WOW your guests at your next simple celebration with this refreshing dessert that has an elegant look with NO work!
Lemon Ice and Champagne Dessert
Servings 6
Equipment
- Clear stemmed bowls or martini glasses
Ingredients
- 3 cups Italian lemon ice
- 1/2 bottle Champagne
- 2 cups berries
Instructions
- Place 1/2 cup lemon ice in each serving bowl.
- Top with champagne and berries.
Here is a delicious dessert for your next simple celebration. Most of the steps can be prepared in advance. Dark chocolate and cherries – yes please!
Dark Chocolate and Cherry Bread Pudding
Equipment
- 8 - 3/4 cup ramekins
Ingredients
- butter for greasing ramekins
- 4 croissants
- 4 ounces dark chocolate broken into pieces
- 1/4 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 1 cup dark, pitted, sweet cherries - defrosted drain very well and chop
- 1 ¾ cup whole milk
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ⅔ Tbsp sugar
- 1 ¼ cup cream
Instructions
- Butter each ramekin.
- For each ramekin, tear half a croissant into large pieces and put in cup.
- Add chocolate and sprinkle with nuts.
- Distribute cherries among ramekins.
Custard
- Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and cream. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.
- Pour custard over prepared ramekins.
- Put ramekins in a glass baking dish with hot water halfway up the dish.
- Bake in a 325° oven for 40 minutes, until set. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving,
- Turn oven to broil and cook about 2 minutes, until browned.
Notes
To make ahead, prepare ramekins with croissants, chocolate and nuts and set aside. Prepare custard and cherries and refrigerate until ready to use.
Elegant, simple, delicious, and quick – put this yummy dessert together in no time at all, pop it in the freezer for a few hours, and impress your family and friends at your next simple celebration!
Frozen Crème Fraîche Dessert
Servings 4
Equipment
- 4 - 3 1/2 inch shallow ramekins
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup cinnamon schnapps*
Instructions
- Place sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
- Wisk until thick and pale.
- Fold in crème fraîche.
- Distribute mixture among the 4 ramekins.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours.
- While mixture is in the freezer, soak the blueberries in the schnapps.*
- Before serving, place the blueberry mixture on top of the ramekins.
Notes
*If you are serving this to children, eliminate the cinnamon schnapps.
Vicki’s granddaughter, Claire, enjoys helping in the kitchen. She was over for the night and it was decided that she got to help plan the menu which started with dessert (of course). Claire immediately shouted out, “banana splits!!” That was a bit of a shock because Vicki hadn’t made one since she helped her dad make them, many years ago.
Here is a recipe the kids will love putting together.
Banana Splits
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 3 pints your favorite ice cream flavors
- 4 bananas
- 1 can whipping cream
- 1/2 cup raspberries or blueberries
- 1/3 cup toffee chips
Instructions
- Peel and slice bananas and place in 4 bowls.
- Place berries on top of bananas.
- Place 1 scoop of each type of ice cream on top of berries - or whatever ice cream your child wants.
- This is the best part. Let your child squirt the cream on top. Add the toffee chips. You can use real whip cream that you beat yourself, but your child won't have as much fun!!
Notes
Vicki said her dad sometimes put a little peanut butter on the bananas which was always a fun "surprise". You can use chocolate or peanut butter chips instead of the toffee chips.
This is the perfect recipe for the young chefs in your family! These ice-cream sandwiches need to freeze for an hour, so make sure the kiddos know they will have to wait a bit before digging in.
Chocolate Wafer Ice-Cream Sandwiches
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 12 thin chocolate wafer cookies
- 1 container Oreo cookie ice cream
- 1/4 cup sprinkles their favorite colors
Instructions
- Lay 6 cookies on a small sheet pan you can fit in the freezer.
- Let the ice cream soften a bit for easier handling.
- Put one scoop of ice cream on each cookie and top with another cookie.
- Put sprinkles in a shallow bowl.
- Roll the sides of the cookie in the sprinkles and freeze for at least an hour.
Impress your family and friends with this yummy dessert. The BEST part – it takes under 5 minutes to assemble. This is also a great recipe to make with your kids!
Coconut Macaroons with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
Servings 12
Calories 101kcal
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites from large eggs
- 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 ounce dark chocolate from a chocolate bar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Put the egg whites in a medium bowl and slightly beat with a fork.
- Add the coconut, sugar and vanilla to the egg whites and mix with fingers that you have moistened with water for easier handling.
- Form a heaping tablespoon of the batter into a ball and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This will make 12 macaroons.
- Bake cookies for about 15-20 minutes until they are lightly browned on the top. Put on a rack to cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled, microwave the chocolate for about 20 seconds. Check and see how melted the chocolate looks. Microwave in 20 second increments until chocolate is the desired consistency. Stir the chocolate and drizzle over the macaroons with a fork.
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Let’s get the kids in the kitchen to join in our simple celebrations. We have a new category on our home page called, “Simple for Kids”. We will tag some old recipes that are kid-friendly and will post new ones from time to time. This recipe is an easy start to cooking together with your children or grandchildren. And … what a delicious start it is!
Cinnamon Sugar Rolls
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet thawed
- 4 Tbsp butter divided
- 1 ½ Tbsp cinnamon
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Pastry & Filling
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Roll out pastry into a square and enlarge
- Melt 2 Tbsp butter and spread over the top of the pastry.
- Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the butter.
- Roll up pastry and cut into 8 rolls.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet several inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Icing
- Soften the remaining butter and add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- Mix until smooth and ice the rolls while hot.
Notes
This recipe is perfect for using up scraps of puff pastry you have leftover from another recipe.
Vicki’s sister, Kristal, told us about this cake recipe from WWII which doesn’t use eggs or butter. It seemed like a good time to give it a try since these days our groceries are running low.
Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Cake
Servings 9
Calories 259kcal
Equipment
- 8 inch square glass cake pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp Special Dark cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste
- 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- fresh berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a non-greased 8 inch glass cake pan.
- Make 3 wells in the dry ingredients with the back of a tablespoon.
- Put the vinegar, vanilla, and vegetable oil in each of the 3 wells. Pour water over ingredients.
- Mix all ingredients until everything is well combined.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Sift powder sugar on top of cake and top with fresh berries.
Notes
Any berries you have on hand would work great. Placing a scoop of ice cream next to the cake makes it extra special!!
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This is an old-time favorite dessert recipe that was handed down from Vicki’s mother. There is no baking needed, but does need to freeze for several hours prior to serving. Store leftovers in the freezer and dessert will be just a minute away!
Grasshopper Pie
Servings 10
Calories 440kcal
Ingredients
- 24 Oreo cookies
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 10 oz. Marshmallow Fluff little more than half of a 18 oz. jar
- 1-2 drops green food coloring optional
- 5 Tbsp creme de menthe
- 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 cup heavy cream whipped
- Dark chocolate shavings for topping
Instructions
- Crush the cookies using a food processor.
- Mix cookie crumbs with butter and press into a 9 inch pie pan.
- In a large bowl, mix Marshmallow Fluff with food coloring, creme de menthe, and peppermint extract.
- Fold in whipped cream.
- Pour into pie pan and freeze for 6 - 8 hours. Before serving, top with chocolate shavings.
Notes
Cover leftovers and put back in the freezer for another day.
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This easy, easy, easy, make-ahead dessert will finish off your simple celebration on a sweet note!
Lemon Lime Tart with Raspberries
Servings 10
Calories 215kcal
Equipment
- 8" Tart Pan with Removable Bottom
Ingredients
- 1 frozen pie crust
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Roll out the pastry to fit an 8" removable-base tart pan.
- Prick a few holes in the pastry and line with parchment paper.
- Fill the pastry with rice or baking weights and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking weights and paper and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- To make the filling, place the sugar, eggs, cream and fruit juices into a bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the filling into the tart shell, reduce the oven to 315°and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is just set.
- Refrigerate the tart until firm.
- Top with raspberries, slice, and serve!
Notes
You can adjust the amount of fruit juices to your liking. Add more lemon and less lime or vice versa depending upon your preference. The more lime used, the more the tart tastes like a key lime pie.