apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Some version of fruit crumble is pretty easy, and easily done without a precise recipe. The easiest I've done is to peel an apple, core and cut into 1 inch cubes or thin slices. Spread evenly in a small ramekin or a larger baking dish if it's more than one serving. Crush up graham crackers and sprinkle on top. Dot with butter if you like. Bake at about 350-375 until the apples are soft.

Yesterday, I made a strawberry-rhubarb crumble. Sliced strawberry and rhubarb, mixed with a little cornstarch, lemon juice, and sugar. For the topping -- rolled oats, brown sugar, flour, and butter (mixed using a pastry cutter). Baked for about 40 minutes.

These are easy in terms of effort, but do require baking time.

Fresh strawberries to dip into chocolate sauce. We had that with champagne last night for Mother's Day. Simple and delicious!

I like sliced pound cake/angel food cake with some whipped cream/cool whip and berries. It's simple and light.

i like fresh oranges, cut in slices then i grate some dark chocolate over it. very tasty and it takes about 3 minutes to make

fresh berries marinated in grand marnier topped with vanilla gelato drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Microwave some frozen blueberries until they burst. Add a sliced nectarine. Top with some whipped cream or (better!) some vanilla ice cream.

Fried apples: slice an apple, saute in butter with cinnamon, toss in a handful of raisins or dried cranberries if you like, add a bit of sweetener when apples are almost soft (honey, maple syrup, fruit juice, etc), eat warm as is or topped with nuts/granola/ice cream/whip cream.

When I was in Morocco, we had a fabulous dessert: peeled, sliced oranges (sliced, not sectioned), sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Delish!

agree with the crumble but poached pears are the easiest thing ever and perfect when you've got a bottle of opened red just sitting around.

just put some spices (cinnamon, vanilla), sugar and some wine in a pot and put in pears. turn a couple times and before you know it, a super impressive dessert.

I thought of whipped cream and fruit, too--something like a fruit fool. Whipped cream-based mousse is easy along the same lines. Caramelized bananas over Greek or strained yogurt is are also tasty. And going back to my childhood, stove-top S'mores or peanut butter mixed with cream cheese and spread over graham crackers, and if I have the patience, drizzled with chocolate. Also, it's nice to have ginger cookies and simple syrup (quick to make by itself) to top fresh fruit like peaches or citrus.

I don't make desserts very often, but I would think that braising fruits such as pears in wine could be done without a recipe--or maybe you follow a recipe the first time, and after that just wing it. Also baked apples are pretty easy, though again you might want a recipe the first time. You just core the apple, save the bottom bit, stick it back in, and fill the empty space with brown sugar and embellishments (hm, minced ginger?). Also, I have never made a compote, but it seems like after you've made them once they'd be easy to repeat--that'd be an easy dessert element to make with frozen berries and fruit that is a bit disappointing on its own (ie, not quite ripe or sweet enough).

last night i made a quick rhubarb compote, let it cool and folded it into homemade whipped cream: rhubarb fool. add a little crystallized ginger on top. yum yum. mom loved it!

HoHo cake.

Depending on how many you want to serve, line any size mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Slice HoHos about 1/8 - 1/4" thick (easiest with frozen HoHos) and line the entire bowl with a single layer of HoHos. For end pieces, turn them so the chocolatey end faces the inside of the bowl. Set aside any crumbs.

Fill the bowl about halfway with any flavor(s) of ice cream you like. Chocolate chip or mint chip are good standbys. Drizzle some UNHEATED hot fudge sauce in the middle and throw in the reserved HoHo crumbs. Fill the rest of the bowl with ice cream.

Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm. Invert on a plate and serve. Perfect summer BBQ dessert!

Fruit plus:

Quickie dessert pantry supplies: rolled oats; walnuts; brown sugar; white sugar; some whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, cardamon pods; flour; honey.

In the fridge/freezer: butter, whipping cream, plain yogurt, vanilla ice cream.

Extras you might/might not always have on hand: fresh mint, leftover wine; good chocolate for melting or shaving.

With the above, you're sure to be able to come up with something, depending on what kind of fruit you've got.

Melted chocolate chips spread on top of graham crackers - it's a quick substitute when I have a craving for chocolate chip cookies.
Also, there are all sorts of no-bake cookie recipes that don't require precise amounts - different combinations of any of the following: melted chocolate/white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, pretzels, rice krispies, uncooked chow mein noodles, peanuts, etc. melt and mix your choice of the sticky stuff together, then add your choice of dry ingredients, put in blobs on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 min.

I like to cook fresh fruit (like apples or peaches) in a saucepan with a bit of sugar and booze, it makes a great topping for ice cream or cake. I prefer this to a traditional baked dessert because it doesn't heat up the house and requires no planning ahead. :)
http://hot-dish.blogspot.com/2007/04/just-delicious.html

If not fruit, then:

The Italian dessert, Affogato: a small scoop of good vanilla ice cream with a cup of hot strong expresso poured over it.

Also, we keep a jar of rum and raisins always topped up and ready to put over vanilla ice cream.

Prunes in Armagnac over vanilla ice cream, also great, but more $$$

Or sorbets with matching or complimenting liqueurs poured over them: Black Current Sorbet with Cassis, Raspberry Sorbet with Framboise etc.

In the south where I grew up, nothing said "amazing dessert" more than chocolate-dipped strawberries. Of course, it could be done with other fruit too, but that's the best combination. Love it when they're at weddings.

Without a doubt it's figs baked with ricotta and a square of dark chocolate pushed into the centre - delicious!

It's kinda trashy, but I like to make white grape Jell-o with club soda, and let it set in tilted champagne glasses in the fridge. It looks like champagne Jell-o. Top with whipped cream and a few berries. Always gets lots of oooo-ahhhs!

Melt peanut butter and dark chocolate together. Then I fold in nuts/dried fruit/puffed rice/seeds. Place spoonfuls on waxed paper in the fridge for an hour, and you have some delicious homemade chocolate treats.

Strawberries topped with mascarpone whipped cream and a drizzle of reduced balsamic.

Peaches & plums marinated in balsamic, honey & cinnamon.

French vanilla ice cream topped with a drizzle of creme de menthe - served with chocolate mint cookies.

Spanish pan con chocolate

A baguette sliced into rounds, the rounds toasted with a smear of good olive oil, then squares of dark chocolate put on top, back into the oven until the chocolate starts to melt, another drizzle of good oil, then a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. Eat warm.

mmmm...

Tonight I boiled up some instant custard/pudding - could be made from scratch with cornflour, milk and sugar plus flavouring like cocoa. I used instant caramel flavour.

Poured into little ramekins and set aside.

Then I chopped up two bananas while some butter and brown sugar was caramelising on the stove (medium heat). Add the bananas once the caramel is almost done and cook til they're soft.

Top the pudding with the caramelised banana and whack in the fridge until cool.

You could probably add whipped cream and it would be all "banoffee" style :-) Make sure the custard isn't too sweet cos of all the sugar in the bananas. Didn't take more than ten minutes and very very yummy.