Vote for the winner in the Dessert section of our book

Hi All,

Please cast a vote for one of the following 10 recipes.

The winner will receive a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, and be featured in our upcoming cookbook.

Winners will be announced one week from today, Saturday, October 11, 2003


The Recipes:

Oreo Pie!
posted by Tyrius

Go to the supermarket and get oreo crust, oreo ice cream, whip cream and some oreos.

spread the ice cream over the crust. Put a ton of whip cream and break up some oreos and throw them in refridgerate and eat!

Great for piggin out

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Sugar/Flour Free PB cookies
posted by safecracker

1 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 Cup Splenda - or 24 packets
1 Large Egg


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

Mix the Peanut Butter, Splenda and Egg

Roll the mix into 12 balls and then shape with a fork

Bake for 10 minutes or until the centers are no longer moist.


Cookies will only be 4 carbs each.

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Venetian Walnut Cake
posted by ossobuco

Chocolate and Walnut Cake

Italian cakes are flatter than American cakes. There are flavorful and smaller slices are served. This cake is quite simple to make. You do need a spring form pan. These pans are available at any kitchen store and handy for many things. (osso - I know it has worked in one of those bundt pans, though springform is better..)

ingredients
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate (3 squares) (osso, if you only have 2, it's fine)
3/4 cup of strong coffee (osso, I have added different things here, including - I can barely remember this, maybe just some ground coffee and water. I usually add some espresso coffee liquid. Really, whatever....)
2 eggs
2 Tablespoon rum (osso - now here you can have fun, I have tried damn near anything)
2 cups/flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups chopped walnuts (I am sure I have played with adding less or other nuts; the walnuts are particularly good)

Procedure
Cream the butter with the sugar. Melt the chocolate in the coffee. Cool slightly. Add to the butter sugar mixture. Beat in the eggs and rum. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to the batter along with the chopped walnuts. Place in a 10" spring form pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes until firm. Remove from pan and cool on rack. Sometimes whipped cream is spread on top. This will serve eight.

(osso) For me this is a typical not too sweet and yet flavorful italian dessert.

I think if the chocolate is of a lovely quality, the nuts are not very old, the eggs are fresh, the rum or cognac or whatever is not vile, you don't pull it out burned, this will be a delicious cake. Not for children, not sweet enough for most US children.

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Monkey Bread
posted by safecracker

Ingredients:
3 cans plain biscuits
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP cinnamon
1 cup nuts chopped
1 1/2 sticks oleo
1 cup brown sugar


Cut or tear each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix (white)sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Roll each biscuit piece in mixture.

Sprinkle some of the nuts in a bundt pan followed by some of the cinnamon/sugar covered biscuits.

Alternate nuts and biscuits throughout for a layered effect. Melt butter and brown sugar together.

Pour over biscuits and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

can also add raisins if you would like and SERVE WARM

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Strawberry Cheesecake
posted by safecracker

1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free, sugar free vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup grape-nuts cereal
1 Tbs fat free, sugar free white chocolate
pudding mix
1/3 cup diced fresh or frozen strawberries
1 pinch cinnamon

In a bowl combine the cottage cheese, yogurt, pudding mix & cinnamon. Mix well until fairly smooth and consistant. Add grape-nuts and diced strawberries to the mixture. Blend all ingredients together, pour in a container, let it chill for a few hours and enjoy!

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Burnt Sugar Caramel Cake
An original recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie

1 cup water, divided
4 cups granulated white sugar, divided
4-1/2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 cups (sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
8 large egg whites (or the equivalent in reconstituted egg white powder)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line with rounds of greased and floured wax paper three 9-inch non-stick cake pans.

In a small saucepan, combine the 1 cup of water with 2 cups of the granulated white sugar. Heat over low heat until the sugar syrup has turned to a dark golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes (to create the "burnt sugar" syrup.) Remove from heat, cool, and reserve 1/2 half of the burnt sugar syrup for making the cake's frosting..

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 2 cups of sugar in a mixer bowl and mix on low speed to combine. Add the butter and 1 cup of heavy cream and beat for 1-1/2 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream, 4 eggs whites, the cooled burnt sugar syrup, and vanilla; add this mixture to the mixer bowl in 3 stages, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.

In another thoroughly clean mixing bowl (preferable copper), beat the 4 remaining egg whites to soft peaks. Carefully fold them into the batter; pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center. Cool on wire racks.

BURNT SUGAR CARAMEL FROSTING

3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk, cream or half-and-half
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Reheat the remaining 1/2 portion of the Brunt Sugar syrup (above). Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, except the vanilla. Return to the heat and bring slowly to the boiling point, stirring constantly; boil for 1 minute. Cool to lukewarm, add the vanilla, and beat until thick enough to spread.

Spread the frosting between the cake layers, then frost the top and sides. If the frosting becomes to thick to spread, briefly reheat it in the microwave oven---or whisk in a little milk a teaspoon at a time. You may wish to garnish the frosted cake with pecan halves.

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TROPICAL SWEET POTATO PONE
By BumbleBeeBoogie

3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups whole milk *
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup granulated dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups (1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled & grated (use Caribbean sweet potatoes if available)
2 cups (4 medium) carrots peeled & grated *
2 cups (2 medium) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and grated
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup juice of fresh key limes or regular limes
1/3 cup rum, dark
1/2 cup raisins, golden (optional) *
Zest, grated (green part only) from limes

In a large saucepan cook until tender the grated sweet potatoes, carrots and apples. Drain, and transfer them to a food processor; add add the butter, lime juice, rum and puree until smooth (or mash in the pan with a potato masher.) Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of the milk and the optional raisins. Cool.

Move the oven rack to the top 1/3 of the oven and preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Butter a 1-1/2 to 1 quart baking dish.

Whisk the eggs thoroughly in a large bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Whisk in the honey, the remaining 1 cup of milk, the salt, cinnamon, allspice, and grated lime zest; combine with the sweet potato mixture.

Spread the mixture in the buttered baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

Serve chilled or a room temperature. Serves 8 or more persons.

* I've made one addition, the carrots and golden raisins, which was not in the Caribbean chef's original dessert. You can leave them out and reduce the milk to 1 cup to be authentic. I've also experimented with fresh papaya in place of the apples and like that flavor combination as well.

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BLACK FORREST BROWNIE TRIFLE
An original recipe by BumbleBeeBoogie

1 box Fudge Brownie mix, or your own home-made brownie recipe
1 LARGE box INSTANT chocolate pudding
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup fresh Bing cherries, pitted and chopped (or 1 can or frozen Bing cherries, drained)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 - 12-ounce tub non-dairy whipped topping (or sweetened whipped cream)

Bake the brownies according to package directions in 13 x 9-inch non-stick pan. Cool; then crumble in pieces.

Prepare the INSTANT pudding according to package directions; add the chocolate chips, chopped walnuts; chill in the refrigerator until just starting to thicken.

Layer one-half the crumbled brownies evenly over the bottom of the baking pan; spoon the pudding on top of the brownie layer; top with a layer of the chopped cherries. Repeat the layering beginning with the remaining crumbled brownies and pudding. Spread the non-dairy whipped topping over the top; scatter chopped cherries over the topping.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours.

Serves 16.

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BUTTERMILK BROWNIES
Adapted By BumbleBeeBoogie

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white granulated sugar (or half granulated brown sugar and half white sugar)
1 stick butter
1 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup salad oil
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat over to 375 degrees F.

Sift the flour and sugar together in a large bowl; set aside.

Bring butter, water, and cocoa to a boil or heat in a microwave oven. Remove from heat and cool for 1 minute. Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla and mix. Pour into a non-stick or greased cookie sheet with sides at least one inch high. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the Brownies are baking, make the frosting:

1 stick butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 one-pound box powdered white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans are best

Bring the butter, buttermilk and cocoa to a boil or heat in the microwave oven. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla; mix well. Wait for about 5 to 10 minutes after taking the brownies from the oven, then spread the warm frosting over the brownies. Immediately sprinkle with the chopped nuts, pressing them lightly into the warm frosting. When cool, cut into bars.

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LEMON ZABAGLIONE
Adapted by BumbleBeeBoogie

2 large whole eggs
6 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (yellow part of rind)
1/4 cup strained lemon juice
1/2 cup Cream Sherry

In the top of a double boiler, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar. salt and lemon zest and heat the mixture until it is light and very thick. (Do not allow the hot water in the bottom of the double boiler to come into direct contact with the top half of the double boiler, or you may get scrambled eggs.) Add the lemon juice and the Sherry. Beat the mixture over the barely simmering water until it doubles in volume.

Divide the zabaglione among 6-ounce stemmed glasses and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Zabaglione also makes a wonderful garnishing sauce for a wide variety of deserts, such as unfrosted cakes, puddings and fresh fruit melanges.


SIMPLE MARSALA ZABAGLIONE
Adapted by BumbleBeeBoogie

4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup Marsala wine

In a thoroughly clean copper bowl (or other type of bowl) combine the 4 egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar. Whisk until light yellow. Add the 1/2 cup of Marsala and incorporate.

Hold the pot in a pan of simmering water and whisk or stir until thickened and creamy and standing in soft peaks. Serves 4 to 6 in glasses.