Featured Recipes: Simple Spring Sweets

April 10, 2011

Spring is here in North Escambia, and today’s featured recipes include ideas to liven up your springtime desserts. By combining fresh, seasonal flavors, you can ensure perfect homemade and easy desserts year-round. Serving up a sweet surprise is easy with these delicious new recipes and baking tips.

(Make sure your scroll all the way down the page to see all of the recipes.)

Spring Dessert Tips

Surprise guests with a new twist on the traditional Latin-American dessert with a Chocolate Flan Cake. A velvety-textured flan custard is layered with a rich chocolate cake for a perfect marriage of sweet and creamy.

Dessert bars are a great solution for easy entertaining. Spice up any table by preparing Tropical Dessert Bars and then top with smooth and creamy Dulce de Leche, which can easily be made by heating Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk on the stovetop or in the oven.

Exotic fruits paired with rich cream cheese create a delicious combination in this recipe for Passion Fruit Cheesecake. Find seasonal inspiration by visiting local farmers markets.

Homemade ice cream is easier than you think. Make Caribbean Pineapple Lime Ice Cream in three simple steps with Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. Or create an artisan inspired ice cream flavor at home by combining spices like chipotle or cinnamon with lime zest, fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries and add to your ice cream mixture.

Tropical Dessert Bars

Ingredients

Bottom Layer
  • 1 (17.5-ounce) package sugar cookie mix
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
Cream Cheese Pineapple Layer
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons juice
Coconut Layer
  • 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation

  1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.
  2. STIR cookie mix and melted butter with fork until crumbs form. Press evenly in bottom of prepared pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
  3. BEAT cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs just until blended. Beat in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice. Pour over warm crust. Sprinkle drained pineapple evenly over top.
  4. STIR coconut, macadamia nuts and butter in small bowl until evenly moistened. Sprinkle over pineapple layer.
  5. BAKE 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set and coconut is lightly browned. Cool 1 hour on wire rack. Chill 1 hour. Cut into bars.

Serves
Makes 3 dozen

Ready in Time:
3 hours

Chocolate Flan Cake

Ingredients

  • Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
Cake
  • 1/2 cup Smucker’s® Caramel Flavored Topping
  • 1 (18.25-ounce) box Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Devil’s Food Premium Cake Mix
  • 1/2 cup Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups water
Flan
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 (12-fluid ounce) can PET® Evaporated Milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 12-cup fluted tube pan with no-stick cooking spray. Place piece of rolled up foil in tube opening of pan to prevent cake from baking over top. Pour caramel flavored topping into prepared pan.
  2. PREPARE cake mix according to package directions using the oil, eggs and water. Pour evenly over caramel flavored topping.
  3. COMBINE cream cheese, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla in blender container. Process until blended. Pour slowly over cake batter.
  4. COAT piece of foil with no-stick cooking spray. Cover pan tightly with foil and place coated side down. Place pan in large roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting pan to a depth of 2 inches.
  5. BAKE 2 hours or until toothpick in center still has a few moist crumbs. Place cake on cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes. Remove foil and invert onto serving plate. Cool 1 hour at room temperature. Chill 4 hours or overnight.

Serves
Makes 18 to 20 servings

Notes, Tips & Suggestions
TIP: Be careful when inverting hot cake onto serving plate. Place plate upside down on top of pan, place another cooling rack on top, then invert.

Ready in Time:
8 hours

Passion Fruit Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • Crisco Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
Cheesecake
  • 30 gingersnap cookies
  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup frozen passion fruit pulp, thawed or 1 cup passion fruit puree
Passion Fruit Glaze
  • 2/3 cup frozen passion fruit pulp, thawed or 2/3 cup passion fruit puree
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

Preparation

  1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 9 x 3-inch springform pan with no-stick cooking spray.
  2. PROCESS cookies and pecans in food processor until fine crumbs form. Place in small bowl. Stir in melted butter until evenly moistened. Press evenly onto bottom of prepared pan and 1-inch up sides. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Wrap foil around bottom and sides of pan.
  3. BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Pour in sweetened condensed milk gradually, beating until blended. Beat in eggs just until combined.
  4. MEASURE 2/3 cup of cheesecake and pour into small bowl. Whisk with 1 cup passion fruit pulp until blended. Pour remaining cheesecake into cooled crust. Spoon small dollops of passion fruit mixture over top of batter. Swirl with knife to make marbled appearance.
  5. BAKE 60 to 70 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour on wire rack. Chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
  6. To make glaze: COMBINE fruit pulp, sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and measures about 2/3 cup. Place in small bowl. Cool completely.
  7. REMOVE cheesecake from pan. Place on large serving dish. Spread glaze over top.

Serves
Makes 12 to 16 servings

Ready in Time:
11 hours

Caribbean Pineapple-Lime Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice, undrained
  • 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 to 5 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

  1. COMBINE undrained pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime peel, vanilla and food coloring, if desired, in a large bowl; mix well.
  2. WHIP cream in medium bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into pineapple mixture.
  3. POUR into 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or 2-quart freezer-safe container. Cover; freeze until firm, about 3 hours.

Serves
Makes 12 servings

Ready in Time:
4 hours

Comments

2 Responses to “Featured Recipes: Simple Spring Sweets”

  1. Hungary on April 11th, 2011 6:35 am

    Oh, my goodness. Don’t these look and sound good? Here goes another five pounds on my hips……..

  2. Janet on April 10th, 2011 9:48 am

    What a wonderfully nice addition to my morning news! Thanks William!!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, Features, News