Quick, Easy and Healthy Recipes: Desserts

Fruitcake Bars

It is the season for fruitcake!

Here's a superb tweak on the traditional recipe:

Use dried local fruits and cut the cake into bite-sized bars.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup mixed dried fruits

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 cup chopped nuts (we used walnuts and cashews)

Procedures:

1 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside. 

2 Sift together flour, salt, ground cinnamon, and baking powder. Divide in half.

3 Dredge dried fruits in half of the flour mixture.

4 In a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add honey, then stir in remaining flour mixture. Fold in dried fruits and nuts.

5 Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool before slicing into bars.

Wrapping tip: We used dried mangoes, coconut, bananas, and pineapples in this recipe. To give as gifts, first wrap bars in aluminum foil then in colored cellophane.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time:
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp sweetened garbanzos
2 tbsp nata de coco
2 tbsp kaong
2 tbsp sweetened monggo
2 scoops Ube Especial Ice Cream
Leche flan (optional)
Ube haleya (optional)

Procedure:

1. Arrange garbanzos, nata de coco, kaong and monggo in a halo-halo glass.

2. Top with scoops of Ice Cream, leche flan and/or ube haleya.

3. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Content: Calories: 193 Carbohydrates (g): 36 Protein (g): 4 Fats (g): 5

Good to Know:
Ice Cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. It is made up of 85% air and water.

Good to Remember:
Eating your favorite desserts is one way of enjoying life’s simple pleasures, so don’t feel guilty when treating yourself to your favorite ice cream!

*Has Iron- for healthy red blood cells
*Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 pc (80-100 g) raisin bread, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 can (439g) Fruit Cocktail, drained
1 tbsp (-) brown sugar, -
CHOCOLATE CREAM
1/2 cup (-) all-purpose cream, chilled
1 tbsp (-) sugar, -
1/8 tsp (-) vanilla extract, (optional)
3-4 pc (-) chocolate cookies, crushed (without cream filling)

Procedure:

1. CHOCOLATE CREAM: Whip all-purpose cream with vanilla until light and almost double in volume. Add sugar and cookie crumbs gradually. Whip until well mixed. Set aside.

2. SPREAD half of bread cubes on an 8"x5" pan. Add half of Fruit Cocktail. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cover with half of cream mixture.

3. LAYER with remaining ingredients with fruit cocktail on top. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Slice and serve.

*Rich in Vitamin B1 - prevents beri-beri

*Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 pc store bought chiffon cake, 8" or 9"

1 can (388 g) sweetened condensed milk

1-1/2 cups (337.5 g) unsalted butter or margarine

3 tbsp (54 g) all-purpose cream

1 tsp (5 g) lemon or orange extract

2 cups (250 g) confectioner's sugar

1 can (439 g) Fruit Cocktail, drained and chopped

Procedures:

1. TO make the yema frosting: Place unopened can of condensed milk in a heavy saucepan. Fill the pan with enough water to cover the can. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water if needed. Remove can from the pan. Allow to cool before opening.

2. BEAT the butter for about 3 minutes. Add in the cream, confectioner's sugar and the prepared yema frosting. Beat until smooth.

3. FOLD in half of the Fruit Cocktail. Frost the cake. Top with remaining fruits.

*Good source of Vitamin C – helps fight common infections.

*Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 can (439 g) Fruit Cocktail, drained (reserve syrup)

1 bag (20 pc) round milk biscuits

CREAM FILLING

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 pc egg, lightly beaten

fruit cocktail syrup

1/2 cup all-purpose cream, chilled

Procedures:

1. CREAM FILLING: Dissolve flour in milk until smooth. Combine with sugar, margarine, eggs and fruit cocktail syrup. Cook over low heat with continuous stirring for 25 minutes (or until mixture coats the spoon). Cool slightly then add all-purpose cream. Blend well.

2. CRUSH 9 pieces biscuits in mortar and pestle or food processor to make 2/3 cup crumbs. Layer remaining biscuits in 8” x 8” pan. Top with Fruit Cocktail. Pour cream filling. Sprinkle crumbs on top. Cover and chill overnight.

*Fruity, syrupy heaven for those with a sweet tooth.

*Rich in Vitamin C – helps fight common infections.

*Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

FLAN

4 pc eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 can (439 g) Fruit Cocktail, drained

CARAMEL

3/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp water

Procedures:

1. CARAMEL: Cook sugar and water over medium heat with occasional stirring until sugar caramelizes. Pour into 8 individual molds (1/2 cup capacity). Set aside.

2. FLAN: Combine first 4 ingredients. Beat well. Strain. Pour mixture into prepared molds half full. Spread 2 tablespoons of Fruit Cocktail on each mold. Cover with wax paper or foil and steam for 40 minutes. Cool, then chill. Unmold and serve.

Pine-choco Revel Bars

*Induldge in the goodness of oats and chocolate with a tangy pineapple surprise!
*Good Source of Vitamin B1 – helps prevent beriberi.
*Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

2/3 cup margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 pc egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp cashew nuts or walnut, chopped
100 g semi-sweet chocolate, grated
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 can (234 g) Crushed Pineapple, drained

Procedures:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease a 7”x7” pan. Set aside.

2. CREAM margarine and brown sugar. Add egg, beating well after addition. Add vanilla. Set aside.

3. COMBINE flour and baking soda. Add to the margarine mixture. Mix well. Fold in oatmeal and nuts. Press 3/4 of this mixture at the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread Crushed Pineapple over crust (oatmeal mixture). Set aside.

4. MELT chocolate in a double boiler. Blend in condensed milk. Pour over crust. Cover and freeze for 15 minutes. Divide remaining oatmeal mixture into 6 portions. Press lightly onto pan to partly cover the chocolate topping. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and chill for 3 hours. Cut into bars.

TIP: Use improvised double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over the pan of simmering water. Place chocolate onto bowl and stir to melt.