Easy Desserts

Desserts traditionally end a meal so as to leave the palate feeling sweetly refreshed. The very name derives from the French "desservir" which means "to clear the table". Among the many varieties of sweet dishes created to provide this function, cakes, pies, ice creams and puddings are among the favorites.

Cakes are sweet baked desserts consisting usually of flour, sugar, egg, butter and a leavening agent. Cakes offer the perfect medium for adding many different flavoring agents. When baked, the resultant item is light and filling and has come to develop many specific social functions besides just a treat at the end of a meal. They are the central item at wedding feasts and are used as a perfect gift for many occasions. Of all the dessert foods available, cake has the greatest potential for variety in both taste and consistency. Many of the popular pastry foods are variations on the cake motif. Donuts, fritters, brownies and even cookies are the result of using different ingredient ratios and baking temperatures.

Pies are the second most popular desserts available to top off a meal. The distinctive wrapping of pastry crust either just along the bottom or completely surrounding the filling sets pies apart from most other desserts. While many cultures throughout the ages have primarily used meat fillings in their pies and served them as the main or only part of a meal, modern western culture has found that fruits and other sugary confections are perfect for making wonderfully sweet pie desserts. Whether small bite sized tarts or large pies served by the slice, this most versatile food dish makes the most memorable endings to meals that have yet to be discovered.

Puddings also have a long history and its form and function have evolved with time. Throughout most of recorded history, puddings were more like sausages and were made by using various grains mixed with other, mostly meat, ingredients. These Old World puddings were often more like meat cakes that the newer, especially American versions. Now pudding is more generally thought of as the smooth concoction of sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, eggs or tapioca. American pudding is more reminiscent of custard than the Old World puddings. Flavors and toppings are numerous and can range from fruits and nuts to creamy whipped topping.

The perennial favorite ice cream is made from mixing cream and sugar with flavorings under sub-freezing temperatures. Air is mixed in to create a fluffy, creamy texture. This cold dessert can be used in combination with cakes, pies and most other pastry favorites for an unforgettable end of meal taste sensation.

The creamy dessert of cheesecake has been with us since the beginning of our civilization. First mentioned in the writings of Cato in ancient Greece, cheesecake has been used as a naturally sweet treat and a method to preserve perishable cheeses.

The Old World style of cheesecake used ricotta in Italy. This "re-cooked" whey cheese makes a very light cake. The Danish havarti cheese makes a buttery flavored cake which can compliment several wine varieties. In the areas of Germany and Poland fresh quark cheese is the preferred variety for making delicious cheesecakes. Most American cheesecakes are made with cream cheese as the primary cheese ingredient.

The cheese is generally mixed with eggs, sugar and cream. Occasionally vanilla and chocolate are used as flavorings. Fruit can be used with caution since it can cause the finished cake to remain gooey and not set. Fruit flavorings usually are relegated to the topping on a finished cheesecake, not only helping it set but also hiding any of the natural cracks that can appear on the surface of even the most perfectly constructed cheesecake. By its nature cheesecake is a cake even though it is almost always baked in a pie-like crust of pastry, crumbled cookies or graham crackers. The English often use "digestive biscuits", a form of soft cracker, mixed with butter as their crust.

The almost unavoidable cracking of the surface as it cools is caused by the coagulation of the egg in the batter. Of the several ways to try and avoid this, you can mix a bit of corn starch into the batter or brush a bit of egg white over the surface of the cake. One way to prevent the cracks is to bake your cheesecake as a lower than suggested temperature for a bit longer time. Then allow the cheesecake to cool very slowly by leaving it in the oven with the door cracked open. As a last ditch effort, cover the surface with a fruit or whipped cream topping.

There are many varieties of cheesecake that have evolved around the world. Asian cheesecake uses powdered Japanese green tea and mango as a flavoring. The specific Japanese cheesecake utilizes emulsified cornstarch and eggs to create a very stable, long lasting cake that is even used as a popular vending machine product. The old style of Roman cheesecake uses honey and flour and is baked into loaves instead of the more common round pie shape. The Dutch style uses bittersweet chocolate for their regional specialty. The French add gelatin to Neufchatel cheese to create an extremely light textured cake that is traditionally about two inches thick.

For those unwilling or unable to consume milk products there is a vegan alternative that substitutes silk tofu for the cream cheese and specially made vegan graham crackers or granola for the crust. Lactose-free cream cheese can be used for those who are merely lactose intolerant. Whatever style of cheesecake you want to sample next, you can be assured of a smooth sweet treat to spice up the end of any meal.