There are few things I love in this world more than tossing on an apron, whipping out some flour, and baking…besides eating what I’ve baked, of course. But, baking isn’t always guaranteed to be leisurely and relaxing. There have been many times where we’ve had a big event or something we’ve been prepping for that requires some impressive desserts – hence the “non-relaxation” part. If you think about it, dessert is the cherry on top of any great get-together, so if it’s not wildly mouth-watering, it could be a total flop.
Don’t worry, though! No one said that these “impressively mouth-watering” desserts needed to be hard. As an intermediate-level baker, I can say with total confidence that these desserts are quick, uncomplicated, and delicious. Seriously. Delicious to the point of people asking “how long did it take you to make these??” and “i need the recipe now“.
Most of these take less than 20 minutes start to finish, but the more often you make them, the faster it can become! For the ones that need to be baked, obviously you need to keep oven preheating time and baking time in mind, but other than that, it’s incredibly fast.
I’m sure you can already tell how much we recommend giving these a try, so without further ado, here are our must-makes when the kitchen is being over-worked and you need something great last-minute!
JENNIFER GARNER’S GINGERSNAPS
The absolute perfection that are these gingersnaps are unmatched. Trust me. Crunchy and crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. It’s a dessert-lovers dream! My mom found this recipe off of Jennifer Garner’s Instagram, but the recipe isn’t actually Jennifer’s at all! Her neighbor, Marge, created this delectable recipe…and thank god for her! Not only are these my mom’s number one most requested cookie, they are scarily quick to concoct. Really, there isn’t anything that ISN’T superb about this recipe.
Tess’ Favorite Chewy Gingersnaps
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 4 tbsp molasses
- 1 organic brown egg
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 2 cups gluten-free Cup-4-Cup flour
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- extra sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry (the dough will be crumbly)
- Add the extra sugar for rolling to a small bowl.
- Using your hands, roll the batter into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll each ball in the sugar. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the exterior starts to crack (they will still appear soft – be careful not to overcook if you like them chewy).
- Pull out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
AUNT CINDY’S BANANA “ICE CREAM”
My Aunt Cindy is a genius in the kitchen (although she’d be the last one to admit it…even though she should!). She manages to impress with her tables capes, menu choices, and finesse with her recipes every time we have a family get-together. Just two weekends ago, while my parents and I were visiting Chicago, Aunt Cindy and my Uncle Mike were watching over my youngest sister, Lily. What came back home with Lily was, what I would consider to be, a jaw-dropping recipe that I am seething about not knowing earlier.
This banana “ice cream” will make you question why you ate real ice cream in the first place, and to say it’s simple might make you laugh out loud, because it’s SO simple it doesn’t seem real. To rid you of the anticipation, there’s only one ingredient: banana. It’s creamy, flavorful, and absolutely tastes like if banana ice cream had a crazily healthy sister. You have to try it.
Aunt Cindy’s One-Ingredient Banana “Ice Cream”
Ingredients
- 4-5 bananas smaller than usual
Instructions
- Add your bananas to a blender. Toss in any extra toppings, or leave it as is.
- Pulse until smooth. Serve.
Notes
BAREFOOT CONTESSA’S SKILLET BROWNIES
If you’re a fan of brownies, fun presentations, and an entire portion of chocolate-y goodness all to yourself…these skillet brownies are going to be right up your alley. Lodge’s 5″ Mini Skillet is our preferred way of serving because it’s compactly cute, comfortably cozy, and perfect for those moments when you need something that isn’t too fussy, but don’t have the time to whip a master dessert plan out of your back pocket. Just add a swirl of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream on top and you’re set! A dessert fit for any event, in minutes!
Barefoot Contessa’s Skillet Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces plus ½ cup Hershey’s semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1½ oz unsweetened chocolate
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 2 tsp instant coffee powder, such as Nescafé
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream, such as Häagen-Dazs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat the butter, 4 ounces of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a medium heat-proof bowl set over simmering water just until the chocolate melts. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee powder, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, sift together ¼ cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt and stir it into the chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and one tablespoon of flour together in a medium bowl and stir them into the chocolate mixture. Spoon the mixture into 4 individual cast-iron skillets and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for 22 minutes exactly. Don’t overbake! A toothpick inserted in the center will not come out clean. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.
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