With Hurricane Sandy causing such a ruckus on campus and perhaps in your hometown, sometimes we simply need a distraction or pick-me-up. My pick-me-ups are often on the sweet side. Below are a couple of sweet-treat recipes that you can try. The best part is each recipe contains an ingredient or two that you can steal from Commons or McEwen.
Ice Cream with Pepper-Cinnamon Honey-glazed Fruit
Ingredients:
Often found in the dining halls:
· Vanilla ice cream (often found in both dining halls)
· 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (can often be found in both dining halls)
· 1 cup honey (full bottles can be in both dining halls)
· Optional granola or Corn Flakes or Golden Grahams from Commons or McEwen.
Other ingredients you’ll need
· *2 cups of chopped or sliced peaches, or nectarines, or plums or apricots or pineapple
· 1 cinnamon stick
Step 1: Heat the honey, pepper and cinnamon stick in a small pot over low heat. When you are ready to serve, add the fruit to the money mixture and toss to coat the fruit.
Step 2: Put a scoop or two of ice cream into a serving bowl and top the ice cream with the honey-coated-fruit-mixture. Garnish with the optional granola, Corn Flakes or Golden Grahams for a different texture.
*You can use any combination of the fruit.
Dessert Panini
Ingredients:
Often found in the dining halls:
· 4 slices of white bread
· 1-2 bananas (sliced length wise)
· Softened butter
· 1 cup Hazelnut spread
· Optional: melted chocolate for drizzling
Other ingredients
· ~8-12 marshmallows, cut in halves
· Powdered sugar, for dusting
· Optional: whipped cream
Step 1: preheat the grill to medium-low
Step 2: Microwave the hazelnut spread for 20-40 seconds or just enough so it is slightly melted and easier to spread. On one side of all the slices of bread, spread a thin layer of the hazelnut spread.
Step 3: Apply banana slices to two slices of bread and marshmallows to the other two slices of bread. Press a “banana” slice with a “marshmallow” slice to make a sandwich. Repeat with other slices. Apply a light layer of butter to each side of the sandwich.
Step 4: Place each sandwich on the pre-heated grill for about 2 minutes per side. Once cooked, cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal. Dust with powdered sugar and/or drizzle with melted chocolate and/or top with whipped cream.
Granola & Marshmallow Brownies
Ingredients:
Often found in the dining halls:
· ½ Cup Granola
· ¼ cup chocolate chips
· 1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
Other ingredients:
· A box of your favorite brownie mix (if you prefer to make your own that’s fine too)
· Optional: ¼ cup of coarsely chopped peanuts, pecans or almonds.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F°. Grease the bottom of a 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray. Prepare brownie mix following the directions on back of box. (You can choose to make from scratch as well.)
Step 2: Pour batter in pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle granola over batter and bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean. (~20-30minutes)
Step 3: Immediately sprinkle marshmallows (and if you choose, the chopped nuts) over the warm brownies and broil for 30-60seconds or until marshmallows are golden brown. (Note: Broil about 4-5 inches away from heat source.)
Step 4: Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting. Generally this takes about an hour.
Cookie Trifles
Ingredients:
Often found in the dining halls:
· Your Favorite cookies
· Milk (whole, 2%, 1% or skim will do)
· Chocolate chips
Other ingredients:
· Sweetened whipped cream topping
· Chopped nuts of your choice
Step 1: add the milk to a bowl and quickly dip the cookies into the milk.
Step 2: In a trifle dish (or cup or bowl), add a layer of the sweetened whipped cream topping and then a layer of the dipped cookies. Repeat with several layers being sure to end with the whipped cream topping.
Step 3: Sprinkle chopped nuts of your choice and chocolate chips for garnish.
Fruit Pizzas
Ingredients
Often found in dining halls:
· Cream cheese (1 package or 8 ounces)
· ½ cup granulated sugar
· 1 ½ cup of fresh strawberries (washed, and halved)
· 2-4 Bananas (sliced)
Other Ingredients:
· 1 package of Sugar cookie mix
· 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
· 1 cup of blueberries (washed and dried)
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of a circular pizza pan with cooking spray. Prepare the sugar mix by the package directions. This will be your “crust.” Once dough is formed, on a floured surface, roll out the dough to fit the circular pizza pan leaving about 1-2-inch from edge. Place on pan and bake until the edges of crust are golden brown. (~10-13 minutes.)
Step 2: Take out crust and allow to cool. As crust is cooling, prepare the spread by combing the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Combine and mix well.
Step 3: Once the crust is completely cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture onto the crust. Top with the fruit. (You can top in a randomly placed fashion, circular fashion or any other way you choose.) When you are finished topping the pizza, cut with a pizza cutter and serve.