Help - American dessert recipes

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shazzie10, Mar 27, 11:18pm
We are having a murder mystery evening this weekend with an "Southern American bar theme".We are having a BBQ for the main(I am hoping we will have ribs as I love ribs - especially Tony Romas).What I am struggling with is what to have for desserts! I am aware of NY Cheesecake but what else?When I have been to the States, I have always been "stuck" on the chocolate cake so didn't really notice other desserts. Appreciate any input.. thank you.P.S. And also where I can find the recipes. Thanks again.

sarahj1, Mar 27, 11:21pm
Google Paula Dean and use any of her recipes- she's a good ol' gal southern cook from the Food Network - her recipes are usually extremely decadent and bad for you, as the best southern cooking should be!

sarahj1, Mar 27, 11:24pm
Red velvet cake would be good - easy and can be done ahead of time
Or pecan pie?

shazzie10, Mar 27, 11:25pm
Thank you Sarahj1. I had actually spent 30 minutes on google but wasn't making much progress so decided to ask here because there are so many wonderful experienced cooks here. Will check her out.Much appreciated. Have a super day.

nova40, Mar 27, 11:43pm
I love this recipe and it is so easy and yummy, I have been asked for this recipe many times..

Ingredients
Base
250 sweet biscuits, crushed
125 g butter, melted

Filling
250 g cream cheese
440 g condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
¼ cup lemon juice.

Meringue
2 egg whites
½ cup caster sugar.

Method
Base: Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press firmly into base of a springform tin. Refrigerate until firm.
Filling: Beat cheese until smooth, add in condensed milk, lemon rind, lemon juice, and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Pour over base and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours or until firm to touch.
Meringue: Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until dissolved.
Spread evenly over filling.
Bake in hot oven for 10 minutes until meringue browns.
Allow to cool, then refrigerate until required.

Recipe notes
Use slightly green lemons for this dessert, as it helps mixture to set firmly. Can be made a day ahead.

nova40, Mar 27, 11:48pm
This one is very nice and alot easier.... and a winner!!!

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

180gm Plain Biscuits (Vanilla Wine, Nice)
90gm Butter
1 x can Condensed Milk
½ Cup Lemon Juice
3 Eggs – Seperated
½ Cup Castor Sugar

Combine crushed biscuits and melted butter, press into greased flan pie tin refrigerate.Blend condensed milk and lemon juice add lightly beaten egg yolks and combine well.Pour over Biscuit base and (Bake in oven for 20 mins. at 145 degrees).

Beat egg whites until stiff, then gradually beat in castor sugar when thick spoon onto pie filling and bake in a preheated oven 160 degrees for 10-15 minutes until Meringue is golden brown.

shawkt, Mar 28, 1:53am
Totally agree red velvet cake it so American. or pumpkin pie - yum!

jimbob37, Mar 28, 2:02am
Pumpkin pie?Apple pie?

fisher, Mar 28, 2:29am
Sweet Pumpkin Pie...Preheat the oven to 165°C
You MUST "steam" your pumpkin and then mash to a pulp.Blind bake short crust pastry in a round pie dish.In a bowl beat two eggs and 1/4 cup of brown sugar... Add a 1/2 tsp of allspice..1/2 tsp of cinnamon..1/4 tsp of ground ginger..1/4 tsp of ground cloves..2 tbsp of orange juice..zest of the orange...
Mix all together with the pumpkin pulp..Pour into cooked pastry base, spread out and place in pre heated oven for approx 40 mins.

litedelites, Mar 28, 2:42am
Hi
I to had immediatley thought of red velvet cake, pecan pie or pumpkin pie.Or how about pumpkin cheesecake, whoopie pies, beignets (donuts from New Orleans), or pralines.Good luck

litedelites, Mar 28, 2:44am
Another thought - watch Top chef - desserts (think this is on tonight) - TV 4 I think, this could give you inspiration. T

falcon-hell, Mar 28, 2:51am
key lime pie/cheesecake

trading_gibsons, Mar 28, 2:54am
What about a cherry pie

falcon-hell, Mar 28, 2:55am
apple brown betty is another desert.

elliehen, Mar 28, 4:36am
Americans love their pies...served in ENORMOUS wedges.I'd go with fisher's Pumpkin Pie.

rainrain1, Mar 28, 5:03am
Make sure you have bucketfuls of funny white cream

shazzie10, Mar 28, 7:18am
Thank you everyone for your suggestions.Haven't heard of red velvet cake and a few other interesting ones, so will check these out.Thanks again for your generosity.

waswoods, Mar 28, 7:23am
Red velvet cake with cream cheese icing is actually very easy. Don't be put off by the large amount of red food colouring required

rosathemad, Mar 28, 9:28am
Red velvet cake is not just American but very Southern US. It's a lightly flavoured cocoa cake, and came about because the way the cocoa used to be processed caused the mixture to turn red - a reaction with the buttermilk. It is delicious slathered with cream cheese icing - and having it layered will help with the American authenticity too. :-)

litedelites, Mar 28, 6:56pm
Hi
Had another thought last night.Americans also like anything with peanut butter.I will hunt out a recipe that I have for red velvet cake and a pie with peanut butter.Also they are big on bread and butter puddings - sounds strange, but they make it with all kinds of different things and I have had one with burbon in it.
Be back with recipes

litedelites, Mar 28, 6:57pm
Red Velvet
2 1/2 cups flour sifted
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder
125 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp red food colouring
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 1/2 cups whipping cream
250 grams cream cheese, room temperature
250 grams Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar, sifted


Method:

Red Velvet Cake:

Preheat oven to 175˚ C and place rack in centre of oven.
Greese two 23 cm round cake baking tins and line the bottoms. Set aside.
In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl, set aside.
In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
Combine the vinegar and baking soda in a small cup and quickly fold into the cake mixture.
Working quickly, divide the mixture evenly between the two baking tins, smoothing the tops with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in their tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan.
Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This will make filling and icing easier.)

Cream Cheese Icing:

Mix cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and icing sugar and combine until smooth.
Whip cream until stiff peaks form.
With a large spatula, gently but quickly fold a little of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whipped cream, in two stages. (If the icing is not thick enough to spread, cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour, or so.)

To Assemble:

Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter.
Spread the cake layer with a layer of icing.
Place the other layer of cake on top of the icing and ice the top and sides of the cake.

litedelites, Mar 28, 7:06pm
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

2 x 250g packages of cream cheese
1 (4 serving) pack of instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
2/3 c non fat dry milk powder
1 c water
¾ c whipped topping
1 chocolate pie crust
6 tbspns peanut butter
1 (2 ½”) chocolate biscuits, made into crumbs
1 tbspns chopped dry roasted peanuts

In a large bowl, stir cream cheese with a sturdy spoon until soft.Add dry pudding mix, dry milk powder and water.Mix well using a wire whisk.

Blend in ¼ cup whipped topping.Carefully spread into pie crust.Refrigerate while preparing topping.

In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter with a spoon until soft.Fold in remaining ½ cup whipped topping.Spread mixture evenly over cream cheese filling.Evenly sprinkle chocolate biscuit crumbs and peanuts over top.Refrigerate for a least two hours.

For an extra special topping shave white chocolate over the top just before serving.

Makes: 8 servings

Notes:This is an American recipe and we do not have some of the items listed in ingredients.

1. You will have to make up your own pie crust.Do this by crushing biscuits and mixing this with butter or Flora Light.
2. Whipped Topping Mix (this is a low fat alternative to whipped cream)
3. I used Philadelphia Lite Cream Cheese
4. I used less peanut butter (only 2 tablespoons)
5. You can use different flavoured instant puddings and mix in other flavours into the topping mix to create a number of different cheesecakes

mellish, Mar 28, 10:18pm
google snickers pie - i made this for valentines day one year, it was amazing. Also I have made red velvet cake too - it was fun.

waswoods, Mar 28, 10:25pm
I didn't have buttermilk when I made it - just used yoghurt and it was fine

rosathemad, Mar 28, 11:46pm
Yoghurt is a good substitute for buttermilk, but that's how the cake came about. :-) I usually curdle milk with a little white vinegar since buttermilk is so expensive. :-)