Just Desserts

When summer turns to fall, the nature of dessert changes. In cool weather, we’re more likely to emphasize rich, long-cooked dishes than fresh fruit.

For example, this irresistible Upside-Down Apple Cake would be great for brunch, potlucks and buffets. It’s wonderful served warm, with or without the Cinnamon Cream Topping. This cake is best served the day it’s baked.

The balance in the Pumpkin Cheesecake is perfect; the texture is light and the pumpkin flavor is obvious but not overwhelming, nicely complemented by the gingersnap crust.

The Bread Pudding Souffle works well as a brunch dish or a dessert. The figs may be replaced by an equal quantity of tart, dried cherries. Serve it warm with a dollop of whipped cream sweetened and flavored with bourbon, or accompany it with your favorite hard sauce.

Cookbook author Jill Van Cleave has opened a pastry shop named JR Dessert Bakery in Chicago. This Upside-Down Apple Cake is typical of her homey desserts.

UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE CAKE

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup light-brown sugar, packed

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Cream Topping

Grease 9-inch springform or round cake pan 1 1/2 inches deep.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with brown sugar in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add apple slices. Cook over medium heat until apples begin to soften, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Arrange apples in even layer over bottom of prepared cake pan. Set aside to cool.

Cream remaining 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar until light. Add egg. Beat until smooth. Add applesauce and blend well.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in small bowl. Add to creamed mixture. Mix until smooth. Spread batter evenly over apples. Place pan on baking sheet.

Bake on middle rack of 350-degree oven until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes. Use small flexible knife to separate cake from sides of pan. Invert pan on serving platter and unmold cake (replace any apple slices that may remain in pan). Serve warm. Pass Cinnamon Cream Topping in separate dish. Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains about: 469 calories; 186 mg sodium; 78 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.41 gram fiber.

Cinnamon Cream Topping

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Gradually add cinnamon, then sugar, mixing well after each addition until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Janet Rosing is a partner in JR Dessert Bakery with Van Cleave. This is her version of Pumpkin Cheesecake.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

1 cup gingersnap crumbs

2 tablespoons unsweetened butter, melted

Dash ground nutmeg

Pumpkin Filling

Sweetened whipped cream

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Combine gingersnap crumbs, melted butter and nutmeg. Press crumbs uniformly on bottom of 10-inch springform pan and 1 inch up side of pan. (Press into place with small souffle dish.) Bake at 300 degrees 10 minutes. Let cool.

Pour Pumpkin Filling into springform pan. Set pan on large piece of heavy-duty foil. Wrap foil around sides of pan to seal out any water. Place pan in large baking dish. Set dish on middle oven rack. Pour boiling water around pan to 1-inch depth.

Bake until wood pick inserted in center comes out almost clean, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.

Fill pastry bag fitted with small star tube with sweetened whipped cream. Pipe lattice design on top of cheesecake and sprinkle with walnuts. To serve, dip serrated knife into hot water to cut cheesecake into wedges. Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains about:

502 calories; 258 mg sodium; 184 mg cholesterol; 39 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.74 gram fiber.

Pumpkin Filling

1 pound 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup whipping cream

Dash freshly ground nutmeg

Dash ground cinnamon

Beat cream cheese in mixer until light. Slowly add sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at time, beating well after each addition. Mix in pumpkin until blended. Mix in vanilla, whipping cream, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Judy Contino, former pastry chef at Chicago’s Ambria, now has her own pastry shop, Bittersweet. Here’s her take on bread pudding.

BREAD PUDDING SOUFFLE

1/4 cup dried figs

4 slices egg or brioche bread, quartered, crusts removed

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 large eggs, separated

Sweetened whipped cream or hard sauce, optional

Place figs in small bowl and add enough hot water to cover. Let stand until plump. Drain and chop figs. Set aside.

Combine bread and milk in large mixing bowl and toss gently (some pieces of bread will break up).

Cream butter and 1/2 of sugar until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and egg yolks. Beat until very smooth and thick. Fold butter mixture into bread mixture. Fold in figs.

Beat egg whites until foamy. Slowly add remaining sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold into bread mixture.

Pour mixture into 4 buttered 1-cup souffle dishes, dividing evenly. Place dishes in baking pan and set pan on middle rack of 375-degree oven. Pour boiling water into larger pan to depth of 1 inch. Bake until souffles are set but not firm, slightly puffy and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Souffles can be gently warmed in microwave oven on MEDIUM power (50%) or in 300-degree oven 10 minutes. If desired, flavor whipped cream with small amount bourbon whisky.

Each serving contains about:

394 calories; 230 mg sodium; 144 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.66 gram fiber.