Category Archives: Other desserts and treats

Strawberry Yoghurt Parfait

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This can be breakfast, snack, dessert….whenever you want.  It’s easy, healthy and tasty !

Makes 2 to 3 servings

  • 1/2 cup granola
  • 1 cup vanilla flavour Greek yoghurt
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, cut
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
  1. Coat strawberries with honey
  2. Layer ingredients in glass, enjoy!

You can use any fruits you like, blueberries, banana, peaches, etc.

Savory Phyllo Wraps

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This is not a sweet treat, but I got approval from the tiniest sweet tooth in my house (my daughter) to post it. You can actually put any fillings in them, salty or sweet.

Makes about 8

  • 4 sheet phyllo pastry, thawed
  • 1 large baking potato
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon garlic and herb cream cheese spread
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 4 to 6 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
  • Seasoning salt, to your taste
  1. Cook bacon in non-stick pan over low to medium heat until crispy, put on paper towel to drain
  2. Peel, cut potato into big chunks and put in boiling water, cook until tender, about 20 minutes
  3. Drain and mash potato, add 1 tablespoon of butter, milk, cream cheese and seasoning salt, mix well
  4. Add bacon into mashed potato
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F
  6. Place 1 sheet of phyllo sheet flat, brush lightly with remaining melted butter, put a second sheet on top and brush again with butter. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo
  7. Cut phyllo stack into 8 squares, (about 6 inch x 6 inch each), place each piece into a muffin cup, spoon filling into cup, fold edges over and press gently
  8. Brush top with butter
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown

When cooking the bacon, you can save the bacon fat and mix it into the mashed potato instead of the butter.

Fruit Juice Jello

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I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like jello, even my dad likes them !  You can enjoy them without adding any artificial colours or flavours.

  • 4 cups pure fruit juice (mango, grape, apple, etc)
  • 4 envelopes or tablespoons of unflavoured gelatin powder
  • Honey or sugar to sweeten if needed
  1. In a large bowl, sprinkle gelatin powder over 1 cup of fruit juice, let sit for a few minutes
  2. Heat the other 3 cups of juice over medium heat until boil
  3. Pour boiled juice into gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin completely dissolved
  4. Add honey or sugar according to your taste if needed
  5. Pour into molds or small cups and put in fridge until set, overnight or about 3 hours, enjoy!

Try to use sweeter juices like mango or pear, so you don’t even need to add sugar.  Dip bottom of molds in warm water for a few seconds for easy removal.

 

Cinnamon Swirls

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These treats are yummy and super easy to make !

Makes about 30

  • 1 box of store-bought frozen puff pastry (two 10 inch x 10 inch sheets), thawed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 cup ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg, beaten
  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F
  2. In a bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon
  3. Brush pastry sheets with egg and sprinkle with sugar mixture
  4. Cut each sheet into 5 inch x 1 inch rectangular strips
  5. Twist each strip and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart
  6. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden
  7. Cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes then transfer to racks to cool completely

You can adjust the ratio of cinnamon to sugar according to your taste, I use a 1:4 ratio.

Rice Crispy Squares

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Makes about 24 squares

  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 4 cups mini marshmallows
  • 5 cups crisp rice cereal
  1. Melt butter over low heat in a non-stick pan
  2. Stir in marshmallows until melted
  3. Remove from heat
  4. Stir in rice cereal until coated
  5. Pour rice cereal mixture in 13 x 9 inch pan lined with parchment paper
  6. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top, press firmly and evenly
  7. Cut into squares when cooled

Tapioca Pudding

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This is a very yummy Asian dessert. 

Makes about 4 servings

  • 75 gm small tapioca pearls
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 tablespoon custard powder
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 50 mL evaporated milk
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 20 gm unsalted butter
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Soak tapioca pearls in water for 30 minutes, drain well
  3. Cook pearls in large pot of water on medium heat, stirring constantly until pearls turn clear
  4. Rinse pearls with cold water, drain well
  5. Add custard powder and egg in 1/2 cup of milk, mix well, set aside
  6. Heat evaporated milk and the other 1/2 cup of milk in microwave for about 45 seconds, add sugar and butter, stir until melted, let cool for about 5-10 minutes
  7. Slowly add milk mixture (#6) into egg mixture (#5)
  8. Heat the above over medium heat in a non-stick pot, stir constantly until thickens
  9. Stir in tapioca pearls
  10. Pour mixture in ramekins, about 3/4 full
  11. Place ramekins on baking tray half-filled with water and bake for about 20 minutes.

The custard should have a texture of thick creamy soup before baking.

Egg Tarts

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This is a very easy recipe and they taste just like the ones you get from the Chinese bakeries.  Enjoy ! (It was my daughter’s idea to make a happy face with the tarts !)

Makes about 16

  • 3 eggs
  • 60 mLs evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 150 mLs hot water
  • 1 teaspoon custard powder
  • 16 frozen pastry shells, 3″ (store-bought )
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Melt sugar in hot water, let cool
  3. Whisk eggs well
  4. Whisk in evaporated milk, custard powder and sweet water until smooth
  5. Place pastry shells on cookie sheet
  6. Strain mixture and pour into pastry shells
  7. Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until middle of custard pop up slightly

You may need to thaw pastry shells for a few minutes before baking, please follow instructions on box. Don’t let custard pop up too much or it will drop and become wrinkly when cooled.  

Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow

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This will sure warm you up on a cold snowy day.

Makes 2 servings

2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15-20 mini marshmallows

1. Heat milk in pot or microwave oven
2. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar
3. Add vanilla extract
4. Add marshmallows on top. Enjoy!

Steamed Egg Custard

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I inherited the “cooking gene ” from my mom and of course,  her cooking is better than mine…. Well,  except this one!  She said my egg custard is smoother, thanks mom!

Makes 2-3 servings

2 eggs
1 cup of milk
4 tablespoons of sugar

1. Beat eggs well with fork
2. Warm milk in microwave for about 30-40 seconds
3. Stir and melt sugar in warm milk, cool slightly
4. Mix eggs with sweet milk
5. Strain mixture into bowls, cover tight with aluminum foil
6. Steam for about 12 minutes. Serve warm

Chocolate Brownies

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This recipe was taste tested by my son’s friends and it was a thumbs-up !

Makes about 18 squares

  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Line 12 inch x 4 inch loaf pan or pan of your choice with buttered parchment paper
  3. Melt butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, let cool for about 5 minutes
  4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
  5. Using an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, mix together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until pale at medium speed
  6. Add chocolate mixture, mix until blended
  7. Add flour mixture until well blended, make sure you scrape down sides of mixing bowl
  8. Pour batter in pan, about 1 inch in height and bake for about 35-40 minutes
  9. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then cool completely on rack and cut into squares

Brownies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.  Check if brownies are done by inserting a tooth pick in the middle, it should be slightly sticky but not too wet.