Recipes: sweets

Candied Cranberry Mousse Dessert

Crust

• 2 cups pecans
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Mousse

• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• pinch of cream of tartar
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 2 tsp of l.c. finns vanilla extract

Candied Cranberries

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water

Reindeer Cookies

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Vanilla Holiday Wreaths

Here's an easy to make dessert for that last minute party or cookie exchange or heck for even around your own house.

1/2 cup butter

5 cups miniature marshmallows

5 1/2 cups corn flakes

1 tsp l.c. finns vanilla extract

cinnamon candies for holly berries

1 tsp green food coloring

Melt butter in a pan and add marshmallows.  Stir until melted and then add food coloring and vanilla extract.  Remove from heat and add stir in corn flakes until coated.

Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and transfer to parchment paper.  Shape into wreaths and add candies.  (use cooking spray on your fingers so they don't stick to mixture when shaping)  Let cool. 

Enjoy!!

Banana Bread Cookies

• Makes 9 sandwich cookies
• Start to Finish: 1 hour (includes cooling time)

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Cookies

2 large very ripe bananas

½ cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon l.c. finns pure vanilla extract

2 cups old-fashioned oats

¼ cup brown rice flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon l.c. finns cinnamon extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Almond-Butter Cocoa Filling

½ cup unsalted almond butter

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350˚ and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas and combine with the maple syrup, applesauce and vanilla. (The mixture shouldn’t be too smooth; small chunks of banana are great.) In a large bowl, combine the oats with the brown rice flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the banana mixture to the oat mixture and mix until just combined.

3. Using a tablespoon, drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies an inch apart. (Do your best to make them all the same size and shape, because they will be sandwiched together.) Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, or until they are golden brown and set but still soft and spongy. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets.

4. Make the filling: When the cookies are nearly done cooling, in a small bowl, mix the almond butter with the cocoa powder and maple syrup until combined.

5. Scoop a heaping teaspoon of filling and spread it on the bottom of a cookie. Take another cookie and sandwich them together. Repeat the process with the remaining cookies to make 9 sandwiches total. Serve.

Recipe from Purewow.com 

Cherry Clafoutis

Cherry Clafoutis

1 1/4 cups milk

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon l.c. finns Vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

3 cups cherries, pitted

powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a blender, combine milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour, and blend. Lightly butter an 8-cup baking dish, and pour a 1/4-inch layer of blended mixture into the bottom. Set remaining batter aside. Bake about 7-10 minutes, until a film of batter sets in the pan, but mixture is not baked through. Remove from oven (don't turn off the oven). Distribute cherries over the set batter, then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Pour the remaining batter over the cherries and sugar. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the clafouti is puffed and brown, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie

These Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies use fresh cranberries along with other complimentary ingredients to create something flavorful and delicious. Get creative with your fresh cranberries by making these Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies.

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon l.c. finns Vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

1 tablespoon orange zest

12 ounces white chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in oats, raisins, cranberries and orange zest. Fold in chocolate chips, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Cool completely on wire racks.

Pineapple Upsidedown Cake

Pineapple Upsidedown Cake is a sweet way to enjoy your pineapple during the spring. A classic dessert, your Pineapple Upsidedown Cake will be tastier than ever with our flavor-packed pineapples.

1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, eyes removed and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (about 4 or 5 slices)

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

14 pecan halves

1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons l.c. finns Vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dark rum

4 fresh cherries, halved and pits removed (optional)

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the sugar mixture is bubbly (about 2 minutes). Arrange pineapple slices in the skillet in a pleasing pattern and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until the sugar mixture turns an amber color. Turn the pineapple slices over and remove the pan from heat. (The mixture will continue to cook even though the heat is off.) Arrange the pecan halves in the spaces between the rings. Set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum. Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple slices in the skillet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean (about 35-40 minutes). Cool the cake in the skilled on a wire rack for 4 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and, wearing oven mitts and working quickly, invert the cake onto a cake plate, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together. Carefully lift the skillet off cake and replace any fruit stuck to the bottom of the skillet, if necessary. Arrange the cherry halves, if desired, cut side down, into the top of the cake, in the center of the pineapple rings. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Creamy Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is a quick and tasty dessert that kids love! It’s a great way to use up that all that extra white or brown rice from homemade stir or Chinese take-out.

• 3/4 c – Uncooked rice (or 1-1/2 c cooked rice)
• 2 c – Milk, divided into 1-1/2 c & 1/2 c
• 1/3 c – Sugar
• 1/4 tsp – Salt
• 1 – Egg, beaten
• 2/3 c – Golden Raisins
• 1 tbsp – Butter
• 1/2 tsp – l.c. finns Vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp – l.c. finns Cinnamon extract or Cardamom extract

1. In medium saucepan, bring 1-1/2 c water to boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In another saucepan, combine 1-1/2 c of cooked rice and 1-1/2 c milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, approximately 15-20 minutes.

3. Stir in remaining 1/2 c milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from heat, stir in butter and Vanilla and Cinnamon/Cardamom Extracts.

5. Serve warm.

Cardamom Cookies

This recipe was modified from the Star Tribune’s Christmas Cookie Contest winner from 2008. The prize was well deserved, these cookies are A-mazing!

Hibiscus Frosting