Deep fried cake balls are sinfully delicious sweets that you can have as desserts or snacks. You may decorate it with sprinkles, icing or even drizzle it with chocolate syrup. Dusting them with plain sugar or cinnamon sugar is also a good idea.  Adding chocolate chips to the batter would add more sweetness too.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 loaf pound or butter cake, cubed

2 cups of cornflakes, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs, beaten

All-purpose flour

Oil for deep frying

Place the cubed pound cake in a large mixing bowl. Add the cornflakes, sugar and eggs. Mix well until well combined.

Using a spoon or your hands, make cake balls with the prepared batter. After, roll the balls in all-purpose flour.

Put the flour coated balls on a baking tray and freeze them for at least 4 hours.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or frying pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, fry the cake balls until they are golden brown. Transfer the cooked cake balls to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. Serve immediately.

Photo Courtesy Of:  Faye✩ Mous

Butter pecan cookies are delicious treats that you can have as snacks or desserts. You may even add chocolate chips if desired. For this recipe we used light brown sugar to attain a light color, if you want it darker, you may use dark brown sugar.

Makes 12-15 pieces

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven at 375F and slightly grease 2 baking sheets with melted butter.

Place the butter in a bowl and cream it using an electric beater or mixer. Once it is soft, add the sugar and continue to beat it until it is light and fluffy. Fold in the beaten egg.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add it to the butter mixture. Mix well until it becomes smooth. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Place a spoonful of batter onto the baking sheet. Repeat this with the remaining batter. Bake it in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until it is lightly browned.

Photo Courtesy Of:  Jasmine&Roses

Fruit cocktail brownies are delicious sweets that are perfect for the holiday season. Serve them during parties or give them away as gifts.

Serves 16

Ingredients:

1 439g can fruit  cocktail, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons of syup)

2/3 cup butter

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

4 pcs eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup cashew nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven at 350F and slightly grease a 13”x9” pan with butter.

Next, melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Add the cocoa and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the cocoa mixture, eggs, vanilla and reserved cocktail syrup. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.

Place the nuts and fruit cocktail in the batter. Mix well. Transfer the mixture into the greased pan. Bake it in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until set. Test doneness with a toothpick. Insert it into the brownies and it must come out clean.

Let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store it in a sealed container if desired.

Photo Courtesy Of:  Laura HB

The French are the masters of classic cooking and culinary technique, so it’s no surprise that they lead the way in the dessert world. Many come and go, but there are French classics that stand the test of time and to this day are adored by people all across the world. Not only for their tastes and textures, but their luxuriousness and flamboyance. Here are five of the best:

Crème Brulee – This is the classic baked custard dessert, with a smooth and luxurious texture and a crackable sugar topping. A great crème brulee should be rich with vanilla and egg yolk, baked to perfection and finished off with a sprinkling of sugar. This is when heated with a blow torch or put under the grill to allow caramelisation. The addition of chestnuts or green tea can bring the flavours to a new dimension if you want to experiment.

Tarte Tatin – A tarte tatin is probably the quintessential French Dessert and if done well, always goes down a treat among the most passionate cooking aficionados. The secret to a perfect tarte is the pastry, as it must be buttery and soft, but not overcooked. The texture has to be just right and this is created with plenty of butter running throughout the layers. Apples or other fruit are then allowed to caramelise in the oven until golden. This is the perfect dessert when served with some clotted cream or Chantilly.

Crepe Suzette – Everyone loves a good pancake, and a crepe Suzette is the ultimate example of such. This is a rich recipe where a light and thin crepe is fried off with a mix of caramel, oranges and liquor. Once the alcohol is added to the pan, it is usually set alight add to the flavour. This creates a sweet, luxuriously texture made with a blend of extraordinary flavours. The secret to this recipe is to ensure the oranges have caramelised properly, and you don’t overdo it with the alcohol.

Mille Feuille – This literally translates to ‘a thousand layers’ which is a fitting description for this dish if done correctly. This is the traditional custard slice, but the pastry is difficult to get correct. It must be aerated and folded just the right number of times to give a light texture, but it cannot be burned. These pieces of pastry are then used to create a multi-layer sandwich with fruit and crème Anglaise. This vanilla cream creates a taste explosion. The secret with this dish is to ensure the pastry is just about crisp enough and has as many layers as possible.

Croque en Bouche – This is possibly the greatest looked French dessert of them all and can be found at high end banquets and catered events around the world. The dessert is basically compiled of profiteroles, or small choux buns, injected with cream and set into a pyramid or tower structure with caramel and sugar-work. It is an extravagant dessert that feeds many. The secret is to build the tower with care so the caramel can hold it in place, if done incorrectly it will fall or look like something completely unappetising.

Steve is a keen pastry chef, who works for a catering company in Brighton called Red Anywhere. They specialise in catering for weddings, private and corporate events of all sizes.

Frozen mocha mud pie is a yummy dessert that is for all ages. Prepare mini pies for parties or for a classier presentation. You can also make these ahead of time and keep them for those days when you are craving for something sweet.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup crushed chocolate cookies

1/4 cup butter, melted

For the filling:

2 pints coffee ice cream

Maltesers chocolate candy

For the toppings:

1 cup semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon brewed coffee

Combine the crushed cookies and melted butter in a medium sized bowl. Mix well. Transfer it to 9 inch pie plate or springform pan. Press the mixture onto the bottom and the sides of the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Place the ice cream on a bowl and soften it. Pour the coffee ice cream over the chilled crust and top it with candy. Cover it and freeze it overnight.

Next, prepare the toppings by putting the chocolate chips, butter and coffee in a mixing bowl.  Place the bowl in the microwave or double boiler to heat it for 6-8 minutes or until the chocolate melts. Mix well until the mixture is smooth. Let it cool completely. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the frozen pies and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Slice and serve.

Photo Courtesy Of:  punzy