mini dessert ideas?

[chefandi]

Hello everyone! I am in search of some desserts, however I am looking for things that would go on a dessert buffett? Such as mini cheesecakes, although I think I could make small cheesecakes in a mini muffin pan I don't know how long to cook or at what temp? Any suggestions would be great!

[SoCal]

I love mini-tarts. I just buy (I know, I should make my own!) individual graham cracker pie crusts (like Keebler) and then coat with lemon curd or pudding and fill with mixed berries. Once filled you can brush the berries with apricot jam for a shiny effect. The CL Easy Lemon Squares from 4/99 would be excellent cut into squares and placed in the paper or foil baking cups that you would use for cupcakes.

[Leanne]

I have made mini key lime pies. I have put them in pre-made mini chocolate cups & I have made mini graham cracker crusts in mini muffin pans. Just make the key lime pie according to instructions on the bottle (the kind you don't have to cook when you use the chocolate cups) & top with some whipped cream. I'm sure you could do all sorts of different fillings - cheesecake included. (not sure how long you would cook them either - I would start at a lower temp (by about 25 degrees) & check on them often - I would say it would take half the time or less. Some one else will know.

I've also seen pre-made mini phyllo dough cups - you could fill them with berries & cream.

I have also made brownies in a mini muffin pan - very cute & easy.

[joyous]

I'm almost sure I read this in a CL back issue. How about meringue cookies formed into "nests", with fresh fruit or preserves topping them?

[GayeC]

I went to a real English tea party for the first time last month and had wonderful bite-size lemon tarts. The woman who made the tea made her own crusts (probably in mini muffin pans) and filled them with lemon curd. I think that you can buy ready-made small crusts in the frozen foods section, then you could fill them with CL's lemon curd. She also made a nut tart and cut it into wedges you could pick up. Not to mention the scones, shortbread cookies... (can you tell that I really enjoyed this tea???) I also agree with the suggestion that many bar cookies could be cut into bite-size pieces. Gaye

And I just remembered -- didn't a fairly recent CL have miniature pecan tarts on the cover?

[This message has been edited by GayeC (edited 06-18-2001).]

[lindrusso]

chefandi -

I love to make little mini-desserts. If any of these sound good to you, just email me or post here and I'll try to get the recipes posted. These are all made with mini-muffin pans, so no tartlet shells required.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Cookie CupsFrom CL.
Walnut Tartlets with Chocolate Ganache Filling
Pecan Tassies - not exactly a seasonal item, but still good! From CL.

I have also made some tartlets with lemon curd and fresh fruit if you're interested in that recipe.

Yum!

[goldilocks]

lindrusso - Please post your recipe for the Lemon Cheese cups. They sound yummy!

[Jewel]

Wouldn't the Lemon Buttercrunch Bars recipe work well in mini-muffin pans? That's one of my favorite take-along desserts, but I think they would be really cool looking to make into little individual 'rounds' instead of a bar cookie. Lindrusso, you're the mini-dessert expert, do you think it would work?
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[lindrusso]

Well, now, I'm hardly an expert, but I did have fun this past Christmas making, freezing and then just pulling out and serving the recipes I mentioned. I hope to find and try more! I'm not familiar with the recipe that Jewel mentioned, so I can't comment on that one.

Here's the cookie cup recipe. It's from CL - last year or the year before and also appeared in the Make Ahead issue. Instead of using almonds as garnish, blueberries or raspberries would be a nice seasonal touch.

Notes: I do NOT recommend taking these cups out of the pan immediately as the instructions say - I had much better luck letting them cool down completely. Like any sugar cookie, they are just way too soft when the pan is so hot. Also, they do, in fact, freeze very well - even with the lemon curd already on.

LEMON-CREAM CHEESE COOKIE CUPS

Dough:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 (8-ounce) block less-fat cream cheese

Topping:
1/4 cup commercial fat-free lemon curd
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. To prepare dough, beat 1/2 cup sugar and butter at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; freeze 15 minutes. Gently press dough into bottom and up sides of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

2. Preheat oven to 350º.

3. To prepare filling, place 1/2 cup sugar and the next 4 ingredients (1/2 cup sugar through cream cheese) in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides of processor bowl occasionally. Spoon 1 tablespoon filling into each prepared muffin cup. Bake at 350º for 23 minutes or until edges are brown and filling is set. Remove cups from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack. Place cups in an airtight container; seal and freeze.

4. TO SERVE, thaw the cookie cups in the refrigerator overnight. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.

5. To prepare topping, spoon 1/2 teaspoon lemon curd onto each cookie cup. Sprinkle with almonds.

6. CALORIES 119 (39% from fat); FAT 5.2g (sat 2.8g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.4g; CARB 16.1g; FIBER .30g; CHOL 31mg; IRON .40mg; SODIUM 98mg; CALC 19mg

[Leanne]

Another mini dessert that I have made before is turn-overs (I guess that's what they're called.)

Mix apricot preserves with brown sugar, nutmeg, & cinnamon. Spoon inside a small square of puff pastry dough & crimp the sides. Cook according to dough directions. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Easy & tasty.

[gertdog]

One of my friends made mini cheesecakes in mini muffin tins last Christmas. She lined each cup with silver foil mini muffin cups, then put a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each, then poured cheesecake filling on top. After baking, she placed a dollop of cherry pie filling on each.

I would NEVER have guessed that the base was a vanilla wafer. These were cute, petite, and very tasty. This time of year, a juicy fresh strawberry half would be terrific on top!

[Chefmom]

Oh, I just love dessert buffets! I can sometimes talk a customer into one, but they cost more than a plain cake.....

Anyway, my rule of thumb for a dessert buffet is this: always have something on the plain side, like a white cake with either white icing or fruit. Always have something decadently chocolate, always have cheesecake, or several cheesecakes. Always have something with nuts, usually a usual nut item, like a nut-meringue and something a little different, like pistachios.

Also, a napolean is always popular. Simply bake the puff pastry sheets, then cut in strips, fill with pastry cream and finish the top with white and chocolate fondant. It's simple and yet elegant and tasty.

In the summer I always have fruit desserts. Fruit cheesecakes, fruit tortes, little cream filled crusts with strawberries on top.

If you hate to make cooked cream, use this idea. Use 3/4 of the amount of milk on the package of instant pudding. I use 1/2 of that amount with heavy cream. Then, mix until moistened and lump free, then set aside for 1 minute to thicken. Then with beaters, beat unitl light and fluffy. Use this in place of cooked cream in desserts, it's wonderful!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Tami

[Veggiegal]

I had good luck at a recent potluck with this mini-dessert.

First, I made sugar cookies (the dough from the 'Raspberry Strippers', Dec '00) - chilled the dough, rolled out and cut with pizza-cutter into adorable triangles, baked 10 m. or so.
Then, I spread them with lemon curd (recipe somewhere in Jun '00, I think), and topped each little triangle with one very thin slice each of apricot, plum and strawberry. The only problem was that they get soggy after a few hours - so assemble them kind of last minute. Very refreshing, fruity and very fancy looking, although really simple! They got rave reviews by many...

[schuh]

How about strawberries dipped in chocolate? This is a great season for them, and you can put them on individual candy wrappers. To make them look fancy, dip in chocolate and let dry. Then melt white chocolate (or white candy melts) and drizzle back and forth over the chocolate.

[crazycook]

Hi chefandi http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
I have two to offer that I have made with great success and that have received rave reviews whenever presented. Both of the recipes are from a Canadian Living special publication from 1982, called "Summertime Cookbook Special." The first is a fruit topped mini-cheesecake recipe and the other is for glazed fresh fruit tarts.

FRUIT-TOPPED CHEESECAKES

"With a food processor, these individual crustless cheesecakes are super fast to make and delicious plain or dressed up with a fruit topping."

16 vanilla wafers(optional) (I make them more with, than with not)
2 pkgs (each 8 ounces/250g) cream cheese
4 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Topping: (optional) (I've found more people have preferred the cheesecakes without this topping.)
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Lightly sweetened berries or sliced fruit(I've used any berry in season, kiwi, very thinly sliced ripe peaches/nectarines, or very thinly sliced small triangles of ripe fresh pineapple) I have also made them with mini-chocolate chips added to the batter and then topped the cheesecakes with a zig-zag drizzle of melted chocolate. I've added shaved Andes mints(the chocolate and green mint individually wrapped chocolate mint wafers) then topped the cheesecakes with fresh whipped cream that I've added Creme de Menthe to, garnished with a mint leaf---you can get real creative with these and offer a vast variety)

Use tiny souffle dishes or ramekins, or line sixteen 2 1/2 to 3 inch (6 to 8 cm) muffin tins with paper baking cups.(I use the medium size foil/paper muffin cups placed in a muffin pan for support.) Place 1 vanilla wafer in botton of each if desired.
In food processor or electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until smooth. Blend in 2/3 cup (150mL) sugar.
Fill prepared cups 3/4 full. Bake in 325ºF oven for 20 minutes or until set. Cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then refrigerate if not adding topping. (Cakes may sink slightly in centre during cooling.)
Topping: Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spoon over tops of cooled cheesecakes. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes longer. Cool, then refrigerate. Serve topped with berries. Makes "about" 16.

GLAZED FRESH FRUIT TARTS (Basic Recipe)

Shells:
12 baked tart shells(recipe for Pate Sucre follows) (Note I've cheated many a time and used premade tart shells that you find in the frozen food section and that you bake yourself--I won't tell, if you won't tell http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif)

Filling:
Creme Patissiere or Cream Cheese Filling (recipes follow) I've found the Creme Patissiere the more popular of the two.

Fruit:
Fresh strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries(never used these--name conjurs some unpleasant images in my mind), blueberries, seedless grapes, halved pitted cherries, sliced peaches, apricots, bananas, pineapple or melon balls.

Glaze:
3/4 cup red currant jelly or apricot jam (I've used both, as well, I've used red seedless raspberry jam thinned with just a bit of Chambord--mmmmmm)
2 tsp Cointreau, Kirsch or Chambord

Garnish: (optional)
Fresh mint, lime or lemon twists, whipped cream

Spread filling evenly in tart shells. Arrange fruit (one kind or a combination) on top.
Glaze: Use red currant jelly for dark fruits, apricot jam for light fruits. In small saucepan, melt jelly or jam with Cointreau over low heat until smooth. (Strain jam if necessary.) Cool slightly and spoon evenly over fruit.
Garnish as desired. Chill until set. Makes about twelve 3-4 inch tarts.

Pate Sucree(Sweet Pastry)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/4 cup cold shortening
1 egg
1 tbsp cold water

In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter and shortening finely. Beat egg, and water with fork; gradually add to dry mixture, stirring with fork. Press into ball, wrap in waxed paper, and chill at least 1 hour.
On floured surface, roll pastry out 1/8 inch thick. Cut into rounds and fit into 3-4 inch tart pans or oval barquette pans, being careful not to stretch pastry. ***** well with fork.
Bake in 400ºF oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown (***** again after 5 minutes if they begin to puff up). Remove from pans and cool on racks. Makes 12 to 16 tart shells.

Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream)

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1 1/2 cups hot milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Cointreau, Kirsch or Chambord
1 tsp vanilla

In heavy saucepan, beat egg yolks. Beat in sugar gradually. Blend in flour and salt, using wire whisk. Stir in milk constantly with whisk. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add butter and flavourings.
Pour into bowl; cool, stirring occasionally. (To chill for later use, cover surface with plastic wrap.) Makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough to fill about 12 tart shells.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Cointreau, Kirsch or Chambord
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

With electric mixer, beat ingredients together until smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups enough to fill about 12 tart shells.

I hope you enjoy the recipes. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Anna

[SQ]

I often make mini eclairs. I think the May 01 CL had an article on these (profuto -sp?? rolls). I fill mine w/pastry cream but they can also be filled w/lemon curd or whipped cream. And I always dip the tops in melted chocolate. If they'll be out for a while, I make and freeze ahead; then I let them thaw on the buffet.

[SusanMac]

Someone listed CL's Pecan Tassies. These have become one of my very favorite dessert treats to make. They are surprisingly easy & fast, and everyone is always dazzled. They're great for parties, gifts, kids, etc.

I haven't tried this yet, but they'd probably be great with some fresh summer berries mixed in.