What should I bake for dessert?

Rivers has been dying for custard. Mom used to make it for us from scratch a couple times a year. She sprinkled some nutmeg on the top.

She used those Pyrex little dessert cups, a round cake pan, and made a bain marie.

It is not hard to make, just make sure you measure accurately.

You could also do a flan, or flavored custard, like caramel.

Here is Mary Ann' s recipe for baked custard from allrecipes.com. It is just like my Mom's recipe.

And if your custard flops, it shouldn't, my Mom's never did, don't throw it away, it would make a lovely dessert sauce for something, like gingerbread.

Here's the easiest fruit tart you'll ever make:

Start with making a basic pie crust, but only do half the recipe. Roll it out flat, try to keep the edges as rounded as possible, not too many cracks, ect. Take a jar of fruit jam (preferrably the flavor of the fruit you have), and spread it on the crust, leaving about a 1.5 inch border along the edges with no jam. Slice up your fruit, place slices evenly on the jam-coated part of the crust. Sprinkle a lot of sugar all over the fruit, amt depends on how sweet your fruit is. Fold the border edges up so its kind of like a box holding the fruit. Paint the outside crust edges with a little bit of egg to make it brown nicely. Bake at 400 degrees until the fruit is soft and bubbly.

Here's a similar recipe, but you don't necessarily need the cornstarch or lemon. I don't like putting spices in, takes away from the fruit flavor, but if you like spices go for it. Also the jam is a nice touch. http://www.playinghouseblog.com/2009/07/rustic-sum...

Start by making a pan of brownies. Pour a can of strawberry or cherry pie filling over the unbaked brownies. Bake according to brownie directions. (Brownies will be gooey.) Serve warm or cool with vanilla ice cream, vanilla pudding, or whipped cream on top.

Bake a one layer yellow cake, cut into slices, and put on plates Top with ice cream or vanilla pudding and hot sliced canned peaches in juice. Best when served warm.

Youre a tart. Make a tart. Filled with pudding.

Bake a one layer yellow cake, cut into slices, and put on plates Top with ice cream or vanilla pudding and hot sliced canned peaches in juice. Best when served warm.

Apple dumplings.

cherry pie :)

Chocolate Pudding

Melted butter, to grease

150g (1 cup) self-raising flour

100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

2 tbs cocoa powder

125ml (1/2 cup) milk

50g butter, melted

1 egg, lightly whisked

Thickened cream, to serve

Chocolate sauce

155g (3/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

2 tbs cocoa powder

375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 1.5L (6-cup) capacity ovenproof dish with melted butter to lightly grease.

Combine the flour, sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine the milk, butter and egg in a large jug. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Pour into the prepared dish and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.

To make the chocolate sauce, sift the sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Sprinkle over the pudding mixture in the dish. Gently pour the boiling water over the cocoa mixture.

Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes or until a cake-like top forms and a skewer inserted halfway into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve with thickened cream, if desired.

Raspberry tarts

300g (2 cups) plain flour

45g (1/4 cup) icing sugar mixture

150g chilled butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

2 tbs water

90g (1/4 cup) raspberry jam

1 x 120g punnet raspberries

1 tbs white sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the flour, icing sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and process until dough just comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Heat the jam in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until melted. Place the raspberries in a bowl and use a fork to coarsely mash. Add to the jam and stir to combine.

Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a 6.5cm-diameter round pastry cutter to cut 22 discs from the pastry. Line twenty-two 30ml (1 1/2-tbs) capacity patty pans with pastry discs. Use a fork to prick the bases.

Roll out remaining pastry until 3mm thick. Use a 5cm-diameter star-shaped cutter to cut 22 stars. Spoon jam mixture among pastry cases. Top with stars and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.

Lemon tarts

2 sheets (25 x 25cm) ready-rolled frozen shortcrust pastry, just thawed

130g (1/2 cup) low-fat natural yoghurt

80g (1/4 cup) bought lemon butter

40g frozen raspberries, thawed

Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Use an 8.5cm-diameter round fluted pastry cutter to cut 6 discs from the pastry. Line six 80ml (1/3-cup) capacity non-stick muffin pans with pastry discs. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Place the yoghurt and lemon butter in a medium bowl and gently stir until combined. Spoon yoghurt mixture among pastry cases. Top with raspberries and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Chocolate truffle dessert

250g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

250g ready-made custard

400ml thick cream

2 tbs cocoa powder, sifted

Creme fraiche, to serve

Method

Place chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. When melted, set aside to cool slightly. Beat in custard and cream, folding until combined.

Line six 150ml round dessert moulds or souffle dishes with plastic wrap. Divide mixture between moulds and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

When ready to serve, unmould onto serving plates, dust tops with cocoa powder and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche.