Easy Dessert Recipes to Make at Home While Social Distancing
Everything one needs for homemade cookie dough is probably already in your pantry. (Photo Jane Fitzpatrick/The Gettysburgian)
By Jane Fitzpatrick, Features Editor
With the coronavirus causing quite a scare, people have swept through local grocery stores and supermarkets to prepare for the worst. It may be difficult to find even the most basic needs. There are several food products, however, that many homes probably already have, stocked up in the back of the pantry. The challenge is finding the best ways to combine simple ingredients.
Here are a few delicious recipes to try at home while food supplies are scarce:
Ready-To-Eat Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp All Purpose Flour (may substitute with oat, almond, or coconut flour)
- 2 tbsp Milk (dairy or any substitute)
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsp Nut butter (creamy variety recommended)
- Chocolate chips (dairy or any substitute, amount to taste)
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Enjoy!
Easy Fudge
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Nut butter (creamy variety recommended)
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips (dairy or any substitute)
- A dash of honey (optional)
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Microwave until fully combined.
Pour mixture into a wax-lined pan (not too deep). Spread out mixture evenly.
Place pan into a freezer until the mixture is hardened. Enjoy!
Fruit Cobbler
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups Fruit (peaches and berries recommended, not bananas)
- 9 x 13 baking sheet
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk and vanilla extract, stir evenly.
Melt butter, and add it to the mixture. Mix to combine.
On the greased baking sheet, spread 2 cups of fruit evenly.
Pour batter over the fruit evenly.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown. Enjoy!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana*
Ingredients:
- Ripe peeled banana
- Chocolate for melting
- Peanut butter
Directions: Gently cover the banana with an even coat of peanut butter.
Melt chocolate in microwave (Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between)
Dip the banana into the melted chocolate, place on a plate, and freeze until hardened.
Enjoy!
Banana Cake*
Ingredients:
- 2 Overripe bananas (browned)
- 1 1/2 cups Four
- 1/4 cup White sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter
- Casserole dish
Optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chunks, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°
Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk until well combined. Melt the butter and let sit until warm (this is important so that you do not curdle or cook the eggs when adding the butter to this mixture). Once the butter is slightly cooled, whisk it into the egg mixture and add the vanilla extract.
Mash the bananas in another bowl.
With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, including the mashed banana.
Fold in optional ingredients after mixture is just combined until evenly distributed.
Pour batter into greased casserole dish and set into the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick/utensil inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Baking is often used by people to relieve stress and to have fun eating and sharing the yummy results. Simple recipes like these are perfect for beginner bakers, but they also encourage creativity and exploration in the kitchen. Consider adding a dash of honey here, try a different kind of milk there–the opportunities for a star baker are endless! Host of the Great British Baking Show and world renowned baker Paul Hollywood would be very proud.
Editor’s Note: The recipes marked with an asterisk were given to The Gettysburgian by Abigail Richard ’21. -G. Mangala
