on this post, we’ll concentrate of some of my favorite desserts. These aren’t bougie versions with fancy ingredients. Just the basic ways of making them. You can add whatever you want to these recipes and make them your own. To make these recipes sugar free. use your favorite sweeteners like monkfruit. Just bare in mind they sometimes do not mix as easy. Enjoy!!!
Basic Cheesecake
this is a basic cheesecake recipe. Feel free to add your own ingredients to it like a 1/4 cup of lemon juice, chopped raspberry or strawberry to make your own flavors. You can also make your favorite toppings and add after cooking
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (if you buy the cinnamon kind, them omit ground cinnamon). You can also used crushed up cookies of all kinds!)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted
FILLING:
- 4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened (or use 3, 1 less egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3/4 cut sugar)
- 1 cup sugar (actual recipe asks for more, but I don’t think you need it)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (No sour cream, no worries)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
Directions:
Step 1 Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a large pan filled with 1/2 inch water in oven.
Step 2 Make crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon; add butter or margarine. Press crust onto bottom and 2/3 of the way up a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment. Wrap a large piece of foil around bottom of pan. Freeze until filling is prepared.
Step 3 Make filling: Use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add to cream cheese mixture. Blend just until eggs are incorporated.
Step 4 Remove crust from freezer and pour in filling. Carefully place cheesecake into preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes; turn oven to 350°F and bake until top of cheesecake turns golden, 50 to 60 minutes
Basic Bread pudding
as mentioned in the cheesecake recipe, consider adding fresh or dried fruit or a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. Or add a handful of chocolate chips before baking . It’s your world!
Ingreadients:
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sugar (sometimes I omit the sugar all together and add toppings like condensed sweetened milk. Or replace the sugar with Monkfruit)
- Pinch salt
- ½ loaf sweet egg bread like challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes (about 5 to 6 cups) ** You can use ANY old bread. I’ve even used croissants!!!
- 2 eggs, beaten
Directions:
Step 1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with cubed bread.
Step 2 Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread. Let it soak in for about 15-30 minutes. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned.
Basic Banana Bread
INGREADIENTS
- 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 bananas, finely crushed
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350º / 180º.
Step 2 Cream together butter and sugar.
Step 3 Add eggs and crushed bananas. Combine well.
Step 3 Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla.
Step 4 Mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
Step 5 Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.
Step 6 Bake at 350º / 180º for 55 minutes
Biscotti
This is the low fat, low sugar version. Just as good to dip in your coffee, but without the 10 Tablespoons of butter!!! LOL
Ingredients
½ cup vegetable oil
1/2 – 3/4 cup white sugar
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon anise extract, OR almond extract
Directions
Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Step 2 In a medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and anise flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto the prepared cookie sheet, and press down to 1/2 inch thickness.
Step 3 Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When The cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.
BISCOTTI
Yes, ALL CAPS means it’s the real thing!!
Ingredients
10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( You can also use 1 ts almond extract and 1 ts vanilla!)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup slivered almonds
OPTIONAL: 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate melting wafers or chocolate chips optional
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, (I just used a wisk!) beat together butter and sugar until creamy and well combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture, stirring until completely combined.
- Stir in mini chocolate chips and almonds.
- Using lightly floured hands, divide dough into two equal pieces and place on prepared baking sheet.
Form dough into two separate logs approximately 10-12″ long by 2-3″ wide, and be sure to space them a least 4″ apart as biscotti will spread (you may use separate cookie sheets to bake, if needed). If dough
is too sticky, lightly dust with additional flour and lightly powder your hands with a thin layer of flour. ((If you want a larger biscotti, just make 1 log)) - Bake 30 minutes on 350F (175C), or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow biscotti to cool completely.
- Once cooled, slice loaves diagonally into slices about 1 1/2″ thick (I recommend using a bread knife for
this). Place biscotti cut-side down on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.. - Return to 350F (175C)oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip each biscotti over gently, and then bake
another 10 minutes on 350F (175C). Biscotti should be lightly golden brown when finished baking. - Allow to cool completely.
- OPTIONAl: melt chocolate in 20 second increments (stirring in between) until melted and use a spoon to
drizzle over cooled biscotti. Allow chocolate to harden before serving (this will take much longer with
chocolate chips than with melting wafers). - Biscotti should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will keep for several weeks