The heat of the summer is (mostly) past at this point, and the beginning of baking season is nearly upon us. Not ready to fire up the oven and break out the Bundt pans? Here are some quick, easy, and delicious no-bake dessert ideas to try.
Start Simple
Not sure about desserts without an oven? Start with relatively familiar territory: a no-bake strawberry mousse. All you need are fresh strawberries (1 cup), sugar (1/2 cup, divided), water (5 tablespoons, divided), gelatin (3/4 tbsp), a dash of salt, a couple of egg whites, a little vanilla, and whipping cream (1/2 cup). Simply throw the strawberries and a tbsp of sugar into a food processor or blender and toss gently. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, and then blend until smooth. Now transfer the mixture to a bowl with 2 tbsp water and the gelatin. Mix and let stand for 5 minutes.
Next, put 6 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp water, and a dash of salt into a small saucepan and boil over medium heat. Cook (without stirring) for about 4 minutes. Add egg whites to the gelatin mix and beat until foamy. Then gradually pour the hot mixture into the egg white/gelatin mixture. Beat until high, stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, start beating the cream until peaks form. Fold in the egg white mixture a little bit at a time, and then fold in the strawberry mixture. Spoon into dessert glasses, chill for 6 hours, then serve and enjoy! This makes the perfect end-of summer celebration dessert. It's easy for a large group of people, and can be made in bulk by simple doubling or tripling the ingredients.
Go Bananas
Need a crowd-pleaser? Try this delicious banana chocolate pudding. This recipe is pretty quick to prepare, so it's great if you need to throw something together last-minute. It calls for 2 cups of heavy cream, 5 oz semisweet chocolate chips, 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar, 26 wafers, and 3 bananas (sliced). All you have to do is heat the cream in a medium saucepan. After boiling, add the chocolate and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, then add the confections' sugar and stir until completely melted. Let cool to room temperature. Next, layer 13 of the wafers into a 2-quart baking dish. Pour half of the mixture on top, and then layer with banana slices. Pour on the remaining mixture, and put the remaining 13 wafers on top. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has set. This should take about 2 hours.
This is the perfect dessert for kids or the chocolate addict in your life. Again, it can serve large parties or can be made for a single person. It's a great holiday dessert, complimenting a turkey and cranberries quite well.
It's Okay To Be Cheesy
Ready for the big leagues? For a special occasion, create a no-bake, chocolate crusted cheesecake. You'll need 7 oz of chocolate wafer cookies, 1/3 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar, 6 tbsp butter, 8 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and a pint of raspberries. Using a food processor, process cookies until finely ground. Combine the ground cookies and 3 tbsp sugar in a bowl, and add the butter, mixing until the mixture holds. Transfer the mix into a baking tin, lining the sides, and place it in the freezer.
Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice in a mixer and beat. Lightly whip the cream to soft peaks, and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Remove the crust, and transfer the combined creation into the crust. Cover and freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer the pan to the fridge for another 30 minutes.
To serve, puree half the raspberries and serve the cheesecake with the puree and fresh berries. This dessert will wow your friends, and no one will believe it's a no-bake recipe. As cheesecake is a constant crowd pleaser, this dessert is perfect year round. Change the berries to create a 4th of July theme, or top with caramel for a more autumnal dessert. You could even throw in the ubiquitous pumpkin spice and some coffee for an on-trend delight.
This article was contributed by Kelly Simmons, corporate and creative mother. If you're looking for quick access to spare kitchen parts for appliances to ensure you time in the kitchen is fun AND efficient, Kelly recommends visiting www.yourspares.co.uk.
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