Check out these yummy easy to bake desserts
Coconut Cream Crepe Cake
Chef Yatin Tambe Assistant Professor (Food Production & Bakery), ITM Institute of Hotel Management lists out yummy easy to bake desserts
Coconut Cream Crepe Cake
Ingredients
For the Crepes: (makes a LOT of crepes, enough for an 8-inch cake)
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Coconut Cream Filling and Topping: (makes enough for an 8-inch cake)
2 cups coconut cream, chilled overnight
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut jam
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Recipe
For the Crepes:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt until uniformly yellow.
- Add about half of the flour (around 1 cup) to the eggs, whisking gently into the eggs. The batter will be a little lumpy, but that's okay right now. Add about half of the milk and continue whisking. The milk will thin out the batter. Alternate between the flour and milk until you've added it all. Continue whisking until smooth - be careful not to overmix, it should only take a minute or two.
- Once the batter is smooth, add 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter and whisk again until the butter is just incorporated into the mixture. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Once the batter has chilled, heat a medium (at least 8 inches) non-stick skillet pan on medium heat. The surface of the pan needs to be pretty hot to make crepes - test its heat by adding a drop of water to the hot pan. If the water sizzles and bubbles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan and use the handle to twirl the pan so that the batter forms a circle. As you twirl the pan in a circular motion, the batter should spread and makes the crepe. Continue cooking until the crepe has set and the edges begin to crinkle up - a set crepe will usually slide around the pan when it is ready. Slip a spatula under the crepe to flip it over and continue cooking for another 20 seconds, or until the crepe's surface has browned. Repeat the process until the batter is finished, allowing the crepes to cool on a wire rack completely before frosting and building the cake.
Putting It All Together:
First, make coconut whipped cream: in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine 2 cups coconut cream, 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Use immediately.
Place 1 crepe in the center of your cake plate or cake stand, and use an offset spatula to spread 3 tablespoons coconut jam evenly over crepe. Spread 3 tablespoons coconut cream, before stacking with a new crepe and repeating the process. On the fifth crepe, sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar on the crepe before spreading with coconut jam and coconut cream. Repeat the process until all crepes are used.
Spread the remaining coconut cream across the top and the sides of the cake, to cover the layers. The cake is best when eaten immediately.
Nutella Brownie
Ingredients
1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups (245 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (150 grams) Nutella
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (96 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened (25 grams) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch 'metal' baking pan with foil or parchment, leaving an overhang, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute then stir. Continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave and let cool slightly. Stir in the Nutella.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the flour, cocoa, and salt, folding gently until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, 35 to 40. Do not overbake, you want to error on the side of underbaking. Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature, warmed, or chilled.
Recipe Notes
The Nutella flavor is slightly muted with baking. To punch it up, feel free to add a tablespoon of Frangelico to the batter or a cup of toasted chopped hazelnuts if you want a bit of crunch.
Chocolate Terrine
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for greasing the pan
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, broken in bits
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti
8 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
Pinch of kosher salt
3 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Orange Sauce, recipe follows
Freshly grated orange zest, for serving
Fleur de sel, for serving
Orange Sauce:
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 3/4 cups scalded whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
Recipe
- Lightly oil an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2-inch loaf pan and line it as neatly as possible with plastic wrap, allowing the ends to drape over the sides. (I lay two pieces of plastic wrap crosswise in the pan, overlapping in the center.) Place the pan in the freezer.
- Place a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Place the butter in the bowl, then the chocolate and coffee powder and heat until just melted, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. As soon as the chocolate and butter are melted, take the bowl off the heat and whisk in, one at a time, and in order, first the confectioners' sugar, then the cocoa powder, egg yolks, Cognac and salt. Set the bowl aside for 15 minutes to cool.
- Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the whites form firm but not dry peaks. Fold the whites into the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula.
- Without cleaning the bowl or whisk attachment, pour the cream and vanilla into the bowl and beat on high speed until it forms firm peaks. Fold the cream carefully but thoroughly into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, fold the plastic wrap over the top and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- To serve, turn the terrine out of the mold and unwrap it. Spoon a puddle of Orange Sauce in the middle of each dessert plate and place a slice of the terrine in the middle. Sprinkle each serving lightly with orange zest and fleur de sel.
Orange Sauce:
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until very thick. Reduce to low speed and mix in the cornstarch.
- With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture (I use a liquid measuring cup for pouring). Pour the mixture into a clean, small, deep saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it reaches 180 degrees F on a candy thermometer and thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. The mixture will coat the spoon. Don't cook it above 180 degrees F or the eggs will scramble! Immediately (it will keep cooking in the saucepan), pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in the vanilla, Cognac, Grand Marnier and orange zest. Cover and chill.
Cook's Note
To "scald" milk for the sauce, heat it to just below the boiling point. You'll see bubbles forming around the edge.
Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (only ingredients: peanuts + salt)
6 tablespoons coconut oil, measured while solid
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium sized sauce pan
- Whisk on low heat until thoroughly combined (2-3 minutes)
- Whisk in coconut flour
- Line an 8 by 8 dish with wax paper
- Pour fudge into the lined dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula
- Allow to set 1 hour in the freezer
- Lift wax paper up to remove the fudge, then cut into pieces
- Return to freezer to store
- Serve chilled for best texture
Mini Cheesecakes with Wine Gelées
Ingredients
Cheesecakes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
7 whole graham crackers
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
Pinch of salt
One 10 1/2-ounce log of fresh goat cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (5 ounces)
Wine Gelées
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons each of orange Muscat, rosé, Pinot Noir and tawny port
4 teaspoons sugar
Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut out four 3-inch rounds of shirt cardboard. Brush the insides of four 3-inch-round and 2 1/2-inch-deep ring molds with butter. In a food processor, grind the crackers with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Set the molds on the baking sheet and line the bottoms with the cardboard rounds, trimming to fit. Pack the crumbs into the molds; press to compact. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg, egg yolk, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the goat cheese and beat until smooth. Fold in the crème fraîche. Spoon the mixture into the molds and smooth the tops. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheesecakes are just set but not browned. Let the cheesecakes cool, then refrigerate them until chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Heat a sharp, thin-bladed knife under hot water; dry the knife. Carefully run the blade around the edge of each cheesecake. Pressing up on the cardboard, ease the cheesecakes out of the molds; return to the baking sheet. Cut four 11-by-2 1/2-inch strips of parchment paper. Wrap the paper around the perimeter of each cheesecake to form a collar that extends 1 inch above the surface; secure with tape.
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let soften. Microwave at high power for about 15 seconds or just until the gelatin is melted. Put the 4 wines in separate ramekins. Add 2 teaspoons of the sugar to the rosé and to the Pinot Noir and microwave for 20 seconds; stir to dissolve the sugar. Stir 1 teaspoon of the melted gelatin into each of the 4 wines. Let the wines stand until cooled, about 10 minutes. Pour one of the wine gelées over each cheesecake and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the parchment-paper collar from each cheesecake. Carefully remove the cardboard bottoms and serve.
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
