(Faux) Ginger Creme Brûlée

Ok, here's the deal. Creme Brûlée is a pain in the ass to make - no doubt about it. My version is not a pain at all. It doesn't exactly replace the real thing - but it's pretty darn close.

Ingredients

• One 3.5 Kraft Vanilla Snack Pack Pudding, well chilled
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Sugar

Directions

1. Mix pudding and ginger well in a small bowl
2. Fill a small ramekin about 2/3 full with pudding and smooth over the top, refrigerate at least 1 hour
3. Remove from fridge, sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top
4. Using a plumbers torch or small culinary torch, burn the top to a golden brown
5. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes
6. Serve...knowing some of your friends will think you worked your ass off making it

WATCH HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE... 

Whole Pear Tart

Not whole 'pears' - a 'whole' big tart.

Ingredients

• 3 pears, peeled and sliced into 1/4 slices
• 1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Place pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll out slightly
3. Poke pastry all over with a fork leaving a 1/2 border un-poked
4. Spread out pear slices evenly and as decoratively as you can
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar
6. Bake about 15 minutes
7. Mix butter with honey and brush over tart
8. Continue baking until golden brown all over (about 10 more minutes)
9. Remove from oven.
10. Slice and serve at table.

Bread Pudding with Chocolate

Serves 8

Neither bread nor pudding - this is a fun thing to make. Don't say no just because you don't like the sound of it - like a particular someone in my family

Ingredients

• 1 loaf sliced cinnamon bread, ends removed and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Lightly butter casserole dish
3. Put bread cubes on bottom of casserole dish
4. Scatter nuts & chips over bread
5. Mix milk, half & half, sugar and eggs in large bowl and pour over bread
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until set
7. Let cool slightly and serve in bowls

Josephine's Scottish Trifle

This is easily one of the most impressive looking (and simple) desserts you'll ever make. Oh - and it wouldn't hurt to have Braveheart playing on the TV while you make this. It will help put you in the spirit.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf pound cake, cut into 1/2" slices
• 2-15 ounce cans fruit cocktail, strained with juice saved
• 4 cups vanilla pudding
• 4 cups strawberry Jell-o, partially set
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 pint whipping cream, whipped
• candied cherries, cut in halffresh raspberries, optional

Directions

1. In a trifle bowl - or any large, clear glass bowl (preferably with straight sides) layer one half of the cake across the bottom
2. Drizzle with sherry
3. Cover with 1/2 of fruit cocktail
4. Cover with 1/2 of pudding
5. Cover with 1/2 of Jello
6. Cover with rest of pound cake
7. Drizzle with some fruit cocktail juice
8. Cover with rest of pudding
9. Cover with rest of Jello
10. Refrigerate 10 minutes
11. Make a layer of cherry halves
12. Cover with raspberries if using
13. Top with whipping cream and serve

Gayann Farmer's "No Name Lady Fingers"

Julian is known for apple pies - and the whole apple pie industry started with Gayann Farmer. Looking for a way to use more apples in her orchard and find a job to keep her at home with her kids, she started making pies - a lot of them. In a regular day she easily could have made 600 or more pies. Not in the business anymore - Gayann and her mother Mary cooked for me in Mary's kitchen. This is one of the desserts they made. It seems way too easy to be so good - but it is. Trust me.

Ingredients

• Lady fingers
• Macintosh apples
• Amaretto
• Fresh basil
• Chopped almonds
• Whipping cream

Directions

1. Gayann makes her own chunky apple sauce by combining sliced apples in a pan with a little water and sugar and cooking until softened (you could buy your own chunky -tart apple sauce, just don't tell Gayann)
2. Add chopped basil to cooled sauce
3. Dip each lady finger in amaretto, and place in bottom of serving dish - use about 3 per person
4. Put some of the chunky sauce on top of the fingers
5. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of cream over apples, add whipping cream to the top and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
6. Serve - and make another one because it's so good

Triple Berry Free-for-All

Serves 1

The base of this is pound cake. You can make it if you like - but it's one of those things I prefer to buy. This is opposite to the whipped cream - which you can buy, but I prefer to make.

Ingredients

• 1 thick slice pound cake - don't scrimp
• 1 big scoop fresh whipped cream
• 1 handful (3/4 cup) mixed berries - I like blues, blacks and raspberries
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Gran Marnier

Directions

1. Place whipped cream on top of pound cake
2. Drizzle with Gran Marnier
3. Top with berries

PB Ice Cream Cup Things

I admit it - it's a ridiculous name - but a great dessert. And remember with only 4, easy ingredients you can make something very special. The emphasis is on YOU. Sure you could go buy some ice cream thing for desert, but just wait until your guests see how this looks and then realize YOU made it yourself.

Ingredients

• Vanilla ice cream
• Whole peanuts
• Peanut Butter
• Hershey's Chocolate syrup -in a squeeze bottle preferably

Directions

1. To Make:
2. Cut a piece of wax paper to cover the bottom & sides of a small bowl, ramekin or cup.
3. Spread ice cream about 1 inch thick across bottom of whatever you're using.
4. Melt a couple tablespoons of PB in micro and drizzle over ice cream.
5. Cover with layer of halved peanuts.
6. Top with more ice cream and flatten out top - put in freezer right away.
7. To Serve:
8. Melt more PB (not too runny) & pour onto a serving plate making a little pool.
9. Remove wax paper from ice cream bundle and place neatly on PB pool.
10. Drizzle Hershey's over bundle in a decorative back & forth "I'm a fancy-chef-sort-of-way".
11. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
12. Pat yourself on the back - you've done a damn fine job.

Grilled Rum Peaches

These are pretty light (despite a little butter) and go really well with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

• Large peaches - 1/2 serves 1 person
• 1/4 cup butter
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1/4 cup dark rum

Directions

1. Mix butter, rum and orange juice in small pot and melt over low heat.
2. Cut peaches evenly in half.
3. Then make slices in each half about 1/2 inch apart - but leave slices attached at the top.
4. Grill over medium heat, basting often with butter mixture - grill marks are a good thing.
5. Serve beside ice cream

Chocolate Toffee Matzo

A classic Passover treat that's great anytime - and you don't even need to be Jewish to like it. But if this had fallen from heaven instead of manna - they'd still be in the desert...

Ingredients

• 4-6 sheets of matzo
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil, and top that with wax paper or parchment paper - it gets really gooey and sticky
3. Lay matzo's on baking sheets - break in half to fit gaps if you want
4. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat - stirring constantly
5. Let mixture boil and continue cooking for 3 more minutes
6. Remove butter/brown sugar mixture from heat and pour over matzo
7. Bake approximately 15 minutes - don't let it burn
8. Remove from oven and quickly sprinkle chocolate chips over the top
9. Let chips melt for a couple of minutes then spread melted chocolate with back of spoon
10. Sprinkle nuts over top of chocolate and press down lightly to stick
11. Refrigerate until set, then break into smaller pieces and look out - you can't eat just one piece.

Apple Tart

Makes 4

Puff pastry is one of those things that sounds fancy and complicated - but isn't. This takes no virtually no skill but ends up looking like it came from some snooty French pastry shop. Puff pastry comes frozen in a pack of 2 sheets. Take one sheet out of the freezer about 20 minutes before starting this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons warm honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Cut out 4-four inch circles from the pastry and place on a greased baking sheet - prick top of pastry with a fork all over
3. Peel apples, cut in half and thinly slice - no seeds or core please
4. Spread apples in a single layer over the pastry
5. Mix honey with melted butter and brush over apples
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes (brushing a couple of times with butter/honey mixture) or until golden brown
7. Remove from oven and cool slightly
8. I like it plain, but you could serve it with something like ice cream or warm caramel if you like

Mango Dessert Tacos

Makes 4

Simple, messy and gooey - just like they should be. No one gets a fork. No one!

Ingredients

• 4 flour tortillas
• butter
• cinnamon sugar (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon)
• 2 fresh mangos, peeled & diced
• About 1 cup vanilla ice cream (it should be a really good vanilla)
• powdered sugar
• honey
• 1/2 whole lemon

Directions

1. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with butter and sprinkle well with cinny-sugar
2. Cook on both sides in a non-stick pan over medium heat until slightly crispy and brown - remove to a serving plate
3. Add 1/2 cup of the ice cream to each tortilla, the mango on top
4. Drizzle with honey and a squeeze of lemon juice then a final sprinkle of powdered sugar
5. Now just fold and eat kinda like a taco

5 Minute Mini Cheesecakes

Makes about 12-15

Ok, so you've gotta bake them for 25 minutes - they still only take 5 minutes to make. Have them for a party and let your guests top them the way they want.

Ingredients

• 2-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• Nilla Wafers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Beat cream cheese with eggs, sugar and Grand Marnier until very smooth
3. Drop one Nilla Wafer in the bottom of each muffin cup (I like to use the foil cups that don't need a pan)
4. Fill each cup 2/3 full
5. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool completely and remove paper cups
6. Top with anything you like: fresh fruit...cherry piefilling...chocolate chips...jam...a pickle...whatever

Chocolate and Grand Marnier Fondue

You...someone special...the lights down low...candles flickering...romantic music and a smooth dark chocolate fondue to share...one fork...two mouths. Or it could be just you and the chocolate...whatever works, right?

Ingredients

• 3 oz Bittersweet chocolate
• 2 oz Milk chocolate, chips are fine
• slightly more than 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• Stuff to dip:
• Pound cake cut in cubes or rectangles
• Fresh strawberries, stems on
• Fresh orange sections, anything else you like chocolate on

Directions

1. Chop bittersweet chocolate into smallish chunks and place in a small bowl with milk chocolate
2. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan
3. Immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate - whisk until smooth and silky
4. Stir in Grand Marnier
5. Place in a little fondue pot or small serving bowl and serve with whatever you like to dip

Hot Peaches

Serves 4

Contrary to what you may be thinking, this is not named after a 70's XXX film - and you should be ashamed of yourself. Feel free to add a little brandy or rum as the peaches are cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe peaches, sliced into about 12-16 wedges each
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• For serving: vanilla ice cream, pound cake, grilled pound cake or the best is grilled pound cake with vanilla ice cream and the peaches on top

Directions

1. Melt butter in a non-stock pan, and add peaches -saute in the butter for about 5 minutes until thoroughly warmed and just a little bit brown around the edges
2. Add brown sugar and lemon - mix to coat and saute a little longer
3. Remove from heat and serve over very good vanilla ice cream, on  the pound cake (preferably grilled)
4. This is not the time to buy lousy ice cream - really good ice cream will make a difference
5. Top with a very light sprinkle of the Kosher salt - trust me

Fresh Mango and Lime Ice

Serves 6

The perfect dessert after a big dinner. The recipe calls for rum and you can use whatever you like - but the coconut in Malibu Rum gives it a amazing tropicalness - is that a word?

Ingredients

• 3 mangos, peeled and roughly chopped - save 4 mango wedges for garnish.
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice from 3 limes
• 3 tablespoons Malibu Rum (trust me)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender, and blend until smooth
2. Pour into 9x13 baking pan Freeze until solid - 3 to 4 hours.
3. Scrape across the top with a big spoon to make a 'shave-ice' like snow, and put into serving glasses - martini glasses work well.
4. Garnish with lime zest and a mango wedge
5. The other option is to cut the water in half, add more rum and call it a drink with a name like an Island Breeze. But then you'll need one of those little umbrellas...

Banana Bread French Toast

You can make your own banana bread from scratch, but why bother? Buy it as a mix or buy a loaf already baked. My vote is for the mix - keep a box or 2 in the pantry and make it the night before. Either way, this is a great and easy morning change.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
• 1 tablespoons butter
• 4 or 5 slices banana bread

Directions

1. Beat eggs in a flat style bowl
2. Stir in milk, sugar and Grand Marnier
3. Melt butter in pan over medium heat
4. Dip bread in egg mixture and cook in pan until brown on both sides
5. Serve with warmed maple syrup

Cinnamon-Pecan-Carmelly-Pull-Apart-Thing

Ridiculously simple morning treat? Yes. Warm, sweet and amazingly delicious? Yes. Impressive? Absolutely yes. Will you want it again? - Oh yes, yes! Low cal and low fat? You're kidding right?

Ingredients

• 3-10 oz packages refrigerator biscuits, quartered
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine cinnamon and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl
3. Drop biscuit quarters in the bowl a few at a time and mix with your hands until evenly covered with cinnamon sugar
4. Meanwhile, combine remaining sugar and butter in a small pot over low heat until butter has melted - mix well
5. Scatter half the pecans and raisins in bottom of buttered bunt pan,and cover with half the coated biscuit quarters
6. Pour half the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and repeat again with pecans, raisins, biscuits and finally the rest of the butter
7. Bake in heated oven for about 40 minutes
8. Carefully turn upside down on a platter big enough to handle some dripping of the gooey carmelly stuff running down the sides
9. It's really hot so you might want to use a fork, but man oh man oh man...

Chocolate Brownie Surprise

Makes 6

The surprise here is the addition of ground chicken to the brownies. It just adds something 'special'. Just kidding - the real surprise is the raspberry jam you hide between the brownie and ice cream that no one will be expecting. Ground Chicken...man, am I funny or what?

Ingredients

• 1 pack Brownie Mix
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• Hersheys chocolate syrup
• 1/4 cup Kahlua
• Slivered almonds
• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Cut out 6 sheets of wax paper approximately 6 inches square and fit into the bottom and up the sides of 6 small ramekin dishes
2. Fill each dish about 1/4 inch full with ice cream and pat down smooth - put in freezer for at least one hour
3. Make brownies according to package directions, allow to cool - cut out into 3" circles
4. For each dessert: drizzle some chocolate decoratively on a plate, soak bottom of brownie in Kahlua and place on top of plate
5. Top brownie with some of the jam
6. Place frozen ice cream disk on top of jam
7. Drizzle more chocolate over top and sprinkle with almonds and powdered sugar

Ice Cream Sandwich Deal

Serve 1

This sounds like the dumbest thing on the planet, but its amazingly good...and simple.

Ingredients

• 1 ice cream sandwich

• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

• 2 chocolate-mint cookies, smashed up (Thin Mints are perfect for this)

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

1. Slice sandwich in half not lengthwise, but...shortwise - I don't really know how else to say it? I just mean across the middle

2. Then slice each half diagonally to create 4 triangles

3. Drizzle syrup decoratively on a plate and place the triangles standing up in the middle

4. Sprinkle cookies over the top and shake powdered sugar over the whole thing

Cream Cheese and Jelly Stuffed French Toast

Serves 2

This is really rich - not something you want to eat every day but when you do...its REALLY good!

Ingredients

• Four 2 1/2 inch thick slices of Challah Bread
• 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
• 4 big tablespoons jelly (I like grape)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons cinny sugar
• Butter
• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Slice an opening in one side of the bread (not all the way through) to make a pocket
2. Spread 2 big spoons of cream cheese inside each piece of bread and then 1 big spoon of jelly
3. In a shallow medium sized bowl beat the eggs with the milk and the cinny sugar
4. Preheat a nonstick skillet until butter melts and starts to sizzle
5. Dip each stuffed sandwich into the egg mixture (be sure cover both sides AND the ends) and place in the skillet
6. Cook until golden brown (about 3 - 4 minutes before turning) on each side and be sure to cook the ends too
7. Put on a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve