Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a fast, easy, no-bake dessert. Here’s my quick cheat version.

• 1 pkg ladyfingers
• 1 8-oz (225-g) tub Better Than Cream Cheese (or real cream cheese, if you want to go dairy)
• 1 8-oz (225-g) container pareve whipping cream (or real cream), defrosted
• ½ tsp coffee granules (preferably a coffee that will dissolve easily, like Elite)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups strong coffee, with 2–3 tsp sugar added
• dash cinnamon
• chocolate syrup or melted chocolate, for garnish

Beat the pareve cream cheese until light, then add the pareve whipping cream, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar and continue beating until thick. Put a layer of the mixture on the bottom of a bowl or trifle dish.

Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee for a second or two (too little and they don’t absorb; too much and they fall apart), then layer over the cream. Continue layering cream and ladyfingers, ending with a layer of cream.

Sprinkle the top with a bit of cinnamon and a swirl of melted chocolate or chocolate syrup. Refrigerate until serving.

Optional: If you like a bit of a kick, add a tablespoon or two of liqueur (chocolate, coffee, your call) to the whipped cream mixture.

—Barbara Bensoussan, columnist

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

I got this easiest dessert recipe ever from a friend: Melt 3 3¹⁄₂-oz (100-g) bars of chocolate in a double boiler. Stir in a small container of pareve whip and 3 Tbsp of peanut butter. Pour into a graham cracker crust and freeze. Serve frozen.

—Libby Livshin, administration

Ice Cream Crunch with Chocolate Sauce

I first tasted this dessert at my friend’s son’s sheva brochos. It’s positively sublime! Everyone broke their diet for this one, including yours truly!

Ice cream

• 2 8-oz (225-g) containers pareve whipping cream
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ Tbsp vanilla sugar
• 1 Tbsp coffee, dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

Crunch

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 8 oz (225 g) chocolate chips or good-quality baking chocolate
• 1 Tbsp water
• 8 cups rice crispies or cornflakes

To make the ice cream: Beat together the pareve whipping cream, eggs, and sugars. Add coffee and peanut butter. Pour into a container or a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan and freeze.

To make the crunch: Melt together the honey, peanut butter, chocolate, and water. Add the cereal and mix well. Transfer to a baking tray and freeze.

To serve: Scoop ice cream onto a large plate. Spread a generous handful of the crunch over the ice cream and on the plate. Serve with warm chocolate sauce.

—Brynie Greisman, recipe columnist

Easy Mousse Cups

These mousse cups are the best! And there’s no separating eggs required.

• 2 3½-oz (100-g) bars chocolate (minus one row)
• 2 8-oz (225-g) containers pareve whipping cream
• confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tsp coffee granules, dissolved in a bit of hot water
• crushed nuts, for topping (optional)

Melt the chocolate. In a mixer, beat the pareve whipping cream. Add confectioners’ sugar and dissolved coffee. Stir in the melted chocolate.

Pipe into dessert cups. Top with nuts if desired. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

—Ahuva Weis, graphics

Ice Cream with Terrific Add-ins

I have my daughter Chevy to thank for learning how to make delicious pareve ice cream without two bowls and separated eggs!

• 4 eggs
• 16 oz (450 g) pareve whipping cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
• optional add-ins: different flavor extracts, crushed cookies, chocolate chips, halvah, praline paste thinned with some ice cream batter, chocolate fudge, caramel cream, chopped nuts, or crushed rice crispies

Beat everything together until it forms stiff peaks. No need to add one at a time — you can put it all in one bowl! Then add in whatever you want on low speed until incorporated.

—Faigy Grossman, recipe columnist

Pavlova

I got this recipe from my husband’s aunt Mandy Bachrach. It’s like a very large flat meringue, but better — the outside is crisp while the inside is more gooey. It looks pretty, tastes great, and is fairly easy to make. Bonus: It’s gluten free, so it’s great for GF guests.

• 4 extra-large or 5 large eggs, room temperature, separated
• pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream
• blueberries and/or chopped strawberries, for garnish

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they’re firm. Add sugar slowly with the beaters still on high, and beat until firm, shiny peaks form. Sift in cornstarch. Gently fold in white wine vinegar and vanilla extract.

Using a spatula, push/pour the mixture onto a parchment paper into a 10-inch (26-cm) circle shape, using the spatula to push the “batter” out and pat it down gently. Bake at 275°F (135°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the pavlova cool in the oven for an hour, removing only when completely cool.

Serve with whipped cream on top, covering most of the disc, and top with blueberries and chopped strawberries. For Rosh Hashanah, I like to top it with pomegranate seeds as well, and sometimes I’ll even drizzle pomegranate sauce on top.

An alternative to baking a large pavlova is to make smaller discs, 3 inches or so, for individual servings. But that takes a little more time!

—Rachel Bachrach, associate editor

Plum Crumble

Rachel Newton has shared many tips with me; by far her most delicious share is this easy, juicy crumble. I usually double it and freeze two of the four pans — it freezes beautifully and it’s a treat to have plums when they’re no longer in season.

Fruit layer

• 7 plums, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1½ tsp lemon juice

Crumb layer

• 3 cups flour
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup oil
• 1 egg

Place the fruit layer ingredients in a bowl. Mix together and let sit while you prepare the crumble.

Mix the crumb layer ingredients by hand until you get pea-sized pieces. Lightly grease two loaf pans. Press a quarter of the crumble mixture into each pan, then divide the plum mixture between the pans, and then sprinkle remaining crumbs on top.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 45 minutes, or until golden.

—Bassi Gruen, managing editor

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Pie

All my best recipes are from FT! This one is by Estee K. and was printed in The Best of Family Table. Everyone loves it, and it’s a fun Yom Tov treat in my house.

• 1 recipe chocolate chip cookie dough
• 2 containers vanilla ice cream, slightly defrosted (or make your own)
• 2 graham cracker crusts

Spread the cookie dough out on a baking sheet and bake for 9–10 minutes, till it’s still soft and doughy. Allow to cool. Break the dough into pieces and mix half of it into the defrosted ice cream. Pour into the crusts and smooth out. Top with the rest of the cookie dough pieces. Freeze until ready to serve.

Tip: Use the pieces from the middle of the baking sheet, which are the most doughy, for mixing into the ice cream. Save the pieces from around the perimeter of the sheet, which are crispier, for the topping.

—Chaya Baila Lieber, copy editor

Snickerdoodle Pie

Years ago, my sister-in-law Numi gave me this recipe for snickerdoodle pie that, yes, still needs a mixer, but it’s straightforward, and you can do it all in one shot instead of the make-in-a-bajillion-steps dessert recipes out there.

• 2 graham cracker crusts (yes, this recipe makes two pies!! Amazing, I know.)
• 2 8-oz (225-g) containers pareve whipping cream
• 1 pkg vanilla pudding mix

Topping

• ⅓ cup Karo syrup
• ⅓ cup chocolate syrup
• ⅓ cup crunchy peanut butter

Beat pareve whipping cream until stiff. Add pudding mix and beat again. Divide the mixture between your two crusts.

Mix together topping ingredients and pour/drizzle on top of the pies. Freeze.

Remove from freezer a little while before serving to thaw a little (unless you want to build your muscles).

—Esther Kurtz, columnist

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 813)