Make Ahead/Frozen Desserts – Recipes & Strategies
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Many desserts lend themselves to being made at least a day ahead of a party. But if you are super busy that day, it is nice to be aware of other options when it comes to having dessert on hand.
Freezing Cakes
I've frozen baked cakes, un-iced, before and it worked well! I know that some even ice their cakes, flash freeze, then wrap and store. Has anyone done this?
Here are a couple of fun links. One with general tips and tricks for freezing cakes and one recipe from BHG for cute little pecan cakes...
http://www.cakebaker.co.uk/howtofreeze.html
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/pecan-cakes/
Freezing Cheesecakes
Found this site...
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index....heesecakes.cfm
...with lots of great info about cheese cakes in general including the following on freezing them:
"Cheesecakes can be frozen. Careful wrapping is very important. To freeze, place a fully cooled cheesecake in the freezer, uncovered, for 1 hour. If it's in a springform pan, remove sides of pan and freeze with the pan bottom in place. After 1 hour, use a knife to separate the cheesecake from the pan bottom. Slide it onto a foil-wrapped piece of heavy cardboard. Wrap in plastic wrap, then carefully place it inside a large freezer bag or wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil. Label and date. Freezing for more than a month is not recommended to retain the best quality.
For a cheesecake with topping, such as fruit, always freeze cheesecake WITHOUT the topping and add the topping before serving.
Always thaw a cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator. When partially thawed, transfer it from the cardboard bottom to a serving plate."
I've never frozen a cheesecake before, so obviously my real name is not Sara Lee -
Has anyone else tried it? I mean, no one does it like Sara, but still ...we can try...lol
Freezing Pies
I found this site which has lots of great info and tips.
http://missourifamilies.org/quick/fo...qa/qafs298.htm
I have my first frozen (unbaked) pie in my freezer right now so we'll see how it does when I bake it.
Which may be a while, because after processing/canning/baking and eating our way through a TON of apples after our trip to the orchard in October, I have officially OD'd on apple. I'm sick of it!!! Give me time, but for right now, no thank you!
Here is a link to a Black & White Brownie pie I have been dying to try! The instructions I had say "Cool this pie completely after baking, wrap it well in freezer wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and serve, let the pie sit on the kitchen counter for 2-3 hours until thawed. Drizzle with melted white chocolate before serving."
http://busycooks.about.com/od/sweetp...browniepie.htm
Ice Cream Pies
Even though they might seem to lie in the realm of summertime get-togethers, ice cream style pies can actually be a welcome addition to your holiday dessert table.
When you think about it, holiday parties often involve:
- Wearing a sweater
- Crackling fireplaces
- Rooms full of people
- Alcoholic beverages
All of this can add up to being a bit more warm and toasty than you might prefer. A cool, sweet dessert can really hit the spot if you are suffering from a combination of those factors.
How about a frozen pumpkin pie? Butter pecan ice cream and a gingersnap cookie crust are a couple of key ingredients here...
http://busycooks.about.com/od/sweetp...npumpkipie.htm
What kinds of frozen or make ahead desserts have you tried? Or do you want to try?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many desserts lend themselves to being made at least a day ahead of a party. But if you are super busy that day, it is nice to be aware of other options when it comes to having dessert on hand.
Freezing Cakes
I've frozen baked cakes, un-iced, before and it worked well! I know that some even ice their cakes, flash freeze, then wrap and store. Has anyone done this?
Here are a couple of fun links. One with general tips and tricks for freezing cakes and one recipe from BHG for cute little pecan cakes...
http://www.cakebaker.co.uk/howtofreeze.html
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/pecan-cakes/
Freezing Cheesecakes
Found this site...
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index....heesecakes.cfm
...with lots of great info about cheese cakes in general including the following on freezing them:
"Cheesecakes can be frozen. Careful wrapping is very important. To freeze, place a fully cooled cheesecake in the freezer, uncovered, for 1 hour. If it's in a springform pan, remove sides of pan and freeze with the pan bottom in place. After 1 hour, use a knife to separate the cheesecake from the pan bottom. Slide it onto a foil-wrapped piece of heavy cardboard. Wrap in plastic wrap, then carefully place it inside a large freezer bag or wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil. Label and date. Freezing for more than a month is not recommended to retain the best quality.
For a cheesecake with topping, such as fruit, always freeze cheesecake WITHOUT the topping and add the topping before serving.
Always thaw a cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator. When partially thawed, transfer it from the cardboard bottom to a serving plate."
I've never frozen a cheesecake before, so obviously my real name is not Sara Lee -
Has anyone else tried it? I mean, no one does it like Sara, but still ...we can try...lol
Freezing Pies
I found this site which has lots of great info and tips.
http://missourifamilies.org/quick/fo...qa/qafs298.htm
I have my first frozen (unbaked) pie in my freezer right now so we'll see how it does when I bake it.
Which may be a while, because after processing/canning/baking and eating our way through a TON of apples after our trip to the orchard in October, I have officially OD'd on apple. I'm sick of it!!! Give me time, but for right now, no thank you!
Here is a link to a Black & White Brownie pie I have been dying to try! The instructions I had say "Cool this pie completely after baking, wrap it well in freezer wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and serve, let the pie sit on the kitchen counter for 2-3 hours until thawed. Drizzle with melted white chocolate before serving."
http://busycooks.about.com/od/sweetp...browniepie.htm
Ice Cream Pies
Even though they might seem to lie in the realm of summertime get-togethers, ice cream style pies can actually be a welcome addition to your holiday dessert table.
When you think about it, holiday parties often involve:
- Wearing a sweater
- Crackling fireplaces
- Rooms full of people
- Alcoholic beverages
All of this can add up to being a bit more warm and toasty than you might prefer. A cool, sweet dessert can really hit the spot if you are suffering from a combination of those factors.
How about a frozen pumpkin pie? Butter pecan ice cream and a gingersnap cookie crust are a couple of key ingredients here...
http://busycooks.about.com/od/sweetp...npumpkipie.htm
What kinds of frozen or make ahead desserts have you tried? Or do you want to try?