Welcome To Diana's Desserts Newsletter
First Edition Including Holiday Recipes November 24, 2002 I want to Welcome all the Home Bakers who have visited Diana's Desserts website.So many of you have been so supportive of my site dedicated to Home Bakers, I want to thank you so much. Your email contacts have been so interesting and warm, and your submitted recipes have been great. Please keep those wonderful recipes coming! Diana's Desserts newsletter will be on a monthly basis unless there is something extremely interesting and special to report during the month. My newsletter will be made up of new recipes that are not yet on my website, baking tips and ideas, and a section on "What's New In The World Of Home Baking". I will also include a guest submitted recipe in each edition. I am asking all of you to submit recipes to Diana's Desserts website, and I will at the end of each month, choose one to add to my upcoming month's newsletter, and also place the recipe on my website as Recipe of The Week for each first week of each month. In this first edition of Diana's Desserts monthly newsletter, it seems appropriate to start with a few dessert recipes for Thanksgiving and for Hanukkah, as they are only 5 and 7 days away. It's time to put our minds and bodies in action for planning both of these special days. For those of you that don't celebrate Thanksgiving or Hanukkah, as you may live in another country other than the USA or Canada or be of a different belief, well just sit back and enjoy the day and the festive recipes, and next month we will be talking about Christmas and other holidays, and of course New Years. Here are a few recipes for Thanksgiving desserts and a couple of lovely Hanukkah desserts that you may consider making this year. One of the Thanksgiving desserts is great for diabetics or people on a low-fat or sugar restricted diet. CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE Your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner will be a great success when you serve this awesome cheesecake for dessert. Makes 12 servings Ingredients: For The Crust: 1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (about 24 squares) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted For The Filling: 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 1 can(14 ounces)sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup lemon juice 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen cranberries 1 teaspoon grated orange peel Sugared cranberries and orange peel strips, optional Instructions: In a bowl, combine cinnamon graham cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch spring form pan; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in lemon juice until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in cranberries and orange peel. Pour over the crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with sugared cranberries and orange peel if desired. Makes 12 servings. CARAMEL WALNUT TART with CHOCOLATE GLAZE A classic combination of tender short crust pastry and soft, candy-like caramel filling with a decadent chocolate glaze. Makes 12-16 servings Ingredients: For The Crust 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted 1/4 cup walnuts,toasted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature 1 large egg, beaten to blend For The Filling 2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/2 cup whipping cream 2 tbsp. crème fraîche or sour cream 1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped For The Chocolate Glaze 1 cup heavy whipping cream 7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped Instructions: For The Crust: Blend flour, almonds, walnuts, and salt in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add confectioners' sugar and combine using on/off turns. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until coarse meal forms. With machine running, slowly add egg. Blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer dough to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim excess dough flush with top edge of pan. Pierce bottom of dough all over with fork. Chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake crust until golden, about 35 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) For The Filling: Place sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). When bubbling subsides, whisk in crème fraîche. Cool caramel until beginning to thicken. Stir in walnuts. Pour caramel into prepared crust. Let stand 15 minutes to spread. For The Chocolate Glaze: Bring cream to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Pour enough glaze over caramel to cover and fill tart to just below edge of crust (reserve remaining glaze for another use). Let stand until set, about 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Makes 12 to 16 servings INDIVIDUAL HIDDEN PUMPKIN PIES Low-Fat and Low-Carbohydrate Dessert These creamy and light individual little pumpkin pies topped with meringue are not only low in fat, but make a wonderful dessert for people on sugar restricted diets, or who are diabetic. Makes 6 individual meringue topped pumpkin pies Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk 1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg substitute 1/4 cup no-calorie sweetener 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract,divided 3 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/3 cup honey Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg substitute, sweetener, pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into 6 (6-ounce) custard cups, ramekins or 6 (3/4-cup) soufflé dishes. Place in shallow baking dish or pan. Pour boiling water around custard cups, ramekins or soufflé dishes to depth of 1 inch. Bake 25 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla on high speed of electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add honey; continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread egg white mixture on top of hot pumpkin mixture. Return to oven. Bake 15 to 16 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6 individual meringue topped pumpkin pies. Nutrients Per Serving Serving size: 1 individual pie Calories 148 % calories from fat 10% Total Fat 2g Sat. Fat 1g Protein 8g Carbohydrates 27g Cholesterol 54mg Sodium 133mg Dietary Fiber2 g Dietary Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 1 Meat HANUKKAH PECAN TORTE Scoops of tangerine sorbet are the perfect accompaniment to this torte, which includes tangerine zest to link it to the sorbet. At a nonkosher meal, top the torte with whipped cream. Serves 10-12 Ingredients: 3 cups chopped pecans 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 10 large eggs, separated 1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice Grated zest of 3 tangerines 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon Chopped candied tangerine peel (optional) Instructions: Preheat an oven to 350°F. Oil and flour a 10-inch tube pan or angel food cake pan. In a food processor, chop the pecans with 1/2 cup of the sugar as finely as possible; do not let it turn to paste. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of hot water and whisk for a few minutes until warm. Remove from the hot water and beat with the whisk attachment on high speed until the mixture is very thick and pale and a small amount trailed from the whisk forms a ribbon on the surface of the mixture, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tangerine juice and zest. In a bowl, toss the nut mixture with the flour, salt and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold these dry ingredients into the yolk mixture. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Fold the whites into the batter, then fold in the candied tangerine peel. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan, then invert onto a plate; slice to serve. If desired, serve with Tangerine Sorbet. Makes one 10-inch torte, or 10-12 servings. TANGERINE SORBET, To serve with Pecan Torte Whole tangerines, at their peak during the holidays, are traditionally given as gifts to children at the Hanukkah feast. Be sure to grate the zest before juicing the fruit. Makes about 1 quart Ingredients: 4 cups fresh tangerine juice 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp. grated tangerine zest Directions In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups of the tangerine juice and the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the remaining 2 cups tangerine juice and the lemon juice. Add the zest. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 1 quart. Well, that's the close of my first edition of Diana's Desserts Newsletter. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the new Thanksgiving and Hanukkah recipes. Don't forget to submit those wonderful recipes of yours. I wish you all a wonderful week, and a very Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Eat well, enjoy your family and friends, and be healthy. Will be back the first week in December with the next edition of the Diana's Desserts Newsletter. Sincerely, Diana Diana's Desserts A Website for Home Bakers Diana's Desserts
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