Chocolate Eclair in a Jar

Chocolate Eclair in a Jar........ OMG these are good! Close your eyes and you think you're eating a chocolate eclair... I swear!

I love desserts in a jar... So easy to make ahead for a gathering.... and I love the fact I can stack them in the fridge and dessert doesn't take over my fridge.

TIPS

The first and most important tip.... unfortunately... you must.. I repeat must.... let them set in the fridge overnight... the graham crackers need time to absorb the moisture from the pudding and soften... because once they soften.. something miraculous happens.. they begin to taste like pastry...

I break apart the graham crackers for the bottom.. but for the top.. I just break off the tiny corner tips of the graham cracker and slip it on top of the pudding.. so it's flat...the ganache lays nicer on top when you do it that way.

I tried them with vanilla pudding.. and French vanilla pudding.. and I must tell you... French vanilla takes it to a whole new level...

I use non-fat milk to make the pudding... just a habit.. and a calorie and fat saving.. which is always a good thing!

To make the faux pastry cream.. you can use my original recipe for it.. or ... you can use light Cool Whip with the pudding... for this recipe I'd recommend you use the light Cool Whip.. it works perfectly fine for this and .. again.. there's a calorie and fat saving... so why not?

Don't fill the jar too much.. you don't want the top touching the lid... otherwise when you take the lid off the ganache is on the lid .. not the eclair... been there done that!

In order to get that chocolate ganache... simply use canned frosting... and put some in a small bowl and nuke it in the microwave for about 20 seconds... stir and continue microwaving until it has melted and is runny... that's it!  ... I only melt what I need... and store the rest of the frosting in the fridge until I need more.

I set the grahams and pudding in the jar... put the lid on them and let them set overnight.. I do the ganache after the graham has softened... it's quick and easy.... then I replace the lid and pop them in the fridge.... and they are done!.... ready to serve as soon as the ganache cools and thickens.

I melt the chocolate frosting 2 tablespoons at a time.. so I don't waste any... use what I need... and make more as I need it.

Yes...  I replaced the lid as soon as I put the runny ganache on them.. it wasn't all that hot.. and I didn't get any condensation on the inside of the lid.

Make as few or as many as you like... this recipe will 6 desserts.

This is yummmmmmmmmy!

Recipe:  Chocolate Eclair in a Jar

All you need:

6 clean wide mouth jars with a lid

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) JELL-O Instant French Vanilla Pudding

1 1/2 cups fat free (skim) milk

1 cup light Cool Whip

Can Milk Chocolate Frosting

Graham Crackers

All you need to do:

Break a graham cracker squares into pieces.... I used about a square and  a half for the bottom of each jar.

I mixed the milk and the pudding mix... beat it for 2 minutes.. let it set in the bowl for 5 minutes until thickened.

Spoon the pudding into the jars... the pudding should divide pretty evenly between the 6 jars...

Break off the corners of a graham cracker square... and gently push it into the jar... to it is on top of the pudding... making sure it stays dry on top... place the lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight.

Melt a small amount of canned frosting in a microwavable bowl and microwave until melted and runny *See TIPS

Put about a coffee teaspoon or two on top of the grahm in each jar.. replace the lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tiramisu Cake in a Jar

 

Who doesn't love Tiramisu?... Believe it or not.. we get a Tiramisu Cake at a local grocery store that is to die for... while the bakery has always been good.. the cake was far better than expected... but two of us certainly don't need a whole cake in the house.. or well... we'd be big as a house... so we only get it for big occasions and when my son is with us... and let him bring home the leftovers.

Fast forward to a recipe I saw that used instant vanilla pudding in the filling recipe... and I thought well why not try it... well I tried it... and didn't like it... at all... but I still liked the idea... so in the kitchen I went... to experiment...

I wanted to mimic the taste and texture of that delicious Tiramisu Cake we love AND be able to make it in big and small quantities alike... AND I wanted to cut time in the kitchen.. AND not break the bank for the ingredients...  and did I mention... I wanted to be able to make it nice enough to be a party dessert recipe if I wanted to make it for a gathering or special dinner.... a tall order for sure...

All I can say is we were very very pleased with the result... and by the taste.. you'd never know it was made with lots of shortcuts..

TIPS

First of all... you can make this in a jar...  with the lids.. it makes stacking them in the fridge a breeze... but if you want to make it for a special occasion dessert.. by all means use a small glass... the one in the picture is one of our juice glasses.. or you can use a small dessert glass... I put plastic wrap over it and stored it in the fridge until I served it after dinner.

 

How you make the layers in the jar is entirely up to you... I tried it a number of ways.. one set of layers... 2 sets of layers... one layer of cake on the bottom ... and doubled the filling and mocha whipped cream twice... all of them were excellent... I personally preferred doubling the layers... cake then filling then whipped cream then cake, filling and whipped cream again.

Most recipes sprinkle cocoa powder over the top.. I shaved chocolate over the top.. just a personal preference.. you can do either.

I used whole milk.. I highly recommend it... lower fat milk won't give you the smooth texture and rich taste you want to mimic in this dessert.

I measured out the 2 cups of milk... then took 1/4 cup from it... and dissolved the espresso powder in it by warming it in the microwave... make sure you stir it well to be sure it's completely dissolved.. and then allow it to cool.. using warm milk will not let your filling set-up properly.

The ingredients here will make about 8-10 desserts... depending on how much you decide to put into each.. you have tremendous leeway with that... don't make them too big.. it is a rich dessert.

I used store bought pound cake for the cake... make sure it's a few days old.. you want it a bit dry .. so it will soak up the coffee/liqueur mixture.

I added a little powdered sugar to the coffee/ liqueur mixture.. I tried it without it and thought it needed just a touch more sweetness... you can leave that out if you like.

I used powdered sugar because it will dissolve easier without the coffee being hot.. if you don't have it .. you can use granulated.. just make sure you heat the coffee... and make sure you allow it to cool before using it in this recipe.

You can use Kahlua or Tia Maria... either will work.  I used Tia Maria If you want a totally alcohol free dessert... you can leave it out.. but keep in mind it will alter the flavor slightly.

I used one and a half tablespoons of the espresso granules ... just eyeball the half a tablespoon...

The beauty of this recipe is you don't use raw eggs in the filling so you don't have to cook it... a huge time saver.

This quick and easy recipe is delicious.. I hope you try it!

Recipe:  Tiramisu Cake in a Jar

All you need:

1/2  Sara Lee Pound Cake

3/4 cup strong brewed coffee

3 tablespoons Tia Maria *See TIPS

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

For the Filling:

1 small (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding

2 cups whole milk, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons espresso granules

4 oz. (1/2 an 8 oz container) mascarpone

For the Frosting:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons General Foods International Suisse Cafe Mocha instant coffee

2 tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

Shaved chocolate

All you need to do:

In a measuring cup mix 1/4 cup of the whole milk and the espresso granules.. heat in the microwave until the granules dissolve.  I did it for 30 seconds on the 5 setting...  how long and how high depends on your microwave oven... you don't want it hot.. you just want enough heat to dissolve the granules. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your standing mixer, add the cooled milk/espresso mixture, the instant vanilla pudding and the remaining 3/4 cup milk.  Using the whisk attachment, whisk the mixture to mix the ingredients.  Add the mascarpone cheese and whisk until smooth.

In a Large bowl, whip together the heavy cream, the mocha instant coffee and sugar until stiff peaks.

In a small bowl, mix together the coffee, Tia Maria and powdered sugar.

Cut the pound cake into 1/2 inch slices.  You will need 1 slice per jar for the bottom layer.  Cut each slice in half (so it will be easier to get it into the jar). 

If you decided to make another layer of cake (doubling all the layers)... cut another slice for each jar.. I would cut the slice only 1/4 inch thick for the middle layer.

To assemble the Dessert:

Quickly dip the cut pound cake slices for the bottom of the jar... in the coffee mixture and place 2 halves of each slice in the bottom.  Take a spoon and squish it gently on the bottom to "pack" the layer a bit.

Add a layer of filling to the jar... then a layer of the mocha whipped cream.... repeat the steps using the thinner pound cake slice.. this time don't pack the pound cake too much... you don't want the middle layer too mushy...

For the garnish... use a small grader or zester to shave the chocolate over the top.  I used a small bar of Godiva chocolate.

Place the lids on the jars and refrigerate.  They're best the same day... but mine did last nicely for 3 days...

Red White and Blue Trifle

This Red White and Blue Trifle is perfect for a summer gathering… delicious and easy to prepare… and best of all it looks so pretty your guests will think you spent hours making it… only you will know just how easy it is to make.

TIPS

You can repeat your layers if you have a larger bowl or want a looser trifle... just adjust your quantities accordingly.

Now for that pudding mixture… it’s a mixture of vanilla pudding and whipped cream… I do make my whipped cream (actually it is called Chantilly Cream, which is heavy cream, vanilla extract and sugar)… you can use Cool Whip if you want to eliminate this step.

For the actual pudding.. you can use instant or cooked pudding… from a box or from scratch.. I used instant.  The flavor can be vanilla, French vanilla or even white chocolate… all will work and all will taste great.  Regular or sugar free is fine.. you can use fat free milk, 1%, 2% or whole, whichever you like.

I used purchased pound cake.  Again, you can use homemade if you prefer… but honestly.. I don’t think it’s necessary since it is mixed into the trifle with all the other ingredients.

I used Sara Lee.. the Family size frozen pound cake.  If you use the regular size you will need to buy 2 of them. 

Be sure to trim the “brown crust” around the pound cake… I did it very close to the yellow cake… you don’t lose a lot and it looks much better without the brown showing through.

You can also use angel food cake if you prefer.

Ingredients amounts are adjustable to the amount you want to make and the size of your trifle bowl.  Essentially you are just layering the ingredients… so be creative.

If you look at my picture the first layer of blueberries is very small… I used only a pint of blueberries in my trifle… I highly recommend using 2 pints… it’s much prettier with a thicker layer of blueberries atop the bottom strawberry layer.

My bottom layer is a layer of pound cake slices.. about ¼ inch thick… the top layer is the same thickness, just the slices are cubed.

I used Chambord (raspberry liqueur) … our trifle was for adults… if making this for quests including children or adults not wanting any alcohol.. just omit it.

The pound cake slices at the bottom were brushed with the liqueur (all sides) then laid on the bottom of the trifle dish..I cut pieces to fit snugly on the bottom.  Then I brushed it with the melted raspberry jelly (mine had some Chambord mixed in).   This did not taste heavy of alcohol.. just enhanced the jelly.

My trifle bowl is 8 inches wide and 4 ½ inches deep… adjust your quantities accordingly if your bowl is a different size.

I hope you try this terrific trifle!

Recipe:  Red White and Blue Trifle

All you need:

1 Family Size Sara Lee pound cake

Small box vanilla instant pudding (prepare as on box)

1 quart strawberries, cleaned and sliced *reserving one strawberry with a stem for decoration

2 pints blueberries

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Raspberry glaze:

About ½ cup raspberry jelly

About 2 teaspoons Chambord, divided (optional)

All you need to do:

Prepare the instant pudding following box instructions.  Set Aside.

Prepare the Whipped cream by whipping the ingredients until the cream forms peaks.

Fold in half of the whipped cream into the prepared pudding, reserving half for the top of the trifle.

Place the raspberry jelly and 1 teaspoon Chambord in a small microwaveable dish and melt in the micro wave on low until melted.  This should only take about 20 seconds, stir and micro wave until the jelly is running and no lumps appear.  Allow to cool slightly.

Trim the “crust off the pound cake”.   Cut slices about ¼ inch thick.   Arrange a layer of solid slices in the bottom of the trifle bowl, cutting pieces where necessary so they will fit snugly.  The remaining slices for the top of the trifle should be cubed.

Optional: Then remove the slices from the bottom and brush all sides with Chambord.  Then place the slices on  the bottom of the trifle bowl.

Brush the tops of the pound cake in the trifle bowl with the about ½ the melted raspberry jelly.

Place a layer of strawberry slices on top of the cake, reserving about a ½ cup of slices for the very top of the trifle.

Place ¾ of the blueberries on top of the strawberries, reserving about a ¼ of the blueberries for the top of the trifle.

Spread the prepared pudding and whipped cream mixture over the blueberries.

Spread the remaining pound cake cubes over the pudding.  Sprinkle the top of the cubes with strawberry slices and blueberries.  Brush the top with the remaining melted raspberry jelly. 

Place the remaining whipped cream in the center of the top of the trifle.  Place the reserved strawberry with a stem in the whipped cream.

Refrigerate about an hour before serving.

Banana Souffle

Many people are intimidated about making soufflés… and they shouldn’t be.. they really are very easy to make… very simple steps… and you have a wonderfully airy dish… and depending on the ingredients… soufflés can be the main dish, side dish or dessert…

I learned how to make soufflés as a teenager… my parents would have to go to a meeting one Sunday a month and would leave me to take care of my brother… invariably I would forget to defrost meat… and back then we didn’t have microwaves… and I knew nothing of speed defrosting.. so I learned to make a lot of different egg or pasta dishes... oh.. and tuna too… it’s amazing how many things you can come up with … with those ingredients.

So I was left to read cookbooks and make the best of what I had… I learned how to make soufflés from reading my Mother’s Gourmet cookbooks… with a little practice.. I began experimenting with different ingredients and sizes of soufflé dishes… I was 14…. so trust me, you can do this.

This recipe for Banana Soufflé is so delicious… a perfect finish to a special meal… or even a brunch… and for you dieters… this is surprisingly something most dieters can consider… it has very little sugar.. and is mostly egg whites…

TIPS

Follow the directions in the steps I will break out for you… and you will have a perfect soufflé.

I wrote the recipe for rum extract… you can substitute rum for it. Since I used 1 ½ teaspoons of rum extract… it is approximately equal to 2 ½ tablespoons of rum… I would eyeball the ½ tablespoon…

To make this without the rum flavor… substitute vanilla for the rum extract amount… (in addition to the vanilla extract in the recipe).

Want to WOW your guests? …. here’s a serving suggestion


To serve on a serving plate… use little small round hot pads… and cover them with a small paper doily or a flattened paper muffin wrapper… or … I have heat resistant plates… so I cut about a quadruple thickness of thick paper towel into a circle a little larger than the soufflé dish.. then place a flattened paper muffin liner over it…

These are individual soufflés… and they make a fabulous presentation… perfect for a dinner party… these bake in 15 minutes… so while your guests linger at the table… excuse yourself and do the last couple of steps… see instructions below to make these partially ahead.

So.. there’s lots to show you.. so let’s get to it!






Recipe: Banana Souffle

All you need:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 very ripe bananas
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons rum extract
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
Confectioner’s sugar (for garnish)

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


In a small processor or blender, add the banana, the egg yolk, 2 tablespoons sugar, lime juice, vanilla and rum extracts. Process until smooth.






Pour the banana mixture into a large bowl and set aside.








Brush 5-6 one cup soufflé dishes with the melted butter (I used only 4 because that's what I had at the time.. I discarded the rest of the unused batter.





Put 1 tablespoon sugar in a small custard cup…. gently pour about half the sugar into a souffle dish and turn completely, coating with the sugar… dump the excess sugar back into the custard cup and repeat until all souffle dishes have been coated… discard any leftover sugar (you shouldn’t have very much left).

Place the soufflé dishes on a baking sheet and set aside.




Using a large mixer, place the egg whites and a pinch of salt into the mixer bowl. Beat until soft peaks.







Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form when the beater is stopped and pulled up… the egg whites should be glossy.





Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites into the banana mixture, a quarter of the egg whites at a time… do not over mix… but the egg whites should be well distributed throughout the banana mixture.


Spoon the mixture into the soufflé dishes, fill to slightly above the rims. Tap them gently on the counter top.

With a knife, flatten any peaks and then using the knife gently cut a circle in the top of the mixture… it should be a circle about half the size of the soufflé dish.




Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes.. keep an eye on them… you want them risen and browned slightly but not burned…




Remove and place on a protected serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve immediately.



Note: Do not panic about how fast they will fall… and they will fall… this photo was taken about 10 minutes after coming out of the oven… even after falling the soufflé is still light and airy and beautiful.



To make partially ahead…

Prepare the individual soufflé dishes and set aside (see instructions above).

Prepare the banana batter portion .. and set aside.

Keep the egg whites in the fridge in a small cup ….

Have all your ingredients for the egg whites ready.

Set up the serving plates ahead of time and set aside…

Preheat the oven.

Five minutes before the oven is done preheating… follow the instructions for beating the egg whites.

Fold the whites into the banana batter and spoon into the prepared individual soufflé dishes.

Bake for 15 minutes… leave the oven light on and watch… the tops shouldn’t brown too much.

While the soufflés are baking… prepare the confectioners sugar in a small strainer… set it down near where you plan on plating the soufflés.

When they come out of the oven… place on prepared plates.. sprinkle with confections sugar and serve.

Cream Cheese Brownie Bites

Who doesn’t love Cream Cheese Brownies? Making them into bite sized is… well… perfect! Perfect for snacks … perfect for a party dessert tray… perfect to bring to a food day at work….

TIPS

You can use my Brownie recipe… or yours.. or even a boxed mix…. whichever way you prefer.

The cream cheese needs to be softened…. I made the mistake of letting it soften too much and the cream cheese mixture got too runny…. If that happens to you… store it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.. give it a good stir … if it’s creamy but not runny .. you are good to go.

If it did get too runny.. don’t be tempted to use it anyway without stiffening it up in the fridge.. I did that and while they tasted good.. you could barely taste the cream cheese swirl… they just tasted like brownies.

If you forget to set the cream cheese out of the fridge to soften.. you can soften it quickly…. click here for instructions.

Make sure to use non-stick mini muffin tins… the newer ones are the better ones to use.. their coating is much better and the bites pop out easily.

I used a melon baller to put the batter in the mini muffin well… it made it much easier to put it neatly in the well…. I didn’t fill the melon baller completely up.. you will need to adjust how much to scoop into the melon baller based on the size of the baller and your tin’s well.

This recipe makes approximately 48 Cream Cheese Brownie Bites.

Although I also listed the instructions to use mini paper cupcake wrappers… I recommend you don’t use them…. they sometimes stick in the wrappers… I, personally, have better luck just using non-stick mini muffin tins that are sprayed with cooking oil spray.

These are quick and easy to make… great for tail gate parties and party trays… a great addition to an assortment.







Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownie Bites

All you need:

Brownie Batter (my Recipe or yours or boxed)

For the Cream Cheese Swirl portion:

4 ounces Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 4 mini muffin tins (12 mini muffins each) with cooking oil spray (butter flavor preferred)

OR

Fill each mini muffin tin with a mini paper cupcake cup. (The preferred method is to spray the muffin tin and NOT use the paper cups.)  If you like the look of them in paper cups.. place the bites in them after baking.

Prepare the brownie batter according to the instructions of the brownie recipe you are using. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese until smooth.

Add the egg and beat the mixture.

Add the flour and the vanilla extract, mix well.

Fill each 1/3 full with brownie batter.

Using a small spoon or melon baller (see TIPS), drop cream cheese batter on top of the brownie batter… the mini muffin well should be about 2/3 full.

Using a small blunt knife… swirl the chocolate and cream cheese batters. (I usually stuck the knife in toward the bottom and pull up so the brownie batter comes up to swirl in the cream cheese layer).

Bake 18 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.

Remove them from the pan and allow to cool on a rack.

Fabulous Last Minute Thanksgiving Desserts

It's always crunch time in our house the day before holidays... I always want to make something different... an alternative to the ordinary pies... and every year I add a few more to my recipe box... these are great additions to the menu!






Here are a few suggestions...



Southern Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice cream or Whipped Cream - this really easy dessert uses an ingenious short cut ... a fool proof recipe for sure!










Pumpkin Flan - another really easy recipe.. and I promise you it is fool proof... looks really elegant - a wonderful alternative to pumpkin pie.








Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake - a wonderful pumpkin cake recipe that is so delicious you will certainly wow your guests!









The Beaumont Inn’s Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce -

This luscious dessert is always a hit, a true southern treat!








Perfect Peach Cobbler - another simple recipe that's foolproof - don't want to use peaches? - Substitute another favorite fruit! Serve this with vanilla ice cream or homemade Chantilly Cream - It's sure to please!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake  - a delicious cross between pumpkin pie and pecan pie... a dab of whipped cream.... heavenly!

Easy Desserts for that Backyard Get-Together

Slaving in the kitchen in the hot days of summer is something no one likes to do.. but as parties are a place to showcase great foods and beverages... slave most of us will...

Well I'm here to give you some ideas for desserts from the simply to the not so simple.. these will not only please but some will even look like you spent hours in the kitchen...






Let's start with the simple...


Fruit Salad - I always like to include Fruit salad on my summer desserts list.. it's not only easy.. but a great healthy alternative for guests not wanting to partake in sweets. Serve this with a Yogurt Sauce... it's delicious!






Tarts make such a fabulous presentation and are surprisingly easy to make...



Amaretto Peach Tart








Very Berry Tart - this looks like you slaved hours... but it really is not too bad on time and is easy.. my step by step instructions and tips to getting the fruit to look just right makes this recipe a snap.



TRIFLES - are always a great dessert...individual or one big one... they always seem to please... here are a few..


Tropical Trifle - this quick and easy recipe combines coconut and fruit flavors like pineapple and strawberry... make this as individual desserts or one big beautiful trifle..







Banana Strawberry Trifle









Red White and Blue Amaretto Mascarpone Trifle








Triple Chocolate Trifle






No-Bake Pies are quick and easy.. and always a crowd pleaser! Here are a few favorites...



Pina Colada Pie









No-Bake Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie








Bananas Foster No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie








Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie








Banana Pie








White Chocolate Amaretto No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie







No-Bake Banana Split Pie






Pound Cake Desserts - Store bought or made ahead pound cake makes a terrific base for many desserts... here are just two suggestions... you can adapt these in countless ways to make quick and easy desserts...



Patriotic Star Pound Cake Dessert








Grilled Pound Cake with Strawberry Cream






Mini Desserts are also easy and give your guests a chance to have a little sweet without over-eating.. and if you make a variety.. they can have fun taste testing!



Mini Banana Cream Pie Desserts








Cheesecake Dessert Shooters








Boston Cream Dessert Shooters