Bananas Foster

This is a showy dessert. Thankfully it is super simple, and super bad for you, but why not indulge every now and again. I was invited to a girls night and thought this would knock them off of their collective feet.

Yes, that is fire you see coming from the pan, who doesn't enjoy dessert and a show? I do recommend using long matches to ignite the alcohol as not to singe your brows and or face.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 bananas
1/4 cup rum

1 long match

vanilla ice cream

Melt the butter over medium heat, once melted add the brown sugar. You want to stir this until the sugar is melted into the butter. Add your sliced bananas and heat on both sides. When the sugar, butter, banana mix is bubbling get ready. TAKE THE PAN OFF THE HEAT then add the rum. Quickly stir to heat the rum then ignite the rum with a long match. If you have a gas stove some may say you can use the flame of the gas to light it, I wouldn't but do what you wish. Serve the bananas over vanilla ice cream. In this picture we gilded the lilly with whipped cream, totally over the top and yet quite enjoyable.

Grilled Peaches

I love sweets. Ice cream, cake, pie, you name it I love it. My waistline does not like sweets and reminds me by swelling each time I indulge.

It was hot and I did not want to heat up the house by turning on the oven. I live in the dark ages and don't have central air, crazy I know! We had peaches so I figured why not do something with them. I had made drunkin peaches last Sunday so I couldn't do that. Grilled peaches was it.

I cut them in half, removing their pits. I brushed the fleshy side with vegetable oil, no need to use olive oil here. I got the grill good and hot and put the peaches, flesh side down. How long you leave them on the grill will depend on their ripeness. Once they had grill marks I turned them onto their skin side. I put a bit of honey in the center of each peach. The possibilities of what you could put in the center of the peach are endless, cointreau, butter & brown sugar, really anything you would like. As the skin began to pull away from the flesh of the peach I took them off the heat. I did serve these with ice cream, but I ate only the peach.

Lemon Curd

Since we are Costco members we often end up with ridiculous amounts of any given item. Today that item is lemons. When life hands you lemons, make lemon curd! Here is the original recipe I adapted my recipe from.

INGREDIENTS

Zest of 3 lemons, next time I am going to try it with the zest from all the lemons used for juice.
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed

METHOD

Whisk together zest, lemon juice, sugar and eggs in a heavy sauce pan. Add the butter and cook over medium heat. You cannot walk away from this. You must stir the entire time with your wisk. You want the mix to thicken and bubble. I had to turn up the heat, and stir the entire time. Once it is done I strained it through a mesh sieve into a large glass measuring cup. This removed the zest and the little bit of cooked egg.

Serve with angel food cake, or shortbread cookies.

Cheese Cake Supreme

This is the best cheese cake ever. It is so light you may even think you are eating something good for you! This receipe is from Mary Meades Magic Recipes. I LOVE this cookbook, it is old, but great!

For the crust:

Combine then press into a 9 inch spring-form pan.
3/4 package zwieback cookies, crushed in your blender
1/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup sugar

For the filling:

Add to your blender-
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg yolks (SAVE THE WHITES)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Turn on your blender and mix, then add in pieces, 1 pound of soft cream cheese. Beat your egg whites until just stiff then fold into your cream cheese mix. Pout over your crust and bake at 325 degrees for an hour or until the center is set.

I know many people say to cook your cheese cake in a water bath. This recipe usually doesn't crack on me. I also normally top this cheese cake with blueberries so if it does crack it isn't a big deal. If you do choose to cook your cheese cake in a water bath make sure to wrap the spring form pan tightly with foil, if you don't water will seep in and ruin your cheese cake.

Dessert Pancake

I was first introduced to this "pancake" by my parents. It was a big treat in our house. My dad would top it with grape jam and confectioners sugar. My parents saw it made some 30 years ago on the Late Show. It is an easy recipe and quite tasty!

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick of butter
jam
confectioners sugar.

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in an oven proof skillet. Mix first three ingredients together until smooth. Once your butter is melted and the oven is at 425 degrees add your egg mix to your hot butter. Then put the pan in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes. The pancake will puff up and brown around the edges. I top it with warmed grape jam and confectioners sugar. Enjoy!

Homemade Marshmallows

I can't quite recall where I first heard of making your own marshmallows, you buy them at the store right?!? I believe it was the cooking show, Good Eats, that introduced me to the idea of making my own marshmallows. I heard comments about homemade marshmallows being much more than your everyday store bought marshmallows. I have to brag a bit. My uncle informed me that my grandmother, who was an excellent baker, was not able to make homemade marshmallows. I was thrilled to be able to 'beat' the marshmallow for her.I researched many recipes for homemade marshmallows. Some believe you have to have egg whites in your marshmallow. I went with this recipe from Alton Brown, with no egg whites. I had no problems with it at all. My mixer did not die, a complaint I noted from research, and my marshmallows were awesome. The first batch I flavored with peppermint extract and tinted with red food coloring. I added more than the recommended 1 teaspoon of extract and it resulted in over flavored marshmallows. My next batch would be the regular marshmallows, half with toasted coconut.Since I wanted to add toasted coconut to my half of my second batch I began by toasting the coconut so it could cool to be added to the top of the marshmallow once it was ready.Toasted CoconutPreheat oven to 350 degrees.Toss shredded coconut with confectioners sugar and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Once the oven is up to temperature put coconut into the oven. Stir the coconut every few minute. Once it begins to brown, it is done. I pulled mine out while it still had some white left in the coconut.I don't have a candy thermometer so I used my digital one with an added bonus. I set it to go off at 238 degrees so I could ensure I would not over cook the sugar syrup. I rested the thermometer on the spatula so the tip wouldn't read from the bottom of the pan.The end result of my second batch was a half sheet pan half plain and half with toasted coconut. I dusted the top of the plain half with a mix of confectioners sugar and cornstarch.