Sweet Success

Food

Related Photos

Cherry Sauce
Lavender Ice Cream
Hot Fudge

June 13, 2012

Sweet Success

FOR THE DAILY SOUTHERNER Karen Freeman The Daily Southerner Wed Jun 13, 2012, 04:33 PM EDT

PRINCEVILLE —

I have a sweet tooth. I didn’t have that problem when I was younger, but the older I get, the more I am attracted to sweets. That is NOT a good thing. However, it does send me online looking for great dishes that are sweet. Keep in mind that most of these sauces are great on fruit, sponge cake and ice cream. Also keep in mind that most of them will work fine with Splenda for baking as a sugar substitute. The only way to know for sure is to try it. However, they don’t work as well using sweet n’ low or equal.

The first recipe is a blueberry sauce. It’s sinful on ice cream but makes a great blueberry shortcake too. Just save some blueberries to put on the dessert in addition to the ones cooked into the sauce.

The second recipe is almost the same except its cherry instead of blueberry. It also calls for cognac or sherry but you can leave that out. I don’t add that.

The third is my favorite. I like tart. This one is lemon lime and it’s great. This is also good drizzled over chicken! Yummo, as Rachael Ray would say.

The next one is using ricotta. I don’t care for ricotta by itself but it’s wonderful as a filler for other things. It gives texture without adding a lot of fat and calories. This one is almost a dessert by itself but is great as a topper for berries.

The last one is for the chocolate lovers! It’s hot fudge sauce. Obviously, it’s good on anything!

Blueberry Sauce

Water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 cup blueberries

Bring 3/4 cup of water and the sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon juice.

Mix the cornstarch with one tbs. water and add, stirring, to the syrup.

Cook, stirring, one minute. Add the blueberries and cook one-half minute.

Serve warm.

Yield: 2 cups

Cherry Sauce

1 pound sweet cherries, pitted

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup corn syrup or sugar

1 tbs. cornstarch

Lemon juice

Kirsch, cognac, sherry or cherry liqueur (optional)

Place the cherries, one-quarter cup of the water and the syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil.Blend the cornstarch with the remaining water and add, stirring, to the cherries.

Cook, stirring, until clear or for about one minute.

Add lemon juice and kirsch to taste. Serve warm or cold over pudding over ice cream.

Note: Can be stored in a the refrigerator

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Lemon Lime Sauce

Serve over fruit or sponge cake.

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 very thin lemon slices

4 very thin lime slices

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)

Whisk sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan to blend. Add 1 cup water and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens.

Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Whisk in lemon juice and lime juice.

Cool sauce to room temperature. Stir in lemon and lime slices and vanilla extract.

Add food coloring, if desired.

Yield: Serves 1 2/3 cups.

Ricotta Dessert Crème

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons honey

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 to 3 drops pure almond extract, to your taste

Fresh berries of your choice

Place all the ingredients except the berries in a blender, cover, and blend on medium speed until smooth.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, then spoon over the berries and serve.

Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup light cream or evaporated milk

1/8 tsp. salt

3 tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Boil briskly three minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add the vanilla.

Serve warm

Note: The sauce may be stored in the refrigerator.

To reheat, place in a pan of hot, not boiling, water until the sauce has thinned to pouring consistency.

Text Only

Food

Budget Friendly Deliciousness
It's nice to be able to put a good meal on the table without having to spend a fortune. Today's recipes are easy, delicious and inexpensive. But, they won't taste inexpensive. I hope that you will give them a try.

May 15, 2013 2 Photos
Barbeque Bests
When you're loading up the family for a big barbeque celebration, be sure to load up a variety of freshly-made salads and deliciously decadent brownies.
Whether pasta salads, potato salads or even those leafy greens, this side favorite is a perfect accompaniment to juicy grilled burgers, brats and steaks. Because this savory barbeque fare can bring out anyone's sweet tooth, don't forget to dish out the desserts. Adding your favorite nuts, fruit and candy toppings to a rich, gooey brownie can melt the hearts of guests as easily as the hot summer sun.
The best part about bringing a salad or brownie dessert - besides both being flavorful barbeque staples - most can be prepared the night before. This gives you more time to focus on the important things, like grilling your next culinary masterpiece and hanging out with your family.

May 8, 2013 1 Photo
Coffee isn't just a drink
I love coffee. Anyone who knows me knows that I can drink coffee all day, every day. I drink it black and I like it strong. But, there are a lot of other things that you can do with coffee. It isn't just a beverage.
I hope that you will give some of these recipes a try. I think that you will like them if you do! Let me know.

May 1, 2013 2 Photos
Reboot your pantry
The best meals offer loads of fresh flavor and are best served with a side of originality. Let your pantry serve as your starting point for creating memorable meals the family will love.

April 24, 2013 1 Photo
Adventures in Grilling
The next time you fire up the grill, give your taste buds a thrill with recipes that are inspired by some of the best cuisines from around the world. These recipes from Omaha Steaks will take you on a culinary adventure right in your own backyard. Sweet and spicy Korean, zesty South American and bold Mediterranean flavors make perfectly grilled steak even better.

April 3, 2013 1 Photo
Enjoy the Easter Season
Sunday is Easter. I hope it will be a time of celebration and renewal for you and your family. I also hope that it won't be a stressful cooking day. The recipes here today are not labor intensive recipes so they will give you time to spend with your family. Maybe even hiding some eggs!

March 27, 2013 1 Photo
LUSCIOUS GRILLED CHEESE
I love grilled cheese sandwiches. That's probably true of most of us. But, when you think of a grilled cheese sandwich, what do you think of? Two slices of bread, a bit of butter and the kind of cheese that is individually wrapped that you put on most of your other sandwiches. Right? That was always my vision of a grilled cheese sandwich. Mostly because that is what my mother made when I was growing up.

March 20, 2013 1 Photo
North Carolina Sweet Potatoes
I’m sure that I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. I love sweet potatoes. I have very fond memories of eating them as a child. My mother always baked them. We rarely had them any other way. But, they were wonderful. On Thanksgiving, we always had sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top. I may have to make some when I finish this article!

March 13, 2013 1 Photo
Reductions add zip to flavor
When I cook, I often don't have a lot of time to spend making exotic meals, so I decided that I want to get more for less. In cooking that often means reductions. It’s amazing how the taste of something can change just by cooking it down until most of the liquid is gone. Reductions are so ridiculously easy that I often ask myself why I don’t use them more often. They also keep well in the refrigerator for several days.
When creating reductions, it’s important that the ingredients be good quality. Concentrating a flavor that was mediocre to begin with changes it from mediocre to terrible. That particularly applies to wines, oils and vinegars. Buy the best that you can afford and don’t use anything that you wouldn’t want to taste alone.
It’s also important to cook the reduction sauce moderately and until it reduces to a thick, syrupy consistency. It doesn’t take very long, but don’t be in a hurry or it will burn.

March 6, 2013 1 Photo
Great Fondues
My husband and I love to entertain. We also love fondue. There is no more fun way to surprise guests with a great meal than to fondue. I have 4 or 5 fondue pots. I use them regularly.
There are several ways to fondue. You can make the dessert fondue and I have a great chocolate fondue recipe below. Another fondue option is to have a cheese fondue for a starter before the meal or at a party.
The last fondue option is to make the main course the fondue. With this option you can use either wine, a broth or oil for the fondue. I alternate usually between the broth and the oil. Sometimes I use peanut oil and sometimes I use canola oil. I don’t generally use vegetable oil because it has a lower smoke point.
The first recipe is my wine fondue. The important thing to remember is to use a good white wine. Never cook with a wine that you wouldn’t serve to guests. It doesn’t have to be expensive but it does have to be a table wine. You can play with the spices to find the taste that you like.

February 26, 2013 1 Photo
More Food Headlines

Food

Search Results

Related Photos

Sweet Success

Site Map