

Cover a cake pan with wax paper, and then grease it well with oil. Transfer the cake batter into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until done. Let the cake cool on a wire rack, and then remove the wax paper. Sprinkle the rest of the sherry over the cake.

Famous Russian Desserts

Russian dessert recipes are full of flavor and fun to make. You can adapt classic Russian recipes with modern ingredients like jello. Sometimes you might want to make international desserts for the family and other times make something easy like a chocolate mousse instead, for variety.

We Don't Make the Products We Just Make Great Desserts with Them!

French Ice Cream Sundae Desserts

French ice cream sundaes might include any combination of flavors, sorbets, syrups, nuts and even alcohols. There really is no limit. However, there are some popular combinations that you are quite likely to find on the menu if you visit an ice cream parlor (glacier) in France. These classic sundaes are easy enough to reproduce at home. Add on a fancy French name, and you will have an elegant dessert ready in no time.

If you do decide to serve your dessert with a French touch, do not forget to top it with one or two rolled "cigarette" or fan shaped cookies. Their slightly sweet, crispy crunch is the perfect accompaniment to a cold and rich French sundae.

Desserts

Chocolate Liegeois - Chocolate and vanilla ice creams, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and shaved chocolate.

French Ice Cream Sundae Desserts

Coffee Liegois - This is the same as a chocolate liegeois, except coffee substitutes for the chocolate.

Coupe Antillaise - Here the flavors are supposed to be Caribbean. Many times this means vanilla and rum raisin ice cream, topped with pineapple and whipped cream, but other combinations of rum and fruit are possible.

Coupe Tutti Frutti - A combination of different sorbets (for example, pear, peach, or pineapple) with different fresh fruits (for example, strawberries, grapes, melon, or pineapple), topped with whipped cream and fruit syrup.

Coupe Colonel - Watch out - the colonel has a bite! Lemon sorbet topped with vodka.

Dame Blanche - Just a simple vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The elegance is all in the name.

Peche Melba - This was invented by the renowned French culinary authority, Auguste Escoffier, in testament to his admiration for Nelly Melba, who was a popular turn of the 20th century Australian opera singer. Vanilla ice cream, poached peaches, and raspberry sauce. These days you are likely to find your peche Melba topped with whipped cream as well.

Poire Belle Helene - Another cold dessert inspired by the opera - this one commemorates the presentation in 1864 of La Belle Helene, an operetta by Jacques Offenbach. Vanilla ice cream, poached pears, and chocolate sauce.

Profiteroles - This is not a sundae, but you will find it frequently offered on the menu in a French glacier. Cream puffs are typically filled with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

French Ice Cream Sundae Desserts

Kim Steele publishes Easy French Food, a website dedicated to bringing you all the elegance of French food, without a lot of fuss. Stop by EFF, where you'll find lots of French Dessert Recipes, including this cream puff recipe - just what you need to make your own profiteroles.

Fun Holiday Desserts You'll Love

There is nothing more exciting than sitting down at the table with your family during the holiday season and enjoying a great meal - followed by a great dessert. But after years of hosting your family's holiday parties, your relatives can often begin to predict what you'll make each year. "Let me guess ... lemon meringue pie" or "We can always count on your pound cake." Instead of being the predictable party host you've been for years, or even decades, why not add some flair to your menu with these fun and unique holiday desserts?

Honey Cake Pudding

Desserts

Honey Cake Pudding is well loved by many and is one of the unique holiday desserts with origins in South Africa. With more of a bread pudding consistency, it is sweet like cake and tastes great with ice cream or custard. The ingredients include traditional cake items such as flour, butter, milk, sugar, baking soda and eggs, but what makes it stand out from other cakes is its use of liquid honey. Instead of baking it in a cake pan, it is baked in a bowl, and when is retrieved from the oven, the ingredient mixture creates a consistency that is gooey in the middle with a golden crust on top. Yum!

Fun Holiday Desserts You'll Love

Gingerbread House

Making a gingerbread house is a wonderful way to get the children involved in making holiday desserts for the family. Creating one of these unique little houses gives your entire family a chance to exercise their creative muscles, and the final product is one to be treasured forever (or at least a month). To get your children excited about gingerbread houses, show them pictures of the final product - they look so tasty no one can resist. Then make the shopping trip to buy the ingredients a family event. They'll love it!

Making a gingerbread house is traditionally a two-day project (unless you buy a gingerbread house kit, which has recently become widely available) so prepare yourself for lots of baking, a big mess, and a great deal of fun. The first day of the project is spent baking the house and the second day will be spent in the decoration phase, which is the best part. You can cut out all sorts of fun shapes to represent doors, windows, trees and much more, and buying fun candy like M&M's, Tootsie Rolls and Candy Canes for the house's decorations will ensure that your children will have some munchies to snack on as a reward for their hard work. If you'd prefer to preserve the house for guests to see you might be disappointed to find everyone wants to tear into the tasty treat. If this is the case, take some great pictures and have a blast eating the house - it wasn't going to last forever anyway, right?

Orange and Lemon Ice Treat

Not your traditional cake our pie, orange and lemon ice is a mix between a drink and a treat making it one of the more unique holiday desserts out there. It is considered to be a gourmet blend, so when you present this unique delight to the family they'll feel very special. The dessert is made, of course, with real lemons and oranges, but what really makes it stand out is its use of Grand Marnier. The addition of lemon rind and sugar makes it a fabulous option for the family.

Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

This is one of the tastiest holiday desserts on the list! Filled with gooey caramel and sweet and crunchy pecans, you and your family will fall in love with this cheesecake. The preparation time for this dessert is about 45 minutes and the actual baking time is 30 minutes, so you need to set aside at most an hour and a half to make sure it turns out right. But trust me, it's worth the time. The full list of ingredients include caramel squares, evaporated milk, chopped pecans, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and chocolate pudding in a chocolate pie crust, which means the children will be all over it - and so will you.

Caterpillar Cake

This is another fun option to add to your list of holiday desserts. Your children will have a ball working with you to create this fun cake. You start by getting 12 snowball cupcakes for the caterpillar parts and red or black string licorice with gumdrops for decoration. Arrange the 12 cupcakes on a baking sheet then attach the licorice as legs and the gumdrops as eyes, then bake until done - very easy and fun!

Carnation Famous Fudge

I know you're thinking, "How dare you bring us another chocolate recipe?" But you have to admit, chocolate is a staple of holiday desserts (and if it isn't, who cares?). The cool thing about this dessert is that it can be made by using items in your kitchen such as Carnation evaporated milk (hence the name of the recipe), Nestle chocolate chips, margarine, and marshmallows - you can also add butterscotch and other fun tidbits to give it that extra flair. But the best part of this dessert is the guarantee that if you didn't shock and amaze your family with the other holiday desserts on the list, you will with this great fudge treat!

There are tons of other holiday desserts that can tickle your fancy, and I suggest you search and search until you find the right ones! But hopefully one of the treats will make your mouth water enough to consider making it for your family. When the time to cook rolls around, you will already have so many aspects of the meal to worry about, that being able to remove holiday desserts off of your list of concerns is a welcome surprise. And it's possible that when you taste one of the very tasty treats above you won't want to go back your lemon meringue pie and pound cake. Give one or more of these great desserts a try - I'm sure you and your family will not regret it.

Fun Holiday Desserts You'll Love

Jeffrey Meier at Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.thearticlehome.com blog offers even more detailed information on a wide variety of topics.

A Short History of Desserts

Sweet desserts have existed since the beginning of mankind. It is now enjoyed by people throughout the world in variety of flavors. In the past, only the affluent society folk could afford it while the ordinary people could only enjoy it on special occasions. Advancement of sugar production allowed its more extensive spread and at much more affordable prices to customers. People enjoyed desserts worldwide because of the increased supply of sugar.

Desserts are thought to have originated from a custom to remove the aftertaste of a meal with a sweet taste as they leave the mouth with a sweet flavor. The name confection is derived from a French word 'desservir' which means to clear the table. Thousands of dessert varieties exist today. Ice cream, cakes and pies are some of the popular desserts that have been present around since ancient times.

Desserts

The origin of ice cream dates back around the 4th century BC, the Roman emperor Nero had ordered his followers to gather ice and add fruit toppings for his dessert. A Chinese king named Tang developed an early form of ice cream by combination of milk and ice. Ice cream was brought back by traders to Europe. Ice cream continued to evolve during history and recipes were soon developed for serving the French and Italian aristocracy.

A Short History of Desserts

Ice cream was introduced in America in 1700s. Many states offered ice cream as a dessert. It was served to guests by distinguished figures like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Dolly Madison. A caterer from London advertised in a New York paper in 1774 announcing his intentions to sell ice cream in his stores.

The word 'cake' is derived from an old word 'kaka'. The first use of word 'cake' was documented by the Oxford English Dictionary in the 13th century. Cakes eaten in ancient times were very different than today. Early cakes resembled with bread and honey and flavored with dried fruit and nuts. Early Egyptians were the first who used advanced methods in baking. Medieval Europe baked gingerbreads and fruitcakes as desserts. Advancements in baking and availability of cooking ingredients helped in the development of cakes. Round cakes with icing resembling with today's cakes were introduced in the mid 17th century. Modern cakes with baking powder and white flour were used for the first time in the 19th century.

Pies originated as dessert in Neolithic Period in 9500 BC. They were known as galettes which contained honey and different grains, it was baked on hot coals. The origin of pastry was an addition of bakers fruit, honey and nuts for serving the pharaoh. Drawings relating to this practice are decorated on the tomb of King Ramses II. Changes often occurred in the making of pie because of different ingredients and conditions.

Pie recipes were brought by Pilgrim women to America which was used by the Native Americans. A tradition of using round pans for pies were started was started by colonial women. Pies became a part of American culture in the 1700s as it was served as desert by pioneer women. Apple pie became a popular evening dessert for the American children.

A Short History of Desserts

You might also be interested in learn the detailed history of Desserts and also history of Pink Floyd.

Using Quince to Make Delicious Desserts

Quince is a relative of pears and apples. The trees have grown around the Mediterranean and in Asia for more than four thousand years, making it one of the earliest known fruits. This fruit was discovered by the ancient Greek armies in Iran and Asia and brought to Greece. Today quinces are grown on the Greek island of Crete. Quince is also available today in the United States, the Middle East and in Latin America. Quinces in Western Asia are juicier and softer than those in the United States.

Quince varies in different regions and in cold climates, the fruit is rich gold in color, has a heady fragrance, and has a firm shape. The rind is rough and the flesh is hard. In a warmer climate, however the fruit can be eaten raw and the woolly rind is not there. Quince is often used to make jellies because of its tart and astringent flavor.

Desserts

How to Choose and Store Quinces

Using Quince to Make Delicious Desserts

Firm, big, yellow quince without any green are the best ones. Handle them carefully because they can bruise. Wrap the fruit in plastic and keep them in the refrigerator for up to a couple of months. Quinces are available from September to January.

Quinces are great for baking, poaching, or stewing, to make dessert recipes. They can also be stewed with meat because the high amount of tannins found in quince helps to tenderize the meat.

Membrillo - A Mexican Specialty

Quince is known as membrillo in Spanish and it is cooked into a firm red paste called dulce de membrillo in Spain, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, and Mexico. It is served with manchego cheese in sandwiches or on crackers. There is a similar dish in Hungary and also in Portugal.

Dulce de membrillo is especially popular in Mexico and if you enjoy making Mexican recipes, and especially Mexican dessert recipes, you might like to try making this delicacy yourself.

Recipe for Dulce de Membrillo

You will need:

• 4 lbs quince
• 1 vanilla pod
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 strips lemon peel, 2 inches by 1/2 inch

How to make it:

Wash, peel, core and roughly chop the quince and put the pieces in a big pot. Cover the quince with water, and then add the lemon peel. Split the vanilla pod and add it to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer.

Cover the pot and cook the mixture for about half an hour or until the quince is tender. Strain the water. Discard the vanilla. Puree the quince in a blender or food processor.

Measure out the quince puree. You will need the same amount of white sugar. It will be about four cups. Put the quince puree back into the pot and add the sugar. Cook over a low to moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and simmer for about an hour and a half or until the quince paste is deep orange and thick.

Preheat the oven to 125 degrees F. Line an eight by eight inch baking pan with parchment paper, then grease it with melted butter. Pour the quince paste into the prepared pan, and then smooth the top to make it even. Bake for an hour to dry it, and then let it cool. Cut the membrillo into squares and serve it with manchego cheese and bread. Store uneaten membrillo in the refrigerator.

Using Quince to Make Delicious Desserts

If you enjoy making easy Mexican recipes you will find the sweeter side of Mexican food a joy to explore. Mexican desserts make use of fruit, chocolate, honey, nuts, and many other ingredients and there are literally hundreds of different Mexican desserts you can make at home.

Mexican Dessert Recipes:The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

Delicious Types of South African Desserts

Here in the United States, we do not often hear about African cooking. This is a shame, because the recipes of Africa offer a lot of flavor and nutrition. Each African nation has their own great food traditions to share. South Africa is a country at the tip of Africa. It has a rich traditional food culture that you may want to check out. South African cuisine covers wild game, soups, stews, seafood, and desserts. The indigenous people built a wonderful cuisine around native foods. During the colonial era, many different culinary influences blended with the traditional foods. French, Dutch, German, British, and Indian cuisines lent their favorite tricks to create today's South African food.

Desserts like koeksisters (similar to fried donuts), mealie-bread and malva pudding are common in South Africa. Melktert, or milk tart, is a traditional custard-like dessert. There is more milk than eggs in this compared to European custards, giving the dessert a light texture and more of a milky flavor. Like many recipes from South Africa, this dessert may trace its history to the Dutch. The Cape of Good Hope was the site of a permanent Dutch settlement during the days of the Dutch East India Company. The name melktert is a combination of Dutch and Afrikaner. Melk is the Dutch term for milk and tert is the Afrikaner version of tart.

Desserts

The recipe for melktert also has a history reaching back to Persia, where similar pastries were known as grasshopper wings due to the delicacy of the texture. Originally known as skilferkors, the recipe was first published in 1653. You can find many versions of this recipe online. Buttermilk pie, a recipe from the Southern United States, is very similar.

Delicious Types of South African Desserts

Recipe for Melktert

This is an old fashioned milk tart that is a favorite in South Africa.

What You Need

• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups milk
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the inside of a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until smooth. Add the egg yolks one at a time, blending them in until the batter is light and fluffy. Sift the salt, baking powder and cake flour and mix well. Add vanilla and milk and mix until well blended. Using a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour the mixture into the pie plate and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the tart continue to bake for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is set when the pie is gently jiggled.

Serve the milk tart hot or cold.

Delicious Types of South African Desserts

If you like trying new foods, pick up some Mexican recipes the next time you are recipe hunting. You can find some excellent Mexican desserts, main dishes and side dishes to explore. Try them whenever you want something a little spicy.

MexicanDessertRecipes.net The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

Chinese Desserts

Chinese Desserts are not the same as the American or European desserts which are served separately after a meal. They consist of sweet dishes which are eaten with tea as a snack or are served along with a meal. Owing to the long history of China and presence of numerous cultures, a wide variety of Chinese Desserts can be found in China.

A wide variety of ingredients that are used in the East Asian cuisine such as glutinous rice and sweet bean pastes are used in preparing these desserts. Candies or sweets which are called "tang" in Chinese are popular desserts which are usually prepared with honey, malt sugar and cane sugar. A famous Dessert from the Chinese cuisine is rice cake which is referred to as "guo" or "gao" in Chinese. Rice cakes are generally chewy and soft rice balls which are sweet in flavor. Rice cakes are sweet rice balls which are chewy and soft. Jellies collectively known as "ices" in Chinese are also eaten as desserts. Chinese jellies are generally fruit flavored gelatin products. Another popular Chinese Dessert is "tongsui" or "tiantang", as called in Cantonese, which are basically hot soups with a sweet flavor.

Desserts

Wheat flour baked confections which are prepared by baking and are called "bing" in Chinese are also served as desserts in the Chinese cuisine. Though desserts forms an integral part of the Chinese cuisine, still Chinese cuisine is known for its spicy main course dishes rather than its desserts all over the world.

Chinese Desserts

Chinese Desserts

For added information on Chinese recipes and other global cuisines please look at the ifood community at Chinese Recipes. Those interested in Chinese Dessert food can take a look at Chinese Dessert Food

Christmas Desserts - Make Them With Splenda!

Before we begin "dishing" out some Christmas dessert recipes, let us talk about Splenda.

What is Splenda?
Splenda is a sugar substitute. It gained popularity in 1998 when the United States Food and Drug Administration approved it for use in commercially prepared baking products. Sixty other countries have followed the initiative of the American FDA.

Desserts

Rose Reisman, who wrote Secrets for Permanent Weight Loss (Whitecap Books, 2005) describes Splenda as a better choice sweetener. It contains sucralose which is the only sweetener made from sugar and the only sweetener that is not associated with health problems. It is not digested as a carbohydrate, so diabetics need not worry about experiencing a surge of insulin levels.
People who have used Splenda say that one advantage it has over other sweeteners is that it retains its sweet taste even when heated.

Christmas Desserts - Make Them With Splenda!

Christmas Desserts Using Splenda

You may come across recipes that don't say Splenda; instead they will say "sucralose." They're one and the same. Splenda is available in most stores and come in tiny, yellow packets.

Recipe # 1: On a cold Christmas Eve morning, what better way to wake up sleepy heads with the aromatic smell of Pear Muffins coming straight from the oven?

Pear Muffins

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Servings: yields 12 muffins
Ingredients:
Canola oil
2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup sucralose
2/3 cup skim or low fat milk
2 eggs
2 ripe pears
Procedure:
Peel and mash the pears and set aside.

Prepare your muffin pan by greasing them with canola oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine self-rising flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the sucralose. In a separate bowl, blend together milk, oil and eggs. Combine this mixture with the flour mixture. Add the mashed pears. Blend all ingredients well. Spoon the batter into 12 individual muffin holes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

These muffins can be stored at room temperature and eaten the next day, but they are best eaten the same day!

Recipe # 2: Who doesn't love New York-style Cheesecake? It is such a popular dessert that food stores and supermarkets now sell it frozen, but why spoil the spirit of Christmas by serving frozen food? Make this recipe and turn it into a labor of love. The children, grandchildren, cousins and uncles will love you for this New York-style cheesecake made from scratch!

New York-Style Cheesecake

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Servings: 12 individual servings (recipe is not for a whole cheese cake)
Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups Ricotta cheese
3 oz light or low-fat cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
2/3 cup Splenda
3 tsbp lemon juice (preferably fresh)
3 tbsp all purpose flour

For garnish: your favorite berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries) and icing sugar.

Procedure:
Line your muffin pan with muffin paper cups. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Soften the cream cheese and combine with the ricotta cheese in a food processor. Add the sour cream, egg, vanilla, lemon juice (and zest), flour and Splenda. Make sure mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into individual muffin holes.

Put the muffin tin in a larger pan containing hot water. The hot water must come up to 1/3 or halfway up the sides of the muffin tray. Put in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take out the muffin tray from the larger tray. Set aside and let cool. Refrigerate for an hour or two. Top with garnish before serving. You can use the berries as they are, or you can mash them so they cover the top and glide on the side.

Recipe # 3: Spent the whole day in the mall for Boxing Day specials and forgot about dessert tonight? Here is a recipe for a chocolate cake. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your cupboard so no need to dash out again.

Simple & Quick Chocolate Cake

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sucralose
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp hot chocolate powder mix (any hot chocolate mix will do)
1 tbsp vinegar
8 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water (or 1 cup skim milk, if you prefer)

Procedure:

Sift the flour, baking soda, sucralose, salt and hot chocolate powder together. Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Blend well. Pour into an 8 inch round baking pan. Bake at 350 degree F for 30 minutes. Let cool and serve with your favorite topping.

Note: Instead of icing, you can use English devonshire cream. Spoon a few tablespoons into the dessert platter, enough for a slice of cake to sit on. Also, if you have left over slivered almonds or crushed walnuts, you can throw them into the batter.

Christmas Desserts - Make Them With Splenda!

Mike Cole is a freelance writer who writes about fitness, health and dieting. Mr. Cole also writes about specific ingredients and products such as sugar-free cooking and Splenda.

America's Favorite Desserts

There are a wide variety of great desserts in America, many of which have actually been adopted from other cultures, whether we know it or not. But, what are America's favorite desserts? It's hard to say exactly, but the following desserts are definitely crowd-pleasers in the States.

Hot Fudge Sundae

Desserts

The hot fudge sundae is an old-time American favorite. It's also very simple to make. You just need some ice cream and hot fudge. Most people also add their favorite nuts and cherries on top as well. This makes a delicious treat that is easily one of America's favorite desserts.

America's Favorite Desserts

Class Brownie

Brownies are a big time favorite with kids and seem to bring out the kid in most adults as well. Brownies can be made from pre-made mixes that can be bought from the grocery store, making it very simple and easy. Others might choose to actually make brownies from scratch, but either way you really can't go wrong with this popular dessert.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are probably the most common cookie found in the US. These cookies fill cookie jars all across the country. Again, these are easily made by buying pre-made packages from the grocery store that only require you to throw them in the oven. Really, you can really find these cookies anywhere. You'll find it very difficult to find a store in America that sells cookies that doesn't sell chocolate chip cookies.

Lattice Pies

In American culture, the picture of a hot pie cooling off on a window seal is very common. These pies are usually lattice pies filled with fruits such as cherry or apple. They are not only in the movies though. They are very popular in American homes. Creating the lattice crust is sometimes difficult to pull off in an aesthetically pleasing way. Those that can do it, create a beautiful and delicious dessert.

Given the popularity of these desserts, there are a ton of different ways to make them. Everyone seems to have their own way of making their favorite dessert. Whether it was something that they stumbled upon themselves or a recipe that has been passed through the family or from a friend, you can rarely go wrong with any of these delicious desserts.

The Internet also provides numerous recipe versions for each of these desserts. To find a recipe that is sure to impress, visit this online recipe website today.

America's Favorite Desserts

Joseph Devine

Elegant Jello Recipes - Using Wine and Champagne For Decadent Desserts

Jello is usually made by combining gelatin powder with water, but you can also use other liquids to make these recipes. Fruit juice, soda, and ginger ale are all possibilities but some sophisticated recipes call for wine or champagne. These will give a nice flavor to the dish and alcohol-based gelatin desserts are nice if you are having a dinner party in the spring or summer.

Alcohol is used in a lot of dessert recipes, such as rum babas, sherry trifle and fruit flambees. Many extracts, such as vanilla extract, are alcohol-based and these give lots of flavor to dessert recipes. When using jello to make desserts, you usually have to use a liquid to dissolve the powder, unless you are making something like a gelatin salad recipe and only adding the powder to give color and flavor to the dish.

\"Spanish Desserts \"

Which Type of Wine to Use

Elegant Jello Recipes - Using Wine and Champagne For Decadent Desserts

If a recipe calls for champagne, you can use any sparkling white, since the flavor will be very similar and the sweetness of the jello means you do not have to use an expensive champagne unless you happen to have one open and the recipe only calls for a small amount of it.

For recipes with red wine, the recipe should tell you whether to use something dry or something light and fruity. If not, feel free to use any kind, since it is just to give some flavor to the dessert and also add some color.

If you are making a savory dish like beef with red wine, for example, it is a good idea to use a good one, since the flavor will be apparent in the finished dish. For dessert recipes, you have more leeway when it comes to the alcohol.

Recipe for Port Flavored Gelatin

What you will need:

• 2 cups boiling water
• 6 oz package raspberry gelatin
• 1/3 cup port
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 15 oz cranberry sauce (whole berry is best)
• 20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

How to make it:

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and let the mixture cool. Pour it into a serving bowl and add all the other ingredients. Chill the mixture until it has set. This recipe makes enough to serve twelve people.

Recipe for Jello with White Wine

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup sweet white wine
• 6 oz package cherry gelatin
• 1 can black cherries, drained
• 1 package Cool Whip

How to make it:

Soak the cherries in the wine for about an hour. Make the jello as directed on the package, but by substituting wine for some of the cold water. Stir the gelatin. Add the cherries to the jello when it is partially set. Adding them too early will cause them to sink. Keep one cup of jello separately in a bowl, then mix the Cool Whip into it. Whip well, and then use this mixture to top the set jello.

Elegant Jello Recipes - Using Wine and Champagne For Decadent Desserts

You can make all kinds of desserts with jello from mousses to cheesecakes and even pie recipes. What about making an elegant jello dessert with champagne or something fun and patriotic like a jello flag cake for your 4th of July party?

JelloRecipes.net - We Don't Make the Products We Just Make Great Desserts with Them!

Halloween Party Foods: Five Disgusting Desserts

Halloween is the one holiday where your imagination can run wild. In addition to making food taste good, you get to make it look gross, too. Here are five disgusting desserts for your next Halloween party or get-together.

1. Slasher Cake

Desserts

The idea behind this is a violent killer with a knife. Use any kind of cake you like, in any flavor. You'll need to frost the top with a light colored frosting. Using a tube of red gel icing, or some royal icing colored red, create lines and pools of "blood."

Halloween Party Foods: Five Disgusting Desserts

If you have a severed body part prop, this gets even more gross. Put the hand, foot, finger, or eyeball on top the cake, with a pool of blood icing around the cut area.

For a final sickly touch, have a large knife nearby. Put red icing along the blade and in several spots on the handle, to look like bloody fingerprints.

2. Graveyard Cake

This is fun for kids to help you with. You can be as careful and painstaking as you like, or keep it simple.

Use a cake in a large baking pan, or a sheet type cake. Frost it, preferably with a dark colored frosting for nighttime, or green for daytime. You can sprinkle shredded coconut for grass.

Add tombstones using flat cookies or brownies. Use piping gel to add small crosses, RIP, or other words as inscriptions. Stand them up in the frosting. You might need to use toothpicks if they won't stay upright.

Make it elaborate by adding a fence from short pieces of licorice sticks or other firm stick-like candies around the edge. You can sprinkle gummy worms or fake bugs on top.

3. Black Cat Poop

These look disgusting, but they are one of the easiest treats to make. Simply use rice cereal treats made with a chocolate cereal. Or dip regular cereal treats into melted chocolate, then place on a cookie sheet to harden. Be sure to shape the treats into logs, while they are still warm, instead of letting them cool in a pan.

4. Zombie's Alive Cupcakes

Use any type of cupcake with any color frosting. Get plastic novelty tiny hands, or make some from marzipan or modeling chocolate. Stick them on the top of the cupcake, with the fingers pointing up, to look like zombie hands coming out of the ground. You can put a puddle of red icing at the bottom, to look like the wrist is bleeding.

5. Severed Head

You'll need a face mold for this. Place a layer of plastic wrap in the mold, then pour in a no-bake dessert. Use something like a gelatin dessert or no-bake cheesecake. After it has set, spread a puddle of strawberry or raspberry jam or sauce on a serving plate. Unmold the face on top of that.

There you have five easy, fun, and disgusting desserts for your next Halloween party. Even though these look gross, they taste terrific. Try them for yourself and see. Bone Appetit!

Halloween Party Foods: Five Disgusting Desserts

Want to see pictures?
For more Halloween party food ideas, visit http://halloweenpartystuff.net/halloween-cake-ideas-five-disgusting-desserts/

Italian Desserts - Italian Cream Cake

Italian Cream Cake is more of a Southern dish than Italian. But that does not stop this cake from being extremely delicious. If you like your cake rich and full of goodies, you should give this one a try. While the true history of this recipe is lost, we can still enjoy this tasty cake.

This cake is also known as Italian Wedding Cake. There are also clues that may link this cake with the Delmonico or Hummingbird cakes. It is perfect for any special occasion. The cake is at its best when it remains moist, so do not over bake. Once you have it mastered, this cake will be both rich and delicate. You do not even have to frost it well. Traditionally, it is supposed to look rustic, so smearing the cake with frosting in all its rough-hewn glory should be more than adequate.

Desserts

Recipe for Italian Cream Cake

Italian Desserts - Italian Cream Cake

Why save this recipe for a special occasion when you can make it whenever you want?

What You Need

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup coconut

Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 package cream cheese (8 oz), softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 16 ounces powdered sugar, sifted

How to Make It

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil and flour 3 nine inch cake pans and set aside for later. Mix the butter and shortening in a large bowl. Using a medium speed on your mixer, cream it until it is light and fluffy. Add the sugar in a slow, steady stream to the mixture, beating well. Add the yolks one at a time, blending each one completely before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla.

Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin with the dry mix and end with the dry mix. Use a low speed to blend together. Stir in the coconut. Wash your beaters until they are clean. In another large clean bowl, beat the egg whites until you form stiff peaks. Fold gently into the batter.

Pour batter into the cake pans and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pans cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let them finish cooling on wax paper lined racks.

Frosting:

Roast the pecans in a small pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let them cool. This adds a lot of flavor. Beat vanilla, butter, and cream cheese together at medium speed until it is creamy. Add 2 cups of sugar a little bit at a time on low until completely blended. Turn up the mixer to high to smooth out the frosting. Stir in the pecans.

Lay the first cake layer on a platter and apply a layer of frosting. Top with the second cake layer and repeat. Top with the third cake layer. Apply the remaining frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with extra pecans if you wish.

Italian Desserts - Italian Cream Cake

Enjoy many different cuisines like Italian food, Mexican food, and Chinese food. It is a lot of fun to try different recipes. Why not try some Cinco de Mayo recipes this spring? It will be great fun.

MexicanDessertRecipes.net The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

Easy Sugar Free Desserts For Everyone!

Are you looking for some easy desserts and sugar free cookie recipes for your special sugar free diet friends? Are you searching for some new sugar free cookie and dessert recipes for this coming Christmas party? How about creating some new and delicious sugar free recipes for everyone?

Mary is busy searching for sugar free desserts for her coming Christmas party. She is going to invite a numbers of sugar free diet friends .

Desserts

According to her, her friends were very pleased to be included in her Christmas party list. Because most of the host cannot provide sugar free food for them, therefore they will not be invited.

Easy Sugar Free Desserts For Everyone!

She found some amazing sugar free recipes here...

Special Pudding

Ingredients
1000 ml milk
280g flour
6 eggs
Action
a. Mix the flour and milk together, and beat well.
b. Whip eggs to a froth and add the eggs to the milk mixture.
c. Boil it for 2 hours, and serve hot with rich cream.

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Nutmeg and Muskmelons

Ingredients
Nutmegs
Ripe muskmelons
Ice lump
Pepper and salt
Action
a. Wash nutmegs and melons.
b. Whip dry and cut into two.
c. Shake out the seeds lightly and put a lump of ice in each half.
d. Eat with pepper and salt.

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

Milk Rice

Ingredients
750 ml hot milk
100g rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Raisins (seeded)
Action
a. Wash and drain the rice.
b. Soak the rice with water for 20 minutes.
c. Pour away the water, add the rice and salt into the milk and boil.
d. When done, press the rice into small cups and serve with cream and raisins.

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

Cream Puff Dough

Ingredients
500 ml water
4 level tablespoons butter
500g flour (sifted)
4 eggs
Action
a. In a saucepan, combine the water and butter and mix thoroughly.
b. When the water is boiling and butter thoroughly melted, turn instantly the flour and stir rapidly over the heat. In a moment you will have a perfectly smooth and soft dough free from sticky-ness.
c. Remove from heat and stand it aside till partly cold.
d. Break the egg into a cup, then turn it into the batter.
e. Beat for a moment, then add another and another.
f. Beat thoroughly and add the fourth good egg from the cup.
g. Beat he batter for 5 minutes and stand it aside for 1-1.5 hours.
h. Drop by tablespoonfuls into greased shallow pans and bake in a 170°C oven for 35-40 minutes.
i. When the puffs are done, they will be hollow and light.
Note:
a. The batter must be dropped far enough apart to leave rooms for swelling.
b. You may fill the puff shell with a little cold mashed fresh banana pulp, chopped nuts and raisins.

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

Tea Biscuits

Ingredients
240g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter (melted
Water
Action
a. Mix the dry ingredients and rub in butter with the tips of your fingers.
b. Add water to make a dough just stiff enough to roll out.
b. Roll 1 cm thick and cut with a round cutter and bake in a greased pan in a preheated 200°C oven for about 10 minutes.

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

Drop Biscuits

Ingredients
240g flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
Milk
Action
a. Mix he dry ingredients and rub in the butter.
b. Add milk to make a mixture that may be dropped from a spoon without spreading.
c. Drop on a buttered pan 1 cm apart and bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

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

Banana Raisins Pie

Ingredients
100g seeded raisins (chopped)
250 ml water
2 tablespoons sifted cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon butter
1 large banana (in thin slices)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 lemon rind (grated)
1 egg (well beaten)
2 tablespoons seeded raisins (cut in pieces)
Action
a. Cook 100g chopped raisins in water until plump.
b. Remove from fire. Add crumbs and mix with flour and butter.
c. Let it stand and covered until cold.
d. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon rind, honey and the lemon extract to the slices of banana.
e. Combine mixture, add egg and pieces of raisins.
f. Bake between two crust.

Now she has enough easy desserts and sugar free recipes for her coming Christmas party!

Easy Sugar Free Desserts For Everyone!

Food and Drink Paradise club is a wonderful gateway to meet all food lovers over the world.

Extraordinary recipes, cooking tips, and a free e-book will be given to all my newsletter subscribers. I shall show you how to create wonderful recipes for all occasions, including weddings, birthdays, parties, and many more. Please feel free to explore my work at http://www.allcookmakeeasy.com

Thank you very much, and I love to see you soon again.

Joan Chang

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

People seem to think that gluten free living means no desserts, or no nice desserts, anyway. But it really doesn't have to be that way...

When it comes to gluten free desserts, you're best to stay away from the "Free From" shelves. Well, to be honest, apart from pasta, I would give those a miss anyway. Most of the products are pretty tasteless at best, and very pricey indeed.

Desserts

But so far as desserts go, really, there's not much need for flour, anyway. Hopefully, you will have eaten enough bulk in the main course, and the sweet course is just a kind of codicil - more of a taste sensation than anything.

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

So, what can you eat for afters that isn't full of gluten? Here are a few suggestions.

First off, there's nothing much nicer in the summer time than a fresh fruit salad, and it's very easy to do. You just get a bunch of fruit, cut it up and add some juice or syrup. The trick is to leave fruit that browns in the air until last. So, by all means include banana and apple chunks, but put them in after you've made the liquid which holds it all together. And to be on the safe side, put some lemon or orange juice in as well (the acid stops the reaction from occurring).

Cut the fruit into pieces all about the same size. If you're including grapes or cherries (which you will probably cut in half to take out the stones or pips), then aim for that sort of size. Obviously, raspberries and blackberries are left whole, but strawberries can be cut in half or even into quarters, if they are too big. Chinese gooseberries/kiwi fruit should be skinned before you slice them up. The easiest way to do this is by cutting the stalk end off, then scoring all the way round, and dropping them into a bowl of very hot (even boiling) water for a few seconds, then into another bowl of cold water. After this, the skin should peel off quite easily.

For the liquid, you can either make a sugar syrup (just dissolve some sugar in a little hot water and make up with cold), or better is grape or apple juice. I have a friend who uses fizzy lemonade, but this has never appealed to me. You could also include a tin of mandarin oranges, and add the juice from that. Serve the fruit salad on its own or with a dollop of cream or other topping, or some gluten free ice cream and there's your dessert.

If you've got a bit more time to prepare, you could make a fruit jelly (jello). This may sound like kids' stuff = and it's certainly likely to go down well with children - but it's surprising how nice it is, and of course, there's no gluten in jelly.

You can use fresh or canned fruit. I generally use canned, and use the liquid from the can as part of the liquid when making up the jelly. Just put your jello mix or cubes into a measuring jug, add the least amount of boiling water to dissolve it, mix well, and when all the mixture has dissolved, pour in the juice from the can. You can add water to make it up to just under the right amount if you don't have enough juice. There will be a little bit of juice still clinging to the fruit, so don't overdo the water!

Put the fruit into the jelly mold or bowl and pour over the jelly, then cover and put into the fridge to set. This goes great with cream or evaporated milk, gluten free ice cream or your choice of topping.

For a most exotic dessert, which you will most likely want to keep for special occasions, you can make a pavlova. This is just a huge nest of meringue filled with fruit and cream, and is very yummy. You make the meringue the day before, so it has time to cool, then fill it just before serving. You can also buy frozen pavlovas (remember to check the label). The name pavlova (which is coming up as a spelling mistake, even though it's correct) comes from the name of the ballerina, Anna Pavlova, for whom the dessert was originally created. I don't know how often she ate it though, as ballerinas have to watch their weight, and this dessert definitely ain't for weightwatchers!

Another idea, which is a bit old fashioned, but really nice, is a home made rice pudding. You need a big casserole dish, 1½ pints of breakfast milk (or full cream milk), 4 ounces of pudding (round grain) rice, 2-4 tablespoonfuls of sugar (according to your taste), and a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon. If you're using nutmeg, be careful not to overdo it, or the whole pudding will go bitter, and be completely inedible. Less is more with nutmeg, as they say. If you don't have creamy milk, then you add 2 or 3 little bits of butter.

Optionally, you can add a handful of raisins, but personally, I like my rice pudding plain.

Just put all the ingredients into the casserole dish and put it into the oven either in the center, or if you're cooking something else at the same time, near the bottom will do. Turn the oven on to about 300°F (150°C, gas mark 2). After half an hour, give it a stir, and again 30 minutes later. Cook for a further hour, and check to see if the rice is nice and soft - carefully lift the beautiful brown skin so as not to spoil it, and spoon out a little bit, let it cool down and taste to see if it's done. If not, give it another 15-30 minutes.

As you can see, it takes a long time to cook a decent rice pudding. But it's well worth the wait even though the fragrance of rice pudding being cooked is almost unbearably tempting. You can make it before you cook the main course and just put it in for 15 minutes to warm up again while you eat, if you like. If you find that there is too little milk in the pudding, pour a bit more in before reheating or add some milk or cream when serving (this also helps to cool it down a bit, which is useful if you're serving it to children). Of course, you can also eat it cold, but if you're going to do that, you may as well buy a can.

You don't get that delectable skin in a can, though (I'm not sure how nice it would be cold, anyway).

Children often like to put a spoonful of jam (jelly) in the middle of their bowl of rice pudding (after they've savored their portion of skin) and stir it in before they eat it. It makes a nice swirly pattern that kids really enjoy.

I hope these ideas have been helpful, and remember - when it comes to gluten free desserts, forget about the "free from" shelf.

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

Starting Out Gluten Free (containing tips on spotting gluten on ingredients labels, and gluten substitution) and my recipe books Gluten Free-Easy and Gluten Dairy Free-Easy and are now available on Kindle