Archive for the ‘DESSERTS’ Category
Fruit Cocktail Cake I
February 13, 2017 Lee
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Fruit Cocktail Cake I

This one is a long shot, if you try this before I do, please leave a comment. We have one type of fruit cocktail I have seen, it is not the same types of fruit as one would find in the US, but it should work and may have interesting results as well. I am assuming the syrup from the can is the liquid needed to make this as well.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 1 can fruit cocktail, see Step 1
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

For the Topping

  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions
 

  • If you have never tried the fruit cocktail here, it is quite good, contains mainly tropical fruits. The original recipe stated one 15 ounce can, which is 425 grams. There is two sizes of this in stores, 565 grams, and a smaller one of 234 grams. Just estimate 425 grams worth and go with that.
  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • Combine all the Cake ingredients except the brown sugar, pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Mix the Topping ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, pour on the hot cake and serve warm but also good served cold. Optional to garnish the top with chopped nuts or shredded coconut.

Notes

Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
February 12, 2017 Lee
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Sounds really good, I think I gained a few kilos just reading it. On my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Crust

  • 25 chocolate sandwich cookies, whole cookies, like Oreos
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted, 1/4 block

For the Filling

  • 1 cup peanut butter, creamy, this 250 grams
  • 250 grams Cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 package Cool Whip, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • This is an 8 ounce package of Cool Whip, that is sold frozen in the US, I cannot recall ever seeing that here, but again I was never looking for it. I have a shortcut listed to make Homemade Cool Whip.

For the Crust

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • Crush the cookies until they are fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter over the top and mix with a fork to combine. Press into a pie pan and bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the Filling

  • Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat until smooth.
  • Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Notes

The cream cheese would cost about 120 Baht/250 grams. The peanut butter will cost about 120 Baht, depends on the brand and quantity you purchase at one time. For 8 servings, this is about 88 cents per serving. For a very sweet dish, very good.
Shortcut: Homemade Cool Whip.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Easy Apple Cobbler
February 11, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

Easy Apple Cobbler

Not only does this sound easy, it is delicious!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Apples

  • 4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into pieces
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Batter

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted, this is 1/2 of a standard block
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 160 C (320 F).
  • Peel, core, and chop the apples. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix to coat the apples, set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Pour the melted butter into a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish. If using a 7x11 Pyrex baking dish, pour in about 3/4 of the butter. Move the dish around to coat the bottom, it will look like a lot, no worries.
  • Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, then whisk in the vanilla and baking powder. Pour the batter into the baking pan and try to cover the butter, there will be a lot of butter around the sides, this is ok. DO NOT STIR.
  • Cover this with the prepared apples. DO NOT STIR.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, continue for 10 minutes at a time until the edges are browned. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Notes

This is low cost and serves a lot of people.
Variant: Use any fresh fruit or berries and just use 1/4 cup white sugar to coat.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Frances Collins.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars
February 6, 2017 Lee
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Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

Sounds delicious, on my to cook list. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup butter, softened, this is 1 standard block
  • 500 grams Cream cheese, this is 2 blocks, 250 grams each
  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened, this is 1/2 standard block

Garnish

  • caramel sauce, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the chopped apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  • Mix together the streusel ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or large sturdy fork until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13x9 inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  • While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over warm crust.
  • Spoon apple mixture evenly over the cream cheese mixture, then sprinkle evenly with Streusel Topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, drizzle with caramel sauce, serve.

Notes

The cream cheese is the only expensive item here, 240 Baht for 500 grams, and since a lot of butter is used, this is 123 Baht for 1 and a half blocks. For 10 servings, this is about $1.07 per serving.
Shortcut: Caramel Sauce.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,DESSERTS
Homemade Yellow Cake
February 4, 2017 Lee
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Homemade Yellow Cake

To cut costs, this uses the Homemade Yellow Cake Mix recipe on this site. This will make two 8 inch rounds, one 9x13 pan, or 24 cupcakes. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Equipment

  • Electric Mixer
  • Oven
  • Baking Pan(s)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cake mix recipe, Shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs, chicken or duck
  • ½ cup butter, softened, (½ block / 1 stick)
  • 1¼ cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • frosting, of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish or two 8 inch rounds.
  • Add the butter to a mixing bowl, cream with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add the cake mix to mixing bowl, mix for 30 seconds. Add the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla mix, mix on medium high for 1-2 minutes. Do not over work the batter or the result will not be a light and fluffy cake.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and bake for 20-25 minutes for two 8 inch pans, 30-38 minutes for a 9x13 inch pan, 15 minutes for cupcakes. Let cool completely before turning out to a platter before frosting.

Notes

Low cost.
Shortcut: Homemade Yellow Cake Mix.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Made it, GO-TO recipe.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
February 4, 2017 Lee
1 Comment

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I remember my Mom making these when I was little. Very happy to have this recipe now. I made this on 31 Mar 2017 and these are exactly as I remember them, fantastic and easy!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 6 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup butter, this is 1/2 of a standard block
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups quick cooking rolled oats

Instructions
 

  • Add the butter, sugars, milk, cocoa, and salt to a large sauce pan or pot.
  • Bring to a rolling boil and hold for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
  • Add peanut butter and stir until melted, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  • Now mix in 2 1/2 cups of oats until completely coated, if it looks wet enough, add 1/4 cup at a time from the remaining 1/2 cup and mix in until coated.
  • Drop the cookies by tablespoons onto wax paper or foil and let cool until set.

Notes

All readily available ingredients, low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Funnel Cake Bites
February 2, 2017 Lee
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Funnel Cake Bites

Sounds like a good snack or dessert.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions
 

  • First start by mixing your milk, egg, vanilla, and butter together, then add in the salt, baking soda, and sugar. Slowly mix in the flour and mix until everything is a smooth combination. Pour the mixture into a gallon size zip lock bag, or an icing bag, or a funnel. Set aside.
  • Pour about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan and heat it up for about 2 minutes on high then turn down to a low medium. To test if the oil is hot enough drip a small dot of the batter into the oil. If it fries up, then its ready.
  • Get your bag of batter, if using a zip lock bag snip off a corner, and make little dots in the oil with the batter, about 1 1/2 times the size of a 10 Baht coin. Let it cook for about a minute and then using a fork and a spatula carefully flip them over. Cook until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil and place paper towels to drain and and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Can serve with whip cream or fruit.

Notes

Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
January 15, 2017 Lee
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Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

This sounds very nice, easy to make, common ingredients, on my to cook list for sure!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 cups fresh stawberries, whole, capped, I will verify the amount
  • 125 grams Cream cheese, this is 1/2 of a standard block, cut into small cubes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Melt the butter and pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the egg, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir.
  • Add the strawberries, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over strawberries. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. The crust rises up and around the strawberries, and they still peek out of top.

Notes

I cannot price this until I buy strawberries again but should be very reasonable.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,DESSERTS
Molasses Cookies
December 30, 2016 Lee
2 Comments

Molasses Cookies

My mouth is watering for these, this is an old time recipe that I believe is similar to what my Mom would make. Been a long time since I have had these, and I did find a contact in Chiang Mai that is sending me a jar of molasses, imported from Australia. I made these on 29 Jan 2017, excellent but they do not have the classic cracked top. Recipe modified slightly with my findings.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 big cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened, this is 3/4 of a standard block of butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • white sugar, optional, as needed

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and egg until smooth. Then mix in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger in a separate bowl then mix that into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. This photos shows mixed after the fridge, it does indeed look like peanut butter at this point.
  • Preheat oven to 190 C. Drop a rounded tablespoon of dough using two spoons (the dough will be sticky like peanut butter) onto an ungreased cookie sheet, placing 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the tops are cracked, you will need to watch the time based on your oven (mine however did not crack on the top), cool on a wire rack. The timing is critical, do not over cook these.
  • Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS
No Roll Sugar Cookies
December 4, 2016 Lee
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No Roll Sugar Cookies

No roll as in no rolling pin needed. These sound really good. I am not a big fan of sweets but do enjoy a couple of cookies now and then and I enjoy cooking for my family. This is on my to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, this is 1/2 of a standard block of butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 150 C.
  • Mix together the butter and shortening until smooth and combined. You can do this by hand or with a electric mixer. Then add the sugar, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar and beat until fluffy. Then add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix that in.
  • Beat in the flour a little at a time and mix to form a smooth dough. Divide this into 24 pieces and using your hands, roll each piece into a ball and place the balls on a cookie sheet spaced apart as they will flatten on their own when baked.
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes or until just set, do not brown the cookies. Remove the sheet from the oven and cool for about 3 minutes on the sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy.

Notes

This is minimal cost.
Now for those egg whites, make yourself an egg white omelette in the morning.
Inspired by Spend With Pennies and the link to this recipe is here.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,DESSERTS