Life is Short-- Make Easy Desserts

Sometimes getting a casual dinner together for friends is easy--salad, grilled poultry, fish or meat, simple sauce, vegetable and potato. But then there’s dessert.

Short of buying one straight from the store, it’s possible to serve some great homemade desserts that take little hands-on time. That’s the point of these recipes. They’re easy and no baking is involved. More than that, they deliver the kind of sweet momentum that you’ll want for the end of your meal.

Lemonade Granita

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 5 minutes plus 8 hours freezing

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine. Garnish this as desired with raspberries, raspberry sauce, mint leaves or tiny edible flowers.

12 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate

12 ounces Prosecco (or Champagne)

1 teaspoon finely minced mint leaves

* Combine lemonade, Prosecco and mint leaves in shallow dish. Freeze until solid, at least 8 hours or overnight.

* Use fork to shred into crystals. (Can be done a few hours ahead and put back into freezer.)

* To serve, put small scoops into chilled stemmed glasses. Garnish as desired.

5 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 52 calories; 5 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0 fiber.

Tiramisu Chocolate Refrigerator Roll

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes plus 6 hours chilling

TOPPING

1 cup chilled whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon amaretto

* Place cream and sugar in food processor bowl fitted with metal blade. Process until thickened to consistency of sour cream. Pulse in amaretto. Set aside. Do not wash bowl.

FILLING

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons amaretto (Marsala, rum or cognac)

1 teaspoon ground espresso coffee beans

3/4 cup chilled whipping cream

* Place cheese, sugar, amaretto and espresso beans in same bowl. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. With processor on, pour cream through feed tube and process until thickened to consistency of sour cream.

ASSEMBLY

36 chocolate wafers

1/4 teaspoon cocoa pressed through fine sieve, for garnish

Chocolate sauce, for garnish

* Put 1 scant tablespoon Filling on each wafer. Stack 4 wafers on large sheet of foil. Stack 4 more wafers and set next to first stack. Repeat with remaining wafers so you form a long line. Spread any remaining filling on outside edges and over top of stacks. Spread Topping over entire surface. Gently fold up sides of foil so they don’t touch wafers. Chill 6 to 8 hours. (Or freeze until firm; cover airtight and freeze up to 1 week. Unwrap and thaw in refrigerator for 3 hours before serving.)

* To serve, lightly dust top of roll with cocoa. Slice roll at 45-degree angle; garnish again with light dusting of cocoa and drizzle with chocolate sauce, or pass separately.

8 servings. Each serving: 402 calories; 273 mg sodium; 94 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0 fiber.

Bananas Foster Sundaes

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 3 hours freezing

Banana “ice cream” made in a food processor is amazingly smooth and delicious. It can also be served with warm fudge sauce or raspberry sauce or sandwiched between chocolate wafers for a frozen dessert.

ICE CREAM

3 bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 cup chilled milk

* Arrange banana slices in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, 2 hours.

* Put 1/2 frozen slices into food processor bowl fitted with metal blade. Add 1/2 lemon juice, 1/2 sugar and 1/2 rum. Process until thick and almost smooth. With processor on, add 1/2 milk through feed tube. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Transfer to 3-cup airtight container and reserve. Repeat with other half bananas, lemon juice, sugar, rum and milk. Put reserved mixture back into bowl. Process 5 seconds. Transfer to same container and freeze 1 hour. (Can be frozen up to 3 days.) Return mixture to food processor and process until smooth. Before serving, let sit at room temperature 10 minutes.

CARAMEL SAUCE

6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons whipping cream

Salt

1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

2 bananas, thinly sliced, for serving

* Place brown sugar, syrup, butter, cream and dash salt in medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook, stirring, until boiling and thickened, with large bubbles breaking on surface, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in rum to taste. (Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Sauce becomes very thick; gently reheat in microwave oven or on stove until just warm and liquid.)

* To serve, divide banana slices among 6 shallow soup plates. Put 3 small scoops Ice Cream on each. Drizzle with warm sauce. Serve immediately, passing remaining warm sauce separately.

6 servings. Each serving: 256 calories; 115 mg sodium; 18 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.48 gram fiber.

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Bowl from Soolip, West Hollywood