Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings
Ingredients
BREAD PUDDINGS:
4 large eggs
2 (15-oz.) cans pumpkin
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-oz.) French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups) $
CARAMEL-PECAN SAUCE:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Prepare Bread Puddings: Whisk together eggs and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Add bread pieces, stirring to thoroughly coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 8 to 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon bread mixture into 11 (6-oz.) lightly greased ramekins. (Ramekins will be completely full, and mixture will mound slightly.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes, shielding with foil after 30 minutes.
4. During last 15 minutes of baking, prepare Caramel-Pecan Sauce: Heat pecans in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
5. Cook brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pecans.
6. Remove bread puddings from oven; drizzle with Caramel-Pecan Sauce. Bake 5 minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated and begins to bubble.
TRY THIS TWIST
One-Dish Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Pudding: Prepare recipe as directed in Step 1. Spoon chilled bread mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake, covered, at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed in Steps 4 through 6.
Apple Bread Pudding
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
3 large apples, such as Honeycrisp (about 1 1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (16-oz.) cinnamon-raisin bread loaf, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Apple Brandy Crème Anglaise
Sautéed Apples
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add apples, and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
2. Whisk together cream and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in bread cubes; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cooked apples.
3. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar into a buttered 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Add bread-and-apple mixture to dish, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until light golden and center is set. (Bread pudding will puff to top of dish and pull away slightly from sides as it bakes.) Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm with Apple Brandy Crème Anglaise and Sautéed Apples.
Note: We tested with Panera Bread Cinnamon Raisin Bread. To make ahead, cover and chill baked and cooled bread pudding overnight. Let stand 20 minutes; reheat in a 350° oven 20 minutes.
Banana Bread Cobbler
Ingredients
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 medium-size ripe bananas, sliced
Streusel Topping
Vanilla ice cream
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together flour and next 2 ingredients just until blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Top with banana slices, and sprinkle with Streusel Topping.
2. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with ice cream.
Mini Berry Cobblers
Ingredients
18 ounces mixed fresh berries (4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup buttermilk
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Toss together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 to 4 times. Pat into a 6- x 4-inch (1-inch-thick) rectangle. Cut into 6 squares; cut squares diagonally into 12 triangles.
3. Arrange 12 (3 1/2-inch) lightly greased miniature cast-iron skillets on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Divide berry mixture among skillets. Place 1 dough triangle over berry mixture in each skillet.
4. Bake at 400° for 20 to 24 minutes or until fruit bubbles and crust is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Meals for the Family: Slow Cooker Breakfast & Desserts
Maple-Hazelnut Oatmeal
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups water
Cooking spray
2 Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped
Preparation
1. Bring milk and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
2. Coat a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Place hot milk mixture, apple, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or until oats are tender.
3. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; top with maple syrup and hazelnuts.
Tropical Bananas Foster
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup dark rum
1 cup (1-inch) cubed fresh pineapple
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 3/4 cups vanilla light ice cream
Preparation
1. Coat a 3-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine brown sugar and next 3 ingredients (through rum) in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 hour. Stir with a whisk until smooth.
2. Add pineapple, cinnamon, and banana to sauce, stirring to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 15 minutes. Serve immediately over ice cream.
Quick tip: Fresh pineapple is a treat, but sometimes for the sake of convenience, the precut variety is worth reaching for. Either way, you can't go wrong.
Brownie Pudding Cake
Ingredients
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon powdered sugar (optional)
Preparation
1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
2. Combine canola oil and next 3 ingredients (through eggs), stirring with a whisk. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Stir in walnuts.
3. Coat a 3-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour batter into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until set around edges but still soft in the center. Turn off slow cooker. Let stand, covered, 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Vanilla Bean Baked Custard
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Preparation
1. Combine milks in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla bean paste, stirring with a whisk until blended.
2. Combine egg, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Gradually add hot milk, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Pour egg mixture through a sieve into a bowl.
3. Place 4 metal canning jar bands in bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker. Ladle egg mixture evenly into 4 (8-ounce) ramekins. Cover ramekins with foil. Set 1 ramekin on each band, making sure ramekins do not touch each other or sides of slow cooker. Carefully pour hot water into slow cooker to depth of 1 inch up sides of ramekins.
4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of custards comes out clean. Remove ramekins from slow cooker, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or chilled.
Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 (1-pound) cinnamon-raisin bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in milk, cream, vanilla, and butter. Add bread cubes and pecans, stirring gently just until bread is moistened. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Pour bread mixture into a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart soufflé dish; cover with aluminum foil. Pour 1 cup water into a 6-quart round slow cooker; place a wire rack to fit cooker on bottom. Set soufflé dish on rack.
Cover and cook on HIGH 3 hours or until a sharp knife comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.
Test Kitchen Secret: To quickly make 1-inch bread cubes, stack bread slices and cut vertically into thirds; then cut crosswise into thirds.
Rocky Road Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
1 (18.25-oz.) package German chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Preparation
1. Beat cake mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.
2. Cook remaining 2 cups milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.
3. Sprinkle cook-and-serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
5. Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with pecans, marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted. Spoon into dessert dishes, and serve with ice cream, if desired.
Note:
This cake will look like it needs to cook just a little longer, but by the time the topping is set, it's ready to serve.
Peaches 'n' Cream Tapioca
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or frozen peach slices (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking tapioca
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup peach nectar
2 cups granola
Preparation
Stir together first 7 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours. Stir well; spoon into dessert dishes, and top evenly with granola.
Peachy Keen: Fresh peaches are best. If you use frozen ones, just rinse off any ice crystals; there's no need to thaw them for this recipe.
Pineapple-Coconut Tapioca
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup regular small pearl tapioca
2 (13.5-ounce) cans light coconut milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted
Preparation
1. Coat a 4-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine sugar, tapioca, and coconut milk in slow cooker, stirring with a whisk. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours or until most of tapioca is transparent. (Pudding will be thin.)
2. Place egg in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Add 1/2 cup hot tapioca mixture to egg, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir egg mixture into remaining tapioca mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 30 minutes. Turn off slow cooker. Stir pineapple into tapioca mixture; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Serve warm or chilled. Top each serving with toasted coconut.
Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (we tested with Craisins)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preparation
Combine apples and lemon juice in a 4-quart slow cooker; toss well to coat. Add brown sugar and next 5 ingredients, combining well.
Cover and cook on LOW 3 hours.
Stir together water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir into apples.
Cover and cook on LOW 3 more hours or until apples are tender.
Prep: 16 minutes, Cook: 6 hours
Slow-Cooker Size: 4-quart
Walnut-Stuffed Apples
Ingredients
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons dried currants
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
4 medium Granny Smith apples, cored
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider
Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, stirring to combine. Peel top third of each apple; place apples in an electric slow cooker. Spoon walnut mixture into cavity of each apple.
Combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup brown sugar, and apple cider in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Pour over apples. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 2 3/4 hours. Remove the apples with a slotted spoon. Spoon 1/4 cup cooking liquid over each serving.
Spiced Poached Pears
Ingredients
6 firm ripe Anjou pears (2 3/4 pounds), peeled
1 (500-milliliter) bottle Vino Santo or other sweet dessert wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 (3-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon juniper berries
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
6 tablespoons crème fraîche (optional)
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation
1. Remove cores from blossom ends of pears, leaving stem end intact. If necessary, cut about 1/4 inch from base of each pear so it sits flat. Place wine, sugar, and orange juice in an oval 5-quart electric slow cooker; stir until sugar dissolves. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; stir seeds and bean into wine mixture. Add juniper berries and cinnamon stick. Set pears in wine mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until pears are tender.
2. Remove pears from cooking liquid. Cut pears in half. Place pear halves in dessert dishes.
3. Pour cooking liquid into a sieve over a medium saucepan; discard solids. Bring to a boil; boil 20 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Drizzle sauce evenly over pears. Top with crème fraîche and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
Blueberry-Orange Parfaits
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons Demerara or turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 (7-ounce) containers reduced-fat plain Greek-style yogurt
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups orange sections (about 2 large)
1/4 cup wheat germ
Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Spoon 1/4 cup blueberries into each of 4 tall glasses. Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt mixture over blueberries in each glass. Add 1/4 cup orange to each serving. Repeat layers with remaining blueberries, yogurt mixture, and orange. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon wheat germ over each serving; serve immediately.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups water
Cooking spray
2 Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped
Preparation
1. Bring milk and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
2. Coat a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Place hot milk mixture, apple, and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in slow cooker; stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or until oats are tender.
3. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; top with maple syrup and hazelnuts.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup dark rum
1 cup (1-inch) cubed fresh pineapple
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 3/4 cups vanilla light ice cream
Preparation
1. Coat a 3-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine brown sugar and next 3 ingredients (through rum) in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 hour. Stir with a whisk until smooth.
2. Add pineapple, cinnamon, and banana to sauce, stirring to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 15 minutes. Serve immediately over ice cream.
Quick tip: Fresh pineapple is a treat, but sometimes for the sake of convenience, the precut variety is worth reaching for. Either way, you can't go wrong.
Brownie Pudding Cake
Ingredients
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon powdered sugar (optional)
Preparation
1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
2. Combine canola oil and next 3 ingredients (through eggs), stirring with a whisk. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Stir in walnuts.
3. Coat a 3-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour batter into slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until set around edges but still soft in the center. Turn off slow cooker. Let stand, covered, 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Vanilla Bean Baked Custard
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Preparation
1. Combine milks in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla bean paste, stirring with a whisk until blended.
2. Combine egg, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Gradually add hot milk, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Pour egg mixture through a sieve into a bowl.
3. Place 4 metal canning jar bands in bottom of a 6-quart oval electric slow cooker. Ladle egg mixture evenly into 4 (8-ounce) ramekins. Cover ramekins with foil. Set 1 ramekin on each band, making sure ramekins do not touch each other or sides of slow cooker. Carefully pour hot water into slow cooker to depth of 1 inch up sides of ramekins.
4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of custards comes out clean. Remove ramekins from slow cooker, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or chilled.
Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 (1-pound) cinnamon-raisin bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in milk, cream, vanilla, and butter. Add bread cubes and pecans, stirring gently just until bread is moistened. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Pour bread mixture into a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart soufflé dish; cover with aluminum foil. Pour 1 cup water into a 6-quart round slow cooker; place a wire rack to fit cooker on bottom. Set soufflé dish on rack.
Cover and cook on HIGH 3 hours or until a sharp knife comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.
Test Kitchen Secret: To quickly make 1-inch bread cubes, stack bread slices and cut vertically into thirds; then cut crosswise into thirds.
Rocky Road Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
1 (18.25-oz.) package German chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Preparation
1. Beat cake mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.
2. Cook remaining 2 cups milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.
3. Sprinkle cook-and-serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
5. Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with pecans, marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted. Spoon into dessert dishes, and serve with ice cream, if desired.
Note:
This cake will look like it needs to cook just a little longer, but by the time the topping is set, it's ready to serve.
Peaches 'n' Cream Tapioca
Ingredients
4 cups fresh or frozen peach slices (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons uncooked quick-cooking tapioca
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup peach nectar
2 cups granola
Preparation
Stir together first 7 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours. Stir well; spoon into dessert dishes, and top evenly with granola.
Peachy Keen: Fresh peaches are best. If you use frozen ones, just rinse off any ice crystals; there's no need to thaw them for this recipe.
Pineapple-Coconut Tapioca
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup regular small pearl tapioca
2 (13.5-ounce) cans light coconut milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted
Preparation
1. Coat a 4-quart electric slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine sugar, tapioca, and coconut milk in slow cooker, stirring with a whisk. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours or until most of tapioca is transparent. (Pudding will be thin.)
2. Place egg in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Add 1/2 cup hot tapioca mixture to egg, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir egg mixture into remaining tapioca mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 30 minutes. Turn off slow cooker. Stir pineapple into tapioca mixture; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Serve warm or chilled. Top each serving with toasted coconut.
Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (we tested with Craisins)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preparation
Combine apples and lemon juice in a 4-quart slow cooker; toss well to coat. Add brown sugar and next 5 ingredients, combining well.
Cover and cook on LOW 3 hours.
Stir together water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir into apples.
Cover and cook on LOW 3 more hours or until apples are tender.
Prep: 16 minutes, Cook: 6 hours
Slow-Cooker Size: 4-quart
Walnut-Stuffed Apples
Ingredients
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons dried currants
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
4 medium Granny Smith apples, cored
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider
Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, stirring to combine. Peel top third of each apple; place apples in an electric slow cooker. Spoon walnut mixture into cavity of each apple.
Combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup brown sugar, and apple cider in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Pour over apples. Cover with lid; cook on LOW 2 3/4 hours. Remove the apples with a slotted spoon. Spoon 1/4 cup cooking liquid over each serving.
Spiced Poached Pears
Ingredients
6 firm ripe Anjou pears (2 3/4 pounds), peeled
1 (500-milliliter) bottle Vino Santo or other sweet dessert wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 (3-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon juniper berries
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
6 tablespoons crème fraîche (optional)
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation
1. Remove cores from blossom ends of pears, leaving stem end intact. If necessary, cut about 1/4 inch from base of each pear so it sits flat. Place wine, sugar, and orange juice in an oval 5-quart electric slow cooker; stir until sugar dissolves. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; stir seeds and bean into wine mixture. Add juniper berries and cinnamon stick. Set pears in wine mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until pears are tender.
2. Remove pears from cooking liquid. Cut pears in half. Place pear halves in dessert dishes.
3. Pour cooking liquid into a sieve over a medium saucepan; discard solids. Bring to a boil; boil 20 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Drizzle sauce evenly over pears. Top with crème fraîche and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
Blueberry-Orange Parfaits
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons Demerara or turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 (7-ounce) containers reduced-fat plain Greek-style yogurt
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups orange sections (about 2 large)
1/4 cup wheat germ
Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until blended. Spoon 1/4 cup blueberries into each of 4 tall glasses. Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons yogurt mixture over blueberries in each glass. Add 1/4 cup orange to each serving. Repeat layers with remaining blueberries, yogurt mixture, and orange. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon wheat germ over each serving; serve immediately.
