Too Much Milk: Microwave Milk Pudding & Simple Almond Ice Milk

It happens sometimes... our milkman doesn't get the message that we don't need that extra 1/2 gallon of milk. Today was one of those mornings. I didn't have room for the last quart of milk in the refrigerator, so I had to use it up quickly to make room for the new milk.



For microwave milk pudding, all you need is a large microwave bowl, a whisk, and a small cereal bowl. You will see the term "whisk" a lot in this recipe, because whisking is the key to a smooth pudding done in the microwave.

Microwave Milk Pudding

3/4 cup sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in large microwaveable bowl. Whisk in milk. Cook in microwave on high until you see bubbles start to form around edges. Whisk the contents of the bowl and continue to microwave, whisking every 2 minutes until thick. Whisk together egg yolks in a separate small bowl. Whisk a little of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to warm them up, then whisk the yolks into the pudding mixture until smooth. Cook in microwave until bubbly again. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool. Eat warm or completely cold. Top with fresh berries if desired.




Almond Ice Milk is so easy and refreshing. The almond extract makes it taste a little exotic and elegant. You can store leftover ice milk in a plastic sealed container in the freezer.

Simple Almond Ice Milk

4 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix together and freeze in ice cream maker according to directions.

Yogurt Carrot Cake With Creamy Honey Almond Icing

This delicious cake recipe came from Good Eats by Alton Brown. The icing is my own.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
6 ounces vegetable oil (I used unsalted butter)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Mimsy's Creamy Honey Almond Icing

8oz Cream Cheese
2oz Butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Beat until smooth.

Triple Sec Lime Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup confectionery sugar

Filling:
1 oz Sweetened Lime Juice
2 oz Triple Sec
1 1/2 oz Sweet & Sour Mix
5 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 tsp lime zest

To make crust, cut butter into other ingredients and press into a 9 x 13" baking pan. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until slightly brown. Combine filling ingredients with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour over somewhat cooled crust. Bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool before cutting. Sprinkle with confectionery sugar if desired.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Beat together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Combine flour, baking soda and salt, add to butter mixture. Stir in oats. Allow dough to sit in fridge for 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350ºF. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake each sheet for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly golden. Do not overbake. Cookies continue to cook once removed from the oven, so underdone is better than overdone.

Adara's Toffee Fudge Brownies

These brownies are dense and fudgy in the center and flaky on the outside. Absolutely amazing. These are my daughter's creation, and my all-time favorite brownie recipe. The photo here was taken after a night in the fridge smooshed under various leftovers. They actually "glisten and crumble" more when they are fresh from the oven. A different version of this can be found in another place on this blog, but this is the recipe the way my daughter makes it:

1/2 cup butter
8 oz. high quality dark chocolate (60 - 70%), chopped
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 large eggs (beat well after each egg)
3/4 cup flour (don't over-mix)
1 cup chopped toffee pieces

Preheat over to 350ºF. In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and salt. Pour into a cold bowl and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Carefully add flour and toffee and don't over-mix.

Bake in a buttered 8-inch square pan for about 45 minutes or until the edges pull away from the pan. Do not overcook! Cool before cutting.

Neapolitan Cheesecake

Somewhere in all my stacks of recipe books I have a recipe for Neapolitan cheesecake, but I couldn't find it, so I winged it. I love the rich layers made from strawberry puree, melted rich chocolate and vanilla bean, over a rich chocolate macadamia nut crust. The key to making good baked cheesecake is to cook it a day ahead and allow it to settle in the refrigerator over night. Otherwise it will taste too "eggy".

Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers
1/8 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1 T sugar

Filling:
3 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup cream
1 cup strawberry puree (made from fresh or frozen strawberries)
4oz 60% dark chocolate, melted
1 T dark cocoa powder
1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Combine crust ingredients and press into the bottom only of a 10" springform pan. Mix cheese with sugar. Add one egg at a time, blending until combined and smooth. Divide filling into three sections. Add strawberry puree to one, chocolates to second, and inside of vanilla bean (or extract) to third. Carefully layer the three sections over the crust, being careful not to blend them together. End with the strawberry layer, as it has more liquid than the other two. Bake for about 50 minutes then turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool with the oven for an hour. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Pear Poached in Orange, Cranberry and Wine, with Caramel Glaze

2 large pears, peeled
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp honey
1 whole orange, cut in half
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T butter
2T milk

In a medium pot, bring cranberries and orange halves (peels on) to boil in white wine with honey. Reduce to a simmer, place pears in the liquid, and cover. Poach for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the sugar, butter, and milk in a tiny sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes.

Remove pears from poaching liquid and place on a plate. Remove orange, bring poaching liquid to a boil, and add the sugar mixture to the poaching liquid. Cook down into a syrup. Spoon cranberries in syrup over pears. Serve either warm or chilled.