Picnic on Saturday - Need dessert ideas!

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

So, we are planning on having a BBQ on Saturday, but I need some ideas for desserts. I want some simple, but yummy things that I can put out for everyone to enjoy. Any ideas?

[Jo..]

Strawberry shortcake SCREAMS picnic, and I adore this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. The best I ever had, so good I almost didn't take it to the last picnic we were invited to (I didn't want to share)!

Start the recipe by preparing the fruit, then set the fruit aside while preparing the biscuits to allow the juices to become syrupy. We find that pasteurized cream has a better flavor than ultrapasteurized cream. Many organic brands are pasteurized.

Serves 6
Fruit

8 cups fresh strawberries , hulled
6 tablespoons sugar (2 1/2 ounces)

Shortcake

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus more for work surface and biscuit cutter
5 tablespoons sugar (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , chilled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg , lightly beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half plus 1 tablespoon, (can substitute milk)
1 large egg white , lightly beaten

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream , chilled, preferably pasteurized or pasteurized organic
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract




1. FOR THE FRUIT: Place 3 cups of hulled berries in large bowl and crush with potato masher. Slice remaining 5 cups berries and stir into crushed berries along with sugar. Set fruit aside to macerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

2. FOR THE SHORTCAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. In workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, pulse flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine. Scatter butter pieces over and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl.

3. Mix beaten egg with half-and-half in measuring cup. Pour egg mixture into bowl with flour mixture. Combine with rubber spatula until large clumps form. Turn mixture onto work surface and lightly knead until it comes together.

4. Use your fingertips to pat dough into 9 by 6-inch rectangles about 3/4 inch thick, being careful not to overwork dough. Flour 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter and cut out 6 dough rounds. Place rounds 1 inch apart on small baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. (Biscuits can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.)

5. Bake until shortcakes are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Place baking sheet on wire rack and cool cakes until warm, about 10 minutes.

6. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: As soon as shortcakes go into oven, place nonreactive, deep bowl and beaters of electric mixer in freezer for 20 minutes. (If freezer is too crowded to accomodate bowl, place beaters in bowl, fill with ice water, and chill on counter. When bowl and beaters are well chilled, dump out ice water and dry thoroughly.)

7. While biscuits are cooling, remove bowl from freezer and add cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 20 seconds for soft peaks.

8. TO ASSEMBLE: When shortcakes have cooled slightly, look for natural crack around the circumference. Gently insert your fingers into the crack and split the shortcake in half.

9. Place each cake bottom on individual serving plate. Spoon portion of fruit and then dollop of whipped cream over each cake bottom. Cap with cake top and serve immediately.

[urquie]

these are great for a bbq! you can make them ahead of time and serve them right out of the pan. most imortant they are sooo good! make two batches - they go fast.

Sharon’s MISSISSIPPI MUD

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter or margarine
3 Tb. cocoa
1 cup water
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil margarine, cocoa and water. Combine eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla. Add the cooled boiled mixture to eggs. Stir in flour mixture. Mix well.
Pour into greased and floured 11x17 jellyroll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (It’s normal for cake to rise in mounds.)
Prepare frosting and pour it over cake as soon as it comes from the oven.

Frosting –
In a sauce pan mix
½ cup margarine
dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tb cocoa
6 Tb milk
Beat in
1 pound powdered sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans