Chocolate Bread Pudding

This pudding can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. To chill, let cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Note: Using a cinnamon-raisin bread adds even more flavor to this chocolatey pudding.

Prep: 15 minutes / Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for baking dish
• 8 slices (8 ounces) cinnamon-raisin bread
• 2 cups milk
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 11-by-7-inch (or 9-inch square) baking dish; set aside. Toast bread (in the oven or toaster) until lightly crisped.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, chocolate, and butter; place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted, about 5 minutes.
3. Tear bread into large pieces (about 4 or 5 per slice); scatter evenly in prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Whisk in warm milk mixture until combined. Pour over bread.
4. Bake until pudding has puffed and is firm, about 25 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes, and dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Pretty Cherry Parfaits Recipe

4-6 Servings / Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant Vanilla pudding mix
• Whipped topping, sliced almonds and fresh mint, optional

Directions:

1. Combine pie filling and extract; set aside. In a large bowl, combine sour cream and milk. Stir in pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened.
2. Spoon half into parfait glasses; top with the pie filling. Repeat with remaining pudding mixture. Garnish with whipped topping, almonds and mint if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 276 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 283 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 tsp. water
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• Pinch of coarse salt

Directions:

1. Combine the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until the chocolate is almost completely melted, stirring occasionally.  Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Set aside and let cool to near room temperature.
2. In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and the salt.  Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  They should be thick and smooth
3. Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture.  Add one third of the whipped egg whites to the bowl with the chocolate and fold gently to lighten up the mixture.  Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a spatula just until no visible streaks are left.
4. Portion the mixture into 4-6 individual serving dishes (or 2 larger serving dishes, for a romantic, share-friendly dessert).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.  Serve as desired with freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Peach-Berry Smoothie

Blend and enjoy a delicious beverage for four in 5 minutes!

Prep Time: 05 minutes / Total Time: 05 minutes / Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait Original 99% Fat Free strawberry yogurt
• 1 cup sliced fresh or frozen peaches or nectarines
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

1. In blender, place all ingredients. Cover; blend on High speed 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth.
2. Pour into 4 glasses. Serve immediately.

Serve this energizing fruit shake as a quick breakfast or as an after-school snack.

Tip

Frozen whole strawberries, slightly thawed, can be substituted for the fresh.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)

• Calories 120
  • (Calories from Fat 10),

• Total Fat 1g
  • (Saturated Fat 1/2g,
  • Trans Fat 0g),
• Cholesterol 5mg;
• Sodium 40mg;
• Total Carbohydrate 24g
  • (Dietary Fiber 1g,
  • Sugars 19g),
• Protein 3g;

• Calcium ;

• 0 Starch;
• 1 Fruit;
• 0 Other Carbohydrate;
• 1/2 Skim Milk;
• 0 Low-Fat Milk;
• 0 Milk;
• 0 Vegetable;
• 0 Very Lean Meat;
• 0 Lean Meat;
• 0 High-Fat Meat;
• 0 Fat;

• 1 1/2;

Perfect no-cook Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) Strawberries, trimmed, halve if large
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp Fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 cups heavy cream

Method:

1. In a large bowl, coarsely mash strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and sea salt with a potato masher. Let stand, stirring, and mash occasionally for about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer half of the strawberry mixture into a blender and puree with cream until smooth. Return strawberry cream to bowl with remaining strawberries and allow the mixture to chill thoroughly, stirring occasionally and then freeze it in an ice cream maker.

Note: ice cream keeps 1 week.

Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

Adapted from peppermint ice cream

From ice cream, published by William-Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c white chocolate chopped
• 4 oz milk or dark chocolate, chopped

Method:

1. Stir the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Chill for 1 hour. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Just before stopping the machine, add the peppermint candies, and both chocolates. Transfer to a freezer safe bowl and freeze until firm.

Black Forest Parfait

Ingredients:

• Black Raspberry ice cream
• HERSHEY’S Fudge Topping
• Whipping Cream
• Vanilla ice cream
• HERSHEY’S Triple Chocolate Dessert Toppings
• Fresh raspberry (optional)

Directions:

1. Alternately layer black raspberry ice cream, fudge topping and vanilla ice cream in large sundae glass.
2. Top with whipped cream and chocolate dessert topping. Garnish with raspberry, if desired.

Julia Childs Chocolate Mousse

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of sweet or semi-sweet, high quality baking chocolate
• 1/4 cup strong coffee
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons rum or an orange, coffee or vanilla-flavored liquor
• 3 eggs whites
• 1/4 cup instant (finely ground) sugar
• whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate with the strong coffee over barely simmering water.
2. Gently beat the butter into the melted chocolate. Then one by one, beat in the egg yolks.
3. Remove from the saucepan from the heat.
4. In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the cream (and optional liquor) until it leaves light traces on the surface.
5. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
6. While beating in the egg whites, sprinkle in the sugar by the spoonful. Continue beating until stiff shining peaks are formed.
7. Scrape the chocolate mixture down the side of the egg-white bowl, and delicately fold in the whipped cream. Do not over fold the mousse or it will lose volume.
8. Transfer the mousse into attractive serving bowls or one large serving bowl.
9. Cover and chill several hours until firm.

Tips:

1. You cane use sweet or semi-sweet high quality chocolate chips instead of the baking chocolate. They’re much easier to measure and melt.
2. If you are concerned about raw eggs, use pasteurized egg whites. Look on the container to make sure they are suitable for whipping.
3. You may wish to serve the mousse with dollops of whipped cream. But why challenge perfection?

Icy Chai Mocha

Hot cocoa mix, flavored with instant espresso and the spices used in chai, blended with ice for a lower-calorie cold beverage.

Time:

Hands On: 5 minutes / Total: 5 minutes

Servings: Makes 4 servings (about 1-1/2 cups each)

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 2 envelopes (0.55 oz each) Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets No Sugar Added Hot Cocoa Mix
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 6 cups ice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Reddi-wip Fat Free Dairy Whipped Topping

Directions:

1. Microwave milk on HIGH 1 minute 30 seconds. Meanwhile, whisk together cocoa mix, instant espresso, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger in medium bowl. Pour warm milk over cocoa mixture; whisk to combine.
2. Place ice in blender container; pour cocoa mixture over ice. Add honey and blend until combined. Pour into chilled glasses or mugs; top with Reddi-wip. Serve immediately.

Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
• 2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix (or the mix of Serendipity)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate shavings

Method:

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar, stirring constantly until throughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
2. In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw… or both!